《After Marrying My Boss》 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡°If it weren''t for her coercion, I wouldn''t be marrying her,¡± Justin blurted without the slightest restraint. Then, he flipped them over and pinned Mabel beneath him. ¡°Darling, your fianc¨¦e is really here.¡± cing her hands against his chest, Mabel pointed in the direction of the bedroom door. ¡°That''s impossible! I just saw her off, so how could she...¡± While saying that, Justin couldn''t help ncing at the door. ¡°Anna? Why are you here?¡± The moment he spotted me, he froze instantly. He swiftly scrambled off Mabel, his gaze brimming with panic as he regarded me. At that very moment, his desire had long vanished without a trace. Panicked, he didn''t even have the time to cover his birthday suit. Mabel, on the other hand, pulled the covers around herself and looked at me with a derisive sneer tugging at the corners of her mouth. By then, my face was already stained with tears. Inundated by wrath and hatred, I wanted to vent at the cruelty of the truth, but I merely spun around to leave. Justin quickly chased after me with a towel around his waist, his gaze radiating guilt. ¡°I can exin, Anna...¡± ¡°What else is there to exin? I saw everything clear as day just now, so what else do you have to say?¡± While I was hurting so much that I couldn''t even breathe, his offer of an exnation gave me a glimmer of hope. But just then, Mabel appeared in Justin''s shirt. Her wavy curls were draped over her shoulders in a tousled mess. At that moment, she appeared all the more alluring. She sauntered right up to me with a hint of defiance in her eyes. ¡°Reese is Justin''s child.¡± What did she just say? Reese? Her three-year-old child is actually Justin''s? A glimmer of hope rose in my heart earlier, but a bomb sted it apart when her words fell. For a moment there, I felt that my entire world had copsed. I nervously swung my gaze at Justin in hopes that he would deny it, but things didn''t transpire as I wished. He hung his head slightly with guilt in his eyes, tacitly admitting that Reese was indeed his child. It felt like a stab right to my heart. I wanted to scream andsh out, but words eluded me as I was overwhelmed with emotions. Intense fury and enmity engulfed me. How could they betray me by doing such a despicable thing? In the past seven years, I''ve regarded him as the man I love the most and the other as my best friend, yet they actually hooked up behind my back and even had a child together? ¡°You b*tch!¡± As the lid on my wrath and humiliation exploded, I lifted my hand and swung it across Mabel''s face. I put so much strength into it that my hand went numb from the sting. ¡°Mabel!¡± Justin''s voice rang out, filled with worry for Mabel. Mabel''s face snapped to the side at my hard p, but in the next moment, she abruptly jerked her head back and stared at me furiously. ¡°Are you okay, Mabel? Does it hurt?¡± Justin gazed at Mabel with anguish written all over his face, and the sight of it sent a sharp stab of pain lancing through me again. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Is this for real? My fianc¨¦ is showing such concern for the homewrecker who ruined our rtionship right in front of me? D*mn it all to hell! ¡°She hit me, Justin. My face hurts badly.¡± Mabel put on a pitiful expression as she clutched at Justin''s arm, tears of anguish streaming down her face. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°You went too far, Anna. How could you hit her? When did you be so violent?¡± Justin abruptly turned around and pinned his eyes on me, the wrath and reproach in his gaze inly visible. All at once, my heart felt as though it had been sliced into ribbons. I gaped at him, my face drained of all color. Haha, it''s ringly obvious that I can''tpare to Mabel in his eyes! But I''m his fianc¨¦e! We''re getting married tomorrow, yet he had no qualms about being intimate with another woman in our new house. To make matters worse, the woman even turned out to be my best friend since my university days! ¡°Get out of here, Mabel Quintrell! This is my marital home. Scram now!¡± As though I had lost my mind, I rushed forward and grabbed her arm to drag her out of my house. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That''s enough! Snap out of it, Anna Garcia!¡± Justin shot forward and shoved me to the floor while shielding Mabel in his arms. The pain radiating from my butt paled inparison to the agony within me. Getting to my feet, I looked at him with a bitter smile. At that very moment, I wholly understood that my importance to him was far beneath that of a homewrecker. ¡°I hate you, Justin Xenakis!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs, exhausting thest vestiges of my strength. Spinning on my heels, I ran out of themunity. I sprinted relentlessly, blocking out any reminiscence of the scene I had witnessed earlier with the vigorous exercise. Nheless, the scene that had just transpired kept ying in my mind. On the night before the wedding, the bride-to-be''s fianc¨¦ and best friend were caught in the act, and they even had a child together. I thought that such a melodramatic affair would only appear on television, but it was actually happening to me at that very moment, and I was the betrayed bride-to-be. We had been together for seven years. Initially, I thought that we would live happily ever after starting tomorrow, never to be separated until death. But all my hopes were destroyed after witnessing everything that night. He was no longer the Justin Xenakis who professed to love me and be with me forever. Subsequently, I went to the bar. The stench of cigarette smoke and alcohol hung in the air. The music was cranked to the maximum as though trying to burst the patrons'' eardrums. Men were swaying to the beat on the dance floor while I sat in the corner guzzling ss after ss of the strongest liquor. At that moment, my emotions were on the brink of snapping. Well, well... How absurd that I witnessed my fianc¨¦ and best friend fooling around the night before our wedding! Haha, it''s trulyughable and pathetic! Throughout the past seven years, I''d never once suspected that they were hooking up, for they were the people I trusted the most. But now, it''s precisely those two people who betrayed me at the same time. Is there anyone else who''s more pathetic than me in this world? My mind flooded with the image of Mabel frantically undting atop Justin with nary a stitch on her body. Justin''s rapturous expression, on the other hand, was both ludicrous and repulsive. Oh, and there''s Reese as well. It turned out that Reese is Justin''s child! Not only did they hook up, but they even had a child together! I''ve always assumed that Mabel''s reluctance to talk about Reese''s father stemmed from hurt, so I''ve been cautious and avoided that topic. Now, I finally know how laughable I''ve been! Were they too good at keeping it under wraps, or was I too stupid? It''d been so many years, yet I never had the slightest inkling. As my emotions were a chaotic mess, I threw my head back and guzzled the hard liquor. The burning sensation in my throat had tears pouring down my face, but my chest remained tight without a hint of respite to be found. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Out of the blue, my gaze snagged on a man some distance away. The man was wearing a ck suit, drinking alone at the bar with a grim expression on his face. I recognized him¡ªhe was Justin''s immediate superior, Michael Shaw. Justin once brought me to hispany party, and Michael gave a speech, so I remembered him. However, I didn''t understand why he would frequent such a ce. Hmm? Does a sessful man among the elite ranks like him patron the bar to pass the time as well? In the next moment, a thought suddenly shed across my mind. Since you betrayed me, Justin Xenakis, I''m going to do the same to you! Snagging my wine ss, I staggered to my feet and tottered forward in a stupor. When I was about to reach Michael, I tripped and stumbled into his arms. He was a very young man who appeared to be in his thirties. The cor of his white shirt was gaping slightly, and the cuffs of his shirt were rolled up to midarm, revealing his tanned skin. The bridge of his nose was high, and he had alluring lips. His eyes were profound and deep-set though they were impassive. Hmm... What a handsome and aloof man! Michael eyed me coldly with abhorrence etched on his face before he pushed me away. ¡°Spend the night with me,¡± I murmured cidly as I stared at his handsome countenance, my gaze ssy. ¡°What?¡± It was apparent from the way Michael''s eyes widened that he hadn''t expected me to be so straightforward. ¡°I said, spend the night with me. Or do you not understand my words?¡± I whispered an inch from his lips, hooking my arms around his neck. Having imbibed, I was emboldened with liquid courage. Usually, I would never say such a thing, but there was nothing holding me back after experiencing such trauma earlier. ¡°Are women nowadays so brazen? Are you that desperate to be filled?¡± Michael gazed at me indifferently, his eyes teeming with disdain. Well, he must be thinking that I''m the kind of sl*t who often seduces men in bars. ¡°Why? No guts to do it? Or are you not capable of doing it?¡± I snickered insouciantly, shifting my gaze to his crotch. My voice was tinged with a hint of mockery. No man in this world will be able to take the insult of others thinking that he''s sexually inadequate, especially women. And I think he''s no exception either. Sure enough, his expression changed as soon as my words fell. The look in his eyes turned all the more frosty. ¡°I hope you don''t regret it!¡± In the next instance, Michael dragged me out of the bar and checked into a room at the high-end hotel right across the road. I was rather unsteady on my feet after having imbibed so much that I couldn''t resist leaning against him. The moment the room door mmed shut, Michael lifted my chin and stared at me with an unfathomable gaze. A secondter, he captured my lips. The kiss was domineering and feral, making me lose myself in it. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The night whizzed past in a blur of fiery passion. When I woke up in the morning, I ached all over. It felt as though I was going to shatter with the slightest movement. Thus, I couldn''t help cursing Michael out inwardly. Ugh! How crazy did he gost night? Is he a beast? Sitting up, I looked down, only to be greeted by the sight of hickeys scattered across my chest and bruises on my arms. All at once, my anger zed even more. D*mn it! Did he have to be so vigorous? ¡°So, how was my skills in bed? Are you satisfied?¡± A low and sensual male voice rang out beside me. Snapping my face to the side, I immediately saw Michael staring at me with a dark expression on his handsome countenance. Panic struck me, and I hastily wrapped the covers around my body. It still felt awkward to have a practical stranger looking at my body even though I was the aggressor who came on to himst night. ¡°Oh, you''re starting to feign innocence before me now, huh? Last night, you were really wild.¡± Michael stood up and approached me, his voice filled with contempt and disdain. His high and mighty demeanor perturbed me, for it made me feel as though I was a skank. Flipping the covers, I picked my clothes up from the floor and sely slipped them on in front of him. ¡°Your skills are pretty good, and that part of you is big enough, so I''m very satisfied.¡± I cast a flippant nce at his crotch. At that, Michael''s expression darkened. As he looked at me, the fury in his gaze was inly visible. ¡°Are all women nowadays shameless like you? You really have no qualms about speaking your mind, huh?¡± The moment he finished speaking, I noticed his gaze going to the bed. On the heels of that, his expression turned conflicted. As I followed his gaze, my heart clenched when I glimpsed the smear of blood. During the seven years I dated Justin, I always felt that I should save my precious virginity for our wedding night. However, I discovered the horrible truth before then! As a result, I even stooped so low as to give my first time to a random man! How ludicrous! ¡°It was your first time?¡± Michael''s gaze shifted back to my face with an unfathomable look in his eyes. ¡°So what? Don''t tell me you''ve got a virginityplex?¡± I drawled derisively after retracting my gaze, staring right into his conflicted eyes. Michael probably didn''t like my attitude, for his brows knitted together deeply as he regarded me with chagrin. ¡°Well? What do you want? Money?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . A long moment passed before he spoke again, his voice still as indifferent as before. ¡°Why? Do women who sleep with you always ask you for money?¡± Feeling insulted, I glowered at him indignantly. I just wanted revenge against Justin! Do I look as though I''m looking for a quick buck? ¡°We merely had a mutual exchange of favors. I don''t need your money. Also, we''re strangers moving forward.¡± After saying that, I swiftly left the hotel since I didn''t want to speak with him any further. When I went back to Natalie''s house, she pulled me into the bedroom. ¡°Anna, do you know how worried I''d been when you stayed out the entire night? I called but couldn''t get through to you. Don''t tell me that you and Justin...¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Natalie eyed me with a raised brow as she drummed her fingers together. Naturally, I understood what she was trying to say. ¡°You''re partially right. Indeed, I did the deed with a man, but it wasn''t Justin.¡± At the mention of Justin''s name, repugnance swamped me. Ugh! I was truly blind to fall in love with such a repulsive man! ¡°What? You did it with another man? What exactly happened?¡± Natalie gaped at me with her eyes popping out of her head, obviously shocked by my remark earlier. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Seeing her reaction, I told her about catching Justin and Mabel in bed when I returned to my marital homest night. ¡°What? Justin actually did such a despicable thing? What a b*stard!¡± After listening to my exnation, Natalie was likewise infuriated and startedmbasting Justin. ¡°Oh right. What about the wedding today, then? You''re supposed to be getting married today!¡± Recalling that, she looked at me anxiously. ¡°The wedding is canceled,¡± I replied mildly. But as I said those few words, I could still vividly remember the agonizing pain I felt at that time. I''d been looking forward to this wedding for many years and had personally arranged every single detail. I invested all my time and effort in it, but it had all been for nothing! ¡°I''m tired, so I''d like to rest, Natalie.¡± Although I felt repulsed every time Justin came to mind, he was still the man I had loved for seven whole years. Thus, it would be a lie if I were to say that I was wholly unbothered. Right now, I only want to have a good sleep and forget about him. When I wake up, I''ll simply pretend as though he never existed in my life! Knowing that I was hurting, Natalie left without saying another word. I didn''t know how long I slept, but when I roused, I heard a racket in the living room and what sounded like Justin''s voice. Natalie was seemingly arguing with him. As soon as I opened the bedroom door, I immediately caught sight of Justin sitting on the couch in the living room. Natalie, on the other hand, wore an expression of fury. ¡°Anna,¡± Justin hurriedly called out upon spotting me. ¡°What are you doing here, Mr. Xenakis? You''re not wee here!¡± Stifling the urge to rush forward and demand why he betrayed me, I deliberately feigned a detached expression. ¡°Anna, regarding the incidentst night...¡± Justin stood up and walked toward me with guilt in his eyes. ¡°Why? Do you want to describe how you had a passionate affair with my best friendst night right before my friend?¡± My voice was colored with derision, the anger within me surging to the forefront. He was someone I once loved deeply, after all, so it still hurt when I recalled his deception and betrayal. ¡°I know I was at fault for the incidentst night, Anna. But Mabel and I truly love each other. I...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, I cut him off. ¡°That''s enough! It''s over between us, so you don''t need to exin anything to me, Justin Xenakis! Didn''t you say I coerced you into getting married? I''m telling you now that you''re a free man!¡± It was he who cheated on me and slept with my best friend, even have a child with her! Yet, he''s now telling me that they love each other! How utterly ironic! If they love each other, what has he regarded me as in the past seven years? Chapter 7 Chapter 7 The thing is, I was his girlfriend, and today was supposed to be our wedding! Despite all that, he came here to say such a thing to me! Never had I known that the man I loved for so many years is actually so shameless! ¡°Thank you, Anna...¡± Justin said in a mere whisper. Perhaps he was feeling guilty, for he sounded noticeably hesitant. Thank you? He''s thanking me? Haha... At the sight of the relief on his face, my heart clenched painfully. The man who once loved me and promised to take care of me for the rest of my life is actually thanking me for calling off the wedding! I''m probably the most pathetic person in the entire world! ¡°Get out! I don''t want to see you!¡± I shouted, pointing at the door. I almost couldn''t restrain myself from marching up to him and demanding to know why he betrayed me. ¡°Didn''t you hear that? Get out!¡± Indignant, Natalie grabbed a broom and swung it at Justin as she chased him out. After Justin left, I felt as though all the energy had been drained out of me and plopped down onto the floor with a vacant gaze. Although he was a scumbag, he was still a man I had loved for seven years, so it would be a lie to say that I wasn''t anguished that things ended between us in such a manner. ¡°Just let it all out, Anna. You''ll feel better afterward.¡± Walking over to me, Natalie hugged me tightly, her voice brimmed with distress. ¡°Why should I cry because of a shameless scumbag? Natalie, don''t ever mention him again in front of me.¡± I lifted my head slightly, but still, tears continued pouring down my face. ¡°I know you''re feeling tormented, Anna. Just cry your heart out this once. After that, forget him and begin a new life.¡± Natalie hugged me tightly, and I could hear that her voice was choked. Since she was my best friend, it was only natural that she felt anguished upon seeing my condition at present. I wept for an interminable amount of time until my eyes were swollen and my head felt unbearably fuzzy. It was as though the bout of crying had sapped me of all energy. After bawling my eyes out, I went back to the bedroom and slept again. I spent almost the entire day and night on the bed. Even in my dreams, I dreamed of Justin and Mabel doing the deed. Probably sick of seeing me torture myself in such a manner, Natalie came to my room and woke me up. It was the third day of my breakup. ¡°Wake up and have something to eat, Anna.¡± I pulled the covers over my head, not in the mood to say a single word, much less eat. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. I had been slowly losing my mind in the past two days. As soon as I closed my eyes, all I could see was the scene of Justin''s betrayal. ¡°I don''t want to eat...¡± I mumbled. Right then, I only wanted toy in bed and do nothing. However, Natalie couldn''t take it anymore. Yanking the covers off me, she red at me huffily. ¡°Anna Garcia, when did you be so useless? Is it worth abusing yourself for a scumbag?¡± I kept mum as the pain continued assaulting me. While he''s a scumbag, I''ve loved him for seven years! In the past seven years, I invested everything into the rtionship, thinking that I''d be spending the rest of my life with him. I initially thought that I was a step closer to happiness, but what greeted me at the end of the day was a bottomless abyss. And now, I''ve fallen in without a way out. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°Say, what should I do now, Natalie?¡± I stared out the window nkly with a lost look in my eyes. For all these years, Justin had been my everything, and my life revolved around him. But now, I''m left with nothing. I felt as though I had lost all motivation, without the slightest inkling what I could do that would still be of significance. ¡°He was just a scumbag, Anna. It''s actually a good thing that you discovered his true colors now. It''d be far toote if you only found out after marrying him.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Sitting down beside me, Natalie gave me aforting hug. All the while, I could see the anguish in her eyes. ¡°But it hurts so badly...¡± Having said that, I hugged Natalie tightly. My tears had long since dried up in the past few days, but the pain within me simply wouldn''t go away. ¡°Anna, you''ll definitely forget that scumbag one day. On top of that, you''ll absolutely find someone a thousand times better than him! At that time, he''ll regret losing you,¡± Natalie asserted as she stared right into my eyes. At least I still have a good friend keeping mepany right now. If it weren''t for herforting and encouraging me, I really don''t know whether I would''ve made it this far. ¡°Get dressed and apply some makeup. We''ll go shopping today and have some retail therapy. I want you to forget that scumbag, Justin Xenakis, from tomorrow onward!¡± Natalie dragged me out of bed, forcing me to get dressed and doll myself up. Then, we went to a nearby mall and shopped at the women''s section. Having previously heard that Justin''spany owned the particr mall, I instinctively wanted to back out. s, Natalie had a death grip on me. Knowing that she wanted to help me get over him, I didn''t leave despite the aversion within me. We proceeded to explore the women''s section. In no time, Natalie''s hands wereden with her spoils of the day. On the other hand, I didn''t buy anything since I truly wasn''t in the mood to shop. All of a sudden, I caught sight of a couple nearby¡ªit was Justin and Mabel. A stab of pain assailed me, and I hurriedly whirled around, tugging Natalie in a bid to leave. ¡°Why are you pulling at me, Anna? I''m not done here.¡± Natalie didn''t see the two people nearby, so she was a tad disgruntled at my odd behavior. ¡°Let''s go somece else, Natalie. I don''t want to stay here anymore.¡± I turned my back to the two people heading my way, not wanting them to notice me. Frowning, Natalie regarded me in puzzlement, perhaps confounded by my sudden change in attitude. Just when she was about to say something, the two people spotted me. ¡°Anna, what a coincidence to bump into you here! I never expected you to recover from your breakup so quickly. It''s just been a few days, but you''re already in the mood to shop.¡± Mabel''s mocking voice pierced the air. Having been struck where it hurt most, I was undeniably disheartened. Nheless, I would never show it before them because they weren''t worth it! Upon seeing Justin and Mabel, Natalie finally understood why I was trying to drag her away. Immediately, she stepped before me and shielded me behind her. ¡°Oh, I was just wondering who it was, but it turned out to be a homewrecker who had been ruining someone''s rtionship for a few years. So, how does it feel to be a homewrecker?¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Seeing the contempt written all over Natalie''s face, Mabel''s expression changed to one of fury. ¡°Watch your tongue, Natalie Xavier! Justin and I love each other. If it weren''t for Anna, we would''ve gotten together ages ago!¡± In turn, Natalie rolled her eyes and put on a disgusted expression. ¡°Ever since ancient times, all homewreckers say the same thing. But in reality, all those ims of true love are nothing but a load of b*llshit. In truth, you''re merely a sl*t who seduced your best friend''s fianc¨¦!¡± Mabel red at her with rage stark on her face. ¡°Who are you calling a sl*t? Say it one more time if you dare, Natalie Xavier!¡± ¡°Doesn''t the person whom I''m calling a sl*t know full well who she is? Ah well, some people still want to be treated like royalty despite being a sl*t. How disgusting!¡± Not to be intimidated, Natalie shot daggers at her as well. Their argument attracted a lot of attention, so I quickly tugged at Natalie''s arm. ¡°There''s no need to get testy with such people, so let''s go.¡± ¡°Justin, are you not going to do anything when they''re picking on me?¡± Mabel tugged at Justin''s arm with an aggrieved expression just when I was about to leave with Natalie. ¡°Anna,¡± Justin called out to me. His brows were furrowed slightly as though he couldn''t bear to see Mabel upset. Upon hearing him call my name, an inexplicable stab of painnced through me. Suppressing my tears that were pushing to the forefront, I turned around and stared at him impassively. ¡°Shouldn''t your friend, Natalie, apologize, considering her harsh words to Mabel just now?¡± Justin looked at me from afar, his voice bereft of emotion. The sight of his indifferent expression hit me hard, and the pain was so intense that it felt as though someone had ripped my heart to shreds. Haha, the man who once loved and protected me is now questioning me because of another woman. At the end of the day, our rtionship is nothingpared to a homewrecker! ¡°Natalie didn''t say anything wrong. It was you who cheated on me and betrayed me first. You duped me for a whole seven years, yet you want my friend to apologize to a homewrecker? What gives? What right do you have to demand that I apologize, Justin Xenakis?¡± I rebuked in a booming voice as I stalked toward him. At that moment, I could no longer be bothered by the gazes of the people around us. I''ve already tolerated the fact that he cheated on me, but now, he''s taking a mile when he''s been given an inch. Am I really such easy prey to him? When the crowd heard that, they started whispering among themselves. The majority of them condemned Justin for cheating on me. I had always been meek and docile. Never had I raised my voice to him, but I finally snapped that day. It was evident that Justin didn''t expect me to announce the fact that he had cheated on me in such a thundering voice. For a moment, he couldn''t quite hold his head up, and guilt crept into his gaze. ¡°Why are you screeching, Anna Garcia? Justin and I love each other! If it weren''t for you, we would''ve gotten married long ago! Stop feigning a pitiful expression here when it was you who hogged him, refusing to let him go!¡± Sauntering over to Justin, Mabel clutched his arm tightly while glowering at me. ¡°Love, you said? And I hogged him? Haha... I wouldn''t want such a cheating scumbag even if you were to give him to me now! I find him utterly repulsive!¡± The corners of my mouth curved into a sneer, and I stared at the two people who snuggled together intimately. I could never tolerate the slightest betrayal, much less infidelity in a rtionship. No matter how much I once loved Justin, things were over between us the moment I saw him fooling around with my former best friend. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 I''ll never forgive such a despicable man! ¡°I bet this is just a case of sour grapes. Anna Garcia, no man would want a woman like you!¡± Mabel looked at me haughtily, her voice filled with disdain. ¡°Plenty of men like Anna! Only a scumbag like Justin Xenakis will be blinded and fall for a skank like you!¡± Natalie shot back, irritated at her arrogant demeanor. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Oh, really? There are actually men who like her? Alright, then call her man over to prove that it''s true. I want to see what kind of man takes a fancy to someone like her.¡± Mabel knew how much I loved Justin as he used to be the most prevalent subject whenever we hung out. Back then, I regarded her as my best friend. Every time she inquired about Justin, I thought she was merely showing concern for me. Feeling that there should be no secrets between good friends, I never kept anything from her, telling her everything she wanted to know. In retrospect, I was truly foolish back then! She didn''t ask me about Justin out of concern. Instead, she did so for her own sake as she wanted to seduce him! ¡°Why are you not calling him over? I bet no one likes her, right?¡± Mabel''s taunt once again rang out, staring at me haughtily with a triumphant expression on her face. As she had stolen my fianc¨¦, all pretense of civility between us was gone. Hah! She must be very smug that my fianc¨¦ is now her man, huh? Whatever! In the face of her tyrannical attitude, I spun on my heels to leave without paying any heed to her. However, she didn''t allow me to leave, grabbing onto me aggressively. ¡°Stop while you''re ahead, Mabel Quintrell! What else do you want when you''ve already won?¡± Whirling around abruptly, I shot daggers at her. D*mn it! This woman has really gone overboard! Just when she was about to say something, I caught sight of a man a stone''s throw away. All at once, my lips curved into a sneer. ¡°You want to know who my man is, yes? Okay, I''ll show you right this instance!¡± I stated coldly. After saying that, I strode toward Michael, who was within sight. I had no idea why he was here, nor was it any concern of mine. Anyhow, I just wanted to rub it into Mabel''s face. The moment I reached him, I took his arm and gazed at him with a sweet smile. ¡°Why are you here, Darling? Did youe to surprise me?¡± My sudden appearance caught Michael off guard, and he was stunned for a moment. When he recognized me, his handsome face darkened, and he was seemingly vexed. Well, he must be thinking that I''m pestering him, huh? Anyway, I don''t have the time to exin everything to him. Justin and Mabel are here, so I have no choice but to use him so that I won''t have to slink away with my tail between my legs! ¡°It''s you? Why are you here?¡± Michael kept his voice lowered, but I could still sense the rage in his tone. ¡°Please do me a favor since I gave you my first time.¡± I didn''t know the kind of person he was, nor did I have any idea whether he would y along with me. In truth, I really hadn''t much confidence in my n. Michael regarded me with displeasure. His gaze was profound and unfathomable, so I couldn''t quite discern his thoughts. Nheless, I could sense that he was an exceedingly dangerous person. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Just when I thought that Michael was going to leave me high and dry, he suddenly wrapped an arm around my waist and shed me a faint smile. ¡°Sorry, I went a bit too crazy that night. Are you feeling better now?¡± Ayer of sensuality nketed his face, and his voice was so tender that I almost melted into a puddle. Undeniably, I spaced out for a moment when such a handsome man gazed at me with tenderness etched on his face. But as soon as I registered the meaning of his words, my face instantly flushed bright red. Good heavens! How could he be so blunt! Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Uh... Ah, I''m much better now.¡± I chuckled embarrassingly. His eyes were so profound that I didn''t quite dare look into them again. ¡°I''ll take care not to hurt you again next time.¡± He reached out and tucked my long hair behind my ear, looking at me with all the gentleness in the world. For some inexplicable reason, his touch flustered me, and my face went red. Huh? What did he just say? Next time? There won''t be any next time, okay? I''ve given you my first time, yet you''re talking about the next time? Inwardly, I cursed him out, but in front of Justin and Mabel, I had to feign an expression of bliss. At that moment, I could clearly see the change in Justin''s expression. Fury seemingly colored the look in his eyes as he stared at me. Mabel, on the other hand, was incredulous when she saw me nestled in Michael''s arms, her gaze teeming with suspicion. ¡°Anna Garcia, are you saying that he is your man?¡± Michael was far above Justin both in terms of financial capability and looks. Although Mabel had no idea of his identity, she could tell from his aura alone that he was in another league altogether. ¡°Why? Are you regretting the fact that you seduced Justin instead of him?¡± With a sneer on my face, I looked at her coldly. Justin''s expression changed, but he took two steps forward. ¡°Mr. Shaw,¡± he greeted deferentially. ¡°What''s the ruckus about, Mr. Xenakis?¡± Michael inquired cidly, casting a nce at him. Justin threw me a look, but his expression turned awkward upon hearing Michael''s question, probably not quite certain how he should answer it. I was now in Michael''s arms. While I had no inkling of Justin''s feelings at that very moment, I was imbued with glee. ¡°N-Nothing much. It was just a personal matter. Howe you are free to visit the mall today, Mr. Shaw?¡± Probably feeling somewhat self-conscious before Michael, Justin immediately changed the subject. ¡°Do you know this man, Justin? Is he really Anna''s boyfriend?¡± Mabel had always been a prideful person, so she probably felt chagrined upon seeing Justin bowing and scraping before Michael. Immediately, she strode over to us. ¡°What''s wrong with you? There''s no way he''s her boyfriend! I''ve never even heard her mentioning him,¡± she continued. She pointed at Michael before shifting her gaze to me, her face contorted with envy. Not only was Michael more good-looking than Justin, but he also had a far superior aura. For that reason, she was naturally disgruntled to see that he was my man. ¡°That''s enough, Mabel!¡± Justin tugged at her arm, his brows scrunched together deeply. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°Why are you tugging at me? I''m only speaking the truth! I am dead certain that Anna is still in love with you! I bet she''s just resentful at getting dumped, so she simply found a man to act as her boyfriend!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Zip it, Mabel!¡± Justin snapped the moment her words fell. His voice seemed to be threaded with a hint of ire. ¡°You actually snapped at me, Justin? Do you still harbor affection for Anna? Do you not love me anymore?¡± Mabel''s gaze instantly turned aggrieved, and tears shimmered in her eyes as though she had been greatly wronged. At the sight of her pitiful expression, the corners of my mouth turned up in a sneer. Well, well... She truly loves ying the victim, huh? Maybe it''s this expression of hers that entranced Justin. After all, men love women who are weak, fragile, and delicate. Conversely, I''m not that kind of woman. Dropping his hand from my waist, Michael sauntered over to Justin. After taking a look at Mabel, he remarked mockingly, ¡°Mr. Xenakis, I think your taste in women needs to be improved!¡± Whoa! I didn''t expect him to be so harsh, considering his taciturn demeanor. I could tell that Justin was completely mortified. At his humiliation, indescribable glee flooded me. ¡°I''ve got something to do, so please excuse me, Mr. Shaw.¡± Justin was an egotistical person, so Mabel''s shrewish outburst earlier embarrassed him greatly. After saying that, he left while dragging Mabel along. ¡°See? Any man Anna finds is better than a cheating scumbag like you!¡± Natalie simply had to have thest word before they left. When they had disappeared from sight, I could no longer keep up the act, and the smile on my face faded. ncing at Michael, I hesitated for a moment before walking over to him. ¡°Thank you for ying along with me just now.¡± ¡°Tell your friend to leave first. I''ve got something to discuss with you,¡± Michael stated coldly after throwing a nce at Natalie beside me. ¡°There''s nothing to discuss between the two of us. Please excuse me if there''s nothing else.¡± For some reason, I couldn''t help feeling flustered every time I locked gazes with his dark and profound eyes. It just felt as though I might get sucked in anytime. Taking Natalie''s hand, I made to leave. I only went wild with him that night because I was tipsy. But now that I wasn''t under the influence of alcohol, I didn''t have the guts or temerity to speak with him any further. ¡°Um... I''ll leave the two of you to talk. I suddenly remembered that I''ve got something to do, so I''ll be leaving first, Anna.¡± However, Natalie had the opposite thought. After saying that, she shook off my hand and walked away, leaving me there alone. Just when I was about to take off, Michael suddenly grabbed my wrist. Dragging me to a corner of the stairs, he pinned me against the wall. We were so close that I could sense the masculine aura radiating off him. I was intoxicated that night, so besides knowing that it was him, I was oblivious to everything else. Now that I was interacting with him at such a close distance, my heart was pounding wildly. ¡°M-Michael, what are you doing?¡± His gaze was pinned on me intently. Feeling inexplicably flustered, I wanted to flee, but my legs felt as though they were shackled to the ground and simply wouldn''t budge. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°What''s your rtionship with Justin Xenakis?¡± Finally, Michael spoke, but the look in his eyes was interrogative as he stared at me. Hearing the name ¡°Justin Xenakis,¡± my heart inexorably clenched. Nheless, I had already scraped through the most unbearable period, so I could conceal my anguish well. ¡°I don''t have a rtionship with him. We''re strangers.¡± In the past, he was the most important person to me, the man I was going to entrust the rest of my life to. However, we''re now merely strangers. ¡°Do you think I''d believe that, Anna Garcia?¡± His gaze turned cold as he looked at me, and his voice was stained with a hint of anger. At his words, my heart skipped a beat. How did he know my name? I don''t think I''ve ever told him that! ¡°How did you know my name? Did I tell you?¡± I asked softly, looking up at his riveting eyes. ¡°Do you think it''s difficult for me to investigate someone? Also, the woman with Justin Xenakis earlier mentioned your name.¡± He retorted in a deep and sensual voice. With a frown on his face, he eyed me as though I was an idiot. ¡°I... I''ve got to go. It''s a pure coincidence that we met again today. Also, thank you for your help just now.¡± Having said that, I whirled around to leave. s, Michael pinned me against the wall again. Propping both hands on the wall, he leaned toward me and enveloped me in his embrace. At that very moment, I could clearly sense how fast my heart was beating. After all, his handsome countenance was merely an inch away from me. It would be bizarre if I didn''t feel anything at all in the face of such a handsome man. Nheless, I felt that it was only because I was unustomed to having contact with a man other than Justin. During the past seven years I had been with him, I had kept a distance from the opposite sex. Thus, I was presently inept at dealing with men. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Ah, you wanted to leave just like that?¡± he said in a deep and alluring voice as he slowly closed the gap between us. Every single syble out of his mouth was tugging at my heartstrings, and my heart couldn''t help hammering. ¡°W-What do you want from me?¡± As he drew increasingly close, I didn''t even dare to breathe. ¡°Well? Are you ying hard to get?¡± His gaze abruptly turned cold, and the interrogative tone in his voice grew all the more distinct. I was initially a tad flustered, but the fury within me instantly surged upon hearing his question. What the hell does he mean by that? I''m not ying hard to get! ¡°I don''t understand what you''re saying. I''m sorry, but I''ve got something to do, so I''ve got to leave.¡± I forcefully pushed Michael''s arm away before I stalked off. Gah! He''s definitely not right in the head. When did I y hard to get? What on earth was he talking about? I thought he wouldn''t allow me to leave so easily, but surprisingly, he didn''t stop me anymore. Never had I felt so deste as I trudged along the street by myself. The scene that had transpired at the mall earlier remained lingering in my mind. I didn''t know how I could forget Justinpletely and no longer feel any pain from his betrayal. When I returned to Natalie''s house, she started hounding me with questions about Michael as soon as I stepped across the threshold. ¡°Quick, tell me everything! What''s your rtionship with the man we bumped into at the mall today? Was he the one you spent the night with the other day?¡± She was an incredibly smart person, so she actually guessed the gist of it without me saying anything. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 At Natalie''s repeated interrogation, I had no choice but to admit that Michael was my one-night stand. ¡°Anna, I think Michael Shaw is quite a decent choice. You''ll definitely be better off with him than the scumbag, Justin.¡± Probably hoping that I would get over my breakup sooner, Natalie started nting rotten ideas into my mind. Shaking my head in exasperation, Imented her impressive imagination inwardly. We only had a one-night stand, and there''s nothing going on between us. Besides, we''re from different worlds. He''s a big shot who can shake up the entire city with a flick of his hand and has assets all over the country. Everyone knows that he''s an invisible tycoon though he keeps a rather low profile. ¡°It''s impossible between Michael Shaw and me, so don''t let your imagination wander.¡± After saying that, I headed back to my room to rest. ¡°He''s Justin''s immediate superior. Didn''t you see how Justin bowed and scraped like amoner to royalty when he saw him today? Ah, just the thought of you dating him feels gratifying!¡± Natalie''sment halted me in my tracks. For a brief moment, I was indeed tempted. Admittedly, I wanted revenge against Justin, for anger and hatred zed within me whenever I saw him with Mabel. However, it was only a fleeting thought that was gone in the next moment. Michael Shaw and I have no interaction at all, nor do I have any idea why he was at the bar that day. Oh well, perhaps rich people have their own troubles as well. Anyway, that''s none of my business. The most important thing now is to get into the right mindset again and find another job! My previous workce was too far from Justin''s office, so I handed in my resignation letter. Initially, I was nning to find a suitable job at a nearer ce after getting married. s, not only did the wedding fall through, but I also lost my job. I was probably the most pathetic woman in the world, having sacrificed everything for the sake of a scumbag... Another two days went by, and I gradually got over the breakup with Natalie''s persistent counseling. It finally dawned on me that it wasn''t worth feeling anguished over a jerk who betrayed me. In the past few days, my life became peaceful once again. I felt that I was ready to start afresh. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. On this particr day, I woke up early in the morning and washed up. As I was going for an interview, I changed into a formal dress before applying light makeup to appear more presentable andpetent. I majored in copywriting, so I was going to attend an interview with an advertisingpany. When I arrived at the biggest advertisingpany in Avenport, I stared at the towering building. Sweeping my gaze from the bottom to the top, a sense of dizziness assailed me. Previously, I was working in a small advertisingpany, so my bonus was meager even when my performance was outstanding. I knew that I would only have better prospects if I made it in a bigger corporation, and that was why I chose to interview with thispany. There was only one w, though¡ªJustin was also working here. Initially, I didn''t want to choose this company, but for the sake of my future, I endured the revulsion of having to work with that jerk in the future and came here for an interview. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 I knew that Michael owned this advertisingpany, but since this was just his side business, I did not expect to see him here. The chances of meeting that busy man were close to none. My focus then was to get this job and rise through the ranks. I had to stop mopping around and carve a future for myself. With my qualifications and experience, I was confident that I could get into any regrpany. But this was Joyful Sess Advertisements we were talking about. They had some of the industry''s best employee benefits. Naturally, the hiring process was rigorous as well, so there was no saying whether or not I would be hired. After the interview, I felt slightly out of sorts. For just a side business, thepany was massive. Never had I expected to see thousands of employees working here. Instinctively, I recalled Michael''s face. Despite only being in his early thirties, he already had tons of assets under his name. I simply could not phantom how rich he was. He''s probably the richest guy I''ve met in my entire life. But that was none of my business. I had but one goal, which was to get hired here. As I walked down the streets, I prayed fervently that I would get epted. However, my prayers were cut short as a car started honking repeatedly from behind me. The sounds would have irritated anyone nearby. ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± It was a voice I would recognize even in the depths of hell. While pretending not to hear him, I increased my pace. I never wanted to see this scumbag ever again. ¡°Anna, stop right there!¡± With just a few strides, Justin was already in front of me, looking displeased. ¡°What are you doing? Get out of my way.¡± I shot him a steely look. ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± There was a hint of anxiousness in his voice. ¡°How unfortunate. I have nothing to discuss with you.¡± Our rtionship was over, and there was no need for me to answer him. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Who the hell does he think he is to order me around? Then, I went around to get past him. Before I could walk any further, he grabbed my arms tightly. ¡°What''s your rtionship with Mr. Shaw? Why were you being so chummy with him at the mall the other day? Also, what did he mean when he said he would be gentler the next time? Did you sleep with him?¡± Nearing the end, Justin was practically shouting, anger written across his face as though he was the one who had been cheated on. I smiled coldly before rebutting, ¡°Is my rtionship with Michael or whether I slept with him any of your business? Don''t you think you''re meddling too much?¡± From the moment he betrayed me, we were already strangers. ¡°Did you or did you not sleep with him? Since when did you be such an easy woman? Was the innocent side you showed me a lie all along?¡± His usive eyes were filled with rage as they bored into mine. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°Look who''s talking? If I''m easy, at least I''m one with morals. You, on the other hand, are a scoundrel who slept with your fianc¨¦¡¯s best friend. What''s worse, you did it in our new house. Do you think you''re in any position to scold me? If you can mess around with another woman, why can''t I do the same?¡± At this point, I couldn''t be bothered about whether I was being too loud. Upon hearing that, Justin''s expression softened slightly. ¡°I know that Mabel and I hurt you, but you can''t just sleep with any guy because of that. Besides, don''t you know who Michael is?¡± Despite his softer tone, I could still sense the usation in his voice. ¡°I don''t need you to tell me who Michael is. You and I are over! Whether or not I sleep with anyone else is none of your business. Let me repeat one more time. We''re strangers now. Oh, onest thing. I hope Mabel and you will break up soon.¡± Despite having a million more things to say, I held back the urge to blurt them out and walked away from him. He got lucky. Had that scumbag followed after me and spoke in that same manner, I would have given him a p. This short episode with Justin ruined my moodpletely. I decided that I would go wild for thest time in order to release all my pent-up emotions. After purchasing cans of beer and a packet of snacks, I drove to a nearby river. By the time I arrived, it was dawn. I dialed for Natalie, but she was working overtime and could only join me afterward. Resignedly, I started drinking alone. The cool night breeze blew gently against my skin. With my low alcohol tolerance, I was soon tipsy. Not longter, I heard the sound of a couple quarreling. I recognized that familiar man to be Michael, and beside him was the popr celebrity, Sophie Mitchell. What''s he doing here with Sophie? N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He''s really well connected. I can''t believe he even knows famous celebrities like her. Just as I was puzzling over their rtionship, he abruptly looked in my direction. Caught off guard, I hurriedly turned away, shielding my face from them. Even so, my ears remained alert. After all, no one could resist juicy gossip. ¡°Michael, it was my fault. I won''t do it again. Can you forgive me?¡± ¡°Was I not clear enough? You and I are over. Stop pestering me.¡± He sounded annoyed. ¡°Don''t do this to me! If there''s anything I''mcking, I''ll change! I can be the ideal woman for you. Please don''t break up with me!¡± Seeing that he had his back facing me, I got bolder and was back at peeking at them. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 After Sophie finished speaking, she went in for an embrace. I was sure no man could refuse a woman who was willing to do this much. What was more, the woman was a popr and beautiful celebrity like her; there was a long line of suitors dying just to catch a glimpse of her face. I bet he, too, would sumb to her. Yet, the next moment, he did the most unexpected thing. He pushed her away without any mercy. To top it off, his face was as detached and unfeeling as ever. ¡°Don''t make me repeat the third time. We are over.¡± Heartless creature! He did not even hesitate the least. And what''s with that high and mighty tone? I bet he''s just a jerk. I was cursing him inwardly with all my might. What was I expecting? Even Justin, a mere department manager, was already two-timing me, let alone a capable and rich guy like Michael. It was probably not an exaggeration to assume that there were women flocking up to him every day. ¡°How could you be so heartless? We''ve already been together for so long. At the very least, I deserve an exnation, don''t I?¡± Sophie started sobbing uncontrobly. Even I felt sorry for her, and I was sure that Michael did as well. ¡°Do you really need me to spell it out for you? The fact that I didn''t was to let you keep yourst shred of dignity.¡± ¡°I don''t understand. What do you mean by that?¡± A deep frown found its way across her beautiful face. While remaining silent, Michael fished out a few photographs from his pocket and threw them on the ground. Despite being too far away to decipher the photos, his next words were enough for me to guess what they were. ¡°How do you exin all this evidence of you entering the hotel with another man? I told you from the beginning that my woman can only be mine alone. I won''t tolerate cheating.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Upon hearing that, I finally understood why he was so heartless. It turned out that Sophie was cheating behind his back all along. But who would have guessed behind that pure and innocent image she portrayed was such a person. One should never judge a book by its cover, especially in the shady entertainment industry. Immediately, Sophie got flustered and grabbed his hands desperately. ¡°Michael, that was my fault. It was just a moment''s folly. I will never do anything like that again! Please forgive me this time around!¡± However, he brushed off her hands, a clear sign he had no intentions of forgiving her. ¡°Enough! Let''s end this once and for all. We''re no longer in a rtionship. If you continue to pester me, I won''t mind sending these photographs to the media.¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Evidently, he was hell-bent on dumping her today, and I understood where he wasing from. After all, I was just in his position not long ago. I, too, made the tough decision to end my rtionship with Justin, who was cheating on me. Naturally, a powerful figure like him would not tolerate his woman cheating on him either. ¡°Please... Michael, can you forgive me?¡± Tears streamed down her face. Despite that heart-wrenching look, it was funny how I no longer pitied her. After knowing the reason, I could only say that she got what she deserved. Running out of patience, he bellowed, ¡°Get lost before I change my mind about the photos!¡± At that moment, I saw her figure shudder momentarily at his words. I could tell that she was in a bind between persisting or taking flight. As expected, she chose thetter and left the ce with tears all over her face. Now that the show was over, I turned back toward the river and continued drinking my beer as if nothing happened. I expected Michael to leave shortly, but I clearly overestimated my spying ability. The next moment, his voice cut through the gentle breeze, ¡°Don''t you have anything to say after eavesdropping on our conversation?¡± His velvety low voice made my heart beat faster. Looking around, I realized that there were only two of us here, which meant that he was obviously talking to me. I thought I had hidden well enough, but it turned out that I underestimated him. The moment I turned in his direction, I was met with his obsidian eyes staring right at me with an unfathomable look in them. The next thing I knew, I blurted, ¡°Were you talking to me?¡± I smiled awkwardly, hoping to mask some of my guilt. Eavesdropping was not something to boast about after all. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Who else could I be talking to? Ghosts?¡± Then, he tookrge strides toward me. With every step, my heart beat more furiously than before. Why did he have to mention ghosts in the middle of the night? I had a vivid imagination due to my love for reading supernatural novels. The next moment, the cold breeze made the hair on my back stand. If it were not for him, I would have run away. ¡°Why''re you drinking here all alone at night?¡± He frowned as his gazended on the can of beer I was holding. I guess someone doesn''t like women who drink. Assuming he was here to find fault, I blurted out reflexively, ¡°Err... I-I was just coincidentally here. I really didn''t mean to eavesdrop on you and Sophie!¡± ¡°So, what do you have to say about what you heard?¡± By then, he was already next to me. I estimated that he was probably over six feet tall. Against his looming figure, I had to strain my neck up to meet his face. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°Well, Sophie is such a beauty! Are you sure you want to break up with her? Why don''t you forgive her?¡± I tried to persuade him to make up with her instead, though I would never ept my partner cheating on me. But if I support his decision, he may suspect me of having an ulterior motive! Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Therefore, I''d better persuade him to make up with her, just to be on the safe side. ¡°Do you think I''ll forgive a woman who has cheated on me?¡± Michael red at me as his handsome face darkened with anger. It was evident that my words had pissed him off. I smiled awkwardly at him, unsure of how to reply to such a question. I only overheard you breaking up with your girlfriend coincidentally. How do you expect me toment on it? What am I supposed to say? Oh gosh, are you trying to make things difficult for me? He then continued, ¡°By the way, don''t get the wrong idea about the rtionship between Sophie and me. We only see each other to satisfy our own needs. She wants fame and money, whereas I just want to gratify my sexual desires.¡± Michael nced at me impassively. There was not a hint of emotion in his deep voice. What? Gratify his sexual desires? My goodness! He''s quite frank, isn''t he? ¡°Um... you don''t need to exin this to me. I won''t tell anyone, and I''ll keep it a secret!¡± I did not understand why Michael even bothered exining his rtionship with Sophie to me. In fact, that was only our third conversation. We were just two strangers who had a one-night stand. However, he frowned after hearing my words, seemingly annoyed as though I had said something wrong. My gut told me that he was not one to mess with, so I remained silent. An awkward pause ensued, and the atmosphere became tense. As Michael stood beside me, I grew uneasy with the silence. After quite a while, he asked, ¡°What are you doing here at thiste hour?¡± ¡°I was in a bad mood, so I came here to get some air and have some drinks.¡± Suddenly, I was reminded of Justin pestering me that afternoon. Once again, I felt irritable. ¡°Let''s go! I''ll send you home!¡± Michael nced at me indifferently and reached his hand out to me. His fingers were slender and bony, looking clean and beautiful. I stretched out my arm to grasp his hand. As I was sober, my heart thumped heavily at such physical intimacy. ¡°Don''t worry! I''ll go home by myself. It''s easy to hail a cab ahead.¡± Indeed, my heart skipped a beat whenever I saw him. If it were not for the fact that I was still young, I would have suspected that I was having a heart attack. Instinctively, I wanted to keep my distance from him. After I finished my words, I prepared to leave immediately. Much to my surprise, he pulled me into a tight embrace. As my face pressed against his chest, I could hear his heart pounding. With the faint smell of his cologne wafting into my nose, I could not control my frenzied heartbeat. Consequently, I forgot to break free from his arms. ¡°Anna, why are you always avoiding me? You''re not allowed to leave yet!¡± While I was trapped in his embrace, he pressed his luscious lips to my ear, whispering in his deep and husky voice. Abruptly, I came to my senses and realized that he was holding me in his arms. I struggled to break free, but he was too strong, and my attempt was to no avail. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me!¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 I glowered at Michael annoyedly. What does he want? It''s not like I eavesdropped on their conversation deliberately. Is there even a need to punish me? ¡°I want you!¡± Upon hearing that, I shot him a fierce re, but he did not seem angry. Instead, an ambiguous smile crept up on his impassive and handsome face, which mesmerized me instantly. I was not a maiden who swooned at the sight of every attractive guy I saw. However, Michael was ridiculously handsome with a noble temperament, and I was unknowingly attracted to him. It was not until he ced his hand on my breast that I was brought to my senses. Immediately, I scowled at him defiantly. ¡°You''re crazy! Let go of me, or else I''ll shout for help!¡± Infuriated by his actions, I shot him a re. After all, I considered myself a conservative woman. ¡°Anna, you''ve slept with me, but now you''re acting demure! What''s the point?¡± Seeing that I was struggling to escape, Michael got annoyed, and his gaze contained a hint of rage. I guessed many women wanted to sleep with him, but I was different. I was not interested in him, and that one-night stand was a spur-of-the-moment act when I was drunk. ¡°There''s no point! Let go of me now! I want to go home!¡± I stared at Michael and stopped struggling. Wait a minute. Don''t tell me he wants to have sex with me by this river! ¡°Let me drive you home.¡± With that, he dragged me toward his car despite my reluctance. Panicking, I instinctively wanted to escape. I knew that if I got into his car, I wouldn''t be able to escape anymore. Thus, I forcefully broke free from his grasp. ¡°Michael, what do you want? It was just an impulsive act that night. I''m sorry that I forced you to sleep with me! Besides, I gave you my virginity, and you weren''t on the losing end either. So stop bothering me!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Ever since that night, we ran into each other more frequently. As such, I began to suspect that he had a hidden agenda. ¡°What? You forced me?¡± His handsome face darkened, and he sounded displeased after hearing my words. Well, I guess no man likes to be forced into having sex by a woman. ¡°Anna, your apology is pointless! If you want me to stop bothering you, do something about it!¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I stared at him curiously, feeling excited. If I can fulfill his conditions, we''ll be able to go our separate ways! ¡°Well, since you forced me to sleep with you that night, it''s only fair that I do the same to you!¡± Admittedly, he was an attractive and charismatic man. I couldn''t help but feel flustered as he approached me with a charming smile. ¡°What? Are you kidding me?¡± While considering his words, I looked at him with a stiff smile. Seriously, he wants to sleep with me again? ¡°Do I look like I''m kidding? You just said that you forced me to sleep with you, so it will only be fair if I treat you the same way!¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Michael looked at me with solemnness gleaming in his eyes. Intimidated by him, I desperately wanted to escape. I was drunk the other night and wanted to take revenge on that scumbag, Justin. However, I regretted it after I became sober, so there was no way I would sleep with him again. ¡°Is there any other option? I''ll do whatever you want me to do except for this...¡± I smiled awkwardly and tried to back away from him. Oh gosh, he''s going to force himself on me! ¡°Anna, do you think you have the right to choose? Ha! No woman can say no to me!¡± Michael replied in a domineering tone as he walked toward me. I was annoyed with him. This man thinks so highly of himself! How could he be so narcissistic and assume that all women want to sleep with him? Just because he''s rich and handsome? I took several steps backward. Should I run away? But what are my chances of escape? ¡°Didn''t you praise me at that time and say that I was amazing? I''ll let you enjoy it again tonight!¡± By then, Michael hade up to me. His sexually suggestive tone and lustful gaze made me feel as though I was amb waiting to be ughtered, incapable of escaping. ¡°Please spare me! I''m sorry for what I didst time. Just forgive me and let me go!¡± Knowing that men could not resist weak and pitiable women, I gave him a pleading look. Although I was not that type of phony woman, I still put on the cutesy and pitiful act in order to escape from him despite feeling disgusted with myself. ¡°Anna, don''t talk to me in this manner!¡± Immediately, Michael''s expression darkened, and he red at me in disdain, furrowing his brows. I thought all men liked women acting that way. However, he seemed to be an exception and was repulsed by my cutesy act. ¡°As long as you let me go, I''ll talk properly!¡± I responded in my normal tone while looking at him solemnly. I just want to leave this ce as soon as possible! ¡°It''s toote! You were the one who seduced me first that night!¡± After Michael finished his words, he strode toward me. Shuddering in fear, I took a step backward involuntarily. ¡°Be careful!¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. By the time he shouted, I had retreated to the riverbank and lost my bnce. ¡°Ah!¡± I closed my eyes and yelled, thinking that I was going to fall into the river. Oh, no! I can''t swim! Will he save me after I fall into the river? Or is he going to leave me to die? But I don''t want to die yet! While I was absorbed in thought, I suddenly felt a strong grip around my waist. The next second, I was pulled into Michael''s arms. However, I was still frantic with fear and kept yelling. ¡°Stop yelling already! You''re going to make me deaf!¡± Michael''s deep voice came from above, sounding displeased. Finally, I came to my senses and raised my head to look at his handsome face. My heart leaped into my throat instantly. I panicked and wanted to break free from his grasp, but he pulled me into a tight embrace. Before I could react, he had pressed his lips to mine. While my eyes widened in surprise, my heart pounded hard in my chest as I was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling. At that moment, I totally forgot to resist. To my surprise, I was even enjoying the intimate moment. I must be out of my mind! My whole body tingled with excitement. I had no idea how long the kisssted and did not even realize that I was being carried in Michael''s arms. After carrying me to his car, Michael ced me in the passenger seat. It was not until he reclined the seat that I was brought to my senses. By then, he was already pressing his body against mine, and the car door was shut tight. It waste at night, and there was hardly anyone outside. Therefore, Michael did not have to worry about being seen by others. He was driving a Mercedes-Benz SUV, which had ample space even with two people upying the passenger seat. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°Are you shy? You were good in bed that night! I prefer the naughty Anna!¡± Michael shed a wicked smile and inched closer to my ear, making a suggestive remark as his warm breath tickled me. How dare he make such an obscene remark! I snapped my head around, intending tosh out at him. However, he forced himself on me before I could say a word. After struggling for a while, I waspletely drained of energy. On the other hand, he kept going at it tirelessly. Finally, Michael let out a soft moan as waves of pleasure coursed through his body. As he rested on my body while panting for breath, I could feel his heartbeat elerating after doing the deed. Having rested for a while, he put on his clothes at a leisurely pace, while I barely possessed the strength to even move. Staring at my birthday suit, he frowned slightly. Then, he ced his suit jacket on me, covering my body. Michael started the car engine and turned to me, asking tly, ¡°Where do you live? I''ll send you home.¡± I nced at him and replied coldly, ¡°Drive me to the pharmacy.¡± In fact, I was disgruntled and aggrieved at being taken advantage of by Michael. How dare he do that to me! It''s ridiculous! Nevertheless, I tried tofort myself. Oh well, what''s done is done! After this, I don''t owe him anything, and he shouldn''t cause trouble for me anymore. We''ll go our separate ways and treat each other like a stranger. Initially, I was hoping that he would let me go, but I only realized that I was too naiveter on. All he wanted was to have sex with me! D*mn it! ¡°Why are you going to the pharmacy? Not feeling well?¡± Michael gave me a puzzled look and sounded as though he cared about me. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. No, don''t overthink! We only met for the third time. It doesn''t make sense for him to care about a nobody. Besides, I just watched him treat his hookup ruthlessly. What''s more, she''s a famous celebrity! ¡°I''m going to buy contraceptive pills. You won''t want me to get pregnant with your baby, right?¡± Last time, I had forgotten to buy contraceptive pills as I got inebriated after breaking up with Justin. Despite having had some drinks, I''m still sober this time. Though I didn''t have much sexual experience, I was aware of the importance of practicing safe sex. Upon hearing my words, Michael frowned slightly but remained silent. Immediately, he turned the steering wheel. Soon, we arrived at a nearby pharmacy. I couldn''t help but frown as I struggled to put on my clothes due to the difort in my lower body. When I was about to get out of his car, he unbuckled his seat belt. ¡°Wait for me here! I''ll go get it!¡± I guessed he felt guilty about the way he had treated me. With that, Michael opened the car door and walked into the pharmacy. After a while, he came back with a few packs of contraceptive pills. There were regr birth control pills and morning-after pills of different brands. He tossed all the contraceptive pills into my arms and then sat in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Why are there so many pills? I don¡¯t have to take that many, do I?¡± I was bewildered as I looked at the various types of contraceptives. Is he out of his mind? Or does he think his sperm is so potent that I need to take more pills to kill it? ¡°Well, I didn''t know which type is suitable for you, so I''ll leave it up to you.¡± Michael nced at me with a weird expression on his face. ¡°Which type of pill did your partner take?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. This is my first time taking a contraceptive pill. How would I know which one is suitable for me? Since he has slept with plenty of women, he should know a thing or two about it. Immediately, Michael shot me a scorching re, and his expression darkened. ¡°How would I know? It''s not like I need to take that.¡± I pursed my lips in displeasure. He wasn''t even the least bit concerned about them after his hookups. This man is so irresponsible! Still, I could only keep those words to myself as I did not dare to say them out loud in front of the ill- tempered man. If I annoy him, I''ll be in deep trouble, so I''d better keep quiet! I was left with no choice but to scan through those packs of pills. In the end, I chose the emergency contraceptive pill, which was to be taken within twelve hours after unprotected sex. As soon as I removed the pills from the packet, Michael handed me a bottle of mineral water. Oh well, at least he got me a bottle of water. I took the bottle from him and immediately swallowed the pill without hesitation. Meanwhile, Michael stared at me and furrowed his brows without saying a word. His eyes were profound with an unfathomable look in them. After getting some rest, I tidied my clothes. Then, I fixed my gaze on him and said in all seriousness, ¡°Michael, I''ve alreadypensated you. From now on, we are strangers and should stay out of each other''s way. Please don''t make my life difficult anymore!¡± Yet, he remained silent and frowned as he looked at me with an unreadable expression. He gave the impression that he was a maniptive man, and my gut told me that he was dangerous. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°Bye. I''m leaving.¡± Not wanting to be alone with Michael any longer, I opened the door on the front passenger side and stepped out. Michael frowned and watched me leave in silence. After I got down from the car, he sped off, giving me a scare that had me rooted to the ground. I pursed my lips in displeasure. This guy reallycked style, but it didn''t bother me as much as I thought it would. After all, from today onwards, there would be nothing between us anymore. Even if we met again in the future, we would be strangers to each other. After walking a few steps, I called a cab to head to my good friend Natalie''s home. On the way, I realized Michael''s coat was still draped over my shoulders. I wanted to return it, but I did not know how to contact him. Forget it. I''ll give it back to him if I have the chance in the future. Anyway, the CEO of apany that''s this big in size should notck a coat. When I returned to Natalie''s, she had just arrived home. She took note of how my clothes were a little messy, and she also realized I was wearing Michael''s coat. Immediately, she knew something had happened and quickly questioned me. ¡°Anna, tell me what happened! Did you do what I think you did with him?¡± Natalie''s gaze fell upon the hickey on my neck, and an ambiguous look crossed her eyes. Although she was my best friend, I was a rtively conservative person, so I could not help blushing when she questioned me. ¡°Your imagination is running wild. I didn''t do such a thing.¡± ¡°Your neck is covered with hickeys. No one would believe you didn''t do it. Tell me quickly. Who was it? Was it Michael Shaw? The part of Natalie, which always wanted gossip, was awakened at that point. I knew she would not let it rest if I did not tell her everything. I would be nagged relentlessly until I confessed. ¡°It really was him. Anna, I was wondering if Michael was really interested in you. And today, you both...¡± Though Natalie did notplete her sentence, being adults, we knew she was referring to the exercise Michael and I had performed in the car. ¡°Natalie, please do not distort the truth. I was drunk when I did it with Michael the previous time. This time, I was simply thanking him for all he has done for me. I made it clear to him that from now on, we will go our separate ways.¡± Thinking that I did not owe Michael anything anymore, I felt relieved. From that moment on, I could pretend that he did not exist in my life whenever I saw him. ¡°Anna, I think Michael is quite eligible. He is the most well-known young adult in the city, and he is a wealthy man at such a young age. What''s more important is that he is so handsome,pared toPlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Justin. If you choose him over Justin, you''d be justified.¡± Natalie''s love for gossip was surfacing again, and she gleefully imagined how advantageous it would be for me to be with Michael without knowing that there was nothing much going on between us. ¡°That''s enough of worrying about me, Natalie. You should take care of yourself. Didn''t you tell me you''ve found a boyfriend? We must find some time to meet so I can give you my opinion.¡± Unwilling to talk too much about Michael, I changed the subject. ¡°That''s great. I''ve been busy with worktely. Once I''ve handled all the things at work, I''ll let you meet him. He''ll be our host.¡± Natalie was a loud and easygoing person, so she naturally agreed without hesitation. I was looking forward to seeing what type of man her boyfriend was. What type of man could turn her into a gentle littledy on the phone. ¡°Great, so we have agreed on this. I''m tired. I''m going to my room to rest.¡± After the lengthy performance in Michael''s car, I felt tired, sore, and ufortable. All I wanted was to bathe and wash away all of the man''s scent that still clung to my body. After bathing, I returned to my bedroom and slept like a log. Too much had happened; I was totally exhausted. Sleep was all I wanted. For many consecutive days, I remained in Natalie''s home. Her workload was heavy, and I was jobless, so I acted as a temporary housekeeper, cleaning and cooking. My dear friend was kind enough to put up with me, and since she was so busy, it was only right for me to help around in the house. I was cleaning with a vacuum cleaner when my mobile phone rang suddenly. It was an unfamiliar phone number, so I frowned suspiciously before I answered the call. I thought it was a prank call, but it turned out to be a notice that my application for work was sessful. I had been epted by Joyful Sess Advertisements. I had not received a call of eptance for such a long time, prompting me to think that I had failed the interview. I had nned to wait for two days, and if there was no news, I would apply to another company, but I was unexpectedly epted. After hanging up the phone, I was still excited and unable to calm down. Alone in the sitting room, I screamed out in joy! The person on the phone had instructed me to report for work the next day. My mood was uplifted after that, and I was enthusiastic about everything I did. In the afternoon, I cleaned Natalie''s house inside out. I also washed all the clothes that she had worn over the past few days. When Natalie returned home, she was surprised to see her home neat and tidy. She looked at me in astonishment. ¡°Anna, have you won a lottery today? You seem to have found a sudden burst of motivation. You''ve cleaned my whole house inside out.¡± Natalie walked around the sitting hall and then stood facing me, her face full of disbelief. ¡°Natalie, am I such azy person in your eyes? You''ve provided food and lodging for me, so I''ve cleaned your house in return. I can''t justze around, can I? That would be such a shame.¡± I red at her and spoke with feigned anger. However, the truth was she had never onceined about me living and eating for free. ¡°Tell me what good news you have! Your face tells me you have much to say.¡± Natalie was the one who understood me the most. Even though I had said nothing, she could tell I was feeling happy. ¡°Natalie, I''ve been epted by Joyful Sess! I am to report for work tomorrow.¡± After telling her about my new job, I still could not contain my excitement. I couldn''t believe I had really been selected. ¡°Really? Anna, I knew you''d be epted. You have so much natural talent in advertising. Joyful Sess has made the right choice.¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Natalie gave me a big hug. It seemed like she was more excited about the news than I was. ¡°Tomorrow, I''m going to work. Tonight, I shall give you a big treat. Let''s go and get a good dinner!¡± Since I would be able to start work in Joyful Sess the next day, I decided to be generous that night. I wanted to treat Natalie to a big meal as an appreciation of her kindness in providing for me for so many days. ¡°Let''s go. Tonight, I shall choose the venue!¡± Natalie was even more excited when she heard about my offer to treat her. ¡°Oh, yes, invite your boyfriend toe along as well. You said we''ll meet, but we haven''t had a chance to do that yet. Tonight will be a great opportunity.¡± Remembering our conversation about meeting Natalie''s boyfriend, I suggested that I meet him tonight as well. Natalie was my best friend, so I knew she would agree to my suggestion. Immediately, she took out her mobile phone and called him. Natalie booked the restaurant, and we both arrived by cab. After arriving, we waited for about half an hour before Natalie''s boyfriend, John, arrived. I checked him out from top to toe. He was tall, slim, and wore a pair of sses. He seemed schrly and gentle. ¡°John, why did you take so long toe here? We waited for quite some time.¡± The moment the man appeared, Natalie went forward and held his arm affectionately. Her normally straightforward and boisterous character disappeared; she became a sweet and demure girl. I could not help but smile when I saw the way Natalie changed. It happened so fast that I wondered if John knew what she was like at home. With a face filled with remorse, John nced at me and exined, ¡°The traffic was rather heavy. I''m sorry.¡± ¡°No worries. We are not in a hurry.¡± I smiled at him, but I was a little skeptical. At this time, it was past the rush hour, and the restaurant we chose was rtively remote. Since we were not in the downtown area, why would there be a traffic jam? Upon seeing Natalie so excited to be with him, I kept such suspicions to myself, not wishing to embarrass her. Although I had proimed we would have a good meal, Natalie did not order any expensive dishes. I knew she was trying to help me save some money, knowing that I had just found a job. All my previous savings had been used on the preparations for the wedding with Justin. During the meal, I saw John constantly stealthily checking his mobile phone, and he seemed a little anxious, which was strange. ¡°Mr. Young, you have been constantly looking at your phone. You look preupied. Is there something wrong?¡± I did not want to spoil the atmosphere. Although the man looked very schrly and quiet, there was something weird about him which I could not pinpoint. The expression on John''s face became obviously a little flustered, and he quickly put the phone in his pocket. ¡°No... It''s nothing, it''s just an idle habit, checking my Instagram for posts and messages.¡± ¡°John, you shouldn''t y with the phone when we are eating together. We haven''t met for a few days. Now that we are together, don''t you want to pay more attention to me?¡± Natalie looked at her boyfriend, pouting with displeasure and gently reproving him. Through some miracle, she did not catch the guilty look on his face. Although John''s expression was reasonably normal, I had be more observant and smarter after being betrayed by Justin. I couldn''t believe someone checking Instagram posts and messages needed to be stealthy. I could feel that he was hiding something from Natalie. However, my friend, being such a jovial and boisterous character, would never be suspicious of John. Original from N?velDrama.Org. I was not trying to find fault with John. I simply did not want my good friend to go through what I had suffered. I did not want her to be betrayed by a man. It was such a heart-rending pain that I did not want Natalie to go through. John was still looking at his mobile phone nonstop and asionally typing messages in it. Natalie, who was congratting me excitedly over my new job, did not notice John''s behavior, but I observed his every move. Halfway through dinner, the man made the excuse that he needed to visit the bathroom and took his phone with him, heading in that direction. While walking in the direction of the bathroom, he seemed hurried and had a flustered expression on his face which further aroused my suspicions. John is not as honest as he looks on the surface. Natalie concentrated on eating, not noticing at all John''s weird behavior. ¡°Natalie, how does your boyfriend usually treat you? How well do you know him?¡± I gazed at my friend, who was eating nonstop, and asked her quietly. ¡°John is an ordinary employee in thepany like me, but we work in different departments.¡± Natalie replied to my questions about John without reservation. ¡°Is he good to you? Do you usually spend a lot of time together? I continued asking while observing Natalie carefully. ¡°Anna, why are you so gossipy today? You were never interested in my boyfriend before. Do you have something against John?¡± I usually minded my own business, so it was only fair for Natalie to be surprised to see me asking so many questions. ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. Just random questions.¡± I bent my head and gave her a nonchnt reply, keeping my mouth shut after. Even after a long time, John had note back. I was growing even more suspicious. Even if he was passing motion, it would not take that long. ¡°Natalie, I''m going to the bathroom. You wait here for me.¡± After finding an excuse, I picked up my phone and headed towards the bathroom. Before I got to the bathroom at the corner of the corridor, I heard John''s voice talking on the phone. ¡°Babe, I''m really working. I''ll call you againter, okay?¡± Hearing his voice round the corner of the corridor, I leaned close to the wall and did not walk forward. ¡°How could I ever lie to you? When have I ever lied to you? After I have finished my work, I''ll be with you. Is that okay?¡± Hearing the coaxing tone of John''s voice, it was obvious that the person on the other end of the line was a girl. At that moment, I felt furious. Outwardly, John looked like an honest person. It was unimaginable that he was a scumbag. Here he was as Natalie''s boyfriend, speaking to another woman on the phone in such tones! The man ended the call shortly after and walked in my direction. I did not avoid him, choosing to wait for him instead. Natalie was the only friend who treated me sincerely now. I definitely could not let her suffer betrayal as I did. I did not want my best friend to suffer that kind of pain. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 After hanging up the phone, John looked much more relieved, but the smile on his lips froze as soon as he saw me. ¡°Ms. Garcia, what are you doing here?¡± He seemed slightly ufortable, and he also kept avoiding my gaze. His behavior only served to confirm that he was hiding something. ¡°I heard everything you said on the phone earlier.¡± I cut straight to the chase. Right then, I had a very low opinion of this man; I was convinced he was bad news. Upon hearing what I said, John''s expression changed as guilt shone in his eyes. ¡°M-Ms. Garcia, I-¡± The man turned flustered as he tried to exin, but I interrupted him before he could get another word out. ¡°Mr. Young, let''s talk over there. I''m sure you wouldn''t want anyone overhearing our conversation,¡± I suggested while pointing to the end of the corridor near a window. John''s face stiffened, but due to his guilt, he obediently followed me toward the window. ¡°You were on the phone with another woman just now. There''s something going on between the two of you, isn''t there?¡± I pinned him with a cold stare that matched my tone. Anger rose in me at the thought of him cheating on Natalie. Natalie was my best friend, and I wasn''t going to let anyone hurt her. ¡°Y-Yes...¡± Knowing that I had already heard everything, John was smart enough not to deny anything. ¡°Ms. Garcia, please don''t tell Nat about that phone call.¡± John looked at me with pleading eyes. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Tell me the truth. Do you like that woman you were on the call with or Natalie? If you don''t have feelings for Natalie, I suggest you stop messing around with her!¡± I felt absolutely repulsed when I faced a scumbag who reminded me of Justin. Hence, I didn''t bother being civil with him. Neither did I care if I strained our acquaintanceship. All I cared about was making sure Natalie wouldn''t be betrayed. ¡°Of course, Natalie is the one I love. The person on the phone was just a young girl who''s been bothering me. That''s why I had no choice but to persuade her to leave me alone. I''m telling you the truth. Natalie is the only one for me!¡± At my question, John immediately swore to me that my friend was the one he loved. If it were me, I wouldn''t want to be with a two-timer like John, but I could see that Natalie really liked him. She would be devastated if she knew about this. ¡°I can promise not to tell Natalie about this, provided you promise me one thing in return.¡± After deliberating for a long time, I decided to give John a chance. After all, he wasn''t as bad as Justin, who cheated on his fianc¨¦e with her best friend. ¡°What is it? Tell me! As long as you don''t tell Natalie about this, I''ll do anything.¡± John stared at me expectantly and agreed to my condition before I even revealed it. ¡°Since Natalie is the one you love, I don''t think you need to keep in touch with any other irrelevant women. I hope you''ll love her with all your heart. No one else.¡± After stating my condition, I scrutinized John''s face. His eyes flickered, and he agreed to my condition without missing a beat. ¡°Alright. I can do that. From now on, I''ll only take good care of Natalie and no one else. I won''t get involved with other women.¡± Narrowing my eyes slightly, I walked up to him and spat in a warning tone, ¡°I hope you remember what you said today. If you betray Natalie one day, you''ll have to answer to me!¡± With that, I strode away without looking back. In truth, nine out of ten sentences men said were lies. If it were me, I wouldn''t have given John a second chance, but Natalie was head over heels in love with him. Besides, I didn''t have concrete evidence to prove that he was indeed two-timing her. If I disclosed this matter to her, it would only make our rtionship stiff. Most importantly, I still had a sliver of hope; hope that John would really heed my warning and only love Natalie from then on. I really hoped the two of them could stay together so that Natalie would be able to marry the man she loved and have a family with him. John only came back a few minutes after I settled back in my seat. I knew he had deliberately done that so as to avoid suspicion. ¡°What took you so long?¡± As soon as John came back to our table, Natalie clung to him, looking like a bee attracted to honey. With a pout on her lips, she gazed at him with a hint of usation in her eyes. ¡°I was having a mild stomachache. Sorry for making you wait.¡± While speaking, John took a quick nce at me. After confirming that I had no intention to expose him, he visibly rxed in his seat. ¡°Stomachache? Why didn''t you tell me earlier? Do you need to go to the hospital?¡± Upon hearing that he felt unwell, Natalie immediately grew anxious and gazed at him with a worried expression. ¡°I''m fine. I''ll take some medicine after I get home. Don''t worry about it.¡± John''s expression was slightly unnatural as he tried to reassure Natalie. Aware that he was lying, disdain shed in my eyes. He was obviously flirting with another woman on the phone just now, but he had the audacity to use a stomachache as an excuse to gain Natalie''s concern. I lifted my cup and took a sip from it to suppress the urge to expose him. ¡°Anna, since John isn''t feeling well, is it okay if we stop here today and meet up again some other time?¡± Although John had already said that he was fine, Natalie couldn''t help but worry about him. I shot a fleeting nce at the man before getting to my feet. ¡°Sure. We''re done eating anyway. Let''s meet up again some time.¡± ¡°Then I''ll take John home first. You can get back on your own by taxi, right?¡± As soon as Natalie said this, John immediately refused, ¡°It''s fine. I can go back on my own. My stomachache really isn''t that bad.¡± ¡°You''re not feeling well. Natalie will worry if you go back on your own. Let her take you, just for her peace of mind.¡± I knew John was afraid Natalie might discover something. That was why he had made up an excuse to reject her offer. However, since he had already promised to break off all contact with other women, he should prove it through his actions. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°I''m worried about you, John. Just let me take you home.¡± Natalie held onto the man''s arm and blinked coquettishly at him. If he were to reject her again, even after I spoke on Natalie''s behalf, it would definitely arouse her suspicion. Thus, he didn''t refuse this time and agreed to have Natalie send him home. After the two of them left, I settled the bill and took a taxi back to Natalie''s house. As I was officially starting work the next day, I made sure to prepare everything I needed in advance, lest I ended upte on my first day. ncing at the wall clock, I noticed that it was already nine. I assumed that Natalie would be back homete and prepared to call it a night. However, the front door opened moments after and Natalie walked in. Upon seeing her back so soon, a frown formed between my brows and I made my way toward her. ¡°Why are you back so soon? Why didn''t you spend more quality time with your boyfriend?¡± I draped an arm over her shoulder and teased. ¡°He said he''s tired. He told me to go home before I could even go upstairs with him. Anna, did I do something wrong? Otherwise, why was he so cold to me today?¡± Natalie raised her head to look at me with a dejected look on her face. After hearing what she said, rage surged in my heart once again. ¡±Tired¡± is just an excuse. He probably feels guilty, that''s why! And this silly girl thinks she did something wrong when it''s clearly that prick who''s cheating on her! I took a deep breath to quell my rage. I already gave John a warning earlier today. If he changes, then all is well. But if I find out he''s ying with Natalie''s feelings, I''ll never let him off the hook. ¡°What are you talking about, Natalie? Do you know how hard it is to find a girlfriend who is as kind and sweet as you? John is lucky to have you as his girlfriend, and don''t let anyone tell you otherwise.¡± Natalie usually seemed unconcerned, she was, in fact, kind and very loyal to her friends. All in all, she was a very likeable person. ¡°Well, this is a first. I don''t recall you ever praising me like that before.¡± My words seemed to work like a charm as made her break into a pretty smile. ¡°I have some advice for you. Pay closer attention to John from now on. Observe him and his demeanor more.¡± Worried that she would put her whole heart into this rtionship, I couldn''t help myself from giving her a reminder. If John didn''t change, she would be the one who got hurt, and that was thest thing I wanted to see. ¡°What''s that supposed to mean, Anna? You don''t believe he truly loves me? Your previous rtionships must''ve scarred you pretty badly for you to be this cynical.¡± Natalie looked at me with amusement, not taking my advice seriously whatsoever. Perhaps she was already convinced that John loved her and that the two of them would live happily ever after. I wanted to say something else, but the unperturbed look on Natalie''s face made me realize that nothing I said would get through to her. Hence, I swallowed the words that sat at the tip of my tongue. ¡°I guess so. I just don''t want you to get hurt. It''s gettingte. Let''s get some sleep now. It''s a working day for both of us tomorrow.¡± The thought of that scumbag, Justin, disgusted me, but the initial hurt I felt was already fading. Natalie seemed to realize that she had slipped up and ripped the band-aid off my wound. She wanted to say something, but I didn''t give her the chance to speak and directly went back to my room. I already moved on, vowing to never cry over a scumbag because it just wasn''t worth it. The most important thing for me right then was to work hard so that my parents could live a good life in the countryside. I was just a child born in the countryside. My parents worked hard their whole lives to put me through university. My dad was getting up in years and had to take many types of medication for his weak heart. Thus, my only priority was to focus on my career and make more money. After joining Joyful Sess, my life went back on track as I threw myself into work. However, my peaceful days were short-lived. When my wedding with Justin was canceled so abruptly, my dad''s heart condition worsened from the shock. Since then, he had to take even more drugs than before, and ording to the doctor, the best solution was to get a heart stent surgery. The problem was that the cost of the surgery was at least two hundred thousand. There was also the post-surgery treatment to consider, and my family didn''t have that sort of money. I knew the reason my dad kept reassuring me that he was in good health was that he didn''t want me to worry, but I learned that his heart was already failing and the drugs wouldn''t be able to help for much longer. The only way to ensure his safety was to fix a heart stent. My parents gave me life and raised me for so many years, so it was impossible for me to stand by and watch as my father waited for death to im him. Hence, I was determined to make enough money to help him to get through this ordeal. Unfortunately, God didn''t give me that much time. Just after I got off work, my mom called. She was crying over the phone as she told me how my dad''s condition had worsened again. The surgery had to be done within a few days. If it was dyed any longer, his life would be put at great risk. When I received the call, my knees went weak, and my hands couldn''t stop shaking. This news caused my mind to draw aplete nk, and all I could hear was a buzzing sound in my ears. It took me a long time to calm myself down. The first thing I did was call Natalie to ry the news. Without a word, she immediately transferred fifty thousand into my ount. Fifty thousand was equivalent to her savings over the past few years, and I felt very fortunate to have a friend who would help me unconditionally when I was in desperate need of it. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Even so, after throwing in the twenty thousand I had, I was still short of more than a hundred thousand, which wasn''t a small amount in my eyes. At that moment, I had no idea how or where I was going to gather that much money for the surgery. Back at Natalie''s, I paced around the house, growing restless as I thought about the remaining amount of money I needed to raise for the surgery. ¡°Anna, calm down. We''ll definitely think of something. Your dad will be fine.¡± Finally, I plopped down onto the couch. Natalie sat next to me and patted my shoulder tofort me. After finding out about what happened to my dad, Natalie thoughtfully took a day off from work to help mee up with a solution. Although she didn''t have a lot of money, I was touched by her gesture and felt immensely grateful to have her as my friend. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°What am I going to do? I still need more than a hundred thousand for the surgery. Where am I going to find that kind of money in just a few days? If I can''t get the money, my dad''s life will be in danger.¡± Tears poured down my cheeks as I looked at Natalie with a hopeless gaze. Panic seized me at the thought of losing my dad. ¡°Don''t cry, Anna. We''ll think something. Besides, doctors love exaggerating. I''m sure your dad''s condition isn''t as bad as what the doctor said. Just calm down first. We''ll find a way together.¡± Natalie hugged me tight and repeatedly consoled me. I knew she only said that to calm me down, but my dad was counting on me to raise the money. Yet, I was powerless; I could not do anything. But how could I possibly watch my dad die like that? ¡°Wait, don''t you know Michael Shaw personally? He''s the richest man in Avenport. He can help you!¡± In my state of despair, Natalie mentioned Michael''s name out of the blue. I hadn''t heard that name in a long time, and my heart skipped a beat upon hearing it again. In an instant, I saw a glimmer of hope. To my chagrin, I had made it clear to Michael thest time that we didn''t owe each other anything. If I suddenly went up to him asking for money, he probably wouldn''t lend it to me. We weren''t even that familiar with each other, to begin with. Not to mention, he''d probably think I had some kind of ulterior motive for approaching him. I had heard rumors of him being stingy. Hence, the chances of sessfully borrowing money from him were close to zero. So I decided toe on to him again. This way, I''d be able to borrow money from him with good reason. But Michael was a big shot in Avenport; he wasn''t someone I could just see whenever I wanted to. Without telling Natalie my n, I took a day off from work the next day and went to Michael''s office building, hoping to have a chance encounter. To my dismay, the headquarters had at least a few thousand employees. My eyes would probably fall out if I waited here and scanned each person who emerged from the building. Later on, an idea popped up in my mind. I sneaked into the building''s underground parking. When we had car sex the other time, I had paid special attention to his car te number. Besides, I doubted many people could afford a luxury car that cost millions. Thank goodness my effort paid off. After searching for almost half an hour, I finally found Michael''s car. I breathed a long sigh of relief once I confirmed he was in the office. After that, I decided to wait for the man. Michael would definitelye here to get his car after work. When that happened, I''d pretend to bump into him by chance. To seduce Michael, I had paid special care in preparing myself. I chose a pale yellow skin-tight mini dress and paired it with four-inch heels. Besides that, I had also made sure to put on light makeup. ncing at my watch, I found that it was already past four and time to get off work as there were already employees driving off in their respective cars. I had a busty figure, to begin with. Coupled with my sexy outfit, many men approached me and offered to give me a ride. Of course, I refused all of them. Michael was my target; I didn''t have time to fool around with anyone else. As all the cars were almost gone, the parking lot seemed vacant and quiet. Even then, I saw no sign of Michael. If I didn''t see his car still parked in the same spot, I would''ve suspected that he had already left. As I rarely wore heels that high, my feet were starting to hurt after standing for two hours in the parking lot. I was really going all out just to sessfully sleep with Michael. Finally, a figure entered my line of sight - Michael was here. Dressed in a ck suit, he looked even more regal and unapproachable. He seemed to constantly emanate a terrifying aura that kept others at a respectful distance. I hid in a corner and took out apact mirror from my bag to check my makeup. Once satisfied, I walked out in a nonchnt manner. Michael spotted me almost immediately, and I could clearly detect the surprise shing in his eyes. He strode toward me and stopped right in front of me. Then, he looked me up and down at a tantalizingly slow pace. Perhaps it was because I was dressed more sexily, but a hint of a smile appeared on his face as he asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± It had been more than a month since we had sex, and we never contacted each other during this period of time. Perhaps he had forgotten all about me just like I did him. Hence, my sudden appearance must have surprised him. ¡°I''m here to see you.¡± I admitted my purpose ofing here and met his gaze unflinchingly. ¡°Oh? You''re here to see me? Did I hear that wrongly? I clearly remember you telling me we don''t owe each other anything, so why are you here to see me all of a sudden? What''s the real reason?¡± He was indeed an experienced businessman, seeing as he could easily tell my intentions weren''t as simple. But before I got him into bed, I couldn''t tell him my true intention just yet. ¡°I''ve been feeling lonely and emptytely. I''m craving human touch, and if I''m being honest, I miss the way your c*ck felt inside me. Is this a good enough of a reason for you?¡± As soon as I said this, Michael''s face darkened, and his eyes filled with discontent. Leaning closer to him, I boldly snaked my arms around his neck. I tilted my chin up to kiss him, but he pushed me away before I could. A small frown was on his face, and a trace of resistance was in his obsidian eyes. ¡°You''re getting more and more slutty, Anna.¡± ¡°Wasn''t that what you''ve always thought about me? Why are you so bothered about it today?¡± I retorted with a hint of sarcasm in my tone. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Smiling seductively, my eyes slowly traveled from his chest, trailing all the way down to his crotch. Perhaps he didn''t like seeing me behave so unrestrainedly because his expression grew darker as anger flickered in his eyes. I wouldn''t be surprised if he shoved me away. ¡°This little trick of yours may have worked the first time, but it''s useless on me now.¡± His voice was as cold as ice. Although what I said had angered him, he didn''t y along with me like he had the first time. It seemed like he had already seen through my facade. Iughed awkwardly. ¡°Really? I don''t remember anything at all. I must''ve had too much to drink that night.¡± After being so ruthlessly exposed, the mask on my face cracked to reveal a sheepish smile. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°Didn''t I satisfy you thest time? I never thought an innocent-looking girl like you would turn out to be insatiable. I really underestimated you, Anna.¡± It seemed like Michael never intended to let me off. His words enraged me; he was insulting me. Even though I came to him with ulterior motives, I was actually a rather conservative woman in nature. Being called insatiable by a man left a bitter taste in my mouth. The smile on my face instantly vanished, and I stared at Michael coldly. ¡°Sorry. I came to the wrong person.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. With that, I spun around to leave, but he snagged my wrist and yanked me back against his chest. Circling me tightly in his arms, he inched his face closer to mine with a wicked smile ying on his lips. ¡°Since you''re so eager to roll in the sheets with me, I guess I have no choice but to give you what you want.¡± Although this meant he agreed to have sex with me, every word he said was a blow to my pride, even more so when I was a very prideful woman. Thus, I immediately shoved him away. Yes, I was severely short of money, but that didn''t mean I would allow a man to insult me like that. Coming to see Michael was a mistake. ¡°Let''s just pretend I never came to see you today. From now on, we won''t ever see each other again!¡± I said frostily. With that, I turned around and prepared to walk away, but Michael was faster. He shot forward and blocked my way. ¡°Don''t you think it''s a little toote to walk away now? You were the one who seduced me first, Anna.¡± Before I could react, the man opened his car door and shoved me in. I initially wanted to resist, but at the thought of my dad, I endured the humiliation I was feeling and stayed seated in his car. The car sped along the road at an insane pace. Thankfully, Michael was a skilled driver. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I nced at the man''s side profile and asked ndly. ¡°To some ce where it''s convenient for what we''re about to do, of course. Don''t tell me you want to do it in the car again in broad daylight?¡± Michael didn''t even look at me when he answered my question, but what he said made me blush a beetroot read as my mind was automatically brought back to that wild scene in the car. I had slept with him again right here, in the same car and same seat. Turning my face to look out the window, I remained silent the whole ride. He made the car fly, and we soon arrived at a chain hotel. After getting out of the car, I looked up and saw that it was a five-star hotel. I couldn''t help but grumble inwardly. This guy must be filthy rich. We''re only going to have sex. Is it really necessary to choose a five-star hotel? One night here would probably cost me half a month''s sry. The lives of rich people are truly different from ordinary ones. ¡°Michael, a five-star hotel isn''t necessary, is it? Just think about it. We''re just going in for a while. I don''t think this is an economical choice...¡± I turned to look at him and voiced out in a cautious tone. My purpose was to sleep with Michael, not to sleep in a five-star hotel. A round of sex wouldn''t take that long either. Coming to a five-star hotel was just too over the top. Michael turned to briefly nce at me and replied, ¡°Coming here is, in fact, the most economical choice. I don''t need to spend money here.¡± ¡°You won''t need to spend money? Why?¡± I followed him in and asked in a soft voice. ¡°Because I own this hotel. Do you think I''d need to pay to rest here for a while?¡± The man stopped in his tracks and looked at me with mild exasperation. ¡°What? You own this hotel?¡± I gaped at him in disbelief. He owns this hotel? But this is a five-star chain hotel... I heard that there are eighty-six of them all over the country. I never expected that he''d be the owner. I can only imagine the monthly turnover for so many hotelsbined. Just how rich is this guy? I knew he dabbled in many businesses, but I never thought his involvement would be so widespread andrge-scale. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± He raised his brows, but before I could answer, he grabbed my hand and led me in. As soon as we reached the front desk, the manager came forward to serve us. Upon seeing that it was Michael, he was visibly stunned. ¡°Mr. Shaw, what brings you here? Is there something about us you''re not satisfied with?¡± The manager came to stand before Michael and bowed slightly. From the apprehensive look on his face, I could see that he was very nervous. Augh threatened to escape my lips upon witnessing this scene. I wondered just how strict Michael had to be to cause the manager from his own hotel to be so terrified upon seeing him. Michael didn''t answer the manager''s question. Instead, he shot him a cursory nce and ordered, ¡°Get me a room. I''m here to rest.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The manager''s eyes widened in surprise, but when he saw Michael''s hostile expression, he immediately agreed, ¡°Yes, Mr. Shaw. Please follow me.¡± The manager led us to a presidential suite on the eighteenth floor. There was no denying that rich people knew how to enjoy their lives. A presidential suite was equivalent to a three-bedroom apartment, and there were also all kinds of home appliances provided. This was my first time in a presidential suite. Just as I was looking around the ce with awe sprawled on my face, Michael abruptly pushed me against the wall beside the door. Before I could register what was going on, he smashed his lips against mine. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Electricity shot through me, and soon, my entire body felt weak. I could only lie on the bed and let Michael have his way with me. After what seemed like ages, he was finally done. He was breathing heavily as hey on top of me, and he only pushed himself off my body when he was satisfied. Completely drained of strength, I merely closed my eyes to rest. The many down next to me and stared at me with inquisitive, dark eyes. ¡°Tell me. Why did you reallye looking for me?¡± There was a demand in his tone, which was a stark contrast to the gentle way he had spoken to me during our lovemaking session just now. I was bewildered by the change in his attitude. Is it true what they say? Do men truly be entirely different people after pulling up their pants? ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± Due to his sudden change in attitude, I didn''t immediately reveal my true purpose in seeking him out. I wanted to test the waters first. ¡°Did you think I''d believe your little speech about missing my c*ck earlier? You don''t strike me as a wanton woman, Anna.¡± As he looked at me in the eyes, his tone grew colder than before. My brows creased slightly, and I shot him an angry re. Does this man live for insulting others? Faced with my silence, Michael questioned once more in a harsher tone, ¡°So? What''s your real reason?¡± ¡°Give me two hundred thousand!¡± I finally blurted out. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I clearly detected the flicker of surprise in his eyes, but soon, his expression hardened, and he mocked, ¡°You''re a greedy little thing, aren''t you? Do you really think your one time is worth two hundred thousand?¡± His flinty eyes bored into me, devoid of all trace of the warmth from earlier. ¡°Two hundred thousand is nothing to you. Besides, I gave my first time to you. Just treat it as you compensating me.¡± I knew it was absolutely shameless of me to say this since I was the one who seduced him in the first ce. Asking him topensate me was ridiculous, but I was severely out of options. To gather enough money for my dad''s surgery, I had to do this. When it came to my dad''s life, my pride and dignity were not worth mentioning. To ensure he could live healthily, there was nothing I wouldn''t do. But what Michael said next made my blood boil. ¡°You''re right. Two hundred thousand is nothing to me, but do you think your first time is worth that amount? Besides, how do I know if you were really a virgin and didn''t undergo hymen restoration surgery? You were with Justin for so many years. Don''t tell me the two of you have never slept together?¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡± I red vehemently at him and demanded. This man is doubting the legitimacy of my virginity! Am I really such a frivolous woman to him? Bute to think of it, if I were a virtuous woman, why would I havee on to him? Why would I have sex with him again and again? I guess I really am shameless. ¡°The surgery for hymen restoration isn''t that expensive nowadays, and the effect is exceptionally good. They can make it seem exactly like the first time,¡± Michael said pointedly while studying me with a thoughtful gaze. I was even more furious upon hearing that. I couldn''t believe how petty this man was and why he would assume such a thing about me. Although I had approached him with a personal agenda, he had no right to humiliate me like this! Back then when I met him at the bar was really my first time. Hymen restoration? Seriously? Only he can think of something like that! I never expected such a handsome man to have such a ck heart. What a waste of his good looks! ¡°Can you stop having such degrading thoughts about others? I know I''m nothing but a frivolous woman to you, but just so you know, I wouldn''t havee looking for you if I didn''t really need this money!¡± I retorted angrily. My eyes welled up with tears, but I refused to let them fall. Seeing the tears in my eyes, Michael''s expression stiffened, and his brows drew together slightly. Then, he sat up and took out a checkbook from his pocket before swiftly filling in the details. My heart raced upon seeing him do so. Is he going to lend me two hundred thousand? After writing the cheque, he handed it to me. Excitement shot through me, and I immediately reached out to take it. But right before my fingers touched the cheque, he withdrew it with a straight face. I glowered at him and pursed my lips tightly. Is he messing with me? Why did he write it if he''s not going to give it to me? I was about to reprimand him when he spoke again. ¡°I can give you two hundred thousand, on one condition.¡± His calcting gaze did not go unnoticed by me. I had already expected that he wouldn''t give me the money so easily. People like him never made bad deals. ¡°What is it? As long as it''s within my capabilities, I''ll do it.¡± I didn''t have any other choice. As long as it didn''t involve killing, I''d agree to do it in a heartbeat. My dad needed the money for his surgery, and there was no room for hesitation. Looking into my eyes, Michael said with a serious expression, ¡°Be mine.¡± My eyes widened in shock, and I stared at him with incredulity. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Or, to be more precise, I want you to be my lover. You must be there whenever I need you, and you can never refuse me.¡± I felt as though a bucket of ice water had just been dumped on me. So... he wants us to be friends with benefits. I peered at him and asked awkwardly, ¡°Is there any other option besides this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. I looked at him expectantly, hoping there was a better option than being friends with benefits because I really couldn''t bring myself to agree to that. ¡°Leave right now without the money.¡± Michael pinned me with a steely gaze, refusing to back down. It was obvious that I had no other choice besides agreeing to his terms. I warred with myself for a long time, but upon seeing him keeping the cheque, I finally gave in. ¡°Fine. I agree.¡± The only way I could get the two hundred thousand was to agree to his condition. If I didn''t, I wouldn''t be able to settle my dad''s surgery fee. Michael''s lips curved into a triumphant smile, and he threw the cheque in front of me. My throat closed up from emotion as I picked up the cheque and carefully slipped it into my bag. When he watched me put the cheque away so carefully, he queried once more. ¡°Now tell me why you need two hundred thousand.¡± Hence, I told him about my dad''s illness, not leaving out a single detail as I saw no need to hide anything. Besides, he could always find out the truth even if I lied. After listening to my exnation, Michael frowned slightly. Thankfully, he didn''t make things difficult for me anymore. When he stood up and started getting dressed, I followed suit. Subsequently, I grabbed my bag and prepared to leave. Since he was done with me, there was no reason for me to stay. As I made my way toward the door, he called out abruptly, ¡°Wait for me. I''ll send you home.¡± Truth be told, I didn''t want to spend any more time with him than necessary. The thought of my current rtionship with him sent a wave of indignance through me. Sitting in his car had always made me ufortable. As I had nothing to say to him, I simply turned my face away to look out the window. In the end, it was him who broke the awkward silence. ¡°Where are you staying now?¡± ¡°At my friend''s.¡± With that, I reported Natalie''s address to him. ¡°That''s very inconvenient. I''ll prepare a ce for you.¡± Michael''s brows knitted into a frown; it was as though he was genuinely displeased by the fact that I was staying at my friend''s house. ¡°T-That''s not necessary. I''m fine living with my friend. You don''t need to get me a ce.¡± I thought Michael proposed this because we were friends with benefits. From what I knew, rich people like him were often generous to their lovers, gifting them houses and whatnot. However, I didn''t want things to be like that between us. Although I sought him out for money this time, I only wanted to get enough for my dad''s surgery. I wasn''t nning to ept anything more than that. However, it seemed like I thought too highly of Michael because his exnation of why he had offered greatly irked me. But then again, we were merely friends with benefits. Of course, he wouldn''t go out of his way to treat me well. ¡°I just think it''s inconvenient for us to get it on at your friend''s ce. I mean, do you expect me to look for you there whenever I wanna have sex?¡± He always spoke in such an unbridled manner before me. Not to mention, he managed to keep a straight face every single time. Right then, I couldn''t help but wonder just how thick-skinned this man could get. ¡°I''ll find a ce myself. You don''t need to worry about that. But it may take me a few days. I just started a new job and haven''t gotten my first paycheck,¡± I replied, feeling slightly abashed. Michael didn''tment after that. Only the frown on his face indicated that he had heard me. When handed me his phone, I eyed him dubiously and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your phone number. Were you expecting me to wait for you to create chance encounters every time?¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 After being busted for pretending to run into him, I pursed my lips in embarrassment. Picking up his phone, I saved my number in his contact list in double-quick time. ¡°I''ll get someone to send your dad to the best hospital in Avenport tomorrow for his surgery. Don''t worry about it.¡± Just as I started feeling disappointed in him, his words made my heart leap. The distaste for him within me was reced by gratitude. Now I know that Michael''s actually apassionate man. He isn''t as heartless as he appears to be. ¡°Thank you...¡± Looking down, I mumbled with my hands inteced. Although the man had made an outrageous request, he gave me the two hundred thousand to save my father. That was why I didn''t me or hold a grudge. After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch. Soon, the car pulled over at Natalie''s ce. Breathing a sigh of relief, I opened the door to get out of the car. Just then, he grabbed my wrist. ¡°Remember to show up whenever I call you. Don''t look for me if there''s nothing important.¡± His aloof voice sounded like amand, and his high-handed attitude made me feel uneasy, but I remained silent. ¡°Sure, I''ll bear that in mind. Don''t worry; I won''t cause you any trouble.¡± I''m not a fool. I can easily read between the lines and grasp the implicit meaning of his words. In his eyes, I''m nothing more than his secret lover. If this matter ever gets out, his reputation will be in tatters. Is everyone from the upper echelons of society so hypocritical? That doesn''t surprise me, though. In fact, I''m d he said this. I don''t want anyone to know about our scandalous rtionship either. After Michael''s car drove away, I heaved a long sigh of relief before heading upstairs. Though there were some hups in the process of getting the two hundred thousand, a sense of delight welled up in my heart. I''m ecstatic that there''s hope for my dad now. As long as he can live through this safely, I''m willing to pay the price, whatever it is. Back at Natalie''s ce, I realized that she was still running around, trying to borrow some money for my sake. A wave of warm, fuzzy feeling washed over me. She was the only one who encouraged and gave me a helping hand when I was at rock bottom. I called her right away, asking her toe home since I had already had the money. Half an hourter, Natalie was huffing and puffing when she finally reached home. Before I could utter a word, she rushed over to the fridge straight away. Taking out a bottle, she guzzled the mineral water. ¡°Natalie, what happened to you? Why do you look so thirsty?¡± Trotting toward her, I gazed at her with a worried look. The woman gulped down a few more mouthfuls of water before answering me with a furious face. ¡°I''ve gone to a few friends'' houses to borrow some money, but all of them gave me various reasons to reject me. Ugh! How annoying!¡± I felt deeply moved by her words. She must have been helping me scrape together some money. ¡°Natalie, don''t worry about the money. I''ve got enough money already.¡± My voice was choked with emotion. I strolled over to Natalie, wrapping my arms around her. I''m so touched to have a friend who helps me unconditionally during the darkest times of my life. Hearing my reply, she nced at me in surprise and asked promptly, ¡°Really? Where did you get it from?¡± I knew she would question me. I didn''t know how to answer her because I refused to let her know about my rtionship with Michael. ¡°You don''t need to worry about that. Since I have the money now, my dad can undergo the surgery tomorrow.¡± Unwilling to talk about the source of the money, I changed the subject. ¡°I''ll go to the hospital with you tomorrow.¡± Natalie sized me up spectively. This woman knew me best. Knowing that I had my reasons for not telling her the truth, she didn''t pursue the matter further. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can''t thank you enough, Natalie.¡± Staring into her eyes, I thanked her from the bottom of my heart. ¡°There''s no need to say thanks between us. Anna, your problems are mine.¡± Draping her hand around my shoulders, she stered on a nonchnt expression. However, I could tell that she was trying to cover up her bashfulness after hearing my words. After grabbing a quick bite, I went to bed earlier than usual. I had to stay attentive and robust tomorrow; I needed to look after my dad, who would be in frail health after the surgery. Hence, I had to take good care of myself first. The next day, just when I was about to head back to my hometown to pick my dad up for his surgery, my mom called and told me that they were already at the best hospital in Avenport. When I rushed over, my dad had been admitted to a VIP ward, being taken care of by a few dedicated nurses. ncing at the man on the hospital bed, I turned to look at my mom and mumbled, ¡°Mom, how did you come here?¡± A smile broke across her face at my question. ¡°Didn''t you ask your friend to bring us here? This friend of yours is really thoughtful. He sent a minivan to pick us up, just so the long journey wouldn''t be too exhausting for your father.¡± Hearing her words, I furrowed my brows in bewilderment. Since when did I ask my friend to bring my parents here? Besides, I don''t have such a generous friend, to begin with. In Avenport, the only person I know is Natalie, and I''m sure she hasn''t done such a thing. Oh, wait... Could it be Michael''s doing? At that thought, I was certain that he had arranged for all this. Last night, he said he would get someone to send my dad to the best hospital. Thinking that he was paying me lip service, I hadn''t taken it to heart. It turned out that the man was being serious about it. He was really efficient. It was nine in the morning now. It took almost six to seven hours from my hometown to the hospital. Did Michael send someone to my parents'' ce at midnight yesterday? A wave of indecipherable emotion shot through me. Other than thankfulness, a strange feeling grew within me. As I was engrossed in my contemtion, my mom patted my shoulder, staring at me with a puzzled face. ¡°Anna, what are you thinking about? You seem lost in your thoughts.¡± Her voice snapped me out of my trance. ncing at her caring gaze, I panicked and averted my eyes right away. ¡°Nothing. I''m just thinking about work.¡± I didn''t have the guts to mention Michael in front of my parents. If they ever found out that I had made a deal with the man, it would drive my dad up the wall. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°Hey, don''t keep thinking about work. As a woman, you can''t focus solely on your career.¡± My mom knew I took my career seriously. Therefore, my excuse didn''t raise her suspicion, but she gazed at me with much concern. ¡°I got it, Mom. Don''t worry about me. I''ll take good care of myself.¡± shing her a faint smile, I couldn''t help feeling a pang of guilt within my heart. The surgery was scheduled in the afternoon, so I kept my dadpany, chattering with him in the ward the entire morning. A lump formed in my throat at the sight of his grey hair. A long whileter, my mom pulled me aside and questioned, ¡°Anna, what happened between you and Justin? Why did you cancel the wedding out of the blue?¡± Previously, I had only informed my parents over the phone that the wedding had been canceled. I hadn''t bothered exining the reason behind the cancetion as I didn''t want to worry them. ¡°Nothing much. It''s just that we''re notpatible with one another, so we canceled the wedding.¡± At the mention of Justin''s name, my heart skipped a beat, and I couldn''t bring myself to meet her gaze. My rtionship with Justin was over, so I didn''t want my parents to get edgy because of me and that scumbag. ¡°I know you''re lying to me. You''re my daughter. I know you from the inside out. Over the years, you''ve been head over heels in love with Justin. How could you suddenly realize that the two of you are ipatible with one another? Are you hiding anything from me?¡± Undoubtedly, she understood my personality, that I had always been one who suffered in silence. That was why she didn''t believe in a single word I said. The woman clearly knew how smitten I was with Justin, and how I used to yearn to tie the knot with him. With that, anyone would suspect the abrupt canction of the wedding, let alone my parents. Under her interrogation, I spilled the beans that Justin had an affair with Mabel. I also told her that they even had a child now. Infuriated, she jumped to her feet in a sh. ¡°He''s too much! How could he do that to you? Anna, you must have been blind to have fallen for a jerk like him!¡± ¡°Mom, calm down. Let bygones be bygones. It''s pointless to get all worked up for such a man.¡± I took her hand andforted her. The mere thought of Justin filled me with repugnance. The man could no longer affect me emotionally. Perhaps I had truly gotten over him. ¡°I''m not angry. I''m just worried that you might be upset. After all, you''ve been together with him for so long, and I can tell you love him deeply. How could he do such a horrible thing to you!¡± My mom sighed in distress. ¡°Mom, it''s all in the past now. Let''s not dwell on the matter. I''ll ask the doctor about Dad''s condition.¡± I patted her shoulder and dropped the subject. Striding out of the ward, I breathed a long sigh before heading toward the office of my dad''s attending doctor. My heart was set at rest once I found out from the doctor that my dad''s condition was ideal for surgery, and the risk was rather low. Later, I bought lunch near the hospital. On my way back, I bumped into Natalie at the entrance. Initially, she was supposed toe together with me in the morning. However, her supervisor didn''t allow her to take a day off, so she could only pay us a quick visit at noon. As the two of us sauntered toward the ward, Mabel''s voice sounded behind us unexpectedly. ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± Natalie and I stopped in our tracks in unison, turning around to look at the woman, who was strutting toward us arm in arm with Justin. It had been a long time since Ist met the couple. Knowing that Mabel was up to no good, I disregarded her, took Natalie''s hand, and marched away. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Nevertheless, there was no way Mabel would let me off so easily. Sure enough, her sardonic voice echoed in the air right after we took two steps ahead. ¡°Anna, why are you avoiding Justin and I like the gue? Aren''t you going to greet us? We''re your long-time friends after all.¡± Despite my annoyance and her attempt to pick on me, I refused to deal with her now. My dad was going to undergo surgeryter, so I wanted to steer clear of any trouble. However, the short-tempered woman beside me grabbed my arm and turned around to re at Mabel. ¡°Oh, it''s you, homewrecker! Are you here to show off that you''ve climbed up thedder?¡± Natalie snapped mercilessly with a contemptuous expression. In a split second, Mabel''s face contorted with fury, and she gave Natalie a death stare. ¡°Natalie, this is none of your business. Why must you meddle in our affairs every time?¡± Displeased by Natalie''s protectiveness, the woman shot daggers at her. ¡°Anna''s business is mine too, and I''ll always have her back. I can''t stand your ugly, mean-looking face. Justin must be out of his mind to choose a woman like you!¡± Though Mabel was malicious, Natalie wasn''t an easy target. With both hands on her hips, thetter stomped forward, pointing at the other woman''s nose with her index finger. Disdain was written all over her face, as though Mabel was the most despicable person she had ever encountered. Without saying a word, my gaze riveted on Justin''s face. His expression turned awkward when he locked eyes with me. Mabel''s irritated face turned as white as a sheet. Raising her hand, she aimed it at the face of the woman facing her. Aghast, I turned to nce at Natalie. Thinking that she was going to be pped, I was troubled, but it was toote for me to stop her now. However, Natalie seemed to have anticipated her move. Fuming with anger, she caught and gripped Mabel''s hand in mid-air. ¡°Mabel, what the heck? Did you just try to p me?¡± she questioned in a frigid voice. Flinging Mabel''s hand away, Natalie lifted her hand and gave the woman a tight p on the face. p! A resounding smack reached our ears. Instantly, a red palm print appeared on Mabel''s fair cheek. Other than Natalie, everyone present was nonplussed, and I was no exception. Never in my wildest dream had I expected Natalie to hit Mabel. All of us were in utter disbelief. Mabel was stunned for a moment, but she soon recollected herself, and her face contorted with rage. ¡±Natalie, who the hell do you think you are? How dare you p me!¡± She shot daggers at my friend. Her ear-piercing voice attracted the attention of many people around us, and they all turned to stare at us, who were causing amotion. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Natalie was not afraid of Mabel. Gazing coldly at thetter, she poured scorn on her, ¡°This p is for Anna. She has always treated you as her best friend, but you stole her fianc¨¦! You even dare to show up after having done such a horrible thing. How could there be someone as shameless as you in this world?¡± As soon as her words dropped, the onlookers shifted their gaze to Mabel and Justin. They soon started gossiping about the two. Mabel was already on the losing end when they did so, so her anger was further aroused at the people''s criticisms. Instantly, her face contorted with rage. ¡°Natalie, how dare you p me! I''ll kill you!¡± she roared. The next moment, she dashed toward Natalie like a madwoman. Justin, who had remained silent all the while, frowned upon seeing Mabel''s shrewish manner. Casting his eyes over the crowd, the furrow between his brows deepened after noticing that he and Mabel had be the center of attention. Being a man with a big ego, Justin felt embarrassed when his woman acted like a shrew in public. At that moment, he was deeply annoyed by Mabel. Seeing Mabel''s craziness, I worried that she might harm Natalie. Without any hesitation, I rushed up to the two, who were in a scuffle, and pushed Mabel away with all my might. On the other hand, I was seizing this opportunity to take revenge on her. Ever since she hooked up with my fianc¨¦ behind my back, I had harbored intense hatred toward her. Mabel fell to the ground, looking miserable after her messy hair had been yanked out by Natalie. With his brows knotted, Justin went over to help her up. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, looking unhappy. Immediately, the woman stered a pitiful expression. ¡°Do I look alright to you? Anna and Natalie have ganged up to bully me. Justin, I''m your girlfriend! Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?¡± No man could stand seeing a woman cry, especially someone like Justin ¡ª a man who liked to disy his machismo. His heart ached to see Mabel''s teary eyes. Pulling her into his arms, heforted her, ¡°I have nothing to do with Anna anymore. If you run into her in the future, look past her as if she''s invisible. Promise me, don''t look for trouble, alright?¡± Finally, Justin was talking sense this time. He was unwilling to make a scene. After all, cheating in a rtionship was not something to be proud of. However, the vengeful and unrelenting Mabel would never let things slide, especially when Natalie and I had hit her just now. Hearing his words, she hit the roof and directed her anger at Justin. ¡°I''m looking for trouble? Justin Xenakis, how could you say something like that? Do you think I deserve to get pped in the face? I am your girlfriend! Shouldn''t you help me out when I get bullied?¡± ¡°Mabel, quit it, will you? Don''t you see everyone is looking at us? Don''t make a scene! Or, do you really want things to get out of control?¡± Justin cast his eyes over the crowd awkwardly before he pulled Mabel''s hand, wanting to leave the scene. Yet, thetter broke free from his grasp and once again stomped toward us. ring at Mabel, I couldn''t help furrowing my brows. I''ve given her an inch, and now she wants to take a mile. Not only did she snatch my fianc¨¦, but she is still trying to mess with me over and over again. Even though I''m good-tempered, I''ve had enough of her! ¡°Mabel Quintrell, what are you gonna do, huh? Do you want me to tell everyone here what you''ve done?¡± Mabel''s attitude had pissed me off. Even though I had never wanted to blow things out of proportion, I was not afraid of doing so either. ¡°Hmph! Tell them for all I care. You are the one who couldn''t grip Justin''s heart, so why me it on me?¡± Mabel held a look of haughty disdain, undaunted by my words. This woman''s audacity is unparalleled! She doesn''t give a damn about other''s condemnation, and she even has the guts to seduce her friend''s fianc¨¦. I glowered at Mabel while a me of fury rose within me. Ugh! I must have been so blind to have treated this woman as my best friend in the past! As for Natalie, she was already angry at Mabel for hooking up with Justin. Now that thetter was still trying to mess with me, she could stand that b*tchy woman no more. Hence, she took up the cudgel on my behalf. ¡°Mabel Quintrell, if you dare say something like that again, I''ll rip your face off! You''re really the most shameless woman I''ve ever seen. How could you still behave in such a self-righteous manner after stealing your best friend''s fianc¨¦? Aren''t you ashamed at all?¡± ¡°Natalie, this is between Anna and me, so don''t you interfere in it. After all, there is no bad blood between us. However, if you go against me, don''t me me for being harsh to you.¡± In fact, Mabel was more fearful of Natalie, for thetter had a daring and fearless nature. Perhaps that was the very reason for Natalie being the kryptonite to Mabel. ¡°What if I insist on helping Anna? What else could you possibly do to me? You can''t bite me, can you?¡± My friend gazed at Mabel with total contempt as she growled those words out. Natalie had actually disliked Mabel way before I found out about thetter''s affair with Justin. She had always told me that Mabel was a pretentious and dishonest woman, yet I was silly enough to tell her that it was only her prejudice against Mabel. In hindsight, Natalie was really better than me when it came to judging people. ¡°Natalie Xavier! You!¡± Enraged, Mabel ran toward Natalie, fire burning in her eyes. Before she could charge forward to engage in a fight, however, Justin grabbed her arm and halted her in her tracks. ¡°Mabel! Stop it!¡± he scolded, scowling at her. It seemed like the man, too, had finally had enough of the woman''s unreasonableness. ¡°Mabel Quintrell, don''t go too far! You''ve already had Justin now, isn''t that enough? What more do you want?¡± I really didn''t understand the reason for Mabel to pick on me. She has already snatched my fianc¨¦. What more does she want to take away from me? Chapter 34 Chapter 34 With a smug smile on her face, Mabel sneered, ¡±I want to let you know that Justin is mine now! I am the one he loves!¡± She was obviously saying that to rub salt in my wound. If this was before, my heart would wrench in pain at her words. Yet, I was now unperturbed ¡ª those spiteful words could no longer hurt me. ¡°That has nothing to do with me. Oh, by the way, I need to thank you for showing me his true colors. If it weren''t for you, I would''ve married this jerk and lived a miserable life. Thank you for stopping me from ruining my own future.¡± I feigned a grateful expression, the mockery in my eyes barely veiled. Indeed, it broke my heart when Justin cheated on me with Mabel. Yet, looking on the bright side, it made me realize that the man was not someone worth marrying. Although it was a hard decision to make, I never regretted leaving him. I knew I had made the right decision. Mabel, on the other hand, could easily tell that I was dissing her. Hence, her long face twisted further in rage. Standing beside her, Justin frowned slightly at my words. He stared at me disappointingly as if I was the one who had betrayed him. Gazing at him, I curled my lips into a sarcastic smile. This man sure is a scumbag! He is the one who cheated on me. Not only that, he even has an illegitimate child! Now he''s looking at me like I''m the onePlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. who betrayed him? How ridiculous! ¡°Anna, actually, I''ve heard of your dad''s condition. We''ve been together for seven years, after all. So, I''m actually here today to visit him.¡± Justin sounded gentle and sincere, yet his words made me feel sick to my stomach. Before I could say anything, Natalie beat me to it. She snarled, ¡°You''re here to visit Mr. Garcia? I think his condition might be worse if he sees you. Justin Xenakis, you''ve betrayed Anna. How dare you show up in front of her dad? You''re really shameless, just like that b*tch over there. The two of you are truly a match made in heaven.¡± Pulling a long face, Natalie then let out a sneer. She had seen me going through a hard time during the first few days of my break-up. Hence, she vented her anger on Justin by tearing him down. Hearing her snide remarks, Justin scowled but said nothing. Usually, in the office, his subordinates would shower him with tters and cozy him up. Hence, he was unhappy when Natalie suddenly derided him. Nevertheless, he couldn''t argue with her in public, for most people would take the woman''s side. Besides, no one would side a cheater anyway. Seeing a crowd started gathering, I was reluctant to make myself the butt of people''s jokes. I made my way to him and uttered coldly, ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but I think my mom and dad would not want to see you. You better leave now. Also, we''re done, so don''t show up in front of me again!¡± From the moment I saw him on the bed with Mabel, I had given up on him. We were over since that day. Justin furrowed his brow while fixing his eyes on me. Hearing my words, a smidge of worry appeared on his face. ¡°Anna, I''m simply concerned about you.¡± ¡°I don''t need your concern. Justin Xenakis, from now on, I hope you and your woman stay away from me. It disgusts me to see your faces,¡± I spat out. Disregarding the angry look on Justin''s face, I left the scene with Natalie. It was supposed to be a happy day since my dad was finally getting his surgery. In the end, however, my mood was ruined by Justin and Mabel''s arrival. Those two are really annoying bastards. Ugh! If only they could leave me alone. I stered a cold expression on my face and remained silent on our way back to the ward. With her brows knitted, Natalie kept ncing at me. After some hesitation, she asked, ¡°Anna, don''t tell me you''re still upset because of that scumbag?¡± shing her a tight-lipped smile, I reassured her, ¡°Of course not. I''ve gotten over it. It''s not worthy of me to be upset because of him. Their arrival has just spoiled my good mood.¡± ¡°You''re right. Those two are really thick-skinned. They even dared show up in the hospital! I bet they are up to no good! They probably just want to make Mr. Garcia''s condition worse.¡± ¡°Alright, Natalie. Let''s not talk about them anymore. Don''t let them spoil our mood.¡± I changed the topic, unwilling to think about them anymore. When we almost reached the ward, my phone beeped. I fished it out to see that it was a message from Michael. Feeling panicked, I immediately put my phone back in my pocket. ¡°Who''s sending you a message?¡± Natalie asked curiously while casting a doubtful gaze at me. Avoiding her eyes, I came up with a reply, ¡°It''s just a junk text message.¡± ¡°Oh, right! Natalie, take these into the ward. I suddenly recalled that I have something I need to take care of. I''ll be back soon.¡± Before she could ask more questions, I shoved the food into her arms and hastily left. My friend''s voice rang out from behind, ¡°Anna, where are you going?¡± Reluctant to let Natalie know about the deal between Michael and I, I hurried to the underground car park without bothering to answer her. Michael had told me he was waiting for me there in his message. Though, I had no idea why he came to the hospital. It took me quite a while to find his car. Ugh! Why couldn''t he park at a more noticeable spot? Soon, I got into the car to find Michael wearing a pair of sunsses, which covered half of his face. The man''s distinguished air was discernible. Just as I was staring at his side profile, he asked in an impassive tone, ¡°Are you done staring?¡± His voice brought me back to my senses. Instantly, I looked away from his face. Oh no, was I staring at him just now? I cleared my throat before asking, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Meanwhile, I kept my eyes straight ahead and dared not look at him. Michael turned to face me and questioned coldly, ¡°You''re still entangling with Justin Xenakis?¡± His question threw me off bnce. When I got my mind around what he meant, I looked at him with furrowed brows, feeling displeased. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°What do you mean? When did I entangle with him?¡± Earlier in the hospital, I was already in a bad mood because of Justin. Hence, I was infuriated when Michael used me of entangling with that scumbag. ¡°Anna Garcia, I want an exnation from you today! I won''t ept a woman who still has something to do with other men.¡± Michael''s voice turned cold and stony as he spoke. Although he was wearing the sunsses, I could still sense his icy gaze falling on me. ¡°Didn''t you investigate my rtionship with Justin already? He''s my ex-fianc¨¦, and we have broken up. I suppose you already knew about it, don''t you? If you can''t ept the fact that I was engaged before, then there''s nothing I can do.¡± My attitude was harsh, but I couldn''t help it. His unfounded usation had very much annoyed me. Hearing my words, Michael furrowed his brows and glowered at me. I could sense his anger, yet I couldn''t care less about it. Hmph! You''re not the only one who is angry! Who are you to demand an exnation from me? ¡°Anna Garcia! Watch your tone!¡± Michael took off his sunsses and stared coldly at me. The anger in his eyes was evident. Intimidated by the man''s domineering aura, my eyes flickered with a hint of panic. Instantly, I made a valiant effort to hold my temper in check. Calm down, Anna. If you piss him off, he might take back the two hundred thousand he lent you. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Suppressing my anger, I forced a smile and softened my tone as I apologized, ¡°I''m sorry. I forgot myself.¡± Although Michael was still exuding a cold aura, his expression had softened. ¡°So, tell me. Do you still have anything to do with Justin? I told you before, to be my woman, you must first be faithful.¡± Casting his questioning gaze at me, the man once again brought up the previous conversation. Can''t he stop dwelling on this matter? Did he even see me entangling with Justin? How could he use me like that? Although I was infuriated, I suppressed my fury for the sake of that twenty thousand. Anna, you need that money to save Dad. You can''t risk Dad''s life because of your temper. ¡°Justin and I, we''re done from the moment he cheated on me with my best friend. Are you satisfied now? When you investigated my background, didn''t you find out that my wedding was canceled?¡± I''ve tried my best to control my emotions, but my words still sounded caustic. After all, it was humiliating for a woman to be suspected of entangling with her ex by another man. ¡°Then, what was happening earlier? I saw you together with Justin.¡± Michael pinned me with a steely gaze. He wasn''t mad at my hostility, neither did he trust my words. ¡°His current girlfriend brought him here to show off in front of me. They were here tough at my miserableness and mock me because no man loves me. Are you happy with my answer now?¡± As I spoke, I recalled Mabel''s cutting remarks. Those words had hit me hard, but I was more vexed with Michael instead of feeling upset over her remarks. I was already deeply frustrated when both Justin and Mabel betrayed me. Now, Mabel was still constantly trying to mess with me. Even Michael was suspecting me of entangling with my ex-fianc¨¦! Justin Xenokis was nothing but a cheater. I wouldn''t tolerate any unfaithfulness in a rtionship. Hence, I would never get involved with him again. Whether he had loved me or not, that was all water under the bridge. We could never be together again. Although I was a woman who wished to experience passionate love, I wouldn''t degrade myself for a man. Gazing at Michael, I let out a bitter smile that carried with it a hint of sarcasm. Unbeknownst to anyone, my heart wrenched in pain upon recalling everything that I had gone through recently. ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± The frosty look on the man''s face soon disappeared. Although there was still suspicion in his eyes, he had started to believe in my exnation. ¡°Believe it or not, that''s my exnation to you.¡± Then, I said in a solemn voice, ¡°I can promise you that Justin and I are over, so you don''t need to worry about it.¡± Facing me, Michael said nonchntly, ¡±If you ever confront Justin, you can tell him you''re now my woman.¡± Hearing that, I turned to look at him with my eyes full of surprise. Didn''t he ask me to keep our rtionship a secret? So, why is he telling me this? Is he going back on his words now? ¡°But, you said we couldn''t let anyone know about our rtionship. Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± I asked tentatively. Is he that capricious? He just asked mest night to keep our rtionship on the down-low. But now, he has changed his mind. What''s going on in that head of his? ¡°I mean, you can tell Justin but not everyone.¡± Michael cast a nce at me while frowning slightly. He seemed unhappy with myck of perception. I pouted and decided to let it go. After all, I had already told him everything he wanted to know. In the end, it was up to him to decide whether he believed it or not. When I opened the car door, Michael suddenly grabbed hold of my wrist. Confused, I turned around and asked, ¡°What else do you...¡± Before I could even finish my words, the man pulled me into his arms and mashed his lips against mine. His body had a faint mint scent, which smelled nice. Overwhelmed by his scent, my heart began thumping hard within my chest. Never had I ever experienced such a feeling before in my entire life. His kiss soon became passionate when his tongue found its way into my mouth. At that instant, I could taste him and his breath in my mouth. As we kissed, my eyes scanned the man''s face. At such proximity, his features still appeared nearly perfect to me; especially those eyes that revealed his smart and wise character. The thirty-year-old man had a seemingly innate aura with him. I wanted to push him away, but I seemed to have lost control over my body. Eventually, I closed my eyes and submitted myself to the pleasure I was feeling from his kiss. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 He kissed me so skilfully that my brain went nk and I unwittingly responded to his every move. For a while, the atmosphere in the car was filled with sexual tension. He released me after a long time and I opened my eyes only to be lost in his deep and intense gaze. Even at such a short distance, he looked so perfect in every way that it was impossible to find any ws. Justin could not even begin topare to him. I had thought that Justin was near perfect, but after meeting Michael, I realized that the former was far from it. Nevertheless, no matter how great Michael was, it had nothing to do with me. We were just partners in bed and that kind of rtionship wasn''t something to be proud of. The notion that we could be something more sounded preposterous. Besides, he was wealthy and way out of my league. As such, I had never dared to hope for someone like him, for he did not belong to my ss. ¡°Please, do continue to ogle at me until you''re satisfied.¡± Michael''s low and sexy voice sounded in my ears as he smirked and teased me. His voice brought me back to my senses and I realized that this was the second time I had lost myself staring at him. I felt so embarrassed that I wished the ground would just open up and swallow me whole. ¡°If there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave now.¡± Avoiding his eyes, I mumbled a few words and opened the car door to get off. Even after leaving the parking lot, my heart was still beating erratically. Michael''s kiss had stirred up ripples in the stillness of my heart. The surgery in the afternoon went smoothly without any mishaps and the weight in my heart was finally lifted. In the following days, Dad''s health recovered quickly. Nevertheless, he did have an operation, so it was only natural that he would need more time to recuperate. I woulde to the hospital to take care of Dad at night aftering off from work. For some reason, Michael seemed to have vanished into thin air ever since we met at the parking lot. He never contacted me again. Every time I thought back to the kiss we shared, there would always be an indescribable feeling surging in my heart. There has been no recent contact from him and our rtionship seems to be non-existent. For some reason, I feel saddened about that. But on the other hand, I should be happy. After all, we were just partners in bed, albeit not willingly on my part. If he forgets me then this will be the end of our transaction. My life resumed to the way it was. A weekter, Dad''s recovery was well on the way and he was discharged from the hospital. I had wanted to rent a house for Dad and Mom to stay but they were used to vige life and insisted on returning there. I could onlypromise as I could not convince them. The head of the department in mypany was a forty-year-old man named Conrad Skeete. He had a beer belly and a balding head. From the first day I entered thepany, I felt his lustful gaze constantly lingering on me. I had always hated being stared at by men, especially by a middle-aged man with a pudgy face. But since he did not do anything to me, I could not find fault with him. After all, one could lose a job by offending one''s superiors, so I had to tolerate his gaze. However, on one particr day, he crossed the line and infuriated me. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I was sitting at my desk, carefully sorting through the documents when Conrad knocked on my desk and looked at me with a smile. ¡°Anna, bring the shampoo advertisement design to my office.¡± With his puffy face, Conrad''s triangr eyes were zeroed in on my breasts with a lecherous gaze that irritated me. Feeling uneasy, I adjusted my dress and replied faintly, ¡°Sure, I''ll deliver it to your office right away.¡± This was how it went in the workce. We had to tolerate what we could. It was not easy to find a job suited to us. As such, I cherished the opportunity to work in Joyful Sess after trying so hard to get the job. I had seen through Conrad''s motives being impure since long ago but I thought that as long as he did nothing too brazen, I could endure it. After all, he merely looked at my breasts without doing anything to me. Seeing Conrad walking into the office, I frowned in annoyance as I was very reluctant. Nevertheless, work came first even if I did not like him. I retrieved the draft for the shampoo advertisement I recently nned and walked to Conrad''s office. I knocked on the door and went in after he answered. ¡°This is the design information you want. Please see if there is anything that needs to be modified.¡± I handed the file to Conrad but when he received the documents, he deliberately held my hand. ¡°Anna, I''m sure I won''t need to check your design. After all, your talents speak for themselves. You''ve only been here for a month but your advertising creativity is many times better than others. I have high hopes for you.¡± While saying this, Conrad touched the back of my hand with his and started stroking it. Feeling disgusted, I withdrew my hand immediately. At the same time, my expression darkened. ¡°Please have some respect.¡± My impression of Conrad had always been one of repulsion. Before, he had just looked at me lustfully without doing anything. However, what he did just now had truly angered me. ¡°Anna, I''ll be frank with you. From the first day you arrived, I thought you were beautiful and talented. If I''d given you a few more opportunities, you''d have no problem getting a raise or a promotion. When Conrad said this, he sounded rather proud and arrogant. His tone was as if he owned Joyful Sess. However, in reality, he was just a small department head so there was no way he would have so much authority. At most, he could decide the bonuses for the staff in his department. It was most certainly not in his power to promote or increase the sry of staff members. Obviously, he thought that I was ignorant of such rules and that he could fool me. If I was a neer to the workce, I might have been fooled by him, but since I had been with an advertising agency for a few years before, I was quite familiar with this area. ¡°Mr. Skeete, thank you for your kindness. I will try my best. But please take a look at this document first. If there is something wrong, I can modify it.¡± I pretended not to understand the underlying meaning of Conrad''s words and simply looked at him indifferently while speaking in a neutral tone. ¡°Don''t you understand what I mean? I didn''t ask you toe in here to talk about design ideas. I want you to be my woman. If you serve me well, there would be no need for you to work so hard in the future. I''ll give the work to others and you can have all the credit. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Conrad stalked around the desk and came to a stop right in front of me, staring at my bosom with lusty eyes. Since my physique was voluptuous in nature, my figure was further boosted due to me wearing a tight- fitting working suit. This was probably the reason why Conrad was constantly ogling at me. Fury surged within me and I had the urge to p him for his lecherous gaze on me. However, because he was my superior, I had no choice but to bear with it. ¡°Mr. Skeete, I''m grateful for your offer but I would much rather depend on my own capabilities.¡± I spoke matter-of-factly, with neither humility nor arrogance. On the surface, I did not say anything that offended Conrad but I had expressed my meaning clearly. ¡°It''s a good thing for young people to have ambitions but when better choices are avable, you must learn to grasp it. Don''t you agree? Conrad stretched out his big, chubby hand and grasped my shoulder whilst wearing a disgusting smile on his face. A wave of nausea hit me. Immediately, I pushed him away and stepped as far away as I could. At this point, I was utterly enraged. ¡°Please have some self-respect, Mr. Skeete. If other staffse to know about this, it wouldn''t be good for your reputation.¡± My tone was icy as I stared at Conrad with disdain. I had thought that with these words, Conrad would understand that I do not want his attention and back off. Unfortunately, I seemed to have overestimated him. As soon as he heard my piece, Conrad''s expression changed and he looked at me with fury in his eyes. ¡°Anna, don''t be stupid. It is your honor that I am interested in you. How dare you reject me!¡± ¡°If there is nothing else, I''ll be taking my leave then.¡± Even though I was angry, I knew that if I stayed in his office any longer, nothing good woulde out of this. As such, the wisest choice was for me to get out of this situation quickly. s, Conrad was not going to let me off so easily even though I had rejected his advances. I had barely walked a couple of steps when he hugged me from behind by force. ¡°Anna, don''t you be foolish. You should thank the heavens that I am choosing you to be my woman. You have no right to refuse me!¡± Being my superior and all, I did not want to offend him because of this. After all, it would not be beneficial to me if I were to offend him. ¡°I''m not letting you go. Spend a night with me.¡± At that, Conrad moved to face me and he once again held me in a tight embrace before moving his pudgy lips closer to mine. Feeling repulsed, I pped him hard. My gosh! Conrad is really a scumbag. I had already politely told him off but he kept forcing me. How is it possible that the higher-ups would hire such an animal to work in Joyful Sess? Not to mention as a department head at that? I smacked Conrad in the face so forcefully that a loud pping sound could be heard resounding in the office. After I realized what I had done, I was stunned. I just hit my boss! Well d*mn... I''m doomed now... Sure enough, Conrad immediately red at me with fury in his eyes. ¡°Anna, how dare you p me?¡± Conrad was ring daggers at me as he pointed a finger and roared. ¡°I... I''m sorry. I did not do it on purpose.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Panicked, I apologized but I was still feeling angry. ¡°Sorry? What use is it to apologize to me now, Anna? You just pped me. Do you believe that with just one word from me and I could have you sacked?¡± Conrad did not let me off even when my attitude toward him had softened. He red at me fiercely and his words were full of threats. ¡°You''re the one who touched me first. I was only defending myself!¡± His threats had angered me. Even though I really valued this job, I decided not topromise further. Even if I were forced to leave Joyful Sess, I would never have a rtionship with an ugly old man who was always staring at me lustfully. ¡°Anna, I''d advise you to obey me and surrender, or else, I''ll make sure you won''t be able to keep your job in Joyful Sess!¡± As Conrad spoke, he came close to me again before enfolding me in his embrace. This time, he had learned something. Pining my hands with his, he used his free hand to hold me against his body. Although being so close to this disgusting man made me nauseous, I was actually feeling more flustered. We''re in the workce now! Don''t tell me that Conrad would actually dare to do something to me in his office? ¡°Let go of me! If you touch me again, I''m going to have to scream for help. This is the workce. If the staff outside see you doing this to me, what will they think of you?¡± Although I was panicking, I forced out a calm front. As I watched Conrad approach me with a sly grin on his face, showing his big yellow teeth, I could only say threatening words to scare him off. ¡°My office is soundproof. No one can hear you if you scream.¡± Hearing that, I was in full-blown panic mode. Am I going to get rape by this man here in the office? I struggled hard but being a man, Conrad was inevitably stronger than me. Just when he was about to kiss me, the office door was suddenly opened. ¡°Mr. Skeete, here is a document that you need to sign...¡± Seeing Conrad holding me, the person who entered was stunned and stopped talking. Conrad was shocked too. Taking the opportunity, I pulled myself away from him the moment he was distracted. I then red at Conrad before rushing out of his office without saying a word. When I returned to my seat, my emotions were going through a rollercoaster ride. I was both angry and scared. I knew that Conrad would not let me off easily and I would definitely have a hard time in the future. But what I was worried about more was the fact that this could happen again in the future. I could not focus on any work as I was panicking. Meanwhile, the female colleague who had just gone into Conrad''s office earlier was now looking at me with contempt after she came out. I looked at her in puzzlement. I did not understand why she would look at me with such disdain. It stood to reason that since she saw Conrad doing such a thing to me earlier, she should have sympathized with me. But what I got instead was a gaze filled with scorn. I frowned and looked away as I tried to calm down by keep telling myself to stay away from Conrad and be more cautious in the future. However, it seemed that I had yet again underestimated the severity of the situation. At lunchtime in the afternoon, I overheard conversations from several colleagues in the bathroom. ¡°Do you know that when I took the documents to Mr. Skeete''s office to sign today, I saw Anna hugging him? One look was all it took for me to be certain that she was trying to seduce him.¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¡°Really? But Anna seems like a serious and hard-working person. Besides, she always looks so innocent. Why would she do such a thing?¡± ¡°Ah well, people nowadays are willing to do anything to seed and climb up the socialdder. I just knew that she''s no decent person ever since she joined thepany. She pretends to be a diligent person, but in reality, she''s actually seducing an old man like our supervisor. What a slut!¡± ¡°Hear, hear. Mr. Skeete is already in his forties. Not to mention he''s old and unsightly. Anna is really going all out if she can put up with such a man.¡± My colleagues'' gossip drifted into my ears loud and clear. Hearing that, I felt utterly aggrieved. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. When did I ever seduce Conrad Skeete? Did they see me doing it with their own eyes? Ugh! People nowadays are truly good at making up stories and jumping to conclusions! It was him who wanted to force himself on me first! So why are they saying that it was me who seduced him now? They''re simply lying through their teeth! At that moment, I was gripped by the urge to rush out and counter their usations by telling them the truth. However, I suppressed that urge, knowing that they wouldn''t believe me even if I exined things. Instead, they would despise me all the more. Ah, forget it! It''s enough that I know what kind of person I am. There''s no need to exin anything to others. I gave myself a pep talk. Nheless, tears coursed down my face uncontrobly. I kept telling myself not to be bothered, but the feeling of being used wrongly was truly awful. It wasn''t until they had left that I walked out of the toilet stall. As I gazed at my red-rimmed eyes in the mirror, distress swamped me. I''ve been working wholeheartedly ever since I joined thepany, but never had I thought that I''d be ¡°rewarded¡± by the reputation of seducing my superior. Argh! This world is truly unfair! In the afternoon, I could clearly sense that all my colleagues were looking at me differently. I tried my best to feign ignorance and simply kept my head buried in work, believing that they would one day understand the kind of person I was as long as I worked hard enough. In the next few days, no one said a single word to me. Even when my colleagues bumped into me, they pointedly ignored me. On the other hand, Conrad deliberately made life difficult for me so that I would leave Joyful Sess. He heaped so much work on me that I had to work overtime until ten o''clock every day before I could get off work. I knew that he was purposely dumping work on me to goad me into resigning. However, I had long since resolved that I would never resign no matter how he picked fault with me. On that particr day, I was still working overtime. It was ten o''clock at night when I finally finished going through all the documents on my table. Stretching, I then lumbered to my feet wearily. After packing up, I made to leave the office. But at that precise moment, my cell phone rang with a call from Justin. My brows creased as a wave of irritation surged within me. Without even thinking about it, I declined the call. s, he seemed determined, for my cell phone kept ringing incessantly. In the end, I answered the call when I couldn''t take it any longer. ¡°Have you lost your mind, Justin Xenakis? Why are you calling me nonstop?¡± I couldn''t be bothered to be civil with him, and my voice was cold without a hint of emotion. ¡°I''d like to talk to you, Anna. I''m waiting below your office. I know you''ve been working overtime in the past few days.¡± On the other end of the phone, Justin sounded much gentler than usual. In the past, I would''ve been jumping with joy if he wanted to see me, but there wasn''t the tiniest spark of delight within me now as I no longer loved him. ¡°There''s nothing to talk about between us. I don''t want to see you,¡± I declined without an ounce of hesitation. It''s over between the two of us, so there''s no need for us to contact each other anymore. After saying that, I hung up on him without giving him an opportunity to speak. When I was done straightening the documents on my table, I turned off the lights and left. It was already ten o''clock, so there wasn''t a single soul left in thepany besides the guard at the entrance. As the cold breeze blew past, I tightened my jacket around me. Then, I stopped by the side of the road to hail a taxi. There were few taxis since it waste at night. Standing by the road, I waited anxiously. ¡°Anna.¡± Someone nearby called out my name just when I saw a taxi approaching in the near distance. I looked over my shoulder, and when I saw that it was Justin, my hackles instantly rose. Ignoring him, I stretched out a hand and hailed the taxi. When the taxi came to a stop in front of me, I opened the car door to get in, but Justin blocked me. ¡°I''ve got something to say to you, Anna,¡± he asserted urgently as he grabbed my arm. Upon seeing his face inches from mine, fury welled within me, or to be more precise, it was sheer revulsion. Shaking off his hand forcefully, I put some distance between us and stared at him coldly. ¡°Why do you keep hounding me when there''s nothing to be said between us?¡± In the past, my heart would start racing every time I saw him. That had never changed even after having been together for seven years. But now, I felt nothing for him save repulsion and disgust. ¡°Anna, I know you hate me, but I don''t want us to be enemies. Would you please give me a chance to say a few words to you?¡± With a hand on the door of the taxi, Justin regarded me anxiously, his gaze frantic. My wrath zed hotter upon hearing that. Good grief! He actually has the temerity to utter such a remark when our rtionship is now in shambles? Hah! I never knew that he''s actually such a shameless man! ¡°I don''t hate you. I''m just sickened by you because I no longer have any feelings for you!¡± I eyed him coldly, my voice coated with frost. Indeed, I admit that I hated him in the beginning for betraying me, forsaking the rtionship that we had for all these years, and most importantly, hooking up with my best friend. However, that was just when it all started to go downhill. Now that I no longer love him, there''s no need for me to hate him anymore. In fact, I find it troublesome to even hate him. ¡°Hey! Are you getting in or what? Stop wasting my time if you''re not!¡± The taxi driver''s impatient voice split the air just when Justin was about to say something else. ¡°I''m sorry, mister, but she doesn''t need your services anymore.¡± After saying that to the taxi driver, Justin yanked me to his side and mmed the door of the taxi shut. ¡°Mister, wait...¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 I called out to stop the taxi driver, but he paid me no mind. Flooring the gas pedal, he sped off in a sh. Seeing the taxi speeding away, I furiously whirled around and glowered at Justin. Argh! I''d finally gotten a taxi at this hour, yet it left because of him! Is he trying to make me walk home in the middle of the night? ¡°What the hell is your problem, Justin Xenakis? Why did you stop me from getting into the taxi?¡± I demanded in a near shout. I red at him, my gaze zing with fire. ¡°I''ll drive you home, Anna. We can talk during the drive.¡± Surprisingly, Justin wasn''t pissed off by my outburst. He reached out and took my hand, his gaze tender as he looked at me. ¡°No, thanks. I don''t need you to drive me home, I would much rather walk. Besides, I''ve already made it clear that there''s nothing to be said between us!¡± I bellowed, still enraged that he stopped me from getting into the taxi earlier. ¡°When did you be so stubborn, Anna? You used to be very gentle in the past.¡± As my attitude became progressively worse, Justin frowned slightly as he regarded me, his voice colored with a hint of displeasure. ¡°As you said, it was in the past. Besides, I''m only gentle with my man. You''re no longer that anymore, so why should I still be gentle with you? What right do you have to demand that?¡± I blurted in a single breath. At that moment, I found him truly ridiculous. What a f*cking joke! What right does he have to demand gentleness from me when we already broke up? The instance my words fell, Justin''s expression darkened, and the look in his eyes turned increasingly irate. In truth, I could clearly sense that he was suppressing his rage. ¡°I know you must hate me right now, so it''s okay. Go ahead if you feel better saying all those things. We''ll talk when you''ve calmed down,¡± he murmured cidly after a long silence, still keeping his anger in check. Argh! Why the hell is he still pestering me at this time? We have nothing to do with each other anymore! I''ve set him free to be with Mabel, so why is he still hounding me? ¡°I don''t hate you, nor do I have anything to say to you. I''m going home.¡± Not wanting to have further contact with him, I made to leave by circumventing him. However, he seemed determined to keep me there, for he grabbed my arm from behind just after I had taken two steps forward. ¡°Anna Garcia, why can''t you talk to me nicely? We were once lovers, after all. Are you nning to talk to me in such an indifferent manner for the rest of our lives?¡± Justin''s temper red when he saw how I continued being cold and hostile no matter how nicely he talked to me. In the past, I was always the one whopromised in everything. Now, however, he was no longer my boyfriend or fianc¨¦, so there was no reason I should consider his feelings. ¡°As you said, that was once upon a time. We''re strangers now, so please don''t appear before me anymore, okay? Right now, you''re the person I loathe to see most!¡± Irritated, I frowned deeply. By then, I was already on the verge of cursing him out. My God, when did he be so annoying? When I said that, I clearly saw the change in his expression. His face darkened considerably. After all, any man would likely be fuming at my attitude, much less Justin, whom I had always pandered to. ¡°Anna...¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Just when he was about to speak, my cell phone rang. Fishing out my cell phone, I saw that it was a call from Michael. At once, shock engulfed me. Huh? Why is he suddenly calling me tonight? I thought he''d long since forgotten about me. In all honesty, I could surmise the reason he was calling me at this hour. I was actually reluctant to pick up the call, but the moment I glimpsed Justin staring at me coldly, I answered it without any hesitation. ¡°Hello.¡± Justin saw that it was a call from Michael, so his gaze was now stained with fury. Meanwhile, I deliberately sweetened my voice when I spoke to Michael. ¡°Why is your voice different? Are you having a sore throat?¡± Michael''s low and alluring voice drifted out of the phone, but his words had me choking up. Damn him! I was clearly trying to use a sweet voice to talk to him, but he actually thought that I was having a sore throat? Don''t men love coquettish voices? Yet, he asked me such an idiotic question! Seems like his brain is indeed wired differently from other men. ¡°Ahem... Ah, yes, I was having a bit of a sore throat just now. So, what''s up? Is something the matter?¡± I pretended to clear my throat before speaking in my usual voice. ¡°Have you forgotten the rtionship between us? Why else would I be calling you?¡± Michael''s sexy voice drifted out of the phone once again. In the blink of an eye, my face flushed bright red. How could I possibly forget the deal I made with him? He must be in need of having his physiological needs sated since he''s calling me at this hour! I nced at Justin before averting my gaze when I noticed the outrage written all over his face. ¡°Um... I''m not home yet, so I might not be able to make it tonight. Is tomorrow night okay?¡± I negotiated softly with Michael on the other end of the phone. Good God, I don''t even know how I''m going home now that Justin is still badgering me! Ugh! Why is everythinging at me simultaneously? The person on the other end of the phone went silent though I could vaguely still hear his soft breathing. Just when I thought that he was irked and wanted to exin myself, his voice rang out again. ¡°Where are you now? I''lle and pick you up.¡± Upon hearing that he wanted toe over, my heart jolted. I opened my mouth to decline, but then, I bit the bullet and gave him my location when I noticed that Justin didn''t seem inclined to let me leave. After hanging up the phone, I threw Justin a frosty look over my shoulder before I strode away. ¡°What exactly is your rtionship with Michael Shaw? How did you get acquainted with him?¡± Justin''s questioning voice rang out behind me, his tone filled with fury. He marched right up before me and blocked my path, ring at me hotly. ¡°I''ve already told you the previous time that Michael is the man who likes me. Didn''t you and Mabel think that no man will like me in this lifetime back at the mall then? Well? Is Michael not a thousand times better than you? He''s more handsome, richer, and has a far brighter future than you! I really ought to thank my lucky stars that you hooked up with Mable. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have found such a perfect man!¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Regarding Justin with derision etched on my face, I deliberately said all that to hit him where it hurt. After all, he was an arrogant person who felt that he was very capable. As expected, his expression instantly darkened when Ipared him with Michael. Men were creatures with fragile egos, especially when they werepared to someone else. In comparison with Michael, Justin was far beneath him in terms of both looks and financial capabilities. He was merely an insignificant department manager in one of Michael''s manypanies, so he didn''t even hold a candle to Michael. ¡°Anna, I know you''re only saying this because you''re angry at me. It''s okay. But do you know what kind of person Michael Shaw is? Do you know how many women he has? A man with his identity and status will never promise you forever. So wake up, won''t you?¡± Justin urged with feigned sincerity. Conversely, his concerned expression amused me. With a derisive sneer on my face, I couldn''t help retorting coldly, ¡°No matter what kind of person Michael is, he is still better than you. Even if he has countless women, I believe that he''ll never make a move against my best friend. He still has that much decency, unlike someone who''s really shameless to no end!¡± There was an underlying meaning to my words. Naturally, Justin could tell that I was snubbing him and with such harsh words at that. His expression stiffened, and rage burned within his eyes. Evidently, my words had thoroughly inmed him. ¡°You''ve gone too far, Anna Garcia! Yes, I was at fault for having betrayed our rtionship, but you don''t need to keep harping on that!¡± Justin''s voice went up several decibels. There were only a few pedestrians since it was nighttime, so he wasn''t particrly worried about others overhearing our conversation. ¡°Since you''ve betrayed me, stop pestering me, then. Didn''t you tell me that you and Mabel love each other? So why are you still harassing me?¡± Hah! I still remember vividly how he thanked me when I called off the wedding and set him free to be with Mabel. My heart waspletely shattered then. It''s already incredibly kind of me to put things so tactfully right now. What right does he have to criticize me for harping on the issue when he didn''t experience the excruciating pain I felt back then? Justin hesitated as he stared at me. The wrath on his face promptly faded, but a long time passed before he lifted his head. Looking right into my eyes, he sincerely said, ¡°Anna, I know I was at fault in that matter, and I know I hurt you. But while we were apart, I realized that it''s you I love, not Mabel. I was just blinded for some reason back then, and I''m really sorry...¡± His tone was exceedingly solemn, and his apology sounded very sincere. However, I couldn''t help sneering at his words. Pfft... Why didn''t he realize that it was me he loved when he hooked up with Mabel back then? They''d been having an affair behind my back for so many years, after all. Even their child is already a toddler, yet I''d always been kept in the dark, assuming that Reese is Mabel''s illegitimate child with another man. I thought it was an open wound of hers, so I never dared mention anything about the child''s father before her. Lo and behold, the child''s father turned out to be Justin, my ex-fianc¨¦. Ah, how ridiculous! When I learned of the truth, I felt that I was the most hrious and pathetic woman in the world! ¡°It''s toote for apologies now, for it''s no use even if you say sorry. I''m leaving, so please stop badgering me!¡± Unfortunately, his apology had no effect on me. I didn''t feel moved to forgive him. Instead, I found it utterly hrious. I spun around to leave, but Justin hugged me tightly from behind, his arms banding around me like steel chains. Sensing his touch, panic struck me. On the heels of that, rage and repulsion inundated me. Oh my God, he actually dares to hug me! I struggled wildly, but my puny strength was negligiblepared to a man''s brute strength. No matter how I struggled, I simply couldn''t break free, leaving me livid and frustrated. How I wished to p him hard across the face, yet I couldn''t even break away from his hold. ¡°Let go of me, Justin Xenakis! I''m going to shout for help if you continue restraining me!¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I struggled desperately as fury zed within me. I hated him, and his touch repulsed me. ¡°Why won''t you talk to me nicely, Anna? Was your love for me in the past all a lie? You won''t even speak to me properly now! Must you talk to me with such coldness and hostility?¡± Justin was also seething as he hugged me tightly, his voice no longer as gentle but colored with a trace of impatience. ¡°Why should I talk to you nicely? What right do you have to demand that of me? It''s over between us. It''s over! Do you hear me? Whatever you''ve got to say, just say it to Mabel. Stop pestering me!¡± I roared as I struggled with all my might. Despite the aggravation within me, I was still helpless as I simply couldn''t break his grip on me. ¡°Anna...¡± Justin showed no signs of letting me go anytime soon. I was just about tombaste him again when twin beams of ring light shone at us a near distance away. We both lifted our hands to shield our eyes in concert. Seizing the opportunity, I swiftly put some distance between us and took off since I didn''t want to continue getting entangled with him anymore. To me, he was the most revolting man in the entire world. As I sprinted, I nced over my shoulder in fear that he would chase after me. But before I had gone far, I ran smack into a man. ¡°I''m sorry, excuse me...¡± I frantically apologized. Moving around the man I had bumped into, I wanted to continue running, but the man grabbed my arm. ¡°Why are you running, Anna?¡± Upon hearing the voice above my head, I jerked my head up, only to be greeted by Michael''s handsome profile. All at once, trepidation struck me. For some reason, I felt a touch aggrieved right then. I threw myself into his embrace, my nose stinging inexplicably. ¡°Why are you here?¡± My action stunned Michael slightly, but he hugged me tightly in the next second. ¡°Didn''t I say I was coming to pick you up earlier? Why are you still here at this hour?¡± He engulfed me in his embrace. I didn''t know whether I was reading too much into things, but I actually sensed concern in his voice. ¡°Well, there was a scumbag pestering me.¡± While saying that, I shot Justin a re. Recalling that it was because of him that I missed the taxi, I instantly saw red. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 As I stared at Justin, who was standing a near distance away, I could distinctly see the rage in his eyes. But due to Michael''s presence, he didn''t dare say anything. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Only then did I realize that he was actually a spineless coward. Subsequently, Michael''s gaze shifted to Justin. Wrapping an arm around me, he ambled over to him and regarded him impassionately. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Xenakis. Seems like every time we meet, I would always catch you pestering my woman.¡± Michael''s voice was cold as he spoke to Justin, his handsome countenance devoid of expression. For some reason, I felt that such a side of him gave off a sense of oppression. Ever since Justin caught sight of Michael, he appeared a tad nervous. And in the face of thetter''s question now, he seemed all the more flustered. His imposing aura when he spoke to me earlier was all but gone, and he looked meek instead. Inwardly, I couldn''t help disdaining him. Hah! He was all high and mighty earlier, but he doesn''t even have the guts to say a single word in front of Michael now. I never knew that he''s actually such a coward! ¡°This is all a misunderstanding, Mr. Shaw. There are some misunderstandings to be resolved between Anna and me, so I sought her out today to talk.¡± Justin looked at Michael apprehensively, his words repulsing me. Good Lord! He was clearly pestering me just now, iming that I''m the one he loves. Now that Michael is here, he doesn''t dare admit it. Where''s that overbearing attitude of his when he was hounding me earlier? ¡°Justin Xenakis, there''s nothing to be said between us. Please don''t pester me anymore. Now that you know I''m Michael''s woman, don''t tell me you''re hoping that I''ll go back to you?¡± Stepping out of Michael''s arms, I stalked up to Justin and glowered at him, my words bereft of emotion. As soon as my words fell, Justin nervously cast a nce at Michael. Then, he turned his gaze back on me, his voice sounding rather frantic. ¡°Anna, I think you might have misunderstood my meaning. That''s not what I meant. I merely want to resolve the conflict between us. I don''t want you to hate me.¡± He denied everything he said earlier, but I expected nothing less from him. As I took in his nervous expression, I couldn''t help sneering inwardly. Well, well... He''s truly abhorrent! It''s only been a few minutes since he said that, yet he''s denying it now! Sure enough, he goes back on his word in the blink of an eye! ¡°Oh, really? Then why did you hug me despite my protests just now? And what did you mean by saying that I''m the person you love? You''re such a coward, Justin! You don''t dare admit what you said earlier, huh? Do you know that you''re really repugnant right now?¡± With a sneer on my face, I regarded him contemptuously. He''s nothing but a sissy! I really don''t know why I''d been so blinded in the past seven years that I actually fell in love with such a man! Upon hearing that, Justin''s expression turned grim. His eyes shone with faint anger as he stared at me, but he didn''t dare say anything since Michael was there. After having said all that, I felt much better at once, my pent-up fury dissipating. Now that Michael was here, he wouldn''t dare do anything to me no matter what I said. That was why I had the guts to give voice to the resentment buried within me all this while. I might still be worried that he would pester me if Michael weren''t here, but at the sight of his cowardice, I decided to vent it all out because I knew he wouldn''t dare counter me. ¡°Anna, you''ve really misunderstood my meaning. I really didn''t mean all those things you said...¡± After Justin stole a peek at Michael, whose expression was gradually darkening, his gaze turned increasingly frantic. ¡°That''s enough. Justin Xenakis, please don''t appear before me anymore, okay? We no longer have anything to do with each other. I''m with Michael now, and he''s a thousand times better than you in all aspects. If you have a semnce of self-awareness, never appear in front of me again!¡± I dered coldly. With that, I turned around and went back to Michael''s arms. At that moment, I didn''t want to see him for even a second longer. Justin initially wanted to say something about my frosty attitude, but he didn''t dare to when he glimpsed Michael''s grim face. ¡°Let''s go, Darling.¡± Taking Michael''s arm, I deliberately addressed him intimately. I wanted to aggravate Justin and let him know in no uncertain terms that Michael was far better than him. ¡°Alright, we''re going to my house tonight,¡± Michael murmured suggestively while leaning close to my ear. He hugged me tightly, ying along perfectly. While his voice was low, I knew that Justin would definitely be able to hear it as well. Throwing an indifferent nce at Justin, I allowed Michael to lead me forward with an arm around me. When we walked past Justin, Michael abruptly halted and looked at him coldly. ¡°Not anyone can pester my woman, so watch yourself, Mr. Xenakis.¡± After leaving him that threat, Michael strode toward the car with an arm around my shoulder without sparing him another nce. When I brushed past Justin, I could clearly see the panic that shed across his eyes. Haha, he''s scared now. Only when I got into Michael''s car did I finally breathe a sigh of relief. I was now all the more irritable after having been hounded by Justin when I was already frustrated from having to work overtime. My brows knitted together deeply as I gazed out the car. ¡°Is Justin Xenakis pestering you?¡± Michael and I didn''t speak ever since getting into the car, and a long while passed before he finally broke the silence. ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied mildly without much emotion. ¡°Do you love him?¡± ¡°No. I only feel repulsion toward him now,¡± I replied without a hint of hesitation while gazing at Michael''s profile. I had now seen Justin''s true colors and understood the kind of man he was, so I felt really lucky that I didn''t end up marrying him. Michael didn''tment on my answer, but I could distinctly perceive a faint smile tugging at his lips. He drove very fast, so the car cruised into his mansion in a little over ten minutes. It was my first time at such a ce. Although I had never been there, I knew that it was a renowned wealthy residential area. As I gazed at the huge mansion after alighting from the car, I inwardly eximed at Michael''s affluence. Before I was done admiring the view, Michael dragged me into his mansion. The moment I stepped foot into the house, the resplendent decor floored me. I gaped at the huge crystal chandelier in the living room. I had once seen in a magazine that a chandelier cost hundreds of thousands at the very least, which was equivalent to an average person''s lifetime savings. Sure enough, there''s a world of difference between people from different walks of life. Michael Shaw is truly a man to be envied! Chapter 42 Chapter 42 There wasn''t a single soul in the living room, the entire ce was as silent as the grave. I looked at Michael apprehensively. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can''t believe you actually brought me to your house... What if your parents see me?¡± I reminded in a whisper after walking over to him. Dear heavens! My rtionship with Michael is of a scandalous nature, so I''d be utterly mortified if his parents were to know about us! ¡°Don''t worry. They don''t stay here.¡± After saying that, Michael pinned me down on the couch in the living room. He appeared to be a calm andposed person on the surface, but when it came to matters of the bedroom, he always turned into an impatient and frenzied beast. Upon hearing that, great relief suffused me. As I gazed into his fervent eyes, my heart fluttered. ¡°Thank you, Michael...¡± Recalling the fact that he hade to my rescue the night before, I thanked him as I stared at his handsome countenance. His expression stilled for a moment when he heard that. Immediately after, he looked right into my eyes, his voice low and mesmerizing. ¡°You''re my woman, and I, Michael Shaw, never shares my woman with anyone else! Remember this, Anna Garcia¡ªbefore I break off our rtionship, you''re not allowed to be with any other man! Do you understand me?¡± His voice was domineering and possessive when he said that. In fact, he had always been such ever since I got acquainted with him. For some inexplicable reason, a wave of bitterness swept over me. Gazing into his eyes, I was silent for a long time before I finally answered, ¡°I got it.¡± In truth, I had no delusions about our rtionship, but anguish inevitably crept in when he ordered me in such a manner. Gah! Why am I suddenly assailed by such a feeling? Well, perhaps too many things have happened recently that I''m now bing sentimental! Iforted myself inwardly. At the same time, Michael had already captured my lips. And very quickly, I was lost in his tenderness. He ¡°tormented¡± me for the better half of the night like a tireless beast. Lying beside him, I tossed and turned as sleep eluded me. Part of the reason was that we had never slept in the same bed. During the previous few times, we went our separate ways after doing the deed. This time, however, he had fallen asleep next to me, and we were at his house to boot. With a practical stranger sleeping beside me, coupled with the fact that my privates were feeling rather sore, I only dozed off when it was almost dawn. Perhaps I couldn''t sleep well since I was in an unfamiliar ce, but I woke up very early in the morning. When I opened my eyes, I was immediately greeted by the sight of Michael staring at me. Flustered, I hastily averted my gaze. Why is he staring at me early in the morning instead of sleeping? I wonder how long he has been at it. ¡°Uh... It''s gettingte, so I should get going.¡± At the realization that I was now in his house and his bed, panic swamped me. Having blurted that anxiously, I swiftly darted my gaze around in search of my clothes. However, I didn''t see a single garment of mine even after sweeping my gaze all over the room. At that, I frowned in mystification as I tried recalling everything that had happenedst night. I remember that I first started stripping in the living room... Finally, I remembered that my clothes were in the living room. s, I was currently in my birthday suit. While Michael had seen every part of me, I simply couldn''t bring myself to sashay right past him to the living room without a single stitch on. ¡°Um... My clothes are in the living room. Can you please get them for me?¡± I inquired softly as I turned to look at him in embarrassment. However, Michael didn''t answer me. Instead, his gaze was fixated on my chest. Following his gaze, I looked down at myself. All at once, my face med. I swiftly snagged the nket and wrapped it around myself tightly. At that very moment, my mortification was so great that I was gripped by the urge to crawl into a hole. ¡°Why are you shy? There isn''t a part of you that I have not touched or seen.¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 As though chagrined that I had covered myself up, Michael chided me cidly with a quirked brow. ¡°Um... It''ste, so I should head to work now. Otherwise, I''ll bete,¡± I blurted in a panic, simply making up an excuse. I didn''t dare look into his eyes anymore, for they seemed capable of perceiving everything. Every time I locked gazes with him, I couldn''t help feeling flustered. ¡°You''re working at Joyful Sess?¡± I thought that he would say something risqu¨¦ again, but he unexpectedly changed the subject without warning. I was taken aback for a moment. When I snapped back to my senses, I truthfully answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± When his brows furrowed slightly, panic engulfed me. ¡°I don''t have any ulterior motive working at Joyful Sess. I only want a better tform to further my career. Don''t worry, I won''t cling to you because of such a thing,¡± I hurriedly exined. Men from the elite sses like him were most averse to women using various methods to get close to them. I was worried that he would think the same of me, thus I promptly rified things. I really need this job now, so I can''t lose it because of our rtionship! Even though Dad has had a heart stent surgery, his health is no longer what it used to be. Just for that reason alone, I''ve got to support this family! ¡°Why are you so panicked? Did I say anything?¡± Clocking my frantic expression, Michael cocked an eyebrow and regarded me with mirth. I breathed much easier upon seeing that he wasn''t angry. Nheless, I still looked at him apprehensively and asked, ¡°You''re not going to ask me to leave Joyful Sess, are you? I really need this job.¡± ¡°Do you think I''m such a narrow-minded person? You''re my woman now, so there''s nothing wrong with you working at mypany. However, don''t forget your promise to me back then. You''re not allowed to tell anyone about our rtionship.¡± Michael''s assurance had my heart settling back into my chest. But his final reminder caused a sense of mncholy to envelop me. Honestly speaking, I never nned on telling anyone that I was acquainted with him. Even so, I was perturbed when he said that. ¡°I know. I won''t tell anyone about our rtionship, so don''t worry,¡± I replied cidly as I lowered my eyes. At the sight of my sudden disappointment, Michael frowned slightly and seemingly grew a touch irritated as well. Subsequently, silence reigned, making the atmosphere grow awkward. ¡°Can you please retrieve my clothes for me?¡± I asked once more, turning to look at him. ¡°I need to go to work now.¡± Then, I shifted slightly. Despite having rested for a night, myher region still ached slightly. My brows creased slightly. In the next moment, my face inexorably flushed bright red again when our frantic lovemakingst night shed across my mind. ¡°Are you sore?¡± Seemingly having noticed my fidgeting, Michael frowned, and he even sounded as though he was concerned about me. ¡°Yeah, perhaps we did it overly longst night, so I''m feeling a bit sore down there,¡± I murmured, blushing hotly. Actually, I didn''t really want to discuss such an intimate subject with him, but the words inadvertently tumbled out of my mouth. ¡°Can I take it that you''replimenting me on my stamina?¡± Although I was speaking of my soreness, its meaning got twisted when it fell into Michael''s ears. Stumped, I looked at him speechlessly. Well, well... Only now did I realize that not only is he domineering, but he''s also narcissistic. I''ve never heard of anyone patting himself on the back for having strong stamina! Ah well, since he''s speaking the truth, I''ll just let it go. I turned my head a fraction to the side, not wanting to talk to him further. ¡°There''s a soothing salve in the first-aid kit. I''ll go get it for you.¡± To my surprise, he wasn''t offended when I remained mum. After saying that mildly, he flipped the covers and got out of bed, walking over to the cab by the window to retrieve the first-aid kit. He was entirely naked, and I couldn''t help but admit that his figure was indeed superb. He was neither plump nor skinny, his eight-pack abs and Apollo''s belt a feast to the eyes. As my gaze traveled down, I glimpsed the magnificent manhood between his legs. It was now standing at attention, its size far more impressive beyond my imagination. Reluctantly, I averted my gaze. My soreness down there is all thanks to his manhood. It''s no wonder that I''m hurting since he tortured me for the better half of the night! A blush stained my cheeks, and I didn''t dare look at him anymore. After all, it was very embarrassing to stare intently at a man''s groin. ¡°Feel free to continue looking if you want to do so. I don''t mind.¡± Just when my heart was racing and my gaze darting around, Michael''s voice drifted into my ears. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. All at once, I averted my gaze in a panic. Oh God, he actually noticed me watching him earlier! I wonder what he''s thinking about me! ¡°Why would I want to look at you? It''s your fault for getting out of bed without a stitch. I mean, it''s only natural for me to nce at it since that part of you is so conspicuous.¡± While my face had long since gone as red as a tomato, I still feigned a nonchnt expression since I hated being teased about such a thing. ¡°I''ll take that as you saying that I''m big enough, then. So, how do Ipare to Justin Xenakis? Is my stamina superior to him?¡± A smug smile bloomed on Michael''s face when he heard my remark. He then strutted toward me. The words out of his mouth, however, had my expression turning cold at once. ¡°What did you mean by that, Michael? I''ve already made it clear to you the previous time that I''ve never been intimate with Justin. Do you still not believe me?¡± I glowered at him. He has already questioned me about this back then, and I''ve already exined it to him. So why is he mentioning Justin again out of the blue? Does he still not believe me? At the direction of my thoughts, the anger within me surged. While I didn''t mind how he perceived me, I loathed the feeling of being wrongly used. Likely realizing that I was truly peeved, Michael didn''t continue speaking of that. His tone softened as he coaxed, ¡°I was just joking. Do you need to get up in arms? Anna, if my memory serves, you don''t care what others think of you.¡± He had already returned to the bed when he said that. Instead of looking into my eyes, he was rummaging the first-aid kit for the salve. ¡°I don''t care what you think of me, but I don''t want others to misunderstand me.¡± I regarded him indifferently, my voice tinged with ayer of frost. However, my words garnered no reaction from him. In fact, he acted as though he didn''t even hear me. For some reason, an inexplicable spark of anger ignited at the sight of his apathetic expression. What exactly is his stance here? Does he believe me or not? ¡°Spread your legs.¡± Michael turned and looked at me with an imperturbable expression. ¡°What?¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 I was startled for a moment. When I registered his meaning, my eyes went wide in shock. At the sight of my astonished expression, Michael frowned in consternation. ¡°I said to spread your legs. Did you not understand me?¡± he ordered once more. Keeping my legs tightly pressed together, I eyed him warily. No way! I''m not wearing anything down there, not even panties! He''ll be able to see everything if I were to spread my legs! At that thought, the anxiety within me multiplied. Although I had always been a brazen woman in his eyes, I really couldn''t bring myself to show the most private part of me to a man, especially when I wasn''t all that familiar with the said man and had only been intimate with him a few times. ¡°W-Why do you want me to do so?¡± I regarded him warily, my expression turning awkward as I spoke. ¡°So that I can apply the salve, of course. Where did your mind go? Anna, don''t tell me you were hoping that I''d take you again?¡± Michael stared at me with a raised brow, his wordsyered with an underlying meaning. Naturally, I understood the implication of his words. The moment I realized that he only intended to apply the salve on me, my face instantly flushed bright red. Oh... I thought he wanted to do it again... ¡°My mind wasn''t in the gutter. I''m innocent, okay?¡± I countered guiltily, turning my reddened face to the side. In actual fact, my mind indeed went there earlier. However, no woman would actually admit it before a man. ¡°Do you really think you''re innocent? Your expression just now betrayed your thoughts. I never knew that you''re so depraved, Anna.¡± Michael curled his lips, not believing my exnation the slightest bit. He was dead certain that my mind was in the gutter earlier. ¡°Forget it since you don''t believe me. It''ste, so I''ve got to go to work.¡± Not wanting to discuss that topic with him anymore, I made to get up and retrieve my clothes after saying that. s, it seemed that Michael had no ns of allowing me to leave. Flipping over, he pinned me beneath him and easily parted my legs with his massive hand. In the blink of an eye, I felt a breeze brushing against mydyparts. At that, I frantically yanked the covers over myself. My gosh, isn''t he the slightest bit embarrassed to look at my body so boldly? How could he? ¡°Hold still. If you continue wriggling, I don''t mind taking you again.¡± Michael''s brows creased in displeasure upon seeing me squirm, and his voice carried a hint of threat. Hearing that, I immediately held still and no longer dared to twitch even a muscle. After all, he wasn''t a person who made empty threats. He had ¡°tortured¡± me more than enoughst night, so I would definitely feel worse if he were to take me again. I stopped struggling for my own sake and allowed him to apply the salve on me. As Iy in bed, the thought of him having seen all of me struck, and I was seized by the urge to jump off the nearest building. Ugh! What the hell kind of melodramatic plot is this that it''d actually happen to me? I''m not filming a television series here! My life has been a shitshow ever since Justin cheated on me, and things that happened recently are truly incredulous, especially my rtionship with Michael. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined that I''d be involved with a big shot like him. While my thoughts were wandering, Michael had already applied the salve on me. The cool sensation soothed that part of me significantly, and it didn''t sting anymore. But at the thought that Michael had now seen all of me, I still couldn''t help flushing. I didn''t even dare make the slightest sound, much less move. After a very long time, Michael was finally done applying the salve. I breathed a long sigh of relief, but I no longer dared to look at him. ¡°It''s nothing serious, just slightly swollen. It''ll be fine after applying some salve,¡± Michael murmured cidly as he ced the salve back into the first-aid kit. ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± I replied in a whisper. I turned my face to the side, embarrassed to look at him further. Wrapping the nket around myself, I then headed to the living room to retrieve my clothes. s, my clothes were gone from the couch, and two housekeepers were cleaning in the living room right then. When the housekeepers spotted me, they were both visibly surprised. Meanwhile, I was gripped by the urge to crawl into a hole at the spection in their gazes. What the hell? Michael didn''t tell me he has housekeepers! ¡°G-Good morning... May I know if you''ve seen my clothes?¡± Despite my stark embarrassment, I still bit the bullet and greeted the two housekeepers. ¡°I think I put them in with theundry, but they''re still drying now.¡± That reply from one of the housekeepers had me on the verge of tears. Good heavens! What am I going to wear if my clothes are now hanging to dry? I''ve got to get to work now, or I''m going to bete! While I was panicking, Michael was already done with his shower and hade downstairs. At that moment, he was wearing a robe with the sash casually knotted at the waist. It hung on him loosely, revealing a huge part of his chest. ¡°Michael, my clothes have beenundered! What should I wear now?¡± My gaze flew to him anxiously. ncing at the time, I grew all the more frantic. Ugh! All my colleagues in thepany are now gossiping about me, so who knows what kind of rumors are going to surface if I werete to work? ¡°In that case, just go without clothes.¡± Michael merely shrugged at my question, not at all bothered. He sauntered to the couch in the living room and sat down. At once, a housekeeper brought a cup of coffee over and carefully ced it on the coffee table in front of him. ¡°I''m going to bete for work, and it''ll result in my pay being docked!¡± I red at Michael in vexation. Damn it! He doesn''t need to worry about whether he''ste for work since he''s the boss, but I''m only an ordinary employee. As such, I still need to consider my pay. Besides, everyone in my department is now trying their best to pick fault with me, so I''ve got to be very careful. After all, I might be dismissed for the slightest infraction! ¡°I''llpensate the difference in pay. Can you please stop being so cheap, Anna?¡± Michael eyed me contemptuously, his gaze brimming with annoyance. He probably thought that I was a stingy woman right then. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°That''s different, okay? The money you give me and the money I earn myself are two different things entirely. Furthermore, I can''t make the slightest mistake now. Otherwise, I''ll most likely be dismissed.¡± Recalling what my department head, Conrad, had done to me, disgust inexorably welled up within me once more. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¡°How is it possible that you''ll get dismissed just for beingte?¡± Michael furrowed his brows and looked at me quizzically. I lowered my head and mumbled, ¡°Well, I might turn out to be the first one to get sack because of that since I offended my supervisor previously. Ever since then, he has been holding a grudge against me. Not to mention, everyone in my department is also against me at the moment. So who knows, I might actually get dismissed at any time due to the slightest mistake made.¡± I did not feel like going to the officetely as I could sense that all my colleagues were ostracizing me. Moreover, Conrad was even unleashing his wrath on me by torturing me at work after I rejected him previously. He pressurized me by assigning me endless tasks not only from my department but also from the other department. ¡°But why?¡± Michael''s frown deepened into a scowl as he stared at me curiously. Initially, I never thought of pouring out to him how Conrad tried to hit on me previously. However, the inexplicable grievance in my heart was suffocating me. Almost everyone misunderstood me for seducing Conrad in order to enhance my career advancement. In their eyes, I was nothing but a shameless and scheming woman who intended to go from rags to riches. In the end, I blurted out the disgruntling incident to him. The moment I finished my story, Michael''s face fell. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of the abrupt change in his expression. I nced at him apprehensively. D*mn... Would he see me as someone who had taken advantage of the fact that we have slept together just so I could snitch to him about my superiors? What if he really thinks that way of me? ¡°So he groped your breast?¡± he asked coldly when I was cracking my head on how I should exin it to him. I could not tell what he was thinking about as he gazed at me with his obsidian eyes. ¡°Yeah...¡± I murmured in bewilderment, intimidated by his grim look. ¡°I''ll handle this matter. Listen to me, Anna. I need you to get one thing straight. As long as we have this rtionship going on between us, I will not tolerate another manying their hands on any parts of your body. Do you get me?¡± His tone wasced with a hint of warning. I gazed at him, feeling helpless. What does he want me to do then? I''m the one that''s being harassed by Conrad here. I, too, was repulsed by how the unsightly pervert touched me! Yet, he is hinting that I was the one who let othersy their hands on me! ¡°I understand. I''ll be more alert next time.¡± Suppressing the irritation in my heart, I nodded obediently so as not to infuriate him. Upon hearing my reply, he threw an indifferent nce at me without uttering any words before taking a sip from his cup of coffee elegantly. As silence ensued in the living room, it was as if he had forgotten about my existence. Anxiety welled up from within me gradually as I nced at my watch. Even if I rush out now, I might still bete the moment I reach the office! After a while, Michael put down his cup of coffee and switched his attention to the newspaper he was holding, flipping through them. Mustering my courage, I asked tactfully, ¡°Michael, do you have any women''s clothing here that you can lend to me?¡± He raised his brows and turned to look at me. ¡°Do I look like a man who will easily bring any woman home?¡± His voice had gone up an octave and his tone had turned cold. Well, I''m not wrong, am I? After all, you brought me homest night, didn''t you? I was mocking him inwardly, yet on the surface, my expression was impassive as ever. Even though I had only known the man for a short span of time, I could somehow sense that his temper was unpredictable. If I dared to go against his will, I would surely enrage him. ¡°Can''t you just tell me do you or do you not have it? You can''t expect me to stay naked, right?¡± I could not hold back any longer and ask again. I lowered my head and looked at my embarrassing state. Wrapped with a nket, I waspletely naked beneath. Feeling awkward at how the maids were staring at me, I could not help but bury my face in my hands. ¡°No issue on that. In fact, it''ll be more convenient if you remain naked. Since I have an appointment in the afternoon, I''m not going to the office this morning. We can grab time for another round of intimate sessions!¡± he teased me. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I was rendered speechless and even felt that my temples started to throb. Is he going against me deliberately? He''s the boss! Nobody would dare to question him if he does not turn up at the office. On the other hand, I''m just a low-ranking employee. What if I am fired for beingte? ¡°Michael, can you please be more considerate and put yourself in my shoes? Even though we''re in a mutually beneficial rtionship, it doesn''t mean that I have to listen to your every request! What if I lose my job because of this?¡± I tried to hold back my temper and talk him into changing his mind. ¡°Don''t worry. You won''t get fired. After all, I''m the owner of thepany. So far, we have never sacked anyone just because they werete for work. We would only dock the employee''s sry as a warning at most. Anyway, you don''t have to be worried even if your sry is docked. I willpensate you ten times more than the docked amount.¡± He convinced me. What? Ten times! What a sum! Even though I disliked people who were insolent by thinking that money was everything, his offer was simply irresistible for me. Dad''s treatment still requires arge sum of money, and I can''t really afford it with just my current sry. This is a golden opportunity for me to gain and save more money for Dad! ¡°I hope you keep your promise andpensate me ordingly then. I''d better make a call to apply for leave today before it''s toote. Otherwise, I won''t know what to do if I''m really really fired for being late.¡± I took my handbag from the desk and whipped out my phone to call Conrad. Even though I was reluctant to have a conversation with the disgusting man, he was still my superior. I was worried that he would take this matter and use it to threaten me. Michael leaned against the couch with his legs crossed as he took a sip of his coffee casually. When the call got through, Conrad''s bellow of rage sounded before I could even utter any words. ¡°Anna Garcia, what''s the matter with you? Why the hell are you not in the office yet at this hour? Do you want me to dismiss you?¡± I knew very well that ever since I offended Conrad previously, he never stopped finding fault in everything I did. I had been extra careful not to make any mistakes and work diligently, so he would not have any excuses to punish me. Since I waste for work this round, I was certain that he would grab at the chance to give me a hellish time. ¡°Mr. Skeete, I''m sorry, but I need to apply for leave today to settle something...¡± Tamping down the rage that I was feeling, I tried to exin to him patiently. ¡°Do you have any respect for thepany? How can you apply for leave as you like? Do you really think you can apply for leave with just a phone call?¡± he fumed. He was obviously trying to pick fault with me, yet I could only stifle my frustration. ¡°I really have something on today. Can you please approve my leave application?¡± I gritted and forced myself to softened my tone. Deep down, however, I felt like venting my anger by bombarding him with a slew of curse words. ¡°Well, if you really wish that I can approve your leave application, you need to show that you''re sincere with your request...¡± He suddenly softened and lowered his voice. My face lit up and I thanked him at once, ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Skeete...¡± ¡°Don''t thank me first. I haven''t finished my words yet,¡± he cut me off. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°Sure. Please, do continue.¡± Although my gut instinct was telling me that nothing good woulde out of this, I still kept my tone as pleasant as possible. It never crossed my mind that I would lose control and rage at him the next moment. ¡°Anna, if you can think it through and agree to my previous request, I''ll let you have as many leaves as you want. Even if you can''te to the office for a whole month, I would still instruct the ounting department to pay your monthly sry. How does that sound? Are you willing to give it a second thought?¡± My face fell the moment I heard his disgusting words. At the peak of my fury, I rejected him at once without sparing any thought and snapped at him, ¡°I would never ept it!¡± What a repulsive man! How dare he says this to me! Is he trying to make me curse at him? ¡°I''m going out of my way to give you a chance here, Anna, don''t get on my nerves. Before you turn down my offer again, have you thought about the consequences? It''s a piece of cake for me to fire anyone. Do you still want to continue working for thispany?¡± Upon hearing his threat, I could not hold back my rage any longer. ¡°I didn''t do anything wrong. What right do you have to fire me? Are you doing so just because I''m reluctant to spend the night with you? It''s really a great shame for Joyful Sess to have such a shameless employee like you to tarnishes thepany''s reputation!¡± I yelled at him. As a hard-headed woman, I could never ept being threatened by others. After being threatened by Conrad so many times, I finally had had enough. Even though the threat of being fired loomed over me, I was determined tosh out at him. Conrad was seemingly dumbfounded at the other end of the line. He never expected that I would have the audacity to yell at him. After he recollected himself, he bellowed, ¡°Anna Garcia, how dare you yell at me! Do you believe that I can get you fired right this moment?¡± I rolled my eyes and sneered, ¡°Is that so? It''s really my misfortune to have such a repulsive superior like you! Apart from looking old and unsightly, you''re even a pervert who likes to target youngdies! Don''t you have any self-awareness or sense of shame? In what world would a woman be willing to sleep with a disgusting and repulsive man like you?¡± Now that things hade to this, I decided to be true to myself and I couldn''t care less that I had just burned my bridges. It doesn''t matter how rich he was because just the thought of touching that old and perverted man could give me nausea, much less asking me to sleep with him. ¡°How dare you say that I''m a repulsive man? Anna Garcia, from tomorrow onwards, you don''t have to come to the office anymore. You are fired!¡± the man sted, infuriated by the utter disdain in my tone. ¡°I won''t leave without any formal notification from the HR department. I will still go to the office as usual tomorrow morning!¡± I enunciated every single word coldly and hung up right away. Now that I had vented out all my frustrations, I was finally able to cheer up and heaved a sigh of relief. After all the contemptuous words from my colleagues and the never-ending work from my ill-minded superior, it had long since be unbearable to me. I nced obliquely at Michael, who was seated motionless beside me. To my surprise, there were not the slightest bit of changes in his expression, it was as if he had turned a deaf ear to my phone conversation. What''s with him? With his intelligence, he should be able to guess what Conrad was asking for based on our argument earlier. So why is he not reacting at all? Does this mean that he doesn''t mind at all? I was upset at the thought but upon further consideration, I could understand why he wouldn''t care. After all, we were just partners in bed. After cooling my head off, a wave of anxiety started to well up within me as I was suddenly regretful of my impetuousness for blurting out all the words a while ago. What if I''m really fired and asked to leave at once tomorrow? Panic-stricken, I knitted my brows and wondered if I should rectify the situation by giving Conrad another call to take back my words. After all, having this job was really important to me. I took out my phone and stared at Conrad''s phone number hesitantly. Just when I was in a dilemma on whether I should give him a call to make an apology, Michael finally broke the silence. ¡°Where''s your imposing aura a while ago? You''re starting to worry only now? I never knew you were such a coward, Anna Garcia.¡± At the sight of Michael who was smirking at me, I retorted, ¡°Are you happy seeing that I''m in this kind of situation? I might get fired right away tomorrow and be jobless. Is that what you''re expecting?¡± The anger I was feeling exacerbated the moment he threw his mocking words. I red at him. Even if we are just partners in bed, it was still wrong of him to add insult to injury. In the next moment, he frowned and red at me coldly. ¡°Anna Garcia, you''d better watch your mouth and mind your manners. Do I sound like I was happy about it? Are you venting your anger at me now?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. As an omnipotent man, he must have gotten used to others buttering him up all the time. I bet I was the only woman who had the guts to talk to him like that. I shifted my gaze and avoided looking at him as I swallowed my frustrations. I know I have no right to lash out at him, but what if I really lose my job? It wasn''t easy for me to join Joyful Sess... Seeing that my attitude had softened, Michael did not continue to put me in a tight spot. Nevertheless, I could not get rid of the utter uneasiness I felt whenever I was by his side. His lips curved into a seductive smile as he scanned me from head to toe. However, I doubt he was able to see anything since I was wrapped tightly with the nket. ¡°Since your clothes have yet to dry, why don''t we take the time to do some other activities?¡± I was stupefied the moment I heard his words. For a moment, I couldn''t quite wrapped my head around what he was trying to say. ¡°W-What kind of activity?¡± Intimidated by his subtle gaze, I gulped and descended into stammering incoherence. ¡°What kind of activity do you think we can do? Anna, do you really not know, or are you just faking it? There''s no need to pretend to be innocent in front of me,¡± he added cidly. Pretend to be innocent? So that''s how he thinks of me? ¡°Let me make myself clear, I''m not faking it, and I have no need to fake it! After all, we are just partners in bed. What''s the point of me faking to look innocent?¡± I looked at him coldly and rebutted. ¡°Well, Since you''re not faking it, be more sporting then. Let''s go upstairs now and continue with our sessionst night.¡± He snorted with a sudden grim look on his face. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 He continued to gaze at me till I lost the courage to look him in the eyes. Seeing that, he softened and his lips lifted into a seductive smile. At that very moment, his wless countenance became exceptionally captivating. Mesmerized by his stunning look, I could barely shift my eyes away from him. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Since you can''t take your eyes off me, you can scrutinize me to your heart''s content when we''re in bed later!¡± Hearing that, my brain turned to mush. When I came to my senses again, I was already in Michael''s arms. He lifted me effortlessly and strode toward the staircase, ignoring how all the maids were gawping at us. Once we were back in his room, he ced me down on the king-sized bed and tugged at the nket that was wrapped around my body. Startled, I tried to grip the nket. Michael''s hands stiffened as he red at me with great displeasure. He uttered, ¡°Anna, What are you doing? Are you rejecting me?¡± ¡°We had too many roundsst night. I just think that it''s better to take a good rest today. After all, debauchery is harmful to your health. You''re still young. What if you start to encounter problems with your body functionality at this age?¡± I smiled awkwardly and avoided having any eye contact with him. Initially, I was only trying to talk Michael into changing his mind and let go of me. But as I stared at his face that was turning grimmer by the second, I finally realized just how wrong my words must have sounded. Aghast at the man''s eyes which were zing with growing rage, I shuddered and the smile on my face froze. ¡°Anna, do you mean to say that I''m not good enough in bed? Did I not satisfy youst night?¡± Michael snarled at me. Needless to doubt, I was digging my own grave by insulting his pride daringly. After all, no man could take negativements rted to their skills in bed without getting angry. The case was especially true for Michael who was such a prideful man. As he approached me with eyes burning with rage, I started panicking. I''m doomed! Did I just offend this man again? What''s the matter with metely? Why do I keep saying things that would offend him? Urgh... I only have myself to me. I looked at Michael warily and tried my best to exin, ¡°I don''t mean that. You''re undoubtedly good in bed. I''m just concerned about you. I mean, excessive sex can''t be good for your... thing, right? You''re still young and will surely need this asset of yours for a long time toe. It''ll be a shame if something were to happen to it.¡± Putting on a bright smile, I hoped that my words could at least ease his exasperation. ¡°Do you think you have the qualification to judge how good I am in bed? I bet you will know better after a few more sessions with me!¡± He scoffed. My words did not manage to appease him at all. With a grim look on his face, he stretched out his hand to tug at my nket again. Being a woman, there was no way my strength could beat his. With a yank, he effortlessly flipped open the nket that was wrapped around my body. ¡°Michael, wait!¡± I yelped as I struggled frantically. Michael pinned me under him swiftly, turning a blind eye to my struggles. I had thought that he was just trying to scare me for provoking his pride a while ago. I never expected that he really meant to take me. My goodness! I can''t believe he is still as energetic as ever after so many roundsst night! He is even thinking of having another round now! ¡°Do you think that I''m joking with you?¡± His face was inches away from mine and I could feel his hot breath against my skin. ¡°Michael, get off me! I don''t want to do it!¡± I grimaced and shoved his shoulder. Without replying to me, he simply entered me right away without any forey, causing me difort. Is he really that desperate? ¡°You have no right to go against my will. Just close your eyes and enjoy this moment,¡± was the only reply he gave me before continuing his motion. It took a long time before Michael finally let me go. Panting as Iy in bed, I could see the satisfaction in his eyes as he gazed at my naked body while standing beside the bed. ¡°Anna, I will let you off today. You''d better polish your skill for the next round. You still fail as a bed partner by lying solely in bed without any initiative.¡± He grinned subtly at me. ¡°If you''re not satisfied with me, you don''t have to choose me as your bed partner. After all, nobody forces you to,¡± I mumbled and turned my flushed face away. ¡°Pfft! Then who was the one moaning enjoyably and pleading with me not to stop just now? Yet, you dare to say that nobody forced me! Anna, it seems that you''re really good at twisting the facts.¡± I was utterly embarrassed as he snickered at me. When we were both indulged in our passionate throes in bed earlier, I was actually trying hard to hold myself back from being responsive. Nheless, he was too good in bed, and I could not stop myself from responding. My cheeks were burning hot as blood rushed to my face. I hastily pulled up the nket to cover my body and turned away to avoid his prating gaze. When my clothes had finally dried up at noon, I put them on without hesitation and dashed out of his house. By the time I reached home, Natalie was still in the office. After taking a shower, I stood in front of the mirror to take a look at myself. At the sight of the countless hickeys all over my body, I could not help but let out a deep sigh. Is he crazy? I can''t believe he left all these hickeys all over my body! Apart from sustaining muscle pain all over my body, my eyes started to feel heavy as I wasn''t able to sleep at all the night before. I started yawning as I dragged myself back to my room. The moment I flung myself on the bed, I drifted off into a deep sleep. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 When I woke up at night, Natalie had alreadye back. Her eyes widened in shock upon seeing me walk out of my room. ¡°Why are you back so early today? Don''t you have to work overtime?¡± I stretched and yawned while answering her. ¡°I took the day off today.¡± ¡°You took the day off? Holy sh*t. Is the sun rising from the west or something?¡± Natalie gaped at me in utter disbelief. I hummed in confirmation but remained otherwise silent. Noticing the gloomy look on my face, Natalie started eyeing me suspiciously. ¡°You didn''te homest night. Where''d you go?¡± My expression stiffened upon hearing Natalie''s question, and I replied somewhat guiltily, ¡°I was working overtime.¡± ¡°Working overtime? Why are you lying? Who the hell works overtime for the entire night? Tell me the truth. Did you...¡± Natalie trailed off and raised her brows meaningfully. Although she didn''t finish her sentence, her question was very obvious. My face instantly flushed red when Natalie figured out what I had done the previous night. I began fidgeting on the spot, unable to meet Natalie''s eyes because of the guilt that I was feeling. ¡°What on earth are you thinking about? I really was working overtime. I''m hungry. Let''s eat now.¡± The guilt in my voice couldn''t be mistaken. With that, I ignored Natalie and quickly went to set up the table. Sometimes, Natalie was too smart for her own good. If Michael started looking for me too frequently, I wouldn''t be able to keep our rtionship a secret from Natalie anymore. I couldn''t help but worry if she would look down on me if she found out about our deal. Halfway through our meal, Natalie whipped her head up and looked me in the eye, asking me with a solemn expression, ¡°Anna, why do I have the feeling you''ve been hiding something from me recently? Are you facing some kind of trouble?¡± Guilt flickered in my eyes at her question. ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You seem dispiritedtely, and you''re working overtime every night. You''re acting weird, Anna. Besides, it doesn''t make sense that such argepany like Joyful Sess would need their employees to work until sote at night.¡± Natalie put down her cutlery and peered at me with a probing gaze. Indeed, I had been working overtime for more than a week, and it was rare for anypany to have its employees work overtime for so many days in a row. Hence, it was only normal that Natalie grew suspicious. However, I didn''t want others to know that I was being taken advantage of by Conrad. Knowing Natalie''s temper, if she knew that I was being harassed and exploited by my superior, she would probably go to my office with a kitchen knife in hand. ¡°You''re overthinking things. Work has been busier than usualtely, so I''ve been working overtime to meet deadlines,¡± I said against my conscience, then quickly bowed my head to continue eating. ¡°Is that really what''s going on?¡± Natalie continued scrutinizing me, as though she didn''t believe me. ¡°Of course. Alright, stop worrying about me. Anyways, I''m done eating, so I''m going back to my room now. I have to wake up early for work tomorrow.¡± Afraid that Natalie would insist on getting to the bottom of this, I darted toward my room right after saying this. Once back in my room, I breathed a long sigh of relief. As Iy in bed, I began stewing over what would happen at the office the next day. I won''t really get fired, would I? Worry began gnawing on my chest at the thought of this. I should never have said those things to Conrad on the spur of the moment. I must''ve well and truly offended him. Even if he didn''t fire me, he''d make sure my life in the office was a living hell. Conrad was a very spiteful person. Now that I offended him, he was undoubtedly going to make it his mission to pick on me at every turn. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Sighing in resignation, I shut my eyes and told myself to stop fretting over this matter as it would only make me more frustrated. I''ll find out the exact situation when I go to the office tomorrow. When I arrived at the office the next day, my colleagues looked at me with gleeful looks on their faces. I had no idea why they always singled me out like that when I didn''t do anything to offend them. I couldn''t help but wonder if it was because two of my colleagues saw me being forcefully hugged by Conrad, and that was why all of them were looking down on me. Although their sarcastic remarks and contemptuous gazes during this period of time made me very ufortable, I refused to let them get to me. Ignoring all of them, I settled down directly behind my desk and threw myself into work. Everyone around me began whispering among themselves. I couldn''t hear what they were saying, but seeing as they would peek at me from time to time, I could guess that their topic of discussion was probably rted to me. ¡°Anna, you''re here.¡± Millie Scott, the only person here whom I was on good terms with, greeted me. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± I nodded at her with a smile. Millie was the only colleague I could get along with in the office, and she was also the only one who didn''t mock me as the others does. Apart from that, she would sometimes help me out with some of my work. ¡°I thought you weren''ting here for work anymore.¡± Millie''s desk was opposite mine. At that moment, she was craning her neck to look at me over the divider as she asked in a hushed tone. ¡°Why wouldn''t I?¡± My brows furrowed in confusion as I asked back in a simrly soft voice. ¡°Don''t you know? Mr. Skeete was furious when you didn''te in for work yesterday. He said you broke thepany''s regtions because you were absent without applying for leave. He announced on the spot that he was going to fire you. That''s why everyone thought you weren''ting here for work anymore.¡± Millie looked at me with pity in her eyes, but I also detected a hint of helplessness in her voice. Upon hearing what she said, anger surged within me. I obviously already called Conrad to apply for leave yesterday. How dare he use me of skipping work? He''s clearly telling lies about me just so he has an excuse to fire me. I suppressed my rage and calmly exined to Millie, ¡°I already called him yesterday morning.¡± Although it was useless exining to her alone, I still didn''t want to be misunderstood like that. ¡°Anna, I think Mr. Skeete is intentionally targeting you recently. I also heard the others saying that you tried to seduce Mr. Skeete, but failed and angered him instead. That''s why...¡± Millie left the rest of her words unsaid, but I understood her meaning perfectly well. A sneer formed on my lips. These people sure have a knack for jumping to conclusions. Did they personally see me seducing Conrad? I mean, I feel sick just by looking at that old and ugly man. Why would I seduce him? How absurd! ¡°Millie, do you believe what they said? Do you believe that I tried to seduce Mr. Skeete?¡± I asked Millie with a grave expression. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¡°I don''t think you''re that kind of person, Anna. That''s why I didn''t spread those rumors like the others did. But some of them said they saw you entering his office and hugging him...¡± Uncertainty flickered in Millie''s eyes as she spoke timidly. Even though she was doubtful, the fact that she didn''t immediately believe those rumors about me was enough. At least there was one person who was on my side. ¡°I didn''t try to seduce him. Mr. Skeete was the one who wanted to take advantage of me. I pped him out of instinct. That''s why he wants revenge and keeps making things difficult for me here.¡± When I thought about how Conrad kept making my life difficult these days, unprecedented rage burned in me. Since we already had a falling-out, I decided to tell everyone what a hypocrite he was. ¡°So that''s what happened. Mr. Skeete definitely went over the line! How could he take advantage of a female employee? I really don''t understand how someone like him managed to be a supervisor!¡± After listening to my exnation, Millie believed me and even felt aggrieved on my behalf. ¡°Millie, remember to just keep this to yourself. If others catch wind of this, you might also get on Conrad''s bad side.¡± Although I wanted to rify this matter once and for all, I didn''t want Millie to be the one to do it. After all, she was the only colleague I got along with in the office. Thest thing I wanted was to drag her down with me. ¡°Anna!¡± Just when Millie was going to tell me something, Conrad''s unpleasant voice interrupted us. I was already disgusted by him, so hearing his voice made me even more nauseated. I stood up and looked at Conrad, who was approaching me, with an indifferent gaze. His beady eyes were filled with rage. I waited until he stopped in front of me before asking in a monotonous voice, ¡°Can I help you, Mr. Skeete?¡± Upon seeing Conrad walk up to me, the other employees returned to their seats and cast furtive nces at me, clearly waiting for a good show. ¡°Who allowed you to sit here? Didn''t I already tell you that you''re fired?¡± Conrad nted his hands on his hips and scowled at me. Having already expected this, I pinned Conrad with an icy gaze and retorted, ¡°Oh? But I don''t recall you telling me that, Mr. Skeete.¡± If it were in the past, I might have had some scruples, but now that Conrad and I were on bad terms, I had nothing to fear. Since there was no way out of this mess, I was going to clear my name and tell everyone what a degenerate Conrad was before I left thepany. ¡°So you''re denying it? Allow me to jog your memory, then. When you called me to apply for leave yesterday, I already told you that you''re fired. How dare you stille here?¡± I had sessfully provoked Conrad by feigning cluelessness because he spoke loud enough for everyone in the department to hear. ¡°Mr. Skeete, are you admitting that I called you yesterday to apply for leave? Then why did you tell everyone that I skipped work for no reason? Don''t you think you''re shooting yourself in the foot now?¡± I sneered at Conrad. Although I no longer harbored any hope of staying in thepany, I was sure as hell going to prove my innocence before leaving. Upon hearing what I said, everyone looked to Conrad as one, clearing realizing that he was intentionally smearing my reputation. When Conrad felt so many pairs of eyes on him, his expression changed subtly, obviously beginning to feel guilty. However, he was the head of the department, after all. Hence, he still looked self-assertive even after I exposed him. ¡°So what if you called to apply for leave? Since I didn''t approve it, it means you skipped work. You''re already fired, Anna. You have ten minutes to pack up and leave!¡± Conrad was adamant about firing me this time. What little guilt he disyed just moments ago had vanishedpletely. My anger spiked because I knew he was after my blood. Recalling the condition he had suggested over the phone the previous day, a sarcastic smile took residence on my lips and I spoke in a frosty voice. ¡°Did you reject my leave application because I didn''t agree to your disgusting condition? Is that it? It''s a shame Joyful Sess has a department head like you. You''re an absolute disgrace to such a good ¡°Stop spouting nonsense here, Anna! One more word and believe it or not, I''ll call security on you!¡± Panic was sprawled on Conrad''s face, as though worried that I would reveal what he did to me. ¡°What? Are you scared that I''d tell everyone that you wanted to sleep with me but I rejected you?¡± Conrad''s flustered expression brought me great satisfaction. I was no pushover. Even if I didn''t have the power to change anything, I wasn''t about to let Conrad off that easily. I wanted everyone to know the truth as well as what a wretched person he was. ¡°Stop making up stories! This is the office. How dare you make such vulgar ims! Why did the company even hire someone like you?¡± There was apparent guilt lining Conrad''s features, but he still wanted to shift all the me onto me. Only true scum like him could act so righteous when ndering others. ¡°You know perfectly well whether or not I''m making up stories. And only you know exactly what kind of person you are!¡± I met Conrad''s gaze head-on, refusing to show any trace of weakness. ¡°Security! Get this person out of my sight!¡± My words had well and truly triggered Conrad, and he directly called for security. I knew he was behaving like this because of guilt. He was afraid everyone would believe me if I continued speaking. If that happened, he would lose his authority here. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. A singlemand from Conrad had two security guards rushing in. At the sight of them, a smug smile shed across Conrad''s face, and he ordered loudly, ¡°She''s making a scene here. Throw her out this instant!¡± The security guards'' jobs were to maintain order in thepany. Since Conrad was a department head and this was a direct order from him, the two guards immediately approached me. Judging from their demeanor, it seemed like they were about to get physical with me. ¡°Anna...¡± Millie shot me a nervous nce, and I also discerned a trace of pity in it. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 I shed a small smile at Millie and said, ¡°You''re the only one here who treated me like an equal. Thank you for that, Millie.¡± Even though Millie and I weren''t that close, I already regarded her as my friend because she never once looked down on me or ridiculed me. The security guards nked me and grabbed my arms, ready to drag me out. However, being thrown out was an absolute insult to me. As such, I shot Conrad a vicious re and broke free from the guards. ¡°I can walk on my own!¡± I snapped. Then, I snatched up my bag and was about to walk out when I heard a mildmotion. Right then, an employee who was closest to the door eximed, ¡°Mr. Shaw is here. Oh my God! I can''t believe he''s here in our department!¡± Mr. Shaw? Michael? I panicked as the first person who came to my mind was Michael. For some inexplicable reason, my heart started beating wildly in my chest. Why is Michael here? Could it be because of me? Michael was dressed in a full ck suit whichplemented his tall figure. He strode in with his signature icy expression and unreadable obsidian eyes. His chiseled face was gorgeous yet unapproachable, and his intimidating aura effectively kept people a distance away from him. This was the first time I saw him look so serious. Hismanding presence was much stronger than usual. I couldn''t deny that this man was born to rule. There were two secretaries trailing behind him with equally serious expressions. My heart was still pounding erratically as my eyes followed Michael''s every move. Conrad was also momentarily stunned. When he finally regained his senses, he scurried over to greet Michael. As he stood before Michael, he broke into an ingratiating smile and asked cautiously, ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Shaw? Is there something I can do for you?¡± Michael nced at me casually before questioning, ¡°What''s going on here?¡± My heart skipped a beat when our eyes met, but it was only a fleeting moment because he shifted his gaze the next second and didn''t look at me again. His eyes when he looked at me was without emotion as though I was merely a stranger to him. Although I knew Michael didn''t want anyone to know about our rtionship, his impassiveness still made me feel disappointed. At the end of the day, we were merely bed buddies. Apart from that, there were no emotions involved. To him, perhaps I was only a tool to fulfill his sexual appetite. Conrad panicked further upon hearing Michael''s question. ¡°Do I need to repeat myself?¡± Before Conrad could formte a response, Michael''s brows drew together slightly, and his gaze on the former turned frosty. ¡°No, no. I heard you.¡± Sensing Michael''s murderous aura, Conrad swallowed with difficulty before continuing, ¡°A female employee said something inappropriate in the office, so I ordered security to escort her out.¡± Conrad was obviously tense when he said this. After all, it took courage to lie before someone as intimidating as Michael. ¡°What did she say that was inappropriate?¡± Michael nced at me again, and there was a hint of demand in his tone. He shifted his gaze back to Conrad, pinning him with a cial look. Under his threatening gaze, Conrad''s face grew grimmer with each passing second. I could clearly see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. ¡°W-Well, her name is Anna Garcia. She deliberately came into my office and behaved indecently. Now she''s throwing false usations at me in front of the whole department. I honestly don''t know who gave a small employee like her the guts to do something like this,¡± Conrad stammered out. I had to admit that he was skilled at distorting the truth. He was, after all, an experienced old geezer. Without this skill, he wouldn''t have be a supervisor in the first ce. ¡°How could something like this happen? Such people need to be taught a good lesson, lest they tarnish thepany''s reputation,¡± Michael said in a t tone before directing his gaze at me. When I couldn''t get a read on his emotions, I instantly panicked. Does he believe what Conrad said? But he clearly heard our conversation over the phone yesterday. Why is he saying something like this now? Does he want me to leave Joyful Sess too? Original content from N?velDrama.Org. As my thoughts ran wild, I looked at Michael nervously, trying to figure out what he meant. Conrad, on the other hand, was smiling triumphantly upon hearing what Michael said. He sneered at me and looked as though he was certain I was going to be fired from thepany one way or another. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to stifle my disappointment. Michael''s words had greatly upset me, but words failed me. Since he already put it that way, I could only leave on my own ord. Just after I took the first step, Michael''s voice sounded once again. ¡°But Mr. Skeete, before you fire this employee, I have one more thing to say.¡± What he said caused me to pause in my stride and look at him in confusion. ¡°What else can I do for you, Mr. Shaw?¡± Michael had made his stance clear earlier, so Conrad was no longer flustered like before. Michael shot him a cursory nce before beckoning his secretaries. A document file was immediately handed over to him. ¡°It has recentlye to my attention that you''ve been doing many things that are damaging to the company.¡± Michael''s voice was disconcertingly neutral. Seeing as Michael had mentioned him by name, Conrad''s plump figure visibly stiffened and he asked in a panicky voice, ¡°Mr. Shaw, what do you mean by that? Have I done something wrong?¡± He passed the document to Conrad and demanded coldly, ¡°Your department seems to have a very high budget, but a detailed investigation has shown that it''s impossible for each project to cost that much. Care to exin where the extra money has gone to, Mr. Skeete?¡± Conrad shuddered violently, and perspiration coated his entire forehead. His rotund body began trembling uncontrobly, obviously from fear. ¡°Mr. Skeete?¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 When Michael didn''t receive an answer, he raised his voice and called out to Conrad again. I noticed that Conrad''s legs had started shaking. It turned out that he wasn''t just lecherous, but also greedy to the point of embezzling money from thepany. Conrad stared at the documents which clearly listed all the details. At least millions from the budgets over the past few years had gone missing. Although Michael didn''t say it out loud, anyone with a brain would know that Conrad had pocketed all that money because ordinary employees like us were only allocated a small portion of the budget money each time. ¡°M-Mr. Shaw, I...¡± Conrad fumbled for words with his eyes still fixed on the documents. ¡°I''ve already gotten people to look into this. Every time you apply to thepany for a budget, a certain amount of money will also be transferred to your bank ount. Mr. Skeete, don''t you think you need to exin yourself? Where did that moneye from?¡± Michael asked again when Conrad didn''t answer. ¡°M-Mr. Shaw, I made a terrible mistake. I promise that it''ll never happen again. Please forgive me.¡± Conrad was shaking like a leaf. Although he didn''t admit to pocketing all that money, everyone could tell by then that he was the culprit. ¡°I never give second chances. You''re fired, Mr. Skeete. Thepanywyers will contact you to discuss the budget in private.¡± Michael''s eyes glinted coldly as he looked at Conrad. Conrad looked at Michael in horror and pleaded, ¡°I know I was wrong, Mr. Shaw. Please give me another chance to make things right.¡± No matter how much he threw his weight around as the department head; when it came to facing Michael, he could only behave subserviently. Right then, our impression of him was the least of his concerns. After all, if thepanywyers were going to get involved, one could only imagine the severity of the situation. Michael frowned in annoyance and his gaze sharpened. Noticing this, one of his secretaries snapped, ¡°Security, what are you waiting for? Drag Mr. Skeete out!¡± The two security guards stood paralyzed to the spot for a moment, unable toprehend the situation. Upon meeting Michael''s terrifying gaze, they hastily walked toward Conrad and starting dragging him out. All the employees watched as Conrad was hauled off the premises. The entire office descended into a pin-drop silence, probably still in disbelief. ¡°What are all of you doing? Get back to work!¡± Everyone, including me, was stunned in ce. It wasn''t until Michael''s stern voice broke the silence that I snapped back to my senses. I was the first to return to my desk and resume work. With that, everyone else followed after me and got back to work. Michael took onest nce at me before turning around to leave. For some reason, my heart raced as I watched him leave from the corner of my eye. Did Michaele here out of the blue because of me? I can''t think of another reason why he''de here. Even though Joyful Sess was thergest advertisingpany in the city, it was only Michael''s side business. If there weren''t any important decisions to make, he would usually never make an appearance here. Regardless of whether or not his appearance was because of me, I still felt very grateful to him. I was able to keep my job because of him, after all. After getting off work, I mustered up the courage to call Michael for the first time. My heart was all over the ce as I listened to the ringtone. The call finally connected after a long time. ¡°Hello,¡± came Michael''s nonchnt voice. Upon hearing his voice, my heartbeat sped up exponentially. All of a sudden, I didn''t know what to say. This was the first time I felt so flustered. I didn''t even feel like this the first time I talked to Justin. ¡°Um, it''s me,¡± I blurted out in panic. It took me a second to realize what I had said, and I felt the sudden urge to p myself. Michael has already called me so many times. Of course he''d know that it''s me. ¡°I know. What is it?¡± Michael''s voice was nd as usual. ¡°Um, are you free now? I would like to see you.¡± I initially nned to thank him, but thanking him over the phone seemed slightly insincere. Getting to keep my job was, after all, a big deal to me. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You want to see me?¡± Michael raised his voice slightly, and I seemed to hear a smile in his tone. ¡°Mm-hmm. Do you have time now?¡± I asked in a small voice, then waited nervously for his answer. ¡°I''ll pick you up in half an hour.¡± Michael''s voice came from the other end of the line. Before I could answer, the line went dead. Still holding the phone to my ear, I felt butterflies in my stomach. Michael agreed to meet me. It was obviously nothing to be happy about, but my treacherous heart was pounding against my chest. I had no idea what came over me, but ever since Michael helped me earlier, my feelings toward him seemed to have changed drastically. After putting down my phone, I hurried to my room to pick my outfit. I even applied some light makeup. I was clueless as to when I began to care so much about my image in front of Michael. Half an hourter, I received a call from Michael. When I came downstairs, I saw a silver Cadic parked a short distance away. I immediately knew it was Michael because, among all the people I knew, no one could afford to drive this kind of luxury car. Tugging on my skirt, I quickened my pace over to his car. I opened the car door and slid in. Michael was wearing the same suit he wore during the daytime, probably because he didn''t have time to go home and change. When I nced at his perfect side profile, I was so nervous I didn''t know what to say for a moment. Just when I was thinking of what to say, Michael turned to ask me, ¡°So, why did you call me out?¡± Then, he gave me a once-over before a look of appreciation gleamed in his eyes. ¡°Oh, I just want to thank you for what you did earlier today. If you didn''t appear in time, I would''ve really been fired.¡± Recalling what happened, my heart warmed with gratitude. Thinking he went to the office entirely for me, I felt all the more touched. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¡°I didn''t do it for you. Conrad has done a lot of things that are harmful to thepany. There was no way I''d allow him to stay.¡± Just when my heart was brimming with excitement, Michael''s words hit me like a bucket of cold water. So he didn''te because of me at all, but because he already had the intention to weed out the bad seeds in thepany. I guess it was all my wishful thinking. Feeling slightly downcast, I looked away and responded, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Michael turned to peer at me but didn''t say anything else. My chest felt stuffy; it was an uneasy feeling. Everything I initially nned to say to Michael died in my throat. The silence stretched between us. Just when it reached the point of suffocation and I was contemting whether to get down from the car, Michael spoke once again. ¡°You asked me out because of this?¡± As usual, I couldn''t tell what was on his mind. Upon hearing his question, I suppressed my disappointment and answered in a monotonous voice, feigning nonchnce. ¡°Yeah. I wanted to thank you, but it seems like that''s not necessary after all.¡± ¡°Instead of thanking me verbally, you might as well thank me through your actions if you''re really grateful.¡± Michael leaned his face closer to mine after saying this. I could vaguely feel his warm breath, causing my skin to tingle all over. ¡°What actions?¡± I nced sideways at his handsome face that was mere inches from mine, my heart fluttering madly in my chest as I somewhat guessed what he was referring to. ¡°Besides your body, do you think there''s anything else that interests me?¡± Michael''s gaze was fixated on my chest when he said this, and he used his index finger to hook my cor open a fraction in a very suggestive manner. There was no way I didn''t catch his meaning right then. Is sex all he can think of when he sees me? ¡°Michael, is sex the onlynguage between us?¡± Although we were friends with benefits, at that moment, I hoped sex wouldn''t be the only reason we met up for. It felt like whenever we were together, my only purpose was to satisfy his desires. The thought of that slightly upset me. Michael looked at me with a dangerous gaze and countered, ¡°Apart from sex, what else is there to talk about between us?¡± His deep, inky eyes resembled whirlpools that were capable of sucking in my soul. My heart galloped as I gazed into his eyes, but upon realizing the meaning behind his words, my face instantly fell. I hastily averted my gaze to conceal my emotions. Turning over Michael''s words in my head, I grew increasingly disheartened. He''s right. We''ve been friends with benefits since the beginning. Other than sex, there''s nothing else between us. ¡°Do you want to try another ce today?¡± Michael''s deep voice pulled me out of my trance. A blush crept up my cheeks upon hearing his sly innuendo. Why is this man so interested in my body? ¡°I''m fine with anywhere.¡± I turned my head away, too embarrassed to look at Michael. Michael studied me with mischief in his eyes, then swiftly put the car into drive. The car drove toward the West instead of Michael''s house. I didn''t know which ce he had in mind, but I didn''t care to ask him either because his purpose was to have sex. Thus, the location made no difference to me. Several minutester, I peeked at Michael, wondering if I should voice the question in my mind. After a long time, I finally gathered the courage to face his handsome side profile and ask, albeit nervously, ¡°Michael, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± As Michael was focused on the road, he replied without sparing me a nce. ¡°Do you... have many women around you?¡± I was a bundle of nerves as I waited for his answer. My heart felt like it was about to fly out of my chest. For some reason, I was eager to know the answer to this question. To my consternation, Michael abruptly mmed the brakes. Only after the car came to aplete stop did he turn to look at me. His brows were pulled into a deep frown, and his eyes were full of wariness. ¡°Why are you asking me this question all of a sudden?¡± Michael''s face was devoid of emotions, but I could detect the slightest hint of annoyance in his tone. It seemed like he didn''t like me asking this question. Faced with his gaze, I looked away in panic, unable to maintain eye contact. ¡°It''s nothing. I''m just curious. If you don''t feel like answering it, just pretend I never asked.¡± I pursed my lips in frustration, wondering why I asked this question in the first ce. Whether or not he had other women didn''t concern me since I wasn''t his girlfriend. Even if he had many lovers, it was none of my business. Michael trained his gaze on my face, and there was a hint of warning in his tone. ¡°The two of us are only in a mutually beneficial rtionship. There''s no need to understand each other too deeply. You need to get that into your head.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Oddly, my heart sank to the pit of my stomach, especially when I sensed the animositying from him. My chest constricted painfully, but I endured the difort and tried hard to maintain myposure. ¡°Got it. I''ll be mindful not to ask you such questions in the future,¡± I said expressionlessly. ¡°Our only rtionship is in the bedroom. That''s it. Understand? And what I dislike most is when a woman thinks she''s entitled to pry into my personal life after sleeping with me a few times.¡± As though he thought he wasn''t clear enough just now, Michael spoke again whilst staring into my eyes. Noticing the warning glint in his gaze, my heart squeezed in my chest. he didn''t need to repeat himself. I understood him the first time. I''m not that dumb. ¡°I won''t ask anything about you again from now on. I know I''m only your partner in bed. As long as you need it, I''ll take off my pants and spread my legs for you.¡± A sarcastic smile formed on my lips as I mocked myself for poking into Michael''s personal affairs. How could I ask him that question? I brought this upon myself. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Michael frowned upon hearing my blunt words and gave me a disapproving look. I could understand his displeasure, as men had always liked innocent women. I expected him to lecture me further, but surprisingly, he started the car and resumed driving again. I was relieved, although I had to admit I also felt a sense of loss. Time and again, he kept reminding me of the nature of our rtionship. I gloomily looked out of the window. I was upset even though I knew I was not entitled to feel that way. Michael had made his position very clear when he promised me the two hundred thousand. Men could treat sex as a purely biological need, but to women, we always had emotions invested in the men we sleep with. What happened between us would be deemed a transaction to Michael. When he had enough of my body and could derive no pleasure from it anymore, things would be over between us. Just as I was brooding, Michael surprised me by saying, ¡°I have not slept with another woman after I started sleeping with you.¡± Is he trying to exin himself? I was stunned and turned around to look at him. His handsome face was expressionless, and he kept his eyes glued to the road. ¡°Ok.¡± That was the only response I coulde up with. I was very emotional, but his earlier warning was still fresh on my mind, so I would not dare to go any further. Soon, we arrived at a neighborhood near Joyful Sess, and Michael brought me to a small three- bedroom apartment. Of course, it was much smaller and basicpared to Michael''s mansion, but it was a cozy apartment. I curiously looked around the apartment, wondering why he brought me there. Is this another residence of his? I quickly dismissed that thought. After all, he was a CEO and ustomed to living in a mansion. After checking out the ce, I turned to him and asked, ¡°What is this ce, Michael?¡± ¡°This apartment is for you. In the future, when I have the urge, I will call you in advance, and you will wait for me here.¡± Michael looked at me and emphatically stated the purpose of the apartment. My expression froze and I was lost for words. ¡°Here is the key to this apartment. In the future, you''ll meet me here when I call for you. Or, you can move in and stay here.¡± I got the jitters and instinctively refused the key he handed to me. ¡°I think there is no such necessity, right? We can go to a motel when you have the need. Those motels are cheap, just a hundred or so every time.¡± Michael and I were just friends with benefits. If I epted the key, I would be his kept woman, which greatly differed from what we agreed on. I was already ashamed about this casual sexual rtionship with Michael. My pride would not allow me to be his kept woman. ¡°Anna, do you expect me to book a motel room every time I want to have sex with you?¡± Michael retorted. His face fell, and I was given a death stare. By then, I had a better understanding of this man and knew he was mad. Much as I wished to exin myself, his piercing stare made me nervous and speechless. I knew he would be infuriated if I did not ept the key. ¡°Can I not take it?¡± I asked hesitantly, looking apprehensively into his expressionless eyes. ¡°What do you think? Do you even have the right to reject it?¡± he raised his voice to challenge, his eyebrow raised in disapproval. I knew he would not ept no as an answer. Michael had always been domineering. His orders were meant to be obeyed, not challenged. I was intimidated and could only receive the key from his hand resignedly. ¡°Call me in advance when you need me here in the future. I won''t be staying here so as not to raise any suspicion.¡± Natalie was a smart girl and could definitely tell something was fishy if I moved out of our apartment. I did not want her to know about the deal I had with Michael. It was a shameful rtionship, and I was worried she would despise me if she knew about it. Michael''s eyes were shing anger and he was silently staring at me, his brows knotted in a deep frown I believed if he were to gift an apartment to any of those social butterflies hovering around him, she would happily ept it and wait on him hand and foot. He had gotten used to having such women around him, always eager to please him. He took it for granted women should idolize a man like him. My unusual reaction probably puzzled him, or he might have gotten the wrong impression that I was ying hard to get. I was not trying to imply he was a petty man, but my past encounters with him had clearly shown me he was not a forgiving man either. He looked like a mature and poised gentleman. However, he hid his emotions too well, and I could not read his mind at all. I was about to crumble under his powerful aura when he finally spoke. ¡°As you wish,¡± he scoffed and then headed into the bathroom. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was always tense in his presence as his aura was too intimidating. Small fries like me should keep a distance from powerful big shots like Michael. It would do me no good hanging around him. I could hear the sound of running water from the bathroom. As Michael showered, I sat there in the hall pondering when my shameful rtionship with him would end. I was no longer young, and the only wish my parents had was for me to marry a good man. They got more anxious after I broke off with Justin. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. I yearned to get married too, although I lost my faith in love after Justin''s betrayal. I realized btedly that those sweet words and promises were lies men used to sweet-talk us, and they meant nothing to them. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 I was past the age of blindly pursuing love, but my parents wished to see me get married, and I could not bear to let them down. I wanted to settle down with a good man too. I had wasted seven years of my youth on Justin, and I could not afford to squander my remaining youth. My ex-ssmates were all married with kids. Even Natalie had found herself a boyfriend, so I was the only singleton left. Sometimes, when I was feeling down, I realized I had no one to confide in. That made me feel like I was the loneliest person on earth. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I did not have the wishful dream of being swept off my feet by a prince charming. All I wanted was a reliable man who could spare me a listening ear when I needed one. I decided I had to find the opportunity to discuss this issue with Michael. Although he had proposed an open rtionship with me, I had no ns to stay in such a rtionship for long. Just as my mind was wandering, the sound of running water stopped, and Michael walked out of the bathroom. He was topless and only had a towel wrapped around his waist, his sculptured chest in full view. He had water droplets on his tanned chest, and his hair was dripping wet too. He looked wild and sexy. Much as I had a conservative upbringing, I could not help but stare at this alluring sight. I had to admit Michael was a gem, both in terms of looks and built. Countless women in Avenport would be delighted to sleep with him. He was drying his hair with a towel, and he had this gift of making every little move mesmerizing. He walked toward me and threw the towel he was using next to me. He had a sly smile on his face. He bent down and whispered flirtatiously in my ear, ¡°You no longer hide the fact that you are ogling at my body, do you, Anna?¡± His deep sensuous voice made my heart skip a beat. I hurriedly turned away from him. ¡°Get over yourself! I had already yed with that body of yours multiple times, so what is the big deal with just taking a look at it?¡± I could not let him gain the upper hand despite being deeply embarrassed by myself. Although I was conservative, I had a sharp tongue and would not lose out in an argument. I could not afford to use prim and propernguage with indiscreet men like Michael. His expression froze momentarily, but his wicked smile resurfaced in no time. ¡°No big deal, of course! We both should get our needs met. If you wish to, I can let you look to your heart''s content.¡± With that, he stood up straight and stretched out his hand to remove the towel around his waist. I let out a small scream and instinctively covered my eyes with my hands. Crazy guy! He really would do or say anything and has no regard for other''s feelings. I hid away for a while but sensing something was amiss, I parted my fingers and peeped. Michael still had the towel around his waist, and he was looking mockingly at me. I realized he yed a prank on me! ¡°How dare you fool me, Michael!¡± I red at him. I never knew an intimidating monster like him had this mischievous side to him. ¡°Anna, I realized you are only good at dirty talking. You are like a dead fish when ites to the real act. You could not even manage to do it in a different position.¡± My anger turned to embarrassment the moment he said that. Indeed, I was crude-mouthed with him, hoping that the promiscuous impression would turn him off and end our rtionship. I did not expect him to see through that tough act of mine. However, I was offended by the dead fishparison he made about me. I bet you had never seen a dead fish with such a beautiful body as mine! ¡°You are really impressive then! Imagine being turned on by a dead fish!¡± I mocked him in return. I may be inexperienced and not skillful in bed, but it was maddening to be called a dead fish. ¡°You are absolutely right. It would take a lot to make you an expert, but I am impressive in my sexual skills, so you will also blossom under my guidance.¡± He came near me again with that sly smile, and his eyes were sparkling, excited. I was speechless, deeply embarrassed by his suggestive words. How shameless of him! Did he think I went for him to learn sex skills so I could be a sl*t? I was ring at him, but he seemed oblivious to that. The smile was intact on his charming face, and he appeared to be genuinely pleased. ¡°Why are you still rooted here? Go get a shower. Or are you waiting for me to do that for you?¡± he cheekily teased. His eyes were fixed on my breast, and I could tell from his voice that he was already aroused. He had a high sex drive, and I knew he did not have much patience when it came to that matter. I was still mad at being fooled by him earlier, so I decided to revenge by ying hard to get. ¡°I am not feeling too well today. Can we skip it for today? I will make it up to you the next time, okay?¡± My mood for intimacy was also dampened, as he had been reminding me of the true nature of our rtionship several times in the evening. ¡°Things that I wanted to be done today would never be postponed to another day. I have set my sight on you for tonight, Anna,¡± he said, brushing my request aside. When he had the urge for it, he would not care if I was in the mood for it. I was a little frustrated at his domineering attitude. Why does he think his wish is amand? ¡°Anna, if you don''t get going, I seriously do not mind bathing you myself. I would love to have a session in the bathroom.¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 I stood up immediately with that threat but gave him a dirty look before heading to the bathroom. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I stood under the running water while I contemted how to bring up the matter of ending the rtionship with Michael. He was sexually attracted to me at that point in time, so I wasn''t sure if he would agree to end our rtionship or he would get mad at my request I was flustered, so I took a quick shower, wrapped myself with a towel, and got out. Michael''s burning eyes were on me as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom. He was in no doubt highly aroused. He stood up and strode across the room toward me, causing my heart to pound wildly. I had no idea why, but for the past two days, my heart would flutter uncontrobly whenever he came near me. When he reached me, he lifted and carried me into one of the rooms. He threw me onto a big soft bed, and before I could react, he was already onto me. The sex was passionate and vigorous. He was lying on top of me, panting when the climax was over. He turned to lie down next to me and hugged me in his arms. ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± he asked. His voice was hoarse from the intense session, and he had a satisfied look in his eyes. His blunt question made me blush, and I turned to avoid his gaze. Why did he have to ask such a question after every session? How am I supposed to answer him? Satiated, he turned, to give me a peck on my cheek before sitting up. ¡°I''ll go get showered. You have a rest.¡± I rxed a little after he went into the bathroom. My mind was still preupied with how to broach the subject of ending our rtionship. It was a disgraceful rtionship that I could not see myself maintaining for long. Moreover, if my parents were to find out, dad would be infuriated. Folks in the rural area were more conservative. If my dad knew I had sex before marriage, he would break my legs. My parents had been nagging at me to settle down, so I was worried they would ask around and find out about Michael and me. Michael came back andy down next to me after he finished his shower. ¡°Michael, I need to discuss something with you.¡± I turned to face him and started the conversation hesitantly. I was flustered and had a sense of guilt. ¡°What''s up? Don''t tell me you are yearning for another round?¡± he teased, his restless hand groping around my chest. He did not sense my uneasiness. I frowned slightly and pushed his hand away. I was not in a mood to flirt with him as I was about to discuss a serious matter with him. ¡°I wanted to find out, how long do you n to maintain our rtionship? When can this end?¡± I looked at him nervously and asked. I had mixed emotions at that moment. On the one hand, I really wished to end that dishonorable rtionship, but on the other hand, I felt sad letting go. My brain must be fried! Me, feeling sad letting go of a casual sex partner? How did I get so low? I could clearly see Michael''s expression froze, and then anger crept into his eyes after I popped the questions. ¡°Anna, how many days had it been since I gave you the two hundred thousand? You want to end this so soon?¡± he snorted, eyes narrowed with anger. I was guilty, and had to look away to avert his gaze. Two hundred thousand was no small amount, and I knew it was unfair of me to want to terminate our deal after only a month, but I was under a lot of pressure. ¡°I know it is unfair to you. I can repay you the two hundred thousand in stages. Could you consider that a loan to me instead?¡± I pleaded with him timidly. ¡°Anna, what do you take me for? Am I the kind of person who would take back what I gave away?¡± His cold stare was sending chills down my back. I thought my offer to repay him would pacify him. Unfortunately, it backfired, and he was even more infuriated. I looked at him in panic, searching for clues for the heightened anger. I could not figure out what went wrong. I had his interest in mind and offered him what I thought was a good deal. Although my offer to repay the two hundred thousand was by installment, that would still mean I had offered to sleep with him for free, which was to his advantage. ¡°What do you propose then? You know I can''t afford to pay you back in full right now,¡± I asked, praying he would not really demand the repayment in full right away. There was no way I could raise that kind of money. ¡°When I gave you the money, the agreement was for you to be my partner. Did you forget our deal, Anna?¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 He sat up, eyes fixed on me, and challenged me with the question. I looked away in panic. I had no idea why I was so easily intimidated by him and his piercing gaze, even though I did no wrong. ¡°I did not forget our agreement. The problem is my family has been pressuring me to get married due to my age. My parents are getting old, so I do not want them to worry for me anymore.¡± Every time my parents called, they would nag at me to get a boyfriend. I did not have anyone in mind at that moment, but I did not want to let them worry for me. Michael silently stared at me for a while after I exined my situation. Then he said, ¡°You can find yourself a boyfriend, but until you get one, we maintain our rtionship!¡± I was frustrated by his offer and wanted to reject that proposal. However, I knew my demand to end the rtionship after receiving his money was unreasonable, so I had to swallow my protest. ¡°Okay. Agree. We''ll end our rtionship when I get a boyfriend.¡± It was not the perfect oue I wanted, but I was relieved he gave me a way out of our rtionship. ¡°Um.¡± He gave me an intense look, acknowledged our new deal, and turned to sleep with his back facing me. I was relieved as that was a huge load off my mind. I fell asleep while thinking about how to get myself a decent man in the shortest time possible. When I woke up the next morning, I was a tad disappointed Michael had already left. I should not have any desires for Michael as we would go our separate ways once I have a boyfriend. With that thought in mind, I got dressed and left the apartment too. Over the next few days, I made finding a boyfriend my top priority and went on blind dates every day after work. Love was no longer a consideration for me. I had devoted myself to someone for many years, only to be repaid with betrayal. I no longer had faith in that abstract concept of love. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. My requirements were simple, a stable and decent man who would stay faithful in our marriage. Most importantly, he had to be a man whom my parent could trust so they would not have to worry for me anymore. After I told Natalie about my wish to find a boyfriend with marriage in mind, she had been busy keeping a lookout for me. However, all the blind dates I went to were disastrous. The men were either unbearable to look at or lecherous, with only sex on their minds. Even though I had no high hopes I would find love, the least I could expect was someone pleasant to look at. I had difficulty epting those ugly and lustful ones. The never-ending cycle of work followed by blind dates drained me out. Every night, I would fall t in bed and fall asleep once my head hit the pillow. And Michael seemed to have vanished from my world. He had not contacted me for many days. Sometimes I wondered if he had already forgotten about me. Or maybe he had found a new love and no longer needed me. I felt a sense of loss when that idea crossed my mind. At the same time, I would be grateful if that happened. Having a new love and forgetting about me would be a good ending for our rtionship. I was dead beat when I reached home after work the day before. Iy on the bed, closed my eyes, and was ready to knock out. I did not have that kind of luck. Even before I could fall asleep, Natalie was in my room, violently shaking me to wake me up. ¡°Get up, Anna! You are going to bete for your blind date. You should not keep him waiting!¡± she grumbled. I had been going on blind dates the past few days, and I had enough of that. ¡°Natalie, can I skip this one? I have been going on blind dates for so many days. I am tired and wish to take a break.¡± Work was hectic in bigpanies like Joyful Sess. On top of that, I had not gotten enough rest in the past few days, so I was really exhausted. ¡°No! How could you y me out when I already promised him? You have to go today!¡± Natalie was stubborn and refused to spare me despite my plea. She shook me more vigorously instead. I sighed and reluctantly sat up in bed. ¡°It is going to be a disaster again, so it makes no difference whether I turn up or not. Could you kindly spare me just for today, please?¡± I pleaded with her earnestly. ¡°How could you conclude it would be a disaster when you have not met the guy? You were the one who wanted to go on blind dates so as to find yourself a boyfriend! What is with thisckluster attitude?¡± Natalie was insistent. She had a smile on her face but there was a hint of annoyance in her voice, so I knew she would be angry if I did not go on the date. However, I felt it was a waste of time as it had gone on for a few days and the quality of the men I met got worse by the day. Finding the right guy to get married to was not as easy as I thought it would be. ¡°Natalie, you have seen the men I met in the past few days, right? They were either ugly or lewd. I am done with blind dates for now.¡± It was alright to be in-looking or even ugly, but being lustful was something I could not tolerate. No decent man would grope and try to hint at sex on the first date. I would rather stay single than face those disgusting men. Natalie smiled sheepishly at myints. She was the one who arranged for those blind dates, and she was well aware of how those men were. ¡°I know those men you met in the past few days were somehowcking. But I swear the guy you are meeting today is different. He is capable and definitely not a pervert. You will like him. Will you give it one more try tonight? I am sure you will be satisfied with your date for today.¡± She was persistent and seemed to be confident of the man she had arranged for that date. ¡°Nat, I really don''t wish to go. I am dead beat.¡± I looked at her piteously, hoping she would spare me for a day. Despite her assurance, I did not have high hopes for the man. I had already concluded all the good men were already taken by other women, so I would have no hope of meeting one. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°Anna, I''ll end our friendship if you don''t go!¡± Nat threatened me when her efforts of talking me into it didn''t work. Ugh... I know Natalie didn''t mean it, but I find myself giving in to her demands anyway... I let out a helpless sigh at the thought of that. ¡°Fine... I''ll go, okay?¡± I said as I dragged myself to my closet and forced myself to get changed. A few days ago, I would have put more effort into my appearance, but that felt like a waste of time as I figured the person I would meet on the blind date wouldn''t suit me anyway. Natalie tagged along for fear of me changing my mind, and we soon arrived at the restaurant. The man I was meeting for this blind date had fair skin and looked sophisticated with his gold-rimmed sses. That alone was a huge improvementpared to the other guys from my previous blind dates in terms of appearances. Natalie gave me a nudge on the shoulder and whispered into my ear, ¡°Not bad, huh? I told you you''d like this one!¡± I simply rolled my eyes at her and kept quiet in response. The man looked average and could be considered slightly handsome at best. ¡°Hello, Ms. Garcia. My name is Yuval Lambert. I''m awyer. It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± The man held out his hand with a faint smile on his face. I shook his hand out of courtesy and returned the smile. ¡°Likewise. You can call me Anna. I work in an advertisingpany.¡± Although I didn''t feel anything toward him, I was rather satisfied with his profession and appearance. That was especially the case as I no longer believed in love, and the man before me was a lot better than the ones I had met on my previous blind dates. After getting to know each other a little bit more over dinner, Natalie and I went home. She was so excited that she grabbed my arm and started firing questions at me the moment we stepped through the front door. ¡°What do you think of Yuval, Anna? He''s great, isn''t he? The fact that he''s awyer makes him a decent match for you!¡± ¡°All external traits considered, I would say he''s all right.¡± While I was in a hurry to get a boyfriend and get married, I wasn''t really looking forward to it myself. The only reason I wanted to get married sooner was so my parents would stop worrying about me. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I take it that you have chosen him, then? In that case, I''ll contact him and set you two up for future dates so you can get to know each other better.¡± Natalie got all excited upon hearing that and began making ns for me. I simply shot her a re and went straight to my room to get some rest. I may have found a suitable candidate for a boyfriend, but I have no feelings for him whatsoever. Well, at least I don''t find him repulsive, so there''s that... I went to work as usual for the next two days and had practically forgotten about the date. Iy on my bed and stared at my phone as I contemted whether I should give Michael a call. He hasn''t contacted me at all in so long... Has he really forgotten about me? Wait, no... Him not calling me is exactly what I want him to do! I must be going crazy for wanting to call him! Besides, I told him we''d be over the moment I found myself a boyfriend, and now I have. With that in mind, I put my phone on the bed and forced myself to not think about Michael. However, the more I tried to get him out of my mind, the more his handsome face kept appearing. He always looked so elegant and graceful, and I bet no other man came close to his level of perfection. I was well aware of the fact that I had fallen for him, but I knew it wasn''t possible for us to be together as we led very different lives. That was the main reason why I didn''t dare consider getting into a rtionship with him. The sudden ringing of my phone snapped me out of my train of thoughts. I reached for it immediately thinking it was Michael calling, only to feel disappointed when I saw an unfamiliar number on the caller ID. A gentle voice came on the other line when I answered the call, ¡°Hello, Ms. Garcia. I''m Yuval. We went on a blind date the other day. Do you remember me?¡± ¡°Of course I do, Mr. Lambert. So, why did you call me all of a sudden? Also, how did you get my number?¡± I said coldly after taking a few seconds to recall who he was. I don''t remember giving him my number during our blind date, so how did he get it? ¡°Your friend Natalie gave it to me. Ms. Garcia, I''ve been thinking about us ever since I met you that day, and I think we''re quite suitable for each other. Would you be interested in a second date?¡± This is unbelievable... Natalie actually gave him my number! I felt like refusing Yuval''s invitation at first but decided to give him a shot as he was the only candidate that didn''t disgust me so far. As I no longer cared about love, I would even consider marrying him if his character turned out to be decent. After all, he had a decent job. ¡°Okay, sure. You pick a time and location, then,¡± I said calmly, feeling even more depressed when the thought of Michael shed in my mind. ¡°All right, I''ll text you the details in a bit.¡± Yuval sounded a little happy when he heard me agreeing to go on a second date with him. ¡°Is there anything else you would like to talk about? If not, I''ll be hanging up now. I''m a little tired and could use some rest.¡± I wasn''t in the mood to go on talking as he was technically still a stranger to me. ¡°No, that''ll be all. Get some rest, and I''ll see you tomorrow!¡± Yuval hung up after saying that. I felt an inexplicable sense of frustration and annoyance as Iy on the bed and stared nkly at the ceiling. Is that it? Am I really going to just spend the rest of my life with some random guy I met on a blind date? Why can''t I get married with a man that I truly love? I used to think that I was the happiest woman on earth, but Justin''s betrayal hurt me so much that I didn''t dare love anyone ever again. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 I closed my eyes and forced myself to not think about these things. The umted exhaustion from the past few days soon caught up with me, and I fell asleep shortly after. The sun was already high up in the sky by the time I woke up the next day, but I could afford to sleep in as it was the weekend. A quick nce at the rm clock revealed that it was ten in the morning, and I stretchedzily in bed as I didn''t feel like getting up just yet. Sleeping in during weekends was probably a luxury for every white-cor worker out there. However, I got a call from Yuval right as I was about to go back to sleep. We aren''t supposed to meet up until two hourster... Why is he calling me so early? Although I was somewhat annoyed by it, I answered his call anyway. ¡°There''s still quite some time before our date, Mr. Lambert. May I ask why you''re calling me so soon?¡± I asked coldly. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to ask you if you''d like me toe pick you up at your ceter?¡± Yuval sounded both a little nervous and excited at the same time. ¡°That won''t be necessary. I''ll just hail myself a cabter.¡± I couldn''t help but feel a little repulsed at the thought of himing over to pick me up, so I refused his offer without any hesitation. ¡°All right, then. I''ll wait for you at the ce that we have agreed upon.¡± I could hear the disappointment in his voice when he said that, but I didn''t care about that. Having lost all sleepiness after hanging up the call, I got out of bed and changed into a light-colored dress before applying some makeup toplement it. Natalie reminded me to give it my best when she saw me leave the house, and I rolled my eyes at her before heading off to meet Yuval at a Starbucks caf¨¦. The interior was very well decorated, and Yuval was already waiting for me inside by the time I got there. ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting,¡± I said with a faint smile as I sat down in front of him. ¡°No worries. It''s only natural that men wait for women, after all.¡± I noticed the look of surprise in his eyes when he first saw me, and simply smiled in response without saying anything. After what seemed like forever of awkward silence, Yuval looked up at me and asked nervously, ¡°I think we''re quite suitable for each other, Ms. Garcia. Would you be interested in taking things a step further?¡± Of course, his question waspletely within my expectations as he had made his intention clear when he called me upst night. While I didn''t have any feelings for a stranger like him, he was indeed a rather suitable candidate for marriage. After hesitating for a bit, I decided to try dating him. ¡°I have attended the blind date with the intention of getting married, Mr. Lambert. If that is what you seek as well, then I suppose we could try dating and see how it goes from there,¡± I said calmly with an expressionless look on my face. He probably wasn''t expecting me to say yes so quickly, as he froze in surprise for a brief moment before looking at me excitedly. ¡°Of course, that is exactly what I am looking for! Rest assured that I am a very reliable and responsible man, Ms. Garcia!¡± Yuval quickly gave me his word, but I did not share his excitement. If anything, it only added on to my stress and anxiety. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After having a cup of coffee, Yuval suggested that we go for a walk to spend more time with each other and know each other better. I had wanted to refuse his request at first but agreed to it in the end as I couldn''t find any reason to turn him down. Because we were still strangers at the time, we didn''t know what to talk about and simply walked in awkward silence along the pavement. Right as I was contemting to excuse myself, Yuval spoke up all of a sudden, ¡°Wait!¡± I frowned slightly in confusion when I saw him staring at the top of my head. Yuval ignored my confused look and reached a hand out, which made me incredibly nervous as I didn''t know what he was going to do. ¡°There''s a leaf on your head,¡± he exined after picking a leaf off my head, much to my relief. Phew! For a second there, I thought he was going to do something intimate! Although I have agreed to try dating him, we are still considered strangers, and I''m not toofortable getting intimate with him just yet! ¡°Thanks...¡± I thanked him coldly when I saw the awkward smile on his face. Yuval struck me as a gentleman with how polite he was during our conversations instead of trying to touch me at every opportunity he had. I took a nce at his handsome face and was about to say something when the familiar voice of a man came from behind. ¡°What the hell are you doing, Anna?¡± I turned around immediately and saw Michael standing next to a car and ring daggers at me. Many days have passed since Ist saw him, and I found myself trembling uncontrobly all over in panic and confusion. What''s he doing here? He began making his way towards me while I was still in a daze and stared me down. Yuval noticed something was off and asked with a frown, ¡°Ms. Garcia, who is he?¡± ¡°He...He''s my boss...¡± I exined with my head held low in shame. Now that I''ve finally found a suitable candidate whom I might marry, there''s no way I could tell him about my indecent rtionship with Michael! ¡°Are you sure that''s all I am, Anna? Just your boss?¡± Michael questioned me coldly, having gotten a lot more furious after hearing my exnation. In my state of panic, I quickly looked away to avoid his prating gaze. Didn''t he want me to pretend that we''re strangers in public? Why would hee to me like this? Isn''t he afraid of our secret being exposed? ¡°What are you doing here, Michael?¡± I asked him nervously, unsure of why he had shown up like this. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Michael simply red coldly at me, sending chills down my spine with the icy-cold aura that he emanated. For some reason, I felt a sense of guilt like I had done something to wrong him. Noticing the awkwardness between us, Yuval walked up to my side and held out his hand as he said, ¡°Hello, my name is Yuval. I''m Anna''s boyfriend.¡± His words made my heart skip a beat as I panicked even more. Damn it, why did Yuval im to be my boyfriend? We only agreed to try dating! We haven''t decided on whether we would make it official or anything! How am I supposed to face Michael now? The look on Michael''s face turned gloomy upon hearing what he said, and he simply red coldly at Yuval''s outstretched hand without saying a word. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Yuval withdrew his hand and kept quiet. ¡°S-So... what is it, Michael?¡± I asked timidly as I tried my best to not make eye contact with him. That only seemed to fuel Michael''s anger even more as the icy-cold aura about him intensified. ¡°I need to talk to you. Come with me!¡± Michael shouted suddenly when the tension was at its peak. ¡°C-Could we talk about it some other time? It''s not really convenient for me right now...¡± Michael''s domineering attitude was stressing me out as I didn''t want Yuval finding out about our rtionship. It wasn''t easy for me to find a decent guy like him, so it would be a real shame to lose him like this. ¡°Are you trying to piss me off, Anna?¡± I had never dared to say no to Michael about anything, so this was technically my first time refusing his request. Naturally, he hit the roof. ¡°Michael, I...¡± I thought about saying something, but Michael grabbed my arm before I could finish and began dragging me toward his car. ¡°Hey! What are you doing, Michael? I''m on a date here!¡± I eximed in frustration when I felt the pain from his forceful grip. Yuval is awyer, andwyers are smart, so he''ll definitely notice something off about my rtionship with Michael! What would I do if he finds out that Michael and I are shameless ¡°friends with benefits¡±? Michael was so consumed by rage that he refused to listen and shoved me into his car. He then drove off while Yuval watched with a frown from afar. He must be suspecting something about us by now... ¡°What are you doing, Michael? Yuval will get the wrong idea if you just take me away like this!¡± I shouted as I red daggers at him. Screech! Michael jammed his foot on the brake upon hearing that, causing me to tumble forward as the car came to a sudden halt. I stared wide-eyed at him in fear and shock, wondering what I did to anger him that much. ¡°What the hell, Michael? That was really dangerous!¡± ¡°He''ll get the wrong idea, you say? Anna, do I need to remind you of our rtionship?¡± he questioned me with a prating gaze. I found myself freaking out even more as I didn''t know what he meant by that nor why he was so mad at me all of a sudden. The look in his eyes grew even colder when he heard me avoid his question. ¡°You''ve already gotten yourself a boyfriend a few days after telling me about your ns for marriage? Anna, are you really that desperate to sleep with men?¡± I was feeling a little guilty at first, but his questioning angered me too. ¡°We agreed that we would end our rtionship the moment I find myself a suitable boyfriend!¡± I said with a frown. For the briefest of moments, there was a hint of panic on his face before the cold look in his eyes intensified. ¡°Yes, I did say we could end our rtionship, but I don''t remember allowing you to find yourself a boyfriend so soon!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. What the hell is he talking about? He''s clearly going against his own word! ¡°What are you talking about, Michael? Are you going back on what you have agreed on?¡± While I wasn''t all that excited about dating Yuval, Michael''s unreasonable, arrogant, and possessive behavior was really pissing me off. After all, we were just f*ck buddies, so he had no right to stop me from dating someone else. ¡°I never go back on my word. I will allow you to find yourself a boyfriend and get married, but not now!¡± Michael then started the car before I could even respond and sped off once again. He was driving so fast that my knuckles turned white from as I looked out the window. How is he able to drive so fast? Does this man have no fear at all? ¡°Where are you taking me, Michael? I''m still on a date with that man.¡± He was probably so mad at me that he didn''t even look at me, but I could clearly feel the anger he was exuding while driving in silence. Why would he ruin my date on purpose? What did I do to anger him that much? Could it be that... he''s jealous because he saw me dating another guy? I felt a slight sense of joy at the thought of that, but that joy disappeared the moment I remembered he had never liked me to begin with. There''s no way he''d be jealous! I must be overthinking things! The car came to a sudden halt about ten minutester, and I frowned when I saw the house that Michael had previously given me the keys to. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¡°Why are you bringing me here? It is broad daylight now!¡± I red at him cautiously as he looked very terrifying when he was angry. ¡°Have you forgotten what this house is for? Why else would I be bringing you here if not to f*ck you?¡± Michael said boldly and began dragging me upstairs before I could respond. I knew what he was going to do next and began resisting as I wasn''t in the mood to do it with him, especially when we were both angry like this. Under normal circumstances, I would have given in to his demands, but his unreasonable behavior had infuriated me way too much, so I brushed his arm off and began walking away. ¡°You''re not going anywhere, Anna!¡± Angered even further by my resistance, he ran up to me and grabbed my wrist with a vice-like grip, causing me to frown in pain as I struggled with all my might. However, the more I struggled, the tighter his grip became, and I soon found my wrist on the verge of snapping in half. ¡°What the f*ck are you doing, Michael? You''re hurting me!¡± I shouted angrily at the top of my lungs. What did I do to wrong him today? Why is he doing this to me? ¡°Hmph! This is what you get for resisting!¡± While Michael didn''t let go of me, he did loosen his grip by a lot after hearing my cries in pain. Due to his immense strength, I waspletely powerless to resist and got dragged to the door within minutes. By holding on to me with one hand, he was able to unlock the door with the other and drag me inside. Once we were in the bedroom, he pinned me against the wall and assaulted my lips with a barrage of kisses. I pushed against him with all my might, but he simply increased his strength and intensity to counter my acts of resistance. He then pinned my arms above my head and began ravaging my breasts to his heart''s content. My eyes went red from the humiliation as I red at him furiously. Is Michael seriously going to rape me right now? ¡°Hey! Let me go, Michael! You promised me we''d be over once I find a boyfriend! You can''t go back on your word!¡± I screamed at him in disgust while struggling. ¡°I have told you, Anna. I will allow you to get yourself a boyfriend, but not right now!¡± Michael red coldly at me as he said that, his voice filled with domineering arrogance. His unreasonable behavior had angered me to the core, and I looked him straight in the eye as I shouted, ¡°What the hell do you want, Michael?¡± ¡°I want to f*ck you! I haven''t had enough of it!¡± Michael made no effort to hide his intentions whatsoever. The way he was acting like I had wronged him even though he was the one forcing himself on me only disgusted me even more. ¡°Our rtionship isn''t over until I say it is, so you must satisfy me right now, Anna!¡± Michael eyed me from head to toe before continuing with his ¡°assault¡±. Had it been under normal circumstances, I wouldn''t refuse his requests as he had given me two hundred thousand which saved my dad''s life. However, I couldn''t bring myself to put up with his acts of humiliation and degradation. I mustered every ounce of energy I had in me and shoved Michael off with a hard push. That caught him off guard and left him stunned for a brief moment, so I seized that window of opportunity to make my escape. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I let out a sigh of relief when I looked back and saw no sign of him chasing after me. The feeling of relief was soon reced by sadness and anger at what he did to me. Honestly, I just don''t understand Michael at all! We both agreed to end it peacefully, so why did he have toe and ruin things for me when I''ve finally found myself someone to marry? He''s always cold to me and never contacts me unless he feels horny anyway! I felt like crap as I walked through the streets by myself with those thoughts running through my mind. After what seemed like forever, I took a cab back to Natalie''s and saw her sitting on the couch. To my surprise, she was not her usual talkative self and simply stared at me with a frown. I sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulder as I asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Natalie? Did something happen?¡± Natalie continued to stare at me for a while before saying, ¡°Tell me the truth, Anna. What is the nature of your rtionship with Michael?¡± Her question caught mepletely off guard, and I froze for a bit as I wasn''t really sure of what to say in response. ¡°There is none. What rtionship could we possibly have?¡± I looked away as I said that in an attempt to hide my nervousness. Hearing Michael''s name made me extremely ufortable, and the thought of how he had nearly raped me earlier filled me with rage once again. Of course, Natalie didn''t believe a word I said as she knew how terrible of a liar I was and could see right through all my lies. ¡°Are you sure? Then, why did he take you away just now? I know you two had a one-night stand, but you said there was nothing going on between you two after that, right?¡± Yuval called her about it was the only theory that I could think of at the time, much to my displeasure. Although I had agreed to try dating him, that didn''t give him the right to go probing my bestie about my private affairs. ¡°Did Yuval tell you that?¡± I frowned and let out a heavy sigh as I continued, ¡°I''ll give him a proper exnationter.¡± ¡°I''m your best friend, Anna. Is there anything you can''t tell me about?¡± I thought we were done with the topic about Michael, but Natalie wasn''t about to drop it. I let out another helpless sigh and gave Natalie a serious look as I exined, ¡°Look, Natalie... Michael and I are as good as strangers, so I have no idea why he''d drag me off like that either.¡± It took me every ounce of willpower to suppress the burning anger within me as I recalled what he did to me earlier. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 It was obvious from Natalie''s expression, that she did not believe my words. ¡°Anna, we''re best friends. I don''t wish for you to hide anything from me,¡± she said solemnly. In the face of her genuine concern, I felt tempted to tell her everything that happened between Michael and me but ultimately decided not to. She would only chastise me for the shameful things I had done. ¡°Natalie, you''re thinking too much into this. There''s really nothing going on between us. As you said, we''re best friends. Why would I lie to you?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Contrary to my calm facade, my insides were panicking like wildfire. I tried my best to stayposed under her watchful gaze so as not to give myself away. After a long while, she sighed resignedly. ¡°I won''t force you to tell me if you don''t want to. I only have one piece of advice for you¡ªknow your boundaries. If you''re serious about Yuval, then don''t get too close to Michael anymore.¡± From her advice, I could tell she had more or less figured out my rtionship with him. ¡°Thanks, Natalie. I appreciate it.¡± That night, as Iy on my bed, my mind kept reying what Michael did to me during the day. Why did he pull me away from Yuval? Was he jealous or simply possessive? Thinking about it only made me more frustrated. I shook my head resolutely. I needed to stop thinking too much into his behavior. I already decided, the most important thing now was to settle down with someonepatible. Besides, there was clearly no future between Michael and me. Very soon after, I fell asleep. Over the next few days, I went to work as usual. Michael on the other hand seemed to havepletely vanished; I received no calls from him. There were even a few instances where I was tempted to call him. During those times, I had to remind myself not to act so shamelessly. With how things ended between us, there was no reason for me to invite trouble for myself. In fact, I did not receive any calls from Yuval as well. His silence made me worry that I had lost him as a potential marriage candidate. Truth be told, I was more concerned with the hassle of finding another decent man rather than not being able to go on more dates with him. I picked up my phone, hesitating whether to give him a call. Thest time I met him, he had suggested that we tried dating. Some time had passed since then, and there was still no news from him. Was it because of what happened with Michael the other day? As my thoughts spiraled, my heart beat with great trepidation. I took a few deep breathes and mustered the courage to call him. On the other end of the line, Yuval was slightly taken aback to hear my voice. He did not expect me to initiate a call. ¡°Mr. Lambert, are you free to meet up with me?¡± Every second felt like an hour as I waited for his response. ¡°Sure. I''ll meet you at the same cafe as before.¡± That went smoother than I expected. I had assumed from hisck ofmunication, that he had lost interest in me. Hearing how quickly he agreed to meet up, I felt a weight off my shoulders. After the phone call, I tidied myself up before making my way to the agreed location. By the time I arrived, Yuval was already waiting inside. Perhaps due to the nature of his job, including our past three meet-ups, he wore different sets of suits. His dress code exuded an air of formality. I took the seat opposite him and ordered coffee for both of us. He had a faint smile on his face. ¡°Mr. Lambert, sorry for leaving so urgently the other day. Something cropped up.¡± My voice got softer as I recalled how absurd it was to be dragged away by Michael in front of him. ¡°Ms. Garcia, can I call you Anna instead? Since we''re dating now, Ms. Garcia sounds a bit too formal.¡± He smiled. ¡°Of course. I''ll feel morefortable this way too.¡± Frankly, I was not entirely on board with the idea of getting too intimate with Yuval, but he was right. Since we were dating, it was only right he called me by my first name. ¡°Anna, I have a question to ask?¡± I nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°T-That person who pulled you away the other day, is he really your boss? Both of you seem close.¡± He looked at me earnestly. I was taken aback by his question. Lawyers sure caught on to things really fast. I averted my gaze before exining, ¡°Of course! He''s just my superior at work. What else can we be?¡± I did my best to conceal the guilt gnawing at me. I can''t let him know about us. ¡°But... I''m getting the feeling it''s not just a simple superior-subordinate rtionship.¡± He was clearly not convinced by my exnation. ¡°Mr. Lambert if you can''t trust my words, I suggest we end things here. We''re probably not suited for each other.¡± Regardless of how valid his questions were, I disliked being doubted. This whole situation was making me angry. Before, Michael too had interrogated me with the same pair of doubtful eyes. Why must I be stuck between them? Perhaps I came off a bit too harsh. Yuval panicked while saying, ¡°Anna, please don''t misunderstand my intentions. I''m not doubting your words! It''s just that we''re working towards marriage, so I wanted to get to know you better.¡± Seeing how hard he was trying to mend the situation, I guessed he was serious about dating me; I probably checked off all the boxes Yuval was looking for in a marriage partner. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Although not entirely effective, his words did anguish my anger quite a bit. I sighed. ¡°I won''t deny that there''s chemistry between us. But, I''ll be upfront with you, I hate being doubted. I have my morals as well. Since I''ve decided to date you, I won''t get myself involve with other men.¡± Strictly speaking, I was still in a friends with benefits rtionship with Michael, but I had decided to end it. Moving forward, I would build my own life and so he would simply be my boss at work. ¡°Anna, that''s a relief to hear. I promise I''ll treat you well,¡± he said excitedly. I forced a smile. Although I wished to maintain my rtionship with Yuval, that episode just now worsened my impression of him. I believed that time was the key to solving my current resistance towards him. As long as we go on more dates, I would at some point return his feelings. Yet, believes and actions need not always be aligned. That evening, I found myself finding excuses to turn down his invitation for movies after our dinner. Back at home, I could not avoid being bombarded with questions from Natalie. It was only after I recounted my whole conversation with Yuval that I was able to retreat back to my room. Over the next few days, Yuval seemed to be working hard on his promise of treating me well. He was especially proactive and would at least make one phone call a day to check on me. Even though his actions did not in any way touched me, at the very least I was sure he would make a great marriage partner. Settling down with him was the best choice. Michael on the other hand had not contacted me since that day. I presumed this signified the end of our rtionship. Just like that, I spent the rest of the next days peacefully. Every day, it was the usual routine of working and calling Yuval. Despite my best efforts, I still felt nothing towards him. And ever since we switched to video calls, he became even more excited. After spending so much time with him, I was certain he was a mature and dependable man. Despite us dating for some time, he continued to respect my boundaries and did not behave inappropriately. Perhaps due to my past trauma, I found men who got physical early into the rtionship, repulsive. The day before, I found Natalie sat brooding in the living room. She did not even greet me. I walked over to her side. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I hugged one of her arms. It was rare to see her in this state. She was usually an optimistic and jovial person. ¡°I suspect John''s not really in love with me.¡± She looked at me, her expression somber. Did John really do something to betray her? During my meal with him the other time, I had heard him speaking with another woman on the phone. Although I questioned him, he had reassured me that he only had eyes for Natalie. That was why I did not mention anything to her. ¡°What made you say this?¡± I looked at her nervously. If she mentioned anything about him two-timing, that would make me guilty for not telling her about that phone call. ¡°Anna, if you really love someone, won''t you want to share everything with him? Won''t you want him to understand everything about you?¡± Her question made me recalled the foolish me of the past. I was at the beck and call of whatever Justin wanted. It was not an exaggeration to say, I would have even offered him my heart if he so wishes. I hid nothing from him. I replied seriously, ¡°You''re right. Love means wanting the other party to know everything about you.¡± ¡°Since we''ve been dating for some time, I had suggested that we meet his parents. But, John rejected and said it wasn''t the right time yet. I think he''s hiding something from me.¡± If John was serious about their rtionship, he would have agreed to let Natalie meet his parents. His actions were saying otherwise. Thinking about this only made me angrier. I thought he would have learned his lesson after I caught him cheating the other time. Seems like I had thought too highly of him. ¡°Natalie, what will you do if he wants to break up with you? Or even worse, what if he''s cheating on you?¡± Although it was only a passing thought, I was tempted to tell Natalie what I knew about John. In the end, I decided against it because I was afraid she may not be able to handle the truth. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Despite her boisterous and easygoing attitude, like me, she was not one to ept her partner cheating on her. ¡°If that really happens, it would be a living hell for me! Anna, does John not love me? Why doesn''t he want me to meet his parents?¡± Natalie grabbed my hands frantically. Her question put me on the spot. I knew that John was not serious about her, but the truth would only hurt her. ¡°Natalie, I think you should focus on work instead. It''s not healthy for you to devote all your energy into a rtionship. At the end of the day, if this doesn''t work out, you''ll be the one suffering.¡± I decided to save this information for the next time after her rtionship with John cooled down. ¡°But what''s the point of a rtionship if we don''t give our all? Is that still true love?¡± Despite my good intentions, Natalie did not see eye to eye with me on this topic. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 I was even more anxious when I realized how serious Natalie was about her rtionship. This was her first love. The first time a person fell in love was always the deepest. I wondered what would happen if she knew that John was having an affair with another woman. ¡°Well, don''t think about it. If your rtionship reaches a certain level, he will definitely take you home to see his parents.¡± Although I knew full well that John had no intention of spending the rest of his life with Natalie, I did not want to say anything that would make her feel worse seeing how sad she already was. Hearing my words, Natalie''s mood improved. I continued to console her for some time before she went back to her room to rest. When I returned to my room, thinking of what Natalie told me tonight, I felt a little anxious. I wondered if I should tell her about the intimate call between John and another woman I had overheard before. After struggling for a night, I finally decided to figure out what was going on first. How did John feel about Natalie and if he ever thought about spending the rest of his life with her. If he was ying with Natalie''s feelings, I would not let him go unpunished. I had already given John a chance before but he did not cherish it. Natalie was my best friend. I could not just watch her get hurt. The next morning, while Natalie was taking her bath, I retrieved John''s number from her mobile phone. I waited until Natalie went to work. Then, I called John''s number on my mobile. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± John''s voice from the other end of the line sounded sluggish. I guessed he was still in bed. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I''m Anna Garcia, Natalie''s good friend. Do you remember me? We have met before.¡± I spoke in a in voice as I had no liking for John after hearing what Natalie told mest night. I really had lost even the slightest liking for him. ¡°M-M-Ms. Garcia, why are you calling me out of the blue? Is there anything I can do for you?¡± The moment he heard that it was me, his tone became anxious. Perhaps this was because he remembered I discovered the betrayal of his rtionship with Natalie. ¡°Mr. Young, are you free to talk now? There''s something I need to talk to you about.¡± The more anxious he was, the more suspicious he became. John knew that I was not as na?ve as Natalie and so, whenever he spoke to me, he was cautious. ¡°Okay... where shall we meet, then?¡± John hesitated for a while before agreeing to meet me. ¡°I shall send the venue of our meeting to your mobile phone. We meet in an hour''s time.¡± After replying him simply, I wanted to hang up the phone. Just before I could hang up, ady''s voice was heard from the other end of the line. I could hear it very clearly so, obviously, she was beside John. ¡°Who are you talking with?¡± My heart felt cold. Immediately, I understood what was going on and I was filled with anger. I had wanted to ask John who the woman was but a beep sounded from that end showing that John had hung up on me. I looked at the phone angrily. Thinking about the woman''s voice on the phone just now made me even angrier. John was really a scumbag! He pretended to be dating Natalie but he was embracing another woman in bed. This man was no different from Justin. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. I really wanted to call John and scold him but I held back my anger. After all, it would feel much better to scold him face to face. I held back my fury,posed myself and headed to the caf¨¦ for our meeting. John arrived only half an hour. I was already irritated from the start. At this instant, I wished I could give him two tight ps across his face. During our phone conversation, we had agreed to meet in an hour''s time. John was more than half an hourte. The character of a man was questionable if he made a woman wait for so long. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I''m sorry I''mte. There was a traffic jam.¡± John sat in front of me, looking rather anxious. I gazed at him coldly. ¡°Mr. Young, don''t you know that it is ungentlemanly to make ady wait? Do you always make Natalie wait when you have a date with her?¡± Presumably, he did not expect me to use this questioning tone with him and his countenance changed. There was a look of embarrassment in his eyes. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I''m really sorry. I did notete on purpose. The traffic was really bad.¡± John looked into my eyes and apologized again solemnly. Even though there was sincerity in his eyes, I could also detect a sense of guilt. ¡°I believe you''rete not because of the traffic but rather because you had to pacify the woman in bed with you?¡± I stared into John''s eyes and spoke this sentence emphatically. Before I hung up the phone, the woman''s voice had reached my ears clearly. The previous time, I had heard John speaking on the phone to another woman but I was not sure if he had betrayed Natalie but this time I was certain. Angrily, I red at John, questioning him with my eyes. I was waiting for him to exin himself, wondering what excuse he would make up this time. Flustered, he looked away, obviously feeling guilty. ¡°M-M-Ms.... Garcia, this is no joking matter. How could there be another woman in bed with me?¡± John refused to admit it but his flustered expression was a sign of guilt. He would not admit it even though I had heard it so clearly. I sneered and looked at him with disdain. ¡°Before I hung up, I heard clearly a woman talking to you. Do you still want to deny it now?¡± No matter how John denied it to my face, one fact was certain and that was he had betrayed Natalie. Just like me, Natalie was being cheated on by her boyfriend. In this instant, I was not just angry but my heart was aching for her more than anything else. I knew how painful it was to be cheated by a man I loved. I did not want Natalie to suffer the same cruel fate but John was a real scum who was even worse than Justin. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I know what I did was wrong. I was just being foolish. Can you keep this a secret from Natalie?¡± When John saw that his effort to conceal the truth was futile, he admitted it but his next sentence made me feel like whipping him. He had betrayed Natalie and he wanted me to keep her in the dark. How could he do such a thing? Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¡°Don''t tell Natalie? Are you trying to make me your aplice?¡± I sneered as I stared at John and asked him coldly. I really could not understand how he could ask me to keep it a secret. How shameless of him. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I know it was wrong of me but I did not mean to do it. I was just an infatuation. I will turn over a new leaf. I promise you this will not happen again.¡± Seeing that I had no intention of helping him, John''s expression became even more flustered. Desperately, he started making promises but I would not believe him anymore. ¡°The previous time, you told me the same thing, promising me that it would not happen again. It''s just a few days since that incident, John. That time I told you I would not allow you to do anything that would hurt Natalie. When I said thest sentence, my countenance turned icy cold and when I looked into his eyes, I got angrier. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I was lost and I did not appreciate what I have. Please help me one more time. I''ll treat Nat well and never cheat on her. Will you please?¡± As John spoke, he held my hand emotionally and looked at me with pleading eyes. I looked at him with disdain as I withdrew my hand forcefully. Apparently, this John was worse than Justin who admitted cheating on me the moment I discovered his infidelity. John was caught red- handed twice and yet, he shamelessly pleaded with me to keep this a secret. Obviously, his was far shameless than I thought. ¡°This time I will not help you to lie to her. I''ll tell her you have betrayed her and ask her to see what type of scoundrel you really are!¡± I stood up abruptly and red at John angrily. Mindless about the people around looking at me, I raised my voice. The caf¨¦ was quite crowded and when those around us heard what I said, many turned their eyes in our direction. Most of them were looking at John. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I had spoken very clearly and everyone understood what John had done. Many looked at him contemptuously and disdainfully. John felt the eyes of everyone on him. Initially, he had felt guilty but when he saw the contemptuous looks of those watching him, he red at me angrily. ¡°Anna, what do you want? This is between me and Natalie. It is none of your business!¡± John''s attitude changed abruptly. He was sincerely begging me just now to keep Natalie from knowing about him but now he was furious at me. This type of man is incorrigible and if Natalie were to carry on with him, she would certainly suffer. ¡°Natalie is my friend. Her business is my business. You have cheated and betrayed her. I will not let you go on doing this. A scoundrel like you does not deserve Natalie''s love at all!¡± Natalie was a simple kind-hearted girl. It was so tragic for her to experience first love with such a scumbag like John! How could a scum like John deserve all that Natalie had given to him? ¡°It is not up to you to decide what I deserve or don''t deserve. Natalie loves me too much to give me up. Even if she knows that I am unfaithful to her, she will still stay with me!¡± John stood up abruptly and red at mebatively with a triumphant expression on his face. John knew how deeply Natalie loved him and that was the reason why he cheated on her without fear. He did not worry even if Natalie knew about his true color. Furious, I picked up the cup of coffee nearby and threw the contents straight onto his face. ¡°Bast*rd!¡± ¡°Anna Garcia, what are you doing!¡± With coffee sshed on his face, John wiped himself hurriedly with tissue. At that moment, he was rather shocked at my action and wanted to leave right away. ¡°A scumbag like you deserves to be taught a lesson like this!¡± I red at John coldly and with that, I strode off without turning back. On the way back to Natalie''s, my mood became worse. I was determined that John was a scumbag by nature and a leopard could never change its spots. I should not have given him a chance thest time and today he had made me furious. How could Natalie have chosen such a scum who was worse than Justin? Someone who could say just anything with no shame. I took out my mobile phone and found Natalie''s number. At this moment, I wished I could tell her about this matter straightaway. I wanted her to know how bad a scumbag John was. After hesitating for a long time, I did not call Natalie''s number. She was still at work. It would be better to tell her about this after work. If I told her now, she would not be in the mood to work. I had taken the day off to talk to John. So I went back to Natalie''s and sat in the living room alone. Even then, I still felt angry from the episode earlier. The phone in my hand rang suddenly. Thinking it was another call from Yuval, I picked up the phone a little irritably and did not want to answer it but when I saw the name of the caller on the screen, my heart beat fiercely. It was not Yuval but Michael. My heart was beating wildly and for a moment, I could not describe how I felt. Michael had not contacted me for a long time and here he was calling out of the blue. My emotions which had taken a long while to calm down was now disturbed again. The ringing continued and I wanted to ignore it but finally my emotions got the better of me and I epted the call. ¡°Hello.¡± After answering the call, the words got stuck in my throat and I could not say anything more. ¡°Where are you now?¡± From the other end of the line, came Michael''s low sexy voice which I had not heard for several days and I trembled again. ¡°I''m at Natalie''s ce.¡± Nervously, I held the phone in my hand and asked cautiously. Ever since the time Michael nearly took me by force, I had felt something against him even though I could not help but miss the man sometimes. Yet, what happened that day was quite uneptable. ¡°I want to see you. I''ll go and fetch you in twenty minutes.¡± His voice came over the line again, stunning me. ¡°What do you want to see me for?¡± My heart jumped to my throat and I asked rather anxiously but the reply I heard was a busy tone. Michael had hung up before I could finish speaking. That was rather ungentlemanly. I frowned and could not help but mentally curse him over and over again in my mind. I felt excited even knowing well that he and I should no longer see each other. I dropped my phone on the couch and hurried to get changed. Then, I put on some light makeup. After twenty minutes, Michael called again. I was excited but answered his call while pretending to be calm. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°I''m here, soe out!¡± Before I could say anything, Michael''s voice drifted over the moment the call connected. And as soon as he finished saying that, the disconnect tone sounded. At that, I red at my cell phone irritatedly. What the hell is wrong with him? Every time he calls, he never gives the other person an opportunity to speak! Ugh! What a jerk! Irked by his attitude, I inwardly decided not to do as he ordered. Oh well, he can just wait there since he didn''t even bother to let me speak before hanging up the phone! However, I always had no backbone when it came to Michael. About five minutester, I started growing antsy. He''s the kind of person who hates waiting for someone else, so he might leave if I continue tarrying. ¡°Gah! You''re really weak that you can''t even stand your ground in such a trivial matter, Anna!¡± After having scoffed at myself while pointing at my reflection in the mirror, I then left the house. When I reached themunity gate, I was greeted by the sight of a silver Cadic sports car dead center of the gate. Oh, he hasn''t left despite having waited for such a long time! I breathed a long sigh of relief. I didn''t understand it myself, but a smile bloomed on my face the moment I glimpsed Michael''s car. I sauntered over to the passenger side, but I didn''t get in right away. Michael was dressed in a ck suit that rendered his already aloof countenance even grimmer against the ck background. A pair of huge sunsses sat on his face, so I couldn''t see the look in his eyes. ¡°Is something the matter that you wanted to see me?¡± I tried my best to sound calm and unruffled as I looked at his perfect profile. ¡°Get in!¡± Michael frowned and stared at me in chagrin when I didn''t get into the car after dallying for such a long time. His voice was cold without a hint of emotion. ¡°Where are you nning to take me?¡± Recalling the incident back then, I couldn''t help backing a step away. I''m not getting into the car if he''s nning to force himself on me again this time. I''m not that stupid. ¡°When did you be so garrulous, Anna?¡± Michael whipped off his sunsses and pinned his jet-ck eyes that glinted with annoyance on me. All at once, I could tell that he was incensed. In all likeliness, my repeated wariness and refusals had infuriated him. ¡°I''ve always been so garrulous. It''s just that you''ve never noticed it before this. It''s the weekend today, Mr. Shaw, so what exactly is the matter that you suddenly sought me out?¡± I cut straight to the chase since I didn''t want to yak with him. I knew that I should make it clear to him that our rtionship was over since I now had a boyfriend. Although I was reluctant to do so, I naturally couldn''t maintain an improper rtionship with him as I was currently dating Yuval. Indeed, I sounded shameless and despicable, having been friend with benefits with him. Nheless, as long as I had made up my mind to date someone, I would treat him wholeheartedly no matter my feelings toward him. ¡°Get in, and we''ll talk. If you continue tarrying, I don''t mind carrying you in. I don''t think you want others to know about our rtionship in such a public ce, do you?¡± Michael merely looked at me indifferently. No sooner than his threat fell did I know that I was going to compromise again. Argh! It''s always a piece of cake for him to strike my Achilles'' heel! Livid, I shot daggers at him. In the next second, I relented and got into his car. Starting the car, he drove slowly without saying a single word. A daunting silence hung in the air. ¡°Mr. Shaw, why exactly did you ask me out today? If there''s nothing, please let me out. I''ve got something important tonight.¡± It was already afternoon, so Natalie was getting off work soon. I was determined to tell her the truth about that scumbag, John, tonight so that she wouldn''t be in the dark anymore. Considering her innocence, she might not suspect that John was cheating on her. For that reason, I had no choice but to reveal his true colors to her. Otherwise, it might take forever for her to discover his infidelity, and I was worried that it would be toote by then. ¡°Something important? Do you mean you''re going on a date?¡± Michael''s deep and apathetic voice drifted into my ears. His tone was mocking, so I swung my gaze at him indignantly. ¡°I don''t think I need to report my activities to you, Mr. Shaw. We made a deal not to interfere in the other''s personal affairs, remember?¡± I reminded coldly while staring at his profile irately. Jeez, I really can''t figure him out now. Back then, he was the one who proposed not to interfere in each other''s personal affairs and to keep our rtionship a secret from others. But what is he doing now? He dragged me away right before Yuval, and now, he came to Natalie''s residentialmunity to look for me in broad daylight. Is he no longer afraid that others will learn about our rtionship? While he''s not a celebrity, he''s still a renowned public figure in Avenport. As such, he''ll definitely make the headlines tomorrow if we''re photographed by reporters. ¡°I don''t need you reminding me of that, Anna!¡± The moment my words fell, Michael''s expression darkened even further, and his eyes zed with anger. ¡°Then, just say whatever it is you''ve got to say. I really have something to do tonight.¡± He was always so overbearing that I never once had the upper hand before him. At times, I felt truly rankled that I chickened out every time I glimpsed his wrath. ¡°Have you really decided to date thatwyer named Yuval Lambert?¡± Michael asked after a brief silence, his expression frosty. Upon hearing Yuval''s name, my heart jolted, and I shot a furious look at him. ¡°Did you investigate him, Michael Shaw?¡± While it was a question, I was dead certain that I had never mentioned Yuval''s name before him. Since he knew Yuval''s name, the only possibility was that he had investigated him. ¡°So what if I had?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Speaking in a cid voice, Michael nonchntly nced at me. However, I could distinctly sense the fury concealed within his gaze. ¡°How could you do that? What right do you have to investigate him?¡± Although I had long since surmised it, the rage within me built into an inferno when I heard him admitting to it. It''s my business to date Yuval, so what right does he have to investigate him? What''s his rtionship with me that he feels entitled to do so? ¡°Anna, are you reproaching me?¡± Michael mmed on the brakes before staring at me with rage zing in his eyes as he awaited my reply. I knew that he was pissed off, but I no longer cared at that moment. He provoked me first, after all. And while I was mild-tempered, I had my limits as well. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 ¡°Yes, I''m reproaching you! What has my rtionship with Yuval got to do with you? You had no right to investigate him!¡± I again castigated Michael loudly while shooting daggers at him. Admittedly, I have feelings for him. However, it doesn''t mean that he has free reign to interfere in my life! I had already decided to date Yuval, so I was naturally enraged that Michael investigated him. ¡°Don''t challenge me time and again, Anna. There is a limit to my patience!¡± Michael''s face was grim, and his gaze glinted with anger as he stared at me. ¡°Stop the car. I''m getting out!¡± To me, his current attitude was rather unreasonable; I had no idea what exactly he wanted. We agreed on an amicable parting, but everything he had been doing recently truly made my blood boil. His handsome countenance was terrifyingly chilly, and he acted as though he didn''t hear me. Not only didn''t he stop the car, but he even elerated. At that moment, I noticed that he seemed to be heading to his house. ¡°Where are you taking me, Michael? I said I want to get out!¡± I kept banging against the car door but to no avail. Right that very moment, I was seized by the urge to curse him out. Argh! He''s really backing me into a corner here. I truly regret agreeing to his stiption for the sake of two hundred thousand. My life would certainly be peaceful if I hadn''t agreed back then. But then again, he only gave me the money because of that stiption. If I hadn''t agreed, he probably wouldn''t have given it to me. ¡°Anna, you''re the first woman to be in such a hurry to sever ties with me. And I guarantee you that you''ll also be thest!¡± Michael''s low and terse voice rang out. He turned to look at me with a dangerous gleam hidden in his eyes. My heart lurched, and I couldn''t quite grasp the meaning of his words. Truly, he had been acting vastly out of charactertely. I didn''t want to argue with him, so I kept urging myself to calm down. Since he saved Dad by giving me two hundred thousand back then, I must keep my temper in check. ¡°What exactly do you want, Michael?¡± I inquired mildly, doing my best to sound calm as I gazed at his profile. ¡°Listen here, Anna. You''re my woman, and I''m the only one who can propose ending our rtionship from now on,¡± Michael asserted domineeringly. While doing so, he didn''t even deign to spare me a nce. Instead, he continued speeding on the road. I was already suppressing my anger, so I almost blew my top upon hearing that. ¡°So, am I supposed to be friends with benefits with you for the rest of my life if you don''t break off our rtionship forever?¡± I demanded anxiously, staring at his profile while stifling my mounting panic. ¡°Half a year, then. I''ll end our rtionship after half a year. Besides, I''llpensate you when we break up.¡± Michael slowed the car, and his voice was no longer as indifferent as before. Hearing that he wouldpensate me when we broke up, my brows furrowed. Honestly, I felt insulted. Indeed, I deliberately seduced him for two hundred thousand back then, but I had no other choice because of my father''s illness. But now, he seemed to have cemented me in the ranks of a gold-digger. I might be unbothered if it were anyone else, but for some inexplicable reason, I was perturbed when such words came from him. ¡°I don''t need your money. I only asked you for two hundred thousand because my father needed it for his treatment back then. But not now.¡± I regarded his profile with a frigid expression, my voice tinged with a hint of anger. ¡°That''s your choice. But as I said, our rtionship is to continue for another half a year.¡± With his face devoid of expression, Michael nced at me and again repeated the stiption he proposed earlier. Well, half a year is indeed not a long time, but I''ve already decided to date Yuval now. What should I do about Yuval if I were to agree to his stiption? I''ve finally found a suitable man whom I don''t mind marrying. So, if I don''t contact him for half a year, he might have long since gotten married! Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°What should I do about Yuval, then? What if he has gotten married half a yearter?¡± I looked at him conflictedly. I didn''t want to agree to his stiption, but for some reason, I didn''t want to decline it either. ¡°That''s your problem. Anyway, let me tell you this, Anna. My woman must be chaste!¡± Michael was a very possessive man. In the past, he had warned me more than once that his woman must be chaste. And now, he was reminding me of that again. Hah! He must be worried that I''ll sleep with Yuval. But even if he didn''t say that, I wasn''t nning on doing so, at least not before getting married. ¡°What if I say no?¡± I retorted, eyeing him in annoyance. ¡°Anna, you know I must have a way to ensure that you say yes. Do you want to try me?¡± Surprisingly, my demurral didn''t antagonize Michael. Instead, his lips curved into a sneer. At his confident expression, panic struck me. As I stared at his face, I was inexplicably unnerved. From my understanding of him thus far, he was an extremely crafty man. Since he said that, he definitely had a way to ensure that Iplied. I wanted to counter his threat imperiously, but it was ringly obvious that I hadn''t the guts to do so. At my silence, Michael''s lips curved into a smug smile. Turning to me, he looked at me with triumph in his gaze. ¡°You have no room to refuse, Anna.¡± Fury zed within me, but I could merely re at him since I couldn''t object. Nheless, Michael wasn''t the slightest bit bothered. He continued driving, and in no time, the car came to a stop in front of his mansion. Trailing behind him, I entered the mansion. I had been here once, so I was familiar with the ce. But... why did he bring me to his house in the middle of the day? ¡°Why did you bring me to your house, Michael?¡± I couldn''t help asking as I stared at his back. ¡°Why do you think I brought you to my house? Of course, it''s to have some fun between the sheets! Anna, don''t tell me you''ve forgotten our deal just after a few days?¡± When we had gone into the living room, Michael tantly looked me up and down, his gaze zing with intense desire. His words reminded me of how he almost forced himself on me the previous time, causing a sliver of aversion to well within me. ¡°It''s broad daylight now. Are you really that desperate that you want to do it right now?¡± It''s the middle of the day now, and we''re at his house to boot. Most importantly, there are two housekeepers at his house! So, they''ll definitely hear us if we truly do the deed! Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ¡°Is there a certain timing to have fun between the sheets?¡± Michael turned to me with a quirked brow, his voice colored with suggestiveness. As I clocked the burning desire in his eyes, my heart jolted, and I promptly averted my gaze. ¡°But there are other people in your house. Aren''t you afraid that they''ll hear us?¡± ¡°This is my house, so what if other people hear us? But well, if you''re afraid that they''ll hear you, you can keep your moans to yourself.¡± Michael''s lips curved into a smirk. In the next moment, he stalked over with his profound gaze pinned on me. His eyes were as profound as a bottomless whirlpool that I couldn''t help being drawn in. ¡°M-Michael...¡± I started stammering even as I instinctively backed a few steps away. Without giving me an opportunity to speak further, he bent and scooped me up. Then, he swiftly strode toward the second floor. The moment we arrived at the master bedroom, he ced me on the huge bed. Right after, he mounted me and pinned me underneath him. Lying on the bed, anxiety swamped me as I gazed at his handsome countenance a mere inch away. Although it was no longer my first time, my heart inexorably went into overdrive every single time. ¡°Before half a year has passed, Anna, your body belongs to me alone!¡± he proimed in a deep voice, leaning close to my ear. Upon hearing that, my brows furrowed. I was just about to counter, but he had already captured my lips before I could even open my mouth. His kiss was exceedingly possessive. At that very moment, he appeared rather frantic, his previous gentleness gone without a trace. Abhorring such a frenzied kiss, I pushed at him in aversion. s, my resistance seemed to be making him all the more wilder. He kept kissing me, his lips traveling to my neck and further down. Soon, he got impatient and ripped my clothes off me. At that, I red at him irately. Ugh! How could he be so savage to rip my clothes? What on earth am I going to wear after this? With my mood entirely ruined, I wanted to shove him away. However, he didn''t give me the chance to do so, roaming his hands all over me and igniting my desire to a fervent pitch. Surprisingly, he wasn''t as anxious as before. This time, he was extremely patient, teasing me relentlessly as he admired my response. It was broad daylight then, so he had no problems seeing my every single reaction to his touch clearly. As I looked at him with zed eyes, I could make out the smirk ying at his lips, so I averted my gaze in embarrassment. Difited, I then turned my face away to hide it from his gaze. After all, having a man scrutinize my every expression at such a time was truly mortifying. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. As though realizing my shyness, the curve of Michael''s lips deepened, and mirth crept into his eyes. No doubt, most men relished the sight of a woman moaning under their ministrations since it would be immensely gratifying to their egos. In that, Michael was no exception. By then, I was already squirming impatiently. When I saw that he didn''t seem inclined to begin, I glowered at him in chagrin. Damn it, he must be deliberately torturing me today! He knows full well that I can''t take much teasing after having abstained for so many days, yet he deliberately dragged out the forey. Never had he been so patient when we did it often in the past! Seeing my restlessness, smugness showed in Michael''s eyes. Leaning close to my ear, he murmured, ¡°Hmm? Are you getting eager for me?¡± ¡°Hurry up if you''re going to do it, Michael! You''re purposely tormenting me!¡± Realizing that he was deliberately teasing me, I shot daggers at him. My voice was tinged with a hint of disgruntlement. Nheless, my voice sounded weak to my ears since I was then aroused by his touch. As such, it seemed as though I was enticing him instead. ¡°Anna, you were resisting me earlier, yet you''re now eager for me?¡± His voice was so tender that one would melt into a puddle. He wasn''t at all angered at my outburst, for his mesmerizing smile remained on his lips as he caressed my face with his other hand. ¡°Are you going to do it, Michael? If not, let go of me!¡± ¡°Beg me. I''ll satisfy you if you beg me.¡± As his long and slender fingers brushed across my face, it didn''t feel hot but tingly. When I heard him telling me to I beg him, the rage within me surged to the forefront at once. ¡°You''re a pervert, Michael Shaw!¡± I snapped coldly, ring at him furiously. Hah! He actually wants to be beg him? Why should I? ¡°Aren''t you eager to have me right now? I''m the only one who can satisfy you, Anna,¡± he asserted with a dark look in his eyes. The more he spoke, the hotter my fury zed. He''s truly a pervert! Argh! He''s really shameless to demand that I beg him! ¡°Michael, you''ve gone too far this time! I have my dignity as well!¡± While I always chose topromise with him, I still had my dignity. And begging him was something I would never do. As soon as my words fell, Michael''s expression darkened significantly. His gaze zed with barely constrained anger as he stared at me. ¡°Will you say the same thing if it''s Yuval Lambert?¡± He was staring right into my eyes, sounding interrogative as he said that. I had no idea why he suddenly mentioned Yuval, but fury instantly engulfed me upon hearing that. ¡°What do you mean by that, Michael Shaw?¡± What does our rtionship have to do with Yuval? Although I''ve decided to date him, we''ve never done anything intimate, not even holding hands, much less sleeping together! Chapter 68 Chapter 68 ¡°Is there still a need for pretense in front of me, Anna? Before you get acquainted with Yuval Lambert, you were very enthusiastic in bed with me. But now that you''ve got another man, you''re starting to resist, huh?¡± Michael''s voice was cold, and the desire in his eyes had long since vanished without a trace. At that moment, I couldn''t discern any emotion from his eyes as he stared at me. At his repeated mentions of Yuval, the wrath within me skyrocketed. What the hell is wrong with him? How has Yuval offended him? Besides, nothing happened between me and Yuval, so he has no right to disparage me like that! ¡°Michael Shaw, let me tell you this. My rtionship with Yuval isn''t as filthy as you think. We''re dating with the goal of marriage, unlike my friends-with-benefits rtionship with you!¡± I looked at him in derision while glowering indignantly. Regardless of whether I have any feelings for Yuval, the fact remains that we''re dating for marriage and not for pleasures of the flesh! Plus, he''s really a gentleman. It''s almost a month since we got acquainted, but he has never crossed any lines with me. ¡°Oh, you''re defending him now, huh? Anna, don''t you forget that you''re still my woman for half a year starting today!¡± Men had always been possessive creatures, especially when two men were fighting for the same woman. They would never back down as their domineering nature reared its head. Despite my ire, I had no retort since I indeed agreed to his stiption earlier. At my silence, he threw me a look before he again started stimting me. However, my arousal had largely dissipated after our row just now, and I didn''t feel much anymore despite his roaming hands then as my mood had been wholly ruined. This time, he was no longer as patient as before. He merely did some forey perfunctorily and went straight to intercourse. ¡°Stop it, Michael! Stop!¡± cing my hands against his chest, I wanted to push him away, but he simply pinned me like a massive boulder and refused to move. Conversely, my resistance had him going increasingly wilder. And so, I was forced to endure his frenzied thrusts. No matter how painful it was for me, he didn''t slow down the slightest bit. At that moment, I finally realized that I was only a tool for him to satiate his desires. Despite having known each other for such a long time, he had no feelings for me. The only reason he sought me out was nothing more than to satisfy his physical urges. About half an hourter, he was finally done. ¡°Are you done with me? If so, I''m leaving.¡± Enduring the pain at the juncture of my thighs, I sat up and straightening my clothes. Right then, I didn''t want to see him for even a second longer. ¡°Are you in such a hurry to leave because you want to go and meet Yuval Lambert?¡± Michael remained sprawled on the bed without stopping me, but the words out of his mouth enraged me once again. He had been bringing up Yuval time and again ever since we met today, irritating me greatly. Damn it, what has my rtionship with Yuval got to do with him? Why the hell is he harping on it? ¡°That''s none of your business. I won''t forget our deal.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Not wanting to argue with him anymore, I stood up after saying that coldly. I wanted to leave after putting on my clothes, but the buttons on my shirt had been ripped off, causing my shirt to gape open. Thus, I had no way of leaving when I was barely decent. Recalling Michael''s frenzy back then, I grew all the more incensed, and I even wondered whether he did it intentionally. ¡°Aren''t you in a hurry to leave? Why are you not leaving?¡± Sitting up, Michael stared at me with a smirk, his eyes gleaming triumphantly. ¡°Do you think I can leave like this? Michael Shaw, was it deliberate on your part? How am I supposed to leave when my shirt is now barely in one piece?¡± I plopped onto the edge of the bed. Irritation inundated me as I looked at the missing buttons on my shirt that could barely cover me up. ¡°Who would be able to have so much self-control when inmed with passion? Just take the initiative to strip next time, then I won''t be doing any damage to your clothes.¡± Instead of getting angered by my censure, Michael wore a smile on his face. ¡°Ugh! Why are you smiling? How am I supposed to leave in such a state?¡± As I shot daggers at him, I was seized by the urge to strangle him. He was so rough with me earlier, yet it''s as though he has forgotten all about it now! How utterly capricious! ¡°Don''t leave, then.¡± Getting out of bed, Michael slipped on his shirt gracefully. Then, he turned to me. ¡°I''m hungry, so go and cook something.¡± ¡°What did you just say? Cook? Why should I cook for you?¡± I rolled my eyes at him and remained seated on the bed without twitching a muscle. Why should I now cook for him when he wrecked me just now? Am I that cheap that I''ll still fall over myself to please him? ¡°You can choose not to do so, but you won''t be having any dinner either. You won''t be able to leave today, anyway.¡± When he said that, he had already dressed. He then left the bedroom without a backward nce, leaving me in the room alone. I waited for a long time, but he never came back. Don''t tell me he''s really nning to starve me? At that thought, apprehension gripped me. I was so livid at John this noon that I hadn''t even had lunch. Thus, I''m going to expire if I skip dinner as well! At that moment, I stole a peek at his dressing room. Then, I got to my feet. After a furtive nce at the door to ascertain that he hadn''t yet returned, I sneaked into the dressing room. I initially thought that it was merely a tiny space, but I then realized that it was enormous after stepping foot in it. In fact, it was even more spacious than the bedroom. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 The clothes hanging in the dressing room were all suits and shirts. Even the shoes in there were almost all ck leather shoes. Well, well... almost all his clothes are suits. In fact, I don''t see any casual clothes at all. I randomly snagged one of Michael''s white shirts and promptly put it on. My shirt wasn''t fit to be worn anymore, so I could only make do with his shirt. After all, I couldn''t possibly go about his house in my birthday suit. His shirt was very big, so it fell to midthigh on me. While it appeared rather odd, it was far better than my torn shirt. When I went downstairs, Michael was sitting in the living room with his legs crossed elegantly. As I looked at him from afar, I could sense the innate regality he exuded. Hearing my footsteps, he nced over his shoulder. The moment he saw that I was wearing his shirt, his alluring brows creased deeply. Gazing into his eyes, I suddenly remembered that he had mysophobia. Could it be that the look in his eyes now is of reproach because I''m wearing his shirt? ¡°My shirt is torn, so I have no choice but to wear yours temporarily. But don''t worry, for I''ll definitely wash it before returning it to you,¡± I hastily exined, looking at him anxiously. I was rather diffident since I took it without his permission. Despite that, he was still eyeing me up and down. I couldn''t fathom his thoughts, and precisely for that reason, I felt all the edgier. ¡°You know what, I''ll change out of it right away.¡± Hanging my head, I spun around to go upstairs and change out of the shirt after saying that morosely. How stingy! Is this necessary when I just wanted to borrow his shirt for a while? It''s of no consequence to him! When I was about to reach the staircase, Michael''s voice drifted over. ¡°Just leave it on since you''re already wearing it. I didn''t say anything.¡± His voice was cid as he spoke. Whirling around, I looked at him in delight as an inexplicable thrill shot through me. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and cook! Or are you waiting for me to cook?¡± As I started walking over to Michael, his voice rang out again. Stopping short, I threw him a disgruntled look before grousing, ¡°Why must I cook when you''ve got housekeepers?¡± Michael regarded me impatiently. ¡°You''re really mouthy, Anna! The housekeepers have the day off, so you go and cook!¡± Since he had said as much, I had no excuse to refuse anymore. Heaving a sigh, I dragged my feet to the kitchen. When I reached the refrigerator in the kitchen, I opened it, only to be greeted by bare shelves that held only tomatoes and eggs. ¡°Say, do you not eat usually? There are too few ingredients in the fridge,¡± I said to Michael in exasperation after ncing at the ingredients in the refrigerator. ¡°I rarely eat at home since I''m entertaining clients almost every day,¡± Michael, who was drinking coffee in the living room, answered nonchntly upon hearing my question. At his reply, I speechlessly curled my lips. He''s entertaining clients almost every day? I wonder how his perfect figure came to be when he''s not eating properly every day, I grumbled inwardly. However, I was also at a loss right then. What can I cook with a few tomatoes and eggs? I can''t be making scrambled eggs with tomatoes for the two of us, can I? After wracking my brains in the kitchen for what seemed an eternity, I finally decided on my signature dish - noodles. When I was swamped with work in the past, I used to cook noodles since I didn''t want to spend too much time and effort on cooking. After making scrambled eggs with tomatoes, I then cooked two bowls of noodles and carried them to the dining table. As I slipped off the apron, I uttered mildly to Michael, who was reading in the living room, ¡°Alright, dinner is ready.¡± Upon hearing my voice, he put down the book in his hands and strode toward me. With the corners of his lips tilted into a faint arc, he looked particrly captivating. But when he reached me and glimpsed the food on the table, his face fell. ¡°Anna, is this all you cooked for dinner after spending hours in the kitchen? You only cooked one dish?¡± He gaped at me incredulously while pointing at one of the bowls of noodles, his voice filled with disbelief. ¡°Why are you still asking when you can clearly see for yourself? I didn''t want to cook such a simple fare either, but there''s literally nothing in your fridge,¡± I griped, pursing my lips. Then, I shifted a bowl to my front and poured half of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes into the noodles. Seeing that, Michael''s brows scrunched even deeper, and he eyed me with disdain. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°What are you doing, Anna? Is this sow feed that you mixed everything?¡± What? Sow feed? How dare he say that? I bustled about in the kitchen for hours, yet he said the food I cooked is like sow feed? He has really gone overboard! ¡°Michael Shaw, what did you mean by that? You should''ve just told me if you didn''t want to eat instead of wasting my time!¡± Despite the abysmal fare, I prepared it with much care. For that reason, chagrin flooded me when he scoffed at the food. ¡°Is it me who doesn''t want to eat or you who deliberately sabotaged me? How am I supposed to eat when this is all you cooked for dinner?¡± Crossing his arms, Michael stared at me in vexation. In response, I furiously shot him a re. Not wanting to bicker with him any further, I sat down and started eating. I hadn''t even had lunch after bustling about all day, so my stomach had been growling ages ago. As such, I was already content having a bowl of noodles with tomatoes and eggs. When Michael saw that I had started eating, he continued regarding me with his brows deeply knitted together and contempt on his face. But after a few minutes, he started wavering upon seeing my relish. Sitting down across from me, he stared at the remaining scrambled eggs with tomatoes as though contemting whether he should eat. ¡°It doesn''t taste as awful as you imagine. Try it if you don''t believe me,¡± I urged with a raised brow. Hearing that, he eyed me dubiously. A long whileter, he decided to mix the eggs and tomatoes with the noodles as I did. At the sight of his capittion despite his disdainful expression, my mood inexplicably took a turn for the better. Michael took a forkful of noodles and stared at it for a long while before opening his mouth and tentatively trying a bite. Perhaps it was truly not as bad as he imagined, for he soon started eating with gusto. He ate faster than me, yet his movements were no less elegant. It was his first time eating my cooking, and for some inexplicable reason, a sense of warmth suffused me. The corners of my lips lifted slightly. Subsequently, I lowered my head and resumed eating silently. In no time, both our bowls were empty. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 I washed the bowls and put them away while Michael sat at the dining table with his gaze locked on me. Walking over to him, I stared at him. After a moment''s hesitation, I murmured, ¡°Why don''t you drive me home now that we''d both had dinner?¡± In truth, I didn''t want him to drive me home at all. Nheless, I didn''t want people to look at me spectively either as I traversed the streets in his shirt. ¡°Did I say you''re allowed to leave tonight? Stay the night here and leave tomorrow.¡± I initially thought he would agree to drive me home, but to my surprise, he wasn''t nning to let me leave at all. ¡°No. I still have to go to work tomorrow morning. Besides, I have something important to tell Natalie tonight.¡± I must tell Natalie about my conversation with that scumbag, John Young, today. I won''t allow her to be hurt any further. That scumbag isn''t worthy of her love at all, so I''ve got to expose his true colors as soon as possible so that she won''t be fooled anymore! ¡°I''m also going to the office tomorrow, so I''ll drive you. As for whatever you want to tell Natalie, just tell her tomorrow night.¡± Although I was anxious to tell Natalie about the matter, Michael wasn''t at all bothered, showing no signs of relenting. Livid, I frowned and red at him furiously. Jeez, he''s always so domineering, not allowing others an opportunity to decline at all! ¡°Michael Shaw!¡± I called out his name in frustration, wanting to argue further. ¡°That''s enough. Why are you in such a hurry when it''s not a matter of life and death?¡± His gaze turned aggravated upon seeing that I was in such a hurry to leave, no doubt growing testy at my insistence. ¡°But I really have something very important to tell her!¡± I looked at him anxiously, hoping that he would have a crisis of conscience and allow me to leave. However, reality proved that I regarded him too highly. He didn''t give a fig whether I had anything to do, for he only cared about whether I was going to stay the night. ¡°Do you believe that I''ll take you right here and now if you dare say another word, Anna?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Frowning, Michael gazed at me in annoyance. Getting to his feet, he stalked toward me. All at once, panic struck me, and I swiftly backed away. Despite my impatience to leave, the aversion within me grew when I recalled his high-handedness toward me that afternoon. Once again, I chose topromise. Inwardly, I resolved to tell Natalie about John tomorrow. Therefore, I stayed at Michael''s mansion that night. And in the middle of the night, we inevitably ended up in a tangle of limbs. That was precisely why he asked me to stay the night. After all, my rtionship with him was only limited to the physical sense. When I woke up early the next morning, he was no longer sleeping beside me. That was the first time we ever spent the entire night together. For some reason, there was no awkwardness despite it being my first time sleeping with a man next to me. On the contrary, I slumbered deeply. However, a sliver of disappointment crept into me upon seeing that he was long gone while I was still lying on the huge bed in his bedroom. Putting on his shirt, I went downstairs. By then, the housekeeper had already prepared breakfast. When the housekeeper saw me descending the stairs, a sh of surprise flittered across her eyes. But immediately after, a smile bloomed on her face. She was up in years, so it probably took her no time to figure out what I did with Michaelst night. At theprehension in her eyes, my face flushed from embarrassment, and I hurried over to Michael. Sitting down across from him, I started eating breakfast. Nevertheless, I was uneasy with the housekeeper standing at the side. After eating a few bites, I all but lost my appetite. At that moment, I only wanted to leave as soon as possible. Fortunately, Michael was going to the office today, so I wasn''t worried that he would continue keeping me here. He was the CEO of a huge corporation, after all, so he couldn''t bezing around every day. ¡°Please drive me home now. I''ve got to hurry back and change. Otherwise, I''m going to bete for work,¡± I couldn''t help reminding him even as I watched him slip on his jacket elegantly after having finished breakfast. ¡°I''ll drive you to the office. I''ve already prepared an attire for you, so go and change,¡± Michael ordered mildly, pointing at a box on the couch. At that moment, his expression was so calm and unruffled that it was bereft of emotion. He looked like an entirely different person from the passionate man in bedst night. He was as wild as a beast between the sheets but cold as ice during other times, switching between two extremes. Staring at the box on the couch, I hesitated for a moment before taking it. Since he wasn''t nning on driving me home, I had no choice but to change into whatever he prepared for me. He left me no room to decline the offer. In the box was a light green dress. The fabric felt silky smooth andfortable. Hmm... this looks like a high-end dress. Oh well, that makes sense. He''s a CEO, so he probably won''t be able to bring himself to buy something cheap by the roadside. I went to the bathroom and changed into the dress. It fit me perfectly as though tailored for me. Surprise flooded me that he knew my size. After all, our rtionship wasn''t so intimate that we discussed such a thing. When I descended the stairs after changing, a glimmer of marvel shed across Michael''s eyes as he stared at me. His lips curved into a faint arc. ¡°Not bad. This dress suits you well.¡± Michael''s scrutiny remained on me, his gaze filled with satisfaction. ¡°How much was this dress? I''ll pay you back.¡± Despite knowing that the dress was definitely costly, I decided to pay him back. Honestly speaking, I was the kind of person who usually loathed mooching off others. Besides, the dress was from him, and our rtionship made it so that I couldn''t quite bring myself to ept any gifts from him. ¡°It''s a gift from me, so I won''t be asking you to pay me back,¡± Michael countered coolly with an arched brow. ¡°No, I insist. Our rtionship is merely that of friends with benefits, so you don''t need to give me any gifts.¡± Delight imbued me upon hearing that the dress was a gift from him, but I simply couldn''t ept it because of our rtionship. ¡°Anna, you''re certain you want to pay me back?¡± His face darkened at my repeated demurrals, and his gaze was stained with a hint of ire. ¡°How could I allow you to spend money on buying me gifts when we''re not dating? Well? How much was this dress?¡± ¡°The price is in the box, so see for yourself.¡± His expression was dour, and his voice had also turned much colder. Ignoring whatever he might be thinking, I opened the box again and glimpsed a receipt. But the moment I saw the price indicated on it, I almost had a heart attack. Regret swamped me for having insisted on paying him back. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 The four-figure price on the receipt had me almost passing out. Precisely speaking, it was five thousand nine hundred and ny-nine. Oh my God, it''s just a dress, yet it actually cost nearly six thousand? Is it iid with gold or what? My pay was only seven or eight thousand a month, so my heart clenched at the thought of spending six thousand on a dress. I looked at Michael in confliction. It wasn''t that I couldn''t afford to buy the dress, but I was really reluctant to spend close to a month''s sry on a dress. ¡°I didn''t know this dress was actually that expensive...¡± I muttered lowly as I eyed him sheepishly. Upon glimpsing the smugness in his eyes, I was gripped by the urge to p myself hard. Argh! Why did I insist on paying him back? I''m simply making trouble for myself! ¡°Didn''t you say you were going to pay me back for the dress? Well, you can do so now.¡± Michael stared at me, his voice brimming with provocation. ¡°Um... can I pay you back in a few days? I don''t have that much money right now.¡± It''s a king''s ransom of six thousand! How am I going to get so much money to pay him back now? If it weren''t for the fact that I''ve got no clothes to wear, I''d simply whip it off immediately and return it to him. Then, I wouldn''t have to spend six thousand on a dress! ¡°Sure.¡± Michael sounded s¨¦. Truth be told, the price of the dress was a drop in the bucket to him since the amount of money he made in a day was sufficient for him to buy tens of thousands of dresses. ¡°Uh... can I pay you back in installments?¡± In actual fact, I had wired my pay back home for my father to buy supplements. Every time I was paid, the money was only sufficient for me to survive, so it would really take me forever to pay him back six thousand for the dress. ¡°It''s just a dress, yet you want to pay me in installments? How poor are you, Anna?¡± Quirking an eyebrow, Michael regarded me in astonishment with a skeptical gaze. ¡°Truly, I''m destitute. I''ve sent all my money home, so I don''t have any extra money to pay you back. Can I pay you five hundred every month?¡± I negotiated gingerly as I gazed into his eyes. Propping a hand against his forehead, Michael looked at me speechlessly. ¡°I don''t need you to give me any money. Just use the money to buy groceries. In the future, I''ll go and have dinner often at the apartment I bought. When I notify you, you''ve got to cook for me.¡± Huh? He wants me to cook again? Why is he so adamant about having me cook when he has housekeepers? Besides, my cooking tastes quite awful. Honestly speaking, I was averse to his suggestion. But what if he asks me to pay him back immediately were I to decline? I don''t have that much money right now. After mulling it over, I relented with a nod without saying anything further. When I concurred, I seemingly caught a glint of triumph in his eyes. In a sh, the feeling of having been tricked swept over me. Nheless, I shook my head and convinced myself that I was reading too much into things. Why would a man like him trick me? Besides, it won''t benefit him in any way. Subsequently, I went to the office in his car. When he parked the car in the underground parking, I hastily alighted when no one was there, afraid that someone would spot me. In the past, he had warned me more than once that no one was to know about our rtionship. For that reason, I had to be on guard every time I was with him due to the fear of discovery. I knew full well that he didn''t want others to learn about our rtionship, nor did I. After all, people would definitely look down on me if they knew that we were friends with benefits. When I arrived at the office, I swiftly straightened the documents on my table. Having taken the day off yesterday, there was a mountain of documents piled up. Letting out a sigh, I snagged a document from the table and started flipping through it. Before I had even settled down, Michael made an appearance in our department. His presence created quite a stir since he rarely visited the advertisementpany. Across from me, adtion shone in Millie''s eyes when she caught sight of Michael. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Anna, Mr. Shaw arrived just a moment after you. Don''t tell me the two of you came together?¡± Millie rapped on my table, staring at me in anticipation. Hearing that, my heart lurched. I looked at her in panic even as I inwardly wondered whether she had discovered my rtionship with Michael. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? How could I possibly havee with Mr. Shaw? He''s a bigshot, so it''s impossible that I''m that close with him...¡± I blurted anxiously. Right then, my heart felt as though it was going to pound out of my chest. ¡°Whoa, you''re really nervous! I''m just joking with you, so take it easy,¡± Millie eximed in amusement at the sight of my panicked expression. Only when I heard that did I breathe a sigh of relief. Oh God, I was really on the verge of a heart attack just now, thinking that she''d discovered my rtionship with Michael! ¡°Don''t simply make such a joke in the future to avoid unnecessary trouble,¡± I chided, throwing her a reproaching look after having calmed down. ¡°Alright, I got it. I won''t simply make such a joke in the future. Mr. Shaw is the Prince Charming of all the female employees here, so they''ll really cry their hearts out if you''re in a rtionship with him.¡± Despite knowing that Millie was joking with me, I couldn''t help feeling apprehensive and flustered. Good Lord, Michael seems to be everyone''s Prince Charming, and many female employees are desperate to get together with him! If they were to learn about my rtionship with him, my life in the office would definitely be a living hell henceforth! Irritated at the subject, I frowned before looking at Millie and saying, ¡°Alright, let''s not talk about this first. Mr. Shaw seems to have something to say.¡± Michael''s arrival created a hugemotion. When the newly-appointed department manager heard of it, he immediately rushed over to greet him. ¡°Is something the matter that you''re gracing us with your presence out of the blue today, Mr. Shaw?¡± the department manager asked Michael deferentially. Despite hearing his question, Michael didn''t answer him. Instead, he pped his hands, getting all eyes on him. ¡°I''m going to set up a temporary office in Joyful Sess for the next six months, and I''ll be here every day for the entire duration. I want to monopolize the advertisement industry in half a year.¡± His voice was low and deep, the words out of his mouth inherently arrogant. If it were anyone else, everyone would have certainly taken it as a joke. But the person speaking was Michael, and no one doubted his capabilities in the business world. When the female employees heard that, many of them appeared thrilled as if there were stars in their eyes. Since their Prince Charming was going to spend the next six months with them, those with ulterior motives naturally felt that it was the golden opportunity to bag him. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Many of the female employees seemed excited, but I was rather distressed. Oh God, I''m going to be seeing Michael every single day if he''s going to be here daily for the next six months! At the thought that I would see him every day, I couldn''t quite tell whether I was delighted or flustered. But can our rtionship remain under wraps if we''re going to see each other every day? I stared into Michael''s eyes. Coincidentally, he happened to look in my direction. His lips curved into a faint arc, adding a hint of warmth to his already handsome countenance. As some sharp-eyed female employees caught him looking at me, their eyes radiated envy. Sensing the many hostile gazes, I hastily retracted my gaze, no longer daring to gaze at him. At that moment, I couldn''t help pitying myself. Damn it, his look earlier must have garnered me a boatload of enemies! Women''s jealousy is truly terrifying! Millie had also noticed Michael''s gaze on me. Rapping on my table, she regarded me excitedly. ¡°Did you see that, Anna? Mr. Shaw was looking at you!¡± Upon hearing her remark, I heaved a sigh of exasperation. Good grief! I wonder what those women who idolize Michael thinks of me when even Millie is all aflutter! After that nce, Michael shifted his gaze away. Seeing that he was no longer looking at me, I finally breathed easier. As he was going to set up an office here, many of the female employees volunteered to help with the motive of having more opportunities to be in contact with him. To avoid others learning about our rtionship and making enemies in the office, I quietly buried my head in work. In no time, the day passed. As soon as it was time to get off work, I hurriedly packed up to leave. No matter what, I was resolved to tell Natalie about John''s infidelity that night. I couldn''t put it off any longer. I had just stepped out of the office building when my cell phone started ringing. Upon seeing that it was a call from Natalie, I promptly answered it. ¡°Natalie, I''ve got something to tell you when I get home. It''s a very crucial matter,¡± I anxiously blurted the moment I picked up the call. ¡°I''ve got something to tell you as well, Anna. It''s good news!¡± On the other end of the phone, Natalie sounded rather excited. ¡°What good news?¡± I inquired in puzzlement, my brows knitting together. ¡°I...¡± Natalie started hemming and hawing at my question. At that, I became all the more anxious. ¡°What exactly is it? Spit it out.¡± For some reason, a feeling of dread welled within me though she hadn''t yet told me what the good news was. After all, few matters would render her hesitant and embarrassed, considering her usual s¨¦ attitude. Sure enough, the words out of her mouth next was a bolt of lightning to me. ¡°Anna, I was with Johnst night, and we... did it...¡± After saying that shyly, Natalie tapered off. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Meanwhile, I stilled, and my face drained of color. ¡°It¡± definitely referred to doing the deed. I was no innocent virgin, after all, so I understood her meaning at once. All at once, my mind went nk. When I finally snapped back to my senses, rage zed within me. They had been dating for a long time, yet John had never been intimate with Natalie. Nheless, they did the deed the very night I found out that he was a scumbag. As such, I had every reason to suspect that he did it deliberately. I clutched my cell phone hard without saying a single word. Right then, fury was raging within me. ¡°Anna, why aren''t you saying anything all of a sudden?¡± Seemingly having sensed something off, Natalie uncertainly called out my name. ¡°Why were you so foolish, Natalie? How could you give yourself to him when the two of you aren''t married yet?¡± I chastised her hotly after having gathered my wits about me. I initially wanted to tell her that John was a scumbag, but I now didn''t quite know to say it when they had been intimate. Once a woman had been intimate with a man, her feelings for him would deepen. Natalie loved him deeply in the first ce, so she would definitely be all the more attached after they had been intimate. I was at a total loss; I didn''t know what I should do or how I should tell her about John cheating on her. Likely having not expected my anger, Natalie was silent for a moment before she asked in bafflement, ¡°What''s wrong with you, Anna? Why are you suddenly so enraged?¡± Her voice was cautious on the other end of the phone. ¡°Why did you give yourself to himst night, Natalie? The two of you have only dated for a brief time, yet you allowed him to bed you. Do you really know him? What if he''s a scumbag?¡± My anger grew as I thought about it, and my voice took on a hint of reproach. I was usually even-tempered and had never lost my temper with her. This time, however, I was truly panicked. I didn''t want to censure her, but I was worried about her. Natalie was stunned upon hearing that. It was a long while before she finally replied, ¡°Anna, why are you fretting so much? I''m already a grown woman. I''m not a child, so I know what I''m doing. Besides, John told me that he truly loved mest night and promised to marry me.¡± Argh! She has beenpletely duped by his sweet words and empty promises. She has no inkling how much of a scumbag he truly is. He''s going to marry her? I''m never going to believe that! It''s clear as day that he''s merely toying with her feelings! ¡°You''re really too naive, Natalie. Do you know that he''s actually a scumbag? He doesn''t really love you!¡± I was increasingly frantic now that Natalie was head over heels for him, for the more she invested into the rtionship, the greater her hurt would be. She was my best friend, so I couldn''t just twiddle my thumbs, knowing that she would end up hurt. However, Natalie didn''t understand my intention. After I had blurted those remarks heatedly, she was likewise peeved. ¡°Anna, how could say that about John? How could you simply say that he''s a scumbag? He''s now my boyfriend, so please don''t say such things, if only for my sake.¡± I could tell that Natalie was suppressing her anger when she said that. If it weren''t for the fact that I was her best friend, she would probably havembasted me ages ago. I was aware that I was indeed too emotional earlier, but I was truly worried about her. ¡°I''m sorry, Natalie. I was too emotional just now. How about this? I''m going to arrive home soon, so let''s talk about this in personter, okay?¡± As things hade to this, I had no choice but to tell her everything about John. While it would hurt her, the pain would definitely be far greater were she to discover it herself in the future. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Then, I hung up the phone. Having done so, I hailed a taxi and rushed over to Natalie''s house. About half an hourter, I arrived at her house. By then, she was already home. The moment I opened the door and stepped in, I was greeted by the sight of Natalie cheerfully washing fruits and John sitting on the couch in the living room. Upon seeing the scumbag, my wrath red at once. How dare he show his face here? Just when I was about toy into him, Natalie spotted me and quickly ushered me in. ¡°You''re back, Anna? Quick,e and have some fruits. I bought a lot on my way home.¡± Coming over to me, Natalie took my arm and dragged me into the house. At that moment, John had also caught sight of me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me was smug and defiant. As she pulled me into the house, I pointed at John on the couch and turned to her with barely restrained anger. ¡°Why is he here? Didn''t I say I''ve got something important to tell you? Why did you bring him home?¡± Initially, I was going to tell her that he was a scumbag. But now that he was here, I was truly caught in a difficult position. ¡°Anna, John and I are already the most intimate person to the other, so just say whatever it is in front of him. It''s okay.¡± At present, Natalie had already opened her heart to John andpletely entrusted herself to him. Frustration enveloped me right then. I didn''t know how to tell her all the things I had to say. Furthermore, she might not believe me anymore even if I were to tell her everything then. ¡°Nat, don''t be so naive, will you? Do you know that he''s a scumbag?¡± I proimed loudly as I pointed at John, the reins on my fury snapping. Natalie was visibly taken aback for a moment, probably taken off guard by my sudden outburst. When she snapped out of her stupor, she looked at me in chagrin. ¡°What are you saying, Anna? How could you say that about John? He''s now my boyfriend!¡± That was also the first time Natalie had ever raised her voice to me. ¡°Natalie, he''s really not a decent person, so don''t be taken in by him! Do you know that he has another woman out there, and he has even slept with her?¡± Regardless of whether she would be angry at me, I decided to tell her about it. She would know sooner orter, and the pain would only be greater as time went past. When Natalie heard that, she frowned and regarded me irately. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Despite the absurdity of my statement to her, it still aroused her suspicions since we had been best friends for many years. With a frown marring her face, she eyed John with suspicion clouding her gaze. Upon seeing that my words were working on Natalie, John promptly sprang to his feet and exined urgently, ¡°I don''t know what your friend is saying, Nat! Why would she nder me like this? I love you wholeheartedly, and you should know that better than anyone else.¡± His gaze was unwavering as he stared at Natalie with all the affection in the world. Being besotted with him then, Natalie would naturally trust him, but I could see the panic in his eyes. ¡°But why would Anna say that you''re cheating on me? She''s my best friend.¡± I could tell that she was wavering because of his words. While she wouldn''t doubt me, she probably trusted him more right then. ¡°Are you doubting me, Natalie? I''m your boyfriend. How could you believe an outsider over me?¡± John likely didn''t expect Natalie to be swayed by my words, for his expression turned a touch frantic. Seeing the suspicion that remained in Natalie''s eyes, he abruptly turned to look at me, his eyes zing with fury. ¡°Ms. Garcia, why are you ndering me when I have no past grievances with you? Natalie and I love each other, so why must you concoct such a story to ruin our rtionship?¡± Every single word out of his mouth sounded exceedingly caustic. I merely stared at him coldly with derision in my eyes. Hah! He''s obviously feeling stricken by guilt now, yet he''s still ying the victim and questioning me instead. How absolutely shameless! ¡°You know best whether I''m ndering you and trying to ruin your rtionship. As I said, John Young, I''ll never allow you to hurt Natalie!¡± I retorted without giving him an inch. There was no longer any pretense of civility between us, so I was determined toy everything into the open and reveal his true colors to Natalie. ¡°You''re going too far, Ms. Garcia. I really love Natalie, so how could I possibly do anything to betray her? I don''t know why you''re ndering me such, but don''t you feel guilty for ruining our rtionship when Nat is your friend?¡± On the surface, John appeared truly unshaken. If I hadn''t met him before or overheard the woman''s voice when I called him, even I myself would have felt that it was me lying. Frowning, I stared at him coldly. Haha, how ridiculous! He''s the one who betrayed Natalie, yet he''s now twisting the truth and pinning the me on me! He''s really the worst among scumbags! ¡°Nat, I merely don''t want you to suffer the same betrayal I did. He''s really a scumbag, so don''t believe him.¡± Not wanting to argue further with John, I shifted my gaze back to Natalie after throwing him a furious look. At that moment, Natalie regarded John and me with confliction written all over her face; she didn''t quite know who to believe. I looked at her seriously as apprehension flooded me. I was worried that she would still be duped by John, for a scumbag like him would go to any lengths to attain his goal. ¡°Don''t believe her, Nat. I truly love you and want to be with you.¡± Afraid that Natalie would believe me over him, John quickly grasped her hands and looked at her earnestly. Natalie stared into his eyes, and both of them were silent. I knew that a woman would generally choose to believe the man when she had truly fallen in love with him despite knowing that he was merely stringing her along. I once felt the same way, and I believed that the same applied to Natalie. Back then, I only epted the reality that I had been betrayed because I saw Justin and Mabel in bed with my own eyes. However, the situation was different for Natalie. She was merely hearing it from me, so she would still choose to believe John no matter her misgivings. Once a woman invested her feelings in a rtionship, she would never give up. Even if the possibility of the man''s words being true was negligible, she would still choose to believe him without the slightest hesitation. Sure enough, Natalie''s subsequent reaction proved my conjecture right. Turning, she looked at me with irritation in her eyes and a deep frown marring her face. ¡°Anna, I know you''re traumatic after having suffered a betrayal and feel that all men in this world are faithless. However, John isn''t Justin. I trust that he won''t do anything to betray me.¡± In the end, she chose to believe John. While I had expected that, the fact that she ripped my wound open at such a time had a wave of sorrow washing over me. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 I was telling her all of this for her own good, but not only did she refuse to believe me, she even thought that I found all men in the world unreliable because I had been hurt before. We were initially talking about her, but the spotlight was abruptly shifted to me. I couldn''t help but feel sad when she exposed my scars right in front of John. ¡°Natalie, don''t you trust me?¡± I peered into Natalie''s eyes and pressed further, refusing to ept this reality. ¡°John is my boyfriend, and I''ve given him my everything, so I believe that he loves me,¡± meeting my gaze, Natalie said with certainty. Hearing Natalie''s answer, my heart sank to my stomach. It was clear she was determined to trust John. ¡°Why won''t you believe me? He admitted it to me himself. We''ve been friends for so many years. You know I''d never lie to you.¡± I remained undeterred because I hoped she''d believe me. If it were someone else, I wouldn''t bother at all. But because she was my best friend who had stayed by my side through my most difficult times, I couldn''t just stand by and watch when she was tangled up with a scumbag like John. ¡°It''s exactly because you''re my best friend that I''m willing to tolerate this, Anna. From now on, I don''t wanna hear you say another bad word about John. He''s my boyfriend, and I choose to trust him!¡± Seeing as I was persisting, Natalie''s eyes filled with anger. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Her unflinching gaze was enough proof that she didn''t believe me. Realizing this, a wave of disappointment washed over me. We''ve been friends for so many years. Does our friendship mean nothingpared to a man she''s known for a few short months? They wouldn''t have slept togetherst night if John didn''t deliberately instigate it, and I''m sure it''s because he knew I''d tell Natalie about his infidelity. That''s why he acted first. At that moment, I regretted not telling Natalie about John''s true colors the previous night itself. If only I had contacted her earlier, John wouldn''t have gotten his way. However, it was already toote. ¡°Nat, I''m really doing this for your own good. Please, open your eyes and look at the truth.¡± I walked forward and anxiously grabbed Natalie''s hand. But my insistence only served to further anger Natalie. She flung off my hand and red vehemently at me. ¡°That''s enough, Anna. If you keep saying stuff that''s harmful to my rtionship with John, I''ll never talk to you again! Ever!¡± Her words hurt me deeply. I looked at her with sorrowful eyes, but besides rage, I couldn''t detect any other emotion on her face. She had left a huge dent in my pride by saying that. For John, she had actually threatened to end our friendship. ¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have interfered. I''ll move out immediately. I won''t disturb the two of you.¡± My face paled, and I rushed into my bedroom right after saying this. Since things had alreadye to this between Natalie and me, I felt like I had overstayed my wee. After taking out my suitcase, I put in my clothes with red-rimmed eyes. This friendship meant a lot to me, but because of a scumbag, Natalie had actually threatened to end it. I was well and truly hurt by her words. Not wanting to stay here a second longer, I randomly stuffed my clothes into my suitcase. I couldn''t believe exposing a b*stard like John had ended up souring my friendship with Natalie. Soon, I was done packing my things. When I dragged my suitcase out and walked through the living room, Natalie came over and looked at me hesitantly. ¡°Anna, I didn''t mean what I said earlier. I wasn''t going to break off our friendship. I only said it in a fit of anger,¡± Natalie exined to me anxiously, and a trace of sadness appeared in her eyes when she nced at my suitcase. ¡°It''s fine. I''m gonna go now,¡± I replied and continued dragging my suitcase out. Although I said it was fine, I still felt indignant on the inside. After all, the two of us had been friends for so many years, yet, she didn''t trust me. ¡°Anna, I was, by no means, chasing you out. You can continue staying here as long as you stop bad- mouthing about John,¡± Natalie walked up to me and held my hand, persuading me to stay. At first, I was overjoyed that she wanted me to stay, but when I heard thest part of her sentence, my heart instantly plummeted. I initially wanted to give her a few more words of advice, but when I thought about herplete trust in John, I knew that no amount of advice would make her believe me. Instead, she would get even more infuriated. Hence, I made a wiser decision - to remain silent. ¡°There''s no need for that. My presence here will only further destroy your rtionship. It''s better if I leave.¡± With that, I swiveled on my heels and left Natalie''s house, but not before glimpsing the triumph in John''s eyes. With me gone, he''d probably be more brazen since he no longer had to be afraid I would tell Natalie that he was cheating on her. After leaving, I walked on the sidewalk alone with my suitcase in hand. All of a sudden, I didn''t know where to go. When Justin betrayed me, Natalie took me in. After such a long time, I had already regarded her home as my own. Now that I left, I was lost. Tears welled up in my eyes, so I tilted my head backward to prevent them from falling down my cheeks. I kept telling myself that it wasn''t a big deal and that Natalie would one day see John''s true colors. But where should I go now? It''s already sote. I won''t be able to rent a ce sost minute. Just as I was walking aimlessly on the road, nning to put up at a hotel for the night, my phone rang with an iing call. I stopped in my tracks to take out my phone from my pocket. Upon seeing Michael''s caller ID shing across the screen, I hesitated for a moment before answering the call. Already in a bad mood, I didn''t bother being courteous and merely asked in a cold voice, ¡°Why are you calling me sote at night?¡± Knowing that Michael wouldn''t call me for anything else besides sex, I wasn''t in the mood to deal with him. If he hadn''t forced me to stay the previous night, I would''ve told Natalie all the things John had done, and my friendship with her wouldn''t have be so strained. ¡°What''s with the attitude, Anna?¡± Michael was never a good-tempered man, to begin with. Hence, my biting tone instantly infuriated him. I was already annoyed enough as it was. After hearing his chiding tone, my own anger surged. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 ¡°What''s with the attitude? I was already being very polite to you. All of this is your fault. If it weren''t for you, things would never have turned out this way!¡± Michael''s voice had stoked the mes in me, and I couldn''t stop myself from venting all my anger on him. If he hadn''t stopped me from leaving the previous night, Natalie would never have been with John, and things wouldn''t have escted to this point. To be frank, I had never gotten this angry at Michael before. After saying my piece, the line went silent for a long time. When he spoke again, his voice had grown icier. ¡°You must''ve lost your mind. Do you know who you''re talking to, Anna?¡± Just from hearing his voice, I could picture the grim expression on his face. ¡°I''m not in the mood to talk to you right now. I have more important stuff to do, or I might end up sleeping on the streets tonight!¡± Even though I was in a very bad mood and was in dire need of a punching bag, the most important to do right then was to find a ce to stay for the night. After all, I really didn''t want to sleep on the streets. I wanted to hang up the call right after that, but Michael''s voice sounded again from the other end of the line. ¡°Sleeping on the streets? Where are you now?¡± Perhaps he noticed something amiss, for his tone had softened a lot. ¡°I''m on the streets with nowhere to go. Happy?¡± I snapped, then ended the call straight, unwilling to hear Michael''s voice anymore. Nothing good ever came from meeting with him. Under normal circumstances, I''d still worry about whether or not I had offended him. But right then, that was the least of my worries. My best friend and I were on bad terms, so I couldn''t care less about what he thought. After ending the call, I went to a few nearby hotels, but they were all so expensive. Checking the time, I sighed helplessly when I saw that it was already ten at night. I was caught in a bind, wondering if I should spend two to three hundred to stay in a hotel for the night because my only other option was sleeping on the streets. If it were in the past, I wouldn''t be so indecisive, but after my dad had surgery, he needed to consume medication every day to maintain his health, which totaled up to arge amount of money. Thus, I had to save as much as possible now. Just when I finally made up my mind to check into a hotel room, a honk sounded from behind me. Anyone would be irritated by that harsh sound when it was sote at night, and I was no exception. I spun around in annoyance to look behind me, but I was stunned when I read the license te number. Isn''t that Michael''s car? Shouldn''t he be sleeping? What''s he doing here sote at night? Don''t tell me he wants to experience doing it in a small hotel? I clearly remembered that he chose a five-star hotel just to have sex previously. Hence, there was no way he was here to get a room. I stood rooted to the spot, wondering if I should go over to say hi. Just then, Michael poked his head out of the car window and frowned at me. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get in!¡± Only after hearing his voice did I regain my senses and walk toward his car. Fully aware that saying no wasn''t an option whenever it came to him, I popped my suitcase in the back and got into the car. I had only just sat down when the car shot forward. ¡°Why did youe here all of a sudden? Do you need me for something?¡± I had yelled at him over the phone earlier because I felt pretty bold. But now that I was seeing him in the flesh, all that courage had vanishedpletely. ¡°To see if you''re really sleeping on the streets.¡± Michael shot me a re and continued driving. Upon hearing that, I felt upset all over again as I recalled the reason I had moved out of Natalie''s house. I gave Michael the side-eye and said in an usatory tone, ¡°This is all because of you. If you didn''t stop me from leavingst night, Nat and I wouldn''t have gotten into an argument.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°What does being kicked out of the house by your friend have anything to do with me?¡± I med it all on Michael because it made me feel better, but he wasn''t one to take usations lying down. Initially, I wanted to divulge the entire story to him, but on second thought, it wasn''t like there was anything going on between us. Hence, there was no reason I would tell him about what happened between me and Natalie. ¡°Forget it. Now that things have alreadye to such an extent, it''s useless to say anything. I''m just worried Natalie will be fooled by that b*stard she has as a boyfriend. Her total faith in him doesn''t make it any better.¡± The thought of Natalie''splete trust in John made me increasingly distressed. Natalie was a very sentimental person. Her feelings for John would only grow stronger over time, and I was worried she wouldn''t be able to ept it when she finally saw John for who he truly was. ¡°You should worry about yourself instead. You''ve already been kicked out by your friend, yet you''re still in the mood to care about her wellbeing?¡± Michael nced at my suitcase and said pointedly. His sarcastic tone only worsened my already bad mood, and how I wish I could throw a string of curses at him. But of course, I didn''t have that courage. ¡°I understand where Natalie''sing from. Sooner orter, she''ll realize that I only did it for her own good.¡± ¡°So, what''s your n? You''re not really going to sleep on the streets, are you?¡± Michael said in a toneless voice. ¡°I''m nning to look for a ce within two days. I can''t keep staying in Natalie''s house anyway.¡± In fact, I already had ns to move out of her ce quite some time ago. I felt bad for staying at her ce for so long without needing to pay any rent. ¡°You don''t need to find a ce. Just move into the house in Birchwood. No one''s staying there anyway.¡± Michael''s eyes remained focused on the road as he suggested nonchntly. He was always so indifferent and rarely wore any other expressions on his face. Sometimes, I even wondered if he was a cold-blooded creature instead. The set of house keys given by him earlier was for that house in Birchwood. Actually, it was probably best to move there. Not only could I save money on rent, but it was also closer to my office. The problem was, that house belonged to Michael, so I''d constantly feel like a kept woman if I moved in like that. On the one hand, I really wanted to save on rent to buy more supplements for my dad, but on the other, I couldn''t ept the feeling of being a kept woman. ¡°Do you think you have a choice right now? You can barely support yourself, Anna. Even the cheapest rent in the city is probably more than one thousand per month. Do you think you can afford it?¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Every time I was caught in a dilemma, as long as he spoke, I''d find myself relenting. He was right; I had too much on my te now. Although my dad was recovering well, he still needed a lot of drugs to maintain his health since he only recently went for surgery, and I was the only one in the family they could rely on. I actually had a younger brother, but he was irresponsible and never had a proper job. Taking responsibility for our parents was asking for too much. As a matter of fact, I''d already been counting our lucky stars if he didn''t ask them for money. Hence, all the family burdens rested on my shoulders alone. When my dad was still in good health, my life was much easier. But now that his health was deteriorating, I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. ¡°Since you can''t afford it, just forget about your worthless dignity and listen to me,¡± he rebuked, as though reading my mind. I was irked by his attitude and choice of words, but I really didn''t have a choice. ¡°Thank you.¡± Although I knew what his purpose was, he provided me a ce to stay, after all, and I was grateful for that. Without that house, I might really have to sleep on the streets. The car sped along the road, and we arrived at Birchwood within ten minutes. He went upstairs with me. It didn''t take a genius to know what was going to happen when a man and a woman were alone in the dead of night. Needless to say, I was in no mood to entertain him after getting into an argument with Natalie. But unfortunately, this house belonged to him, so I couldn''t very well ask him to leave. Thus, I could only suppress all my emotions. After entering the house, I dragged my suitcase to the bedroom and started unpacking. I was going to live here from this day onward, and I didn''t know what I should feel about that. Michael followed me into the bedroom and disregarded that I was unpacking as he started directly hugging me from behind and started kissing my neck. His actions sent a tingling sensation throughout my body. I knew that this man was wanting some tonight. But then again, this was how he always was whenever he was around me. ¡°Michael, I''m still sorting out my clothes. Besides, it''s gettingte, and we still have to work tomorrow.¡± I didn''t push him away, but I tried dissuading him in a small voice. After such a long time, I started to understand his character. Pushing him away would undoubtedly evoke his anger as he was someone who was open to persuasion but never coercion. ¡°There''s no hurry. Since you''ll be living here from now on, you can sort out your stuff any time.¡± Lifting a lock of my hair, he twirled it around his slender finger with a seductive smile on his lips. My heart sank because I knew nothing could get through to this man when he was aroused. Closing my eyes, I sighed in resignation and turned to lie t on the bed, waiting for him to take me and hoping that he''d finish it up quickly. Probably not expecting me to react like this, Michael raised a brow and said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°What are you doing, Anna?¡± I opened my eyes and countered in a dull voice, ¡°Isn''t sex what you want? Then do it quick. The faster you''re done with it, the sooner I can go to bed.¡± I thought he''d immediately pounce on me and quickly satisfy his needs, but he didn''t do that. ¡°Can''t you at least show some interest? Sex should be enjoyed by both sides, but you''re treating it like a chore.¡± His brows knitted into a deep frown, and discontent gleamed in his dark eyes. ¡°I''m surprised you know it should be enjoyed by both sides. You''re the only one who wants it tonight; I don''t. But if you insist, what choice do I have other than hope that you can finish up quickly?¡± I can''t believe he has the audacity to tell me it should be enjoyed by both sides. More often than not, he was the one who wanted it, so of course, I could only cooperate. ¡°Are you using my own words against me, Anna?¡± He raised his voice slightly as rage lined his handsome features. I met his gaze daringly and retorted, ¡°I''m just stating a fact. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°You''re the most disobedient one out of all the women I had!¡± Michael strode toward me with eyes that glinted with a strange light as if he was about to devour me whole at any second. I forced myself to maintain eye contact, unwilling to concede defeat. However, the dangerous gleam in his eyes was too much for me to bear, and I chickened out in the end, averting my gaze timidly. Between the two of us, I was always the one whopromised. Hence, I couldn''t believe that he called me disobedient. Come to think of it, why should I even obey him? We were merely friends with benefits. I wasn''t his mistress, and he wasn''t my keeper. He stared at me in silence as a storm brew in his inky eyes. At that moment, I could feel the dangerous aura he was emanating. Yes, I was a coward. That was why I backed down so quickly. ¡°Then what do you want from me? Just get on with it if you want to. It''s not like I''m rejecting you. Am I not obedient enough?¡± ¡°I''ll let you off tonight because you had a rough day, but tomorrow night, you''ll have to work twice as hard to satisfy me!¡± What he said surprised me, but I was relieved at the same time. I''m safe for tonight. Wait a second! Did he just say I''ll have to work twice as hard to satisfy him? Doesn''t that mean he''s coming again tomorrow night? Frantic, I snapped my eyes back to him. After getting my answer from the look on his face, my heart sank, and I felt like I had shot myself in the foot. ¡°I think it''s better that you don''te here so often. Even though you''re not a celebrity, you''re still a public figure. What if someone notices youing here so frequently and exposes our rtionship?¡± Knowing that Michael didn''t want people to know about us, I used the knowledge against him. It sounded like I was saying this for Michael''s sake, but as though he could see through me, he shot me a sideways nce and countered, ¡°You don''t need to worry about that. I have my own ways.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. I could never gain the upper hand over this man, so I didn''t bother saying anything because I knew it wouldn''t make a difference. Sighing helplessly, I went back to sorting out my clothes. He, on the other hand, left the house without another word. The tension instantly left my body, but I still felt uneasy being in an unfamiliar environment. Left alone with my own thoughts, I started to miss those days when I lived with Natalie. Although she was only my friend, we were more like family. Right then, I wasn''t sure if we could return to how we used to be. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 It was a sleepless night for me. When I looked into the mirror the next morning, I sighed irritably upon seeing the dark circles under my eyes. I prepared some breakfast for myself but didn''t have an appetite. Thus, I only ate a little bit and went to the office. Never did I expect Michael to be serious about working in Joyful Sess for half a year, but he actually set up his own office here. ncing at the temporary CEO''s office a short distance away, I began to worry about what happened with Michael the previous night. I felt skittish every time I saw him, so I really didn''t know how I was going to get through the next six months of seeing him every day. Fortunately for me, Michael was a workaholic and treated everyone else like thin air whenever he was working. Naturally, he didn''t make things difficult for me either. Just before getting off work, I was arranging the files on my desk when my phone rang. ncing at the caller ID, panic rose in me when I saw that it was Yuval. I peeked at Michael''s office guiltily. Seeing as his attention was focused on a document in his hand, I quickly picked up the call. ¡°Anna, are you still at work? What took you so long to answer?¡± Yuval''s warm and gentle voice drifted across the line. ¡°Mm-hmm. I''m about to leave the office now,¡± I answered ndly and shot another nce at the CEO''s office. But this time, I found Michael staring straight at me. When our gazes collided, I was thrown into a frenzy and quickly looked away. For some reason, I felt guilty for answering Yuval''s call in front of him. ¡°We haven''t seen each other for a few days now. Let''s have dinner together tonight.¡± Yuval''s voice jerked me back to my senses. ¡°Uhm, I...¡± I didn''t know how to face Yuval. After all, I already promised Michael that I''d maintain my rtionship with him for another six months. During this period of time, there was no way Yuval and I could get along like a normal couple. But I couldn''t bring myself to give up on Yuval just to continue my rtionship with Michael. It wasn''t because I was fickle-hearted, but because I finally found a man who I waspatible with, and who was willing to marry me. I didn''t want to go through all the trouble again. For me, it was very difficult to find a suitable man to spend the rest of my life with. Not to mention, I might never be able to find another man like him. ¡°What''s wrong, Anna? You can''t make it?¡± Without waiting for my answer, Yuval''s voice sounded again, and I could detect the disappointment in his tone. ¡°That''s not it. Then let''s-¡± I was about to agree to Yuval''s invitation, but Michael''s voice interrupted me. ¡°Anna, there are a few more documents here that need sorting. Do it now.¡± Standing not far away from me, Michael looked at me with an icy and unreadable expression on his face. ¡°Oh, okay...¡± I stared dumbly at Michael, unable to snap out of my daze for a long time. ¡°I''m sorry, Yuval. I may need to work overtime tonight. Let''s take a rain check?¡± I actually couldn''te up with an excuse to reject him earlier. Now that Michael had given me a good excuse, I couldn''t deny that I felt somewhat relieved. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Since Yuval had also heard Michael''s orders from the other end of the line, I wasn''t worried that he''d get the wrong idea. ¡°Alright then. Carry on with your work. Let''s have dinner some other time. My treat.¡± This further showed that Yuval was a considerate man as he didn''t make a big deal out of it after hearing what I said. After ending the call, I breathed a long sigh of relief. I couldn''t tell if it was because of my rtionship with Michael, but I really didn''t know how to act around Yuval. When I turned around and found Michael still standing at the same spot, I instinctively backed away a few steps in shock. Rposing myself, I met Michael''s eyes and asked awkwardly, ¡°Which documents do you need me to sort?¡± It was already after working hours, and all my colleagues had left. Hence, Michael wasn''t worried that someone might see us interacting closely. ¡°Was it the littlewyer?¡± Michael didn''t answer my question, nor did he hand me any documents. Instead, he shifted the topic to Yuval. He took on a lofty stance when he asked me this question, and I could discern the contempt in his eyes. Although I was only amoner, I didn''t like it when someone acted like they were above everyone else. Hence, I was greatly ticked off by Michael''s attitude. ¡°His name is Yuval, not ''the littlewyer''!¡± Although I couldn''t deny that he deserved to behave like this because of his achievements, Yuval was still considered an aplishedwyer. But the way Michael referred to him was tantly disrespectful. ¡°Are you siding with him? Have you forgotten what I told you, Anna? In the next six months, you can only be my woman. You aren''t allowed to have other men!¡± Michael''s face instantly darkened upon hearing my response. He strode over and looked down his nose at me with a chill to his gaze. ¡°You only said I''m not allowed to sleep with other men, but you never said anything about cutting off all contact with them. I won''t sleep with Yuval in the next six months, but I can tell you he''s someone I''m going to marry in the future. When our contract is over after six months, I''ll no longer have anything to do with you.¡± I knew that I was treating Yuval as a backup and that it was unfair to him, but I wasn''t going to give up when I finally found someone suitable. Upon that, Michael approached me step by step, his eyes already zing with fury as he spoke in a cial voice. ¡°Are you really that wanton, Anna? Do you mean to say that I can''t satisfy you during these six months. Is that why you''re thinking of hooking up another man?¡± ¡°You''re being unreasonable, Michael. I already agreed to your conditions. What else do you want? Do you want me to give up my happiness just for this unspeakable rtionship between us?¡± Anger swelled in my chest as well. I had alreadypromised enough for him, and this was the one thing I wasn''t going to budge on! ¡°Your happiness? Are you sure that you''re making the right choice?¡± Michael''s lips curled into a sneer, and his eyes grew colder. ¡°I believe that I''m making the right choice, and I hope you won''t interfere with my life. We''re only friends with benefits, after all. I promise not to be intimate with other men for six months; this is as much as I''m willing topromise.¡± Chapter 78 Chapter 78 I didn''t shy away from Michael''s gaze. Even though his terrifying aura scared me, I refused to yield. ¡°I''ll prove to you that the littlewyer doesn''t deserve your affection.¡± As soon as he said that, he turned around and left. After leaving the office, I dropped by the supermarket to buy some groceries before going back to the house in Birchwood. Back home, I washed my hands and started cooking dinner. Due to being used to living with Natalie, I cooked two portions of dinner out of habit. As I sat at the dining table and stared at the amount of food, my heart clenched painfully. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to stop thinking about anything upsetting and picked up the cutlery to dig into my food. Just then, the sound of the door opening reached my ears. Stunned, I whipped my head toward the door. Feeling scared was inevitable when I was living alone in a house, especially during the night. After all, there were many cases of breaking and entering, as well as young women being attacked in their own homes. I was born with a wild imagination, so I felt somewhat nervous at that moment. But when I saw Michael appearing through the door, I exhaled in relief. However, it was short-lived. When my mind registered that it was Michael, I became nervous all over again, but for a different reason. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡± I peered at him nervously as he walked in, recalling the little dispute we had at the office earlier. Don''t tell me he came here sote at night just to get even with me? He''s a CEO of a big corporation, for God''s sake. He can''t be that petty, right? The thought of that left me with frayed nerves, and a hint of wariness entered my eyes that were following his every movement. ¡°What kind of question is that? I already told you I''d being over tonight.¡± Michael sat down across from me with furrowed brows and reminded me in a nd tone. Only then did I remember what he said about working twice as hard to satisfy him, which did nothing to make me feel better. Words failed me as I looked at him in embarrassment. Knowing that he was here for sex, I instantly lost my appetite. Upon seeing the food I had made, his eyes shed with a trace of delight. Then, he unceremoniously picked up a pair of cutleries and started eating. After taking a few bites, he raised his head to look at me with a charming smile. ¡°Not bad. You even remembered to cook me dinner.¡± Michael looked very handsome when he smiled. His smile reminded me of sunshine during the winter, and I felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. I stared at him in a daze for quite some time before returning to my senses. Apart from feeling annoyed that I had swooned over him just moments ago, I also grumbled silently about him assuming that I had cooked dinner for him. I was merely used to cooking two portions of dinner after living with Natalie for so long. But despite my indignance, I wasn''t nning to tell him the truth because if I did, he''d definitely get mad. Hence, it was better to let him think that I cooked it for him. Seated opposite of him, I ate my dinner in silence while debating if I should take some time to call Natalie and exin. Although things between us became strained that night and Natalie probably hated me right now, the thought of John ying with her feelings made me want to expose him right away. Noticing the distracted look on my face, Michael put down his cutlery and asked indifferently, ¡°What are you thinking of? Yuval?¡± Yuval again? Why does he keep mentioning Yuval in front of me? What has Yuval ever done to him? He seemed to have something against Yuval, and I didn''t like it one bit. However, I didn''t want to quarrel with him right now. ¡°I was just thinking how to make Natalie believe me and realize that John is ying with her feelings.¡± Worry gnawed at my chest. I already spelled everything out for her the other day, but she still refused to believe me, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth. ¡°Well that''s easy,¡± Michael replied in a bored tone. ¡°Do you have an idea?¡± I quickly asked, staring at him in surprise. ¡°Wait until she gets dumped. When that happens, she''ll know you weren''t lying to her. This is the best way.¡± My temper red as soon as these words left Michael''s lips. What a terrible idea! Ugh... He might as well have not said anything. If I waited until Natalie was hurt by John, she''d be heartbroken by then. How could I bear to see that happen to my best friend? All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Michael''s brows furrowed when he saw the sad look on my face, and he added in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Since you''re so much time on your hands, I suggest you worry about yourself first. Your friend has already kicked you out, yet you''re still worrying about her. How magnanimous of you.¡± ¡°I wasn''t kicked out by Natalie. I left on my own. Don''t talk about her like that.¡± I corrected his assumption with a re. I had a very protective nature, especially when it came to my best friend. Thus, I didn''t like it when Michael badmouthed Natalie. ¡°Clean up after eating. I''ll wait for you in the bedroom.¡± The man probably couldn''t be bothered to argue with me because he merely shot me a fleeting nce before going to the bedroom. Soon, the sound of running water reached my ears. Of course I knew what wasing up next. Even though we had already slept together several times, I still felt nervous about it. After washing the dishes, I made my way to the bedroom. Just when I passed through the door, Michael coincidently emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair with the towel in his hand. He was completely naked, save for the bath towel wrapped around his waist which concealed his most treasured asset. Michael had a good figure, with eight-pack abs which extended into a sexy V-line. He exuded a masculine and seductive charm. This wasn''t the first time I was seeing his body, but I still couldn''t help but marvel at it. I could guarantee that he had the sexiest body out of all the men I had seen before. Not to mention, I couldn''t seem to recall ever meeting a man as handsome as him. Solely based on his appearance, he was the Prince Charming in every woman''s dream, but they probably wouldn''t think so once they fell victim to his unpredictable character. I gulped and forced myself to look away, internally berating myself for admiring Michael''s body. As though sensing the change in me, Michael''s lips curved into a smug smile, and desire shone in his eyes as he gazed at me. ¡°Well, someone seems eager.¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Leaning closer to me, the man whispered in my ear sensuously. His slender finger gently traced the outline of my face and headed downward. My skin heated up wherever it went. I knew that I might lose myself in his extremely tantalizing skills in no time. With the remaining sensibility left within me, I shoved him away. ¡°I... I''ll take a shower now.¡± My heart thumped frantically as I scuttled into the bathroom in haste. In frustration, I cursed myself for being pliable in our rtionship. The man could always stir me up so effortlessly. Taking off my clothes, I stood under the showerhead and let the warm water stream down my body. The mere thoughts of what was going to happen next put me on edge, yet it thrilled me. Half an hourter, I turned off the valve. Only then I realized I didn''t bring my pajamas along when I scurried into the bathroom in a rush earlier. And since Michael had wrapped himself with a towel, the entire bathroom was left with only a towel. Feeling stuck and helpless, I paced up and down nervously. Although he had seen every inch of my body, I just couldn''t bring myself to move about without any clothes on brazenly. ¡°Anna, are you done showering?¡± Michael''s impatient voice sounded outside the bathroom when I was still in a dilemma over whether I should seek his help to get my pajamas. ¡°Yeah, I''m done, but I forgot my pajamas. Can you get it for me?¡± Since the man had spoken, I might as well ask him to bring me my pajamas instead of hesitating. There was no response from outside, and the anxiety in my heart ceased. He must have been gone to get my pajamas. I wonder if he can find it. I was still engrossed in my thoughts when the bathroom door burst open all of a sudden, and Michael''s dashing face came into view unexpectedly. My eyes widened in shock, and I was stupefied. A few secondster, I recollected myself and yelped, covering myself with both hands. ¡°Why are you even screaming? Which part of your body have I not seen?¡± His voice wasced with irritation, and his brows drew together. ¡°Who let you in? Didn''t I ask you to get my pajamas for me? Why didn''t you give me a heads up before coming in?¡± My cheeks flushed crimson red at his words as I red at him with reproach. Ugh! What an uncivilized man! Not only did he not bring my pajamas in, but he showed up out of the blue as well. ¡°Anna, have you forgotten that this is my house? Why do I have to inform you before Ie in?¡± Staring at me unflinchingly, Michael showed no remorse after my rebuke. In retrospect, I had never seen this man feel guilty before. ¡°But I''m showering, so you can''t barge in just like that. Besides, I''m not wearing anything now.¡± Exasperated, I nced down at my unclothed body. Even with both hands, I couldn''t hide much from his sight. ¡°That''s great. It saves me the hassle of removing your clothester. We''ve never done it in the bathroom before, so why don''t we try it out here tonight?¡± In one swift motion, Michael pulled the towel off his waist. Abashed, I wished the ground would swallow me up right now. Fine, he can do whatever he wants! What a pervert! To think this guy actually wants to do it in the bathroom! ¡°Michael, why can''t you behave like a normal person? We''re in the bathroom now. How do you want to go about it?¡± Warily, I fixed my eyes on Michael, finding it hard to ept his idea. ¡°I''ll show you how.¡± In the meantime, the man had strolled over to me, pulling me into a hug. His hands wandered freely all over my body. In a posture I had never adopted before, I felt bizarre. However, undeniably, my senses were much more heightened than usual. It was not as convenient in the bathroom as on the bed. For a man who pursued great pleasure, maintaining a single posture could not satisfy him. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After what seemed like decades, my legs went numb as he continued thrusting forward. Right now, I wished I could copse and lie motionless on the floor. Perhaps Michael could tell that I was running out of energy. He didn''t stay in the bathroom, but turned off the lights and strode out with me in his arms instead. cing me gently on the huge bed in the bedroom, the man leaned his body against mine. About half an hourter, he finally had gotten enough. After such a long time of vigorous activity, Michael felt worn out too, no matter how great his stamina was. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Resting motionlessly on top of my body, he was huffing and puffing, and his chest heaved. Judging from his usual demeanor, I couldn''t tell that he was a man who would be so aggressive in bed. I wonder how many women he had been with that he had acquired such impressive skills in bed. The man panted heavily for a long time before moving away from me. ¡°Michael, can you make the sessions shorter next time? If this goes on, both you and I are going to be exhausted.¡± Turning my head to the man lying next to me, I saw a glint of displeasure in his eyes. Michael''s so wild every time. He never cares about others'' feelings! At that moment, I couldn''t feel my legs, as though they were broken and no longer attached to my body. ¡°If Ist only for one minute in bed, will you be happy with it?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Immediately, I corrected him; what I meant was that he went on too long. All men loved it when their womenmented on this, and Michael was no exception. As soon as those words left my mouth, he turned to look at me with a devilish grin. His dark eyes gleamed with pride. Nevertheless, his words rendered me speechless. If hests only for a minute, that''ll be too short... Did I ask him to finish it within a minute? I only asked him to shorten the time - maybe for about half an hour will do. But of course, there was no way I would say these thoughts aloud in front of a man. If I said it out loud, he would probably despise me inwardly. After all, men loveddylike and well-bred women. Despite the fact that I was nowhere neardylike, I believed it was better to be reserved when it came to lovemaking. Bone-tired, I drifted off into a deep slumber. The following day, Michael was nowhere to be seen when I woke up. Despite having spent the night with him many times, never once had I seen him the next morning. To be honest, I couldn''t help feeling disappointed. Getting out of bed, I put on my clothes and washed up briefly before preparing breakfast. Afterward, I wolfed down a poached egg and two slices of bread before leaving for work in a hurry. Because of the strenuous night, I woke upter than usual. It would be such a huge loss if my sry got deducted forteness. The second I arrived at the office and sat at my desk, a delivery man asked, ¡°Excuse me. May I know who Ms. Anna Garcia is?¡± ¡°That''s me!¡± Immediately, I jumped to my feet and waved at the delivery man. Thetter marched toward me, and I was nonplussed at the sight of a gigantic bouquet of red roses in his hands. Who sent me these roses? Signing the proof of delivery, I took over the bouquet of roses and fished out a small card. For some inexplicable reason, I felt a pang of disappointment when I found out that it was from Yuval. Opposite my desk, Millie saw it and asked inquisitively, ¡°Anna, who gave you such a huge bunch of flowers? Is it from your boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± I couldn''t find the right words to answer her question. Up till now, I was still clueless about how to handle my rtionship with Yuval. On the one hand, I was messing around with Michael, but on the other hand, Yuval was the one I chose all the other men, whom I could not bear to spare a nce at. He was the only suitable candidate for marriage, even though I had no feelings for him. Having put in so much effort and found my Mr. Right, I refused to give up on him just yet. My parents were constantly urging me to get married. They were going to be a cat on a hot tin roof if I stayed single. ¡°What do you mean by that? How generous is he to send you so many roses! I bet you''re over the moon now.¡± Envy was written all over Millie''s face. shing her a smile, I fell silent. Yuval was no doubt fond of me and took our rtionship seriously, but that didn''t guarantee that I would love him back. He was an outstanding man, but there was just no chemistry between us. However, feelings and affection were not important, as long as he was the right person for me. ¡°Anna, what''s your boyfriend''s profession?¡± Seeing that I remained silent, Millie came to my side and tried to pry information about Yuval out of me. At a loss for words, I ced flowers on my desk and turned to nce at her. Just as I was about to speak, my gazended on the man behind her. With a stern face, Michael was standing right behind her. His gaze turned dark and menacing. At the sight of his frigid expression, my heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding welled up in my heart. ¡°M-Mr. Shaw...¡± I blurted out in a panic. As soon as Millie heard my greeting, she snapped her head around in horror. A petrified look flitted across her face. She didn''t expect the CEO to appear out of nowhere during office hours. ¡°Did I hire you to gossip during working hours? Have you done your work?¡± Michael''s icy voice echoed in the air. His tone wasced with rage, and his gloomy gaze was riveted on me. Instantly, Millie lowered her head and dared not make a sound, scurrying back to her desk to work Meanwhile, I looked down and threw myself into work, afraid that he mightsh out at me. Nheless, the man was not going to let me off the hook. Marching over to me, his gaze darkened once again as he pointed at the roses on my desk. ¡°Where did these flowerse from? The office isn''t the ce for you to be lovey-dovey. I hired you to work, not to date!¡± Michael red down at me from above. I didn''t peek up, but I could feel his frigid gaze on me. His husky voice sounded baleful and dominant. Taken aback by his words, I promptly apologized. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shaw. I promise this won''t happen again.¡± His infuriated face was really terrifying. I usually talked back to him, but now I was ovee by fear. ¡°Toss the flowers away now!¡± hemanded in a merciless voice. Apparently, my apology fell on deaf ears. His high-handed manner annoyed me. However, he was right that we shouldn''t have chattered during office hours. Stifling my anger, I jumped to my feet, grabbed the bouquet of roses, and threw it into a trash can nearby. Even though he reprimanded me for hampering my work because of personal affairs, I felt that he was actually picking on me. ¡°Mr. Shaw, are you satisfied now?¡± I scoffed after stomping back to my desk, staring into his eyes. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Michael threw a cold nce at me and snapped, ¡°Make sure this is the first andst time. If it happens again, you will be dismissed right away!¡± I red at the domineering man who stormed into his room, mming the door behind him. A wave of fury surged within me as I snorted inwardly. Pfft! He''s obviously overreacting by putting me in a tight spot! Other colleagues had simrly received flowers from their boyfriends previously, but he never commented on anything or asked them to throw the flowers away. What''s with the double standard, huh? How could he justsh out at me and humiliate me in front of the entire office? Oh, he''s gone too far this time! The moment Michael mmed the door of his office, Millie turned to look at me sympathetically and said in a hushed tone, ¡°Anna, are you alright? Well, what was that all about! Mr. Shaw scared the crap out of me when he shouted at you earlier...¡± ¡°Everyone has a temper, and he should know that he''s annoying as well!¡± I pursed my lips and harrumphed. My mood was utterly spoilt by what happened a while ago. Millie looked at the bouquet of roses which was in a pitiful state at the moment and sighed. ¡°What a pity. Your boyfriend must have spent a lot for such a big bouquet of roses!¡± My anger escted at the sight of my bouquet of roses, which ended up in the trashcan. It reminded me how Michael reprimanded me in front of all my colleagues a while ago. Apart from feeling embarrassed, I was ovee by utter indignation. Did he realize that he''s just making a fuss out of nothing? I shifted my gaze away from the bouquet of roses and talked myself into putting the disgruntling matter out of my mind. ¡°Millie, let''s just drop the frustrating subject.¡± As a result of the dramatic events that morning, I was down in the dumps the whole day. I could scarcely breathe as Michael assigned me piles of tasks and emphasized that all must bepleted on the same day itself. Consequently, I was upied by the tasks the whole day and even had to skip my lunch. When my colleagues called it a day and left one by one in the evening, I was still rushing to get a few copies of the documents done. After throwing a nce in the direction of Michael''s room, I focused on my work again, hoping to get it done soon. It was already an hourter when I finallypleted my tasks. After heaving a sigh of relief, I stretched my body and tidied the documents on my desk. I nced at Michael''s room instinctively. To my surprise, the lights were still on, indicating that he had not yet left. Initially, I thought of going over to greet him before stepping out of the office. Nevertheless, I changed my mind as snippets of the dramatic event in the morning shed across my mind. I took my handbag and left without hesitation. The moment I stepped out of the office building, a familiar figure came into view. My heart skipped a bit when it turned out to be Yuval, and his car was parked not far away from the building. Taking a deep breath, I tried to cool myself down and make my way toward him. ¡°Yuval, what brings you here?¡± I smiled at him and asked curiously. Yuval''s lips curved into a smile as he replied gently, ¡°We haven''t seen each other for quite some time. Besides, you''re always working overtimetely, so it suddenly crosses my mind to pay you a visit.¡± In an instant, I was ovee by a sense of guilt. I exined to him in embarrassment, ¡°I''m sorry for turning you down numerous times; I was swamped with work for the past few days.¡± In actual fact, I was just telling a white lie to turn him down nicely. I knew that I hadn''t been working overtime, ving away at the office untilte night. It was just that I had this thing going on with Michael, so I couldn''t date Yuval at the same time. Yuval, please forgive me for not being truthful to you, as I don''t wish to hurt your feelings. It''s never my intention to treat you as a spare! ¡°It''s alright. I''m here, aren''t I? Anyway, you must be hungry, so let''s go for dinner.¡± I was momentarily stunned at Yuvel''s invitation. After a brief hesitation, I nodded my head and kept my mouth shut. Just then, Yuval''s hand reached out for mine and held it tightly. I was instantly repulsed by his touch and shrugged his hand off apprehensively. We had actually known each other for quite some time, yet we never held each other''s hand so far. Yuval''s smile froze in an instant. Then, he apologized awkwardly, ¡°Anna, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to make you feel ufortable.¡± Yuval was a typical gentleman. Even though it was my fault, he still made the first move to apologize to me. ¡°I''m sorry for overreacting. It''s probably because I haven''t been in a rtionship for quite some time. Thus, it just feels a bit awkward when you hold my hand all of a sudden,¡± I exined sheepishly while lowering my gaze. ¡°It''s alright. I understand. But we are dating each other at the moment, so it''s quite odd if we can''t even hold hands.¡± Yuval smiled again as he said cidly. Despite his calm demeanor, I could sense that he was stifling his displeasure. After all, it was only normal for any other men to be displeased if they could not even hold hands with their other half. To me, he was already reasonable and understanding. After hesitating for a short while, I gazed at him as I took the initiative to hold his hand. Anna Garcia, you can do it! It''s not a big deal. After all, haven''t you held hands with boys when you were young? This was the first time I tried to draw the gap between us. As expected, I could not feel any sparks, yet Yuval''s face lit up at once. Both of us were hand-in-hand as we walked toward his car. Not long after we hopped into it, he sped off to a restaurant where he had reserved a table earlier. When we were seated face-to-face in the restaurant, the atmosphere somehow felt a bit awkward. No doubt both of us had mentioned marriage when we first entered into this rtionship, yet I could not find any topics to chat about right then. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Fortunately, the steak that we ordered was served in a while. To conceal my awkwardness, I lowered my head and pretended to be busy cutting my steak. When I was about to take a mouthful of the steak, Yuval ced his te in front of me. He had cut his steak nicely into even pieces! ¡°Just take mine. I''ve had it sliced up just for you.¡± Yuval smiled at me with a gleam of gentleness in his eyes. I was really touched by his thoughtfulness. Just like any other woman, I yearned to be with a thoughtful man. Even though I had no feelings for him, I made up my mind that he would be an ideal spouse. ¡°Thank you,¡± I thanked him and started savoring the steak. When I was halfway eating, Yuval called my name abruptly. I looked up and saw him lifting his ss of red wine to clink with mine. I wouldn''t usually drink due to my low tolerance for alcohol. Nheless, I did not turn him down this round. I lifted my ss of wine, clinked sses with him, and gulped down. But perhaps I was drinking too fast, I choked on the wine. Subsequently, I coughed non-stop till tears trickled down my cheeks. ¡°Anna, are you alright?¡± Yuven asked me in great concern and handed me a tissue. ¡°N-Nothing... I''m just not used to drinking wine.¡± I tried my best to stifle my cough and squeezed out a sentence. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 As I was still coughing non-stop, Yuval approached me and patted my back gently to soothe my cough. At that very moment, both of us looked exactly like a loving couple. Again, he warmed my heart with his thoughtfulness and gentleness. Even though I did not fall for him, I guessed I could lead a happy life by marrying a thoughtful and caring man like him. Who knows? Maybe I will learn to love him as time passes by... After I had finally stopped coughing, I raised my head and smiled thankfully at him. To be honest, it did make me like him a bit more. Even so, it was still a vast distance away from love. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me that you can''t drink? If I knew it, I surely wouldn''t let you,¡± he mumbled guiltily. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m fine now,¡± I consoled him. Right then, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and froze. In a split second, my eyes widened in disbelief. Michael Shaw! Why on earth is he here? As a surge of anxiety started to well up in my heart, I looked at him nervously. ¡°Anna, what''s wrong? Are you alright?¡± Sensing something awry, Yuval looked at me quizzically with knitted brows. I did not reply him, as if I was oblivious to his question. Meanwhile, Michael was ring at me with a grim look on his face. I shuddered as his eyes were zing with growing rage. Yuval followed my gaze and turned to have a look inquisitively. The moment his eyes caught Michael''s figure, there was a sudden change in his expression. Instantaneously, his smile faded from his face. ¡°Anna, are you sure that both of you are just employee and boss?¡± He looked intently at me and asked doubtfully. My eyes started to blink uncontrobly as a sense of guilt swept over me. I recalled how Michael dragged me away before Yuval''s eyes previously. However, I was not sure what he intended to do with his sudden appearance. Thus, I did not know how I should answer Yuval. As Michael advanced toward us, he never shifted his intimidating gaze away from me. The anxiety in my heart intensified as he was getting nearer to us. I wondered what he would say to uster! He''d better mind his words! I had the urge to flee the ce at once, yet I restrained myself from it as I clenched onto the sides of my blouse nervously. If Michael blurted out the rtionship between both of us, I would not know how to justify it to Yuval! At the sight of the enraged man who was approaching us, Yuval furrowed his brows. Nevertheless, he still politely stretched out his hand and greeted Michael with a courteous smile. ¡°How are you? Nice to meet you again.¡± Michael, on the other hand, was purposely ignoring Yuval''s outstretched hand while sparing him a cold nce. It was just like how it was during their first encounter previously. His rude attitude implied that he did not give a damn about Yuval at all. Yuval stole a nce at me, humiliated and infuriated. Needless to say, he could sense Michael''s intense hostility toward him. ¡°Mr. S-Shaw, why are you here?¡± I stammered as I forced myself to look into Michael''s zing eyes. ¡°In case you''ve forgotten, this is a restaurant, and I can have a meal here just as much as you could,¡± he scoffed. At that moment, he was just about two paces away from me. Intimidated by his imposing aura, I shifted my gaze away from him hastily and dared not have any eye contact with him again. ¡°I didn''t mean that. It''s just... I mean, what a coincidence.¡± I smiled embarrassingly and tried to sound casual. Even so, I felt a rush of mixed emotions creeping into my heart. While trying to stay calm, I was displeased with the man''s sudden appearance and could not help but feel suspicious about that. Is he stalking me? After all, what are the odds that we''re all here at this restaurant at this time? ¡°Well, what do you know... It really is! Seems to me like fate really likes bringing us together whenever you''re out dating with your boyfriend,¡± Michael mocked, not forgetting to emphasize the word ¡°dating.¡± I could even see the flickers in his zing eyes; he was undoubtedly boiling with anger at that moment. I knew that he was green with envy whenever I was on a date with Yuval. After all, he was a particrly possessive and self-centered man. Nheless, I could not just go all out since both of us were just friends with benefits. I had to think of my future too! ¡°It seems so... Though I almost thought that you were stalking me!¡± I mustered my courage and mocked him. If I continued to give in to him without refuting, Yuval would surely sense that something was amiss. As a matter of fact, I knew that Michael had been following me. That was the only reason why we would always bump into each other whenever I went on dates with Yuval. ¡°Me stalking you?¡± he questioned me in an icy-cold tone. His eyes were as cold as the abyss. ¡°Mr. Shaw, don''t take it too seriously! I was just joking. But looking at how you''ve taken it, Mr. Shaw, was I perhaps correct?¡± I scoffed and looked into Michael''s eyes provocatively. To avoid Yuval from being suspicious of me, I was determined to put on a brave front. ¡°Well, aren''t you full of yourself, Anna Garcia? Who do you think you are, that I would stalk you?¡± The prideful man gritted and snickered as his gaze turned even colder. For a second, I even thought that he would throw a punch at me for provoking him. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I''m sorry for being blunt. You are right. Since there''s nothing between us, of course, you wouldn''t have followed me. It might be just a coincidence!¡± I heaved a sigh of relief at Michael''s mocking words. That was what I had expected. I''m sure Yuval will not be suspicious of me again as Michael''s words kind of rified that there was nothing between us. Nevertheless, another wave of anxiety swept over me that instant as I thought of something. Looks like I''m putting myself in hot soup once again. I bet he wouldn''t easily let me off for challenging him in front of Yuval! Michael was no ordinary man. It struck him almost at once that I was tricking him into rifying that there was nothing between him and me. His face became grimmer, yet he did not utter any words. However, it was as if I would perish at any moment from the burning mes in his eyes. I turned away deliberately and pretended that I was unaware of his escting anger. After all, he won''t be able to do anything since we''re in public. He warned me earlier to keep mum about the rtionship between us, didn''t he? ¡°Yuval, let''s continue eating. I''m starving!¡± I intentionally nudged Yuval''s arm and sounded coquettish. Knowing that I had unintentionally disregarded him while bickering with Michael, I tried to cheer him up by shifting my attention back to him. Michael clenched his fists till veins protruded on the back of his hands, which scared me. If I wasn''t assured that he intended to keep our rtionship a secret, I guessed he would really teach me a lesson then and there. ¡°Alright.¡± My words seemed to have eased Yuval''s displeasure right away. His lips curved into a gentle smile again as he cut some smaller pieces from his steak and ced them on my te. He was apparently showing off to Michael how close we were with each other. I could not resist but chuckle inwardly. Ah! Men are all the same. Even such a good-natured gentleman like Yuval still has his pride that can''t be challenged by others. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Infuriated by Michael''s attitude a while ago, I decided to dampen his pride. Hence, I put on an attractive smile and locked gazes with Yuval as I thanked him coyly. Even though Michael remained silent, I could sense that his icy-cold aura had gradually intensified. ¡°Ah! It looks like most of the seats here are upied. Since I''m by myself, it''s easier for me to sit together with both of you. You don''t mind, do you?¡± Michael said casually and took the seat next to me. The moment he sat down next to me, I was engulfed by a tense atmosphere. I really disliked him sitting close to me. Besides, the whole situation was already awkward enough. The slight change in Yuval''s expression was unmistakable. He frowned again the moment Michael sat closely next to me, but he remained silent. I could not help but pity him in a way. Nobody would be able to smile if their dates were interrupted by another man. Michael Shaw has really crossed the line this time! Suppressing my frustration, I ignored Michael deliberately and avoided sparing any nce at him. My instinct told me that he would not let me off if I dared to mock him in his face again. Thus, I tried to finish my meal as soon as possible, so I would be able to slip away with Yuval at once. ¡°Anna, have you received my bouquet of flowers? Do you like it?¡± Yuval looked up at me abruptly and asked gently. In a split second, I stiffened and almost choked on the steak in my mouth. Crap! How should I tell him that this monster sitting right next to me had ordered me to throw them away? After taking a sip of water and swallowing the steak in my mouth, I forced a smile and replied, ¡°Yeah, I received it this morning.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you bring it along with you just now? Did you leave it at your ce in the office?¡± I was dumbfounded when he asked again. Should I tell him the truth? How will he react if I tell him that I was forced to throw the bouquet of roses away? T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It''s in the dumpster now! She threw it away.¡± Michael answered coldly before I could make up my mind. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, and I saw that the smile on Yuval''s face froze. ¡°Yuval, let me exin! I-I did not throw it away on purpose... I was forced to do so toply with the restrictions of ourpany. We are not supposed to receive any deliveries of personal items during working hours. Thus, I had no choice but to throw it away...¡± I exined incoherently. Even if I knew that my exnation might not sound conceivable, it was the best excuse that I could think of at the moment. After all, I was still being frank partially as Michael actually instructed me to throw it away so as not to affect my work in the office. Yuval squinted his eyes and looked at me doubtfully. At that moment, I could sense that he did not believe my words. He''s awyer, after all, so I''m not surprised. ¡°Yuval, I was telling the truth. I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean to throw the flowers away...¡± I looked at him apologetically and kept mumbling. At the same time, I rebutted Michael repeatedly inwardly. He was obviously putting on a show to drive a wedge between Yuval and me. Since both of us were not too invested in this rtionship yet, Michael could effortlessly cause our rtionship toe to an end. Michael smirked with a sense of schadenfreude in his eyes. Knowing that he was stirring trouble purposively, I almost burst a blood vessel andshed out at him. Ugh! This man is really stepping on my toes! Yuval nced obliquely at Michael and looked at me suspiciously again. I only had myself to me for this. If I were him, I would surely feel the same. ¡°It''s alright. I understand about it and won''t deliver flowers to your office anymore. I''ll just give it to you in person so you won''t get in trouble.¡± I heaved a silent sigh and was thankful that Yuval was so understanding. At the same time, I was ovee by a sense of guilt. Michael''s countenance and bodynguage were obvious indeed. Even a dull-witted person could sense that I seemed to have an unusual rtionship with Michael, what''s more, an observantwyer like Yuval. The smile vanished from Michael''s face within seconds as his face turned grim again. I bet he must be feeling dejected as his words did not manage to provoke Yuval as expected. Feeling suffocated by the tense atmosphere, I hadpletely lost my appetite. I hurriedly finished my meal and left the restaurant hastily with Yuval. I was relieved as Michael did not stop me from leaving. Nevertheless, I kept wondering if he would look for meter that night. Based on how I had challenged the vindictive man''s pride a while ago, I was worried that he woulde and settle the debt with meter. When both Yuval and I stepped out of the restaurant, darkness had fallen. In Yuval''s car, I stared off into the distance out of the window, my mind preupied with my thoughts. ¡°Anna, I heard that you moved out of Natalie''s ce two days ago. Do you mind if I ask why?¡± Yuval broke the silence by asking warily. Upon hearing Natalie''s name, I lowered my head sorrowfully. Recalling the reason I moved out from her ce out of a sudden, a surge of mixed emotions welled up within me again. ¡°Just a minor conflict, nothing serious,¡± I replied cidly and did not intend to tell him the exact reason. I was actually trying to be protective of Natalie by keeping mum about John. She would certainly be hurt if others knew about it and started gossiping. Even if Yuval was introduced to me by Natalie, he was just a friend of hers. Besides, they were not considered that close. ¡°Natalie is a forthright youngdy. No doubt she really treats you as her close friend and is really concerned about you.¡± Yuval nced at me andmented. I was not sure if there were any hidden meanings behind his words. Even so, something crossed my mind upon hearing them. Ever since I moved out from Natalie''s ce, we had stopped contacting each other. Should I give her a call? We had been close friends for so many years, and it was not worth having our friendship strained just because of a jerk. ¡°Yuval, thanks for your reminder. Now I know what I''m supposed to do. Natalie is very important to me, and I really cherish my friendship with her.¡± I turned and smiled at him. ¡°Where are you staying now? Let me give you a lift. It''s gettingte, and you need to wake up early for work tomorrow.¡± The moment Yuval offered to send me home, I froze. If I was still staying at Natalie''s ce, there would not be any issues but I wasn''t. No way! I can''t let him find out that I''m staying at Michael''s ce at the moment! ¡°Hmm... it''s alright. You can just drop me off here. I can walk back home myself since it''s just a stone''s throw away. I wouldn''t want to cause any inconvenience since it''s not on your way.¡± I tried to turn him down by giving an excuse. ¡°Do you really think that I''ll do that? It''ste, and you are all by yourself. I don''t mind driving a bit further. It''s safer that way. And don''t worry, as we''ll be reaching soon,¡± Yuval protested and looked at me in bewilderment. As a typical gentleman, I was not surprised that he insisted on sending me home. When I used to stay at Natalie''s ce, he never failed to send me to the doorstep every time after our date. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 ¡°Don''t worry about it. My ce is just walking distance from here, and I could really use a walk, anyway.¡± I insisted on getting out of the car; I had to. As much as I wanted to be with Yuval, I still couldn''t cut Michael off either, and that thought alone disgusted me. I knew I had to make a choice sooner orter. After all, to swing between two men wasn''t something I could ept. ¡°Hey, but it''s already sote. It''s not safe for you to walk home alone.¡± Yuval slowed down as he was deeply concerned. ¡°It''s okay. My ce is literally just a stone''s throw away, and I''ll be home before you know it,¡± I persisted. My mind was in a muddle since dinner. How I wished I could tell Yuval everything right then, but my dignity held my tongue back. ¡°Well... If you insist. But text me once you get home, okay? Or else I''ll be worried.¡± He stopped his car and looked at me worriedly. ¡°Sure thing.¡± I gave a gentle reply and got out of the car. Yuval gave me onest nce before he drove off. As I walked on the sidewalk, I thought to myself. Should I be honest about my current situation? It''s unfair for him to be tangled in this mess of a rtionship. However, along the entire journey, no decisions were made. I admit that I was a selfish person as I couldn''t make up my mind, nor did I know what to do. Finally, I was back at Birchwood. Once I pushed the door open, someone brusquely pulled me into the darkness, and before I had the time to react, the same person pushed me up against the wall. He was so strong that I almost screamed in pain. Stunned, I red at the culprit who''d just ambushed me. It was Michael. ¡°What''s wrong with you? You''re hurting me!¡± His grip on my wrists got tighter and tighter. ¡°Where did you go after you left the restaurant? What took you so long to get back? What are you doing with Yuval!¡± Michael started questioning my whereabouts. I wasn''t in a good mood in the first ce, and his rough interrogation only exacerbated the situation. ¡°What does that have to do with you? Do I have to report to you my every single move?¡± He absolutely ticked me off. Who are you to talk to me in such a manner? For goodness'' sake, you flipped my life upside down! My guard was constantly up, worrying what if someone found out about us. Couldn''t I just enjoy whatever freedom that was left for me? ¡°Anna, don''t forget who you belong to. In the next six months, you''re mine. I have all the rights to know what you''re doing.¡± It was apparent that my brawl didn''t affect him at all. The way he looked at me and the things he spoke was as despotic as it''d always been. This man was absolutely self-absorbed. He only cared about himself and never for others. ¡°You sure I''m yours? In bed, yes, but once the business is done, we be strangers, don''t we?¡± I gave out a limp huff. This rtionship with Michael had been tortuous, draining my energy day after day. I described our rtionship so sinctly that Michael couldn''t respond but blinked repetitively. He knew perfectly what we are - he, the puppeteer, and I, the puppet - whose sole purpose was to fulfill his needs. No man would want to see the woman he slept with was with another man, even after they were done and dusted. What more someone so proprietorial like Michael? ¡°Anna, you''re mine in bed and out of bed. Have you turned a deaf ear to everything I''ve told you? Why are you still so close with Yuval!¡± It was amazing how he justified his twisted principles so boldly. ¡°You''re saying that I''m yours, but why didn''t you tell Yuval that in his face? Michael, we''re selfish, and we belong to two different worlds. Six more months, and we''re done.¡± Going against Michael outrightly wouldn''t diffuse the situation. That was why I decided to talk some sense into him, hoping he could understand my circumstances. As I told him, we are from two different worlds. He was handsome, loaded, and powerful. Tons of pretty ladies wouldn''t think twice about marrying him. If he was done ying around and wanted to settle down, things could be arranged with the snap of a finger. Sadly, I didn''t have the luxury to do so. Being a small-town girl, I didn''t have a wealthy family to back me up. Plus, it was about time for me to get married. Dad and Mom''s hopes for me to do so only added more pressure to my already bone- weary life. All I wanted now was to marry someone whom I could rely on. That man didn''t have to love me as long as he was willing to lend me some support when I needed it. To survive in a bustling metropolitan was tough enough. Now not only did I have to do that, sending money back home and resolving issues created by Steven had be my responsibility as well. How I wished that there was someone I could lean on. Michael could see that I was deliberately pushing his buttons. ¡±So, Anna, what you''re saying is you want me to announce our rtionship?¡± He looked at me suspiciously. ¡°Anna Garcia, you''d better note up with any sneaky ideas, or I''ll make you pay for it. You''re just someone I sleep with. We''re not in a rtionship!¡± He stared at me as his words morphed into hot air and gushed onto my face, sending chills down my spine. When I looked back into those stoic eyes, I flicked my eyes away. He was so overpowering that I didn''t dare to look back, despite the seething rage deep down inside me. ¡°Mr. Shaw, that''s not what I meant. I''d never want our affairs to be known to the public. Do you think anyone with the right mind would willingly show off their ck mark to the public?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. I finally mustered myst straw of courage and fought back. I had enough of his nonsense. Undeniably, some women would give their all just to have a go with him, but that didn''t apply to every single woman. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 He was taken aback by my deriding remark as I was always soft-spoken andposed in front of him. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Are you calling me a disgrace in your life? I dare you to repeat yourself!¡± His grip got even tighter than before, and my wrists hurt so badly that I almost shrieked. Regardless, I wasn''t going to back down anymore. No matter how weak he thought I might be, I had my dignity to defend. He assumed that I was this gold-digger who wanted all the fortune and fame. If I gave in, it simply meant that I agreed to all his assumptions. ¡°It''s gonna be the same, Michael Shaw. You''re the utmost disgrace in my life!¡± Tonight, he''d put me on the warpath. Even a weakling had its limits, and this time he''d gone too far! As soon as I spoke, his chest pumped up and down in fury. ¡°Anna, bear in mind that you started it. Have you forgotten that you seduced me for two hundred thousand?¡± I froze instantly; he was right. It was me who had seduced him and climbed onto his bed for Dad''s operation money. I needed it by hook or by crook, but little did I know that my cynical n would lead to this. Only now did I realize that my decision then was a terrible mistake. I should''ve looked for other means, sold my organs, anything but seeking help from the devil. Since we started this ¡°rtionship,¡± I couldn''t even live my life the way it was. Was all this misery worth that two hundred thousand? ¡°Michael, can you show me some mercy? I''m beat. Do you know how much pressure I have to bear?¡± I sighed, and my tough shell cracked. ¡°At the end of the day, I''m just a woman, and I need someone to lean on. My Dad is sick. He needs a sum of money every month for his treatment. Carrying the weight of the whole family on my shoulders is killing me already. Let me go, please, I beg you. I''ll find ways to pay you back.¡± At that moment, settling the bill was the only idea I coulde up with to cut ties with him. If I didn''t owe him anything, I wouldn''t have to continue this shameful affair. I wasn''t fishing for pity, but justmenting. However, all he did was look at me nkly, somewhat confused. He stoppedshing his wrath at me soon after that. Since I told him that I was going to pay him back, he should be more than willing to let me go... Right? The man remained silent and let go of my hand. Those dark eyes of his were affixed to mine. The things I''d said all came from my heart, and I was just hoping that he could see the pain and hardship that I was going through. Weirdly, instead of feeling relieved, I felt a void in me after pouring my heart out. He gave me another nce, turned around, and left. I only got back to my senses when the door gave out a loud thump after he walked out of the house. That was it. He left. I supposed we were done. If that was the case, I''d be able to face Yuval with an open heart and not feel sorry for my dishonesty. I could finally work on our rtionship without guilt. The thought of it put a smile on my face, yet I felt a tinge of sadness. Was it because of Michael? No freakin'' way! I couldn''t believe that I thought that I probably had feelings for him. Something must have gone haywire in my head! The only feeling I was supposed to have towards this man should be enmity. How was it possible that I was falling for him? I''d never fall for him! As Iy on my bed, my mixed emotions got me tossing and turning. The way he looked at me right before he left kept appearing in my head, and I barely slept a wink that night. The next day at thepany, I bumped into Michael at the entrance. After what happenedst night, I felt awkward, and thus, hurried past him. He responded simrly, giving me a brief sidelong nce, and walked straight into his office. For the next few days, we were like strangers. It was still awkward every time we ran into each other, but at least our affair hade to an end, and that was relieving. One day when I was buzzing at work, my phone rang. The word ¡°Mom¡± on the screen made me scowl. Every time she called, it was either about my rtionship or Dad needed more money for his medical treatment. Tensing up became a reflex to calls from home. Nevertheless, I still had to pick it up. ¡°Hi, Anna. Are you working?¡± ¡°Yeah, I''m still at the office. What''s up? You usually don''t call at this hour.¡± I dived straight into business. ¡°Um... nothing much actually. I just wanna know what your boyfriend does. He seems pretty loaded.¡± I nearly jumped out of my skin. I''d never told her anything about Yuval, so how did she find out? He was living quitefortably, but I wouldn''t call that loaded. ¡°Mom, how did you know about it? We aren''t stable yet, and that''s why I haven''t told you.¡± I was still contemting whether to tell her about Yuval. And there she was, asking about him. ¡°Tell me, Anna. How far did you get with him?¡± She totally ignored my exnations and went on with another question. ¡°Mom! Can you just chill? It''s been only two months. What do you expect?¡± I was speechless. I myself wasn''t even sure if things would work out between Yuval and me, so I didn''t know why my mom was that anxious. ¡°How can I possibly chill? Look at you. You''ve passed your prime, and you''re still single. Any mom would be on tenterhooks!¡± Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Mom let out a deep sigh and continued her bbering. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, I stayed on the line, unaffected by her rambling. Whenever she went on and on over the phone, I wished that I could just hang up. ¡°Anna, I quite like this boyfriend of yours. He knew that Dad''s undergoing medical treatment, and it''s a delightful surprise that he gave us a hundred thousand.¡± My eyes almost popped out of my sockets. Did Mom just say that Yuval gave them a hundred thousand? I''d never mentioned anything about my family to him, let alone Dad''s health condition. Thus, I couldn''t wrap my head around this. ¡°Mom, what''s going on? There''s no way he''s giving us money.¡± Although I had a feeling that Yuval fancied me, to pay for my Dad''s medical fees was simply beyond the bounds of possibility. ¡°Well, he just did. He paid for your Dad''s operation before, didn''t he? Aren''t you a lucky girl to have such a wealthy boyfriend like him?¡± Her words shocked me to the core. Wait... wasn''t it Michael who paid for the operation? Since when did it be Yuval? What the heck is happening? Right at that moment, I was spiraling down the rabbit hole. Someone had given my parents a hundred thousand for nothing? Could it possibly be Michael? Nah, it can''t be him. Why would he do that? Moreover, he wouldn''t have let my family know about our unspeakable rtionship. However, among the people I knew, no one would do such a thing except Michael. My brain stopped functioning. Right then, I wasn''t sure if it was Michael or Yuval. ¡°Mom, do you know his name?¡± Now I was the one on tenterhooks. ¡°Anna, what kind of question is this? Your boyfriend gave us the money, and are you telling me that you don''t know his name?¡± ¡°Just answer my question, Mom!¡± I was getting frustrated. ¡°It was his assistant who brought us the money. He said that he''s working for Mr. Shaw.¡± She sensed my agitation and made it short and sweet. Now I could confirm that it was Michael who sent them the money. He was the only Mr. Shaw I knew. My hands quivered as I tried to figure out what I was feeling inside. Why would Michael do that? It was pretty clear that I drove him up the wall that day, and I assumed that he was going to end our rtionship. What was his agenda? Why did he pay for Dad''s medical treatment? I couldn''t read him or had the faintest idea of what he was up to. ¡°Anna? Are you okay? You there?¡± Mom urged for a response after a prolonged silence. ¡°Yeah, I''m okay. Anyway, I still have some work to finish up. Talk to youter. Bye.¡± I quickly hung up, just in case she bombarded me with a train of questions about my rtionship with Michael. If we were talking about Yuval, I''d willingly let her know a thing or two. However, the person she was praising was Michael, and I honestly didn''t know much about him. After the call, it took me quite a while to pull myself together. I nced towards the CEO''s office, trying to decipher Michael''s intentions. My mind was all over the ce as I wondered what made Michael do that. At the same time, Millie could see that I was in a jumble. She traced my nce towards the CEO''s office, turned back, and looked at me. ¡°Hey, Anna. You''ve been looking at that office for the longest time. What''s up? Have you fallen for Mr. Shaw?¡± Millie probed, and her words gave me goosebumps. ¡°N-N-Nonsense! Why would I fall for him?¡± I responded with a curt turn of the head and denied firmly. I wasn''t sure for what reason my heart didn''t seem to agree with my words. What''s the matter with me? The way I thought about Michael had somewhat changed. ¡°Look at those darting eyes of yours. What''s there to deny? He''s handsome and rich. Plus, he''s single. It''s only normal that you fancy him. I bet almost all thedies here want to get a piece of him.¡± Guess my actions weren''t convincing enough for Millie to believe me. ¡°How about you? Do you like him too?¡± ¡°That''s for sure. He took my heart away the first time I saw him, but I knew that a in Jane like me would never be his type.¡± Millie was frank about her feelings for Michael. Heck, I could even see her eyes gleaming with hearts and sparkles when she spoke about him. Is she for real? On the outside, Michael was cold, charming, wealthy, and didn''t lust after women. If Millie knew what he was really like on the inside, I doubt her feelings for him would be the same. ¡°I don''t think he''s a nice guy, and I kind of despise him.¡± I looked at his office again. Lots of women wished to be associated with him in one way or another, but not me. I wanted to run away from his ever-growing possessiveness and hoped that we''d never crossed paths ever again. ¡°Really, Anna? Not only do you dislike him, but despise him?¡± Millie gave me a quizzical look. Apparently, she found it unbelievable. ¡°He''s not a saint, so why should everybody like him? I don''t like him. I detest him!¡± The more she thought that I was in love with Michael, the more I denied it. Besides, I was telling the truth, anyway. Hearing that, Millie stopped talking and looked at the CEO''s office. Together with my knitted brows and pursed lips, I did the same. Blood drained from my face when I saw the person standing in front of it. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Speak of the devil - the man himself was staring at me with his steely eyes. I dropped my head as fast as I could and locked my neck. Why, oh why, is God ying tricks on me again? Every time I badmouthed Michael, he would unfailingly appear somewhere close enough to hear it. Just when I thought things were finally getting better between us. Millie, too, detected his overpowering hostility and went back to work. From what I could see, thedies in thepany seemed to fear Michael more than they liked him. That was no surprise, though. His scrupulosity when it came to working would scare anyone off. A trivial mistake would cost someone her job. ¡°If I hear another word of gossip during work, you''d better send yourselves packing!¡± He gave us his signature stare before uttering those threatening words. Even with my head down, I could feel his piercing re. Only after I heard the closing of his door did I dare to lift my head again. His despotic aura followed him into his office. ¡°Oh my god! The way he looked at us was so scary! Anna, did you see those eyes?¡± Millie asked with her lips trembling. ¡°Yeah. Let''s not gossip during working hours again, or we''ll be fired.¡± Come to think of it, Michael was being lenient with us. I highly doubted that we''d be given a second chance if the CEO was someone else. Thus, Millie and I were considered lucky. However, I wondered if his leniency was because of me. Millie nodded her head and kept quiet from there on. After work, I went to the supermarket as usual. Doing things on my own most of the time did make me feel lonely. Back when I was living with Natalie, we''d always hang out at night. But now it was just me, and nothing seemed to interest me anymore. When I got back to the house in Birchwood, Michael was already on the couch with his legs crossed in the living room. The top two buttons of his shirt were let loose and as always, his gaze was gnawing at my soul. I quietly turned away. ¡°Hurry up and make me dinner.¡± He got up and strode towards me. ¡°What are you doing here? I thought I''ve made things clear that night?¡± I ignored his request and wanted him to rify. Which part of my unwillingness and exhaustion didn''t he understand? What was he trying to do, standing in front of me tonight? ¡°Yes, you did, but did I say I''m going to let you go? Anna, you started it. Do you think it''ll be that easy to ditch me?¡± he murmured those shameful words into my ear. How I wish I could give him two tight ps to vent out my anger! How did men like that even exist? I''d told him everything at that point, so why couldn''t he just let me go? Right then, he could see that anger was bubbling in my eyes, yet he brushed it aside. ¡°You know, the more you resist, the chances of me letting you go dwindles. Treat me well, and who knows, maybe one day when I''m in a good mood, I''ll set you free?¡± He paired his threat with a sneer. What a bastard! Never had I imagined that I''d be entangled in this scruffy affair. This man was like gum that you could never shake off no matter how hard you tried. Since there was no point arguing with him, I walked to the kitchen in a huff. After countless quarrels, it was obvious that he only did what pleased him. None of my reasonings or pleads would affect him. Any attempt to talk sense into him would only be futile. Michael sat on the couch and watched TV while I cooked. He never once looked over to the kitchen, not even a glimpse. I felt like I was a working wife who was busy with house chores after a day of work. It was weird that he felt like kin to me sometimes. The extended hours of being in the same space made this feel almost real, as if we were really family. I must''ve been bewitched to feel this way. Shaking my head unconsciously with the intention of shaking all my thoughts out, I didn''t notice until I identally cut my finger with the knife. ¡°Ouch...¡± My face crumpled, the knife fell onto the floor, and blood came oozing out from between the flesh. In came Michael. When he saw the cut, his usual stoic dark eyes turned soft. ¡°Why are you so clumsy? Are you okay?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He sounded worried. Despite that, I wasn''t sure if the kindness I saw in his eyes was just a delusion. Would a guy like him sincerely care for a casual sex partner? ¡°I wasn''t paying attention,¡± I exined softly. ¡°You idiot. Can''t you be more careful?¡± A reprimand followed. I started looking around for a Band-Aid, but he already had it in his hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± When I tried to take it, he pulled his hand away, and before I had the chance to ridicule him, he offered to help. ¡°Let me do it.¡± He then took my hand, wiped off the blood, and sealed the wound carefully with the Band-Aid. He did it so gently that I didn''t even feel a pinch. I gaped at him as my mind became befuddled by his gentleness, though I must admit that his simplest act of kindness sent my heart fluttering. Right then, I knew I had fallen for him, but I chose to live in denial, knowing that there''d be no future for us. I''d always tried to suppress my feelings, and that was why I wanted to break off from him. If this rtionship continued, I wasn''t sure if I could stop the probable endearment towards him. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 ¡°Be more careful for the next two days. Always keep the wound dry and clean.¡± My jaw was still hanging in astonishment, reliving his tenderness in my head. ¡°Anna, have you turned mute?¡± he blurted with a frown from my non-responsiveness. When I finally got back to my senses, his face was already only an inch away from mine. I nervously drew my focus back onto the chopping board. After that, Michael went back to the living room, and about half an hourter, dinner was ready. It was simple cooking and not the best, I must say. It did make me wonder why Michael always came here for dinner. To be frank, I believed that his housekeeper would''ve made something way better than what I could offer. We sat across from each other and started eating away. Should I ask him about what Mom told me? ¡°Did you give my parents the money?¡± I let it out as this question had been bothering me the entire day. I didn''t mind getting on his nerves again anyway, as I''d done that way too many times. ¡°News travels fast, doesn''t it?¡± He wasn''t surprised and continued chewing his food graciously as if he had nothing to do with the money. ¡°So it really is you. Why did you send my family a hundred thousand out of the blue?¡± I put down my fork and looked at him, confused. ¡°I remember that you said that it was exhausting to support the whole family. Since now you''re my woman, things will change. I can send your family a hundred thousand every month,¡± he haughtily suggested. Everything became crystal clear to me right then. He sent them money because he deduced that whatever I said that night was a hint for him to give me more? How dare he think that of me! I was only ranting! ¡°Michael, you must''ve misunderstood me. When I said that I wanted someone to lean on, I wasn''t asking that person to share my responsibilities. I was just hoping that someone could give me a shoulder to cry on whenever I''m tired and feeling helpless.¡± I tried to oppress the rage in me as I patiently exined to him. ¡°What''s the use of a shoulder? With free money, you don''t have to work your a*s off to support your family. My goodness, Anna. I can''t believe that a woman at your age could still be so naive!¡± he jeered. That got me fuming. What he said was true. Women my age had been through enough, and most of them had bowed down to reality. Still, he shouldn''t stereotype all women as such. Not everyone was money-minded. It''d be unfair for the man if my purpose of being with him was merely to let him share my burden and responsibilities. Yes, I was selfish, but not to the extent of getting someone to fund my family''s expenses. As a matter of fact, Dad''s medical treatment wasn''t the major spending. It was Steven''s debt that had been sucking my bank ount hollow. He was a good-for-nothing who always hung out with chavs. Not only that, but he was also apulsive gambler. Things wouldn''t have been this tough if it was just Dad''s monthly medical fee. However, Steven''s debts kept rolling and rolling. No matter how many times I''d cleared his debt and his countless assurance of turning over a new leaf, he''d always go back to his old ways. Thus, if I wanted someone to lean on and give me an endless supply of cash to fill this ck hole, I would''ve been the most self-serving woman on earth. ¡°Michael, you can mock me, but that''s what I really want. It''s as simple as that. I was sharing with you my point of view, not asking you for money, so please, for the love of god, stop meddling with my life already.¡± I enunciated every single word. ¡°So within your capability, how much more can you do for your family? Anna, serve me for another six months. I''ve promised to give you a handsome amount of money after this ends. By then, you''ll have one less problem in your life forever.¡± What he said really bemused me. What was so special about me that made him want to own me? I wasn''t ugly, but neither do I look fetching. For a guy like Michael to find someone pretty would be a piece of cake. He just had to whistle, and women would flock in droves to him. I mean, seriously, though, could someone answer my question? Why me? ¡°If that''s the case, how am I different from a whore? Am I a whore to you?¡± Undeniably, I''d got my hands on a great sum of money since I submitted to him. It was a sure-win trade, but what about my dignity? Was it below money? I''d trampled my dignity once for two hundred thousand. It''d crushed me, and that was why I wouldn''t allow it to happen again. ¡°You''ve positioned yourself as one, not me. Anna, what''s so bad about being with me? Do you know how many people out there yearn for this? And here you are, saying no to me again and again. You even wanted to run away from me!¡± A big cheese like him should''ve been used to women attending to all his whims and fancies. Perhaps I should be thankful for his patience after all this while. ¡°Yes, you can grant me money, but that''s it. I want a boyfriend whom I could introduce to my family and friends. I want to get married and have children. Can you give me these? Since you can''t, why can''t you just let me go? Michael, we''re poles apart in every single way.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only That man thought all I wanted was money, but only I knew what my heart desired. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 If I really wanted money, I would have asked for it from him the first time we slept together. But I didn''t. All I wanted was to have a proper discussion with him, not another argument. He was a domineering man, but he wasn''t coldhearted. Michael scanned me from head to toe curiously. He didn''t have to say a single word for me to guess what he was thinking and what he was about to do. ¡°I''d advise you to give up on the idea of bing my girlfriend. I can give you anything except that. I would never marry a nobody like you; know your ce, Anna!¡± If I''m just a nobody, then why are you, a huge CEO, so insistent on clinging to me? You''re surrounded by so many great, intelligent women. You could easily get any one of them to fall for you. So, why me? ¡°I never wanted to be your girlfriend. Rx. I know where I stand.¡± A man like him was most likely going to marry someone hailing from a powerful family background and beloved by all those around her. There was no way that a woman like me would ever be his wife, and the mere idea sent chills up my spine. ¡°I won''t force you. You have time to figure things out.¡± I let out an internal sigh of relief. I knew Michael would be reasonable. But I didn''t need time to figure things out. I''d made the decision a long time ago to end things with him. I was just afraid that if I let our rtionship go on this way, I would not be able to keep my feelings in check any longer. Michael was way too out of my league, surrounded by flocks of admiring women. On the other hand, I was just an ordinary girl. Even though I, too, liked handsome, charming guys like him, this particr man was destined to never be mine. I''m not going to let myself fall any further. I''m not going to let myself get hurt again. I decided to not reveal my decision until after a few days passed so that I wouldn''t aggravate him in his brief moment of kindness. After dinner, I was under the impression that Michael would stay the night. Yet to my surprise, he left the table and picked up his coat as soon as he had finished his dinner, walking out the door without so much as a ¡°goodbye.¡± He left me all alone in an empty house, and I hated it. Later, I took a shower andy down on my bed, staring nkly at the ceiling. My mind was consumed by thoughts of Michael. I''d thought that I would never be able to love another man after Justin, but I hadn''t expected to fall in love with Michael so quickly after. All along, I''d been lying to myself that I hated Michael, but I understood all too well what I truly felt for him. When I couldn''t help but think of him every time I tried to go to sleep, I chalked it up to having interacted with him too much during the day. It took me a while to realize that that was not the case. I knew that this little crush would go nowhere, and I was scared to let myself get heartbroken once more. So, I curled in on myself like a porcupine and protected myself in the only way I knew how to - by keeping him at arm''s length. The sound of my phone ringing snapped me awake from my daze. I nced at the screen, cheering up when I saw that it was Natalie. I hadn''t dared call Natalie for the past few days for fear that she might think that I was trying to get in between her and John again. There were actually several times where my finger nearly pressed the ¡°dial¡± button, but I could never muster up the courage to do so. I hurriedly answered the call. ¡°Nat! You finally called!¡± I must have sounded excited even through the phone. I mean, what could I say; Natalie calling was the best thing that had happened to me recently. To my surprise, I heard Natalie sobbing on the other end. ¡°Anna...¡± ¡°Why are you crying, Natalie? What''s wrong?¡± My heart lurched to the bottom of my stomach. Natalie was a bright, happy-go-lucky girl who rarely cried. Was it that asshole, John? Did he hurt her? Instantly, Natalie''s answer confirmed my suspicions. ¡°He lied to me, Anna. He''s having an affair with another woman,¡± she wailed. I''d expected the answer, but my breath hitched in my throat nheless when hearing Natalie say it out loud. Natalie was bawling her eyes out right then. However, I knew that whatever I said right now would fall on deaf ears. At that point, my best friend was devastated, and my heart went out to her as I knew exactly how she felt. ¡°Are you at home, Nat?¡± I knew that she used to live together with John, but I didn''t know whether or not she still did. Natalie hupped. ¡°Mm-mm...¡± With that, I hung up the phone and immediately left the house. The ride to Natalie''s house was about ten minutes. I rushed up to the door and repeatedly rang the doorbell, worried sick that she might do something she would regret if she was left alone for even a minute longer. Natalie had given me a spare key when I first left her house. Now, I regretted giving the key back to her when I moved away. After a long, agonizing wait, Natalie finally opened the door. Letting out a relieved sigh, I dragged her into the living room and sat us both down on the couch. Her eyes were horribly red and swollen, and her clothes were all rumpled. ¡°Nat... What happened to you?¡± I tucked a stray lock of messy hair behind her ear, giving her a pained look. I''d been friends with her for years, and I''d never seen her in such a state before. John, you d*ck! ¡°I''m sorry, Anna. I should have listened to you in the beginning. John is nothing but a scumbag. He even brought that girl along with him when he met up with me for the breakup today,¡± Natalie spat out through a stuffy nose, throwing herself into my arms. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 I knew all too well how much Natalie liked John. Yet, he had the audacity to not only cheat on her but also bring the girl he''d cheated on her with when asking to split with Natalie? What a f*cking a*shole! ¡°What the hell? How could he do such a thing?¡± My hands clenched into fists, rage ring up within me. ¡°I''m really sorry, Anna, I truly am. I know that you were only looking out for me back then. I''m sorry for not believing you...¡± Natalie started crying even harder, constantly wiping her tears away with a tissue. ¡°It''s okay, Nat. You don''t have to apologize. You were head over heels for John; that wasn''t your fault.¡± I probably would have done the same thing as Natalie if I were in her shoes. ¡°You really don''t me me? I even said that I was going to cut off all contact with you because of John...¡± She nced up at me uneasily. ¡°Come on, we''ve been friends for so long; you know me! If I really was still angry at you, I wouldn''t havee here at all.¡± It was true that I had been angry back then, and that was why I''d left her house. But I had grown to ept reality as time passed. Besides, Natalie was my best friend, and there was no way I could be angry at her forever. ¡°Thank you so much, Anna. Thank you foring over tofort me,¡± she choked out, her arms tightening around me. ¡°Don''t mention it. I know you must be feeling horrible right now. Cry all you want; you''ll feel better afterward,¡± I reassured her, patting her back in aforting motion. I knew all too well the heart-wrenching type of pain that was betrayal, causing one to lose all hope and motivation to continue living, and I knew that Natalie had to be feeling the exact same way. ¡°I really loved him, Anna,¡± Natalie whimpered, her tears wetting my shirt. ¡°Why did he have to do this to me? I even gave him my virginity... Why did he have to hurt me like this?¡± Hearing that, I had no idea how to answer her. Natalie was right; she had given up everything for this rtionship. Unfortunately, people like her who did just that were usually always the ones to get hurt the easiest. ¡°Just forget about him, Nat. He''s not worth your love. Just think of it as getting identally bitten by a dog.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Comparing John to a dog is an insult to all dogs around the world. At least dogs are loyal to their owners. ¡°But I really like him, and I really want to stay with him. What should I do?¡± Natalie insisted. Of course she would feel indignant over getting dumped by John. After all, this was her first rtionship, and she had poured all of her time, love, and effort into it. Anyone else would feel indignant if they were in her position. ¡°Calm down, Nat! You could do so much better than that guy!¡± Natalie cried even harder after hearing me say that. Oh, what I would give to hunt John down right now. But all I could do was hug her and stay by her side for the time being. Regardless of however much I tried to give her advice orfort her, she had toe to face the truth by herself. Natalie stayed in my arms and sobbed throughout the rest of the night. She only finally drifted off into sleep when it was dawn,pletely drained of energy. Then, I carefully set her down on the couch, grabbing a nket from her bedroom and tucking her in. I heaved a heavy sigh as I looked at her. There was no telling when Natalie would be able to heal from this hardship. If only I''d been more determined to show her what John was really like... After that, I took out my phone and nced at the time. It was nearly time for me to go to work, but I felt anxious about leaving Natalie alone like this. So, I decided to call my supervisor and ask for a day off. I sat by Natalie''s side for a while, cleaning up her dried tears and snot before leaving to buy us breakfast. Dragging my feet as I walked, I stared down at the pavement as I stewed in my own frustration and thought up various ways to get revenge on John. Just then, my phone rang. My eyebrows furrowed together when I saw that Michael was calling, completely curious as to why he would call me at this time. ¡°Hello, Mr. Shaw,¡± I politely greeted. There was silence on the other end of the line for a second before I heard Michael demanded, ¡°Why didn''t youe to work today? Are you avoiding me?¡± He sounded upset and usatory. ¡°No, Mr. Shaw. Even if I didn''t want to see you, I wouldn''t give up my sry to do so. I had something urgent to tend to, and I''ve already asked to take a day off from my supervisor. I don''t need to inform you too, do I, Mr. Shaw?¡± I sighed in exasperation. At the state I was in, I wished I could work overtime every day just so I could earn a little extra money. Why would I not go to work because I wanted to avoid him? His imagination and narcissism were truly something else. It''s not like my world revolved around you, y''know! ¡°What is your reason for noting to the office?¡± he pressed on. ¡°Why do I need to tell you my reason? I was already granted leave.¡± I was already in a bad mood before this, but Michael''s incessant questioning only worsened it. Who does he think he is? ¡°I''m your boss, Anna. Do you think you can get away with taking a day off without giving me a valid reason why?¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 I huffed. ¡°I took a day off because my best friend broke up with her boyfriend, and I need time to make sure she''s doing alright, okay?¡± I couldn''t help but wonder whether Michael was trying to start an argument on purpose. Michael grew quiet. After a few seconds, I heard him hang up on me. ¡°What the hell?¡± I stared at my phone with a deadpan expression. He''s been acting weirdly irritating these past few days. Deciding not to pay it much mind, I bought takeaway food for breakfast and went back to Natalie''s ce. When I first got dumped, she had been there for me all throughout my healing process; now, it was my turn to do the same for her. Natalie was already awake when I got back, her legs drawn up to her chest as she hugged them and stared off into space. I set the food down on the dining table and approached her. ¡°Why didn''t you sleep for a while longer?¡± ¡°I can''t. Every time I close my eyes, the memory of him with that girl resurfaces in my mind.¡± She gave me a sidelong nce, her eyes starting to grow watery again. Upon that, I sighed and sat down beside her to wrap my arms around her, feeling slightly at a loss for what to do. ¡°This is all going to pass. Look at me; I''m doing pretty good right now! You''ll be able to forget him eventually; I promise.¡± Heartbreak was never a permanent emotion, and scars would fade with time. I still felt ufortable whenever I thought about Justin again, but the memory of him didn''t hurt as much as it first did when we broke up. ¡°Have you really moved on, Anna? You really don''t feel sad anymore?¡± Natalie asked curiously. ¡°Yup! Trust me; you''ll be able to move on too. Getting sad over a*sholes like John isn''t worth it. We deserve much better than that.¡± ¡°But, I don''t know...¡± She clutched onto my arm. ¡°I feel like I''ve lost everything without him with me. What do you think I did wrong, Anna? What went wrong?¡± ¡°He''s just a piece of trash, Natalie, and there''s nothing you can do to change that! None of this was your fault. He would never appreciate you and cherish you for who you truly are, no matter what you did. You have to wake up and realize the kind of person he is!¡± Why can''t she see that it''s not worth getting all worked up over someone who doesn''t deserve her love and attention? Does she still hope to get him back? Natalie stared at me with wide eyes. After a long while, a veil seemed to lift from her eyes, and her shoulder slumped. I knew that my words had gotten through to her rationality, but they might need some time to get through to her heart. It was just that the thought of her being this sad over John, who likely didn''t even regret his actions, infuriated me. Tears ran down Natalie''s face, but I offered no more words offort, instead opting to pull her to sit down at the dining table. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Eat something. You shouldn''t ruin your body for a man,¡± I told her, handing her the sandwich that I''d bought. She hung her head and kept her gaze fixed on the table as she slowly nibbled on the sandwich. It eventually grew dark outside. Nheless, Natalie sat motionless on the couch, not saying a word. Worried that she might do something reckless if I left, I decided to stay and watch over her. As if reading my mind, she turned to look at me, saying quietly, ¡°You don''t have to stay, Anna. I''ll be fine.¡± ¡°It''s okay; I don''t have to work tomorrow either. I might as well stay the night to look after you.¡± How could I just abandon her when she''s in this state? ¡°I know what you''re concerned about, Anna. Don''t worry about me. I won''t hurt myself over someone who doesn''t deserve it. Please go home; I want to be left alone for now.¡± It was true that Natalie had calmed down considerably throughout the day. She still looked like a wreck, but at least she wasn''t crying anymore. ¡°Alright then. Call me if you need anything. I''ll be here at the drop of a hat.¡± Everyone needed time to themselves after a bad break-up. Knowing this, I didn''t press the topic any further and left her ce. As I walked back home alone, my phone rang out from my pocket. It was Yuval calling to ask if we could meet up tomorrow, but I rejected his request. Tomorrow was the weekend, and I had ns to go back to my hometown. I wasn''t going to let my parents keep the hundred thousand that they got from Michael. Ugh... Thesest few months have been torture. Michael was already home when I arrived at Birchwood. I wasn''t surprised at the sight of him; if anything, I''d gotten used to his presence after having to be with him daily. I silently changed into my in-house slippers and made a beeline for the bedroom. ¡°You''re back,¡± Michael suddenly greeted. His tone sounded t and devoid of any emotion. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± I made a simple sound of acknowledgment and headed in the direction of the bedroom once more. ¡°Your best friend finally got dumped?¡± I''d expected him to get bored and leave if I just ignored him, but he seemed to have no intention of leaving me alone today. Hisments pissed me off greatly. What does he mean by that? I turned around to squint at him in disdain. ¡°You sound like you''re trying to rub salt into the wound.¡± ¡°You''ve always wanted for her to discover his true personality, and she did. Shouldn''t you be happy?¡± he said, ying with the ring on his finger as he raised an eyebrow. Happy? Has he gone mad? Why would I have been looking forward to Natalie getting dumped? If anything, I would rather John put on a fa?ade in front of her for the rest of her life than let him break her heart. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 ¡°I''m not happy. I just think that he isn''t worth getting sad over.¡± With that, I turned back around and left the room. Too many mishaps had happened recently, and I wasn''t in the mood to argue with Michael any further. I took a quick shower and nned on sleeping early tonight. After all, I had to wake up early the next day and take a trip back to my hometown to take back the hundred thousand to return to Michael. Our first time had merely been a transactional urrence, but now things had changed. I came out of the bathroom and was surprised to see that Michael had followed me to my bedroom, sitting on my bed. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked in irritation. ¡°I want to sleep.¡± ¡°Then let''s sleep together. I''m tired after a long day as well.¡± He wasn''t mad. Instead, a hint of smile appeared on his handsome face as hey down and made himselffortable on the bed. ¡°If there''s nothing urgent, I''d like you to please leave. I''ve been in a really bad mood all day.¡± I stood stiffly, repressing the growing anger within me. Is he really going to be this childish and stubborn? ¡°This is my house, remember? Are you trying to chase me out of a room in my own house?¡± Michael crossed his arms over his chest, staring down his nose at me smugly. At that, I admit that I had nearly forgotten that I was currently on his territory. I''d also forgotten that I was supposed to tell him my decision aftering back here and that I couldn''t stay here any longer. Though I did feel grateful that he gave me a roof over my head when I had no one else to turn to, I couldn''t stay here forever. ¡°If you''re not leaving, then I''ll leave,¡± I dered, digging out my clothes from the closet to change into themter on. Michael strode over to me, grabbing ahold of my arm and turning me around, cornering me against the closet. Before my mind could process what was going on, he leaned down and kissed me. My eyes widened in shock, and my mind went nk. I hadn''t been intimate with him in several days. When he told me that he wasn''t going to force me, I''d thought that he would keep his distance from me for the time being. It appeared that everything he said had all been a lie. He pressed his mouth to mine desperately, his hands traveling up and down my body. I wanted to push him away, but my strength was no match for his. In the blink of an eye, he''d picked me up and set me down on the bed, hovering over me with both of his hands on either side of my head. I tried to ce my hands against his chest to try and stop him from going any further, but when I looked up, I could see that his eyes were already fogged over with lust. He furrowed his eyebrows, not pleased at having been interrupted. ¡°What do you think you''re doing?¡± He growled out, a dark expression on his face. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°You said yourself that you weren''t going to force me and that you''d wait for me to make my decision.¡± I knew that I was fighting an uphill battle, but it didn''t hurt to still try. As soon as I said that, Michael''s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Are you using my own words against me?¡± ¡°I''m just speaking the truth. Or were you lying when you told me that a few days ago?¡± Michael still looked annoyed, but I could see him visibly hesitate. So he does remember what he said to me. Maybe I still have a chance at persuading him. Unfortunately, that thought quickly dissipated when I heard what he had to say next. ¡°You must have misunderstood. I only meant that I wasn''t going to force you to make a decision too quickly. I never said that I wasn''t going to force you to have sex,¡± he smirked. I couldn''t believe my ears. This man is really going to insist on having his way or the high way! ¡°You have no shame, Michael,¡± I muttered through gritted teeth. My impression of him had changed once more. ¡°I''m going to be even more shameless from now on. Would you like to see?¡± He''d always had the most patience when in bed. No matter how much I scolded or berated him, he would always brush my insults aside with a proud smile. This man might have appeared mature and solemn on the surface, but he became apletely different person when it came to his physical needs. In fact, he was almost like an insatiable child. I red at him, unable to find anything to reply with. There was no doubt that he was speaking the truth and absolutely nned on following through with his promise. Upon witnessing my brief moment of vulnerability, Michael raised an eyebrow and pushed my hands away, reaching down to undo the front of my chiffon sleeping gown. Pushing the fabric aside to reveal my skin, he scanned my body from head to toe, and I awkwardly turned my head to one side to avoid his gaze. Within seconds, he had undone the rest of my sleeping gown, and Iid bare before him. His long fingers traced down my neck with a sense of familiarity, his gaze burning with need and want. When the realization dawned upon me that I was not going to be able to sleep early tonight, I closed my eyes. There was no use trying to refuse him anyway, so I might as well close my eyes and enjoy it while itsts. A satisfied smile tugged at Michael''s lips, and he proceeded to leave his mark all over my body. From a man''s point of view, a woman''s body was the sexiest thing in the world. Perhaps it was lesser common knowledge that men could use their bodies to easily seduce a woman, just like Michael. I doubted there was a single woman on earth that wouldn''t be attracted to his god-like physique. Every time Iid my eyes on his body, I had to resist letting out a squeal. It was embarrassing, but it was the truth. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 I couldn''t deny that Michael was a great partner in bed, and getting to sleep with him was always a pleasurable experience. Every touch of his hands and mouth left goosebumps in its wake, igniting a me within me. In the back of my mind, I thought about ending this rtionship and possibly getting married to someone else. I wondered if I and my future husband would be aspatible in bed as Michael and I were. After all, it was hard to get used to someone new after you had already grown so familiar with a person''s body. Sensing my momentary distraction, Michael paused and knitted his eyebrows together. ¡°Why do you look distracted when I''m trying to please you? Am I not doing well enough for you?¡± Men didn''t like it when their partners had the peace of mind to think about anything else except them during sex, and Michael was no exception. I snapped back to reality, my heart skipping a beat in a panic when my gaze met his icy cold one. How did he even notice that I was distracted? ¡°No. It feels good,¡± I hurriedly replied, turning to look at anything but him. ¡°It doesn''t seem that way to me. Looks like I''ll need to work harder.¡± His movements instantly increased in their intensity, and I had no other option but to take what he was giving me. I was drained of all energy after several rounds in a row, and I felt him finally release inside me. He didn''t copse and go to sleep straight away but wrapped me up in his arms and held me as his breath slowly evened out. It felt nice to be in his embrace like that, and I briefly dreamed of a life where I could fall asleep like this every night. The idea startled me as soon as it crossed my mind. Since when have I grown to rely on Michael so much? How could he ever be a permanent presence in my future? I shook my head as if physically chasing all the bad thoughts away. I understood all too well that Michael and I would never be a thing, and I couldn''t allow myself to fantasize about it anymore. ¡°What''s wrong? Do you feel ufortable?¡± Michael stared at me curiously. ¡°N- No...¡± I quickly denied. I couldn''t let him figure out what I was thinking. He had told me multiple times before that a rtionship between us was impossible. Thus, if he found out about my feelings for him, who knew what he might think about me. Michael didn''t respond, closing his eyes as if going to sleep. ¡°Um... I''m going back to my hometown tomorrow.¡± I spoke up, ncing at him. ¡°I''ll be back by nighttime on thest day of the weekend.¡± He usually never said a word before disappearing for several days at a time, so I wasn''t sure why I felt the need to exin the reason for my own absence tomorrow. His eyes fluttered open, and he furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at me. ¡°You''re staying there overnight?¡± ¡°Yeah. I haven''t been back home in a while, even though I call my family a lot, and I don''t know how my Dad is doing either.¡± Of course, the main reason for going back home was to retrieve the hundred thousand, but I wasn''t going to tell Michael that. Knowing him and his temper, he would get angry at me if he discovered the truth. Besides, we were sharing a rare moment of peace and quiet, and I didn''t want to disrupt it. ¡°I''ll have someone send you,¡± he said. My heart skipped a beat. Did hee up with that idea because he''s worried about me? For some reason, that revtion made me feel giddy with happiness, although there was a small voice in the back of my mind that kept reminding me about our current rtionship status. Even if he felt concerned, I wasn''t going to ept his act of kindness. ¡°It''s fine. I''ll just hail a taxi from the bus station. The drive there is only four to five hours.¡± I told him, even though my heartbeat was still pounding in my ears. If he weren''t an unattainable CEO and so out of my league, I would have fallen head over heels for him a long time ago. ¡°Are you sure?¡± His eyes looked like they were searching for something as if trying to figure out why I said the things I said and why I did the things I did. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes. I always take a taxi by myself whenever I go home; I''m used to it.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Michael gave up after my second rejection, turning his back to me andying on his side. Disappointment and guilt welled up inside me when I was ended up staring at his back, but I kept quiet. I turned over so that our backs were facing each other. At some point, Michael had pulled me back into his arms in the middle of the night, his face buried into the crook of my neck. Every warm exhale and inhale tickled my sensitive skin. Despite so, I made no effort to escape his grasp, merely closing my eyes and letting sleep overtake me once more. When I woke up the next morning, Michael was still there lying next to me, sound asleep. This was the first time that I''d ever seen him upon waking up. I carefully crawled out of his embrace, lifting his arm up from around my waist and tiptoeing out of bed for fear of waking him up. I quickly changed into my clothes and was packing my luggage when I heard Michael''s sleep-addled, husky voice called out, ¡°You''re leaving so early in the morning?¡± I whipped around to look at him. He was sitting up in bed, staring at me with those dark eyes of his, completely naked except for the nket covering the lower half of his body. My cheeks flushed at the sight, and I quickly turned back around. ¡°Yeah,¡± I coughed out, returning to my task of packing my stuff. ¡°The drive is a long time, so I want to get there as early as possible.¡± Although I only nned on staying for one night, I still needed to bring at least a change of clothes and my toiletries with me. Michael eventually got up and put on his clothes as well. I was surprised; it was seven in the morning on a weekend, and I thought that he would take the chance to sleep in while he could. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¡°Why are you up so early? Shouldn''t you try to get a little more sleep?¡± I asked in confusion when I saw Michael fully dressed and about to go wash up in the bathroom. I know he''s a workaholic and all, but it''s the weekends right now, and anyone in their right mind would want to sleep in! This man really is something else... ¡°I''m dropping you off at the station. After that, I''ll head back to the mansion and carry on sleeping.¡± His reply had me both surprised and happy at the same time. I didn''t think a man like him was capable of being so caring and thoughtful. ¡°That won''t be necessary. I can just hail a cab there.¡± As much as I wanted for him to send me there, I decided to refuse his offer out of courtesy anyway. I didn''t want him thinking that I wanted to be seen with him in public so I could call myself his girlfriend. ¡°Give me ten minutes.¡± Michael shot me a re before heading into the bathroom. After taking some time to regain myposure, I dragged my suitcase into the living room and waited for Michael. As expected, he came out of the bedroom in less than ten minutes. Instead of his usual formal attire, Michael was dressed in a white jersey and a pair of ck sweatpants. That was the first time I had seen him in such casual clothes, and he looked so vibrant and handsome that I blushed without even realizing. Michael drove off without another word after dropping me off at the station, which made me feel a little disappointed. It took me a moment to rpose myself before heading over to the ticketing lobby. After purchasing my bus ticket, I waited patiently for the bus to arrive. After spending about half the day on the bus, I finally reached my hometown. As my house was located in the vige, I had to take quite a long walk from the bus station to get there. Since I had given my mom a call before heading home, she was already waiting for me as soon as I entered the vige. ¡°You must be tired after such a long trip, huh? Here, I''ll help you with the bags!¡± My mom took my stuff over the moment she saw me, including the supplements that I had bought for my dad on my way here. ¡°How is Dad, Mom? Is he getting any better?¡± I began chatting with my mom while walking next to her. ¡°He''s much better after the surgery, so don''t you worry! All you have to do is focus on your work, okay? I''ll take good care of him!¡± The two of us soon arrived at the house after a brief chat. I took some time to catch up with my dad at home while my mom prepared dinner. My younger brother, Steven, came home in the evening. The entire living room was filled with the stench of alcohol the moment Steven entered the house, and that smell got even worse as he approached me and asked, ¡°What are you doing here, Anna? How much money did you bring with you?¡± I frowned at the sight of his reddened face and scolded him, ¡°Steven, just look at you! You''re not a child anymore, for heaven''s sake! Why can''t you pull your sh*t together and get a proper job?¡± My brother dropped out of school at a young age and had spent most of his life hanging out with delinquents. As a result, he often got into fights and frequented brothels as well as gambling dens. Even so, the vige had a very patriarchal mindset, so my parents continued to spoil him while I was allowed to work in the city all by myself. They never bothered to ask me if I was doing all right or if I had enough money on me. In fact, they would only call me if they needed money for Steven who only knew how to get himself into trouble. I couldn''t reallyin much as patriarchy was the norm in the vige, and he was my brother. I didn''t mind helping him out financially if he was actually working a proper job, but he was wasting his life away fighting, gambling, and drinking. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. To make matters worse, the money that I had earned through all of my hard work was mostly spent on cleaning up the mess he made. I''m no saint, and I have feelings too! Right now, I only have disappointment for Steven. ¡°Youe home, and the first thing you do is lecture me? Jeez, what did I do to offend you, Anna?¡± Steven was very hot-tempered, so he didn''t exactly appreciate what I had just said. ¡°Would you take a look at yourself! Do you even care about Dad''s health at all? Why can''t you just get yourself a proper job and help relieve some of the burden at home?¡± The fact that he had it in him to get so drunk despite Dad''s condition had disappointed me to the core. ¡°Dad had his surgery done, hadn''t he? Don''t worry. He''ll be fine!¡± Steven let out a loud burp as he said that, and the pungent smell of alcohol in his breath agitated me even further. Mom and Dad loved Steven so much since he was a kid, and yet he turned out to be such a failure! I shot him a fierce re and was about to say something when my mom came out of the kitchen. She immediately took his side the moment she saw me scolding him and said, ¡°What are you doing, Anna? Why are you fighting with your brother right aftering home? What did he ever do to you, huh?¡± Usually, my mom loved me a lot, but everything would automatically be my fault whenever Steven was involved. It didn''t even matter what he did, because my parents would always me me for everything anyway. ¡°Mom, Anna has been scolding me for no reason! I didn''t do anything!¡± Steven said with a sad look on his face as he walked up to our mom. Given how patriarchal my parents were, nothing mattered more than my brother, and they would defend him regardless of what happened. ¡°Anna, it''s been ages since you and Stevenst saw each other. You shouldn''t beshing out at him like this!¡± She defended Steven as usual. On a typical day, I would have backed down upon hearing that. However, I refused to do so that day as I had been through too much and couldn''t stand Steven''s shenanigans any longer. Given the amount of love that Mom and Dad had showered him with, shouldn''t he be more obligated to help relieve the family''s burdens? If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us kn Chapter 95 Chapter 95 ¡°Mom, he''s like this now because you and Dad have been spoiling him since childhood! Just look at him! He''ll doom us all if he keeps this jobless deadbeat bullsh*t up!¡± I shouted angrily while pointing at Steven who was hiding behind her. I didn''t care if my words would affect my rtionship with Steven as I knew for a fact that we would all be done for if we carried on like this. ¡°How could you say that about your brother?¡± Mom snapped back at me furiously before Steven could even say anything in response. She had always defended Steven with aplete disregard for my feelings, and that hadn''t changed one bit even with the state that Steven was in. ¡°I''m saying this for his own good, Mom! He dropped out of school and is now in his twenties without a proper job! Do you really n on letting him remain a parasite in our family?¡± I wasn''tfortable with how Mom was defending Steven like that, but I had gotten used to it over time. All I wanted was for Steven to do his part and help support the family with me. ¡°That''s rude, Anna! How could you call me, your brother, a parasite? Are you implying that Mom and Dad gave birth to a parasite?¡± Steven retorted as if his actions werepletely justified. ¡°Rude? I wouldn''t be saying that if you did your part in supporting this family!¡± Steven was an unrepentant person by nature, so nothing I said or did would ever make him change his ways. ¡°Anna! Don''t you say that about your brother!¡± Mom stepped in front of Steven and red at me angrily when she saw that I was still going on about it. ¡°You need to stop defending him, Mom! He''s a grown adult now, and he still doesn''t have a proper job! All he does is gamble, drink, and freeload off us every day! We''ll be done for sooner orter if he doesn''t change his ways!¡± Normally, I would''ve stopped scolding him by then, but I refused to that day. ¡°Anna, I''m going to get angry if you don''t stop treating your brother like this! I know you''ve had it rough at work and all, but you''ve already scolded him, haven''t you? Why don''t you give it a rest now?¡± I had wanted to continue scolding Steven, but I knew I wouldn''t hear the end of it from my mom if I did. Having no other choice, I simply shot him a fierce re and sat down at the dinner table. Steven turned out like this because Mom and Dad had spoiled him way too much. They never let him do any work at home and basically treated him like a king of some sort. ¡°My goodness, I could hear you all arguing from outside the house. What''s going on?¡± Dad asked as he came in and shot me a displeased re. ¡°It''s nothing. Just a little squabble between siblings, that''s all!¡± Mom spoke up before I could say anything. ¡°Yeah, it''s fine, Dad. It''s been a long time since Ist saw Anna, so I was having a little chat with her,¡± Steven chimed in as well. Although extremely furious, I kept my feelings to myself as Dad had a weak heart, and I didn''t want to get into a fight with Steven in front of him. Meanwhile, Mom had prepared quite a lot of dishes for dinner as I hadn''t returned in a long time. Mom made all of these dishes just for me... Although my parents were always defending Steven and all, they still care about me! I felt a heartwarming sensation at the thought of that. However, that feeling was gone as soon as it came when my mom said, ¡°Here you go, Stevie! You''ve gotten so skinnytely, so you need to eat more meat! I knew you wereing back today, so I made these dishes just for you!¡± So this meal was meant for Steven, not me... Looks like I''ve overestimated my ce in Mom''s heart... With that in mind, I kept my head low as I finished my meal in silence while Mom continued topping up Steven''s te throughout dinner. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After doing the dishes, I decided to tell my parents about my reason foring home. Then, I asked my mom for the hundred thousand, so I could pay Michael back. I waited till Steven had gone to bed at about nine before knocking on my parents'' door. They had a habit of sleepingte, so they should still be awake by then. ¡°Come on in,¡± Mom called out from inside the room. I opened the door and saw my dad reading a book in bed while my mom was busy knitting something. ¡°Oh, Anna, what''s the matter?¡± Mom asked with a confused frown when she saw that it was me. I simply looked at her in silence as I contemted on how I should start my sentence. ¡°You said you had something to tell us, right? Well, what is it?¡± Mom stopped her knitting and stared straight at me when she saw me hesitating. ¡°Mom... I uh... I need you to hand over the hundred thousand so I can pay Michael back.¡± I told Mom the reason I had returned. Although my family was short on cash, I couldn''t bring myself to ept Michael''s money as I wasn''t rted to him in any way. Of course, that was just wishful thinking on my part because Momshed out at me after hearing what I said. ¡°You want me to return the money? No way! He gave the money to us, so it''s ours now, and I''m not about to give it back!¡± she shouted angrily while jumping to her feet. I frowned in frustration at how agitated she was. I knew Mom wouldn''t hand it over that easily, but Michael and I are not a couple, so I can''t be epting his money like this! ¡°Mom, this money doesn''t belong to us! We should return it to its rightful owner!¡± I eximed anxiously. ¡°Like I said, he gave it to us, so it''s ours now! He has no right to take it back after giving it to us! Anna, you know how difficult things have been for us, don''t you? This money didn''te easy, so how could you ask us to just give it up? Do you not care about us at all?¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 I know we''re in desperate need of money, but this money belongs to Michael! We can''t use it! I frowned in helplessness at the thought of that. ¡°Don''t worry, Mom, I will work hard and provide for our family. This money doesn''t belong to us, so we really shouldn''t be using it.¡± I tugged at my mom''s arm and tried my best to exin it in hopes that she would understand. However, she pulled her arm back and shot me a fierce re as she replied, ¡°I don''t care! This money is in my hands now, so you''re not getting it back! Besides, that man is your boyfriend, isn''t he? What''s wrong with me epting money that he offered?¡± ¡°It''s not what you think, Mom! He''s just my boss, not my boyfriend!¡± I didn''t know how else I could exin it to Mom. I don''t know who Michael could be dating, but it definitely isn''t me! ¡°Why would he give us a hundred thousand out of the blue, then? Let me guess... You found yourself a rich boyfriend but are afraid of us bing a burden, right?¡± Her eyes were filled with suspicion and anger when she said that. I knew I had pissed her off, but her words hurt me more than I had expected them to. After everything I''ve given this family all these years, this is how my mom thinks of me... If what she said is true, then I would''ve thought of them as a burden a long time ago! ¡°How could you say that, Mom? I''ve provided for this family for so many years without a single word of comint! Haven''t you realized that by now?¡± Tears formed in my eyes as I stared at my mom in disappointment. As if her defending Steven wasn''t bad enough, she even went as far as denying my contributions to the family. I noticed a hint of heartache sh past her eyes when she saw how hurt I was. ¡°That''s not what I meant... I know you''ve had it rough over the years, and it hurts me to see you working so hard every day out there. Now that someone has given us a hundred thousand, you should be happy that your burden has been relieved!¡± ¡°Mom! I told you, there is nothing going on between us, so we can''t ept his money!¡± I grew increasingly anxious when I saw my mom still refusing to hand it over. Not that it came as any surprise, though, as money had always been as good as gone the moment she got her hands on it. ¡°I don''t care! I''m not giving you the money!¡± My mom made it very clear that she would never hand over Michael''s money, which added to my exasperation. ¡°You can''t do that, Mom! This money doesn''t belong to us! Why must you insist on keeping it?¡± I was starting to lose my temper at how unreasonable she was being. ¡°Why can''t I? He''s your boyfriend, so I''ll just take it as a wedding gift in advance and ask for less when you two get married!¡± It didn''t matter what I said, because she was adamant about not giving up the money. ¡°You''ve gone too far, Mom! I told you, he''s not my boyfriend! He''s just my boss!¡± ¡°I don''t care what you say! I''m not giving up the money! Look, your brother got himself into a huge gambling debt a few days ago. I''ve just paid it off for him, so I don''t have the money anyway!¡± What the... It''s only been a few days, and they''ve already used up the money to pay off his gambling debt? I was so close to exploding with rage when I heard that. ¡°How could you do that, Mom? How am I going to pay him back now?¡± A hundred thousand was an incredibly huge sum for me, so it would take me forever to pay Michael back. ¡°He''s your boyfriend, so he won''t be forcing you to pay him back anyway! Anna, can''t you be more considerate towards your parents?¡± As if I haven''t been considerate enough... Apart from the amount that I set aside for my daily expenses, I have given every penny from my monthly paychecks to the family! I''ve been paying for everything in this family for so many years, and this is what I get in return... Mom''s words left me so disappointed and upset that I had to muster every ounce of willpower in me just to keep my anger under control. ¡°How much did Steven owe?¡± I asked. ¡°Sixty thousand,¡± Mom replied. Sixty thousand? She used sixty thousand out of the hundred thousand on paying off Steven''s gambling debt? I held my hand out and said, ¡°What about the remaining forty thousand, then? Hand it over.¡± Obviously, Mom was too obsessed with money to part with it. ¡°You''d better not take that forty thousand from me if you still think of me as your mom!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She was basically forcing me to choose between her and the money, and the fact that she was willing to cut ties with me over forty thousand upset me even more. ¡°Mom... Does the money really matter more to you than I do?¡± I asked with an upset frown on my face. Mom averted her gaze out of guilt when she heard that and avoided my question. ¡°Whatever, I''m not handing over the money.¡± I knew it was pointless to say anything further as she chose the forty thousand over me. ¡°Fine... Keep the money, then. But know this, you won''t be getting any money out of me for a while.¡± I turned around angrily after saying that and began walking away. Damn it, I wouldn''t havee home if I knew this was what awaited me! Instead of the money, all I got from Mom was anger, sadness, and disappointment... ¡°How dare you talk to your mom like that? She''s only doing this for the sake of the family! It would take you forever to earn a hundred thousand!¡± Dad''s voice came from behind when I got to the door. Although he hardly ever said much, I knew full well that he was on my brother''s side as well. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 I stopped in my tracks briefly upon hearing that and stormed off without looking back. I''m nothing but an outsider to this family... No one gives a damn what I say or do. Sometimes, I even wonder if I''m actually adopted... I couldn''t fall asleep after returning to my room as my mom''s words from earlier kept echoing in my head. After a bit of tossing and turning in bed, I decided to give Natalie a call and ask her if she was feeling any better. To my surprise, I saw a text message from Michael when I unlocked my phone. Curious as to what he sent me, I quickly tapped on it with my trembling fingers. Michael: Give me a call when you get back tomorrow. I''ll go pick you up at the station. He wants toe pick me up... I was shaking all over from shock and confusion as to why he was suddenly being so nice to me. However, there was no denying the fact that I felt happy when I read his text. I wasted no time and quickly replied: I will, thanks! The argument with Mom had left me in a very bad mood, but Michael''s text removed all of that negativity and made me feel all better. A smile formed on my face as I ced my phone on the nightstand. Had Michael been an ordinary guy instead of a CEO, I probably would''ve fallen in love with him ages ago! Sure, he''s quite domineering and unreasonable, but he did help me out a lot in life! I know he''s not a bad guy at heart. He''s just gotten used to being cold on the outside, that''s all! I thought Michael would reply to my text, but that was just wishful thinking on my part. Eventually, I fell asleep waiting for his reply which never came, and it was already morning when I woke up. Mom had made us all breakfast by the time I finished showering and brushing my teeth. Even Steven had sobered up after a good night''s sleep, but he still looked as frivolous as ever. The mere sight of him reminded me of how Mom had spent more than half of the hundred thousand on paying off his gambling debt, and that made me feel like hitting him out of anger. Of course, I couldn''t do that or Mom would definitely cut ties with me for harming their precious son. Unfortunately, me not hitting him didn''t stop him from getting on my nerves. After taking a sip from his ss of milk, Steven shifted his gaze towards me and asked, ¡°I heard you found yourself a rich boyfriend, Anna. Is that true? When are you going to introduce him to us? We can help you assess his character, you know?¡± Steven was obviously referring to Michael, but I knew it wasn''t Michael''s character that he was interested in. I shot him a re and said coldly, ¡°No, I don''t have a rich boyfriend. Also, drop the act, will you? I know you''re only interested in his money, not his character.¡± ¡°Must you be so mean to me, Anna? What, I can''t even care about my own sister''s well-being now?¡± Being the hot-tempered guy that he was, Steven got angry and raised his voice at me in response. ¡°I don''t need your concern, Steven. If anything, you should worry about yourself! You''re not a kid anymore, for goodness'' sake! It''s time you found yourself a proper job!¡± I snapped back at him with a frown. There''s no way he''s actually concerned about me! We may be siblings, but he has gotten himself into so much trouble over the years that whatever patience I had left has beenpletely depleted. Steven gave Mom an indignant look as he protested, ¡°Do you see that, Mom? She''s lecturing me every day when you and Dad haven''t even said anything!¡± I had been very polite with him earlier as all I wanted was for him to be a little more hardworking. ¡°Stevie is still young. Give him two more years, and I''m sure he''ll turn out just fine! You should stop being such a nitpicker, Anna! Who hasn''t made a couple of mistakes in life, right?¡± Of course, Mom defended Steven as usual... She would never speak up for me, not even once. Whenever Steven and I got into arguments, I was the one she pinned the me on. Seriously, does she not realize that Steven turned out like this precisely because she spoiled him too much? ¡°Mom, he''s made way more than just a couple of mistakes! Can you stop defending him already?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. I shot Mom a disappointed look when I said that. ¡°Anna! What the hell is wrong with you? Steven hasn''t done anything to provoke you, and yet you''ve been picking on him ever since you got home yesterday!¡± As usual, sheshes out at me for criticizing Steven... Of course she does... I''m just an outsider to them... Why do my parents treat me so differently when we''re both children of theirs? Is it simply because I''m a girl? With that in mind, I kept my head low and continued eating my breakfast in silence. ¡°You can head on back to the city after breakfast if you hate your brother that much.¡± Dad, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up all of a sudden, but what he said only added insult to my injury. ¡°Yeah, I''ll do that,¡± I said with tears in my eyes. Dad''s words hurt more than any beating or scolding I had ever received. When I heard him kicking me out simply because I lectured Steven, I felt a strong urge to just stand up and question them if I was actually their daughter. Despite how strong that urge was, I managed to fight it back and began packing my stuff as soon as I finished my food. ¡°Anna, I know it''s really tough working out there all by yourself to support the family, but... Steven is your brother, and he''s also the only one capable of continuing the family lineage...¡± Mom said apologetically when I was about to leave. I would usually put up with it all after hearing those words from her as patriarchy was the norm in the vige. However, I was too upset and disappointed in her at the time. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 I remained silent and did not feel like talking. Without saying a word, I packed my stuff and left home. While sitting on the bus and thinking about how my parents treated me, I was deeply upset. The way they treated Steven was worlds apart from the way I was treated. I''m not a saint and can''t tolerate such unfairness! They are the people closest to me in the world and my everything, but they only care about Steven. Though I''m their daughter, there''s no ce in their heart for me! I was staring out at the scenery shing past the window with a heavy heart. My eyes reddened, but I tried to keep the tears from falling as Iforted myself. After so many years, I should''ve gotten used to it, shouldn''t I? So I shouldn''t be sad! After a few hours of bumpy journey, I finally arrived at the bus terminal. I got off the bus and looked at the crowded terminal. Being alone in the crowd gave me a sense of loneliness. I had been working in this city for so many years in order to provide my parents a better life. Yet, no matter how hard I worked to support my family, they still did not appreciate me. Feeling depressed, I decided to walk home by myself instead of calling Michael. Though Birchwood was far away from the bus terminal, I just wanted to be alone. After a long walk with my suitcase, I couldn''t feel my feet at all. Totally drained of energy, I was extremely worn out. I stood by the roadside and wanted to hail a cab. Unfortunately, all the cabs were upied, and I failed to get one despite waiting for so long. I nced at my watch and grew anxious as the time ticked by. Suddenly, a Rolls-Royce approached and stopped in front of me, letting out honks. I frowned, gazing curiously at the car before me. Who''s this? And why is it blocking my way? Seeing that the car stayed put, I decided to walk down the road with my suitcase as I waited for a cab. At that moment, someone lowered the car window and stuck his head out of the window. It was Michael. ¡°Anna?¡± He furrowed his defined brows slightly, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes. Immediately, my heart trembled upon hearing that familiar voice. When I saw his handsome face, my eyes widened in shock. Why is Michael here? I didn''t call to inform him that I had arrived, did I? ¡°M-Michael, why are you here?¡± I responded awkwardly after keeping quiet for a while. ¡°Why did youe back so early? Didn''t I ask you to call me after you had arrived? You refused to listen, didn''t you?¡± Michael opened the car door and got out of his car while walking toward me. He looked solemn in his pure ck suit. When our eyes met, I was so flustered that I did not know how to reply to such a statement. In fact, I did not forget about calling him; I refused to do so instead. Since I was in a grim mood, I just wanted to be alone. ¡°I came back earlier, but I was afraid that you were busy, so I didn''t bother you!¡± I exined guiltily as my expression froze. Upon that, Michael looked straight at me with his piercing eyes. For some reason, I had a feeling he could always see through my lies. Following that, he responded coldly, ¡°Is this your reason?¡± I could hear the icy tone in his voice. ¡°Yeah...¡± Right away, I lowered my head and did not dare to look him in the eyes. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Get in!¡± Michael frowned and red at me. Since he said so, I got into his car immediately as I thought he would be further angered if I refused him on the spot. I had never seen him driving this car before. After getting into his car, I nced around curiously. Wow, it''s so spacious andfortable in here! Just how many cars does he own? Oh well, I''ll never understand the rich. A car is just a means of transportation. Why in the world do they need so many of them? It''s not like they can drive it all together at the same time! While sitting in the car, both of us kept mum. The atmosphere grew tense with the awkward silence. I looked out the window, wondering if I should find a topic of conversation to ease the tense atmosphere. However, I could not even say a word when I stared at his cold and impassive face. I always felt that we had nothing to talk about. While I was struggling to find a topic, Michael broke the silence and asked, ¡°Why did youe back earlier? Didn''t you say you woulde back at night?¡± His voice was calm and emotionless. ¡°I didn''t feelfortable at home, so I came back earlier.¡± His question reminded me of the way my parents treated me. Once again, my heart sank. ¡°Why?¡± Michael turned to look at me with curiosity gleaming in his eyes. He seemed to notice that I was upset. ¡°Nothing! You wouldn''t understand the woes of amoner!¡± I turned toward him and met his concerned gaze. My heart trembled slightly, and I turned away hurriedly, avoiding eye contact. A man like him must have been pampered by his parents to the core since young, like the way my parents treat Steven. Even if I told him how I felt, he wouldn''t understand, so I''d rather keep it to myself. Much to my surprise, he was not angry, even though I did not tell him the reason. He did not say anything after casting a sideways nce in my direction with his brows furrowed. ¡°Michael...¡± After quite some time, I called his name and looked at him. He responded calmly, ¡°Yes?¡± His voice was t and emotionless. ¡°Please don''t send money to my family anymore!¡± There was a sudden load on my shoulders as I thought about the one hundred thousand debt. No, I don''t want to owe him any money! I''ll work hard to repay it all! ¡°Anna, are you going to dissociate yourself with me now?¡± As soon as I uttered those words, Michael mmed on the brakes and red at me. Due to the sudden force, my body was thrown forward abruptly. If it weren''t for the restraining seatbelt, my head would have hit the windscreen. ¡°It''s not like that. I just don''t think you need to give them money. Besides, they''ve misunderstood our rtionship, and I''m afraid that they will ask you for more next time.¡± I was unsure what would happen if my parents knew about Michael''s status. Yet, one thing that I was sure, was that Steven would definitely find ways to get some money from Michael. Unbeknownst to them, Michael and I were merely friends with benefits and nothing more than that. Hence, there was no way that I would allow Steven to take advantage of him. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 After hearing my words, Michael''s mouth curved into an ironic smile. He leaned toward me, staring at me. His eyes were dark with unfathomable emotion. ¡°Did you think that I couldn''t afford to take care of your family?¡± I forced myself to look him in the eye and exined in all seriousness, ¡°What I meant was, you don''t need to give my family money. They have misunderstood our rtionship, so if you keep giving them money, they will ask you for more next time.¡± Well, people are greedy for money, especially myzy, good-for-nothing brother! I''ve been settling his problems all these years, and he''s getting worse. If he knows he can easily get money from Michael, he will definitely ask for more next time. After I finished my words, Michael frowned and fixed his prating gaze on me. I stared at him, feeling nervous and having no idea what was going through his mind. Suddenly, a pleased smile shed across his face. ¡°Anna, are you helping me to save money? Well, other women would definitely wish I could give more money, but you surprised me!¡± I had never heard of these scandals about him. However, from the way he casually treated me as a friend with benefits in the first ce, I guessed he must have had many sexual partners before. Is he trying to say that all his previous sexual partners asked him for a lot of money? I was curious but did not dare to ask him. After all, Michael did not like me asking about his personal matters. Besides, I was not his girlfriend, nor did I have the right to ask. ¡°I just don''t want others to know that we''re friends with benefits. Didn''t you forbid me from telling others about our rtionship? If you keep giving my family money, they''ll know about it sooner orter!¡± Little did he know that I did not want him to give my family money because it was impossible for us to be together, and I was reluctant to reveal our shameful rtionship. Besides, if he kept giving money, I would feel as though he was my sugar daddy! ¡°Even if your family knew about it, they live in the countryside and can''t spread the word. So what?¡± Initially, I thought Michael would understand after I exined it to him. Much to my surprise, he did not mind if my family knew about our rtionship. ¡°Well, even if you''re not worried, I''ll still be worried. You should know we can''t be together. Perhaps, you don''t know our neighbors in the countryside love gossiping when they get together. What if my parents told them about our rtionship? I''ll be so embarrassed that I dare not go home!¡± Knowing that Michael and I could not be together, I was so worried that my parents had told those neighbors I was dating a rich guy. By the time we end our rtionship, how am I going to answer them if they ask me about him? If I tell them we broke up, my reputation will still be tarnished. Though I was no longer chaste, pure, and clean, I cared about what others might think of me. I did not want them to backbite or gossip about me when I got home in the future. After hearing my words, Michael remained silent and looked seriously at me. I knew him well. That man would not simply change his mind just because of my few words. Well, what else can I do? He''s so stubborn! After a while, he responded, ¡°Alright, I get it!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Then, he started the car and drove off in silence. Indeed, his words stunned me, and I could not react. I kept staring nkly at his profile and wondered if he had agreed to it. With that, we did not talk anymore on the way back to Birchwood. After we arrived home, I carried my suitcase to the bedroom. When I was about to rest, my phone rang. It was Natalie, so I immediately answered the call. I did not contact her the whole day and was worried about her. ¡°Hey, Nat!¡± ¡°Anna, are you back?¡± Her voice was dull and monotonous. Though she did not cry, I knew she was still sad. I took a long time to calm myself down when Justin cheated on mest time. As for Natalie, it happened two days ago. Oh dear, she must be heartbroken! ¡°Yeah, I''m back!¡± After I replied to her, I asked with concern, ¡°Nat, how''re you? Are you alright?¡± ¡°Anna, could you apany me tonight? I don''t want to stay at home alone!¡± When she spoke, small choking sobs escaped from her as she began to cry. ¡°Okay, wait for me! I''lle over now!¡± Knowing that Natalie was sad and depressed, I could not bear to leave her alone, though I was tired and wanted to rest after the long journey. As soon as I ended the call, I rushed over to her ce. When I passed by the living room, Michael took a bottle of water from the fridge and drank it. Seeing that I was about to go out, he furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Natalie just called and asked me to apany her. I''m going to her ce now,¡± I replied while putting on my shoes in the doorway. ¡°So you''re noting back tonight?¡± Michael sounded displeased. ¡°Natalie just broke up. She''s my best friend, so I should apany her!¡± I did not answer his question directly, but I had indicated that I would stay overnight at Natalie''s ce and would note back. ¡°What about me? I haven''t had dinner yet! If you''re noting back, who shall I sleep with?¡± Michael furrowed his beautiful brows and looked displeased. Is he freakin'' serious right now? Does he always think of having sex when he is not working? It''s just one night, for crying out loud! ¡°Can you bear with me tonight? Natalie needs me!¡± Initially, I wanted to roll my eyes at him. Instead, I talked to him nicely when I thought of his bad temper. Natalie is my best friend! There is no way that I''ll leave her alone! I''ll definitely apany her tonight! That''s what loyal friends are for! Michael red at me. Clearly, he was annoyed. If something crossed him, his expression would darken. Looking at his expression, I sighed inwardly. I really pity the woman who is going to marry him and bear with him! Just the thought alone is tiring enough! He remained silent for quite a while. When I thought he would not let me go, he suddenly responded, ¡°Anna, this will be thest time. You must stay here tomorrow night!¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Upon hearing Michael''s words, joy suffused me. Never had I expected him to agree readily without making things difficult for me. Whoa! When did this drastic change of character happen? ¡°I got it!¡± After saying that, I swung open the door and promptly left. When I arrived at Natalie''s house, she was still crying inconsbly as before. Thus, Iforted her tirelessly, knowing that such pain took time to heal. Having not seen her for two days, she appeared much more haggard with dark circles under her eyes. It didn''t take a genius to know that she had been losing sleep over the infidelity of that scumbag, John. I coaxed her for a long time before she finally drifted off in my arms. Laying her down on the bed, Iy down beside her and dozed off as well. Having been truly exhausted in the past two days, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Fortunately, I had already set my rm for the next day, or I would definitely have overslept. The moment my rm rang in the morning, I quickly snagged my cell phone and turned it off, afraid that it would wake Natalie. She had finally managed to get some sleep, so I wanted to let her sleep for a while longer. After washing up, I prepared a simple lunch for her in the kitchen before leaving a note to remind her to eat it. Then, I left. When I arrived at the office, I bumped into Michael in the elevator. As we weren''t the only ones in the elevator, he merely cast me a cid nce without speaking to me. With his presence there, I felt that the elevator was going exceedingly slow. As soon as the elevator doors opened after what seemed an eternity, I strode out and swiftly left without a backward nce. As I sat at my table, my emotions remained a chaotic mess for a long time. I never felt much pressure when I usually interacted with Michael, but it felt truly awkward to pretend that we were strangers at the office when we were as intimate as two people could be. When it was nearing lunch break, I received a text from Michael, asking me to wait for him in the parking lot. Puzzled, I nced at the closed door of the president''s office. What is he asking me to meet him? Don''t tell me he can''t even wait until night and is hoping for a nooner? At the thought of his desperation, disdain inundated me. Nheless, I still went to the parking lot to wait for him during lunch break. Some colleagues invited me to have lunch with them, but I declined. Most of them went to thepany''s cafeteria for lunch at noon, with very few going to the parking lot to retrieve their cars. For that reason, it was particrly still when I arrived at the parking lot with nary a person in sight. The parking lot was huge, so I kept scanning the ce for Michael''s car. He loved parking his car in the corner every single time, making me tired of searching for it. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Out of the blue, a honk rang out in the parking lot. I looked in the direction of the sound, only to be greeted by the sight of his car. Hence, I hurried over with brisk steps. Right after I had slipped into the car, Michael pounced on me. Reclining the passenger seat, he pinned me underneath him. ¡°Ahh! What are you doing, Michael?¡± He moved so fast that he aplished his series of actions in the blink of an eye. My heart lurched, for I didn''t even know what was happening right then. I gaped at him. ¡°Why do you think I asked you out? Of course, I''m doing what I didn''t get to dost night.¡± With his chest stered against me, Michael leaned close to my ear, his voice brimming with allure. So, I guessed correctly, huh? I looked at him speechlessly. He''s really desperate that he can''t even wait until night! ¡°It''s the middle of the day now, and we''re at the office to boot. Aren''t you afraid that someone would see us?¡± He wanted to do the deed, but I wasn''t at all interested since I was far from being in the mood. Besides, I had already decided to inform him of my decision tonight. ¡°It''s now lunch break, so no one is going toe here. Anna, why are you worried when I''m not the least bit worried?¡± Michael wore a nonchnt expression, not the slightest bit afraid that his employees might catch him red-handed. At that, I stared at him dumbfoundedly. Truth be told, I wonder if sex is all he thinks nowadays. He basically has no rationale whatsoever at this point! ¡°Didn''t we agree on tonight yesterday? We didn''t say anything about having a nooner during the day.¡± With my face a mask of reluctance, I ced my hands against his chest. Well, he has really thick skin, but the same can''t be said of me. If someone suddenly appears and catches us going at it in the car, how am I going to show my face in the office anymore? Worse still, he''s the CEO. How will my colleagues perceive me? Negativements are sure to follow. ¡°I''ve now changed my mind. We can still do it at night even after doing it in the day. My body can take it.¡± The smile on his handsome countenance was as mesmerizing as ever, and the look in his eyes as he regarded me zed with desire. For a moment, I was at a loss for words. Oh God, I''m really speechless at his shamelessness. How could there be such a brazen man in this world? He has the hide of an elephant! ¡°Michael, can you please rein yourself in? We''re now at the office, and you''re the CEO at that. Wouldn''t you be utterly mortified if you were caught by an employee?¡± I tried my best to dissuade Michael because I was truly not in the mood right then. I would truly be mortified if I were caught doing such a thing in the office''s underground parking in the middle of the day. ¡°Are you being considerate of my reputation?¡± Michael abruptly stilled and regarded me with an aggravated expression. His voice turned a few degrees colder. Seeing that he had stopped, delight imbued me. Could it be that my words earlier worked, and he''s nning to let me off the hook? ¡°Of course, I''m being considerate of your reputation,¡± I hastily answered in the affirmative. In truth, I went against my will as I said that. ¡°As if!¡± Michael snorted, not believing me at all. ¡°Oh yes, I said I''ll give you time to consider two days ago. By now, you must have made up your mind, no? So, what''s your decision? Do you want to be my woman for half a year?¡± Without taking things further, he suddenly changed the subject to our rtionship. Upon hearing his question, my expression stiffened slightly. When I had gathered my wits about me, I looked at him solemnly. ¡°I''ve already made up my mind. No matter the benefits of staying by your side and being your woman, I still want to end my rtionship with you. Right now, I only want a life of my own. Do you understand that?¡± My tone was light and gentle, unlike back when I had a row with him. I knew that he was amenable to persuasion but not coercion, so I hoped that he would agree if I talked to him nicely this time. After I said that, Michael said nothing. He merely pinned a cold look on me, his eyes zing with fury. I could tell that he was likely on the verge of losing his temper once more. Just when I thought that he was going tombaste me, he straightened and sat back in the driver''s seat. ¡°From now on, there''s nothing between the two of us. Get out of my car!¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 When Michael said thest utterance, his voice became icy cold, and his eyes zed with anger. Inexplicably, my heart clenched. Our rtionship had now ended, but I didn''t feel happy at all for some reason. Do we truly have nothing to do with each other anymore from now on? At that thought, anguish enveloped me. My eyes shimmered, whereupon I quickly swung open the car door and alighted from the car. Michael''s gaze was still locked on me, his jet-ck eyes as sharp as an eagle''s. Perturbed by his stare, I hastily left. When I returned to the office, I wanted to use work to mask my distracted state. For some unbeknownst reason to me, my emotions were a jumbled mess, and I even seemed a touch reluctant to end the rtionship. After the lunch break, my colleagues returned to the office one after another. And right then, Michael strode toward his office as well. The moment he entered my line of sight, panic struck me. I hastily dipped my head, not daring to look at him. However, he ignored me entirely and stalked into his office without a single nce at me. It was as though he didn''t even see me. His apathy had me suddenly feeling that we were strangers that had never known each other. Oh well, it looks like I''ve overestimated my importance to him. We''ve just ended our rtionship, and I''m now a stranger to him in the blink of an eye. Perhaps he''ll even forget that I''ve ever existed after some time. Because of him, an inexplicable turmoil brewed within me. Disappointment flooded me as I stole a peek at the closed door of the CEO''s office, and I wasn''t in the mood to work at all. The entire day passed in a blur. When it was time to get off work, I again took a gander at Michael''s office, only to see that the door was still closed. He hadn''t been out the entire afternoon, and I merely heard him asionally making calls to make work arrangements. I then packed up and went downstairs. As soon as I stepped out of the office building, I caught sight of Yuval a near distance away. It was alreadyte when I came out, and most of my colleagues had already left. As there were few people when I came out, I spotted him at a single nce. At the sight of him, a sliver of aversion crept into me. But on second thought, I could now respond to his feelings openly since I had nothing to do with Michael anymore. Following that line of thought, I hurried over to him. ¡°Why are you here? And why didn''t you give me a call beforeing?¡± Walking over to him, I shed him an awkward smile. Although I no longer had anything to do with Michael, something still seemedcking when I was with him. ¡°When I asked you out two days ago, you said you''d gone back to your hometown. I was afraid that you''d have another reason to demur today, so I came to ambush you at your office building. You don''t have any prior engagements tonight, do you?¡± When Yuval saw me, he strode over to me with a smile and took my hand. Sensing the warmth of his hand, there was a brief second when I wanted to retract mine, but I surreptitiously stifled the urge. ¡°Something seems amiss with you recently, Anna. Am I not doing well enough?¡± Perhaps Yuval sensed my aversion, for he frowned slightly and looked at me with disappointment written all over his face. ¡°No, you''re doing great. It''s my problem, so I apologize.¡± I knew it was my issue that I had been declining his datestely. If I were in his shoes, I would definitely harbor suspicions as well. Honestly speaking, he matched me well in all aspects and was a suitable candidate for marriage. s, I knew that I wasn''t interested in him romantically. Deep within me, I regarded him as more of a friend instead. I looked at him in confliction, the words stuck in my throat. Seemingly having seen perceived my struggle, Yuval didn''t say anything further. He opened the car door and ushered me in. I walked to his side to climb into his car. But at that precise moment, I noticed his gaze fixated on something a stone''s throw away. The smile on his face had also disappeared without a trace. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Perplexed, I looked in the direction of his gaze. When I caught sight of Michael''s handsome countenance, the expression on my face froze, and my heart raced. Hmm? Why is he here? Is he here to look for me? At that thought, my heart went into overdrive. I was seized by the urge to dash over to him. Strangely enough, I wracked my brains to end my rtionship with him when we were friends with benefits, yet now that we were truly nothing to each other anymore, I was reluctant to part with him. I was truly conflicted right then, not quite certain about my feelings toward him. Michael strode toward us. Seeing that, my heart hammered wildly as I stared at him unblinkingly. Just when I thought that he wasing over to seek me out, he merely cast me an indifferent nce before leaving. From beginning to end, he didn''t say a single word to me. As I stared at his retreating back, the disappointment within me snowballed for some inexplicable reason. Ah well, it seems that he''s serious about ending our rtionship this time. After he had left, Yuval turned to look at me, his smile once again restored on his face. ¡°Let''s get in the car, Anna. He has already left,¡± he urged softly. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I knew that he must be suspicious right then. When I had gotten in, he started the car. As the car cruised along the road, a thick tension hung in the air. Recalling Michael''s dispassionate expression when he brushed past me, indescribable anguish welled within me. ¡°May I ask you a question, Anna?¡± Yuval finally broke the silence after a long time had passed. His words, however, felt like a weight on my chest. ¡°Sure. What is it?¡± As I gazed at his profile, I could clearly see the suspicion in his eyes. ¡°Are you and Michael Shaw...¡± Yuval didn''t finish his utterance, but I could more or less guess what he wanted to ask. Even after all this while, he was still skeptical about my rtionship with Michael. ¡°There''s nothing between me and Michael Shaw. Even if there were something between us in the past, there never will be in the future,¡± I enunciated seriously after a brief silence while looking at him. Yuval''s expression rxed significantly after hearing my answer. Only then did I realize that he had been suspicious about my rtionship with Michael from the very beginning. ¡°I''m d to hear that. Anna, I''m serious about you, so I hope you understand my intentions,¡± Yuval asserted earnestly. He looked right into my eyes with a smile on his face. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 At that moment, my heart pounded wildly. I was naturally aware of Yuval''s intentions, and I should be happy upon hearing his deration of sorts. Yet, for some reason, I didn''t feel happy at all. ¡°I know. And thank you for choosing to believe in me.¡± He was a smart man, so I was certain that he would definitely be able to surmise that my rtionship with Michael wasn''t as simple as that of a superior and subordinate when I had said as much. Nheless, he was very considerate of me and said nary a word despite having surmised it. If it were any other man, it would likely have been a source of contention. Subsequently, I turned to gaze out the window at the scenery outside. My heart and mind were presently flooded with images and thoughts of Michael. When we had an illicit rtionship, I was determined to avoid him. But now that we were truly nothing to each other anymore, I felt empty, as though I had lost something important. After having dinner with Yuval, he proposed going shopping. However, I was in low spirits just after ending things with Michael today, so I declined. Since things had ended between me and Michael, I didn''t go back to Birchwood. After all, I naturally couldn''t continue staying in his house now that we no longer had anything to do with each other. Instead, I went to Natalie''s house. Yuval brought the car to a stop in front of Natalie''smunity gate, and I opened the car door to alight from the car. ¡°Wait a moment, Anna...¡± I had opened the door, but before I climbed out of the car, Yuval''s voice drifted over. Straightening, I looked at him in puzzlement and queried softly, ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Yuval stared into my eyes without saying anything. His body, however, was slowly leaning toward me. Panicked, I instinctively wanted to dodge, but I kept reminding myself that I was aiming for marriage with him, so I definitely couldn''t evade it. Clutching the hem of my clothes with both hands, I remained still. By then, he was already very close to me, our lips a mere inch away from each other. I nervously closed my eyes, not daring to look at his face anymore for fear that I inevitably would dodge. But after waiting for a long time, his kiss didn''t fall on my lips. Instead, he pecked me on the forehead. Sensing the warmth on my forehead, my heart jolted. All at once, relief suffused me. When his lips had finally left, I opened my eyes. My gaze turned evasive as awkwardness engulfed me about our current level of intimacy. ¡°Go on home. Next time, I hope you won''t be resistant toward me.¡± With a faint smile on his elegant countenance, Yuval grasped my hands that were clutching the hem of my clothes. His voice remained as gentle as ever. No doubt, he was a very perceptive person to notice that subtle tell of mine. Indeed, it was proof that he was incredibly shrewd and considerate. He knew that I was averse to it, so he kissed me on the forehead instead of the lips. Gratitude overwhelmed me at once. Ah, he''s truly a gentleman who never coerces me into something I abhor, unlike Michael. When the thought of Michael shed across my mind once again, panic gripped me. Ugh! He seems to have been ying on a loop in my mind for the entire day! I''ve truly been bewitched! Abruptly yanking my hands back, I stared at Yuval with a frantic look in my eyes. For a moment, I didn''t know how to answer him. The fact that Michael kept slipping into my mind had me feeling extremely irritable. I inhaled deeply and tried my best to dispel him from my thoughts. I knew that I had to divert my attention if I wanted to be rid of Michael''s dominion over me. As long as my focus was on another man, I naturally wouldn''t think of him anymore. As that thought urred to me, I swiftly leaned forward and nted a kiss on Yuval''s lips. Then, I beat a hasty retreat. That was the first time I ever initiated a kiss with a man. The feeling of kissing Yuval was wholly different from kissing Michael. While the warm sensation remained the same, my heart didn''t race when I kissed the former. Instead, nerves and panic assaulted me. Caught off guard, Yuval was stunned when I kissed him. Only when I had gone a fair distance away did he finally snap back to his senses. A smile again blossomed on his face, and his eyes were filled with tenderness as he gazed at my back. My heart galloped wildly though it wasn''t from desire but panic. Even when I arrived back at Natalie''s house, I remained flustered. Anyway, diverting my attention seemed to be a highly effective method, for I was now overwhelmed with panic. My mind was filled with images of me kissing Yuval, so there was no room for me to think about Michael at all. It looks like this is an indeed opportune method when I think of him again. But I wonder what Yuval thinks of me. Would he now think that I''m a woman with loose morals? ¡°Why are you here, Anna? Didn''t you say you won''t being over to keep mepany tonight?¡± Natalie gaped at me in surprise when I opened the door. ¡°Nat, I might have to intrude on your hospitality for a few days. I''ll move out when I find a ce.¡± Walking over to Natalie, I shed her an embarrassed smile. I didn''t forget that I had previously moved out of her house. ¡°What''s all this talk about moving out? Are you still mad at me? I know I said some hurtful things because of John back then, but I''m really remorseful now. You can stay here however long you want. I promise that I''ll never again ask you to move out.¡± Perhaps the fact that I moved out back then left an indelible mark on Natalie, for she looked at me with guilt written all over her face and apologized profusely. ¡°What are you saying? How could I possibly be mad at you? Back then, I was the one who impulsively said that I''d move out. It had nothing to do with you, so you don''t have to feel so guilty.¡± That matter had nothing whatsoever to do with Natalie. I was the one who insisted on moving out, so I harbored no grudge against her. ¡°Anna, thank you for being by my side now and consoling me endlessly. Without you here, I probably would''ve ended my life by jumping off a building.¡± While saying that in a choked voice, Natalie hugged me. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, hey, what nonsense are you spouting? You won''t, and don''t you dare ever think of doing that! Nothing can push you so far when you''re the ever-optimistic and cheerful Natalie Xavier! It''s that scumbag''s loss, so just let him wallow in regret!¡± I didn''t want to hear such pessimistic remarks from her, so I immediately interrupted her as soon as her words fell. ¡°Exactly! I, Natalie Xavier, am smart and beautiful. Tons of men are waiting in line to marry me, so I''m not going tonguid in sorrow for a man who betrayed me!¡± Natalie dered, plopping down on the couch in the living room. Then, she reached out and snagged a big apple, taking a huge bite out of it. That was precisely her usual carefree attitude. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Right then, Natalie appeared no different from before. Nheless, I knew that she was merely putting on a brave front, concealing the anguish within her. ¡°That''s right! You''re stunningly beautiful with tons of suitors pursuing you, so anyone you choose will be far better than that scumbag!¡± Sitting down beside her, I draped an arm over her neck and echoed her sentiments. I knew that she was now gradually getting over her breakup. Well, it''s a good thing that I''ve ended things with Michael. I can keep herpany throughout this period with peace of mind without worrying about her all the time. After staying the night at her house, I again bumped into Michael when I went to the office the next day. I thought he would at least greet me, but he ignored me entirely without even sparing me a nce. At that, I frowned slightly. As I watched him head to the office, a sliver of disappointment slithered into me. When I had settled myself at my table, my gaze kept returning to Michael''s office. Chagrin swamped me. What exactly does he take me for? Even if we no longer have anything to do with each other, our rtionship is still that of a superior and subordinate in the office, so there''s nothing wrong with greeting me, is there? Millie, who sat across from me, seemed to have noticed my preupied state. She rapped on my table with curiosity etched on her face. ¡°Anna, did you notice that Mr. Shaw has been in a foul mood ever since yesterday noon?¡± Herment struck panic in me. Don''t tell me she has discovered something? ¡°Has he been in a foul mood?¡± I asked mildly, feigning a nonchnt chuckle. ¡°Didn''t you notice that he has been wearing a grim expression ever since yesterday noon? Besides, he rejected several proposals from the design department and reprimanded them all severely,¡± Millie murmured with a nosy look on her face after cautiously casting a nce at Michael''s office. Hearing that, I couldn''t help wondering whether those changes in him had something to do with me. After all, it was yesterday noon that I told him of my decision. ¡°Perhaps he encountered a snag in his work. As you know, he''s now aiming to monopolize the advertising industry. While it''s not impossible, it won''t be a bed of roses either,¡± I replied in an awkward tone. My gaze became all the more flustered as I was now certain that Michael''s foul mood definitely had something to do with me. At that moment, I couldn''t quite tell my feelings exactly. ¡°Who knows? Anyway, we''ve got to be careful since he''s in a foul mood these days.¡± Flinching slightly, Millie again stole a peek at Michael''s office. Then, she lowered her head and started on her work. Her words earlier plunged me into turmoil. I couldn''t quite tell my exact emotions right then, but it felt as though I was inexplicably happy upon learning that Michael was in a foul mood because of me. After a final nce at his office, I buried my head in my work. But while I was ncing through documents, he upied all the space in my mind. At some point in time, he had actually wielded such great power over me. ¡°Anna Garcia, I want to see you in my office!¡± A terse and frosty voice pierced the air while I was lost in thoughts; it was Michael. He stood by his office, his cold gaze pinned on me. In a sh, I snapped back to reality. When I locked gazes with his profound eyes that resembled whirlpools, my heart pounded wildly. Don''t tell me he''s raking up old grievances with me, settling the score for what happened yesterday? My emotions were a chaotic mess. Still, I dragged my feet to his office. My colleagues around me had also noticed his foul attitude toward me, so some regarded me with worry while others with glee. When I reached his office, he was sitting at his table, looking at a document in his hand. ¡°How may I assist you, Mr. Shaw?¡± I lowered my head after a single nce at his handsome countenance. I dared not look at him anymore, for my backbone inevitably weakened whenever I saw his face. Thud! Without warning, Michael mmed the document in his hand on the table. In the next moment, he pinned me with eyes zing with anger. My heart jolted, and stark panic overwhelmed me as a sense of foreboding rose. ¡°Anna Garcia, this is the advertising proposal you submitted to me? You''ve got years of working experience, yet this is the design you came up with?¡± Michael pointed at the document on the table, his eyes radiating fury as he stared at me. ¡°Is there something wrong with it, Mr. Shaw?¡± Directing my gaze in the direction of his finger, I was greeted by the sight of the design proposal I submitted earlier in the morning. Never had I thought that it would be rejected so quickly. ¡°Such a design is a dime a dozen in advertisements. Do you think such a promotional advertisement will still work when it''s already such a cliche?¡± Michael''s voice was thundering and colored with reproach. He stalked toward me with huge strides, the fury raging in his eyes so intense that it was as though he wanted to reduce me to ashes. ¡°But I think such an advertising proposal can better reflect the product''s characteristics and the people''s necessities. While many products boast of benefits that far exceed the product''s value itself, I think those gimmicks are entirely unnecessary.¡± Distress inundated me at his callous attitude. For some reason, a sense of misery and anguish lodged within me. Despite our numerous arguments in the past, he had never spoken to me in such a thundering voice. Could it be that his attitude toward me has also changed following the change in our rtionship? ¡°So, you''re saying that you''re focused on the authenticity of the product? I have no problems with that, but this proposal of yours isn''t novel. Take it back and redo it!¡± Michael ordered coldly. He picked up the document on the table and tossed it at me. From beginning to end, he looked at me with indifference in his eyes. Other than that, there was no other emotion to be discerned. Tears swam in my eyes. My eyes turned red-rimmed, but I forcefully held my tears back. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Ah, he''s truly a ruthless man! We''ve just ended our rtionship, and he''s now tearing into me at the office. I should really learn to be s¨¦ like him. If only I could be as indifferent as he is, I wouldn''t be so upset right now. ¡°Why are you still spacing out here? Get on with your work!¡± Upon noticing that I stood rooted to the spot without leaving, Michael abruptly whirled around, his eyes chilly without a hint of warmth. ¡°Understood. I''ll go and amend it right away,¡± I muttered glumly. Lifting my head a fraction, I sniffled. Michael was a very perceptive person, so he naturally didn''t fail to discern my emotions. His gaze flickered when I said that, and it didn''t seem as cold as before. Nheless, he kept silent. Many eyes swung at me when I exited the CEO''s office, most people looking at me with sympathy on their faces. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Michael''s office was previously used for other purposes, so the soundproofing wasn''t all that great. For that reason, everyone heard our conversation. They most likely heard him hauling me over the coals loud and clear earlier. I returned to my table morosely, still saddened by his attitude earlier. ¡°Are you okay, Anna?¡± Millie inquired in concern from across me upon seeing my despondency. Sniffling, I feigned a nonchnt expression to mask the sorrow within me. ¡°I''m fine.¡± I shed Millie a forced smile, but even I myself found it utterly unconvincing. ¡°Gosh, Mr. Shaw was really blowing things out of proportion! It was just a design proposal, no? Was it really necessary for him to blow a gasket?¡± Millie muttered after stealing a nce at Michael''s office. ¡°Alright, that''s enough. You''d better hurry up with your work if you''ve got time to grumble. Otherwise, you might be the next unlucky person.¡± While I no longer had anything to do with Michael, I was still perturbed to hear her speaking ill of him. At my reminder, fear seemingly struck Millie. She hastily buried her head in work and dared not say a single word further. With my mind a chaotic mess, I was simply hard-pressed toe up with any design proposal. I had to submit the new design proposal to Michael before the end of the workday, yet I was at sixes and sevens with no inspiration at all. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. I spent the entire day zoning out in front of theputer, my thoughts a thousand miles away. In the blink of an eye, evening fell, and it was about time to get off work. All my colleagues had already started packing up, but myputer screen was still nk. I hadn''t written even a single word. ¡°Anna, we''re off work now. Let''s leave together.¡± After Millie was done tidying up her table, she invited me to get off work with her. ¡°You go ahead. I''ve got to stay for a bit since I''m not done with the proposal yet.¡± Subsequently, I cast a nce at Michael''s office. He was still in the office now, so I would definitely get it from him tomorrow if I didn''t submit the design proposal today. It wasn''t that I was a total novice at being reprimanded by my superior, but it felt particrly agonizing when it came from Michael. Thus, I decided to stay and work overtime to avoid angering him again when I came to work tomorrow. I must submit the new design proposal to him today! Patting my face, I forced myself to concentrate and started on my work. In the next two hours, I sat in front of theputer and worked on the new design. When I was finally done with the new design proposal, I printed it out. Then, I walked over to Michael''s office and knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Michael''s indifferent voice sounded from inside. Upon hearing his voice, my heart inevitably skipped a beat. Pushing open the door, I entered his office. He was still sitting at his table, perusing documents. His serious expression as he worked was particrly beguiling. Indeed, the saying that men were most attractive when they were at work was no lie. ¡°What is it?¡± I said nothing after stepping in, merely staring at him. Only when he looked up at me did I swiftly snap back to my senses. ¡°Um... This is the new design proposal I did today. Please have a look at it, Mr. Shaw.¡± Gathering my wits about me, I hastily ced the document in my hand on his table. Michael threw me a look with mixed emotions before picking up the document and scanning through it. ¡°Redo!¡± That was the only crude and concise word from Michael, cutting straight to the point. ¡°But why? I''ve already amended it ording to your suggestions earlier.¡± Hearing the word ¡°redo,¡± my heart lodged in my throat. I regarded him with chagrin in my eyes. What the hell? I''ve wracked my brains the entire day for this design proposal! Besides, I''ve also made the appropriate amendments ording to his requirements. Yet, he merely gave me a one-worded response? ¡°It''s not eptable because I said so! Anna Garcia, is this your attitude in working? All employees at Joyful Sess are required to strive for perfection. If you can''t even withstand this bit of pressure, then just resign!¡± As soon as his words fell, my eyes instantly filled with tears. By then, I could already tell that he was deliberately making life difficult for me. I initially thought we could have an amicable parting, but I never expected him to be such a petty man that he would target me at work. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I think we should be keeping our personal affairs separate from work. You can tell me frankly if you have anyints against me, and we''ll resolve it in private. However, your action at present makes it obvious that you''re abusing your power to avenge a personal grudge,¡± I dered coldly. I stared at him while suppressing the tears that threatened to fall at any moment. I knew that a man like Michael had certainly never been rejected by any woman. Therefore, my decision yesterday was definitely a huge blow to his ego. It was only natural that he was pissed off, but I would never ept it if he were to pick on me in matters of work. ¡°Abusing my power to avenge a personal grudge? Anna Garcia, you think too highly of yourself. I, Michael Shaw, can have any woman I want. You''re just a former friend with benefits. Do you think there is a need for me to make life difficult for you?¡± Michael sneered in derision as though he had heard a ludicrous joke. Getting to his feet, he sauntered over to me and looked down his nose into my eyes. At that moment, I could clearly discern the contempt and disdain in his ebony eyes. His words were like a stab to the heart, every single word twisting the knife deeper. Well, well... It turns out that I''m only a former friend with benefits to him. Considering his tone, it''s clear as day that he no longer cares about me. Or perhaps I''m only good for satiating his physical urges to him. My eyes burned hotly, and my tears felt as though they were a second away from falling. Likewise, my heart hurt as though someone was crushing it in his palm. Despite the agony coursing through me, I still feigned a dispassionate expression before him. ¡°Since I''m only a former friend with benefits to you, why do you keep targeting me? Have I done anything wrong?¡± ¡°I only rejected your design proposal because there was a problem with your work. Do you think I''m the kind of person who blurs the line between personal and business?¡± My words enraged Michael, and the look in his eyes became significantly colder. ¡°But I feel that this design proposal is already good enough. I used the entire day toe up with this design proposal, so how much more do you want from me?¡± Ugh! He''s simply making things difficult for me! If this design is handed to our coboration partner, it''ll definitely be approved. Yet, he''s rejecting it time and again. I really can''t tell whether he''s abusing his power to take his revenge on me. ¡°I want perfection, not improvisation. Anna Garcia, if that''s your attitude, I''d advise you to resign right away!¡± Having listened to my words, Michael''s gaze turned all the more apathetic though his eyes zed with anger. Every word out of his mouth pained me even greater. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 That was the second time Michael had mentioned me resigning. Could it be that his motive is to goad me into resigning? I tried my best to hold back my tears. I didn''t continue arguing with him but concentrated onposing myself. After a long while, I finally managed to sound calmer. ¡°I understand. I''ll continue amending ording to your wishes until you''re satisfied with it.¡± If that was his grand n of forcing me to resign, I would never capitte. No matter how difficult he made things for me, I would definitely do my best to fulfill his requests. Perhaps my answer pleased him, for he merely threw me a nce without saying anything further. ¡°I''ll be leaving if there''s nothing else, Mr. Shaw.¡± Not wanting to see him for even a second longer, I made to leave after saying that. s, my cell phone rang at that precise moment. When I saw that it was a call from Yuval, I instantly panicked upon remembering that Michael was still by my side then. Michael''s cold gaze remained locked on me. He was a shrewd person, so he probably knew whose call it was at the expression on my face. I was utterly conflicted, torn between answering the call and otherwise. In actual fact, I didn''t want him to know that I had officially gotten together with Yuval. But recalling his hurtful words to me just now, I inwardly mused, Why should I care about his feelings when he doesn''t care about me at all? So what if I''m dating Yuval? I no longer have anything to do with him now. At that thought, I answered the call. ¡°Yuval.¡± My address of Yuval had be much more intimate after we made our rtionship official. However, the reason I addressed him in such a manner right then was simply to gauge Michael''s reaction. I wanted to know what exactly I was to him. ¡°Are you at home now, Anna? I have a gathering with some friends tonight, so I''d like to bring you along and introduce you to them.¡± Yuval''s gentle voice drifted out of the other end of the phone. A trace of aversion welled within me upon hearing that he wanted me to meet his friends. I felt that we weren''t so close that we were at the stage of meeting each other''s friends. Personally, I didn''t want to take things so quickly. ¡°Um... I''m moving back into Natalie''s ce today, so I''ve got to relocate some things. As such, I might not be able to make it tonight. I''ll take a rain check, okay?¡± I initially wanted to agree since Michael was right in front of me, but for some inexplicable reason, I demurred. Fortunately, I truly had some things to settle that night. My things were still at Michael''s house, so I naturally had to move my things out now that things had ended between us. As for the money I owed him, I would be paying him back slowly. After my demurral, Yuval was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone before saying, ¡°It''s okay. How about I help you move your things today? I''m more suited to do the heavy lifting.¡± He was an exceedingly considerate man. In fact, it was probably every woman''s dream to have such a gentle and attentive man who would make the ideal husband. However, my things were still at Michael''s house, so I couldn''t possibly allow him to tag along. I had tactfully told him about my rtionship with Michael yesterday, after all. Hence, he would definitely feel unsettled to collect my things from Michael''s ce even if he didn''t say anything. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, it''s okay. I don''t have much, so I can manage on my own. Besides, you''re supposed to have a gathering with your friends tonight, so you''ll look bad if you don''t show up. Don''t worry about me.¡± I again declined since I didn''t want him to know that I had been staying at Michael''s ce. We were dating with the goal of marriage, so I didn''t want any misunderstandings between us. ¡°Alright, then. I just knew you were going to turn me down.¡± He sounded audibly disappointed, and I knew that I had truly turned him down too many times. At that moment, I nced at Michael, only to see that his frosty gaze was fixated on my cell phone. Recalling that I was currently on the phone with Yuval, I became inexplicably flustered. ¡°How about this? I''ll treat you to dinner tomorrow.¡± I was initially frantic to hang up, but my temper red upon remembering the words Michael said earlier. Thus, I couldn''t resist unting my intimacy with Yuval. ¡°Okay, I''ll be holding you to your word. I''ll pick you at your office tomorrow evening after work.¡± The moment Yuval heard me asking him out, his dejection vanished without a trace. Instead, he even seemed rather excited. ¡°Sure. I''ll be hanging up, then.¡± After saying that, I hung up the phone. When I hung up the phone, Michael''s gaze simultaneously left me. Nevertheless, I could still distinctly sense the coldness radiating from him. ¡°Your love life is really prolific. You''ve just ended things with me, but you immediately went to another man in the next instance. Anna Garcia, you''re really a tramp through and through!¡± Michael pinned me with eyes teeming with contempt, his gaze radiating faint anger and resentment. Hearing that, both my hands clenched into fists. No one would be happy to be stamped as a tramp, much less by a man like him. Yes, I''m now officially dating Yuval, but what has it got to do with him? Can I also reproof him as being a womanizer since there are plenty of women around him? ¡°That has nothing to do with you. Please excuse me if there''s nothing else. I''ll return you the keys to Birchwood tomorrow.¡± Not wanting to bicker with him, I spun on my heels to leave after saying that. I didn''t want to say a single word further to him. As Michael stared at my retreating back, his gaze turned increasingly frosty. When I left the office, images of Michael continued to flood into my mind. It was as though he had taken residence in my mind, for he kept intruding into my thoughts ever so often since we ended thing between us. After giving Natalie a call, I hailed a taxi and went to Birchwood. My things were still in his house, so I needed to retrieve them since I hadn''t the money to rebuy everything. Upon arriving at Birchwood, I packed my things. When I was almost done, I seemingly heard the sound of the door opening. All at once, my heart lurched, and I swiftly poked my head out of the bedroom. I was a timid woman, and night had fallen, so I would definitely be scared out of my mind if a stranger walked in at such a time. Subsequently, footsteps drifted into my ears. Only when the person entered my line of sight did I breathe a sigh of relief, for it was Michael. As I wheeled my suitcase out, I looked at him expressionlessly and handed the keys to him. ¡°Here are the keys to this house. I''m returning them to you now, and rest assured that I didn''t make any duplicates.¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Michael merely stared at the keys in my hand without saying anything. I had no inkling of his thoughts at that very moment. When he didn''t take the keys from me after a long time had passed, I ced them on the table. Then, I strode away while wheeling my suitcase behind me. ¡°Anna Garcia, mark my words, you''ll willingly be my woman.¡± Michael''s tepid voice sounded just when I had reached the door. Stopping short, I whirled around and gaped at him though I could only see his back. I had no idea what he meant by that statement, and it wasn''t my concern anymore. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Suppressing the butterflies fluttering in my stomach, I turned around and left. Upon returning to Natalie''s house, I was greeted by the sight of her cooking dinner. That was the first time she was preparing dinner after her breakup. Hence, I wasn''t entirely certain whether she had truly gotten over her breakup or merely putting on a brave front so that I wouldn''t worry. After wheeling my suitcase to the room I previously upied, I went to the kitchen. ¡°Anna, there aren''t many groceries since I didn''t go out in the past few days. So, we''ll have to put up with an abysmal fare tonight,¡± Natalie murmured with apology etched on her face while frying vegetables. ¡°It''s okay. I''m not that hungry tonight anyway, so a simple fare is sufficient. I''ll treat you to a feast tomorrow night!¡± Knowing that Natalie was in a bad mood, I nned to treat her to a feast tomorrow and let her vent her negative emotions recently since she was an absolute foodie. ¡°A feast? What are you treating me to?¡± The moment Natalie heard that she was going to have a feast, she instantly perked up. She stared at me with anticipation written all over her face, stilling with the spat in her hand. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± My mood improved significantly when I saw her in such high spirits. It looks like she feels better when food is brought into the equation, no matter how heartbroken she is. ¡°I want to eat seafood! Lobster, especially!¡± Natalie didn''t hold back with me, answering right away without the slightest hesitation when I asked her what she wanted to eat. ¡°Okay, I''ll treat you to whatever you want to eat tomorrow night!¡± It was such a rare sight to see Natalie in a good mood that I was willing to go bankrupt even if she wanted a royal feast. I breathed much easier now that her zest was back. After having a simple dinner that night, I went back to my room to sleep. As Iy on the bed, my mind was filled with images of Michael. What did he mean by his statement earlier tonight of making me his woman willingly sooner orter? Aren''t things over between us? Or could it be that he still hasn''t given up and is nning to do something? As he yed on a loop in my mind, I pulled the covers over my head in frustration. Ugh! I don''t want to think about him! I have nothing whatsoever to do with him anymore, so whatever he wants to do is none of my business! Despite my thoughts, I still turned and tossed before finally dozing off past midnight. When I woke up the next morning, dark circles were again prominent under my eyes. Gazing at my reflection in the mirror with two dark circles inly visible, I scoffed at myself. Michael doesn''t even care about me, yet I''m thinking about him every day. How foolish! Then, I pped myself while staring into the mirror. Irately applying some light makeup, I concealed the dark circles under my eyes. Otherwise, others would know that I hadn''t slept wellst night at a single nce. As soon as I arrived at the office, I conscientiously started preparing the design proposal. After a day''s hard work, I felt that it was perfect. However, Michael again rejected it. This time, I was much smarter and didn''t argue with him. I merely returned to my table with the rejected proposal in hand. There was no use arguing with him since he was the kind of man who was amenable to persuasion but not coercion. Thus, it would do me no good regardless of how much I argued with him. Even when the time to get off work came about, I had no new ideas. Honestly speaking, I truly loathed him at that moment, but my hands were tied as he was the boss. At times, the thought of resigning shed across my mind. But on second thought, the job didn''te easy. He would only be aplishing his goal if I were to back down because of his puny attempts at making life difficult for me, and I wasn''t that stupid. Just when it was time to get off work, my cell phone rang. The moment I saw that it was a call from Yuval, I suddenly remembered that I asked him out on a date today in Michael''s office yesterday. s, it slipped my mind entirely, and I even promised to treat Natalie to a feast. Recalling my promise to him yesterday, I grew flustered. For a moment, I didn''t know what to say when the call was connected. ¡°Hello, Yuval...¡± I sounded rather awkward, my voice colored with guilt after I answered the phone. ¡°Anna, you''re probably off work now, yes? I''m now on my way to your office. I''ll arrive soon, but you might have to wait for a bit.¡± On the other end of the phone, Yuval sounded as though he was in high spirits. Upon hearing that he would be here soon, the anxiety within me doubled as I didn''t quite know how I should tell him about the change in ns. If I were to say that I''ve changed my mind at this time, he''d definitely think that I''m a person who doesn''t keep my word. ¡°Actually, Yuval, I''ve also promised Natalie to have dinner with her tonight. Would you mind if she were to join us?¡± I asked softly. Then, I waited for his answer with a tinge of guilt. After all, men despised having someone else being the third wheel during a date. ¡°Sure! Natalie is your best friend, so I should get to know her better if I truly intend to build a rtionship with you.¡± Yuval readily agreed without an ounce of hesitation. At that, relief suffused me. I felt particrly rxed when I was with him because he was a gentleman who never demanded anything that would put me in a tight spot. That was what I loved most about him. I didn''t feel burdened when I was with him. ¡°Okay, I''ll give Natalie a call now. Later, we''ll go and pick her up together.¡± After saying that with a mellow expression on my face, I then hung up the phone. Aware that Yuval was intentionally considerate of me, I was all the more satisfied with him. Well, being with a man who will tolerate me for the rest of my life is probably true happiness in its simplest sense! Subsequently, I gave Natalie a call and told her that Yuval would be joining us. Natalie seemed rather thrilled to hear that, perhaps feeling that I would probably get into a steady rtionship with him. When Yuval had picked me up, he then drove me to pick Natalie up. Although I promised to treat Natalie to a feast, she was well aware that I didn''t have much money, considering my current financial state. Thus, she chose a seafood stall. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 It was my first time asking Yuval out, so I was rather mortified that we ended up at such a cheap ce. However, I truly couldn''t afford to go to high-end restaurants. ¡°I''m sorry that I''m treating you to a meal at such a ce,¡± I murmured in embarrassment while looking at Yuval sheepishly. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I think this is quite a nice ce. I used to eat at food stalls with my roommates back when I was in university, and it was particrly gratifying at that time.¡± Yuval wore a gentle smile on his face, not at all irked that I was treating him to a meal at such a cheap ce. While I had no idea whether he truly felt that way, I could sense that he was considerate of me. Although we weren''t all that close and could even be described as rtively unfamiliar with each other, his seriousness toward our rtionship really touched me. ¡°Mr. Lambert, it''s Anna''s treat today, but shouldn''t it be your turn next? The two of you have known each other for some time now, so shouldn''t you bribe me a bit to get into my good books since I''m her best friend?¡± Noticing that we were getting along well, Natalie regarded us with a bright smile on her face before shifting her gaze to Yuval. ¡°Natalie, how could you simply ask him to treat you to a meal? If you want a treat, I''ll just treat you again next time.¡± I didn''t want Yuval to invest too much into our rtionship, for I wasn''t yet certain that we would truly end up in marriage. Besides, the expenses were supposed to be borne by both parties during a date, so I couldn''t have him spending all the time. I was already feeling bad that he had footed the bill more often than not, so I didn''t want Natalie to take the opportunity to get a free meal out of him. ¡°Hey, hey, are you now saving money on his behalf before the two of you have even gotten married, Anna?¡± Natalie teased. She pinned me with a disgruntled look when I nixed her idea before Yuval had even said anything. When her words fell, I was left without a retort. Oh God, that''s not what I meant at all, okay? Gah! She doesn''t understand my intentions at all! Can''t she see that my rtionship with Yuval isn''t as intimate as she imagined? ¡°Sure, no problem. Feel free to order whatever you''d like to eat next time, Ms. Xavier,¡± Yuval promptly chimed in to smooth things over upon seeing that I was so embarrassed that words eluded me. Unexpectedly, he seemed to be on cloud nine because of Natalie''s remark earlier. Perhaps he, too, thought that I was saving money on his behalf. Nheless, I wasn''t nning to rify things when it would only make things awkward if I were to admit my true thoughts. I handed the menu to Natalie. She truly went all out, ordering braised prawns and steamed crabs. Considering the fare, the meal would cost me at least a few hundred. My heart bled for my wallet, but at the sight of her eating with relish, I didn''t mind spending that much as long as she recovered from her heartbreak sooner rather thanter. Yuval seemed to have seen through me, for he threw me an amused look though he said nothing. I wasn''t fond of seafood, so I merely looked on as Natalie devoured the food. Beside me, Yuval didn''t eat much either, but I wasn''t certain whether he wasn''t inclined toward the food or for some other reason. ¡°Anna, the food here isn''t half bad, so let''s patronize this ce often in the future!¡± Natalie remarked while peeling a prawn. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sure! We''lle again next time since you like the food here.¡± Seeing the rare smile on her face, I now felt that the few hundred was truly worth spending. Why are you not eating, Mr. Lambert? Do you not like the food?¡± Natalie asked with a puzzled frown when she looked over to Yuval and saw that he wasn''t eating much. I was also curious about that, but I was embarrassed to ask such a question. ¡°No, I''m just not that hungry. Eat more since you like the food so much.¡± Yuval always had a faint smile on his face at all times. ¡°If the food isn''t to your liking, I''ll treat you to a meal elsewhere next time.¡± After working for the entire day, one''s appetite was at its peak at night. Thus, saying that he wasn''t all that hungry was evidently an excuse. In my opinion, he was probably wasn''t all that fond of seafood like me. If I hadn''t promised Nataliest night, I definitely wouldn''t be treating him to a meal at such a ce. ¡°It''ll be my treat next time. How could I possibly let you foot the bill?¡± Yuval didn''t decline, but he seemed rather ill at ease about me paying. Perhaps he felt that it was only natural for the man to pay when eating out. I was just about to say something else when his cell phone rang at that exact moment. Thus, I swallowed the words on the tip of my tongue. Taking out the cell phone from his pocket, Yuval nced at the caller ID. Then, he stood up and murmured, ¡°I''m sorry, but I have to take this call.¡± I nodded, upon which he swiftly walked away to answer the call. We were at a food stall, after all, so it was quite noisy. The moment he left to answer the call, Natalie leaned over with a nosy expression on her face. ¡°Anna, don''t you think he''s really a decent man? He''s quite handsome, and his character is also impable. Most importantly, he has a mild temper!¡± she eximed, pleasantly surprised. Following her gaze, I looked at Yuval, who was talking on the phone some distance away. Admittedly, he was indeed a good man. ¡°He''s indeed a very nice and decent man. He''s extremely understanding and considerate.¡± In the few months I had known Yuval, I never found any w in him. However, I seemed to have no feelings for him. ¡°So, you''re saying that the two of you may very well end up at the altar?¡± With her face a mask of surprise, Natalie leaned in close and eyed me nosily, probably because she seldom heard meplimenting a man so highly. I wavered upon hearing that and was silent for a while before I finally spoke. ¡°I''m indeed nning to try dating him, but I''m not certain that we''ll make it to the altar. I can''t shake off the feeling that we''re more suited to be friends. To be honest, I feel rather awkward about getting married and having children with him.¡± I can''t quite imagine how it would be if I were to marry Yuval. Would we also be painfully courteous like how we are right now? ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? In my opinion, he''s perfect for you. Look, he''s more handsome than the scumbag, Justin Xenakis. Besides, he''s awyer, so his ie must be pretty high. Usually, the lawyer''s fee for a rtively big case goes up to tens of thousands. So, don''t look down on him just because he''s a merewyer. His fees for a month might even be more than what you make in a year.¡± Natalie started convincing me when she saw that I was still wavering. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 In her eyes, Yuval was the perfect man for me. I knew that Natalie wanted me to find happiness as soon as possible and that she was considering him for me, but I felt there was something missing between me and Yuval. ¡°Okay, I know what you mean. I am more anxious than you are to find a husband. I mean, can you me me, though. At this rate, I''m going to be an old spinster in no time.¡± Helplessly, I heaved a sigh, not wanting to carry with the topic. I knew too that my age was catching up and if I did not get married soon, I would end up as an old spinster. Hearing my view, Natalie stopped talking and lowered her head to have her meal. At this moment, Yuval came over. ¡°Anna, I''m sorry. I''ve got a little issue with the case I''m handling now, and I have to discuss it with the people involved. I may need to leave now.¡± Yuval came up to me looking apologetic. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I know how important your job is. Go ahead.¡± Strangely, when I heard that he had to leave, I felt relieved. ¡°Great. In that case, I''ll take my leave now.¡± Yuval gave me an apologetic smile. ¡°By the way, I''ve already settled your bill. You can both leave right after you finish eating.¡± When I was chatting with Natalie just now, Yuval had already foot the bill. It made me feel as if I owed him something, because earlier on, I had promised that I would treat him tonight. ¡°Didn''t I say that I''m giving a treat tonight? How much did you pay just now? Let me return the money to you.¡± From the first time we started dating, Yuval had always been footing the bills. Today we had agreed that I would pay, but he had settled the bill on his own. Thus, I felt bad after knowing that. I took out my purse intending to return the money to him. After all, Yuval had spent too much money too often, and I should not keep on taking advantage of him. ¡°Anna, there''s no need to be so courteous with each other. If we really end up together as a married couple, everything I have is yours, let alone a few hundred for meals. What Yuval continued to say would please any other woman, but at this moment, all that I could feel was pressure, and I was at a loss for words to reply him. ¡°But we haven''t reached that stage yet. Every time we eat together, you''re always the one who pays.¡± I still wanted to return the money to Yuval, even though I was frugal when spending and tried to save whenever possible. However, I was determined not to take advantage of others as it had always been a principle that I firmly believed in. ¡°Let''s just let it be for this time. When it''s your treat the next time, I won''t argue with you when paying the bill. Will that do?¡± Though Yuval looked very gentle in appearance and seemed friendly, his personality was quite stubborn. After he had made a decision, no one could easily change it. ¡°Alright, then. Let''s agree with this. Since you''ve some business to attend to, you should go ahead now.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Since Yuval had made it so clear about his decision to pay this time, it would be quite unpleasant if I insisted on paying him back. ¡°Okay, then. I''m going off now.¡± At that, Yuval bent down and nted a kiss on my forehead. Then, he turned around and left quickly. I stared nkly at his retreating figure, lost in thought. As a matter of fact, I was quite reluctant, but it happened so fast that I didn''t really know what was going on and had no time to react. ¡°Anna, what are you doing? Miss him already?¡± Seeing that I was lost in thought even after Yuval had driven off, Natalie said this jokingly whilst tugging at my arm. I came back to my senses and red at Natalie fiercely. I did not know what to say as I could not tell her that Yuval''s loving affection did nothing for me, and in fact, repulsed me a little. Natalie wanted Yuval to be with me so badly that if I told her, she would think of more ideas, and so, I decided not to. ¡°Anna, when Yuval kissed you just now, I noticed that he blushed. It is so rare to find an adult man who is so shy, and that''s really surprising.¡± Despite remaining silent, it did not stop Natalie from gossiping. Tonight, she seemed really taken up with whatever was going on between Yuval and me. ¡°Hurry up and eat your lobster. Even food can''t stop you from chattering, eh?¡± Not wanting to continue debating on this topic with Natalie, I picked up a lobster and shoved it in her mouth. Instantly, Natalie was silent again. Meanwhile, I was deep in thought. I should be morefortable when I''m with Yuval since we might get married in the future. After all, we can''t possibly stay this way when we''re doing it as man and wifeter on, right? For a married couple, sex is a basic necessity. If I still feel repulsed by Yuval by then, that wouldn''t be fair to him. Natalie was still eating, whereas I was drinking some water. She nearly finished eating all the seafood on our table. I must admit - Natalie sure loves food. Not far away, a young couple walked toward us while hugging each other tightly. Even while they were walking, the man kept teasing the girl beside him. I nced at them, but I could not make out the faces clearly as the lights were quite dim; I could only see their movement in general. There were undoubtedly more and more couples getting bolder nowadays - kissing and hugging in public. To me, it was just an eyesore. Seriously though, get a room, guys! Why would anyone want to see that in public? I looked away from them, returning my gaze to the table as I could not bear watching them any longer. After that, I continued drinking water as I waited for Natalie to finish the lobsters. As she ate, I noticed that she stopped moving, and her eyes were staring fixedly at some distant object. I followed the direction of her gaze and found that she was looking at the young couple. As I looked clearly at their faces, I was filled with rage. It turned out that the man was none other than John Young, that scoundrel. The woman in his arms must be his new girlfriend. Well, what a coincidence to bump into them here... Instantly, Natalie looked glum, as her gaze remained fixated on John. Though she seemed to have gotten over the pain from this breakup, I knew that, deep down inside, she still could not let go. She was someone who very much valued her rtionships, and it was not easy for someone like her to move on so easily. Not far away, John held a woman tightly in his embrace, and his lips moved forward to kiss her while she giggled, trying to avoid his kisses coyly. ¡°Johnny, stop it. There is a crowd here. Aren''t you afraid of being seen?¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 From a closer distance, I could see the heavy makeup on that girl''s face. From her looks, I estimated that she must be in her thirties, and there seemed to be a huge age gap between John and her. From the way she dressed, she seemed to be wealthy. ¡°What is there to be afraid of? You''re my girlfriend, and there is nothing wrong with kissing you.¡± At that, John continued trying to kiss her. And on his face was a despicable smile. ¡°Stop it...¡± The woman pretended to resist verbally but voluntarily puckered up her red lips, weing the kiss. As Natalie watched the interaction between them, there was a painful look in her beautiful eyes. She had just broken up with John, and here he was, with another woman. This must be so hard for her to bear. ¡°Natalie, have you finished eating? Let''s go if you''re done.¡± I knew that Natalie must be feeling sad, so I wanted to take her away from the scene as soon as possible. ¡°No, I haven''t. Why should I go?¡± Natalie''s voice was choked with emotions, but she kept them under control. I knew that besides feeling upset, she had hatred in her heart. I understood because I had had the same experience. Thus, I could empathize with her. Nheless, Natalie pretended not to mind at all as she continued eating. But of course, as her best friend, I knew that she was using that to hide her pain. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Heaving a heavy sigh, I looked at Natalie with a pained expression as my heart poured out for her. At that point, I really did not know how to console her. At that moment, John and the woman were already walking toward us, but I turned away, pretending not to see them. They were really an eyesore. Natalie and I did not want to cause trouble, but I was afraid they would be looking for trouble instead. As expected, after John sat down, he saw us and stared in disbelief. Then, he walked toward us. ¡°What a coincidence. I did not expect to see you both here.¡± John stood in front of Natalie, gazing at her face. She was stuffing her face to distract herself from feeling miserable. Hence, her mouth was full, her cheeks puffed up, and her lips were oily. That was quite an embarrassing sight. When Natalie heard John''s voice, she froze. I could see that she was trying to avoid looking at John as tears started to well up in her eyes. ¡°I don''t think it''s that coincidental, to be honest. I''ve been bumping into a lot of scoundrels and sluts wherever I gotely.¡± I knew that Natalie would be too depressed to say anything. After all, John, who had just betrayed her, was now showing off his new girlfriend. It was despicable, and I could not stand seeing my best friend being bullied. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Garcia, but I wasn''t speaking to you. What happened between me and Natalie is none of your business!¡± John turned his gaze upon me as he heard me speak. His eyes were filled with enmity. Right from the start, I had discovered his infidelity, and my attitude toward him had been less than great. From that time onward, he had hated me. At that time, he had wanted me to keep his unfaithfulness a secret from Natalie, and so he had not dared to offend me. Now that he was no longer with Natalie, of course, he need not be polite with me anymore. ¡°You broke up with Natalie, so there is no need for you to say anything. But if you are here to show off your new girlfriend, I''d advise you to go and get lost!¡± I was usually polite. Even when Justin betrayed me, I was not as angry as I was now. After all, Justin was not as deranged as this man. ¡°Johnny, who''s this? How rude of her!¡± Just when I lost my patience and cursed John, the woman who was with him sashayed over, looking at me with hostility. ¡°My ex''s best friend. Anyway, she''s just a shrew; ignore her.¡± John cast me a disdainful nce. A shrew? Are you freakin'' kidding me? How dare you, you b*stard! ¡°Even if I am a shrew, I''m better than a scoundrel like you. You were unfaithful - cheating on Natalie with an old woman. You''ve got poor taste!¡± I nced at the woman that John had his arm around. Even though she wore heavy makeup, it was obvious that she was more than thirty-five years of age. John was only about twenty-five, for goodness'' sake. Who would''ve thought he''d cheat on Natalie for an older woman? ¡°Who are you calling an old woman?¡± Hearing that, the woman lost her temper. Her expression became a little distorted, and her gaze was full of anger when she looked at me. Nevertheless, I looked at them coldly and could not be bothered if this woman was angry. Even though I did not know her, she still ruined Natalie''s rtionship, so naturally, she didn''t leave any good impression on me. ¡°John, I am sure your taste isn''t that bad. The reason you choose such an old woman must be because she is wealthy, am I right? Or perhaps it''s because she''s good in bed?¡± I had to admit that I was really venting right then. Natalie was already devastated, and John was here, making it worse. In any case, it was terribly wrong to do this to a girl who had loved him so much. He was really a scumbag. I would not usually use any foulnguage, but today, I could no longer hold back. After all, John''s new girlfriend was just an older woman, which, in my opinion, was nothing to boast about. Hearing my insults, the woman got really angry. She rushed over to assault me, but John held her back. ¡°Babe, there''s no need to resort to violence. We don''t have to stoop to their level.¡± Seeing John''s response, I guessed he did not want too much trouble since we were still in public. Despite that, the woman could not hold back her anger. Grabbing the pot of water beside Natalie, she sshed it in my face. Fortunately, the water had gone cold, otherwise, my face would be scalded. Natalie, who had been quiet all along, jumped up suddenly when she saw the woman did that. Before I even realized it, she had shoved the woman onto the ground. My temper rose as I wiped my face dry with a piece of tissue. This b*tch is really something, huh? Is she trying to mess with me? ¡°Natalie, just what do you think you''re you doing?¡± Seeing that Natalie had pushed the woman, John yelled at her. The ever-so gentle John was no longer to be found at that moment. Smack! A tight p followed right across John''s face as soon as he finished his sentence. Natalie''s eyes were red-rimmed, and her gaze was full of disappointment when she looked at him. I knew that she was completely disappointed in him then. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 John was stunned at that. It took him a while to return to his senses. When he turned to look at Natalie again, his eyes were zing with fury. Back then, when they were in love, Natalie used to listen to his every word. She never said any harsh words, much less pped him. Perhaps it was because of that, an incredulous expression sprawled on his face at that time. ¡°Natalie, how dare you p me?¡± said John as he stared at Natalie with a stormy expression. Considering this man''s personality, I guessed he would probably p Natalie back. Upon hearing that, Natalie lost control of her emotions and roared, ¡°So what if I did? John, you b*stard, you''re the one who betrayed me! To be frank, I went easy on you. If I wasn''t holding back, I could''ve killed you right now!¡± After saying that, tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly. I knew that she was very upset, but I didn''t walk over to console her because I thought all she wanted to do at that moment was to vent all her emotions on John so she would feel better. John was dumbfounded as he witnessed Natalie in this state. I could see from his eyes that he was flustered. Is he feeling guilty? Didn''t hee to stir up trouble a minute ago? Why is he chickening out now that Natalie had yelled at him? Just then, the woman who was pushed by Natalie stood up. Boiling with rage, her face was distorted by anger. ¡°You b*tch! How dare you push me!¡± With that, the woman dashed toward Natalie and grabbed thetter''s throat tightly like a madwoman. Witnessing a scene such as this, I flew into a panic. I was afraid that Natalie would be on the losing end. Hence, I rushed toward her and tried to pull that woman away. However, that woman had gone berserk. She turned around andnded a p on my face, to which I nearly fainted. After regaining my senses, a fresh swell of rage rose in me like a tide. Although I always kept mydylike manner, I wouldn''t let anyone bully me. Thus, I suppressed the anger in my heart and pulled that woman''s hair until she released her grip on Natalie''s throat. Then, I took the opportunity to push her to the floor again. In the meantime, John just stood aside and stared at the three of us. He didn''t intend to break up the fight at all. I despised a weakling like him, and I couldn''t understand why someone would love a coward like him. ¡°How dare you! I''ll make you pay for this! Do you wish for me to call the cops on you?¡± Since Natalie and I fought her together, that woman knew that she wouldn''t be able to win the fight. Therefore, she used the cops to threaten us. ¡°Be my guest! After all, you were the one who started it. Besides, you broke us up and created trouble, you old wretch!¡± After fighting, Natalie felt much better. She returned to her usual domineering self and rebuked the pair harshly. ¡°Call me ''old wretch'' one more time, and I''ll tear your mouth apart!¡± Women hoped that they would always stay young and beautiful. Therefore, that woman instantly blew up when she heard us calling her old. ¡°I''m just telling the truth. Oh, by the way, I thought you said you wanted to call the cops? Why don''t you do it now? Are you scared?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie had always been fearless, so she didn''t seem afraid of that woman''s threat at that time. Moreover, if that woman lodged a police report, we could justify our actions because she was the one who sshed me with water first. Thus, it would be an advantage for us. ¡°I''ll call the cops now!¡± With that, that woman fished out her phone and called the police. Once the call got connected, she exined about the incident and said that Natalie and I had beat her up. After hanging up, she cast a nce at us triumphantly and said, ¡°Let''s see if you''re still this arrogant when you arrive at the police station.¡± Her eyes were filled with ruthlessness as she looked at us smugly. I frowned at the sight. What an unreasonable woman! If she isn''t rich, I don''t think John will ever choose her to be his girlfriend. From the beginning, John just stood by the side and dared not to make a sound. Just looking at him had me wonder why a coward like him even existed in this world. ¡°Hmph! You''ll be the one on the losing end,¡± retorted Natalie. She had never lost an argument. Moreover, she was arguing with the woman who came in between her and John at that time. Of course, she wouldn''t show thetter any mercy. Although Natalie didn''t lose the argument, I had a bad premonition because that woman looked confident. It looked like she really hoped that we would take this matter to the police station. A few minutester, two police cars showed up. Natalie and I sat in the same car, while John and that woman sat in another car. It was my first time in a police car, and I was feeling uneasy. Hence, I took out my phone. When I tapped on the address book, I saw Yuval''s contact number. Although I felt embarrassed to ask him to help us in this matter, I had no other choice. After all, he was awyer, and he was the only one who could help us now. With that thought in mind, I called him. However, a few secondster, the automated message yed from the other end indicating that his phone was switched off. At that, a vague uneasiness slowly crept up of me. I had no idea what would happen at the police station, but I guessed things wouldn''t go smooth because that woman looked oddly confident. ¡°Anna? Are you okay? You seem preupied,¡± queried Natalie with a worried look when she noticed that I seemed a little off. ¡°Natalie, I think we''ve fallen to her scheme,¡± I leaned in close to Natalie''s ear and whispered. For some reason, I thought something was amiss. That woman looked smart, so she must''ve known that she would be on the losing end if we exined the situation to the police as she was the one who started the fight. However, she didn''t look worried at all after making the police report. Not only that, I could even see the anticipation on her face. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 ¡°It was that woman who started it; it was her fault. What''s there to worry about?¡± Natalie was an optimistic person, so naturally, she didn''t worry about that at all. ¡°Hope so. I hope I''m just overthinking.¡± I frowned as I assured myself that I was just overthinking. I believe that the police will provide us with sound judgment. Soon, we arrived at the police station. The two police officers brought Natalie and me to the interrogation room, while John and that woman were brought to another ce. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. In the room, two young police officers sat in front of us and stared nkly at us. They did not appear like they were going to question us. ¡°Sir, it was that woman who made the first move. We were merely defending ourselves,¡± Natalie broke the silence. ¡°Silence! You''re not in the position to tell me about that,¡± one of the police reminded Natalie expressionlessly. ¡°I thought you brought us here to ask about the whole incident? Why are we not allowed to speak?¡± Natalie frowned and gazed at the police officer in annoyance. Growing impatient, the police''s tone became unpleasant. ¡°This is the police station. Hence, if I asked you both to keep quiet, you should do as I say!¡± Natalie had a bad temper too. Upon hearing that, she stood up angrily. Right when she was about to speak, I grabbed her hand and shook my head, signaling for her to sit down. After all, we were at the police station. If we caused trouble here, we would be the ones at fault. Although Natalie was very impulsive, she would always listen to me. When she got my hint, she said nothing more, even though she was angry. For the entire time, we did nothing in the interrogation room except waiting pointlessly. Everyone had completely ignored us. No one even came and asked us about the incident. I felt utterly uneasy about the situation. Hence, I wanted to try to call Yuval again. However, my phone had been confiscated before we entered the room. Thus, it was hard to find someone to help us now. After a long while, the door of the interrogation room opened. Two police officers came in and walked toward Natalie and me. Then, they ced something that resembled a statement of confession before us and said, ¡°Sign it and stamped your thumbprints on it.¡± One of them put a pen and a stamp pad in front of us and gestured for us to sign the statement. I didn''t sign it immediately but read the document with my brows scrunched in confusion. When I read through the content on the paper, it was written that Natalie and I had intentionally assaulted that woman. At that moment, fury roared through my mind. ¡°What the hell is this? Why did it say that we intentionally assaulted that woman? Sir, it was that woman who made the first move. What we did was self-defense!¡± When I knew that it was a confession statement for Natalie and me, anger welled up in my chest. We''re the victims here. Why do they want us to admit to the usation? Moreover, they didn''t even allow us to exin what happened just now. And all of a sudden, they''re instructing us to sign a statement? Why should we? Upon hearing that, the police officer''s expression turned cold. ¡°Self-defense? Obviously, the two of you intentionally assaulted the woman. You''re still denying it? Do you want to be charged with another crime?¡± Upon that, Natalie stared at the police officer angrily and retorted, ¡°We didn''t intentionally assault her! What right do you have to convict us before investigating this matter meticulously?¡± When the police officers found that we were not afraid of the warning, he threatened us again, ¡°I have many ways to let you admit the crime. Do you want to get yourselves punished?¡± Facing his threat, Natalie got even angrier and quickly retorted, ¡°This is the police station. How could you use us without even investigating the matter? We''re the victims, for cryin'' out loud!¡± ¡°Stop it, Natalie. Obviously, they are in cahoots with that woman. Maybe she bribed them, so they put the me on us.¡± Now, I knew why that woman looked happy after lodging a police report. It must be because she had connections with the police, so she was confident that Natalie and I would be charged. I just didn''t expect the police would cooperate with that woman to nder us. All that talk about maintaining peace and protecting the public was all talk but no action. Hearing my words, the police''s expression stiffened. Maybe because my assumption was right, the former felt embarrassed and stared right into my eyes and barked, ¡°I''m warning you. This is the police station, so don''t you dare nder me!¡± Initially, I didn''t want to stir up trouble to such an extent, but these police officers didn''t seem to let go of Natalie and me. Thus, I mustered my courage and said, ¡°You know perfectly well if we''re ndering you. Not only am I not going to sign this statement, but I would also like to sue you for epting bribes!¡± If we signed and inked our thumbprint on the statement, it would signify that we admitted to the crime. We were not that stupid to do so. ¡°I have plenty of time here, and I''ll wait until you sign this! You two better think carefully about this.¡± However, our resistance was in vain. I guessed it was not the first time the police officer epted bribes. After saying that, all the officers left, and only Natalie and I were left in the interrogation room. ¡°What do we do now, Anna? They''re putting the me on us!¡± Usually, Natalie was a bold person, but now she was panic-stricken. It was the first time we got locked up at the police station, and we had no idea what would happen next. ¡°I guess that woman really has connections with the police authorities. Otherwise, it''s not possible to ce criminal charges against us.¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 I felt vexed as I recalled the smug look in the woman''s eyes when she got into the police car earlier. Damn it, why did I let her call the police? We wouldn''t be at such a disadvantage now if she didn''t do that! Natalie frowned as she eximed anxiously, ¡°What do we do now, Anna? We can''t just plead guilty to something like this!¡± ¡°I don''t know. I thought about calling Yuval for help since he''s awyer and all, but they''ve confiscated our phones.¡± We weren''t able to contact anyone outside for help without our phones, and we didn''t have any connections in the police station that could help us out either. Natalie''s face was filled with guilt when she saw how stumped I was. ¡°I''m sorry, Anna... It''s all my fault that you''re locked up in here with me...¡± She felt extremely guilty as John was the main reason we were in this mess. ¡°What are you saying, Natalie? You''re my best friend, and I''m not about to just sit by and watch you get bullied! Besides, you were there for me when that scumbag Justin betrayed me back then!¡± Natalie was the one who stood by my side and supported me when Justin and Mabel hurt me. Now that the same thing has happened to her, I can''t possibly abandon her! If she''s going to get locked up in a police station, then I would rather get locked up together with her. This way, we would at least be able to look after each other somehow. Natalie leaned against my shoulder and sobbed when she heard that. ¡°Thank you, Anna... Thanks for staying with me no matter how difficult things be!¡± I held her hand tightly in response. Man, they really have us backed into a corner... We won''t be able to leave the police station if we don''t sign the papers, but signing it pretty much guarantees that we end up in prison for a few years! Assault and battery is a pretty serious crime, after all. Regardless, we were simply acting in self-defense, so we mustn''t sign those papers! Right as I was desperately trying toe up with an idea, the door to the interrogation room was opened once again. I thought it was the police officering to pressure us into signing the papers, only to have my heart skip a beat when I clearly saw who it was. It was the woman who got into a fight with us earlier, and she lookedpletely unscathed. ¡°Oh, my! Crying already? Your sentence hasn''t even been handed down yet!¡± She had a smug look in her eyes as she made her way towards us in high heels. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The fact that she was able to enter the interrogation room on her own ord made me a lot more certain about my suspicions. This woman must have connections in the police force! She chose to call the police because she knew Natalie and I would get in trouble! ¡°You old hag, you bribed the police, didn''t you? You''re the one who''s trying to frame me and Anna!¡± Natalie sat bolt upright when she heard the woman''s voice and red daggers at her. Had we not been handcuffed, she probably would have given the woman another beating right then and there. The woman stared at us in disdain, looking as proud as a peacock as she gloated, ¡°Hmph! You two should know your ce! Do you have any idea who my cousin is? He''s the deputy chief here at the police station! You girls dug your own graves the moment you assaulted me!¡± Her words confirmed my suspicions about herpletely. ¡°You''re framing us through the use of your connections in the police force? How despicable can you get? Hey, let me tell you this: We''re not going to give in!¡± Natalie knew she was implying that we had offended the deputy chief at the police station. If what the woman said is true, then it would be near impossible for ordinary folks like Natalie and I to walk out of here as we have no connections in the police force. Even so, I refuse to just let her use us of crimes we did notmit! I grew increasingly anxious at the thought of that. ¡°Natalie, you b*tch... I''ll teach you a lesson for calling me an old hag!¡± The woman shifted her vicious gaze toward Natalie while John stood behind her in silence like a coward. Even the heavy makeup on her face couldn''t hide her jealousy and hatred as she walked up to Natalie. The woman then raised her hand and pped Natalie so hard across the face that I shuddered from the sound of it. Natalie''s face became swollen instantly, and I clearly saw a handprint appear on her reddened cheek. Natalie turned around and shot the woman a fierce re. She wanted to return the p, but was unable to do anything since her hands were cuffed. ¡°What''s wrong with calling you an old hag if that''s what you really are? You''re desperate for love because you''re still single at such an old age, so you choose to steal someone else''s boyfriend!¡± Natalie said stubbornly and stared the woman in the eye with no fear whatsoever. ¡°How dare you insult me?¡± The woman''s face was twisted with rage upon hearing Natalie''s remark. She then raised her hand and gave Natalie an even harder p on the other cheek. ¡°Hey, that''s enough! This is a police station for goodness'' sake! I don''t care if your cousin is the deputy chief! It doesn''t make you above thew, you know?¡± I couldn''t stand the fact that a vile woman like her had just pped my best friend twice across the face. Had I not been handcuffed at the time, I would definitely have returned those hits twice as hard. The woman shifted her attention toward me after hearing what I said. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Her eyes were filled with hostility as my words had dealt a heavy blow to her ego and pride. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? This is between the three of us, so you''d better stay out of it or I''ll beat you up too!¡± The woman was extremely arrogant because of her connection with the police and treated the police station like it was her own. ¡°You''re full of sh*t!¡± In the face of such an uncivilized person, I couldn''t help but temporarily discard my mannerisms and hurled abuse at her. I thought Mabel was terrible, but this woman made her seem mild inparison. Smack! The woman pped me across the face. That was the second time she had hit me that day, and all I could do was re daggers at her in response. This world sure isn''t fair... Are we really supposed to just let her hit us to her heart''s content simply because she has connections with the police? ¡°You''ve locked us up and hit us both, even when you were the one at fault by attacking first! Now that you''ve gotten your revenge, what more do you want from us?¡± I shouted angrily at the woman. As much as I wanted to p the living daylights out of her, our main priority at the time was to ensure that we could both leave the police station. ¡°Oh, are you submitting to me now that you know how powerful I am? It''s toote to beg me for mercy now! No one has ever dared to hit me, so you girls have to pay the price for doing so!¡± She showed no intention of letting us go even though I had submitted to her. Judging by her tone of voice, she was determined on sending the two of us to prison. As if she had turned into apletely different person, the woman turned toward John and said in the sweetest voice possible, ¡°Hey, Johnny! Would it break your heart seeing me put your ex-girlfriend in prison?¡± Seeing an old woman acting all coquettish with a young man gave me goosebumps all over, and I couldn''t help but question John''s taste in women. Natalie is at least a thousand times better than her, so why did this scumbag pick that old woman instead? ¡°Of course not! You are the only woman that could possibly break my heart!¡± John''s tone was dripping with affection when he said that. The woman threw herself into his arms and shot Natalie a gleeful smile, much to our disgust. ¡°But she''s your ex-girlfriend, Johnny! Are you sure you won''t feel a thing at all?¡± the woman asked as she looked up at John, seemingly dissatisfied with his answer. ¡°Like you said, she''s my ex-girlfriend. She''s practically a stranger to me now, so why would it break my heart to see her get sent to prison?¡± John replied and gave her a kiss on the lips. While I was disgusted to no end by their tant disy of affection, Natalie seemed upset and disappointed instead as she looked away with tears in her eyes. Her response was perfectly understandable, as it would definitely hurt anyone to see their lover getting intimate with someone else. Not wanting to see her cry over someone like John, I leaned in close and whispered into her ear, ¡°Ignore them, Natalie. This scumbag isn''t worthy of your tears.¡± Natalie was a strong girl and held her tears back after hearing what I said. ¡°If you truly love me, then help me get my revenge on these two over here. You saw them hit me, so you know I have to make them pay!¡± The woman continued her coquettish act and nuzzled her head against John''s chest. If anything, they were more of an eyesore than a sight for sore eyes. John froze for a second upon hearing what she said, but was quick to put on his gentle look once again as he stared at the woman in his arms. ¡°Revenge? Didn''t you already get your revenge just now? I think we''ve done quite enough. Come on, let''s go. Don''t want to cause too much trouble in a police station now, do we?¡± John was a cowardly person, and the fact that he had lost his usual insolent attitude showed how stressed he was being inside a police station. ¡°Don''t worry! My cousin is the deputy chief here, so we''ll be fine!¡± Obviously, the woman wasn''t about to let us off the hook so easily after having us at her mercy. ¡°W-What do you want me to do, then?¡± John asked awkwardly as he stared at the both of us. ¡°They pped me earlier, so I want you to p them both in return!¡± the woman said after casting us a vicious nce. ¡°Me? Hit them? I don''t think that''s very appropriate...¡± Despite being a total scumbag, John was still hesitant to hit women, especially inside a police station. The woman got mad when she saw John hesitate and began threatening him, ¡°John! You will do as I say and p them, or we are over!¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After everything that we had been through, I knew all too well how much of a coward John was, and his following response proved me right. ¡°Fine, I''ll do it, okay? I just didn''t want toplicate things further, that''s all.¡± I began to worry for Natalie the moment I heard that. Is John seriously going to hit us? Natalie is already heartbroken by his betrayal, so there''s no way she can handle John pping her for another woman! ¡°Well? Hurry up, then! My cousin will take responsibility for anything that happens, so you''ll be fine!¡± The woman urged him again as she couldn''t wait to see us pped. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 With that, John didn''t dare hesitate any further and walked up to us. Natalie stared back at him, her gaze filled with defiance and a hint of disappointment. John, being the coward that he was, panicked and froze in ce when he saw that. ¡°What''s with the hold-up, John? You can''t bring yourself to do it?¡± The woman was starting to lose her patience at that point. Upon hearing the impatience in her tone, John raised his hand and pped Natalie hard across the face, showing no mercy whatsoever. The difference in strength between man and woman was incredibly obvious as Natalie''s face swelled up twice as much from the impact. She probably wasn''t expecting John to actually hit her. After all, the two of them used to be in love with each other, and no man could possibly bring themselves to hit their woman. After taking a few seconds to regain herposure, Natalie shot him an icy-cold re and shouted, ¡°I now see you for who you truly are, John!¡± Despite looking all disheveled with her cheeks all red and swollen, Natalie''s tone was still as defiant as ever. Natalie had always appeared soft and weak when the two of them were together, so it was probably his first time seeing such coldness in her eyes. ¡°One more p, Johnny! Hurry up!¡± the woman shouted anxiously when she saw how stunned he looked. That snapped John out of his daze, and he avoided her gaze as hended yet another hard p on her face. Smack! Natalie''s face was swollen to a terrifying degree. ¡°John, you a*shole! How could you bring yourself to hit a woman you used to be in love with! You are the most cowardly man I have ever seen!¡± I shouted angrily at him as I couldn''t stand seeing Natalie being abused like that. I don''t know if he had actually loved Natalie before, but he definitely deserves an award for being the world''s biggest a*shole for hitting her so hard! John''s eyes were filled with rage as he turned toward me and said, ¡°Shut up, Anna! I told you, I''ve had enough of your bullsh*t! Who the hell do you think you are poking your nose into my business?¡± It was clear that he hated me greatly for exposing his affair with the woman, so he wasn''t going to let me off easy when he had me at his mercy. ¡°I don''t give a sh*t about you! I only got involved because I care about Nat who fell in love with a f*cking a*shole like you! You''re the most shameless man in the world, and the mere sight of you is a disgrace to my eyes!¡± I tried to not go this far when the two of them were still dating, but decided to hold nothing back after seeing what he did to Natalie. ¡°I dare you to say that again!¡± John shouted furiously while jabbing a finger at me. ¡°I will say it a thousand times more if I have to!¡± ¡°Now that I have you at my mercy, I''ll be sure to teach you a lesson, Anna!¡± John then pped me across the face before I could respond, hitting me so hard that I felt a little dizzy from the impact. Upon recovering from the dizziness, I red coldly at him and yelled, ¡°F*ck you!¡± ¡°You dare insult me still?¡± John was about to p me again for my defiance, but the door to the interrogation room was opened before he managed to hit me. We both shifted our gaze towards the door, and the looks on our faces froze when we saw who it was. Michael? What''s he doing here? Oh, my god! My face must be all swollen from being pped! I don''t want him to see me in such an ugly state! He''ll be disgusted for sure! With that in mind, I looked away to hide my face from him. John was no fool either and knew better than to hit me in front of Michael if he valued his life. To my surprise, I seemed to be the main reason Michael came to the police station as he walked up to me and took a moment to assess my injuries before shouting furiously, ¡°Who did this?¡± His tone was as cold as ice, and his gaze fell upon John who quickly hid behind the woman out of fear. ¡°Tell me, Anna. Who did this to you?¡± Michael asked. None of the policemen who came in with him dared make a sound. I knew nothing about Michael''s connections in the police station, but everyone here were being incredibly respectful toward him. ¡°Those two over there!¡± I said coldly while pointing at John and the woman. While I didn''t want Michael to avenge me or anything, I couldn''t afford to let those two get away with hitting us so many times. The look in Michael''s eyes grew even colder as he turned his head in their direction. ¡°So... You two are the ones who hit her, huh?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Michael began walking slowly toward them, his body emanating a terrifying aura in the process. John''s knees were shaking uncontrobly at that point, and the woman next to him began to panic as well. ¡°Yeah, we did! So what?¡± The woman tried to put up a tough front despite the sheer terror that she was in. Smack! The p sounded so loud and clear that it shook everyone in the room, myself included. Judging by the sound and the way she staggered from the impact, I could tell he hit her a lot harder than John hit me. After taking a few seconds to regain myposure, I stared at Michael in shock as I didn''t expect him to actually hit her. ¡°I don''t have any qualms about hitting women!¡± Michael said coldly. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Hitting women was a very despicable thing, but Michael made it soundpletely justified. I used to hate men who were rough with women, but Michael''s actions simply left me feeling touched as I knew he did it to avenge me. As my eyes fell upon his icy-cold face, my heart was filled with a warm fuzzy feeling because I knew he hade to save me. ¡°How dare you hit me? Do you have any idea who I am? Do you know who my cousin is?¡± the woman yelled at Michael after recovering from his p. She probably didn''t think he would darey a finger on her as they were in a police station that she had connections with. ¡°Why should I care who you and your cousin are?¡± Michael stared at the woman with a look of disgust and disdain in his eyes. After spending so much time with Michael, I knew just how much he hated indecent-looking women. I could only imagine how much he would hate that woman as she matched that criteria perfectly. On top of that, she was acting like a b*tch too. ¡°I''ll have you know that my cousin is the deputy chief here! I''ll have him put you in prison too for hitting me!¡± The woman''s eyes were filled with rage as she threatened him. ¡°Heh!¡± Michael waspletely unfazed and let out a snicker in response to her threat. Ah, yes... That''s the Michael I know all right! Always with that domineering aura regardless of the situation! ¡°What are youughing at? Hurry up and apologize or I''ll give my cousin a call! It''ll be toote to beg me for mercy then!¡± The woman raised her voice at him, her face twisted with anger as she spat those words out. Michael simply shot her a disdainful re before narrowing his eyes at John. ¡°You''re the scumbag that Anna was talking about?¡± ¡°W-Who are you? How are you rted to Anna?¡± John looked meek inparison as he stood before Michael. How is it that these two men have such a huge difference between... Wait, no... John isn''t a real man! No man would bully twopletely defenseless women like that! ¡°My rtionship with Anna is none of your concern. Now, you might want to clench your teeth because I''m about to hit you twice as hard as you hit them.¡± Michael then punched John square in the face which caught himpletely off guard and sent him tumbling to the floor with a bruise on the corner of his mouth. John looked extremely pathetic as he held a hand over his bleeding lips. Being the coward that he was, John didn''t even dare stand up for himself and simply stared at Michael in sheer terror. Michael grabbed him by the cor and dragged him to his feet before punching him repeatedly on the face. John''s face was so swollen and bruised that I could barely even recognize him, and the sight of that brought me a certain amount of satisfaction. The woman couldn''t bear to see John get beaten up and shouted at the policemen around them, ¡°What are you guys standing around for? He''s beating someone up in a police station for crying out loud! Hurry up and arrest him!¡± I was so carried away with how amazing and satisfying it felt that I had neglected the legal consequences of Michael''s actions. He may be a ridiculously wealthy business magnate in Avenport, but he did beat up John in front of all these policemen! Wouldn''t he get into trouble with thew or something? I grew anxious at the thought of that as I didn''t want Michael getting into trouble for avenging me, especially since I already owed him more than I could ever hope to repay him. However, none of the policemen stepped forward to stop Michael. At that moment, the door to the interrogation room was opened once again, and two men who looked like they were in their forties or fifties came in. ¡°Finally, my cousin is here!¡± The woman walked up to one of them and tugged on his arm as she said with puppy-dog eyes, ¡°Franklin, this man hit me and my friend just now! Look, our faces are all swollen!¡± So that''s her cousin brother, the deputy chief... Looks like she really does have a very powerful person to back her up... I wonder if Michael will end up being arrested as well? Franklin brushed her arm off and shouted angrily, ¡°That''s enough! Are you trying to blow things out of proportion here?¡± ¡°Are you all right, Mr. Shaw? I apologize for the dy as we were caught up with something earlier, but we came rushing over as soon as we got your call,¡± said the other middle-aged man with an awkward smile as he walked up to Michael. This is from N?velDrama.Org. I could tell that Michael was suppressing his anger when he shot the man a cold re and said, ¡°I believe you owe me an exnation for this incident, Chief Lewis.¡± The two men turned out to be the chief and deputy chief at the police station. Chief Lewis had panic written all over his face, and even his tone was exceptionally polite as he exined, ¡°I''m sure this is all a misunderstanding, Mr. Shaw...¡± It was perfectly understandable for those in the corporate world to show Michael respect, but the police chief too? Just how powerful is he, exactly? I think I might have underestimated Michael a little... Michael arched an eyebrow at Chief Lewis. ¡°A misunderstanding? My woman got beaten up! Did you really think you could brush it off as a misunderstanding? I demand a proper exnation!¡± I felt my heart throb upon hearing what he said. D-Did Michael just call me his woman? Chapter 116 Chapter 116 My heart began to race for Michael again as I watched him like a hawk. I felt extremely secure with him here. ¡°How do you propose we handle this, Mr. Shaw? She''s the deputy chief''s cousin, after all. It doesn''t seem very appropriate to punish her too severely,¡± looking at Michael with a troubled expression, the police chief exined in a small voice. ¡°I''ll leave this matter to you, but I hope you''ll handle it fairly, Chief Lewis. I''m a very protective man. I won''t let my people suffer for nothing.¡± Michael spoke nonchntly, but the warning in his words was unmistakable; he wanted a satisfactory answer. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shaw. I''ll handle this matter impartially.¡± Although Chief Lewis was put in a tight spot, he caved under Michael''s intimidating aura and agreed right away. Without another word, Michael approached me with anger simmering in his eyes. Upon noticing that Michael was staring straight at the handcuffs on my wrists, the chief immediately barked an order to the police officer standing behind him. ¡°What are you waiting for? Uncuff them!¡± At his superior''s orders, the officer quickly walked over to remove our handcuffs. This is from N?velDrama.Org. After being in cuffs for so long, the skin on my wrists stung with pain. Ignoring Michael, the first thing I did was hurry over to Natalie''s side to support her. ¡°Chief Lewis, settling this case should be very easy. I''m sure the surveince cameras caught the other two people assaulting them. You don''t need me to provide any more evidence, right?¡± ¡°I understand. Rest assured, I''ll take care of this matter.¡± Seeing as even the chief was so cautious in front of Michael, I realized that I was worrying over nothing. But when I thought about Michael''s lofty status, I wasn''t all that surprised. It seemed like John and his new woman were the unfortunate ones. ¡°What''s going on, Franklin? Why are the two of them being released? They attacked me. Are you really going to let them go just like that?¡± Unwilling to see Natalie and I walk free just like that, the woman walked to the deputy chief with discontent written on her face. ¡°That''s enough. You''re on your own now. I can''t help you this time.¡± Sighing in exasperation, the deputy chief shook off her hand and promptly walked away. ¡°Franklin, wait! Don''t go!¡± the woman called out, but the deputy chief ignored herpletely. ¡°Well? Don''t just stand there! Arrest the two of them!¡± the police chief ordered the two officers behind him whilst pointing at John and his woman. Things had taken a hundred and eighty degree turn. The woman stared at the handcuffs on her wrists in shock. When she returned to her senses, she pointed at Natalie and I with her cuffed hands and shrieked, ¡±Why are you arresting me? They are the ones you should be arresting!¡± But with Michael here, whatever she said would be useless. John was already scared witless by then. For a long time, he stared wide-eyed at the cuffs on his wrists. When he finally snapped out of it, he broke free from the grip of the police officer restraining him and ran toward Natalie. ¡°Nat, what happened earlier was my fault. Can you forgive me? You saw it too, right? She forced me to do it. I never wanted to hit you.¡± Panic-stricken, John expressed his regret toward Natalie with a pleading look in his eyes. At that moment, his forehead was already covered with sweat. Even though his apology sounded sincere, he was, in fact, pushing all the me onto the woman. From this alone, anyone could tell that he was an irresponsible coward. Recalling how deeply Natalie used to love John, I began to worry that she''d waver. Staring at her swollen cheek, I was about to remind her that a scumbag like him didn''t deserve her forgiveness after all the pain he had caused her both emotionally and physically. But Natalie spoke before I could. ¡°John, the one thing I regret most in my life is falling for you like a blind fool. It''s bad enough that you hit a woman. Now that you''re in trouble, you''re ming it all on a woman again. I can''t believe I loved someone like you. I feel sick just thinking about it.¡± Natalie peered at John coldly. Every word she said wasced with disdain. I could see that she was truly disappointed in John, and didn''t possess even a shred of sympathy for him. John couldn''t be bothered about his image anymore as he grabbed Natalie''s hand and begged, ¡°I know you''re still mad at me for betraying you. I admit my mistake now. As long as you help me this one time, I''ll return to your side and promise to never do anything wrong by you again.¡± Without knowing all the things he had done, one might even go soft-hearted at the sight of the sincerity gleaming in his eyes. Natalie shrugged off John''s hand, then lifted hers to give him a tight p across the face. With an icy expression, she spoke without a trace of warmth in her voice, ¡°This is payback! And from now on, we have nothing to do with each other!¡± With that, Natalie came back to my side and ignored John. After what happened earlier, she had probably let him go for good. When she looked up at me, I shed her a grin and gave her a thumbs-up for a job well done. ¡°Don''t do this to me, Nat. I know I was wrong. You''re the one I truly love. I know that now. I was momentarily bewitched by this woman because she seduced me first. Please give me one more chance, okay?¡± John scrambled after Natalie and asked her for forgiveness again. But of course, we knew that his sudden act of repentance was merely because he didn''t want to take responsibility for what happened earlier. He was no fool. He only asked Natalie for forgiveness because he knew that the odds were stacked against him, but in fact, he didn''t feel sorry at all. ¡°What the hell are you doing, John? Don''t forget that I''m your girlfriend now!¡± Enraged, John''s new chick stomped toward him and shoved him hard. John red at her fearlessly and snapped, ¡°I''m breaking up with you! All of this happened because of you!¡± Because he knew she was of no help to him, he had no qualms burning bridges with her. ¡°What did you say? I dare you to repeat what you just said!¡± The woman red back at him, shocked by the sudden change in him as he had always behaved meekly in front of her. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Natalie, forgive me just this once. I promise to cut all ties with her. Let''s start over again, okay?¡± Ignoring the woman, John shifted his gaze back to Natalie, peering into her eyes anxiously. Faced with his pleading gaze, Natalie regarded him with contempt. ¡°You''re pathetic, you know that? Pushing all the me onto your woman like that.¡± Anyone with eyes could see that John was a pathetic and cowardly man. Since Natalie had lost hope in him, I was very certain she wouldn''t give him another chance. ¡°Nat...¡± Sensing Natalie''s animosity, John called out anxiously. He wanted to say more, but Natalie cut him off before he could. Suppressing the rage in her heart, Natalie spat, ¡°Get lost! You''re the most disgusting man I''ve ever met in my life! This is payback for the two ps you gave me.¡± Then, she walked to my side without sparing another nce at John. Seeing the impatient frown on Michael''s face, the chief immediately ordered the police officers, ¡°Hurry and take them away!¡± John and his woman were soon taken away, and the interrogation room was peaceful once more. ¡°Chief Lewis, if we''re done here, I''ll be taking these two women away now. Don''t forget about your promise to handle this impartially,¡± Michael pinned the chief with a stern gaze and said indifferently. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shaw. I''ll make sure there''s no preferential treatment,¡± Chief Lewis reassured respectfully. I didn''t understand why, but I could see that he was slightly apprehensive of Michael. ¡°Good. We''ll be leaving then.¡± After receiving a satisfactory answer, Michael walked toward me. Sensing him approaching me, I felt my heart pick up speed. This man had been constantly making my life a living hell in the past few days. Hence, I didn''t know why he showed up here all of a sudden. Michael stopped in front of me but remained silent. As I was hesitating whether or not to initiate a conversation, he abruptly bent down to scoop me into his arms. I widened my eyes at him in mortification, and my heart started beating wildly in my chest. After recovering from my shock, I yelled at him for doing something so outrageous at the police station, ¡°Michael, what are you doing? Put me down.¡± Before I could get in another word, he frostily interrupted me with a furious re. ¡°Shut up!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. His aura was too powerful and I panicked, unable to utter another word. Thus, I was carried out of the police station with Natalie quietly trailing behind us. Once outside, Michael''s secretary hurried over to greet us. Upon seeing my face, shock shed in his eyes. Staring at me with wide eyes, he asked with concern, ¡°What happened to your face, Ms. Garcia?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. I was just pped twice by someone.¡± Anger surged in me again when I thought about those two ps, and I was filled with the strong urge to return the favor. However, I was a sensible person. If I really did that, I probably wouldn''t be able to leave the police station again. ¡°Send her friend home,¡± Michael said to his secretary with knitted brows. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± his secretary replied, then swiftly opened the car door for Natalie. ¡°Put me down, Michael!¡± I was still in Michael''s arms. Natalie had been staring at the two of us since just now, as if trying to figure out the rtionship between us. Upon hearing what I said, Michael merely frowned but wordlessly ced me back on my feet. After regaining my freedom, I nned to head back together with Natalie. Even though Michael helped me and I felt grateful to him, I honestly didn''t know how to face him right now. We had nothing to do with each other anymore. Neither did I want to get involved with him again. ¡°Stop right there, Anna. I didn''t say you could leave!¡± I had just reached Natalie''s side and wanted to get in with her when Michael''smanding voice sounded behind me. I stopped in my tracks and looked over my shoulder at Michael with furrowed brows, feeling indignant. ¡°Thank you for helping me today, Mr. Shaw. If you''ll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to.¡± I didn''t know how to act around Michael anymore. At that moment, he was looking at me with a possessive gaze, those bottomless eyes threatening to swallow me whole. Just when I was about to slide into the car, there was a powerful grip on my arm. Michael, who had a stormy expression on his face, was grabbing my arm tightly. His sinful lips tightened at the sides as he exuded a cold aura. ¡°Drive.¡± Michael turned his head slightly to instruct his secretary. Without any hesitation, his secretary started the car and drove off, leaving the two of us behind. My arm was still being held tightly by him. Frustrated, I shot him a displeased frown. I was grateful for what he did, but his behavior at that moment still made me feel uneasy. ¡°What the hell do you want, Michael? I already thanked you.¡± I was still mad about the hell he put me through at the office in the past few days, so I wasn''t exactly courteous when I spoke to him. Without answering my question, he yanked me toward his car, opened the door to the front passenger seat and stuffed me in. I wanted to escape from here, but I knew better than anyone that I wouldn''t be able to go anywhere as long as it wasn''t this man''s will. Hence, I obediently sat in the car, thinking he''d probably let me leave after saying whatever he wanted to say. Michael slid into the driver''s seat, started the car, and drove toward Birchwood. It had already been a few days since I moved out of this ce. Now that I was back here again, I felt conflicted. He was silent throughout the entire ride, but I knew that he was brooding. After pulling me into his house, he pressed me down on the couch before going into the bedroom. ¡°Why did you bring me here, Michael? If you don''t need me for anything else, can I leave now?¡± He hadn''t spoken a word since leaving the police station. Unable to figure out what he wanted, I grew slightly irritated and stood up to leave. But just then, he emerged from the bedroom with a first aid kit in hand. Michael came to my side and pressed me back down on the couch, then said in the same icy and emotionless voice, ¡°Do you think you look very pretty right now?¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 His words reminded me about the ps bestowed on me earlier. Although I hadn''t had the time to look into the mirror, I knew that my face was red and swollen. I probably looked really ugly. Thinking of my miserable appearance, I felt the urge to hide from Michael. My cheek was still burning as the pain hadn''t yet subsided. Holding my cheek with one hand, I wanted to leave immediately. ¡°You''re really something,nding yourself in the police station like that. I severely underestimated your guts.¡± Michael took out a tube of ointment from the first aid kid. After squeezing some out on a cotton swab, he turned to face me. When his hand neared me, I instinctively evaded it, not wanting to let him touch me. Michael frowned when I kept dodging him. ¡°Don''t move!¡± hemanded. He was born with a domineering personality. Upon hearing hismand, I instantly sat still. For some reason, I always listened to him like this, even when things had ended between the two of us. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He used the cotton swab to spread the ointment evenly on my cheek. The cooling sensation effectively alleviated some of the pain. My heart fluttered when I noticed how gentle he was, as if he was afraid of hurting me. ¡°It''s fine. I can do it myself.¡± Because we were already considered strangers, the sudden intimacy greatly unsettled me. I reached out to take the cotton swab from his hand, but he evaded me. ¡°Look what happened after leaving me, Anna. If it weren''t for me, you''d still be stuck at the police station!¡± Michael chided, obviously enraged. I frowned at him unhappily. It''s not like my arrest affected him in any way. Why is he even mad? This man was a puzzle. I simply couldn''t figure him out, and I didn''t know he regarded me as a stranger like I did him. ¡°What happened today was merely an ident. Besides, Natalie and I weren''t in the wrong. They were the ones who started it but med it on us instead!¡± Natalie and I were obviously the victims. Yet, we ended up being pped like that. At the thought of this, a wave of anger swelled in me. But there was constion in knowing that John and that woman received their due retribution. Thanks to Michael''s timely appearance, Michael and I were released. Although I didn''t want to have anything to do with him anymore, I appreciated his help. With a sullen look on his face, Michael continued applying ointment on my cheek wordlessly. Since he didn''t speak, neither did I. Hence, we fell into an awkward silence. After all, we were once in a sexual rtionship. Now that we had be estranged, it was inevitable we''d feel somewhat awkward around each other. Soon, he was done applying the ointment for me. He seemed to be very quiet today, and I couldn''t find a suitable topic to talk about either. This was the first time we were in such close proximity after ending our rtionship. Being this close to him made me feel very restless, and every fiber in my body was yelling for me to flee. ¡°Thank you for your help today, Mr. Shaw. It''s gettingte now. I should get going.¡± It was already close to two in the morning. It wasn''t a good idea to be in the same space as the opposite gender, especially one whom I used to be sexually intimate with. He scowled at me when he heard that I wanted to leave. Then, he stood up and ordered impassively, ¡°Stay here for the night. I''ll send you back tomorrow.¡± ¡°N-No. It''s fine. I should go back now. I''m worried about Natalie. I wanna go back and check on her.¡± Michael had always been a callous person. Not to mention, he kept targeting me at every turn during the past few days. When he suddenly showered concern and care on me, I couldn''t help but suspect that he wanted sex again. But even if that was what he wanted, I wouldn''t be able to satisfy him anymore. Since it was already over between the two of us, sleeping with him was out of the question. ¡°Don''t make me repeat myself. My patience has its limits!¡± He whipped around and stared me down. From the slight growl in his voice, I knew that he was starting to get impatient. His mesmerizing eyes were like two whirlpools capable of sucking me in. Faced with his imposing stature, my heart pounded in my chest uncontrobly. I got to my feet and forced myself to maintain eye contact with him before saying solemnly, ¡°Mr. Shaw, you''re my boss. If you have needs, you should look for other women. I can''t satisfy you anymore.¡± Besides sex, I couldn''t think of another reason he''d want me to stay. From what I knew, this man would only disy gentleness when he wanted sex. Almost instantly, Michael grasped the meaning of my words. With a disdainful expression, he retorted, ¡°Your face is swollen like a pig. Do you think I''d still be attracted to you?¡± I was immediately rendered inarticte by his reply. What was I thinking? I probably look like sh*t now. Michael is a man with very high standards when ites to sex. He probably won''t even be able to get it up with my face looking like this. I immediately dismissed my initial suspicion after hearing his reply. But I became even more perplexed as to why he wanted me to stay. We were only ever bed partners. Now that we weren''t even that, there was no reason for us to remain in contact. ¡°Then why do you want me to stay?¡± I tilted my head at him quizzically. Michael shot me an annoyed look and spat, ¡°You talk too much!¡± With that, he ignored me and walked straight into the bedroom. When I stayed here previously, I used to sleep in the bedroom together with him. However, things were different now, so the bedroom was off limits. Knowing that I wouldn''t be able to leave without his permission, I epted defeat andy on the couch, deciding to rest here for the night. After all the drama from earlier, I was tired to the bone and wanted nothing more than to curl up and allow sleep to take over me. But at the thought of Michael being just a short distance away, I couldn''t seem to fall asleep. As I tossed and turned on the couch, my treacherous mind drifted to him, wondering if he was asleep. When sleep remained far from my reach, I sat up from the couch in frustration. As I watched time tick by on my phone, I hoped for morning to arrive sooner. This way, I would be free from the stress of being near Michael. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Just when I was fidgeting on the couch, entertaining the idea of sneaking away, the sound of the bedroom door opening disrupted my train of thought. My heart skipped a beat and I immediately looked in the direction of the bedroom. Sure enough, Michael''s figure appeared in my line of sight. He was wearing a robe with a few locks of hair messily framing his forehead, giving off azy vibe. When he saw me sitting on the couch, surprise flickered in his eyes. But the next second, he strode toward the kitchen as though he hadn''t seen me. After grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, he stopped not far from me. Then, he took a sip of water before speaking in a raspy voice. ¡°What are you doing up in the middle of the night? ying ghost to scare me?¡± ¡°Excuse me. Have you seen such a pretty ghost before?¡± What is wrong with him? Why is he talking about ghosts at this hour? Besides, which part of me looks like a ghost? ¡°Pretty? Do you think the word ''pretty'' matches the way you look right now?¡± Michael snorted with disdain upon hearing my retort. Already in a bad mood, Michael''s jab at me only served to grate on my nerves. What''s his problem? Did he force me to stay here just to insult me? I red at Michael and wanted to talk back, but when I thought about the way I looked at the moment, I found myself bereft of speech. I know the word ''pretty'' doesn''t match the way I look right now, but can''t he act more like a gentleman and refrain from insulting me like that? ¡°If you''re done, you should go back to your room and rest. I''m going to get some rest too.¡± Disinclined to get into an argument with Michael, Iy back down on the couch and ignored him since it didn''t seem like he had anything nice to say to me anyway. ¡°Then you can continue ying ghost here. Just be careful, or a real ghost mighte here to keep youpany.¡± Michael chuckled lightly and went back to the bedroom. Right after he said that, I felt a chill run down my spine. I usually liked reading horror novels and didn''t think anything much about them. Oddly, a hint of fear crept into my heart after hearing what he said. Looking out the windows, only pitch-ck darkness greeted me. As the windows were slightly ajar, the curtains billowed eerily in the wind, painting a scene straight out of a horror movie. A horror movie that I''d watched before surfaced in my mind, and I wondered if a female ghost was about to appear behind the curtains. I had always possessed a vivid imagination. Hence, goosebumps rose all over my body even when I knew that I was only scaring myself. Right then, sleep was impossible. I nced in the direction of the bedroom, and was suddenly overwhelmed with the impulse to rush in. Michael was inside. Being near him would definitely make me feel safer. The curtains were still swaying when I peeked at the windows again. The wind that blew in was slightly chilly, causing my heart to tighten in my chest. I got up and made my way to the bedroom, but hesitated by the door. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Because the lights in the living room weren''t turned on, I felt especially creeped out. Taking a deep breath, I mustered up the courage to push open the door and poke my head in. Under the moonlight, I spied Michael asleep in bed. When I strained my ears, I could even hear his even breathing. I stood at the threshold for a long time, thinking whether or not to enter. It''s past midnight already. I can''t just stand here all night long, right? With that, I walked in further. Being in the same space as him effectively calmed my nerves. ¡°Are you nning to seduce me bying into my room sote at night?¡± Michael''s voice abruptly rang out in the dark, scaring the soul out of me. I whipped my head toward the bed to see that he had already sat up. ¡°W-Weren''t you asleep?¡± He looked like he was sleeping soundly just seconds ago. I didn''t wake him up, did I? I already made sure not to make a sound. ¡°Be honest, Anna. You were nning to seduce me while I was asleep, weren''t you?¡± Michael lifted the nket and got down from the bed. When he started prowling toward me, I became tense all over again. Even though I was no longer scared, my heart thumped violently against my ribcage when he closed the distance between us. As he got closer, I backed away step by step and started speaking incoherently. ¡°N-No. You''ve got it wrong. I came in because-¡± ¡°No? Then why did youe into my room all of a sudden? Other than to seduce me, I really can''t think of another reason.¡± Michael had already backed me into a corner by then. Trapped, I could only ster myself against the wall and look at him nervously. The bedroom was shrouded in darkness, but I could still vaguely make out his distinct features under the dim moonlight. ¡°I...¡± I was rendered tongue-tied by his probing. Not to mention, telling him that I came in because I was afraid of ghosts would sound ridiculous. He''d probably think I was insane if I told him that, or perhaps he''d use me of making up excuses. ¡°I know we haven''t done it in a long time, Anna. If you want it that badly, I guess I''ll have to grant you your wish.¡± Michael ced both hands on the wall, caging me in. Right then, we were mere inches apart. I even caught a whiff of the scent that solely belonged to him. My heart was beating furiously because of our close proximity, but his bluntness rubbed me the wrong way and I countered, ¡°You wish. I''m not interested in you like that.¡± Do I look like I want it badly? Can''t he tell that I''ve been trying to avoid him every step of the way? If he hadn''t talked about ghosts keeping mepany, I would never havee in here. ¡°Are you calling me unattractive, Anna?¡± His face turned grim, and a trace of anger shed in his eyes. I shot him an exasperated look. How does he expect me to answer that? Saying no won''t change a thing, and saying yes, would only further enrage him. ¡°I really didn''t-¡± I was about to exin myself, but my words were cut off when he smashed his lips against mine. Didn''t he say my face is swollen like a pig, and that he''s not attracted to me at all? What the hell is going on? My mind went nk. This man was so capricious. One second he was ring angrily at me, and the next, he started kissing me. As usual, his kiss was demanding and domineering, making me lose myself in it. I was dumbstruck at first, but then started to respond to his kiss. Although it had only been a few days since we ended our rtionship, it felt like an eternity. My eyes fluttered shut as I let him kiss me however he liked. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Soon, his hands started roaming over my body. As a result, my breathing became erratic. Snaking my arms around his neck, I responded to his kiss. For some reason, somewhere deep inside me yearned for his touch just after a few short days of being away from him. Could I have really fallen in love with him? No. That''s impossible. Why would I? Yes, he''s helped me a few times before, but how could I fall in love with him after the way he treated me? Not unless I''m a masochist. Besides, I''m already with Yuval now and should stay loyal to him. I can''t let anything happen between Michael and I anymore, especially in bed. At the thought of Yuval, I regained some rationality and used all my strength to shove Michael away. Then, I frantically straightened out of disheveled clothes. Michael probably never expected me to push him away. Surprise shed in his eyes, but it soon morphed into rage. ¡°Anna!¡± Men often found it hard to ept sexual rejection, especially a man like Michael, who became animalistic once aroused. Right then, he was probably so furious he wanted to strangle me to death. ¡°Michael, we can''t do this anymore.¡± I bowed my head, unable to meet Michael''s zing eyes. Once he flew into a rage, he could get really terrifying. Perhaps what I feared most was being at the receiving end of his wrath. ¡°We''re already halfway through and you''re telling me we can''t do this anymore? Are you messing with me, Anna?¡± Michael wore a gloomy expression. A mixture of desire and anger swirled in his eyes, and the dangerous aura he emanated was overpowering. ¡°I... I''m sorry. It''s my fault.¡± Even though Michael was the one who initiated it, I had shamelessly responded to his advances. If I hadn''t done that, he probably wouldn''t have be so aroused. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Desperate to escape from here, I swiveled around and opened the door. Panic rose in me when I thought about how close we were to getting it on just now. I knew I couldn''t stay here any longer because I had no idea what would happen next. I wanted to leave, but Michael seemed determined to keep me here. As soon as I opened the door, he yanked me back. Then, he mmed the door shut with a loud bang. He imprisoned me in his arms and pinned me with a steely gaze. I knew he was mad. ¡°Let me go, Michael.¡± I struggled hard against him. His current behavior made me slightly worried. I wasn''t certain what this man was nning to do to me. As though he hadn''t heard me, Michael lowered his head and locked lips with me again. I thought that after I rejected him, he''d lose interest in touching me. However, it seemed like I underestimated this man''s libido. His kiss became more assertive, and I glimpsed the possessiveness in his eyes when he looked at me. I just couldn''t wrap my mind about it. Obviously, Michael could have any woman he wanted. Yet, he stubbornly held on to me. There was probably an abundance of women who were more beautiful and had better figures than me around him. I shook my head in an attempt to break free from his kiss. Now that Yuval and I were already officially together, I couldn''t get involved with another man anymore. Even though I felt no love for Yuval, since I already decided to be with him, at the very least, I shouldn''t do any wrong by him. Unfortunately, I was defenseless before Michael. I didn''t stand a chance against him if he really wanted to take me by force. He cupped the back of my head with onerge palm, holding me in ce so that he could easily deepen the kiss. I was put off by his forceful actions, but resisting waspletely useless. Michael wasn''t someone who would change his mind because of others. cing my palms on his chest, I tried pushing him away but he was like an immovable mountain. Besides, he worked out on a frequent basis. Thus, the difference in our strength was very significant. Soon, Michael became restless. He released my lips and bent down to pick me up. Before my mind registered the situation, he threw me onto the bed. ¡°What are you doing, Michael? Are you crazy?¡± I yelled at him as anger spread through my chest. But my words fell on deaf ears because he climbed on top of me and pinned me to the bed. I knew that my resistance alone wouldn''t be able to stop Michael. In a moment of panic, I shouted at the top of my lungs, ¡°No, you can''t touch me! I have a boyfriend now. We can''t do this anymore!¡± Men are possessive creatures. Hence, I was quite sure Michael would be repulsed by me after hearing what I said. Sure enough, he stopped what he was doing and red at me. The fury in his eyes was so intense it was as though he wanted to turn me into cinders. Faced with his imposing aura, I couldn''t bring myself to meet his gaze. Even though I had achieved the result that I wanted, my heart was filled with unease. The tension in the air was palpable. Michael kept staring at me without saying a word, and I almost cracked under the weight of it. How long is he nning to stare at me like that? ¡°We can''t sleep together anymore, Michael. We already ended that. Besides, I have a boyfriend now, so...¡± I couldn''t find the right words for the rest of my sentence, but it was enough to convey what I wanted to say. Michael was a very smart man, so I knew he understood my meaning perfectly well. ¡°Have you slept with him?¡± Danger lurked in his obsidian eyes, and his prative gaze was so cold I felt chilled to the bones. Subjected to his intimidating demeanor, I was unable to say a word. Normally, I''d steel myself to argue with him even if I was afraid, but I was so scared right now I could only stare wide-eyed at his gloomy face as words failed me. After a long time of not receiving an answer from me, the mes in his eyes burned brighter and he roared at me like an enraged lion. ¡°I''m gonna ask you again. Have you slept with Yuval?¡± He punched the bed, his closed firstnding right beside my face. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the bulging veins on the back of his hand. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Michael was on the verge of flying into a rage, and I wondered if his fist was going tond on me the next second. I initially thought he was a very chivalrous man, and that despite being hot-tempered and indifferent, hitting women was where he drew the line. But at the police station earlier, I saw him hit a woman with my own eyes. What he said about not having any qualms hitting women made me worry that I''d be his next victim. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The ferociousness of this man was beyond my imagination. I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t scared. I nched in horror and could only shake my head in a daze. Yuval and I were officially together, but I didn''t want our rtionship to develop too quickly. I had never even considered having sex with Yuval. After getting my answer, the rage in Michael''s eyes faded slightly, but I could still feel his chilly aura surrounding me. ¡°You''re mine, Anna. Remember that!¡± he said domineeringly. Without giving me the chance to speak, he tore off my clothes, and the sound of fabric ripping resounded through the room. Half an hourter, both of us were on our backs, gasping for breath. Despite having his release, one of Michael''s hands was still teasing my body. I smacked his hand away and shot him a withering look. ¡°Stop ring at me like that. You''re already ugly enough as it is.¡± Michael was in a much better mood right then. The animosity from earlier was nowhere in sight. Knowing how mercurial he could get, I wasn''t all that surprised by the sudden change in his behavior anymore. ¡°Since you think I''m ugly, why did you still want me? And how did you still get it up, huh?¡± I retorted in annoyance. Michael had already called me ugly several times in a single day. I knew that my swollen face wasn''t the prettiest sight the behold, but he didn''t have to keep emphasizing it. No woman would want to be called ugly, especially by a man she just slept with! ¡°I almost couldn''t climax,¡± Michael said bluntly while looking into my eyes, not at all embarrassed by his own words. ¡°Can you be anymore shameless, Michael? Is there anything you can''t say? You have no filter whatsoever!¡± When in bed, Michael could say the crudest of things and still be able to keep a straight face. I highly suspected he had a face as thick as an iron wall. ¡°If you wanna hear more, I''m happy to oblige.¡± He obviously knew I was reprimanding him, but instead of getting mad, he looked at me with mischief in his eyes. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 ¡°Get lost!¡± I bellowed, at the end of my rope, and turned my back to him. How shameless! I''d rather not argue with him anymore. There''s no point! After such a taxing encounter with him, I went straight to bed and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. By the time I woke up, it was already noontime. Shielding my eyes from the harsh sunlight pouring in from the window, I turned my head to the side and was d to find that Michael was gone. As I checked the time on my phone, I noticed I had several missed calls, and all of them were from Yuval. Assuming that he was probably just trying to get me back after missing my callst night, I opted not to call back as I did not feel like there was a need to exin the incident to him since it was already over. After tossing my phone into my bag, I got out of bed and retrieved my skirt from the floor. I nned to get dressed and leave right after, but when I found my blouse, I almost burst into tears. Michael had ripped the top beyond repairst night. Why does he have to be so violent every time? I''m as poor as dirt! How many of my clothes has he ruined already? I don''t have much money to buy new clothes. Sighing in frustration, I searched the room for another top to wear. However, I suddenly remembered that I had taken all of my clothes back a few days ago, so there was none left in the entire house. In the end, I set my eyes on Michael''s shirt that was hanging in the bathroom. As a man who was exceptionally particr about cleanliness and hygiene, it was understandable why the shirt was spotless even though he had worn it the day before. Looking at the shirt, I realized that he seemed to like wearing white shirts. Other than white, he wore ck most of the time. Sensing that his figure had popped into my mind again, I immediately shook my head vigorously to make myself stop at once. Ugh! Have I been bewitched? Why do I keep thinking about him so frequently? Every day, I tell myself that I should hate him, but I still can''t help but think of him. Unwilling to dwell on the matter, I quickly wore the shirt and went out to the living room to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. What the hell? He told me that he would send me back today. He''s probably forgotten about me. I was slightly displeased with Michael, but since we were no longer a couple, I did not have the right to grumble over the matter. Therefore, I took my bag and strode to the door, ready to leave. Going out in Michael''s clothes would attract a lot of attention, but I had no other choice -- it was without doubt that wearing a man''s shirt was way better than going out without a top. I''d rather die than going topless in public. Just as I was about to leave, the door was opened, and Michael came into sight. Today, he was clothed all in ck. The monochromatic shade elongated his figure greatly and entuated his long legs. Upon seeing the shirt I was wearing, he arched his eyebrow quizzically. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I''m going home, of course. Do I need to stay here forever?¡± I snapped, looking up at him in displeasure. ¡°Let me send you back then.¡± Much to my surprise, he did not force me to stay anymore and let me go easily. Nheless, I declined his offer coldly, having mixed feelings about the intimate session we hadst night. ¡°No, thanks, Mr. Shaw. I''ll go back by myself.¡± I''m in a rtionship with Yuval now, but I still did not control myself and had sex with Michael. I don''t know how to face Yuval after this. ¡°Are you sure you want to go out looking like that?¡± Michael''s lips curved into a smirk as he eyed me up and down. I was initially quite adamant about going back alone, but as soon as he said that, I followed his gaze and felt embarrassed all of a sudden. Although I don''t care about how strangers think of me, I don''t like people staring at me either. Michael always had an uncanny ability to change my mind. As soon as hemented on my attire, my determination wavered and I kept silent, not knowing how to answer him. Sighing, I realized that taking a lift in his car was undoubtedly the best choice. ¡°Let''s go then. If you haven''t decided yet, I''ll go first.¡± As he saw that I was still hesitating, he got impatient and turned on his heel to leave. Knowing that he would no longer care about me after he left, I immediately brushed aside all my concerns and rushed to his side. After we got in his car, I faced away from him deliberately and looked outside the window. However, I could feel his eyes on me asionally along the way. Sometimes, when I looked back at him, I could see a faint smile tugging at his lips, adding a touch of gentleness to his handsome face. It was rare to see him in such a good mood, but I did not care much as it was none of my business. Michael had always been a fast driver. Hence, within ten minutes, we arrived at the residential area where Natalie was living. ¡°Thank you for sending me back, Mr. Shaw. I''ll return the shirt to you once I''ve washed it,¡± I stated, unfastening my seat belt and proceeded to open the door. However, when I reached for the door handle, he grabbed my hand out of the blue. ¡°Are you going to walk away like this? Don''t you need to give me something as a sign of appreciation?¡± He smirked, looking at me gaily. Is he out of his mind? What is he talking about? N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I could not help but frown, bewildered. ¡°Give me a parting kiss.¡± As he uttered out the three words, my eyes instantly widened in shock and disbelief. Kiss him goodbye? We''re not even that close anymore. Why should I do that? His statement left me so flustered and overwhelmed that I was not even sure how I felt about that idea. Only people who are reluctant to part ways will do that, but we''re not even in a rtionship. After a long while, I finally took a deep breath topose myself and held his gaze steadily. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I don''t think we are suitable for each other...¡± However, before I could finish my sentence, he abruptly pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips against mine, shocking me to the core. Why is he acting out of the ordinary today? Chapter 123 Chapter 123 His kiss was gentle and lingering as if he was kissing a woman he loved. His sudden gentleness took mepletely off guard, sending my heart racing a thousand miles per hour. I had no idea why he suddenly had a one-eighty change, but I could not help but fall for this tender side of him. I continued to let him kiss me and forgot to push him away as my mind went utterly nk. After a couple of minutes, Michael finally let me go and smiled at me affectionately. On the other hand, I was stupefied. When he was about to inch closer again, the magnified view of his attractive face snapped me back to my senses. ¡°I should get going now. Bye!¡± Panicked, I hurriedly bade him goodbye, opened the door, and hopped out of the car. As I turned around to close the door, I caught a glimpse of smugness in his eyes. I was baffled at first, but a secondter, I found the answer. Not far away from us, Yuval was staring at me with a scowl on his face. Seeing him made me freeze in an instant. Michael must have kissed me on purpose a moment ago to drive a wedge between Yuval and me. How conniving! As I stood frozen on the spot, Yuval strode toward me, and all I could do was stare at him wordlessly. No doubt he had seen us making out just now, and an exnation simply couldn''t suffice. After all, we were kissing -- and that was the truth. After a while, Yuval stopped in front of me. Currently, his eyebrows were furrowed deeply, and his usual amiable demeanor had disappeared. ¡°Yuval, I...¡± My voice tapered off into silence. Looking at him, I had a million words to tell him, but I did not know which one to say. ¡°Where were youst night? I called you many times, but you didn''t answer any of it,¡± Yuval inquired. He did not raise his voice, but I could hear the reproach in his voice. It was the first time he spoke to me in such an indifferent tone, given his gentlemanly personality. Even though I felt ufortable with it, I knew he was trying hard to keep his cool, so I felt no resentment toward him. If I were him, I wouldn''t have been as calm as he is now. ¡°Yuval, is it okay if I exin it to you next time? I don''t know what to say now,¡± I pleaded, wringing my hands nervously. Everything happened so suddenly, and I was not prepared for it at all. I''m so overwhelmed now. All of a sudden, Michael''s voice rang from behind. ¡°What do you mean you don''t know what to say? Just tell him that you stayed the night at my ce, and you didn''t answer his call because we were busyst night.¡± Although he did not say the exact thing we had done, it was not difficult to understand what he was implying. Upon hearing his insinuation, Yuval''s face fell immediately, and the anger in his eyes zed. ¡°Anna, is it true? Were you two togetherst night and even had...¡± Yuval''s voice trailed off. He probably did not finish the sentence out of courtesy. Or perhaps he could not bring himself to say the word. Uneasy with his questioning, I could no longer hold his zing gaze and looked away guilty. With his sensibility, he should be able to derive the truth from my reaction just now. I really want to exin myself, but what''s happened has happened. I can''t deny anything he has said. Seeing that Michael was still standing beside me, Yuval flicked a nce at him and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Shaw, this is between Anna and me. Please don''t meddle in our affairs.¡± I had never seen Yuval getting so mad before. ¡°You don''t get to tell me what to do, and you don''t get to decide for Anna as well. She can choose whichever man she wants!¡± Michael let out a scoff, staring at Yuval with equal spitefulness. The intense stare-down ensued for a couple of seconds until Yuval blinked, backing down. Exasperated with Michael''s behavior, I finally said, ¡°That''s enough, Mr. Shaw. I believe I''ve made myself very clear. From now onwards, I hope you will stop causing chaos in my life. You and I are just colleagues.¡± I knew that Michael was deliberately sowing discord between Yuval and me, but I could not understand why he did that. Is it because he doesn''t want me to be with another man so that he can continue to sleep with me? How absurd! Immediately averting his gaze from Yuval, he shot daggers at me and bellowed, ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± An arrogant man like Michael certainly could not tolerate any criticism, especiallyments that would make him lose face in front of another man. Unfazed by his livid expression, I continued to look at his eyes and added earnestly, ¡°I beg you, Mr. Shaw. Can you please stop interfering with my personal life? I''m very thankful for your helpst night, but I don''t wish to have any contact with you anymore. Please?¡± Before this, although Yuval had never asked me about my rtionship with Michael, I knew that he was quite concerned about it. Since I had decided to date Yuval, naturally, I had to cut off all ties with Michael. ¡°Anna, you''ll regret losing me,¡± Michael snapped, glowering at me before storming off in a huff. After he sped off, the atmosphere between Yuval and I turned awkward. ¡°Anna,st night, did you really...¡± He looked at me with his eyebrows knitted, agonized. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Although he did notplete his sentence, I knew what he wanted to ask. ¡°Sorry, I know I''ve hurt you deeply. It''s okay if you want to break up with me,¡± I replied, lowering my head in shame. Even though I said that I could ept him breaking up with me, the thought of him cutting ties with me filled me with dread. I did not love him, but he was the most suitable man to be my future husband. If we really break up, I''ll me myself forever. It''s entirely my fault after all. No man on earth can tolerate their partner cheating on them. No matter how good-tempered he is, it doesn''t mean he can forgive every mistake I make. He went silent for a while before letting out a sigh and eyed Michael''s shirt. ¡°Let''s go back first. I don''t want to see you wearing another man''s shirt again.¡± Looking at the ground guiltily, I said no more and trailed behind him. Throughout the journey to Natalie''s house, none of us spoke a single word. It was obvious that he was mad at me. Although I wanted to strike a conversation with him to take the edge off the awkwardness, I could not bring myself to do it. No matter what I say now, he doesn''t have the mood to listen. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 In the end, I did not utter a single word, and both of us went back to Natalie''s house without saying a word. Natalie approached us as soon as we entered the door, and she smiled when she saw that I had returned with Yuval. But her smile froze on her face the moment she saw the clothes that I was wearing. I was wearing the shirt that Michael had worn yesterday. Natalie was bound to remember that because Michael had always been the center of attention. ¡°You''re back, Anna.¡± Natalie held my hand and her expression turned a little awkward. ¡°I''m back. Are you alright, Natalie? Does your face still hurt?¡± Although one night had passed, Natalie''s face was still swollen and bruised. Even the corner of her mouth was swollen with traces of purple and blue. It was despicable of John and that woman to do this to her. ¡°I''m fine, and I''m much better now. I''m sorry you got dragged into this mess. Your face wouldn''t be like this if it weren''t because of me. It''s all my fault, Anna.¡± Then, Natalie gave me a hug and looked at me apologetically. ¡°It''s okay. We''re good friends, aren''t we? Friends stand by each other in time of need. I couldn''t just watch while you were being bullied.¡± I didn''t feel that I''ve been wronged even though I was beaten up. That''s because it''s all for my best friend, Natalie. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lambert.¡± Natalie nced over my shoulder and gave a tight smile as she greeted Yuval. ¡°I called Anna a few times, but my calls went unanswered, so I came over to check in on her. It so happened that I ran into her downstairs when she came home.¡± Yuval''s tone was impassive, and he was no longer smiling. ¡°I called youst night because...¡± ¡°Anna, why don''t you go take a bath and change into something else?¡± I wanted to exin, but before I could finish speaking, I was interrupted by Yuval. He was still bothered by the clothes I was wearing, and he even asked me to take a bath. Am I that filthy to him? But I could understand why he would think that way. Any man would be disgusted if their woman slept with another man. It was just that I disliked the way Yuval was behaving now. I knew it was my fault, but I would rather he yelled at me than being emotionally abused by him. ¡°Yes, Anna. You''d better take a bath. You look terrible.¡± Natalie knew me better than anyone else. She was aware that I was upset with Yuval, and before I did anything stupid, she quickly stood up and ushered me into the bathroom. Once Natalie pushed me into the bathroom and shut the door, I eventually regained myposure. I kept telling myself to have a little patience. After all, Yuval had every right to be angry with me. I turned on the shower and let the hot water spray over my body. I became even more frustrated when I thought about my rtionships with Michael and Yuval. I had no idea how to resolve this mess. Half an hourter, I changed into my clothes and walked out of the bathroom. Natalie and Yuval were still having a conversation in the living room. I went and sat across Yuval. Unable to meet his gaze, I hung my head in guilt. ¡°Natalie just filled me in on what happened after I leftst night. I''m sorry I wasn''t there to help. I was busy with a client when you called, and I didn''t hear the phone ring. I''m sorry...¡± Before I could speak, Yuval beat me to it. I thought he was going to chastise me, but instead, he apologized to me. All the resentment I had for him disappeared into thin air after I heard his sincere apology. No matter what happened yesterday, I was in the wrong. I should have been the one to apologize, not him. And for that, I was moved by his gesture. ¡°I should be the one to apologize. Last night, I....¡± Yuval''s apology made me feel even more guilty. I ought to be contented to have someone like him who was so forgiving and considerate towards me. After all, I was the one who was in the wrong. ¡°That''s enough. Whatever happenedst night is in the past. I don''t want to talk about it anymore, and I don''t want you to bring it up again. Both of us are in this together, and we sincerely want this rtionship to work, don''t we? I hope what happenedst night won''t happen again. As a man, I won''t be able to tolerate another round of betrayal.¡± Even though Yuval intended to forgive me, he still couldn''t pretend that whatever happened between Michael and me did not happen. If I were him, I would have ended this rtionship a long time ago. I found it hard to ept that this matter had left a stain on our rtionship. Just like how it was with Justin. ¡°I''m sorry. I promise that it won''t happen again. It was really unexpected...¡± Although the fact remained that I slept with Michael, I didn''t do it willingly. This rtionship with Yuval meant a lot to me, and I knew that I shouldn''t do anything to betray us. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you have a first-aid kit, Ms. Xavier?¡± Yuval turned and asked Natalie. ¡°I do. I''ll get it right away.¡± Natalie immediately stood up and went to fetch the first-aid kit in the room. When she returned to the living room, she handed it over to Yuval. Yuval took out a topical ointment for reducing swelling from the first-aid kit and then came over to sit next to me. He applied the ointment on my face with a cotton swab. Although a night had passed, the bruises on my face were still swollen. He was gentle with me when he applied the ointment, as though he was afraid of hurting me. Seeing that Yuval was attending to me, Natalie went back to her room with a smirk on her face. I couldn''t help but recall how gentle Michael wasst night when he tended to my wounds, and he was not a man to be associated with gentleness. Once again, Michael''s face popped into my mind. I shook my head in irritation to stop myself from thinking about him anymore, but my head identally bumped into Yuval''s hand. I grimaced with pain as my bruised face came in contact with his hand. ¡°Are you okay? Did I hurt you?¡± Yuval shot me a concerned look. ¡°N... No.¡± I quickly assured him that he didn''t hurt me. He was already gentle with me, and it was I who knocked into his hand by ident. ¡°I shouldn''t have leftst night. If I hadn''t left, you wouldn''t have gone to the police station.¡± As Yuval looked at me, I could tell that his heart ached for me. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. You left because of work, and no one would have expected something like that to happen. Fortunately, Natalie and I were able to leave the police station safely. Otherwise, I really don''t know how long we would be stuck in there.¡± Yuval''s face was filled with self-loathing. But this had nothing to do with him, and no one could foresee that incident to happen. Fortunately, Michael arrived just in time to prevent us from signing anything against our will. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 ¡°I won''t ignore your calls anymore. If you do encounter something simr in the future, give me a call, and I will find a way to solve it for you as soon as possible.¡± Yuval continued to look at me apologetically, and I was moved by what he said. It was clear that he didn''t want Michael to y any part in my life. I knew he meant well, and it was for my own good. Hence, I felt all the more touched. ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± I looked at Yuval gratefully. Although our rtionship did not develop too quickly, he had shown great tolerance throughout our rtionship. My stomach started to grumble, causing me to nce at Yuval in embarrassment. Ever since my dinner with Nataliest night, I had not had anything to eat yet. Worse still, I had not even drunk a single drop of water. When he saw the embarrassed look on my face, he burst outughing. After that, he looked at me and said with a gentle smile, ¡°Come on, I''ll bring you out for breakfast.¡± ¡°No, there''s no need for that. I don''t want to go out when I look like this. Others might think that I''m the victim of domestic violence.¡± I actually wanted to go out for some food, but I had second thoughts when I remembered the bruises on my face. Yuval stiffened at my words. He finally came to his senses and looked at me in amusement. ¡°Do I look like a violent man? How would I hit my woman?¡± When Yuval said that, his eyes were filled with tenderness. I believed him. Ever since we got together, Yuval had always been a decent man. He was not someone who would hit a woman. ¡°Aren''t you hungry? I''ll go out and buy you something to eat.¡± Yuval could see that I was only pulling his leg. After saying that, he quickly stood up and was about to leave to buy some food. ¡°There''s no need. I''ll just grab something to eat from the fridge.¡± Although we were in a rtionship, I still felt bad for troubling him. ¡°I saw a fast-food restaurant nearby. I''ll go and buy something for you.¡± Yuval smoothed my bangs out and looked at me with a smile. ¡°Alright then. Thank you.¡± I couldn''t refuse his offer. It seemed almost cruel to reject him. Yuval bent down and nted a kiss on my forehead. Then, he turned around and left. When he was gone, I let out a long sigh of relief. I felt touched by his gesture. Yet, I felt pressured at the same time too. Just then, Natalie walked out of her bedroom and sat next to me. ¡°Anna, what''s going on with you and Michael? Why did you sleep with Michaelst night? Didn''t you say before that there''s nothing between the both of you?¡± When Natalie asked me those questions, she looked at me in all seriousness. She had long been suspicious about my rtionship with Michael, and I just brushed her off. But ever since what happenedst night, there was no way that I could bluff my way out this time. ¡°I have slept with Michael a few times, Natalie. Perhaps that was the reason why he came to save us.¡± Other than admitting to Natalie that I slept with Michael, I didn''t want to talk to her about anything else between Michael and me. ¡°I knew it. There''s something strange going on between you and Michael. Otherwise, why would he show up at the police stationst night and help us?¡± Natalie appeared conflicted when she said that. She was a smart girl, and she had figured out that there was something unusual about my rtionship with Michael. I didn''t tell her about it earlier, and she didn''t press on it further. ¡°Natalie, please don''t tell anyone about my rtionship with Michael.¡± My past rtionship with Michael could be considered tainted. Now that the rtionship had ended, I did not wish for anyone else to know about it. ¡°Don''t worry. My lips are sealed. I won''t tell anyone.¡± With that, I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Anna, I know I shouldn''t say this. But there''s something that I need to remind you.¡± After a moment, Natalie looked at me again with a conflicted expression on her face. ¡°Just tell me. There''s nothing we can''t talk about between the both of us.¡± I had never seen Natalie looked so conflicted before. I looked at her in amusement and wondered what she wanted to say to me. ¡°I think Yuval is a good man, and he''s the right one for you. He''s gentle, considerate, and good- natured. You''re lucky to have such a good man in your life. Anna, I hope you can cherish the rtionship you have with Yuval. It''s really not easy to find a good man nowadays.¡± It waspletely out of character for Natalie to say something like that. I knew that she meant well, and I was also aware that Yuval was good marriage material. ¡°Nat, I know you mean well. I know what to do. Yuval is a good man, and I will make this rtionship work.¡± I held Natalie''s hand and looked into her eyes as I said that. ¡°Anna, since you''ve decided to be with Yuval, I think you should keep a distance from Michael. Although Yuval said nothing about it this time, I''m sure he''s bothered by it.¡± Natalie changed the subject back to Michael again. I lowered my eyes to avoid her gaze because I really did not want to talk about Michael right now. If Michael had not taken me away forcefullyst night, what happened today wouldn''t have happened at all. Although Yuval didn''t request for a breakup because of that, I was pretty sure he was really bothered by it. Who knew he might just break up with me one day. ¡°I know what you mean, Natalie. All I can say is that there''s nothing between Michael and me anymore. What happenedst night will never happen again.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I looked Natalie in her eyes as I reassured her. ¡°Very well, then. I''m going back to my room to get some rest.¡± After she had gotten a definite answer from me, Natalie returned to her room. After about half an hour, Yuval came back with a pack of food for me. After I had finished it, he left me to rest. I was worn out because I did not have a good restst night. I went back to my room and fell into a deep sleep. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 I did not go to work the next day and took a few days off. Normally, I would never apply for leave unless there was an emergency. After all, I would be earning less if I did not work. However, that was an exception. My face was still swollen. I did not want to be the center of attention in thepany, nor did I want anyone to find out that I had been taken to the police station. After all, that was not something to talk about openly. Natalie took a few days off as well, presumably sharing my sentiments. The two of us stayed in her house to rest and recuperate. During that time, Yuval sent me food every day. Of course, he brought Natalie''s portions as well. After three days, the wound on my face was finally less visible. Only then did I return to work. The moment I stepped foot into the building, Millie came forward to pester me, questioning where I had gone for the past few days. I came up with a random excuse, saying that I was unwell and rested at home for a few days. As I was chatting with Millie, Michael showed up. Millie and I quickly rushed to our seats and made it look like we were working hard. After being berated and criticized multiple times by Michael, I was not looking forward to feeling the wrath of his anger anytime soon. ¡°Anna, bring the proposal I asked you to redo into my office.¡± Just as I thought Michael had ignored us, his low maic voice traveled to my ears. I looked up from my desk, only to see his icy expression staring back at me. I gulped. A shiver ran down my spine as I shot Millie a helpless look before picking up the documents and headed into Michael''s office. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. That proposal had been rejected by Michael countless times before. It had reached the point where I no longer knew what else to add to the proposal, nor how else I could amend it. I had absolutely run out of ideas, feeling like a machine under operation. ¡°Here''s the proposal you wanted, Mr. Shaw.¡± I ced the documents gently on Michael''s desk and informed him tly. Michael peered at me wordlessly and started to skim through it. He had barely nced at it before tossing the proposal on the desk. ¡°Redo it!¡± Michael hurled the same word at me again, not even wasting his breath on another word. His reaction was well within my expectations. Hence, I was not angered. Even I was not satisfied with the proposal myself, much less someone as picky and detail-oriented as Michael. In fact, it would have been shocking if he had approved the proposal. Without a word, I picked up the proposal from his desk and made my way to the door. Before I could leave, he called out to me. ¡°Is this your attitude at work, Anna Garcia? Your designs have been rejected, yet you don''t even bother asking about the reasons? Don''t you want to know what you should amend?¡± Michael''s anger undey his cold voice. Recently, he had been reprimanding me almost every day that I had gotten used to it. Thus, I did not think much about his words. ¡°Mr. Shaw, if you had wanted to tell me anything, you would have spoken up long ago and would not have waited for me to ask. Since you did not wish to tell me, it''ll be superfluous and a waste of time even if I were to ask you. If that''s the case, it would be better if I don''t ask you.¡± He had rejected my proposals so many times but had never told me what went wrong. All he said was that my designs were not innovative enough, which was of no help at all. My retort caused Michael to go stiff for a second before his eyes red up in rage. ¡°Wow, why have I not noticed that your self-awareness is rather high now?¡± His words wereced with satire. Then, he stood up and walked towards me with a cold-eyed stare. ¡°I have always known my limits, and I have been following your orders when amending the proposal, Mr. Shaw.¡± There was no way for me to step out of line when it came to that man. Every time I butted heads with him, there were never good endings on my side. ¡°If you''re so obedient, why didn''t you obey me when I asked you to be my girl?¡± Michael narrowed his eyes at me. The expression on his handsome face darkened. This question again? Why must he always bring this up? ¡°Mr. Shaw, this question has nothing to do with work. I''ll only listen to your orders if it''s regarding my job. If there''s nothing else, I''ll be going.¡± Nothing good ever came out of that topic. All I wanted to do right then was to leave his office. Arguing with Michael would be pointless, and I was not in the mood to waste my time. Even though Michael seemed carefree and mischievous, his serious face could make anyone shudder. With the documents in my hand, I prepared to leave. However, as I walked past his shoulders, I felt a strong grip on my wrist. Enraged, I turn around with a re. Before I could open my mouth, Michael suddenly flung me towards his desk and pressed his body against mine. ¡°Don''t even think of leaving if I have not dismissed you, Anna Garcia! Don''t you forget who''s in charge here!¡± Michael was on top of me. Our breaths mingled as we red at each other, our faces tensed. His breath felt hot on my skin as he thundered in his usual domineering manner. Looking into his eyes, my heart pounded faster as I started to panic. Even so, I refused to back down. I had always been weak in front of this man that I scoffed at theck of courage to defend myself. ¡°You''re crazy!¡± I hollered in his face and attempted to shove him away but to no avail. He stayed on top of me, not moving an inch. ¡°What are you doing, Michael? This is an office! What if someone barges in?¡± The memory of me being sexually harassed in the office by that b*stard Conrad still burned in my mind. I was boycotted and targeted after a colleague caught him in the act, even though it was not my fault. No one was willing to talk to me for weeks, and I was not going to let history repeat itself. Moreover, Conrad was just a department head who was old and ugly. Even then, my colleagues had treated me like an eyesore and a shameless prostitute. With Michael, a prince charming to manydies, pressing on top of me, I was sure to have a bounty on my head if we were caught in the act by someone. ¡°If you dare resist me one more time, I will not hesitate to f*ck you right here in my office!¡± Michaelpletely disregarded my protests. He seemed unfazed by the possibility that someone might interrupt us suddenly. Isn''t he the one who doesn''t want anyone to know about our rtionship? What''s going on now? Why isn''t he threatened by what I just said£¿ ¡°Have you no shame at all, Michael? We''re in your office! If someone sees us, our rtionship will be out in the open! By then, you won''t even be able to keep it under wraps!¡± I glowered at him as I continued struggling to break free from under him. His tyrannical arrogance was growing increasingly obvious. I had not noticed it at first, which was why I thought we could be normal again once the whole fiasco was over. However, it was starting to seem like it was all just wishful thinking on my side. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 ¡°So what if someone sees us? Even if that were to happen, they would only think you are the one who seduced me, wouldn''t they?¡± Michael''s lips curled upwards into a triumphant smirk, his eyes gleaming. No wonder he was not worried. He had already taken that into ount. Michael truly was getting more and more despicable. ¡°What on earth do you want, Michael? Will you only be satisfied after you''ve forced me to resign? What exactly have I done to offend you to make me your punching bag at work?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I was furious. It was no secret that Michael was trying to make things difficult for me. Even though I was the one who suggested to break things off between us, which probably hurt his ego, I had be nothing but an employee with no power against him. There was absolutely no reason for him to be targeting me in everything I did. ¡°Did I say I want you to resign? Can''t you handle this bit of stress, Anna Garcia? Are you admitting defeat already?¡± Michael frowned slightly, scrutinizing me. Displeasure flickered in his gaze. ¡°Is there anyone who wouldn''t admit defeat in front of you?¡± I let out a dryugh as I stared at him with contempt. He had already yed me like a toy to this extent. What else could I do besides surrendering? The man in front of me was the famous Michael Shaw while I was just an ordinary woman. There was no other choice for me except to concede. ¡°Get out!¡± Just as I thought he was going to lecture me further, Michael bolted upwards and hollered at me to leave. Startled by the roar, I was dumbfounded by his sudden change in demeanor, unable to register what just happened. Only a second ago, he was still talking to me nicely. I truly could not make sense of the person in front of me. That man was dilemma personified. Once I regained my senses, my heart was pounding so hard I feared it would jump out of my throat. Even so, I swallowed the panic I was feeling and feigned a calm demeanor. I refused to show my weakness in front of Michael. Standing up straight, I grabbed the documents on the desk and strode out of his office. Michael''s recent horrible attitude towards me yed in my mind. Not only was he singling me out and taunting me at work, but he was also disrupting my private life. I felt nothing but exhaustion. I''ve had enough. What did I owe him in my past life for him to treat me so terribly? Why can''t he give me just a little bit of freedom? What else must I do for him to let me go? With reddened eyes, I returned to my seat. The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I got. It was not long before my tears started rolling down. Millie looked up from her seat opposite mine. Upon noticing my disheveled look, she furrowed her eyebrows. Sympathy was written all over her face. ¡°Anna, are you okay? Why are you crying? Did the CEO scold you again?¡± Millie knew that I had been targeted by Michael for the past weeks as well. Seeing me exiting Michael''s office with an upset look, it was normal for Millie to immediately assume that I had been scolded. Knowing that Millie had noticed me crying, I hastily wiped off the tears with the back of my hand and blew my nose while forcing out a smile. ¡°I''m okay. Just that my proposal has been rejected again. I''ll just continue amending it.¡± I did not want anyone else to know about the incident in Michael''s office earlier. ¡°Don''t be too upset, Anna. I looked through your designs yesterday and I thought it was good enough. Huh... who knows how high the CEO''s expectations are now... If it were before, your proposal would have been epted ages ago.¡± Millie pursed her lips in slight annoyance upon hearing my answer. Even so, traces of sympathy could still be found on her face. It''s not that Michael''s expectations are high. He just wanted to make things difficult for me, taking his personal anger out on me during work. That''s very unprofessional of him. Obviously, I did not dare to voice out those thoughts. Besides, if I had said anything, my rtionship with Michael would no longer be able to be kept under wraps. ¡°Thank you, Millie.¡± I shed Millie a small smile before turning my attention to work. My brain cells started working as I tried toe up with a new design. I refuse to believe that I could not think of ideas that Michael would approve of. For the rest of the day, I stared nkly at theputer screen. Before long, it was past office hours. After my colleagues had gone home one by one, I started gathering my things to leave. The second I stood up from my seat, my phone started ringing. Peering at the phone screen, I recognized thendline number on the caller ID. My eyebrows inched closer to each other. What now? ¡°Mom? Why the sudden call today? What happened?¡± After picking up, I went straight into topic. ¡°Anna, have you gotten home from work?¡± Mom''s gentle voice traveled from the other end of the line. ¡°I was just about to head home. Why did you call?¡± As far as I could remember, Mom would never ring me up unless something happened. A phone call from her was a sign of impending troubles. ¡°Anna, there''s something that I don''t know how I should tell you...¡± Noticing that I was being straightforward, Mom paused. After a moment of silence, her voice sounded once more. ¡°Just tell me. I still need to go home from work.¡± From the way Mom was beating around the bush, I was already expecting bad news. The first thought that crossed my mind was that she was calling for money. I held back a sigh. As much as I did not want to hear her request for cash, I could not hang up on my own mother. ¡°It''s about Steven. Two days ago, Steven went gambling again. This time, he lost up to a hundred over thousand. The creditors had alreadye knocking on the door.¡± As she was speaking, Mom''s voice was starting to crack. I could sense her panic even through the phone. However, hearing the news that Steven went gambling again, a familiar wave of rage pulsed through my veins. ¡°Mom, if you''re calling me so that I''ll pay off his debt, my answer is a firm ''NO''. I have no more money. All of my savings had been spent on Dad''s operation. There''s not even a penny left in my ount!¡± Gambling, gambling, gambling again! And every time he gambles, I''m the one who has to clean up after his mess. Enough is enough! I had lost count of how much money I had spent on clearing his debt, money that I had earned after years of working and toiling. I was just a normal working adult. It would be impossible for me to spend all my money on that younger brother who was a deadbeat. ¡°Don''t say that, Anna. At the end of the day, Steven is your biological brother. You can''t be so cruel to turn a blind eye to his troubles. The creditors had already found him in our house. Just help Steven out, he really is penniless right now. He can''t pay this off.¡± Mom started to panic upon hearing that I refused to help. She sounded as though she was on the verge of tears. Even though Mom had always been biased towards Steven ever since we were young, she was still my mother, who raised me for over twenty years. The thought of her crying was heart-wrenching. Nevertheless, a few hundred thousand was not a number that I could just pull out of my pocket. I did not have the money nor the ability to help them. I felt drained to the core. There was no way I could help this time. ¡°Mom, I''m just an ordinary white-cor worker. Can you not put me in such a tight spot? I really don''t have that amount of money. I barely have enough to pay for my meals. How am I supposed to help Steven with his debt? Can you please put yourself in my shoes and be considerate about my situation for a change?¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 To me, a few hundred thousand was an astronomical amount. As of then, I barely had enough money to pay for food. How was I supposed to clear off Steven''s debts? Just because I work in the city did not mean I had huge pay. I was just a normal employee working my tail off for a paycheck of less than ten thousand per month. Furthermore, I had paid off Steven''s debts countless times for the past few years. Besides, I had given up all of my savings for Dad''s heart stent surgery. My pockets had already been crying over all these expenses. ¡°Anna, you can''t just leave him out to die. Those men had already threatened to break Steven''s legs if he failed to settle the debt by next week. Steven is the only one in our family that will carry on the family name. He can''t end up with a broken leg!¡± Throughout the entire time, Mom did not believe me when I said I was tight on money. She seemed to be living under the illusion that I was made of money. However, there was no way I could not hand over a few hundred thousand within a week. Even if I could, I had no desire to hand them the money. Year after year, every time I helped Steven settle his debts, he would promise to stop. However, it would not be long before I receive another call asking for money. I truly was too exhausted to even bother anymore. ¡°Mom, there''s nothing I can do this time. I have help Steven paid off his debts for so many years that there''s hardly any money left on me. There is absolutely no way for me to even spare a penny right now. If they really want to break his legs, let them. A few hundred thousand for a leg seems like a good bargain.¡± Ished out at Mom in anger, deciding that I would not provide any help that time round. After all, if I continued spoiling Steven, he would never learn his lesson. Even if I could help him this time, how long more do I have to carry this baggage in the future? In the beginning, the amount of his debts started out with ten or twenty thousand, which slowly increased to forty or fifty thousand over time. Suddenly, the amount had snowballed to over a hundred thousand, and his behaviors seemed to have worsened. I had my own needs, and I did not want to spend all my money on paying off debts that were not even mine! ¡°How could you say that, Anna? Stevie is your brother. How can you let someone break his legs? Do you still see him as your brother?¡± Mom was infuriated by my words. I could even detect hints of usation in her tone. ¡°What else can I do? Since he brought this upon himself, he should be the one to solve it. Can you guys not ask me for help every time something happens? I''m not omnipotent. I can''t solve every single one of your issues every single time.¡± The wrath in my heart red up even higher at Mom''s usations. I had done and sacrificed so much for the family for so many years, yet all she could see was the fact that I refused to help them this time and even had the audacity to me me. ¡°Anna, I know these few years had been hard on you, but please help us. I am begging you. Please help your brother out this time, will you? I promise he won''t gamble ever again. After this incident, he will sure learn his lesson.¡± If it were any other day, Mom would snap at me if I ever made a single negative remark about Steven. However, even after the horrible things I had said, Mom was able to keep her calm just so that she could beg me for money. Perhaps she thought that I would relent. A lump formed in my throat. I had not expected Steven to hold such a high position in Mom''s heart. On the contrary, she had never really cared for me. The more Mom tried to defend Steven, the heavier my heart felt. I was only human. I longed for my mother''s love as much as anyone else. Unfortunately, Mom could only see Steven and not me. I was her biological daughter too. Yet, she had never called, or to check up on me and see how I was doing; or if I need any financial aids. She had never called me out of genuine concern. Not even a single phone call that did not revolve around asking for money. Not even once. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom. I can''t help you with this. There''s still something I have to do. I have to go now.¡± With that being said, I hung up before Mom could say another word. The second I ended the call, my phone started ringing again. To no one''s surprise, it was Mom. I knew she refused to give up, but I had decided that I would y no part that time round. Without hesitation, I switched off my phone, afraid that I might change my mind if I continued wallowing over the matter. Even though I had rejected her plea outright, my eyes still reddened. After all, it was still a phone call from Mom. I would be lying if I said I had hardened my heart. Nevertheless, as I took my future into consideration, I decided to not do anything for Steven. I wanted him to have a taste of his own medicine in hopes that he would learn his lesson and abstain from gambling in the future. Besides, I think no one would really dare to break someone''s leg. They probably just wanted to scare my family. I raised my head and took a deep breath before picking up my bag. As I turned around to leave, I caught sight of Michael''s silhouette. He was standing at his office door, staring at me with a tight frown. ¡°What happened?¡± Before I could leave the office as nned, Michael spoke up. His tone was filled with concern. ¡°Nothing much. Just something from home. If there''s nothing else, I''ll be going now.¡± Not wanting to reveal anything else to Michael, I scurried off. To my relief, Michael did not try to stop me. With the chaos with my family at that time, I did not wish to deal with him further. As I got downstairs, I caught sight of Yuval waiting for me some distance away. I had intended to take the subway for some quiet time to myself. However, since Yuval hade to pick me up, I had no reason to reject his offer to send me back with the fact that we were dating. Not to mention, Yuval was awyer. Perhaps I could consult him about Steven''s situation. I took a seat in Yuval''s car. The conversation with Mom was still ying in my mind. Even though I had said I would not bother, I could not help but feel my heart softened. I scoffed, berating myself for not standing firm on my ground. It was no wonder that I was being pushed around by my family. Frustrated, I frowned. As much as I did not want to think about that situation, the phone call refused to leave my mind. A sudden wave of helplessness washed over me. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you alright, Anna? You seem to have something on your mind. Did something happen?¡± Despite focusing on the road, Yuval could tell that something was amiss. He turned to look at me, concerned. Upon hearing his question, I wanted to dodge the question out of reflex. However, I could not hide the problems of my family from him forever. After all, we were dating and might get married. He had the right to know the problems with my family. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°Yuval, since we have talked about marriage when we entered into this rtionship, I feel that I shouldn''t keep mum about my family problems. After all, we need to get along well with each other''s family after getting married.¡± ¡°Just tell me whatever is in your mind. We need to get to know more about each other before that, don''t you agree?¡± Yuval said as he looked at me gently. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I was caught in a dilemma, racking my brain to exin to Yuval about myplicated family issues. Gosh! I wonder if he will be able to ept it after I tell himter! I finally broke the silence and mustered up my courage to tell him about the phone call from my mother earlier on. Apart from that, I described to him theplicated circumstance at home. In an instant, Yuval knitted his brows and was rendered speechless. The atmosphere became tense gradually due to the utter silence between us. I was clueless about what was ying in his mind, but I would not be surprised if he could not ept myplicated family situations. Moreover, I had a feeling that our rtionship mighte to an end soon. My family was just like a bottomless pit. If Yuval intended to spend the rest of his lifetime with me, he would have to be prepared to be a gold mine in order to fill it up. Even though he was making good money with his profession, he was still not a billionaire. On top of that, the heavy burden of my family might drag him down as well. I forced a smile and said casually, ¡°It''s alright. My family issues areplicated indeed. You can just be frank with me if you can''t ept it. I won''t mind it. Even if we can''t be a couple, we can still be friends.¡± I could actually predict Yuval''s reaction and guess that he would not be able to ept my family. At our age, we had looked past romance and had the tendency to take more things into consideration before making the decision to settle down with someone for the rest of our lifetime. ¡°Anna, don''t get me wrong. I''m just a bit overwhelmed after you pour out everything to me. Can you give me some time to think it through?¡± Yuval exined apprehensively. I was grateful to him for being understanding and did not criticize anything in my face. Catering to my self-esteem, he was considerate and did not choose to make a decision on the spot. ¡°No problem. If I were you, I guess I would request for a breakup right away without a second thought.¡± I smiled self-deprecatingly. Even though he did notment on anything, my instinct told me that our rtionship had started dying away. Later, he offered to send me back to Natalie''s ce as usual. He sped off right after I got out of his car. Before that, I managed to catch a glimpse of the grimness on his face. Feeling dejected, I dragged myself into Natalie''s house and slumped onto the couch in the living room. All this while I had treated Yuval as an ideal future spouse. I was indignant at the thought that my n to get married to him would be ruined due to my family issues. Nheless, I knew that sooner orter I would need to tell Yuval about the problems. It was actually more practical to let him know earlier. In other words, if he found out that we were not suitable for each other, we could break up earlier, other than wasting each other''s time. I tried to console myself, yet I could not ease my frustration at the sudden loss that I was likely to sustain. When Natalie came back, she sensed the sadness in me at once and approached me in bewilderment. ¡°What''s the matter with you? You look as if something is bugging you. Is it rted to your work?¡± Natalie sat next to me and asked in great concern. ¡°Yeah, kind of. Yet, I''m even more frustrated with my family matters. Steven is gambling again. He is in debt of more than one hundred thousand this round,¡± I replied wearily. The moment therge sum came into my mind, I could feel my temples start to throb again. Natalie was aware of how I had tried to settle Steven''s debt all this while. She furrowed her brows again and gasped, ¡±What a big sum! Steven is really brainless. Imagine how much you have spent to pay off his debt all along! Yet, he never changes and turns over a new leaf!¡± ¡°I have basically given up hope that he can mend his ways! My Mom called me today and asked for money again. Even though I made myself clear that I would not help Steven this round, I''m feeling uneasy now. Oh, Natalie, what am I supposed to do?¡± I mumbled helplessly. I had been in a dilemma ever since I received the phone call from my mom. Since she was pleading with me to help Steven, I did not have the heart to ignore him. Nevertheless, I could foresee that Steven would stir up bigger trouble next round. Besides, I could not afford to settle such arge sum of debt! ¡°Anna, take my advice. Just let your brother settle his own problem this round. Even if you manage to pay off his debt this round, I bet he won''t be grateful to you as well. Do you think you can keep helping him when something simr happens again next round?¡± Natalie stared into my eyes and tried to talk me into ignoring Steven''s debt. ¡°But, he''s still my brother. I can''t just turn a blind eye to it.¡± I knew that Natalie was very concerned about me, yet I could not make up my mind. ¡°Anna, I hope you can try to stay firm this round. Even if you help to pay off his debt again, he might end up owing a bigger sum next round. Gambling is just like the ck hole in the universe. No matter how wealthy you are, your money would be gone within seconds,¡± Natalie advised me again. She was worried that I would be soft-hearted and taken advantage of again. ¡°What should I do then?¡± I asked Natalie in bewilderment. Even if I saw eye to eye with Natalie, I worried that I would feel bad for ignoring Steven''s problem this round. ¡°I think that you shouldn''t help him again. You have worked so hard to earn every single cent. Furthermore, you don''t have much money left now. Thus, it''s impossible for you to pay off such arge sum. You should just let him learn a lesson this round,¡± Natalie advised me again patiently. I thought of giving it a try although it was challenging for me to do so. ¡°I get it. Thank you, Natalie.¡± Deep in my heart, I really thought of doing so. Nheless, if Natalie did not try to advise me, I would not be able to talk myself into that. I finally made up my mind not to help Steven again this round, no matter how my mom tried to plead with me. It was time to let Steven pay the price for his own deed. If not, he would never change. I was not solely thinking of myself, but for my family as well. Our family was not the prominent type, so we could not afford to let Steven spend extravagantly. I wished that he would lead a practical life and take up a proper job after this. ¡°You don''t have to thank me. As your friend, I don''t wish to see you burdened with your family matters every day. You have sacrificed a lot for your family.¡± Natalie gave me a sympathetic nce. ¡°Oh yeah, there''s still one more thing.¡± I looked at Natalie and opened my mouth hesitantly. ¡°What''s that?¡± Natalie frowned and asked quizzically. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 ¡°Yuval and I might break up at any moment.¡± As Yuval was introduced to me by her friend, I should inform her about our current condition. Natalie was startled and asked anxiously, ¡°Why? You are in a stable rtionship with him at the moment, aren''t you? Why did you talk about breakup all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I have told him about my family condition. Since I''m nning to get married to him, I mustn''t keep it from him. He will know about it sooner orter too,¡± I exined to Natalie the reason I told Yuval everything. If Yuval and I ended up having a breakup because of my family conditions, it would be quite a disappointment. Nevertheless, he had the right to make his choice. It would be inappropriate to drag him down by being secretive to him. ¡°Anna, why are you so impulsive? You shouldn''t have told him about that now!¡± Natalie looked at me disapprovingly. ¡°Well, he will get to know about it sooner orter. I can''t hide it from him forever too. If I didn''t choose to tell him earlier, it''s still kind of deceiving too. It''s unfair for him if he only found out after we got married. After all, he has the right to make a decision.¡± I smiled bitterly. Natalie was apparently feeling desperate on behalf of me. Even so, it was undeniable that I had a problematic family. There was no way for me to sweep it under the table. ¡°I didn''t mean that you have to hide it from him forever. Yet, it''s still not the right timing to tell him about it. You should have held it till your rtionship with him stabilizes. When your feelings toward each other are nurtured over time and better developed, I''m sure he will be able to ept it better by then.¡± Natalie let out a deep sigh and shook her head. ¡°Anyway, there''s no point to cry over spilled milk. The decision lies in his hands now. It''s up to him whether he still intends to continue seeing me.¡± Undeniably, Natalie had a point. Nheless, there was no turning back for me at the moment. On top of that, I did not wish to be deceitful in a rtionship. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Anyway, I just hope that he won''t disappoint us by making the decision to break up with you. If he does that because of your family condition, it implies that he''s not worthy for you.¡± Natalie patted my shoulder gently andforted me. We decided to drop the subject and put the frustrating matter out of our minds. After having dinner with Natalie, I went to bed right away. I neither met Yuval nor received any calls from him in the following two days. It convinced me even more that my instinct was right. Our rtionship was reallying to an end. Unexpectedly, I was feeling more relieved despite the disappointment of losing an ideal candidate as my future spouse. In the evening, my phone rang again when I stepped out of the office building after work. I nced at the name blinking on my phone screen instinctively. To my dismay, it was a call from my mom. At the sight of her name, it crossed my mind that she must be calling me again regarding Steven''s debt. Even though I was reluctant to answer the call, I felt that I should grab the chance to talk it out with her so she would not rely solely on me again. I did not feel like helping Steven anymore after sacrificing for him numerous times. In addition, I really could not afford to pay off such arge sum of debt. ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± I answered the call and greeted cidly. ¡°Anna, no matter what, you muste to your brother''s rescue this round. This morning, the debt collectors were here again. They threatened to break Steven''s leg if we fail to settle the debt by tomorrow night. I really don''t know what to do now! We can''t let Steven end up having a broken leg! Anna, can you please try to help your brother again?¡± On the other end of the line, my Mom wailed as she pleaded with me. My heart ached as she pleaded with me anxiously. After all, blood was thicker than water. I could not just turn a deaf ear to her, even if she tended to favor Steven, who was the apple of her eye. ¡°Mom, I''m not able to help Steven this round. I''m troubled by financial problems too...¡± Even if I felt like helping him, I could not afford it. I am almost broke and did not have much money left. Where can I get such arge sum of money? ¡°Anna, can you please try to help Steven? He doesn''t even dare toe home now. After all, he''s still the only son in our family. If anything happens to him, how am I supposed to survive with your dad?¡± My mom broke into tears. A wave of mixed emotions crept into my heart when I heard her sobbing. How could I have the heart to reject her? It''s sort of unfilial for me to do that. ¡°Let me try to look for a solution. How much are you still short of at the moment?¡± I softened and asked her. Even if I myself was short of money at the moment, I did not have the heart to see my parents endure the stress. Dad still has heart disease. What if he has a heart attack because of this? I can''t take the risk and let it happen! Needless to say, Steven would not learn his lesson easily. I would not be surprised if history repeated itselfter. Even then, I could not ignore him because of my parents. I could hear my Mom heave a sigh of relief upon hearing my reply. ¡°We are still short of one hundred and ten thousand. Anna, no matter what, you have to transfer the money to us by tomorrow night. We are in need of the money to save your brother,¡± she reminded me desperately. My mom''s mind was upied by Steven all the time. She did not even spare any thoughts on my current situation and how I obtained money to settle the debt. I hung up the phone in exasperation and started to scratch my head. At the moment, I only had about less than one hundred with me. I could not think of any wealthy friends who could lend me the sum of money. Scrolling the contact list on my phone, I almost called Natalie to try my luck and check if she had any ideas on the solution. Finally, I changed my mind not to trouble her again. Natalie had helped me a lot all this while, so I should not make her life difficult again. Moreover, she was just amon wage-earner like me, and most probably could not afford to lend me the sum too. I put my phone back into my handbag and took a cab back to Natalie''s ce. One hundred and ten thousand was indeed an overwhelming figure for me. My head started to throb again at how I could obtain the sum. Back in Natalie''s ce, I spent time calling my ex-ssmates one by one to borrow money from them. Nevertheless, after leaving school and started working, I seldom kept in touch with those close friends during my school days all this while. The moment they sensed my purpose of giving them a call, all of them gave excuses that they could not help me. It was highly challenging to look for someone who would be willing to lend me money at this critical time. After making several phone calls, I grumbled and tossed my phone hopelessly on the bed. I was discouraged as I did not expect that none of my ex-schoolmates would be willing to lend me money. As another wave of helplessness swept over me, I was bing more anxious. All of a sudden, my phone rang again. In an instant, my eyes sparkled with anticipation, hoping that it would be a call from an old friend who offered to lend me money. However, my heart sank when I saw Michael''s name blinking on the screen of the phone. What again? Right that instant, I did not have any mood andcked the energy to deal with him. Fearing that the domineering man would put me in a tight spot in the office the next day, I answered the call reluctantly. ¡°Mr. Shaw, are you aware what time it is now? Is there anything urgent at this hour?¡± I could not resist but ask sarcastically. To me, he was my mightiest foe at the moment. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¡°Anna Garcia, do you have to speak to me in such a sarcastic way?¡± I could sense that he was stifling his fury at the moment as he hissed at me. ¡°Mr. Shaw, it''s after office hour now. If there''s nothing urgent, I hope you don''t call me again and disrupt my private time. Thanks for your understanding!¡± Oblivious to Michael''s anger, I answered coldly. I was reluctant to have anything to do with him. When snippets of how he put me in hot water in the office shed across my mind, I was boiling with anger again. ¡°I know about your family matters,¡± Michael uttered slowly when I was about to hang up. I stiffened momentarily before Ished out at him, ¡°Michael Shaw, are you investigating on me? I have nothing to do with you now. Why are you still doing that to me?¡± I was enraged, thinking of how he tried to meddle with my family matters. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Why is he still investigating my family conditions? What is he intending to do now? ¡°Huh! Investigate your family situations? Do you think that I''m so free and have nothing to do? Anna Garcia, don''t you think that you are thinking too highly of yourself?¡± he snorted. ¡°If you didn''t do that, how would you know about my family matters? Michael Shaw, please bear in mind that there is nothing between both of us now. Can you please set me free and stop interfering with my life?¡± I refuted. Michael''s words did not make any sense to me. I was convinced that his findings were obtained via the investigations. It was as if my privacy was unveiled and exposed to others, causing me utter difort. To me, it was a privacy invasion when Michael mentioned my family matters. ¡°Anna Garcia, don''t jump to conclusions without any evidence. It''s your mother! She gave my secretary a call and requested to speak to me just now!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I was dumbfounded and at a loss for words instantaneously. It was out of my expectation that my mom would make the move to call him! My goodness! She seems to have no sense of shame and is willing to do anything for Steven! She doesn''t even know Michael in person. Just because Michael has given us one hundred thousand to settle our financial crisis before, she shamelessly called him to ask for money again! Right that instant, I had lost the courage to hold my head up. I had owed him a lot all this while. Now that my Mom asked for his help so daringly, I felt totally humiliated. ¡°I''m sorry for misunderstanding you. I have to apologize to you on behalf of my mom. Sorry for causing you trouble. Don''t take her words seriously,¡± I apologized sincerely to him, suppressing my displeasure toward my mom. Feeling awkward to face Michael, I intended to hang up right away. It seemed he could sense that I was about to do so. He said in amanding tone, ¡°Anna Garcia, don''t hang up first. Listen to me, I''m the only person who can help you now.¡± My heart skipped a beat and I was touched at that very moment. Even so, I came to my senses within seconds and rejected coldly, ¡°Mr. Shaw, you don''t have to do that. You and I are merely boss and employee. I really hope that you don''t get involved in my family matters again.¡± ¡°Anna Garcia, I''m volunteering to help you. Mind your manners!¡± There was a bellow of rage from the man on the other end of the line. I had seemingly infuriated him again by rejecting him. ¡°I don''t need your help. If there''s nothing else, I will hang up first,¡± I blurted out the words and hung up hastily. His offer was simply irresistible to me. Thus, I was fearful that I would change my mind and epting his financial aid again. My previous affair with him was all for money. Now that it had finallye to an end, I did not wish for history to repeat itself. After hanging up the phone, it took me a long time to cool myself down. It was undeniable that Michael''s words had spurred my emotions. At the same time, I was pissed off with my mom for being shameless. She seemed to have lost her mind as she was trying to save Steven by all means. How dare she contacted Michael to borrow money from him when she is clueless about his actual identity? Did she think of me before making the call? Has it ever urred to her how I would face Michael from now on? Everything between Michael and I seemed to be linked with money. To make things worse, my mom called him impulsively to borrow money again. In his eyes, I must be a scheming woman who would tangle with him just for the sake of money. Alone in my bedroom, the utter frustration was driving me insane. I had called almost everyone on my contact list. To my disappointment, they gave me all sorts of excuses to not lend me money. No matter what, I could not me them for that. I was rendered helpless and on the brink of tears. When I heard the sound of the knob twisting and the door opened, I knew that Natalie had reached home. She knocked on my door and yelled excitedly, ¡°Anna, I bought a lot of fresh strawberries on the way home. Come out and have them with me!¡± ¡°Alright, I wille out in a while.¡± After replying her, I took a deep breath and forced a smile in front of the mirror. Natalie has had enough to worry about me. I mustn''t let her sense anything amiss. When I stepped out of my room, Natalie was already sitting with her legs crossed on the couch in the living room, savoring the strawberries. ¡°Anna, these strawberries are fresh and juicy. Come and try one!¡± Natalie waved at me and handed me a big strawberry innocently. Natalie was a typical glutton and optimist. No matter what she had encountered, she would be able to put everything disgruntling out of her mind after enjoying a meal. I was envious of her ability to cheer up speedily. How I wished I could cheer myself up as easily as her. If I were an optimistic person like her, I would not be worried sick at the moment. I took the strawberry given by Natalie, yet I was not in the mood to enjoy it. At the moment, any sumptuous food was tasteless to me. What was more, I was preupied with my family''s financial crisis. Thus, I had no appetite for anything. While enjoying eating her strawberries, Natalie sensed something awry about me. She knitted her brows in bafflement. ¡°Anna, are you alright? Is anything troubling you?¡± Natalie stopped munching and asked me with great concern. ¡°I-I... nothing actually. I''m just not in the mood.¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 I thought I had kept my feelings well-hidden, but Natalie was always the first to notice whenever I was in a bad mood. ¡°This is about your family, isn''t it? I bet you gave in again, didn''t you?¡± Natalie was so smart that she figured it out without me saying anything. After all, my family matters were the only things capable of stressing me out. Seeing as she had already guessed it, I decided to not keep it from her and said helplessly, ¡°Nat, I know it''s best if I just ignore it, but... they''re my family, and I can''t bring myself to be so heartless toward them. My parents would be so upset if anything happened to Steven.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I sometimes hated myself for being so soft-hearted as Steven probably wouldn''t have turned out like this if I stood firm back then. Natalie gave me a pitiful look and grumbled, ¡°Your parents are taking advantage of your filial piety. That''s why they always count on you to solve every little problem. Honestly, I don''t understand them at all! You''re both their children, yet they treat you and your brother so differently. Is it really just because of your genders?¡± ¡°You know how it is, Nat. Patriarchy is a very serious problem in the vige, and every family there practices it. If my brother would just get himself a proper job and work hard like he''s supposed to, I wouldn''t have to work my butt off like this!¡± I said with a helpless sigh. Although I had gotten used to the patriarchal ways of my parents, Steven gambling away all the money I sent them took a huge toll on me over the past few years. My parents would always have me pay off his gambling debts. It wasn''t that bad when he first started out, so I was still able to afford them. However, his gambling addiction worsened over time, and I found myself no longer able to pay them anymore. ¡°I feel really bad for you, Anna. I really want to help you out, but... Well, you know how much a regr office worker makes, right?¡± Natalie said regretfully. I knew she was sincere about lending me a hand, but Steven owed way too much money for her to be of any help. ¡°It''s okay, Nat. You''ve helped me out a lot over the years we''ve known each other for.¡± Natalie was always the first toe to my aid whenever I found myself in trouble, so I was grateful to her even if she couldn''t do much this time. ¡°Here, take my card, Anna. It''s not much, but it''ll have to do for now. As for the remaining amount... Well, I''m sure we''ll figure something out!¡± she said while handing me a bank card from her wallet. ¡°No, these are your savings. I can''t take this money!¡± I refused her offer as I knew she didn''t have a lot of money left for herself, and I couldn''t possibly pay her back anytime soon either. ¡°All right, then. Just let me know if you ever need it, okay?¡± Natalie chose to respect my decision and not force the money on me. The next morning, I saw Yuval''s car parked outside my residential area when I left for work. I assumed it was over between us as it had been a few days since hest contacted me, so I was quite surprised to see him there. Feeling curious, I walked over to his car. He got out of the car and opened the door for me when he saw me approaching. While getting into his car, I couldn''t help but wonder if he hade to break up with me or if he was okay with my family. Yuval started the car after getting into the driver''s seat, and the atmosphere felt a little tense as I wasn''t sure of his intentions. After a few minutes of silence, I looked at him and asked, ¡°Um... So, why did youe to see me today?¡± ¡°I had a lot of cases to deal with in the past two days, so I was in court most of the time. I''m sorry I haven''t had the time to contact you. I hope you''re not mad at me,¡± Yuval replied, his tone as gentle as always. Judging by his tone and attitude, he doesn''t seem like he wants to break up with me... Well, I can''t say for sure, though. After all, the situation with my family isn''t something that most people find eptable. ¡°I see... I thought you didn''t contact me because you weren''t okay with my family.¡± Yuval ims he was too busy with work to contact me, but I know my family situation must have yed a huge part in it too. I bet he gave it a lot of thinking ever since I told him about my family, so he must know the burden he would have to bear in the future if we get married. ¡°It''s true that the situation with your family is a tricky one, but I believe that marriage is between the two of us. Of course, that doesn''t mean we''ll ignore the problem. I just think that we should keep our involvement to an appropriate level, that''s all.¡± Although Yuval didn''t n on breaking up with me, I could tell he wasn''t toofortable about the situation either. ¡°Yeah, I get what you mean. I know it''s not a good idea to get too involved with them, but... every time my mom calls me, I just can''t bring myself to refuse her...¡± Yuval and I had the same thought in mind. I had told myself that I wouldn''t help them this time, but hearing Mom''s cry softened my heart instantly. They were my family, after all. ¡°All right, enough talk about this depressing topic. We need to get to the root of your brother''s problem if we are to solve it.¡± Yuval dropped the topic when he saw how ufortable I was. ¡°Mom said they would break Steven''s legs if he couldn''t pay up today. I''m worried that they''ll actually do it.¡± The deadline to pay up was tonight, but I couldn''t even fork out ten thousand. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Noticing how anxious I was, Yuval reached out and held my hand as heforted me, ¡°Don''t worry. I doubt they have the guts to do that because it would constitute assault and battery, which can result in some pretty serious legal repercussions.¡± ¡°Really? They won''t?¡± Yuval was awyer and knew the legal system like the back of his hand, so I felt a little relieved after hearing what he said. Still, Steven owed them more than a hundred thousand this time, so it was hard to say how far those men would go. Yuval tightened his grip on my hand and said with a firm look in his eyes, ¡°Stop worrying so much. Your frown is so deep that you look like an olddy right now!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± His words of reassurance worked like a charm, and I shed him a faint smile in response. I was actually very grateful to Yuval. Even if he wouldn''t be able to fully ept my family''s problems, the fact that he chose to stay with me this time proved how big-hearted he was. ¡°There is no need to thank me. I am your boyfriend, after all!¡± The look on my face grew awkward the moment I heard him mention ¡°boyfriend¡±. We had known each other for a few months, but it felt like we were friends instead of lovers. Maybe I just haven''t adjusted to it... Yeah, that''s probably it! Yuval left after dropping me off at work, and I made my way to my desk with a heavy heart. Millie came running over before I even sat down and asked excitedly, ¡°Anna, who was that guy who dropped you off just now? Is he your boyfriend?¡± I had never told anyone at work about my boyfriend and had brushed off their questions whenever anyone asked about it. That was probably why Millie felt so shocked when she saw Yuval send me to work. ¡°Yeah, that''s right.¡± I felt awkward calling Yuval my boyfriend, but I did it anyway because he was big-hearted enough to stay with me despite the situation with my family. ¡°What does he do for a living? He looks pretty rich!¡± If Millie and Natalie had one thing inmon, it was how nosy they were. Millie was determined to find out everything she could after hearing me call Yuval my boyfriend. ¡°He''s awyer.¡± I kept quiet after saying that as I didn''t want to discuss too much about Yuval at work. ¡°That''s nice! How about you bring him into the office next time so we can all assess him for you?¡± Millie couldn''t really get a clear view of Yuval from the window all the way up here. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot... I have to deliver some documents to Mr. Shaw. Excuse me...¡± Not wanting to discuss Millie any more about Yuval, I grabbed a folder and walked toward the CEO''s office after saying that. Upon arriving at Michael''s office, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Michael''s unique, cold voice came from inside. I opened the door and entered, only to have him grab me by the arm and pin me against the wall as he closed the door. ¡°What the hell are you doing, Michael? You almost scared me to death!¡± I shouted at him angrily in response. Michael simply stared me down coldly and emotionlessly as he said, ¡°As if anything in this world could possibly scare you.¡± ¡°Stay away from me!¡± I ced both hands on his chest and tried to push him away. ¡°Considering how close we used to be, I''d say we''re quite far apart now,¡± Michael said ambiguously as he kept me pinned. I pushed against him with all my might, but he didn''t even seem to budge. ¡°What are you saying? You''re literally inches away from me right now! How can you call this far apart?¡± His lips are almost touching mine for goodness'' sake! If he calls this being far apart, then what on earth does he consider to be close? ¡°Exactly, I''m not pressing against you yet. The distance between us used to be negative, remember? A part of me going inside you? That''s what I call being close to each other!¡± Michael''s words made me burn bright red instantly. How on earth can a man say such shameless things so casually? He may not mind talking about the stuff we did in bed, but I do! ¡°Don''t talk to me about sex, Michael. We''re no longer in that kind of rtionship.¡± For some reason, hearing him casually bring up our sexual history made me really mad. Noticing the look of anger on my face, Michael then let go of me without saying anything further and made his way toward his desk. Feeling relieved after putting some distance between us, I walked up to him and ced the folder on his desk. ¡°This is mytest edit, Mr. Shaw. Please have a look and let me know if there are any issues with it.¡± I tried my best to sound as formal as possible while suppressing my dissatisfaction toward him. Michael skimmed through the files and said, ¡°The overall structure of this proposal is all right. You may proceed toe up with a more detailed one.¡± I let out a huge sigh of relief when I heard him finally approve of my proposal. ¡°Understood, I''ll get to it right away,¡± I replied as I picked up the folder and began making my way out of his office. ¡°Hold on!¡± Michael''s voice came from behind. I paused in my tracks and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Shaw?¡± He kept quiet and walked up to me before handing me a check. ¡°Here''s two hundred thousand. You can use it to solve the financial crisis your family is facing right now,¡± he said, sounding as indifferent as ever. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Two hundred thousand... Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Forking out two hundred thousand was a piece of cake for someone like Michael, and it was incredibly tempting to ept his offer as I really needed the money. However, my ego and pride forbade me from doing so. I knew very well that I should not use any more of his money. ¡°Thanks for the offer, Mr. Shaw, but you can keep your money. I''ll figure something out on my own,¡± I said coldly and quickly left his office before he could respond. Why would Michael still want to give me money? Is he doing it to repay me for our previous sexual rtionship? Or is there some other reason? My mind was all over the ce as I returned to my desk, and I shook my head to empty all those thoughts. I was a little out of ce at work the entire day as I had yet to gather enough money, nor did I know how things were going back at home. I couldn''t tell if those men were only trying to intimidate my family like Yuval said, but wouldn''t actually have the guts to carry out their threats. After spending a very stressful day at my desk, I was the first to leave the office after work. I made my way back to Natalie''s and was pacing about frantically in the bedroom. I wanted to call home and check on things, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell Mom that I didn''t have the money ready. At that moment, my phone began ringing, and I answered it when I saw my mom''s number on the caller ID. ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± ¡°Anna, when will you be transferring the money over? Those guys just called us and demanded that we pay up in an hour or Steven would be done for!¡± Mom was so anxious that it sounded like she was crying. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom. I still don''t have the money.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I felt guilty when I heard how anxious my mom sounded. Mom got even more anxious after hearing my reply, and her tone was filled with reproach as she said, ¡°What? What do you mean you don''t have the money? Didn''t you promise me you''d get it? What will Steven do now?¡± I knew she was only acting that way out of fear and desperation, so I didn''t me her even if it made me very ufortable. ¡°Mom, I really want to help, but there''s only so much I can do. I don''t have much on me, and I''ve already borrowed a lot from my friends, so none of them are willing to lend me any more money now.¡± Most of them knew how my family was like, so they wouldn''t lend me any money even if they could afford to. I understood that very well and had given it my best effort, but this was really all I could manage. ¡°Excuses! I bet you want them to hurt Steven, don''t you? That''s why you never intended to help him to begin with! I can''t believe I raised such an ingrate! So, this is it, huh? You''re just going to abandon your family now that you''re all grown up and sessful?¡± What? Mom thinks that I''m deliberately choosing not to help them? ¡°It''s not what you think, Mom! I really am trying to help, but I just don''t have that much money! If there really is a way, I would definitely go for it!¡± I was incredibly upset with what Mom said, but I tried my best to exin myself anyway because I didn''t want her to think I was unwilling to help Steven. ¡°This is unbelievable! You f*cking ingrate! I will never forgive you if anything happens to Steven!¡± I felt my heart ache when I heard Mom''s heartless words, but she hung up on me before I could say anything further. Mom has pushed all the me on me... Why can''t she be a little more understanding? She has never considered how difficult things are for me! As much as I hate how frivolous Steven is, he is still my brother, and there is no way I wouldn''t help him if I could! Tears rolled down my cheeks as I squatted down on the floor and hugged my knees with my face buried in my arms. Mom probably sees me as an enemy now... Knowing her, it''spletely possible that she would never forgive me for the rest of her life should anything happen to Steven. Right now, all I can do is pray that he will be all right... Natalie heard me crying and knocked on my bedroom door beforeing in. She quickly helped me to my feet when she saw me crying on the floor. ¡°What happened, Anna? Why are you crying?¡± Not wanting her to see me like this, I wiped my tears dry as I said, ¡°It''s nothing.¡± Natalie too, has be rather depressedtely because of all my negativity. I shouldn''t let my problems affect her mood. ¡°You wouldn''t be crying like this for nothing! Come on, we''ve been besties since forever! You know how well I know you!¡± I wasn''t the type who would show my negative emotions easily, so me insisting that I was fine with tears down my face wasn''t going to fool Natalie. ¡°I''m fine, really. I was just dealing with my family. My mom gave me a call just moments ago and said some really hurtful things. That''s all,¡± I exined with a forced smile. What Mom said left me feeling like crap, but having Natalie by my side cheered me up quite a lot. The look on Natalie''s face grew cold when she heard that my mom had called. ¡°I knew it had something to do with your family! Your mom was pushing you for the money, wasn''t she?¡± she said sympathetically. I kept quiet, so Natalie took my silence as a confirmation to her guess. Mom would never call me unless she wanted money from me, and Natalie knew that all too well. ¡°Hey, you tried your best to help, but this is simply beyond your capabilities. I''m sure your mom will come to understand that someday. Come on, let''s just forget about this and move on.¡± Natalie chose to drop the topic when she saw how upset I was. Will Mom really be able to understand? I bet she''ll just me everything on me like she always does, but that''s okay because I''m used to it anyway. However, I am worried about what the debt collectors would do if they don''t get the money... Chapter 135 Chapter 135 ¡°Natalie, do you think they''ll really break Steven''s legs? My parents value his life over their own, so they''ll definitely lose their minds if anything happens to him!¡± Natalie gave me a pat on the shoulder as sheforted me, ¡°I think he should be fine. I mean, what else can they do if your family doesn''t pay up? Kill him? Don''t worry, Anna. Your parents aren''t dumb, so I''m sure they''ll know to call the police if those men try to hurt him.¡± What Natalie said made sense, and I felt a lot better after hearing it. ¡°It''s gettingte, you should get some sleep. I''ll wait and see if my mom calls again. She said those men would be collecting the money in an hour, so I''m really scared that something bad might happen.¡± ¡°Nah, I''m not tired. Besides, I can''t possibly fall asleep knowing how anxious you are. I''ll wait here with you,¡± Natalie said as she sat down beside me and put an arm around my shoulder. Time ticked by, and two hours soon came to pass with no call nor text from Mom whatsoever. I felt somewhat uneasy as I nced at the time on my phone. Why hasn''t Mom called me yet? Did those men really let them off the hook so easily? ¡°Why hasn''t my mom called? It''s been so long now...¡± I mumbled to myself worriedly as I gripped the phone tightly in my sweaty palms. ¡°Maybe you should try calling her to find out what''s going on over there. Who knows, maybe those men left after realizing they wouldn''t be getting any money!¡± Natalie grew anxious as well when she saw me panicking. I nodded and dialed my mom''s number on the phone, but it just kept ringing until I got to her voicemail. That gave me a bad feeling in my gut, so I tried calling her a second time. The call got through right as I thought it would go to voicemail again, and I could hear Mom''s voice on the other line. ¡°Hello, Mom! How are things over there? Did those men leave?¡± I asked anxiously before she could say anything. The next thing I knew, Mom was wailing loudly into the phone. ¡°What''s wrong, Mom? What happened? Talk to me!¡± Mom went silent for a brief moment all of a sudden, and the bad feeling in my gut intensified as I waited in suspense. ¡°They broke your brother''s legs, and it''s all your fault! Are you happy now, you f*cking ingrate? You''re no longer my daughter!¡± My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an iron grip when I heard Steven''s legs were broken. Oh, god... My parents must be devastated! ¡°Mom, how is Steven right now? Is he okay?¡± I asked frantically after regaining myposure, but Mom hung up on me without saying a word. My phone slipped out of my hand and fell to the floor with a soft thud as my tears flowed uncontrobly. Natalie had heard the whole conversation on the phone and gave me a distressed look as she asked, ¡°Hey, Anna! What happened? Are you okay?¡± ¡°What do I do now, Nat? They broke Steven''s legs! What am I going to do now?¡± My mind went nk, and I grabbed Natalie''s hand while my body trembled all over. ¡°Calm down, Anna! Whatever happened has happened, and panicking isn''t going to help. We should focus on figuring out our next course of action.¡± Natalie patted me on the back of my hand as she tried tofort me. ¡°No... The hospital... I have to go see him at the hospital!¡± I mumbled while reaching for my handbag and putting on my shoes. We don''t have any decent medical facilities in the vige, so Steven must be in the city''s hospital if his legs are broken! ¡°In that case, I''ll go with you!¡± Natalie tagged along out of concern for my well-being, and the two of us took a cab to the hospital. ¡°Sir, could you please go faster?¡± I kept urging the taxi driver to go faster even though he was already speeding. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry, miss? I can''t go any faster or I''ll exceed the speed limit, and that''s very dangerous here in the city!¡± said the taxi driver while ncing at me through the rear-view mirror. ¡°But I have to get to the hospital urgently! It''s an emergency!¡± I knew it was unreasonable of me to keep urging the taxi driver like that, but I just couldn''t help it. ¡°Calm down, Anna. We''re almost at the hospital, so it won''t be long now.¡± Natalie grabbed me by the hand and motioned at me to calm down. It wasn''t easy, but I managed to keep my emotions in check, and we soon arrived at the hospital. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Having lost all sense of rationality from the fear and panic, I began checking all the wards in the orthopedic department one after another for my brother. Fortunately for me, Natalie was smart enough to ask the front desk which ward Steven was in. ¡°Stop looking, Anna! Your brother is in ward 1201! Come on, let''s go!¡± The door to ward 1201 was shut tight, but I could hear Mom''s criesing from inside and hesitated to open the door as I was afraid of finding Steven in worse condition than I imagined. ¡°Go on in, Anna. You''ll feel a lot less worried that way,¡± Natalie said when she saw me stop in my tracks. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Mom''s cries sounded much clearer as I entered, and I felt my heart ache when I heard her cry her heart out like that. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 My heart skipped a beat when I saw my mother weeping. It was safe to assume that Steven must have been gravely injured. As I dragged my way over to the ward, I saw Steven lying on the bed. He waspletely drenched in blood with a ster cast applied to both his legs. There was no way I could stand seeing him in such a state no matter how much I was irked by his actions. After all, at the end of the day, he was my only sibling. I strode toward his bedside, staring at him, and noticing that he was bruised all over, especially his face. Although my parents hadn''t sustained any serious injury, they weren''t exactly fine. What the heck is wrong with that brutal bunch? They didn''t pull their punches at all! How dare they beat Steven up to a pulp? Aren''t they afraid of being arrested? ¡°M-Mom...¡± Overwhelmed by emotions, I was unable to finish my sentence. Torrents of grief streamed down my cheeks. I approached my mother and looked at her with my face scrunched up in guilt. Although it was Steven''s fault for getting himself involved, I felt bad as I wasn''t of much help. If only I was capable enough to turn the tables around, Steven wouldn''t have ended up heavily injured. When she heard me, she stopped weeping and red at me in the eyes. A few secondster, she stood up and marched over in my direction. ¡°Mom, I''m so sorry¡ª¡± I wanted to express my utmost apology, yet I wasn''t even given a chance to finish my sentence. She pped me in the face without holding back the moment she reached my side. ¡°Get the hell out of my sight at once!¡± She yelled at me with a pair of teary eyes and bellowed at me to leave the ward immediately. Seconds after I returned to my senses, I looked at her with my eyes widened in disbelief. I had a hard time fathoming the rationale behind the brutal p. Staring at my mother''s scrunched-up face, my eyes started brimming with tears. The emotions I had been holding back almost came flooding out, but I knew I couldn''t afford to be vulnerable. Irked, Natalie had to resist the urge to confront my mom. She tried her best to maintain herposure and asked, ¡°Hey, how could you p Anna?¡± Sniffling, I expressed my apology once again, ¡°Mom, I''m so sorry¡ª¡± ¡°Get out of my sight immediately! You''re not my daughter!¡± She couldn''t be bothered by my apology at all. Instead, she dragged me out of the ward with all her might, indicating she deemed me liable for Steven''s injuries. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Mom, how can you say that? I''ll always be your daughter! How can you chase me away when you need someone by your side?¡± Although I wasn''t of much help, I wasn''t the one at fault! I can''t believe she''s chasing me away! Has she never thought of my feelings? ¡°Where are you when we need you the most? Since you can''t be of much help, stop considering yourself a member of the family! I''ll just consider it a waste of my time and effort raising you over the past two decades!¡± It was evident that she held a grudge against me for not being able to resolve the issue on the family''s behalf. In another word, she held me ountable for everything that had urred. Is she implying that I''m the one at fault for the family''s current situation? Does she think I''m having a great time when they''re having it tough? In an attempt to defend myself, I looked at her in the eyes and repeated, ¡°Mom, haven''t I made it clear? I don''t have the required sum! Over the years, I have given you everything! I don''t even have a single cent left!¡± It wasn''t fair to hold me ountable for the things that had urred. ¡°Don''t try to deceive me! You have been working for years! I''m sure you''re able to make more than a few hundred thousand within a year! You''re just selfish and unwilling to help your brother!¡± There was nothing I could say that would convince her otherwise since she had already decided that I was the one responsible for the misery that had befallen Steven. My heart went cold when I caught her staring at me with contempt. I wondered if she would react the same if I was the one heavily injured instead of Steven. All these years, I was the breadwinner of the family, yet an ident was all it took to nullify my contribution over the years. That''s so unfair! Steven is their child! But so am I! Are they taking things out on me just because I''m a female? Natalie couldn''t stand my mother''s arrogant behavior anymore. She tried her best to suppress her wrath and enunciated her reply, ¡°Are you telling me you''re not aware that Anna has transferred more than half of her monthly wages home? What do you expect from her when she''s just an executive-level employee? She has been trying her best to cover Steven''s debt over the past two years! What makes you think she must bear the consequences of his actions?¡± Natalie''s statements took my mother by surprise as she interrupted our conversation. However, seconds after my mother returned to her senses, she began taking her frustration out on Natalie. ¡°Who the heck are you? What makes you think you''re in a position to interfere when I''m trying to teach my daughter a lesson? Why are you even here in the first ce?¡± In spite of being rtively straightforward, Natalie had never once mispresented the facts. Nheless, that wouldn''t work with someone like my mother. ¡°I''m just telling the truth! To be honest, I can''t stand it anymore! I''m supposed to show you some respect since you''re Anna''s mom, but I don''t think you deserve it at all! Don''t you know she''s going to feel bad as well? How can you me her when she''s not the one at fault?¡± Natalie went on and on without paying heed to my mother''s fury. ¡°Natalie, that''s enough! I''m sure Mom is just frustrated because of the things that have urred over the past few days!¡± My mother had always been an unreasonable person. As such, I was afraid that Natalie would get herself involved in another fight, so I tried to stop her. ¡°Anna, they''re holding you ountable because you have always tolerated their nonsensical demand! I''m well aware of the things you have gone through over the past two years! It''s fine even if they don''t appreciate your effort, but I can''t believe they''re ming you when you''re not even involved in this! They don''t deserve to call themselves your parents!¡± Natalie was never afraid of blurting out the things she had in mind. Therefore, she didn''t bother to rephrase her sentence even when she was conversing with an elder like my mother. Never would I bring up something of that sort in front of my mother, however, for I knew she would reprimand me for being unfilial and ungrateful if I did. ¡°Anna, is this your friend? Has she no manner at all?¡± Unable to defend herself, my mother red at me in the eyes and started picking on me instead of Natalie. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°Mom, I''m sorry! I''m well aware that you''re upset, but Natalie isn''t trying to offend you either!¡± Although I was still upset she had pped me in the face, I knew she didn''t mean it. She was just worried about Steven and needed to take her frustration out on someone. ¡°Get the hell out of my sight at once! Don''t show up in front of me anymore in the future!¡± Although she was rtively calm aspared to the moment I showed up in the ward, she insisted on chasing me out of the room. ¡°But Steven needs someone to look after him since he''s heavily injured. Mom, just let me stay behind to keep an eye on him.¡± It felt awful to be chased away over and over again. I would be lying if I said I wasn''t bothered by her harsh remarks. ¡°No! I want you to scram, now! Also, you''ll be the one to settle the medical bills of your brother!¡± No matter what I told her to defend myself, she refused to listen to me. She simply pushed me out of the ward with all her might before mming the door shut in my face. Staring at the tightly shut door, I felt a prickling sensation behind my eyes. Although I was aware that she was irked, the fact that she actually chased me out of the ward took me by surprise. Natalie, who had been suppressing her wrath, approached me and grasped my hand before announcing in a gentle tone, ¡°Anna, let''s just go home.¡± However, I would never leave my family in times of emergencies. Hence, I asked Natalie, ¡°Natalie, I wish to stay here to keep an eye on my brother, but Mom doesn''t want me anywhere near them! What should I do?¡± ¡°Your mom''s never going to let you back in. You need to stop wasting your time here. You''re only causing yourself more grief if you stay. Why don''t you listen to me and return home for the time being? Let your mom cool off for a bit and maybe she''ll reach out to you in a few days.¡± Natalie nced in the direction of the ward and let out a long sigh. Helplessness was written all over her face. Since Natalie''s advice made sense, I stopped insisting and paid the attending physician a visit to find out Steven''s actual condition instead. He told me that Steven''s condition was bad and he would require an immediate operation. However, the cost of the operation and the rehabilitation process thates soon after would cost a fortune. As I was as poor as a church rat, my heart sank to the bottom when I heard that. I couldn''t think of any way to gather the required sum within such a short span of time. Nheless, I had toe up with something because I couldn''t afford to waste any time as Steven''s condition was at stake. My mind was all over the ce after we returned to Natalie''s ce. I couldn''t think of anyone who would offer their help. Truth be told, they had all turned me down when I brought up the request before. Therefore, it was obvious it would end up the same. In an attempt to figure out my next best course of action, I started pacing back and forth in the living room. It was then I received a call from Yuval. I took a deep breath to calm myself before picking up the call. Confused by the reason he had called, I asked, ¡°Yuval, why are calling me in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Anna, Natalie has told me everything you''re currently going through.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuval cut the small talk and got straight to the point the moment the call got through. Hearing him mentioning my family, I frowned and wondered if I should acquire Yuval''s help. A few secondster, I shrugged that thought off my mind because we had just gotten into a rtionship. It wouldn''t be wise to get him involved, let alone get him to lend me a few hundred thousand. ¡°What should I do? Steven is currently unconscious after having both his legs broken! He needs a few hundred thousand for the uing series of operations.¡± I almost burst into tears when I shared my concerns with him. It was rare for me to have an emotional breakdown in front of others, but I had run out of options. ¡°The culprits are the ones liable for the damages they have willfully caused your brother. It''s better for you to file awsuit against them and get them topensate you for your loss.¡± Yuval answered my queries in a serious tone. Perhaps it had something to do with his profession, he started analyzing the situation and told me the avable alternatives. ¡°But that''s going to take a long time! Steven can''t wait that long! His attending physician told me the operation has to be conducted tonight, and a hundred thousand is required!¡± When I reached the hospital, they were in the middle of preparation for the operation. As of now, Steven is still unconscious. I''m pretty sure Dad and Mom don''t have the required sum after spending most of the fortune Michael has bestowed them... After a few seconds of silence, Yuval added in a callous tone, ¡°It is quite a challenge.¡± Although I had no intention to ask for his help, I couldn''t help being hopeful. To my surprise, he had just implied he wouldn''t offer his help. ¡°Thanks for calling in to check on me. If there''s nothing else, I''m hanging up now.¡± As soon as I figured out Yuval had no intention to help me, I didn''t want to waste my time engaging in a pointless conversation anymore. The only thing I had in my mind was to gather the required sum as soon as possible. Yuval wrapped up the conversation as though he couldn''t be bothered at all. ¡°Alright, you need to calm down first and call it a day since it''s gettingte.¡± As I couldn''t think of anyone who could be of aid, I got increasingly anxious after hanging up the call with Yuval. I couldn''t figure out if Yuval had no intention to offer his help or if he had merely forgotten about it. However, it was evident he valued money over everything else. Sitting on the edge of the bed, my mind was in a mess. As such, I went to the hospital again in the middle of the night. My father was no longer in his prime, and I was afraid that my mother would have to take care of both my father and Steven. As such, I couldn''t bear to leave them alone. When I reached the hospital, I found out she was in the attending physician''s office again. She was begging the doctor to carry on with the operation and promised him she would gather the required sum as soon as possible. Nheless, the doctor couldn''t be bothered at all. I barged into the doctor''s office and helped my mother up immediately. ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Anna, since you''re here, have you gathered the required sum for the operation? We can''t afford to drag this on any longer! Otherwise, your brother''s going to be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life!¡± When she saw me, she behaved as though her only hope had shown up. She gazed at me with a panicked look in her eyes. ¡°Mom, I''m still trying to get the required sum. I can''t gather that much of a fortune overnight.¡± Afraid of looking at her in the eyes, I lowered my head in guilt. She had been holding a grudge against me ever since I refused to settle the debt on Steven''s behalf. Now that there was a possibility of Steven spending his life in a wheelchair, I was overwhelmed by guilt. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 ¡°If you haven''t gathered the required sum, why the heck are you here?¡± The moment my mother found out I still hadn''t gathered the required sum, she pushed me away with all her might and red at me in the eyes. I was upset by her response. Staring at her in the eyes with sorrow written all over my face, I answered, ¡°I''m only here because I''m worried about you and Dad. I thought I can help keep an eye on Steven in the ward.¡± ¡°If you still care about us, why don''t you get us the money we need for the operation? He needs it urgently or he''ll end up crippled! Are you really going to forsake your brother?¡± Up until that very moment, she still thought I had been keeping a fortune from her for myself. Sighing, I looked her in the eyes and announced, ¡°Mom, can you stop being so unreasonable? If I had the money, I would have given you already.¡± ring daggers at me, she repeated herself, ¡°If you still consider yourself a member of the family, gather the required sum at all costs! If anything happens to Steven, I won''t forgive you!¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Once again, I had no choice but to bear the burden of the family. ¡°M-Mom¡ª¡± I had no intention to me her for forcing me to gather the required sum, but I couldn''t stand her threatening me over and over again. Is she actually saying that she would hold me ountable if Steven really ends up crippled? I''m equally upset by Steven''s condition! But how can she make it sound as if I was the one who brought upon his misery? What else am I supposed to do? ¡°Well? Get going already!¡± She pushed me out of the doctor''s office without expressing any concerns over my feelings. Perhaps he couldn''t stand my mother''s unreasonable behavior anymore, the doctor stepped in just then and stopped my mother from pushing me. he offered, ¡°Alright, that''s enough. I''ll carry on with the operation, but you need to settle the medical bills first thing in the morning. Otherwise, I''ll get in trouble as well.¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I heaved a sigh of relief when the doctor agreed to carry on with the operation. He nodded and repeated himself prior to departing from his office. ¡°I''ll head over and check on the patient''s condition. Meanwhile, please gather the required sum as soon as possible.¡± With that, my mother and I were the only ones left behind after he marched out of his office. Seeing that I was still standing at the entrance, she pushed at me and yelled, ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get going already!¡± A few secondster, she went after the doctor and marched in the direction of Steven''s ward. I thought of waiting for Steven outside of the operating theater, but my mother got worked up the moment she saw me. In the end, I had to leave the hospital because she wouldn''t stop chasing me away. It started raining cats and dogs the moment I stepped out of the hospital. It felt awful, but the fact that I waspletely drenched had nothing to do with my foul mood. Instead, it was because my own mother had always deemed me receable. Wandering on the streets in the middle of the night, I couldn''t think of anything that could allow me to gather the required sum overnight. Out of nowhere, Michael''s image crossed my mind. He was the only one amongst my acquaintances who could whip out over a hundred thousand within a night. That being said, he''s someone who would never involve himself in a losing trade! If I''m acquiring his help, I''m pretty sure there''s a hefty price to pay... And the only thing he wants from me is... Ugh! As much as I want to stay away from him, he''s the only one I can turn to! I don''t have any alternatives anymore! I ended up walking my way to Birchwood as I couldn''t hail a cab in the middle of the night. To make things worse, there was a heavy downpour. I was just d that Birchwood was merely a few streets away. As I wandered in the deserted street with the rain sttering down me, the helplessness I felt intensified. After a long while, I finally made it to Birchwood. As I had moved out of Michael''s ce, I couldn''t make my way in since the key was no longer with me. I started shivering in the cold and reached for my phone to call Michael. To be honest, I was afraid he would miss the call since it was the middle of the night, and he might have already fallen asleep. Besides, there was also the possibility where he might not want to make his way here even if he managed to figure out the things going on. After ringing for quite some time, and just when I was about to give up, he finally picked up and asked, ¡°Yes?¡± Judging by his hoarse voice, it was evident that he had been roused from his sleep. I was at a loss for words when I heard his voice. Coupled that with the awful feeling in my heart, I started weeping over the phone. I knew that if I told him the truth, I would have to sacrifice myself again. Therefore, I was unsure of how to start the conversation. I just couldn''t bring myself to ask for money from him. Seeing how I was silent, he raised his voice and asked, ¡°Where are you?¡± I couldn''t help but wonder if he was worried about me. Sniffling, I forced myself to form aplete sentence and muttered, ¡°I-I''m at Birchwood.¡± ¡°Wait for me.¡± He hung up the call as soon as he assured me he would reach me soon. As the beeping tone sounded, I lowered my phone, and I could no longer suppress the pent-up emotions and grievances that I felt. Ironically, Michael was the only one I could rely on when we had merely spent a few nights in bed before. I ended up shivering as I sat leaning against the entrance in anticipation of Michael''s arrival. No longer could I pull myself together after spending such a long time walking over to his ce in the rain. As the pent-up fatigue caught up to me, I started dozing off, my eyelids getting heavier. ¡°Anna!¡± Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard Michael''s voice. I forced myself to open my eyes and noticed that he was now standing in front of me. I beamed at his presence and brought myself up immediately. Nheless, I could barely stand on my own feet. It felt as though I would pass out at any time. ¡°Hey. You''re finally here.¡± The very moment I brought myself up, I staggered and ended up in between Michael''s arms. His familiar scent allowed me to feel a sense of serenity. I felt a strong urge to stay in between his arms without doing anything else. Michael gaped at my actions with a perplexed look. After a short while, he broke the silence and asked, ¡°Why are youpletely soaked in the middle of the night? Are you getting yourself wet on purpose?¡± As a result of water dripping off mypletely soaked shirt, Michael''s shirt was partially drenched as well. ¡°Michael, can we go in first? I''m so tired...¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 I was on the verge of copsing, but I had to pull myself together to gather the required sum for the operation. Michael pushed me aside and essed the keypad. I was shocked to see that he had changed the lock of the ce to a keypad lock. He marched his way to the couch in the living room and took a seat after showing me the way into the foyer. Staring at me with his legs crossed, he queried, ¡°So, why were you looking for me in the middle of the night?¡± I was pretty sure he could easily figure out that the only reason I was looking for him was that I had something to ask of him. After all, I had suddenly shown up after having been avoiding him for the past few weeks. When I caught him sizing me up, I pursed my lips in an attempt to make up my mind. Although it wasn''t the first time we had some raunchy fun, the uing one was one with a purpose. I thought I wouldn''t get myself involved with him again after thest session we had. Unfortunately, just a few monthster, I had to return to him because I was in desperate need of cash. As I remained silent at the foyer, he asked with his brows arched, indicating he was about to lose his patience, ¡°What? Cat got your tongue?¡± He has always been an impatient man. I''m pretty sure I''m about to get on his nerves for real if I don''t talk to him soon. Staring at him in the eyes, I started undressing in silence. I deemed it unnecessary to bring up the request prior to the session. Seeing that, he narrowed his eyes to a slit with a curious look. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After removing every garment I had on, I stood bare in front of Michael. His lust was written all over his face. ¡°Did you get me here in the middle of the night just to seduce me?¡± Once he finished his question, he got up from the couch and stalked toward me, the desire in his eyes intensifying. Coming to a stop in front of me, he looked down upon me with a smirk. My heart skipped a beat when I caught a whiff of his unique scent. I stared at him with my eyes brimming with tears. ¡°If that''s what you want, I''ll give it to you, then.¡± Smirking, he lifted me in between his arms and brought me to the bedroom. After throwing me on the spacious bed, he started undressing. Meanwhile, I started feeling lightheaded and wondered if it had something to do with him throwing me around as if it wasn''t a big deal. Once he removed his top and exposed his sturdy pecs, he got on top of me and started the session with an amorous kiss. Soon, he ran his tongue all over my body as though he couldn''t wait to devour me. I had no choice but to brace myself through the session. In spite of my heart racing, I couldn''t resist the urge to fall asleep as the pent-up fatigue caught up to me once again. Since the only thing I had in mind was to sleep, I allowed Michael to y with me however he wanted. I tried my best to pull myself together until the session was over, but I couldn''t resist it anymore. Noticing that I wasn''t reacting, Michael moved his lips away from me. He ced his hands next to me and looked me in the eyes with a hint of wrath in his ebony eyes. ¡°Anna, have you shown up in the middle of the night and seduced me just to fall asleep halfway through the session?¡± My heart skipped a beat when I heard his hoarse voice. However, I simply couldn''t bring myself to open my eyes anymore. He arched his brows and ced his hand on my forehead. A few secondster, he frowned and asked, ¡°Are you having a fever?¡± For a moment, I thought I could hear a hint of worry in his tone. ¡°M-Michael, I''m tired. I want to sleep...¡± I fell into a deep slumber once I finished my sentence. I could feel Michael leaning over, but he seemed to be up to something else. I couldn''t seem to shrug the dizziness off me until I felt something cold on my forehead. When I woke up again, a brand-new day had begun. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn''t due to the strong shaft of light in the room. I still felt sick, but it wasn''t as awful as it feltst night. Michael, who was next to me, was still sleeping soundly. I sat upright and reached for my phone immediately. It was then I found out it was already eleven o''clock in the morning. When I recalled the promise I had with the doctor, I sprang out of the bed to get myself dressed. I couldn''t help but wonder if things were fine on Steven''s end. Michael was roused from his sleep by my frantic movements. He opened his eyes and looked at me with a frown. Judging by his look, it was safe to assume he was exhausted. ¡°You''re finally awake.¡± He struck up a conversation in a hoarse voice, indicating he had a long night. I stiffened when I recalled the reason I had paid him a visitst night. Initially, I was about to offer myself to him, but I fell into a deep slumber halfway through the session. Curious if he had finished the things we had started, I asked, ¡°Did we... do itst night?¡± If others weren''t aware of my concerns, they would deem me a lustful woman who couldn''t contain her desires to herself in the morning. When he heard my question, he looked at me with a scowl and started making fun of me. ¡°You don''t actually think I would do it with someone that''s sleeping, do you? Did you show up just to spend a night in bed with me?¡± As I could vividly recall myself dozing off before the best part of the session, I flushed when I heard his sarcastic remark. Michael has always ced great emphasis on satisfaction when ites to sex. I''m pretty sure he''s having it tough since the session has been brought to an abrupt halt. I was about to say something to express my apology, but I became tongue-tied. On top of that, since nothing had urred between us, I couldn''t possibly bring up the request to get another loan from him. I was certain he wouldn''t give in to my request until he was able to get his hands on the things he sought. Once that particr thought crossed my mind, I stopped dressing up and pounced on him instead. I started kissing him on the lips. That was the first time in forever I had taken the initiative. Michael''s eyes widened in disbelief, but a few secondster, he wrapped his arms around my waist. He returned my kiss with a frown. Meanwhile, as it was the first time I had initiated a kiss, my heart wouldn''t stop pounding. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Michael had always been a man with strong desires. Coupled with me riding on top of himpletely bare, he was quickly aroused. I let loose of myself as well since my goal was to seduce him into having sex with me. In order to please him, I stopped ying hard to get. Pleased by my actions, he stopped kissing me and started running his lips across my neck instead. In the end, he moved away from me and peered into my eyes. ¡°Go on.¡± Noticing that I had paused, he nced at me in displeasure before cing my hands on his manhood, indicating that he wanted me to please him with everything I had. He continued running his hands all over my body and added, ¡°Anna, since you''re the one who seduce me first, you need to finish what you started.¡± Michael had always been a beast in bed. Therefore, it took a long time until he had his needs satisfied. By the time we were done, I waspletely exhausted. I felt a strong urge to take a nap once I was able to take a breather after the wild session we had. Michael, who wasying next to me on the bed, looked at me with a bright grin and asserted, ¡°You did great today. Let''s try some new positions next time.¡± Hearing that, I rolled my eyes at him. If it weren''t for the fact that I needed money, I wouldn''t have seduced him in the first ce and if possible, I wouldn''t want to have a next time with him. I turned around and looked him in the eyes when I recalled the reason I was here in the first ce. However, as I gazed into his ebony eyes, I was tongue-tied once again. ¡°Actually, I...¡± He interrupted me and asserted when I couldn''t even finish my sentence, ¡°You don''t have to worry because I have instructed someone to bring the required sum to your family members.¡± It took me a few seconds to figure out the things he had brought up since he made it sound as though it wasn''t a big deal. Once I snapped out of bewilderment, I asked, ¡°You knew?¡± Steven was rushed to the hospital yesterday! How the heck did he manage to find out about that so fast? He''s way too capable! ¡°Isn''t it obvious when you have repeated the same trick again? I mean, you''re not going to get in touch with me and seduce me unless you need me to do you a favor. With that being said, you need to bear in mind it''s not going to work for the third time.¡± Michael got out of bed and started tidying himself up with a straight face. Thus, I couldn''t tell if he was pleased or not. I looked elsewhere to avoid his gaze when I found out he had long since guessed the reason for my visit. ¡°If you knew, why did you still...¡± I couldn''t suppress the urge to figure out the reason he had agreed to bed me in spite of being aware of the things I had in mind. Although I hadn''t finished my sentence, I was certain he had guessed what I had in mind. He brought himself to a halt and stared at me in the eyes. A few secondster, he asked, ¡°Anna, I''m sure you''re aware now that only by being my woman, your life will be better.¡± Although he hadn''t made himself clear, I understood that he wished to maintain the sort of rtionship we had. ¡°Michael, I...¡± As much as I was against the idea, as the subservient one in the rtionship, I knew I was in no position to make a decision. ¡°You''re well aware of the things awaiting you because of your brother''s condition, aren''t you? It''s going to involve a huge amount of money until the day he''s able to stand on his own feet again. Are you sure you''re able to withstand the burden?¡± Michael was spot on. I couldn''t even turn him down because I had no choice but to rely on him until Steven waspletely recovered. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only He''s right... The doctor told me Steven needs to spend a few months in bed until he''s able to walk again because his nerves have been severely damaged. The fees for the operation weren''t my sole concern as there would be a lot more additional cost after that. There was no way I could afford those with my monthly ie. Michael leaned over and repeated his offer in a seductive tone. ¡°If you''re willing to maintain our rtionship, I''ll get the best doctor to tend to your brother. I''ll ensure that he''s taken care of with the best avable resources at no additional cost.¡± I was tempted by his offer as I wouldn''t have to go through any of the tormenting experiences anymore as soon as we came to terms with one another. But what sort of rtionship is he referring to? Does he want me to keep having this sort of secretive rtionship with him? Chapter 141 Chapter 141 As much as I was against the idea, he was the only one I could rely on until Steven regained his ability to walk. Pursing my lips, I lost myself in a train of thoughts. Michael broke the silence and repeated himself, ¡°You need to make up your mind soon because you''re running out of time.¡± I was certain I was about to get on his nerves for real after remaining silent for such a long time. I looked at him and asked in return, ¡°Before I give you my answer, can you answer a query of mine first?¡± Michael stood upright and asked with a straight face, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Of all the women avable, why me? Why have you chosen to stay in touch with me when you can get someone else for the role?¡± Michael was surrounded by a bunch of exceptional women. More often than not, many of them would try to hit on him, but he had never once taken them seriously. Truth be told, I was way more inferior to those exceptional women who tried to hit on him. Thus, I couldn''t figure out the reason why he would dismiss others without a second thought, and instead, chose to maintain a rtionship with me. Smirking while staring at me in the eyes, he remarked sarcastically, ¡°Will you believe me if I tell you it''s just because of your amazing skills in bed?¡± I felt a strong urge to throw the pillow I had with me in his direction when I heard his reply. Has he no shame at all? Is sex all he ever thinks about? Irked by his remarks, I shot daggers at him and asked, ¡°Michael, can you take this seriously and tell me the truth?¡± ¡°What? Are you saying that I lied to you? I am serious and I have told you the truth,¡± he asserted in all seriousness. I would have been deceived by him if it weren''t because I knew it was just one of his many attempts to pull my leg. Since he has no intention to tell me the truth, I guess I''ll just have to leave it alone for the time being. After all, it''s not like I can force him to tell me. I can''t risk offending him as of now. Once again, he urged me to make up my mind, ¡°Anna, instead of bringing up irrelevant topics, why don''t you make up your mind now because my patience is running out.¡± Staring at him in the eyes, I lost myself in another process of thoughts. Coming to the conclusion that what he offered seemed to be the only viable option I had left, I announced, ¡°It''s a deal, then.¡± My mother had been holding a grudge against me ever since Steven was rushed to the hospital. She wouldn''t forgive me if anything were to happen to him. In contrast to my rtionship with my parents, my dignity and honor were nothing. I couldn''t stand my mother considering me as an outsider. Otherwise, my life would be worse than it already was. ¡°Great.¡± Michael responded with a gleeful smirk and marched his way out of the room as soon as he put on his coat. I was frustrated by his response. He made it seemed as though we weren''t affiliated apart from the time we spent in bed. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. In the end, I cursed him over and over again in my mind to vent my frustration. When I thought he had departed, he entered the room once again and announced, ¡°Since you''re still not feeling well, just take it easy for the rest of the day and have a break.¡± ¡°I can''t. I need to check on Steven. He has just gone through a major operation, and I don''t even know if he''s fine or not.¡± I started searching for my clothes as soon as I finished my sentence. Now that my mother was already resenting me, if I failed to show up to my brother''s post-operation, she might pick on me for not being mindful. When Michael heard me, he answered with a frown, ¡°Just take it easy. His surgery was sessful and I have gotten my secretary to send a caregiver over to look after him. Your parents will be fine without you.¡± Has he gotten everything sorted out beforehand? Michael''s actions had taken me by surprise. As it turned out, he had taken everything into consideration and sorted out everything on my behalf. Humans would grow fond of those who helped them when they were at their most vulnerable. And that happened to be my case. I felt as though I could resolve everything as long as Michael was around me. ¡°Thank you, Michael.¡± I was d he had resolved the issues on my behalf when I was in desperate need of help. However, his uing reply took me by surprise and sent me into a vicious cycle of despair. ¡°There''s no need to thank me since I''m just returning the favor. At the end of the day, our rtionship is nothing more than a deal.¡± My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach upon hearing that. He might have deemed our rtionship as just another one of his many deals, but that wasn''t the case for me. Although he might see me as just another tool to satisfy his urges and needs, he was an important figure in my life. After all, he had rushed to my rescue twice when I needed someone the most. The sort of affection I had for him was no longer the same after the series of incidents. As a result of his reply, I felt my eyes prickling as though I was about to weep again. I looked elsewhere because I couldn''t stand his cold and emotionless gaze on me. Michael, who had always been an observant man, noticed the change in my expression, but he chose to dismiss me as though he couldn''t be bothered. ¡°Just get some rest. I''ll get my secretary to send you something to eat in the afternoon.¡± Once again, he marched out of the room once he finished his sentence. I didn''t hear him leaving the ce. Thus, I reckoned he must be in the living room. As Iy on the bed, I couldn''t bring myself to sleep anymore. I was exhausted, but I couldn''t shrug Michael''s remarks off my mind. Is our rtionship nothing more than a deal for him? Doesn''t he feel anything else? I couldn''t get Michael''s handsome countenance out of my mind. After some time, I heard someone ringing the doorbell. My first thought was that it was Michael''s secretary bringing us something to eat. A few minutes after the doorbell rang, Michael showed up in the room and saw that I wasn''t asleep. He instructed, ¡°Come out and grab yourself something to eat. I''ll be leaving for a meeting in the afternoon after the meal.¡± After getting dressed, I joined Michael in the dining hall. He started savoring the food his secretary brought us in an elegant manner. It was a rtively simple meal with a few dishes. Seated opposite him, I started having my meal in silence as there was no topic of conversation that came to mind. Perhaps it was because of his words earlier, I felt something had changed in the dynamic of our rtionship. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Likewise, Michael kept his head down and simply kept eating without any intention to talk to me. After finishing his meal, he put on his shoes and left without even a nce. When we were in bed earlier, he still treated me gently. As such, I was deeply disappointed by his abrupt change in behavior. Losing all my appetite, I silently tidied up the dining table before heading to the hospital alone. Since Michael had already left, there was no reason left for me to stay here. Besides, I was still utterly concerned about Steven. When I arrived at his ward, Steven had already woken up while my mother was feeding him chicken stew. Even though his operation was sessful, he still looked frail. The moment I stepped into the ward, they simply nced at me without saying a word. My mother''s gaze on me was extremely cold. Their behaviors were reasonable as Steven was in terrible shape. Thus, I forced myself to look past their icy attitude and walked over to my mother before reaching out to get the stew in her hand. ¡°Mom, you''ve been up the entire night. Let me take care of Steven. You should get some rest with Dad.¡± Staring at me angrily, she pushed me away without a word. I lifted my head and stared at her, sadness engulfing me. But before I could open my mouth, she spoke in an usatory tone. ¡°Why are you here? Is it not enough what you''ve done to Stevie?¡± Evidently, she still med me for everything that happened to Steven. But he was the one who got into the gambling debt. How''s that my fault? Why does no one try to understand my feelings? I could no longer suppress my indignance as my eyes brimmed with tears while staring at my mother. ¡°Mom, why are you putting all the me on me? Steven haspleted the operation, and I''ve paid all the expenses. So why do you still treat me like this?¡± I choked on my words while saying that. I used to tolerate everything she said about me, but she had crossed the line that day. After all, I was still a human with emotions. ¡°Yes, you did pay for the operation, but where did you get that money? Didn''t you say that you have no money? The operation cost around a hundred thousand, right?¡± Myint did not seem to touch her at all. On the contrary, she became more enraged as she began suspecting me. ¡°I...¡± I wanted to tell her the truth, but I could not reveal my rtionship with Michael. How could I be honest and say that the money came from a man because I slept with him? How could I live with dignity in front of my family in the future if they were to find out? ¡°Why? Nothing to say anymore? The truth is, you had the money all along, didn''t you? You just didn''t want to help your brother. If you have taken out the money sooner, Steven won''t be lying in bed right now!¡± Her words stabbed at my heart like a sharp knife, leaving it dripping blood. I had shamelessly sold my body to Michael for the money, yet my mother still misunderstood me. Staring at her, I started weeping. It was only then that I realized what kind of person I was in her eyes. Didn''t she see everything that I''ve done for this family? How could she think of me like that? ¡°Mom, am I such a cruel person in your eyes? Do you know how much I''ve sacrificed in order to get this money? Why do you never care for me but instead keep onining about everything I do?¡± I looked her in the eyes calmly. I really could not wrap my head around how she was treating me. It was as though I was not her biological daughter. What have I done wrong? I''m your child too. How could you discriminate against me? Is it just because I''m a girl? Ever since I was young, I had realized my parents'' unfair love toward their son. Initially, I thought the care for Steven only exceeded mine just for a little. But as time went by, I found out that I was like a complete outsider in their eyes. ¡°Do you think it''s easy raising you? Isn''t it reasonable for you to help the family financially? How could you think that we''ve wronged you?¡± Regardless of how heartbroken I was, my mother did not seem to show any sign ofpassion for me. Her gaze toward me was still unyieldingly cold as if I was nobody but a stranger. ¡°That''s not what I meant. It''s my obligation to help the family, and I''m happy to do what I can. I just want you to care about me more. Is that too much to ask for?¡± As I spoke, tears streamed down my face like water rushing from a broken dam. I looked at my mother like a naive kid, still anticipating her love. I thought that after my confession and pleading, she would understand my feelings and change her stance. I would be satisfied if she just gave me a word of care. However, it seemed that my expectation was nothing but wishful thinking. Upon hearing what I said, her expression changed to that of annoyance. ¡°Your brother is already in such a sorry state, and yet all you''re thinking about is yourself? How could you be so selfish?¡± That was what I got after pouring out my heart. ¡°That''s enough. Could you two please cut it out? Don''t you see Stevie is in pain now? Stop making a fuss around here.¡± My father, who was usually the quiet one, had finally run out of his patience. Hearing his voice, I swallowed all the words I wanted to say and strode toward the bed. Gazing at Steven''s pale face, my heart twitched in pain. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°How are you feeling? Does it still hurts?¡± Even though I disapproved of Steven''s way of life, he was still my brother. Looking at him in pain, I felt as though a thousand needles were stabbing through my heart. If he did not start gambling, he would not have been in this state now. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 ¡°Get lost. I don''t want to see you.¡± In his weakened state, Steven still managed to cast cruel words toward me. I was stunned momentarily as I thought he was the only one who would treat me fairly. Turns out, he was exactly the same as my other family members. ¡°Steven, I know you''re in a bad mood after your operation. But don''t worry. I''ll take good care of you.¡± I responded to him with a faint smile as I tried tofort myself that he only treated me like this because of his pain. Even though we used to argue all the time, he was a patient right now, so I decided to look past his temper. ¡°I ask you to get lost! Didn''t you hear me? My legs almost got crippled because of you! What kind of sister are you? Useless wench!¡± He stared at me, his eyes filled with resentment. I froze on the spot, suddenly at a loss for words. What else can I say at this point to lessen their resentment toward me? How did things end up like this? ¡°Steven, it''s not like what you think. If I had the money, there''s no way I wouldn''t have helped you. But I really didn''t have the money back then. My heart ached too, you know, seeing you hurt like this.¡± Looking at his legs that were wrapped in ayer of thick ster, tears started welling up in my eyes once again. ¡°Stop pretending. You never liked me. I guess you''re happy now to see me like this! It''ll be all your fault if I be a cripple!¡± His face was pale and his voice was weak, but his words were chocked full of hostility, deeply wounding me. Family should be united in times of trouble, but it seemed to me that my family had abandoned me thoroughly. ¡°Steven, you...¡± ¡°Leave now! I''ll give you three seconds!¡± Right then, Steven pointed at the door rigidly. ¡°Steven, can you please just listen to me?¡± ¡°One... two... three! Mom, what''re you waiting for? Chase her out now!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Seeing how I was reluctant to leave, Steven instructed my mother directly. Needless to say, she was on his side. Without even an ounce of hesitation, she started pushing me toward the door. ¡°Mom... don''t. Please...¡± I tried to break free from her grasp, but at the same time, I was worried about hurting her. In the end, I was pushed out of the ward. ¡°Leave now! None of us want to see you. I''ll just take it as I never had a daughter before!¡± Upon saying that, she pushed me out forcefully and shut the door right in my face. Losing my bnce, I thought I would fall to the ground, but someone caught me from behind. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± I pulled away from the stranger''s arms immediately as I apologized profusely. Wiping the tears off my face, I tried to make myself look less miserable. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± A gentle male''s voice traveled into my ears, and it sounded somewhatforting. I lifted my head and saw a handsome face. Although he wasn''t as handsome as Michael, he did seem like a well-educated gentleman. ¡°I''m fine. Sorry for bumping into you.¡± Trying to recollect myself, I looked into his gentle eyes and apologized once again. ¡°Don''t worry about it. It was an ident.¡± He shed a casual smile. ¡°By the way. Did you just get pushed out from...¡± He stopped in the middle of his sentence after probably realizing that it was rude to ask. ¡°It was nothing. Sorry again for bumping into you. I''ll take my leave, then.¡± He did not seem to be a bad guy, but telling a stranger about my personal matter hardly seemed appropriate. After I left, the man gazed at my retreating figure for quite a long while with a smile on his face. Walking out of the hospital, I suddenly felt like an abandoned child. I felt like there was not a ce in this world that I belonged. Although I could go to Natalie''s house, it was not my home after all. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an iron vice when I thought of how all my family members hated me. In the end, I did not get to Natalie''s ce. Instead, I headed for Birchwood. Right now, all I wanted was some quiet time alone, and I knew for a fact that Michael would not go to that ce during the day. If I went to Natalie''s ce, I would only cause her to worry about my current condition. Thest thing I wanted now was to be a burden to my friend. After I arrived at Birchwood, I sat down on the balcony decadently, gazing at the scenery. My heart was filled with despair, but there was no one I could talk to alleviate my pain. I had no idea how things became like this, and I was out of ways to make my family forgive me. Without realizing it, I sat there for the whole afternoon. As the day began to darken, I felt reluctant to leave the seat. All I wanted was to sit there dazedly nary a thought going through my mind. It was bing dark in the room, but I had no intention to switch on the lights. I did not know how much time had passed until I heard the door opening and footsteps approaching. A few secondster, someone switched on the lights in the house. The sudden brightness pierced through my eyes, and I responsively covered them with my hand. Regaining my sight, I saw Michael staring at me in total befuddlement. ¡°What are you doing in the balcony inplete darkness? You''re not thinking of suicide, are you?¡± Michael put down his suitcase abruptly and walked toward me, his gaze filled with displeasure. ¡°Am I such a pathetic person in your eyes? I''m not the type that gives up easily, okay?¡± I rose from the seat and stepped toward him. Why on earth would he think that I was thinking of suicide? What a joke. I still have great ns for my future. Why would I end my life? Michael did not question me further. A momentter, He sat on the couch in the living room and pulled me toward him before making me sit on hisp. He leaned close to my ears and asked gently, ¡°Did you go to the hospital today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I tried to answer calmly, but his question reminded me that my family chased me out and despair once again filled my heart. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Michael, being the keen observer that he was, noticed the change in my expression. ¡°Why the sad face? What happened at the hospital?¡± He caressed my back gently as he spoke. Although his tone was cid, I could feel a hint of genuine care for me. ¡°I got chased out by them.¡± I spoke as a wry smile etched itself on my face. Hah! What a joke to be rejected by my own family! Upon hearing my answer, he paused for a few seconds before resuming to caress my back. ¡°Why?¡± He looked at me with a face devoid of emotion. ¡°They think that I''m the one who caused Steven to be like this. Every one of them is ming me...¡± I wasn''t sure why I told Michael everything that happened back at the hospital. After all, he had nothing to do with it, and there was nothing he could do to fix it. Michael did not say a word after that, but I could see his expression darkening. ¡°Since you got chased out, there is no need for you to go back anymore. Just stay with me from now on.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only He held me tightly in his embrace and said in a low voice. Even though his tone sounded extremely possessive, I felt touched by his words. I hugged him tightly as tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrobly. I intended to suppress my sadness, but I soon realized I could no longer take it on my own. What I needed at that moment was someone to confide in out and someone to rely on. ¡°Why do they treat me like this? What wrong have I done? Why must they me it all on me?¡± My tears could not stop as I spoke. I was simply too exhausted from all the burdens and grievances I had been carrying. Michael furrowed his brows without a word, but I could feel his arms wrapping around me more tightly. I wept inside his embrace for a long time, until I finally fall asleep. Even though our rtionship was not that close for me to confide in him, I was still grateful and touched that he did not push me away when I was crying my heart out or when I had soiled his shirt with my tears. After I dozed off, Michael carried me to the bed, and he slept beside me. The following day when I woke up, my eyes were so swollen, it looked like I was stung by a bee. I turned my body and noticed that Michael was still sleeping by my side. Seeing that, I recalled that I had cried in his embrace for a long time the previous night. I guess he must be exhausted. I snaked an arm around him and hugged him. With him by my side, I could feel a rare sense of security. Even though I had already known that there was no future for our rtionship, I could not help but keep falling deeper into it. Apparently, Michael was not in a deep sleep, as he opened his eyes not long after. After waking up, he hugged me again and asked with a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Have you finished crying?¡± Hearing that, my face flushed red with embarrassment as I recalled how pitiful I must have looked when I was crying the previous night. ¡°Sorry I got your shirt dirtyst night.¡± I knew Michael was a clean freak, so I was certain it must have been difficult for him to tolerate me crying all over his shirt. ¡°So you still remember.¡± Michael frowned slightly, scrutinizing me. Displeasure flickered in his gaze. ¡°I''ll wash it for youter. Anyway, can I take leave for today? I n to go to the hospital againter.¡± I had taken leave for two days already, but I was still not in the mood to work. Even though I knew my family did not want to meet me, I could not let go of my concern for Steven. ¡°Haven''t you had enough of your family taking it out on you?¡± Michael stared at me, his expression was that of puzzlement. ¡°I''m still worried about Steven...¡± It was true that every word that my mother said hurt me deeply, but that pain was iparable to the physical pain Steven must have been enduring. ¡°I forbid you to go! You''ll only be humiliating yourself even more.¡± Michael sat upright andmanded me tersely. Baffled by his sudden outburst, I wondered if I had identally offended him with my words or actions. ¡°But...¡± ¡°You don''t need to worry about your brother. I''ll arrange the best doctor and the best medical care for him. You''re free to go anywhere, just not the hospital!¡± He did not give me the chance to finish my sentence. I was a little pissed off as he always dominated my life, yet there was no way I could disobey his decision. Nheless, he would be heading to work shortly. By then, he would not know even if I went to the hospital secretly. All he could do was merely giving me a warning. Michael seemed to have guessed my mind. He locked his eyes upon me for a moment and said tly, ¡°I have my men in the hospital. If you try to go there behind my back, I''ll definitely know.¡± Upon hearing that, frustration filled me. It was somehow terrifying how he seemed to know what was in my mind every single time. ¡°I got it. I won''t go to the hospital.¡± I lowered my head and answered, sounding utterly despondent. Even though I was worried about Steven, I knew that nothing would change even if I went there. I reckoned the oue would be no different from yesterday if I were to go... Michael is only doing this for my own good. Satisfied with my response, Michael got up and started getting changed. I sat on the spot, looking utterly dispirited. It was difficult for me to ept that my parents had forsaken me as I used to rely heavily on them emotionally. The treatment I got from them ever since I was a kid had always been one of indifference. As such, I had been working hard to prove myself ever since. But the more I tried, I realized that something was meant to be and would not change with effort. I hade to a point where I had no idea what would make them happy. Just when my thoughts were running wildly, a bank card appeared in my line of sight. Coming back to my senses, I saw Michael looming over me with his gaze riveted on me. ¡°What''s this?¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 I looked up at him in confusion. ¡°There''s a hundred thousand in this card. Go buy yourself some new clothes or something. You can throw all of your old clothes away if you want.¡± Michael''s tone was neutral when he said that, but I felt ufortable at how he was treating me like a sugar baby. ¡°Thanks, but I can afford to do my own shopping, so you can keep your money.¡± I refused his offer and ced the card on the nightstand. After all the money Michael had given me so far, I couldn''t bring myself to ept any more from him. Although he had paid for Steven''s surgery bills because of our deal, I had cost him hundreds of thousands in just a few months. ¡°You''re my woman now, so don''t worry about it and just take whatever money I give you. I don''t mind giving you money as long as you don''t have any ulterior motives for being with me.¡± I knew Michael was a generous man capable of offering insane amounts of money like it was nothing, but thatst sentence he said hurt me deeply. What does he mean by ulterior motives? Is it because all the women around him are after his money, so he finds it suspicious that I''m refusing his offer? ¡°Rx, I know what you mean. You and I are merely f*ck buddies, and nothing more.¡± It wasn''t the first time Michael had reminded me of our rtionship, and I was well aware that we had nothing between us outside of this house. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Right as I thought he was about to leave, he turned around at the door and said coldly, ¡°Oh, and you''d better take care of Yuval as soon as possible. I don''t like my women being in messy rtionships.¡± I looked up in a panic when I heard him mention Yuval, and my gaze was met with a firm look in his eyes. ¡°I will. I''m going to talk to him about it today.¡± I knew exactly what he meant. Whatever it was that I had going on with Yuval had to stop now that I was back with Michael. Knowing how possessive he was, there was no telling what he would do if he found out that I''m still seeing other men. Michael left after getting a satisfactory reply from me, and the room fell into silence once again. I felt my chest tighten as I stared at the door and thought about what he said earlier. Michael had a tendency to touch my heart with his words, only to send it back to rock bottom immediately after. I made myself a very simple breakfast and gave Yuval a call afterward to exin everything. We could no longer be together as I had decided to continue my rtionship with Michael, so I had to make it clear to him. Yuval was a little surprised when he got my call and seemed hesitant in his response. I assumed he thought I was calling him to borrow money or something. We agreed to meet up at a caf¨¦, and I had arrived ahead of time. It was usually Yuval who would arrive early for our dates, but he showed up thirty minutester that day. ¡°I''m so sorry for beingte, Anna. Have you been waiting for long?¡± Yuval apologized profusely as he sat down in front of me. ¡°That''s okay. You''ve always been the one waiting for me, so it''s only fair that I wait for you this time.¡± I didn''t really mind him beingte as I had made up my mind to tell him the truth anyway. I had agreed to date him in the first ce because I thought our personalitiesplemented each other, but I neglected the fact that he wasn''t the kind of guy I wanted to be with. ¡°So... Why did you want to see me all of a sudden?¡± Yuval asked after ordering a cup of coffee. I looked up at him and said calmly, ¡°There''s something I need to talk to you about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± he asked softly while looking me straight in the eye. ¡°Yuval, I came to break up with you. I don''t think we should be seeing each other.¡± I cut to the chase without any hesitation as I knew Michael would get mad at me if I didn''t cut ties with Yuval. ¡°Huh? Why do you want to break up with me?¡± Yuval looked at me in shock and panic as what I said waspletely beyond his expectations. ¡°I just feel that we''re not suitable for each other. I''ve been giving it a lot of thought and decided to tell you about it today.¡± I had actually nned on breaking up with Yuval a long time ago. Whenever those thoughts surfaced, I would remind myself of how hard it was to find someone suitable for marriage and convince myself to stay with him. ¡°What''s gotten into you today, Anna? Why are you breaking up with me all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong?¡± That was the first time I had seen Yuval look so anxious. ¡°It''s not you, it''s me. I agreed to date you at first because I thought you were a decent match for me, but I recently realized that I only see you as a friend instead of a boyfriend.¡± I knew what I said was hurtful, but I had to make a choice between the two of them, and Michael was the only one capable of helping me out. ¡°I think we''re doing pretty fine, so I find your exnation a little hard to believe. Is this because I didn''t help you out with your family situation?¡± He''s bringing up my family, so that means he has been thinking about it. He thinks I''m mad at him for not helping me. ¡°You''re overthinking it, Yuval. We aren''t all that close, so you have no obligations whatsoever to help me out.¡± Despite what I said, I did actually mind as I waspletely helpless at the time, and all he did was give me some useless advice. Of course, those feelings had disappearedpletely after Michael took care of my problems for me, so I didn''t feel sad about breaking up with Yuval at all. If anything, I simply found it a shame that I had to let go of a decent guy like him. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 ¡°Anna, I think we...¡± Yuval was about to say something further, but he was interrupted by a woman''s voiceing from behind us, ¡°Hey, Anna! Long time no see!¡± That voice... It''s Mabel! I haven''t seen her nor Justin in a very long time. Who would''ve thought I''d bump into her here today... I frowned as I turned to look at Mabel who had her arms wrapped around Justin''s, looking like she was the happiest woman in the world. A few months ago, seeing them acting all intimate like this would''ve made me incredibly furious and upset. However, all I felt toward them at that moment was pure disgust. Since nothing good ever happened with her around, I decided to look away and ignore her. ¡°What, aren''t you going to greet your old friend?¡± Mabel asked provocatively as she made her way in front of me, clinging tightly to Justin''s arm the whole time. ¡°I don''t think we''re friends anymore, so there is no need for greetings.¡± Mabel was probably the only woman in the world that I would treat so coldly. In fact, I no longer hated her, but I could never forgive her for what she did to me. Judging by the looks of her, it didn''t seem like she needed my forgiveness at all. ¡°Who is he, Anna?¡± Justin, who had been silent up until then, tried to change the topic when he saw Mabel taunting me. Not wanting to entertain a scumbag like him, I simply shot him a nce and kept quiet, much to his chagrin. The look on his face grew tense as things became awkward. ¡°My name is Yuval Lambert. I''m Anna''s boyfriend.¡± Yuval took the initiative to introduce himself when he saw me remain silent, but I didn''t like how he called himself my boyfriend when I hade to break up with him. Justin''s expression changed the moment he heard what Yuval said. Mabel snorted in disdain and said, ¡°Boyfriend? Heh... You sure are fast when ites to changing boyfriends, Anna! I can''t believe you''ve found yourself a new one in just a couple of days!¡± I knew she was trying to make Yuval think of me as a wh*re who keeps getting herself new boyfriends, but I didn''t really care. ¡°The amount of boyfriends I have is none of your concern. I suggest you mind your own business,¡± I said while ring coldly at her. ¡°What, are you afraid of me exposing your past in front of your boyfriend? By the way, where''s Michael? Didn''t you say Michael was your boyfriend the other day? Why are you with another guy now? Did you get dumped or something?¡± Mabel shed me a contemptuous smile as she deliberately brought up Michael in front of Yuval. Although I knew exactly what she was trying to do, I couldn''t help but feel angry at her nheless. What on earth have I ever done to her? She''s already dating Justin just like she wanted, so why is she still trying to pick a fight with me now? ¡°Who I date has nothing to do with you!¡± Mabel walked up to Yuval and ced a hand on his shoulder as she said, ¡°Hey, mister! My boyfriend used to date your girlfriend, and guess what? She''s surprisingly fast at getting into new rtionships! I mean, you''re the third guy she''s dating!¡± She kept her eyes fixated on me the whole time, and they were filled with hatred. With a frown on his face, Yuval brushed her hand off and said coldly, ¡°That''s between Anna and me. Now, if you''ll excuse us, we''re in the middle of a discussion here.¡± Despite his gentle nature, Yuval''s expression was as cold as ice when he saw what Mabel was trying to do. ¡°You two carry on, then. We''ll be on our way now,¡± Justin said while casting Yuval a hostile re. He didn''t make it too obvious because we were in public, and I probably wouldn''t have noticed it if I hadn''t known him for so many years. ¡°Hey, let go of me! I''m not done talking here, Justin! Are you feeling sorry for her, huh? Do you still have feelings for her or something?¡± Mabel shouted in dissatisfaction as Justin dragged her away by the arm. I could clearly hear what Mabel said even though the two of them had gotten far away from us, and I knew Yuval must''ve heard it too. I wasn''t exactly in a great mood to begin with, and that little scene Mabel caused worsened it even further. ¡°Yuval, I''ve told you everything I have to say to you, so let''s just be friends from now on,¡± I said in all seriousness while staring him in the eye. Yuval looked at me anxiously and was about to say something in response, but I cut him off before he had the chance to. ¡°I know what I said might''ve hurt you, but we won''t be happy together if we don''t have any feelings for each other. I''m sorry, I''ll be on my way now.¡± ¡°Anna...¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I then stood up and left, ignoring what he said behind me. Stepping out of the caf¨¦, I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. I had always felt this inexplicable pressure whenever I was with Yuval, and getting everything out in the open brought a huge relief. I soon arrived at a shopping mall and was browsing the women''s section in hopes of getting myself some new clothes. Thest time I went shopping for clothes was ages ago, and I had been under a lot of stresstely, so I could really do with a shopping spree. I picked out a light beige dress in a boutique and was surprised at how well it fitted me after trying it on. All women want to be beautiful, and I was no exception. I liked the dress for both its design and material, but the hefty price of over two thousand made me hesitate instantly. After getting changed, I ced the dress back on the rack and stared at it longingly. I really liked it, but I couldn''t bring myself to buy something that expensive. The clothes I owned cost around two to three hundred each, with the exception of the dress Michael gave me the other day. ¡°What do you think of this dress, miss? I think it suits you very well and brings out your elegance perfectly.¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 The salesperson spoke with a smile as she walked up to me with the dress in hand. ¡°It is a very pretty dress, but it''s a little too pricey for me.¡± ¡°You get what you pay for, miss. You wouldn''t be able to get something of such quality and design for a few hundred, would you? Besides, this dress suits you very well, and I''m sure your boyfriend will love it.¡± The salesperson was very good with her words and had managed to persuade me sessfully. Michael was the first person that came to mind when I heard her mention the word ¡°boyfriend,¡± even though we weren''t actually a couple. ¡°All right, then. I''ll have this dress.¡± I decided to buy the dress in the end, but I paid for it with my card even though Michael had given me a lot of money. Michael wasn''t home yet when I returned to Birchwood, so I took a shower and changed into the newly bought dress. I felt a little nervous, but I was also looking forward to see if he would notice anything different about me. Having made dinner, I sat down by the dinner table and waited for Michael toe home. I waited for hours until all the food had gone cold, but he had yet to return, and I received no text nor call from him whatsoever. I grabbed my phone and thought about calling him instead. However, when I recalled what he said about our rtionship, I decided against it. He''ll probably get the wrong idea if I call him to ask where he is... Time continued to tick away, and my eyelids grew increasingly heavier as I waited for Michael on the couch. I fell asleep on the couch at some point and woke up to the sound of the front door being opened much later. I opened my eyes and looked toward the door, only to see Michael staggering into the house reeking of alcohol. I could tell he had a lot to drink as he practically rested his entire body weight on me when I helped him to the bedroom. While we were walking, I caught a faint whiff of perfume on him and began freaking out a little. Michael doesn''t use any perfume, and this one smells like it''s for women! No, I shouldn''t let my imagination run too wild here... Michael may often be surrounded by women, but he never show any interest in them and always keeps his distance. The scent of alcohol on him was so strong that I couldn''t help but frown and asked worriedly, ¡°Why did you have so much to drink today?¡± Having known him for such a long time, this was the first time I had seen him so drunk. ¡°It was a social event,¡± Michael mumbled in his drunken stupor before pulling me hard on the arm. I fell on top of him, and my heart raced as I gazed deep into his eyes. After taking a moment to regain myposure, I quickly climbed off him and said, ¡°You''re too drunk, Michael. Take off your shirt and get some rest.¡± Before I could even stand up straight, Michael grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into his arms once again. He then gave me a deep and passionate kiss while holding the back of my head, his lips feeling a little warm from the intoxication. It didn''t take long before he began removing my dress, and I quickly stopped him as he would probably tear it with how rough he was. ¡°I''ll take it off myself.¡± Michael probably wasn''t expecting me to say that and simply stared at me with a faint smile on his face. I could tell he was really tired, but he pinned me down and got on top of me before I could say anything about it. Right as I thought Michael was going to ravage me, he stopped moving and simplyy on top of me in complete silence. ¡°Michael? Michael?¡± I called out to him when I noticed him breathing steadily. I pushed him off when I heard no response from him, only to realize he had already fallen asleep. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. That came as a surprise to me as Michael had always been quite the monster in bed, so I didn''t think he would fall asleep moments before having sex. Even the great Michael Shaw gets tired, huh? After changing into my nightgown, I was helping Michael get his shirt off when I noticed a faint lipstick stain on the cor. I didn''t wear any lipstick today, so this is definitely from another woman! I know that Michael and I are simply f*ck buddies and that I have no right to stop him from being with other women, but... for some reason, this makes me feel really ufortable... Heh, how silly of me to think that I''m the only woman he sleeps with! I really have to stop overestimating myself. We''re just f*ck buddies in the end, so I mustn''t fall for him! I broke into a wry smile at the thought of that and quickly tossed his shirt into the bathroom to get that lipstick stain out of my sight. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Iy down next to Michael after wiping his body down, but I couldn''t seem to fall asleep as a bunch of thoughts kept running through my mind. Why does he keep me around if he''s sleeping with other women? Does he enjoy having multiple f*ck buddies or something? The thoughts refused to leave my head no matter how much I tossed and turned in bed. At some point, I even felt the urge to wake him up and question him about what he did and who he was with earlier that night. However, I held myself back as I knew it wasn''t my ce to do so. I got out of bed very early the next morning as I could barely sleep at all due to the perfume and lipstick. I knew I couldn''t possibly be the only woman Michael has slept with, but what I didn''t know was when my feelings toward him began to change. Having taken a shower after sobering up, Michael emerged from the bedroom dressed in a robe and was just in time for breakfast. ¡°I had a bit too much to drinkst night,¡± he said coldly as he sat down at the table. ¡°Yeah,¡± I mumbled coolly in response and carried on eating without saying another word. I had wanted to ask him all aboutst night, but I held myself back as I knew it wasn''t my ce to do so. Michael looked up at me and frowned, seemingly displeased with my response. ¡°That''s it?¡± ¡°What else am I supposed to say?¡± I asked coldly as I stared back at him. I''ve made up my mindst night... I''m going to keep my distance from Michael so I won''t end up falling in love with him! We are merely f*ck buddies, and our rtionship will be limited to what we do in bed. ¡°I''ll drive you to the officeter.¡± Michael changed the topic after shooting me an unhappy nce. ¡°No need. I''ll take the subway.¡± Keeping my distance is a must to stop myself from catching feelings for him. While I can''t do much about it during our time in bed, I should at least avoid being around him as much as possible during the day. Michael frowned angrily when he noticed my dissatisfaction toward him. ¡°What''s with that attitude of yours, Anna?¡± ¡°Do let me know in advance if you''ve found yourself another woman, Mr. Shaw,¡± I said ambiguously before making my way toward the bedroom. After changing into formal attire, I left the house in a hurry as I didn''t want to spend another second around Michael. The frown on his face deepened, and there was a look of anger in his eyes as he watched me leave. Although I was the first to leave the house, taking the subway was a lot slower than driving. As such, Michael had already arrived at the office before I did. He was making his way back to his office when he saw mee in, but all he did was shoot me a cold nce in response. I thought he would try to make things difficult for me at work, but he never once set foot into my office the entire morning. It came as quite a surprise for me, albeit a rather pleasant one. After lunch, I was the first to return to work. Michael came out of his office and looked straight at me as he said, ¡°I want you to join me in the conference roomter to discuss business with Benyx Corporation, so get the documents ready.¡± His tone waspletely formal and void of emotion. ¡°Me? I don''t think that''s very appropriate...¡± I stared at Michael in confusion as there was no one else around me at the time. ¡°This is work, so how is it inappropriate?¡± Although I hadn''t been direct about it, Michael could tell that I was refusing his request and got angry immediately. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Got it, I''ll start preparing for it right away.¡± I couldn''t tell if he was being mad at me on purpose for what happened during breakfast earlier, but I decided to do as told anyway. After all, he was the CEO, and getting on his bad side would only result in me losing my job. Michael returned to his office when he saw me begin the preparations, and I shot him a fierce re while cursing at him in my head. All of my colleagues in the department stared at me in envy when I went into the conference room with Michaelter that afternoon. The look in their eyes showed how much they wanted to be in my position, and I realized I was the only person who actually wanted to stay away from Michael. The two of us entered the elevator, and he pinned me against the wall the moment the doors closed. He seemed extremely displeased as he stared me down and asked, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you today?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Shaw? I think I''m perfectly normal today.¡± Of course, I knew exactly what he meant and was simply ying dumb to keep my distance. ¡°You''ve been awfully cold to me since morning, and you call that normal?¡± Michael narrowed his eyes which were filled with anger and frustration. ¡°You''re probably just overthinking it. This is how I usually am.¡± I felt my heart race and tried to avoid his prating gaze in my state of panic. ¡°Stop testing my patience, Anna!¡± Michael inched closer toward me and ced both arms on the wall beside me, trapping me in his embrace. I pushed hard against his chest to keep him from getting any closer as I blurted nervously, ¡°We''re in an elevator, Michael! People might see us!¡± ¡°I don''t need you to remind me of our rtionship!¡± My protests only seemed to anger him even further, and I panicked in the face of his domineering aura. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 While I was panicking and at a loss for words, a ding sounded, followed by the opening of the elevator doors. Taking advantage of Michael''s inattention, I swiftly pushed him away. Michael glowered at me in chagrin when he had gathered his wits about him, his gaze brimming with frustration. Nheless, he hadn''t the time to teach me a lesson right then since the representative from Benyx Corporation was already waiting in the conference room. As he strode past me, he shot me a re before entering the conference room ahead of me. Following behind him, I walked in as well. The representative was a young and beautiful woman who was dressed fashionably. The moment she caught sight of Michael, her gaze remained riveted on him. ¡°You''re finally here, Mr. Shaw! I''ve been waiting for ages.¡± At once, the woman walked up to Michael and extended a hand to him. Arching a brow slightly, Michael shook her hand before taking his seat at the head of the table. ¡°You''re indeed young and beautiful, Ms. Linwood.¡± Afterplimenting her with a faint smile on his face, Michael took the contract from me and pushed it over to her. ¡°Here''s the contract. Let''s sign it right away if there aren''t any problems.¡± Jane Linwood flipped open the contract. After roughly scanning through it, she looked back at Michael. ¡°The contents of the contract are fine, but isn''t the price rather exorbitant? It''s just a small-scale advertisement, yet it costs this much?¡± It was more than apparent that she wasn''t quite satisfied with the price proposed by ourpany. ¡°If it''s not to your satisfaction, you can coborate with otherpanies. After all, my advertising company has endless projects with far higher prices than this.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Michael stared at her impassionately, his voice firm without any room for negotiation. Anyhow, he had the privilege of being arrogant. After all, Joyful Sess Advertisements was merely one of his manypanies across the various industries, yet it was already the biggest advertising company in Avenport. Realizing that he wasn''t going to budge, Jane''s smile stiffened for a moment. Her gaze remained fixated on Michael''s face with an unfathomable emotion shing in them. ¡°Alright, then. I''ll sign it.¡± In the end, Jane relented. Taking out a pen, she promptly signed the contract. Subsequently, Michael signed it as well. Handing the signed contract to me, Michael then extended his hand to Jane. ¡°Looking forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Jane hastily shook his hand while gazing at him with stars in her eyes. As a woman, I could sense that she was interested in Michael. Well, well... She must have taken a fancy to him! Sure enough, her subsequent action proved me right. ¡°I wonder if you''re free tonight, Mr. Shaw. How about having dinner together to celebrate our coboration?¡± Most men wouldn''t decline when a woman took the initiative to invite him out for a meal. The case was especially true if the woman was a beauty. Jane wore a confident smile on her face, probably certain that Michael wouldn''t rebuff her. However, Michael wasn''t the kind of man who yed by the rules. He declined without an ounce of hesitation. ¡°I''m sorry, but I''m otherwise engaged tonight. I believe that you must have a lot of work pending, so I won''t keep you any longer, Ms. Linwood.¡± Michael''s remark was an obvious dismissal. In the beginning, I was worried that he would agree to have dinner with her, but my heart finally settled back into my chest after hearing his demurral. Having been rejected, embarrassment swamped Jane, and her smile turned awkward. ¡°Okay, then. We''ll have dinner next time since you''re not free tonight, Mr. Shaw.¡± After saying that, Jane shed him a smile and left. While his demurral of her dinner invitation had nothing to do with me, my mood inexplicably took a turn for the better. Hmm... It seems that he''s not the kind of man who''ll ept any woman whoes on to him. At that thought, a snicker escaped me. Hearing that, Michael abruptly pivoted and stared at me. ¡°What are youughing about?¡± He red at me irately, his expression as cold as ice. ¡°Oh, I''m just happy for you that you''re so popr among thedies, Mr. Shaw.¡± Flustered at his oppressive gaze, I quickly made up an excuse. Nevertheless, he could likely discern the mockery in my voice. ¡°You''re happy for me? I never knew that you''d ever be happy on my behalf, Anna.¡± Michael stalked toward me with his long and tapered eyes narrowed a fraction, the look in his eyes inquisitive. Every time I was confronted with hispelling gaze, I felt trapped. It was as though all my emotions wereid bare before him under his piercing eyes. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I just remembered that I have a few documents to handle this afternoon, so please excuse me.¡± Not daring to tarry any longer with his prating gaze pinned on me, I swiftly moved around him and left after blurting that. When I returned to the office, many envious gazes swung my way. Some were even jealous of me since Michael usually couldn''t be bothered to spare them a single nce. As such, the opportunity to interact with him closely was out of the realm of possibility. ¡°How was it when you were with Mr. Shaw alone in the office earlier? Were there any sparks between the two of you?¡± Millie leaned close to me and looked at me with a nosy look on her face, her eyes dancing with glee. Upon hearing that, I gaped at her speechlessly with disgruntlement in my eyes. ¡°Don''t you know that he''s celibate? How could there possibly have been sparks between us?¡± Despite my feigned calmness, I was actually panicking inwardly. Probably no one will ever guess my rtionship with Michael, right? ¡°That''s true. I''ve never seen him with any woman. Logically speaking, there should be many women circling someone so handsome and rich like him. So why haven''t we ever seen him with any woman? Could it be that he can''t get it up?¡± Millie whispered into my ear. As I was drinking water, the water spurted from my mouth when I heard her spection. What? She actually thinks that he can''t get it up? That''s simply preposterous! He''s such a beast in bed that no average woman can stand the torment. I wonder if he''ll be infuriated if he learns that someone assumes that of him. After all, all men will be humiliated to be regarded as such, much less an egotistical man like him. ¡°That''s impossible! He''s definitely not the kind of person who can''t get it up,¡± I countered in his defense without even thinking about it. For some reason, I didn''t want others to have the impression that he had problems in the bedroom. ¡°How do you know that? Don''t tell me you''ve slept with him?¡± As soon as my words fell, Millie regarded me skeptically with suspicion in her eyes. ¡°I... I simply deduced it. I mean, just look at him. He doesn''t seem like a man that has any problems getting it up,¡± I hurriedly exined, panic assailing me upon hearing her question. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 ¡°Bah! How can you be certain that he can get it up when you''ve never slept with him? Although he appears manly, it''s difficult to say when ites to such a thing.¡± Even after I had insisted otherwise, Millie didn''t pay it the slightest mind. At that moment, she truly felt that Michael couldn''t get it up. Heaving a sigh, I zipped my mouth shut, knowing that she would definitely suspect something if I were to continue defending Michael. I didn''t want her to know about my rtionship with him. After working the entire day, I went to the supermarket to buy some fresh vegetables when I got off work. Then, I went back to Birchwood and started preparing dinner. While I was cooking, Natalie phoned and asked where I had been in the past two nights. She asked whether I had stayed overnight at the hospital, and I answered her truthfully, telling her that I had been at Michael''s ce. Shocked, she kept quizzing me about my rtionship with Michael. Nheless, I merely gave her a perfunctory reply and promised to exin things to her the next day. By the time I was done preparing dinner, Michael had already returned. As he gazed at the dishes I cooked, satisfaction manifested on his handsome countenance. ¡°Since you''re home, wash your hands and eat,¡± I urged mildly, staring at the man who had taken a seat on the couch. After washing his hands, Michael sat down across from me and started eating elegantly. Meanwhile, I kept my gaze on his alluring face. When I abruptly recalled Millie''s spection earlier, a bark of laughter escaped me. At my gaffe, Michael lifted his head and stared at me with a deep frown marring his face. ¡°Why are you laughing, Anna?¡± Ever since we arrived at the office that morning, I had been angering him time and again. Irked with me in the first ce, his expression darkened further upon seeing meughing at him. ¡°It''s nothing. I just thought of something funny,¡± I answered cidly. Stifling myughter, I kept my eyes trained on his as I tried my best to feign indifference. ¡°What was it that amused you so greatly?¡± Michael questioned intriguingly as he stared at me, no longer eating. Ironically, his current expression made it seem all the more hrious to me. ¡°I heard a female employee talking about you in the office today.¡± I stopped at that and fastened my eyes on him to discern his reaction. ¡°So, what was it about?¡± It was as though Michael could guess what I was going to say next, for the interest on his face suddenly vanished. He had probably heard female employees talking about him a lot,mending him on his striking countenance, wealth, and how he was an eligible bachelor whom they all wanted to bed. However, those weren''t what I wanted to tell him. ¡°There''s currently a female employee in the office who thinks that you can''t get it up.¡± I feigned a calm expression as I spoke. After saying that, I buried my head in the food, saying nothing as I awaited his wrath. Sure enough, his expression instantly turned grim on the heels of my words. The look in his eyes as he stared at me zed with fury. ¡°So, you think that my skills in bed aren''t satisfactory, Anna?¡± he hissed through gritted teeth, his face as dark as charcoal. No man could ept a woman thinking that their performance in bed was below par, and Michael was no exception. His gaze radiated intense rage. ¡°I didn''t say that! I merely heard that from someone else!¡± I hastily rified upon noticing that he had shifted his attention to me. Good Lord! His skills in bed are top-notch, so I''d never think that he can''t get it up. That''d be absurd! ¡°Then, what do you think? Do you think I can get it up?¡± Despite having pushed the me onto someone else, it didn''t seem to work as Michael continued to badger me. There was a strong sense of oppression in his eyes as they bored into me. ¡°I...¡± Helplessness inundated me. If I''d known that he''d me me, I wouldn''t have mentioned it to him! I merely wanted to see his reaction. I never expected it to backfire. Damn it, how unlucky! ¡°Since you think I can''t get it up either, I''ll show you my prowess tonight!¡± His voice was threaded with distinct anger. Gah! I''m really in hot water now! Why on earth did I open my big mouth and tell him about that? ¡°That''s not what I meant. Truly, I didn''t mean that...¡± I frantically exined. His skills in bed are already agonizing usually, so how am I going to sleep tonight and work tomorrow if he were to unleash his prowess tonight? ¡°It''s toote for exnations now!¡± Snorting, Michael abandoned his unfinished dinner and got to his feet, storming toward the bathroom. Soon after, the sound of running water drifted from the bathroom. Oh God, don''t tell me he''s already getting ready to torment me? As that thought urred to me, I ate at a snail''s pace in hopes that I could drag things out. In fact, I was resolved to wait him out in order to escape the torment that awaited me. After eating and clearing the dining table, I watched television in the living room. When it was about ten o''clock at night, I started growing drowsy. Hmm... I wonder if he''s asleep... It seems to have been a long time since Ist heard any sound from the bedroom. Could it be that he has drifted off? Sheer delight flooded me at that thought. If he has truly dozed off, I''ll be spared from his ravishment tonight! I crept into the bedroom stealthily. Since I didn''t turn on the lights, I couldn''t really see clearly. All I could see was Michael lying motionlessly on the bed. His silent demeanor had me all the more certain that he was asleep. Straightening, I warily tiptoed over to him. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Initially, I was nning on moving around him and cautiously lying down on the other side of the bed. s, things didn''t transpire as I wished. Just when I was about to brush past him, I abruptly sensed someone gripped my arm. In the next second, I was sprawled over Michael. ¡°Why, did you finally cave?¡± Michael''s lips curved into a smirk, not at all looking as though he had been sleeping earlier. Oh my God, he wasn''t asleep at all! He was aware of my n, thus deliberately waited for me to fall into his trap by feigning sleep! How absolutely cunning of him! ¡°Uh... You must be tired after working for the entire day, so why don''t you rest earlier? After all, we still have to go to work tomorrow,¡± I suggested softly on a sigh, as though looking out for him. ¡°I feel all worked up right now, so I''m afraid that I really can''t sleep without expending some energy. Luckily, I''ve got you by my side since some horizontal exercise is essential,¡± Michael countered, disregarding myment entirely. At that moment, he had already started unbuttoning my clothes. Knowing that I wouldn''t be able to escape his clutches that night, I couldn''t help mourning inwardly. But then again, I had no one to me but myself. Ugh! Of all things, why did I have to say that he can''t get it up? Wasn''t I just inviting trouble for myself? Chapter 151 Chapter 151 ¡°But...¡± I still wanted to argue, but Michael didn''t give me the opportunity to speak further. Before I could finish my sentence, he captured my lips, sealing my mouth tightly that I couldn''t even utter a single word. Not only was his kiss wild and domineering, but it even seemed to be colored with a hint of fury. I guess that''s to be expected. Any man will get up in arms upon hearing my words earlier, so it''s already a miracle that he managed to keep himself in check until now. As he continued smooching me, he ced me on the bed. All at once, my eyes widened as ire and annoyance swept over me. Piqued, I wanted to push Michael off me. However, he was like a huge boulder weighing down on me without budging an inch, no matter how hard I tried to shove him away. ¡°You''d better be good and cooperate with me tonight. Otherwise, your struggles will only arouse me further,¡± Michael warned in a deep and mesmerizing voice. Right then, his beguiling lips were brushing against my ear as he grasped both my wrists with a hand. I initially wanted to continue struggling, but I immediately stopped upon hearing that. I knew that he definitely wasn''t joking with me, after all. The moment I ceased struggling, a smug smile hovered over his lips. ¡°Are you done, Michael? I can''t take it anymore...¡± With both hands against his chest, I looked at him with misery written all over my face. ¡°This is just the beginning. As I said, I''m going to show you my prowess tonight!¡± As Michael spoke, he kept thrusting into me. Hearing that, I was rendered speechless. Jeez, he''s really holding a long grudge. I''ve rified that it was someone else who said that, so why is he still piling all the me on me? Ah, woe is me! ¡°I know you can get it up. I''ve never said otherwise...¡± After this particr incident, I had learned a lesson¡ªnever tell a man that he couldn''t get it up, especially one with Michael''s temperament. ¡°That''s it? Are you well-pleased tonight?¡± My remark didn''t satisfy Michael, and he stared at me with a wicked glint in his eyes. Dumbstruck, I went silent. Argh! Why must he ask me such a blunt question? How am I supposed to answer when it''s so mortifying? Flushing, I averted my gaze. I really didn''t want to answer his question since it was simply too embarrassing. ¡°Silence means you''re not satisfied. In that case, I''ve got to work harder.¡± A roguish smile yed on his lips. While saying that, he continued moving in me. As pain battered me, my brows creased. I actually didn''t want to yield, but I could no longer stand his frenzy. ¡°Yes...¡± In the end, I relented and gave him the reply he desired. After saying that, I looked away embarrassingly, not daring to look him in the eye anymore. When Michael had finally gotten a satisfactory answer out of me, the corners of his mouth curved into a gratified arc. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Pinning his jet-ck eyes on me, henguidly asked, ¡°Are you sure you''re satisfied? If you''re not, I don''t mind keeping at it a while longer.¡± He stared at me condescendingly with triumph shining in his eyes. ¡°N-No, it''s okay,¡± I promptly declined. ¡°I''m satisfied.¡± He had been keeping at it for a long time now, so I had long since been sore. If he were to continue, I truly couldn''t fathom how much longer he would torment me. ¡°In the case, I''ll take mercy on you tonight. But if you were to say that I can''t get it up again, I''m not going to let you off the hook so easily next time.¡± At the sight of my beseeching expression, the smugness in his gaze grew all the more distinct. After all, any man would be proud of himself when a woman begged for mercy under him. When Michael moved away from me, I heaved a long sigh of relief. Phew! This is truly a lesson to be remembered. Next time, I can''t ever say such a thing in front of him again, or he''ll truly finish me off! I was exhausted after having spent such a long time between the sheets, so I promptly fell into a deep slumber in his arms. When I woke up again, it was already early the next morning. Michael was all dressed for work, but I was still huddled under the covers in my birthday suit. I squinted at him with slightly swollen eyes even as the urge to continue sleeping seized me. Good God, isn''t he the slightest bit tired after having done it for such a long timest night? Yet, he''s no different from usual. Is he really indestructible? It took me great effort before I finally managed to sit up. After being tormented for what felt like an eternityst night, agony wracked my body that was now sore all over. ¡°Hurry up and get out of bed. I''ll give you a lift to the office,¡± Michael offered in an even voice as he turned around and cast me a nce. ¡°No, thanks. I''ll just take the subway since it''s still early,¡± I instinctively demurred, not wanting to be cooped in the same car with him. I hadn''t forgotten the perfume on him or the lipstick stain on his shirt the night before. Hence, it was imperative that I keep a distance from him. ¡°What''s wrong with you in the past two days, Anna?¡± Pausing in tying his necktie, he spun around and shot daggers at me in vexation. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 I had been rebuffing Michael and keeping him at a distance in the past two days, so he was sure to have sensed it. At his question, I averted my gaze in a panic to avoid looking him in the eye. ¡°There are too many people at the office. It''ll be bad if they discover our rtionship, so I''d better take the subway.¡± ¡°Just do whatever you like, then!¡± Michael didn''t coerce me, but I could tell that his voice was colored by rage. Plenty of women would kill to hitch a ride with him, but I rejected him twice in a row. As such, it was only natural that he was incensed. After saying that, he left with huge strides. While I breathed a sigh of relief, an inexplicable sense of disappointment enveloped me. I was still wondering whether he had another woman out there, the question of the perfume and lipstick stain on him guing me endlessly. I knew full well that I had no right to bother about that, but I simply couldn''t control myself. I was really afraid that I would lose myself to him, terrified of the devastation I would face if I truly fell in love with him. After spending the day in the office, I received a call from Natalie before it was even time to get off work. Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew that she wanted to know what was going on between Michael and me. As things hade to this point, I was aware that I could no longer keep her in the dark. Besides, I didn''t want to keep any more secrets from her either since she was my best friend. When I had gotten off work, I went to the agreed-upon caf¨¦ to meet Natalie. By the time I arrived, she was already waiting there. I sat down across from her, but I was momentarily at a loss for words. Surprisingly, Natalie was silent as well. ¡°Anna, we''re best friends, aren''t we? So I hope that you won''t keep secrets from me. I want to know about your rtionship with Michael Shaw. What exactly is going on between the two of you?¡± Natalie finally demanded after a long silence. She pinned her gaze on me, the look in her eyes puzzled and frantic. Nheless, I continued stirring my coffee for a moment before I lifted my head and looked at her squarely. ¡°Natalie, it was Michael who paid for my brother''s medical expenses. In return, I agreed to his stiption of being his lover,¡± I answered solemnly. ¡°What? You actually agreed to such a stiption? Have you lost your mind, Anna? Do you know how badly your reputation will be affected if this matter gets out?¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie abruptly shot to her feet and gaped at me in shock. ¡°Keep it down, Natalie. People will hear you if you shriek so loudly.¡± She was very loud, so I darted my eyes around worriedly. It wasn''t until I was certain that no one was looking at us did I finally breathe easier. Realizing that she was too emotional earlier, Natalie sat back down and regarded me anxiously. ¡°Anna, are you aware of the price you''ll have to pay when you do something like this? Do you know that your reputation will be in tatters if word spreads about this?¡± Natalie stared at me with trepidation etched on her face. However, I was very calm in the face of her concerns. ¡°I considered all that, but I had no other choice at that time. Nat, you know my brother needed the money for his operation. Likewise, you know that I could never manage to raise that much money. Therefore, my only recourse was to agree to Michael''s stiption.¡± I then lowered my eyes as despondency engulfed me. In truth, my illicit rtionship with Michael was a thorn in my flesh. ¡°Truly, you were too foolish. You only thought about saving your brother, but have you ever considered yourself? Michael will be fine if your rtionship with him gets out, but what about you? It''ll ruin your entire life. I really don''t know what else to say right now.¡± Natalie seemed exceedingly distressed after learning the truth about my rtionship with Michael. I knew that she was worried about me, but it was no longer of any use now that things were already set in stone. ¡°Alright, don''t worry about me. I''ll be sure to keep my rtionship with him under wraps. Besides, such a rtionship between us won''tst all that long. After all, men get bored easily after some time.¡± I only said that because I discovered traces of another woman on Michael. ¡°Jeez, I really don''t know how else to dissuade you from your current course of action.¡± Sighing, Natalie looked at me helplessly as words eluded her. In reality, she knew that nothing she said would make a difference now as what was done was done. ¡°Okay, stop being so pessimistic. Perhaps Michael will lose interest in me a few dayster. At that time, I''ll be free again,¡± I blurted nonchntly at the despair on her face, grasping her hands. Truth be told, I was more bothered about it than anyone else, but that didn''t matter anymore. As things had been set in motion, there was no turning back. ¡°Hopefully so.¡± Natalie sighed again, knowing that she could only hope for the best since it was now toote to do things differently. After parting ways with her, I was a touch distracted as my thoughts drifted. Michael may very well get sick of me soon, huh? And now that he has a new lover, my novelty will probably wear off in no time. As I ambled along the street, I was entirely preupied. Even when I crossed the road, I failed to look at the traffic light. All of a sudden, an ear-piercing honk pierced the air. When I noticed a bright red Ferrari hurtling toward me, my mind went nk as all my thoughts scattered. Seeing that it was about to hit me, I screwed my eyes shut in resignation. Inwardly, I kept fretting, Oh God, I''m done for this time! Even if I don''t die, I''m going to end up crippled! Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Screech! The sound of car tires against the gravel was so deafening that even my heart leaped to my throat. When I felt no impact after a long moment, I opened my eyes in mystification. Noticing that the car had come to a stop a few inches from me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Phew! That was a close call! I wanted to move to the sidewalk, but my legs felt as though they were shackled to the ground, weighing a ton. All at once, my knees buckled from the fright. By then, the owner of the Ferrari had alighted from the car. A man''s tall and slender figure entered my line of sight, but I couldn''t quite see his countenance since he had on huge sunsses. ¡°Are you okay, miss? Why didn''t you look at the traffic light before crossing the road?¡± As the man walked over to me, he wore an anxious expression on his face. His voice was mellifluous and seemed rather familiar to me. Nheless, my mind was a chaotic mess at present, so I simply hadn''t the mental capacity to contemte anything else. ¡°I''m fine. Sorry, I was a bit distracted earlier,¡± I murmured in embarrassment as I looked up at him. Under normal circumstances, I would definitely be enraged at almost having been mowed down. But this time, I was the one who flouted the traffic rules. ¡°It''s you?¡± he eximed in surprise while staring at me. ¡°Do I know you?¡± Chapter 153 Chapter 153 I questioned the man while eyeing the huge sunsses on his face. Whipping off his sunsses, he looked at me in delight. ¡°We met at the hospital back then. Don''t you remember me? Or am I really that unmemorable?¡± At that, I scrutinized the handsome countenance that suddenly appeared before me. The man was at least a meter eight in height. The ck sports attire he was wearing showcased his perfect figure, complementing his lovely golden-brown hair. He had bright eyes threaded with a hint of childishness, a straight nose, smooth skin, pink thin lips, and exquisite features. His face seems really familiar... Ah, I remember now! He''s the guy I collided with back when I was kicked out of the hospital room. ¡°I remember now. I identally ran into you at the hospital previously.¡± Since I was in a sorry state both times we met, mortification swamped me. I ducked my head, no longer daring to look him in the eye. ¡°Bingo! I knew you haven''t forgotten about me!¡± A smug smile bloomed on his face upon seeing that I had recalled him. Staring at me, he then asked, ¡°Where are you going right now?¡± His clear eyes glowed with warmth as he looked at me. ¡°I''m thinking of going to the hospital.¡± I hadn''t been to the hospital in two days, so I was a tad worried about Steven. Besides, my mother wouldn''t even take my calls now. Every time I phoned her, she would decline the call right away. ¡°It happens that I''m headed to the hospital as well. So why don''t I give you a ride?¡± The beaming smile on his face gave off a sense of youth and sunshine. Sure enough, it was great to be young. Judging from his looks, he was probably around twenty-five years old. ¡°No, it''s okay. That''ll be too much trouble for you,¡± I declined without an ounce of hesitation. It was merely our second meeting, so we were yet strangers. For that reason, it seemed rather inappropriate to ept a ride from him. ¡°It''s no trouble at all since I''m going to the hospital anyway. Besides, I''ll even get someone to chat with me during the drive.¡± Despite my demurral, he was still quite insistent. His enthusiasm went beyond my expectation, so I couldn''t think of a reason to refuse further at the moment. ¡°In that case, thank you in advance.¡± Seeing that I had agreed, a grin split his face. Then, he swiftly strode over to the passenger seat and opened the door for me. I shed him a stiff smile before getting into his car. Subsequently, the car started moving. The atmosphere felt awkward as I sat in the car with a stranger, for I didn''t know what to say. ¡°Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Ronan Moore. What''s your name, miss?¡± Just when the tension in the air was so thick that one could cut it with a knife, he finally broke the silence. ¡°I''m Anna Garcia,¡± I answered after ncing at his profile. ¡°Anna... one full of grace. That''s a good name.¡± Ronan''s face lit up with a smile again upon hearing my name. I eyed him in astonishment, not having expected him to easily discern the meaning of my name when he appeared s¨¦. Truly, he surprised me. ¡°Back at the hospital then, I noticed that you were kicked out of the hospital room. May I ask why?¡± Ronan turned slightly and looked at me. After a moment of silence, he turned fully and regarded me with puzzlement in his eyes. My expression stiffened at the mention of the incident that day. I really didn''t know how to give voice to the fact that it was my family who kicked me out of the hospital room. Furthermore, he was a stranger to me, and I didn''t want the entire world to know about my family issues. I averted my gaze, no longer looking at him. My silence was a clear indication that I didn''t want to speak of that matter. ¡°Okay, it''s fine if you don''t feel like telling me about it. It was just a casual question.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Noticing my taciturn, he didn''t pursue the subject further. He drove very fast, so we arrived at the hospital in no time. After thanking him, I parted ways with him. When I alighted from the car, he persistently asked me for my phone number. I actually didn''t want to give it to him, but he was simply too glib that I couldn''t find any reason not to do so. In the end, I jotted my number down and handed it to him. He didn''t seem to have malicious intentions, so I wasn''t all that worried. When I arrived at Steven''s ward, I stood outside the door. It was very quiet inside. Peering in through the ss window, I saw that my mother had made some soup and was feeding Steven patiently. Her expression was as loving as ever, one I had never seen before on her face. After standing at the door for a while, I finally gathered my courage to push open the door and walked in. My mother looked over her shoulder at the sound of the door opening. As soon as she caught sight of me, her face soured at once, and fury glinted in her eyes. I knew that she was still holding a grudge against me, but I was already ecstatic that she hadn''t kicked me out right away this time. ¡°How are Steven''s legs, Mom? What did the doctor say? I inquired softly. With my gaze pinned on her, I halted in my tracks. ¡°Why are you still asking when you can see it for yourself? Do you think he''s fine when both his legs are broken?¡± my mother snarled coldly as she regarded me with wrath written all over her face. At that, I knew for certain that she was still feeling resentful toward me. ¡°Don''t worry so much, Mom. He''ll recover soon,¡± Iforted after having walked over to her, patting her on the shoulder. Steven is everything to her, so it''s only natural that she''s feeling bitter to see him lying on the hospital bed now. ¡°You''re not worried because it''s not you lying on the hospital bed. If you were in his shoes, you wouldn''t be saying such a thing.¡± Although my mother didn''t kick me out, her words still carried great rancor toward me. Sighing, I walked over to her and remarked in exasperation, ¡°Mom, what''s done cannot be undone, so don''t be mad anymore, okay? Steven''s legs will heal very soon.¡± Honestly speaking, I had long since grown ustomed to her sarcastic remarks. But what difference would it make even if she resented and detested me right then? ¡°Just leave if there''s nothing else, for the sight of you is irritating me greatly!¡± She coldly dismissed me before I had even said anything much. I looked at her sorrowfully as anguish inundated me. Why? Just why can''t she get over it when the reality is already such? ¡°You''ve been at the hospital for several days now, so you must be tired. I''ll stay and take care of Steven tonight so that you can get some rest.¡± It was in as day that my mother had lost much weight in the few days she had been staying at the hospital. Thus, I couldn''t quite bring myself to see her exhausting herself further. She was my biological mother, after all, so I still felt distressed at her current condition. ¡°Forget it. Who knows whether you''re sincere in taking care of him? You might even just leave him here to his own devices.¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Every single word out of my mother''s mouth cut deep. I stared at her in stark despair. I knew that she was still irked at me, but never had I thought that she would think that of me. I''m also her daughter at the end of the day, so how could she think that I don''t love Steven? ¡°Mom, if that''s truly what you think of me, then I have nothing else to say. I know you don''t want to see me, so I''m leaving.¡± While I was worried about her and wanted her forgiveness, I didn''t want to beg for it. Instead, I wanted genuine concern and forgiveness from her. After saying that, I whirled around and hastened toward the door. In all honesty, she had truly hurt me greatly. ¡°How impudent...¡± My mother had more to say, but I didn''t halt, and simply left in huge strides. By the time I reached the hospital lobby, the frustration within me had mushroomed. Argh! What exactly do I have to do before she''d forgive me? She''s well aware that Steven''s incident had nothing to do with me, so why is she heaping the me on me? Was it me who made him gamble and owe loan sharks money? When I reached the hospital entrance, someone kept honking behind me. Frowning in consternation, I moved to the side to make way for the car behind me. Despite that, the car behind me persisted in honking at me. I nced back over my shoulder, only to glimpse a familiar Ferrari. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Isn''t that Ronan''s car? While I was still bewildered, Ronan poked his head out of the car window. ¡°We meet again, Ms. Garcia,¡± he greeted. As always, he wore a bright smile on his face, making me feel particrly rxed. ¡°Weren''t you here to visit someone? Why are you done so quickly?¡± I regarded him in surprise since a visit probably took much longer. ¡°The same can be said of you, isn''t that right, Ms. Garcia?¡± Ronan countered cidly without answering my question. An amused smile blossomed on his face. Looking into his eyes, I was rendered speechless for a moment. Well, I''m a special case. I had no choice but to leave since my entire family abhorred my presence. ¡°It''s gettingte, so I''ve got to hurry home.¡± Not wanting to dwell on those wearisome matters anymore, I made to leave after saying that. ¡°Where do you stay? I''ll drive you home.¡± Once again, Ronan offered to drive me home. ¡°It''s okay. I''ll just hail a taxi home since it''s a long way from here.¡± Ronan and I were strangers who had only met twice, so we weren''t that close that I would ept his offer to drive me home. Besides, my rtionship with Michael was of a ndestine nature. While Michael wasn''t a celebrity or anything of the sort, there was much mention of him in magazines. Thus, it would be bad if he were recognized. ¡°You''re really firm in your demurral, Ms. Garcia, not giving me the slightest opportunity to give a beautifuldy a lift.¡± Feigning an expression of regret, Ronan spread his hands as though he was utterly disappointed. That antic of his seemed frivolous to me, turning me off. Instinctually, I wanted to keep a distance from him. After all, there was no shortage of men wanting to pick up beautiful girls for hookups nowadays. Indeed, his striking and charming countenance was evenparable to that of Michael''s, but I didn''t just go to bed with anyone. After all, AIDS was no joke. ¡°Well then, please excuse me.¡± Lacking the patience to continue yakking with him, I pivoted and quickly left after saying that. Meanwhile, Ronan remained sitting in the car and stared at me without saying anything. Throughout it all, a smirk hovered on his lips. By the time I returned to Birchwood, Michael had been home ages ago. Right then, he was reading a book in the living room. Ever since I agreed to be his lover, he came here every single night to the point that I wondered whether he was going to take up permanent residence. Hmm? He has a huge mansion, so why isn''t he going there but staying here every day? Aren''t men supposed to be visiting their lover asionally? I''ve never heard of anyone who lives with his lover. ¡°Where did you go that you only came back at this hour?¡± Michael queried mildly. He closed the book in his hand and shifted his gaze to me. ¡°I had coffee with Natalie before making a visit to the hospital,¡± I exined after putting my handbag on the couch. I automatically omitted any mention of Ronan since Michael was an extremely possessive man. While there was nothing between the handsome young man and me, he might misunderstand if he learned about him. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not to go to the hospital? Why are you so stubborn?¡± Hearing that I went to the hospital, Michael''s brows furrowed deeply, and his gaze radiated displeasure. ¡°The person lying in the hospital is my brother, so how am I supposed to abandon him? I''m not as cold- blooded as you.¡± To Michael, it was a piece of cake to suppress the urge to go to the hospital because he was inherently a cold-blooded man. However, I couldn''t do that. Every time I thought of my brother''s broken legs, anxiety gripped me. While I didn''t stay at the hospital to look after him, not a minute went past without me worrying. ¡°Cold-blooded? You think I''m a cold-blooded person?¡± Michael demanded coldly. He fixed his long and tapered eyes that had narrowed into slits on me, his gaze glinting dangerously. ¡°Are you not? I''m not as rational as you. I''m a woman driven by emotions, so I can''t obey your orders of not going to the hospital!¡± Despite knowing that Michael only wanted the best for me, I simply couldn''t help the urge to go to the hospital and mend my rtionship with my parents. He had never been in my shoes, so he couldn''t comprehend the anguish of being misunderstood and resented by one''s own family. ¡°So, do you think your visit aplished anything?¡± Michael questioned coldly. Surprisingly, he didn''t go ballistic but merely stared into my eyes. ¡°It''s better than doing nothing at all. At least, I''ve done my best.¡± I naturally knew that my mother currently despised me to the bone. No matter how many visits I make to the hospital, it wouldn''t make a difference since she would never forgive me so easily. Michael continued looking me squarely in the eye. After a long time had passed, he finally murmured, ¡°I''ll help you with it.¡± At that, I gaped at him incredulously as I wondered whether I had misheard him. Did he actually say that he''ll help me? I must be hallucinating! My eyes on him were wide as saucers, and I had no idea what to say for a moment. Gratitude welled within me, but I couldn''t utter any words of thanks before him. ¡°Why are you still standing there in a daze? Go on and cook dinner! Or do you want me to starve?¡± Michael''s sharp brows knitted together again when I remained silent for an eternity, his voice tinged with disgruntlement. Snapping out of my stupor, I hastily rushed to the kitchen. Since he promised to help me, he''ll definitely keep his word! Chapter 155 Chapter 155 I bustled around in the kitchen. Although it was really exhausting to cook dinner for Michael after working for the entire day, I found it absolutely worthwhile at that very moment. In all honesty, he had truly helped me too much in matters pertaining to my family. Regardless of whether he had any ulterior motives, the fact remained that he had lent me a hand at my lowest. As I stood before the stove, stirring the soup, a smile unwittingly broke out across my face. At some time, a pair of massive hands suddenly mped around my waist. Michael''s warm breaths tickled my neck as he rested his chin against my shoulder. ¡°What are you doing, Michael? I''m cooking here.¡± However, Michael merely hugged me wordlessly without taking things further. It was the first time he was affectionate with me without any sexual intent. All at once, an inexplicable feeling spread through me. ¡°It suddenly urred to me that we''ve never done it in the kitchen despite having been acquainted for such a long time. How about we try it tonight?¡± All of a sudden, Michael''s voice turned roguish after I had spoken. His gaze was sensual, while his words were depraved and shameless. Ugh! Is sex all he thinks about every second of every day? Doesn''t he have better things to dwell upon? I was truly bbergasted at his train of thoughts. Nheless, I didn''t darement on it to his face as the memory of how he tormented me until the wee hours when he was pissed offst night was still vivid in my mind. ¡°Stop messing around, Michael! The soup is going to boil over!¡± His words just now caused panic to strike me, and I couldn''t help musing, Is he for real? Don''t tell me he really wants to do the deed in the kitchen? His imagination is really boundless... Michael merely ignored me, his gigantic hands roaming up and down my body. At that turn of events, my heart skipped a beat. Good heavens! He''s serious... Bubble, bubble... As the sound of the soup boiling rang out, I nced at the pot of soup that had started bubbling. ¡°Stop it, Michael! It''s very dangerous here in the kitchen!¡± I chastised urgently. ¡°What a spoilsport!¡± Dropping his hands from me in a huff, Michael spun around and strode toward the dining table. His handsome countenance darkened as though he was offended by my suggestion. Unfortunately, I couldn''t be bothered about that right then. My only concern at the moment was to escape the imminent torture. I was still feeling the aftereffects of his frenzyst night, so I wasn''t in the mood to y any more sensual games with him tonight. Instead, I merely wanted to have a good night''s sleep. Later, I carried four simple dishes and a soup to the dining room. Michael buried his head in the food without sparing me a single nce as though it was an entirely different man who flirted with me in the kitchen earlier. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Hah! So what if he doesn''t want to talk to me? That''s even better since I don''t feel like talking to him either. Anyhow, he''ll only speak of sex! When I cleared the dining table after dinner, he had already retreated to the bedroom for a shower. Wearily massaging my shoulder, I made my way to the bedroom as well. I was nning to go to bed after taking a shower. The instant Michael stepped out of the bathroom, I glimpsed a shirt in his hand. It was the shirt he wore when he was hammered that night. As soon as I spotted the white shirt, my expression stiffened. I again recalled the lipstick stain on the cor. ¡°I haven''t had the time to send the shirt for dry cleaning, but I''ll do it tomorrow.¡± At present, I wasn''t just his lover in this house, for I had also taken up the duties of a housekeeper. Doingundry and cooking were all my responsibilities now that I was even in awe of myself. ¡°Wear a lipstick of a different color next time. This color looks awful,¡± Michael noted evenly, pointing at the lipstick stain on the cor. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I don''t have a lipstick in that color,¡± I retorted indifferently as I lifted my head and met his gaze head-on. Frankly speaking, the distinct rose-colored lipstick stain stung my eyes. Don''t tell me he thinks that it was me who left the lipstick stain on his cor? When did he ever see me wearing lipstick of that color? ¡°It wasn''t you?¡± Michael regarded me in surprise upon hearing that, his gaze skeptical. ¡°Who could it be if not you?¡± I found his expression at the moment rather ludicrous. Pfft... He doesn''t know who left the lipstick stain on him, and he''s asking me that? Isn''t that absolutely ridiculous? Or are there a boatload of women around him that he can''t even remember who left it? ¡°You should know the answer best, Mr. Shaw, so it''s not me you should be asking.¡± I stared at him with a cold expression on my face, my voice stained with displeasure. ¡°What''s your problem, Anna?¡± Michael eyed me with a frown, his gaze radiating irritation and his voice colored with rage. ¡°Nothing at all. I''m going to take a shower and go to bed. If you want to know who left the lipstick stain, just gather all your women and kiss them one by one.¡± Looking at him derisively, I stifled the aggravation within me and stalked into the bathroom after moving around him. ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± When Michael roared my name, I had already mmed the bathroom door shut. As I showered, the lipstick stain on his cor shed across my mind once more, putting me in an even fouler mood. While he wanted to know who left that, I was actually even more curious than him. I took a long time in the bathroom before I finally went out. When I stepped out, Michael was already sprawled on the bed. After blow-drying my hair, I walked over to the other side of the bed andy down. ¡°Are you jealous, Anna?¡± I thought Michael was asleep since his eyes were closed, but his voice then drifted into my ears. He sounded calm and bereft of all emotion. Hearing that, my heart lurched, and my gaze snapped to him in a panic. I didn''t expect him to have discerned my feelings so easily. ¡°You''re reading too much into things. Do I even have the right to be jealous, considering the nature of our rtionship?¡± Nevertheless, I would never admit it to him. His cardinal rule was for me to never harbor any feelings for him, so he would definitely know that I had fallen for him and suspect me if I ever admitted to being jealous. ¡°What was with the furious expression just now if you''re not jealous?¡± He turned to look at me. A hint of disappointment showed in his gaze, but his voice remained impassionate. ¡°Well, I just think that you could''ve told me if you have another woman out there and have lost interest in me. Let''s not waste each other''s youth.¡± If he really had another woman out there, my only thought right then was to end my rtionship with him. I couldn''t ept him taking the time to do the deed with another woman while being intimate with me. ¡°Do you think that I, Michael Shaw, am such a libertine that any woman would do for me?¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Michael''s ebony eyes were fixated on me, his gaze glinting with barely banked fury. Seeing that, I knew that he was on the verge of blowing his top. ¡°You''re the only one who knows whether you''re a libertine, and that has nothing to do with me.¡± Hastily averting my gaze, I screwed my eyes shut after saying that and feigned sleep because I didn''t want to debate that matter with him anymore. Despite my closed eyes, I could sense that Michael''s gaze remained pinned on me. Nheless, I didn''t dare open my eyes and could only pray that he would go to sleep quickly. A long time passed before he finally shifted his gaze away and closed his eyes to sleep. Perhaps it was because I had angered him earlier that he slept with his back to me without touching me. While a sliver of distress slithered into me, I felt that it was a good thing at the end of the day. After all, it was far better than being thoroughly ravished by the man. In the next few days, Michael was rather cold to me. To top it off, he hadn''t been to Birchwood in two consecutive days, making me wonder whether he had gone to the other woman''s ce. It was presentlyte at night, and it was the third day he had been absent. I was at sixes and sevens, held captive by the dread that he had truly gone to seek other the other woman. I wanted to phone him, yet I dared not do so. Instead, I agonized over the matter all alone. Argh! This is so frustrating! Just when I had finally snapped and started pacing in the living room, my cell phone rang out of the blue. I swiftly snagged it up in hopes that it was a call from Michael. But when I glimpsed the caller ID, dejection settled in because it was a call from my mother. On second thought, thrill flooded me. ¡°Mom, you''re finally giving me a call!¡± Ever since Steven''s incident, she had never once phoned me. And every time I did so, she always rejected the call. Hence, I was over the moon when she suddenly rang me up right then. ¡°Are you free now? If you''re not tired,e over and help to take care of your brother. Your father and I are both up in years, so we can''t overtax ourselves.¡± On the other end of the phone, my mother''s voice was still a touch frosty, but it was already a great improvement from before. ted, I promptly replied, ¡°Sure! I''ll go over right away!¡± Even after hanging up the phone, I was still feeling very much excited. Striding to the hallway, I grabbed my jacket and left in a hurry. Michael''s ebony eyes were fixated on me, his gaze glinting with barely banked fury. Seeing that, I knew that he was on the verge of blowing his top. I hailed a taxi to the hospital. It was veryte by the time I arrived at the hospital, so a deathly silence hung in the corridors. My mother was sitting at the head of the hospital bed when I reached Steven''s ward, wiping his face with a towel. ¡°I''m here, Mom,¡± I greeted cautiously after walking over to my mother. Trepidation gripped me that she would again treat me to a frigid expression as she did a few days ago. Upon hearing my voice, my parents'' eyes alighted on me in concert. After Stevens''s incident, uneasiness consumed me whenever I was confronted with their gazes. After casting me a cid nce, my mother expressionlessly handed the towel to me and ordered, ¡°Since you''re here,e and wipe your brother''s face.¡± Her reaction surprised me, but I was inwardly d. While she was apathetic toward me, she no longer flew into a rage the moment she saw me. Taking the towel from her, I sat down in front of Steven and carefully wiped his face. ¡°Aren''t you tired toe over to the hospital at this hour after having worked the entire day?¡± Steven queried. The look in his eyes as he stared at me was detached, but his animosity of the past was gone. ¡°Nope. My weariness doesn''t matter as long as you recover speedily.¡± It was the first time my family was ever so amiable to me. To that end, I actually felt a tad perturbed and uneasy. Their drastic change of attitude was so sudden that I couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was amiss. ¡°Just visiting Stevie today is sufficient. You should go back earlier to rest. During the weekend, you can come over and help to take care of him.¡± My mother then came up behind me. It was the first time she ever showed concern for me. Surprised, I jerked my head back to gape at her as I wondered whether I had misheard her. Is she really showing concern for me? And is she really not going to push all the me on me anymore? All these years, I had only ever heard grumbles and reprisals from her. For that reason, I was both jubnt and incredulous upon hearing such regard all of a sudden. ¡°I''m not tired. You must be tired after taking care of Stevie in the hospital for so many days. How about you find a ce and rest for a bit? I''ll take care of him tonight.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. My mother had begun showing regard for me, so it was good news to me. As I clocked her haggard face ofte, my heart clenched. Just when she was about to reply, the door to the ward was abruptly pushed open. I thought it would surely be a nurse who was here making her rounds considering thete hour, but my expression instantly froze upon glimpsing the person who came in. Michael? Why is he here? And why would hee to Steven''s ward? ¡°Mr. Shaw.¡± The instant Michael appeared, my mother immediately greeted him with a smile, hurrying over to him with a fawning expression on her face. Shock besieged me when I saw that she was acquainted with Michael. It was his secretary who came on his behalf back when he gave my family money then, so I couldn''t figure out how she would know him. As such, I grew all the more bewildered. ¡°How do you know Michael, Mom?¡± I stared at my mother and asked in puzzlement, snapping back to my senses after a long moment. ¡°Anna, I didn''t know that you''re acquainted with such an affluent friend like Mr. Shaw. He came to the hospital today and told me that he''ll bear your brother''s hospital bill and also help him find the best physiotherapist.¡± While saying that, my mother''s eyes shone as her smile grew even wider. It wasn''t until after I had heard that did the puzzle slot together. I finally realized that my family''s radical change of attitude toward me was all because of Michael. At the end of the day, it was because Michael was my friend and only offered to help my brother financially for my sake. Ultimately, my parents only cared about Steven and were amiable to me to secure the funding for his subsequent treatment. My eyes turned red, and my heart twisted in agony. If that''s truly the reason, then I''d rather that she''d never changed her attitude toward me! ¡°Mom, is that why you changed your attitude toward me?¡± I regarded my mother with tears shimmering in my ears. Inwardly, I still harbored a glimmer of hope, hoping against hope that she truly cared about me instead of it all because of my brother. ¡°Well, you wanted me to treat you better, no? Why are you so fixated on the reason when you''ve now gotten your wish?¡± Confronted by my scrutiny, my mother''s gaze became shifty. She didn''t answer my question directly, but the meaning of her words was in as day. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 After having received confirmation of my guess, my lips curved into a mocking arc. And as I looked at my mother, disappointment showed in my eyes. Well, well... It turns out that I''ve been looking at things through rose-colored sses! My family isn''t sincere in being amiable to me. At the end of the day, they''re only putting on a show for Steven''s sake so that his subsequent medical expenses will be taken care of. ¡°Mom, I really wonder whether I''m your biological daughter. Why are you so cruel to me? What exactly have I done wrong?¡± I roared as I stared right into my mother''s eyes, trembling all over. Those words had been bottled within me for a very long time, and I truly couldn''t suppress them anymore. I really wanted to know why there was such a huge disparity between Steven and me in her affections. After bellowing that, I spun around and left in a sh. I didn''t want to listen to a single word further. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, Anna?¡± My mother''s infuriated bellow rang out behind me when I fled the room. Nheless, I ignored her and quickened my pace instead. I sprinted to the yard behind the hospital with tears streaming down my face, my heart a mangled mess in my chest. Only then did I know that my mother would truly do anything at all for Steven, yet she couldn''t spare me even a smidge of love. I plopped down on a bench in the yard. Many peopleing and going stared at me, but I wasn''t bothered at all. I only wanted to cry my heart out so that I would feel better. After crying for what seemed an eternity, a packet of tissue suddenly appeared before me. Taken aback, I looked up at the person in front of me, only for the rage within me to surge once again when Michael''s countenance greeted me. Pushing Michael''s hand away, I shot to my feet. ¡°What are you doing here? Just why did youe to the hospital? And why did you say that you''ll bear all of Steven''s medical expenses?¡± Imbasted at the top of my lungs. If he hadn''t said such a thing to my parents, I wouldn''t have learned that my mother only changed her attitude toward me because of Steven! I''d rather they keep being indifferent to me than to know the truth! At that moment, my heart had truly shattered into a million pieces. Upon seeing my emotional state, Michael frowned and glowered at me indignantly. His dark eyes were stained with a hint of anger. After having received confirmation of my guess, my lips curved into a mocking arc. And as I looked at my mother, disappointment showed in my eyes. ¡°Stop being so ungrateful, Anna! I''m helping you!¡± While saying that, Michael''s gaze was chilly and his expression grim. ¡°Helping me? How have you helped me? Should I be thanking you for telling my parents that you''ll bear all of Steven''s medical expenses?¡± Having caused such a dilemma, he''s actually iming that he''s helping me! What a joke! I eyed him scornfully, my voice heavy with sorrow. ¡°Didn''t you want your family to treat you better? I''ve already made that happen, so why are you angry?¡± Michael stared at me in bafflement, his expression flinty. The fury in his voice became all the more distinct. All of a sudden, a light bulb went off in my head. Oh, so this is him keeping the promise he made to me back then! It turned out that such was the method he employed so that my family would treat me better. Initially, I thought that I could surely mend my rtionship with my family as long as he helped me. But from the look of things now, it was all wishful thinking on my part. ¡°Have you? You merely twisted the knife deeper! Michael, you don''t know what I want at all! You have absolutely no idea how I wish that they''ll treat me sincerely!¡± I want them to love me from the bottom of their hearts and not because of money! Shellshocked, Michael stood rooted to the spot. The wrath on his face faded, but he seemed somewhat confused. ¡°You know nothing. You have no inkling of what I truly want.¡± Suddenly growing subdued, I turned around to leave after saying that weakly. At that moment, I didn''t want to argue with him. Someone like him can never understand my feelings right now. After all, he has never known how it feels to have both his parents detesting him. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Out of the blue, I sensed a restraining force on my arm. With a yank, Michael pulled me into his embrace and hugged me tightly without saying anything. Still feeling resentful toward him because of the incident just now, I struggled wildly. But still, he cradled me against him tightly and refused to let go of me. He said nary a word, engulfing me within his strong arms. Tired from my struggles, I finally yielded and allowed him to simply hold me. While shielded in his embrace, a sense of peace infused me. All this while, I felt as though I had been abandoned by the whole world, for even my closest and beloved family only harbored resentment toward me. Aggravation and grief built within me, but I had nowhere to vent and could only bottle everything. ¡°Why must they treat me so unjustly? Am I not good enough?¡± I muttered, resting against his chest. ¡°You''re too soft-hearted, Anna,¡± Michael remarked without answering my question. Naturally, I knew what he meant by that. I indeed wanted to be more ruthless, but I simply couldn''t harden my heart against them at the thought that they were my family. ¡°I''m tired. I want to go home.¡± I changed the subject, not wanting to dwell upon my family issues anymore. Right then, I only wanted some peace. Michael remained silent. Taking my hand, he headed toward the parking lot. Huh? He''s actually not keeping a distance from me in a public ce such as this? Is he not afraid of being recognized? Isn''t he most worried that our rtionship woulde to light and ruin his reputation? With Michael driving, we arrived back at Birchwood shortly. As soon as we were home, I shut myself in the bedroom. Michael didn''t get up in arms or bother me. After a long time had passed, I slipped into a deep slumber on the bed. Having wept and vented, I inwardly resolved that I would still be the same person when I wake up tomorrow after a good night''s sleep. While groggy with sleep, I seemingly heard Michael getting into bed. There was barely a rustle as he lay down beside me, as though he was afraid of waking me. Then, he even thoughtfully tucked the covers around me. Astonishment washed over me, for he would never do such a thing from what I know of him. Inwardly, I mused, How could he possibly be so gentle with me? Besides, he has never been afraid of rousing me in the past. I must be dreaming. I''m asleep, so this must be a dream! Nevertheless, it felt so real that it could be construed as reality. I slept until I woke up naturally. When I roused, the sun was already overhead. Rubbing my eyes, I fumbled for my cell phone. The instant I glimpsed the time, my eyes instantly went wide. What the hell? It''s actually eleven o''clock in the morning? Oh God, how did I oversleep? Damn it! I''m alreadyte for work today! I''m sure I set my rm, so why didn''t I hear it ringing? Chapter 158 Chapter 158 I raked a hand through my hair in frustration. Argh! I wonder how much Mr. Doyle is going to penalize me since I''mte to work today! I then flipped through my contacts for Harry''s number to give him a call and exin things. But before I had even pressed the dial button, a call came in. At the sight of Michael''s name shing across the screen, my heart pounded wildly. Shit! Could he be calling at this time to question why I''m not in the office yet? Oh God, what should I do? How should I exin it to him? I can''t say that I overslept, can I? After all, such an excuse isn''t valid to him! Throughout my internal monologue, my phone continued ringing. Inhaling deeply, I finally answered the call uneasily. ¡°Hello, Mr. Shaw...¡± I murmured after the call was connected. Sheer anxiety ricocheted within me, for I was terrified that Michael''s apoplectic voice would suddenly st out from the other end of the phone. ¡°You''re awake?¡± To my surprise, Michael didn''t rage at me. Instead, his voice was cid with a trace of warmth. My heart skipped a beat at once, and a strange feeling pervaded me. I shook my head forcefully, telling myself that I had to be hearing things since he would never speak to me so tenderly. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shaw. I overslept this morning.¡± Well, regardless of whether he''s calling to reprimand me, I can''t go wrong with an apology right off the bat. Even if he''s irate, he won''t be too angry when I apologize so sincerely. ¡°I was the one who turned off your rm. I''m giving you the day off, so just stay home and rest up. Perhaps I went about things wrongly yesterday.¡± Michael''s deep and alluring voice was still as detached as ever as it drifted over, yet my heart fluttered. What? He was the one who turned off my rm? How could he simply fiddle with my cell phone? Doesn''t he know what privacy means? My anger was piqued at his admission, but when I registered the meaning of his final utterance, my heart hammered wildly. He actually admitted that he was wrong before me? Has hell frozen over today? ¡°Mr. Shaw, I...¡± It was a long while before I snapped out of my stupor. I opened my mouth to say something else, but he had already hung up on me. Hearing the disconnect tone from the other end of the phone, I curled my lips in chagrin. Good grief! That was the first time he admitted to having made a mistake, yet he only uttered that meager remark. How insincere! I raked a hand through my hair in frustration. Argh! I wonder how much Mr. Doyle is going to penalize me since I''mte to work today! After putting down the phone, my emotions remained turbulent for a very long time. Why would an arrogant man like him simply apologize? Has he gotten his wires crossed today? Despite my puzzlement, I forced myself not to think about anything remotely rted to Michael. His mind was wired differently from others, after all, so I could neverprehend his thoughts even if I were to rack my brains. I stayed at Birchwood the entire day without going anywhere. When hunger pangs hit, I made a cup of instant noodles, determined to rx all day. I simply allowed myself to be unkempt without washing up or changing my clothes, I was so sloppy that I was no different from a bedraggled vagabond. When Michael came home at night, he was so shocked at my state that his eyes almost popped out of his head. Never once had I been so s¨¦ about my image before him. ¡°Anna, did you just fall into a trash can?¡± Putting down the briefcase in his hand, Michael eyed me with utter contempt as his striking brows creased deeply. ¡°Is it necessary for you to be so harsh, Michael? I merely didn''t wash up or doll up today. You''re making things sound worse than they are!¡± Upon hearing that, I frowned in consternation. Jeez, he''s really exaggerating things. Although I''m a bit disheveled, I don''t look as bad as having fallen into the trash can, do I? ¡°Aren''t you afraid that I''ll lose interest in you when you''re showing me such an unsightly side of you?¡± Michaelmented after a long while, looking me up and down. ¡°That''s your problem.¡± How I wish he would lose interest in me since I wasn''t in the mood to entertain him recently. I was already annoyed by my own problems, so I hadn''t the mental capacity to bother about him. Michael regarded me in vexation. In the next second, hismanding voice rang out. ¡°I''m giving you half an hour to take a shower and change.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. All at once, my brows scrunched together. While I was disgruntled at his order, I still ambled to the bathroom for a shower. Meanwhile, Michael''s sharp brows furrowed deeply as his gaze fell on the empty cup of instant noodles on the dining table. He was a clean freak, so he was definitely hopping mad to see that I had messed up his house in a single day. When I came out after showering and changing into a set of clean pajamas, Michael was sitting in the living room with a terrifyingly grim expression. ¡°I told you to rx at home today, and you made such a mess?¡± He pointed a long and slender finger at the empty cup of instant noodles on the dining table, his voice colored with barely suppressed anger. Following his gaze, I murmured guiltily, ¡°I''ll clean it up right away.¡± I''ve got to return this ce to its pristine condition before he blows a gasket. Otherwise, he definitely won''t forgive me so easily, considering his temperament. Quickly tossing the empty cup of instant noodles into the trash can, I then wiped the dining table clean with a piece of tissue. After cleaning everything up, I went back to Michael. Looking at him, I urged softly, ¡°It''ste, so go and take a shower before going to bed.¡± He again threw the dining table a look before getting up without a word and heading to the bathroom. The entire night passed without incident. Perhaps Michael was also tired, for he foregone our usual bout of passion that night. He merely hugged me from behind and fell into a deep slumber. It was a rare urrence for us toy on the bed together without passion consuming us. Feeling safe, I drifted off in no time. After learning that Michael had fiddled with my cell phone without permission, I deliberately changed my screen lock to my fingerprint. Although he only turned off my rm out of concern, I disliked having someone else simply manipting my things. I just couldn''t shake off the feeling that my privacy had been vited, albeit having nothing much to hide in the first ce. When my rm rang in the morning, I blinked open my eyes. At that time, Michael had just gotten dressed. He looked at me strangely upon seeing me get out of bed before pivoting and leaving without a word. Glimpsing the time, I quickly changed and hurried to work with no time to spare for breakfast. I had to hurry since the subway was particrly crowded during the morning rush hour. Otherwise, I would definitely bete. By the time I arrived panting at the office, I only had a few minutes to spare. I breathed a sigh of relief and made my way to my table. But before I had even settled down, Millie leaned over to me. ¡°You''re something else, Anna! When did you get so familiar with Mr. Shaw? Tell me everything! What''s your rtionship with him?¡± Chapter 159 Chapter 159 My heart lurched at Millie''s suspicious look, and panic struck me. Oh God, what''s the meaning of this? Why is she asking me such a question? Don''t tell me she has learned about my rtionship with Michael? ¡°W-What do you mean? What kind of rtionship could I have with Mr. Shaw?¡± I regarded her with a flustered expression, my voice tinged with a hint of guilt. ¡°Ah, stop lying to me! Mr. Shaw came to the office yesterday and personally applied for leave on your behalf. Everyone was shocked and wondered about your rtionship with him.¡± Millie eyed me nosily, her gaze radiating curiosity. ¡°I-I was going to phone Mr. Doyle to apply for leave yesterday, but I somehow rang up Mr. Shaw instead,¡± I hastily rified while looking at her sheepishly. Phew! I thought she has learned about my rtionship with Michael, but it seems that all the uproar is just because he helped me to apply for leave. ¡°Anna, I just feel that your rtionship with Mr. Shaw isn''t that simple. Don''t tell me the two of you are actually dating?¡± Millie didn''t believe my exnation, her eyes brimming with delight as she said that. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, Millie? How could I possibly have anything to do with him? I''m just an ordinary employee. Please stop saying such a thing, for it''ll certainly bring me trouble if others overhear such spection.¡± While she was merely postting, the panic within me snowballed. D*mn it! Now that she''s starting to suspect my rtionship with Michael, it may trulye to light in the future! ¡°Alright, alright. I was just joking, so why are you so panicked? The more flustered you are, the more people will suspect you!¡± Millie''s expression turned solemn as she stared at me. She didn''t continue pursuing the matter about my rtionship with Michael, but I was inwardly freaking out. Dear Lord, if even Millie thinks that Michael and I are too close, will the others also feel the same way? ¡°Don''t simply say such a thing in the future. I don''t want to invite unnecessary trouble.¡± After saying that coldly, I proceeded to ignore her and buried my head in my work. Truth be told, I was a little bent out of shape because of her remark earlier. Millie stuck out her tongue at me. Perhaps realizing that she had gone overboard with her allegations, she merely cast me a hesitant nce without furtherment. My emotions were a chaotic mess the entire morning. Thanks to Millie''sments, I simply couldn''t concentrate on my work. My heart lurched at Millie''s suspicious look, and panic struck me. Oh God, what''s the meaning of this? Why is she asking me such a question? Don''t tell me she has learned about my rtionship with Michael? After having lunch, I went to the washroom. When I entered the washroom, I identally bumped into two colleagues from my department. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to bump into you,¡± I promptly apologized. ¡°Are you blind? That hurts, you know!¡± Initially, I thought that everything would be fine after apologizing. However, the female colleague whom I bumped into seemed disinclined to drop the matter. She shot daggers at me, her words scathing. I frowned as chagrin flooded me from her biting reprisal. Jeez, I only knocked into her lightly. It''s not like I mmed into her. Does it warrant such pointed barbs? ¡°I''ve already apologized just now,¡± I cidly murmured, lifting my head to stare at her. ¡°What''s the use of an apology? Does it negate the fact that you rammed into me earlier?¡± I didn''t want to have any conflicts with my colleagues in the office, but her words truly had me seeing red. Raising my head, I glowered at her. Not wanting to entertain her further, I spun around to leave. s, she didn''t seem willing to let me off so easily. ¡°Did I say you can leave? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± Hearing that, the wrath within me zed all the hotter. I whirled around and regarded her frostily. ¡°I''ve already apologized earlier, so what else do you want? It was unintentional on my part just now.¡± While I didn''t want to make trouble, it didn''t mean that others could simply pick on me. Argh! Is it really necessary for her to be so unforgiving when I just bumped into her lightly? ¡°Oh my, how arrogant! Anna Garcia, did you think that you can do whatever you want in the office and act as though everyone is beneath you just because of your rtionship with Mr. Shaw?¡± She stalked up to me, her voice turning shrill. When I heard that, I finally realized that she was targeting me because of Michael. What the hell? Don''t tell me it''s also because Michael applied for leave on my behalf? ¡°That''s your assumption!¡± I didn''t want to exin things since it would only end in a deeper misunderstanding. After saying that, I turned around to leave. ¡°Don''t think that someone like you can seduce Mr. Shaw, Anna. There are tons of beauties around him, so you don''t even stand a chance!¡± she dered loudly behind me, her gaze burning with envy. ¡°If I don''t stand a chance, then you''re even less likely to have a shot. I''d advise you to first take a good look at yourself in the mirror before picking trouble with someone else!¡± Snorting, I spun on my heels and strode away after spatting that contemptuously. I recognized that female colleague known as Tiffany Barker. Despite being in the same department, we weren''t familiar with each other. In fact, we had never spoken before. But I did hear from Millie that she was Michael''s biggest fan in the entire department. As such, she was certainly picking trouble with me on purpose earlier. When I returned to the office, frustration mmed into me. I was pissed off at Michael since the many incidents that had transpired today were all because he had given me the day off yesterday. D*mn it all to hell! Look what happened now! I''m probably going to be the public enemy of all the female employees in thepany! But then, they''re really petty, huh? Is it necessary to pick on me when he merely gave me a day off? Besides, even if there''s something between us, that''s our business. It has nothing to do with them! As I looked at the closed door of the president''s office, the annoyance within me grew, and I couldn''t help heaping all the me on Michael. If it weren''t for him, I would never be targeted by my colleagues! All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When it was time to get off work, I received a text from Michael, asking me to wait for him at the underground parking. Nheless, I turned off my phone irritatedly and ignored it. When the time got around to get off work, I didn''t wait for him but left right away. After all, I was now being targeted by the female colleagues in the office because of him, so I would truly be the public enemy of the entirepany if someone spotted me meeting up with him. I trudged along the street after work. Before I had even reached the subway station, my cell phone rang again. Thinking that it was a call from Michael, I initially didn''t want to take it. But when I saw an unknown number shing across the screen, I frowned in puzzlement. In the end, I answered the call. ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted coolly when the call was connected. ¡°Hello, Ms. Garcia. Do you still remember me?¡± On the other end of the line, a familiar male voice drifted out. It gave off a cheerful feeling, but I couldn''t ce it for a moment. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 ¡°Who are you?¡± I was puzzled and could not figure out who the caller was. ¡°I''m Ronan. Have you forgotten me, Ms. Garcia?¡± Ronan, who was on the other end of the line, was somewhat disappointed after knowing that I could not recognize him. ¡°Oh, it''s you. I didn''t forget about you. It''s just that it''s out of my expectations that you''ll call me out of the blue.¡± Ronan''s unforgettable looks could fight that of Michael''s, so I would never forget him. But then, I did not expect that he would call me. I thought I would never meet him again. Who knew he would call me just after a few days. To be honest, I disliked men who were like Ronan. Even though it was undeniable that he was handsome and had a sunny boy kind of vibe, he had always given me the impression that he was flippant. He looked like an irresponsible youngd, which was the extreme opposite of the type of man I would like¡ªmature and steady. ¡°It took me great difficulty to get your number, so how is it possible for me to not contact you? I''m very enthusiastic when ites to calling prettydies.¡± Ronan''s voice from the other side of the phone was starting to get frivolous. Instantly, I frowned as I disliked the way he talked. ¡°Why did you call me for?¡± I asked inly. ¡°Well, I would like to ask a prettydy like you out for dinner.¡± Ronan''s voice sounded from the other end of the line once again, but this time his words only got me more furious. Isn''t it unchivalrous for a man to tell ady such words when he has only seen her twice? ¡°I don''t have time today, so I''m afraid we can''t meet.¡± In my mind, I had alreadybeled Ronan as a yboy. As such, I instinctively rejected his invitation. ¡°Ms. Garcia, you rejected me without thinking. That hurts me so much; I''m really disappointed,¡± continued Ronan after pausing for a while. ¡°I''m sorry, but I really have something on tonight.¡± Since I decided not to have any form of rtionship with Ronan, I rejected him outright. I knew this yboy''s reason for calling me very well. Other than not having any interest in him, I figured I should not do anything inappropriate given my current rtionship with Michael. ¡°Who are you?¡± I was puzzled and could not figure out who the caller was. ¡°All right, I won''t insist since you said that. But I hope you''ll not turn me down next time.¡± Hearing my response, Ronan did not press the topic any further. ¡°Goodbye then.¡± I heaved a sigh of relief and hung up the phone after saying that. Apart from our first meet, Ronan had always been very frivolous. Although he was very handsome, I did not have good feelings toward him. I preferred men who had a mature and staid appearance, albeit they might not be the same on the inside. Michael was the exact example of that. When I returned to Birchwood, Michael was not home yet. Then, I recalled the text message he sent me earlier, yet could not wrap my mind around why he had asked me to wait for him at the parking lot. I shook my head and did not want to think about anything rted to Michael. Because of him, I already had a hard time in thepany, so I did not want anyone else to know about my rtionship with him. If that colleague called Tiffany knew that I had slept with Michael for more than once, won''t she be so furious that she lost her mind? Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I was in the kitchen busily preparing for dinner that night. After a long while, I heard the sounds of the knob twisting and the door opening, and Michael walked in after. As soon as he saw me, his expression instantly turned grim as his gaze glinted with anger. ¡°You''re at home?¡± he uttered as he came over to my side. There was a hint of fury in his tone. ¡°Of course I''m at home. Where else can I be at this hour if I''m not home?¡± I forced a smile on my face as a sense of guilt rose in me while I looked at Michael. He must''ve asked me that because of that text message. ¡°Didn''t I tell you to wait for me at the parking lot? Why did youe back first?¡± After hearing my reply, Michael''s expression froze. He strode toward me as his eyes were zing with growing rage that it was as though he wanted to burn me to ashes. ¡°Message? What message?¡± I pretended to be confused as I felt a shiver down my spine. ¡°What do you mean? Anna, don''t tell me you didn''t receive the message I sent you?¡± I thought I would be able to bluff my way out. However, Michael appeared to be even angrier after I said that. ¡°I really don''t know what message you''re referring to. When did you send me a message?¡± Faced with his stern looks, I could not bring myself to look into his eyes. I was panicking deep inside. ¡°Don''t try to use your petty tricks on me, Anna!¡± Michael snorted before leaving for the room. I was flustered when I saw him leaving. Hesitated at the thought of how I was the target of my colleagues in the office that morning, I called and stopped him from heading out. ¡°Umm... I have something to tell you.¡± To avoid being constantly targeted by my colleagues, I decided to clear up the air with Michael. ¡°What?¡± He stopped in his tracks and turned to me while still looking cold and indifferent. ¡°From today onward, can we not have any other contact or meet up outside this house? I don''t want to let too many people know about our rtionship.¡± After a moment of silence, I decided to tell him what was on my mind. The reason I could put my words out in a tone devoid of guilt and shame was that I thought Michael would agree to my suggestion since he was just unwilling to let others learn about our rtionship as well, just like me. ¡°Is this what you wanted to tell me?¡± He narrowed his eyes as he stood in his original spot. The surge of coldness sprang from the depth of his eyes that I instantly felt a drop in the room temperature. ¡°I know you don''t want others to know about our rtionship too. Since we have the same thought in mind, we should act like we don''t know each other when we''re outside,¡± I reiterated while looking into Michael''s eyes, even though I could not decipher why he was so furious. ¡°To you, my presence is really that embarrassing?¡± He stared at me and popped the question after a long time. I was confident that those words I had said were out of goodwill for both of us. However, his reaction to my reply seemed to show that he was really annoyed. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 ¡°Since you''re so adamant on keeping our rtionship under wraps, I shall fulfill your wish,¡± Michael coldly replied and stormed out of the door without even sparing a second nce at me. I was baffled to see him infuriated. I don''t think I said anything wrong, so why is he so angry? Could it be because of that message? As I thought of that message he sent me, I was overwhelmed with guilt once again. I hurriedly shook my head to get rid of any thoughts rting to Michael and directed my attention back to continue with dinner preparation. Nheless, he did not return when dinner was ready. I sat at the dining table and waited for him, yet he never appeared even after two hours. Every night, we would eat dinner together in this house without fail. That had slowly be a habit of mine. As such, I could not get used to his absence that night and only ate a few bites before going for a bath and then to bed. I had always told myself not to hold Michael in a special ce in my heart and to learn to be indifferent andposed so that there was no way I would fall in love with him. After all, the one who got aroused first will be the loser between the two of us. That night, Michael did not return. I was worried and had no idea where he went, but I suppressed the urge to call him. In the next few days, he did not set foot at Birchwood either. I had only seen him in thepany during the day. I desperately wanted to ask if he had gone to the mansion, or perhaps he had gone to some other woman''s house instead. Nevertheless, I knew that I was in no position to ask those questions because I was the one who had asked him to keep a distance. Thus, my question would only add to his displeasure. I grabbed a document, headed toward the CEO''s office, and chanced upon an opportunity to knock on Michael''s room door when no one was noticing me. I waited till his voice sounded from inside before I pushed open the door and walked in. I came in to see Michael, with his head lowered, focused on going through the documents. I was a little hesitant as I came in front of him, unsure of what to say. When he finally raised his head to look at me after a long time, he furrowed his brows as he asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Umm... I need you to look through this document and sign it too.¡± The moment we exchanged nces, I forgot everything that I had wanted to say as my mind went nk. It took me a long time before I recovered from my stupor. ¡°Since you''re so adamant on keeping our rtionship under wraps, I shall fulfill your wish,¡± Michael coldly replied and stormed out of the door without even sparing a second nce at me. ¡°That is the work of a secretary. Why are you, an employee from the design department, sending the document and asking for signature?¡± Michael exposed me mercilessly while looking at me coldly. I only wanted to find an excuse to get in his room, so I did not think much else at all. ¡°I-I...¡± ¡°Tell me. What''s the matter?¡± I had wanted to exin myself, yet Michael did not give me a chance to do so. He did not spare me another nce after saying those words to me. ¡°Were you staying at the mansion for the past few days? You haven''t been back at Birchwood...¡± I hesitated for a long time before finally putting those words out in a low voice. ¡°It''s within working hours now. Do you think it''s appropriate for you to discuss private matters now?¡± Michael''s gaze turned colder and I could sense that suffocating chill from the look in his eyes. ¡°I...¡± Panic rose in my heart instantly as I did not expect him to lose his temper. I wanted to exin myself but was interrupted by him. ¡°Get out of here!¡± he snarled. My eyes flickered. When I finally regained my senses, I felt sad as I could not believe Michael would let out his frustration on me. Tears welled up in my red-rimmed eyes, but I forcefully held my tears back even though I felt indignant about it. I turned and hurried out of the CEO''s office and returned to my desk. On my way back from the CEO''s office, many eyes swung at me, all of whom held a trace of ridicule on their faces. Even though it felt like my insides were tearing apart, I ignored their mockery and tried to keep my composure in front of them as I did not want them to see me at my weakest state. While in thepany for the past few days, Michael did not even spare me a nce at all, let alone talk to me. Who knew it would end up this way when I finally decided to take the initiative to approach him today. Of course, I felt disheartened and miserable. Besides, I just had a streak of bad luck recently without any reason. There had been too many unlucky incidents¡ªI could not find my documents; the saved files on myputer went missing, and the office chair broke apart. I had a creeping feeling that someone had been setting me up intentionally because unlucky things could not have happened continuously. Then again, it was pure suspicions in my mind. After all, I did not have any substantive evidence to support my ims, and everything that had happened could purely be due to my crappy luck. In thete evening, after settling my physiological needs at the washroom, I was about to get out when I realized I could not open the door at all. It felt like something had blocked it from opening. I tried to push the door hard, but it did not budge even a little. I began to panic at the thought that there would barely be anyone visiting the washroom as it was almost time to get off work. ¡°Anyone there? Is anyone out there?¡± I used all my might to push the washroom door as I yelled for help. However, there was no reply. There was only dead silence outside, as though no one was around. When I remembered I could use my phone to call for help and tried to reach for it, I realized that I had left it on my desk. That meant I could not contact anybody toe and save me. Helplessness and fear struck me once again. I did not know what I should do at that moment. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. So if I can''t get out, does that mean I''ll have to spend the night inside this washroom? ¡°Anybody there? Please help me!¡± Refusing to give up, I continued to scream for help. Simrly, no one replied from outside. Time was ticking, but no one came to my help. It was made worse by the wind from the air conditioner in the washroom that only seemed to get colder than before. Technically speaking, the air conditioner was usually switched off after working hours. Why is it still so cold? I squatted near the door of the washroom, and the increasingly cold air only made me shivered uncontrobly. I could not wrap my mind around who the person was behind this incident. No one had ever locked the door to the washroom in normal circumstances. What''s wrong today? Who is behind this? I was now certain that someone indeed had deliberately locked me up in here. Even if I were so out of luck, it was impossible that a series of unlucky events happened to me continuously. Even so, there was nothing I could do. I could not even get out of the washroom, and I reckoned I would not be able to hold out any longer if the temperature remained cold in there. A long time had passed, and I could only feel my whole body freezing. The washroom was so cold that I felt no trace of warmth even when I curled myself up in a corner. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 As time passed, I felt like I was floating in thin air as my body felt frozen. I knew I was unable to endure it any longer. Yet, amid such desperation, what appeared in my mind was the image of Michael''s figure. I was puzzled. Every time I encountered trouble in the past, he was the one who helped me. How I wished he would appear right before me and saved me like how he always did. Nevertheless, Michael would never know that I was trapped inside the washroom, which meant he would note and save me. At this rate, with the air conditioner''s temperature so low, I really could be dead in here. The frigidness pierced my skin like a thousand needles, and I felt my eyelids getting heavier as I started feeling more groggy. I knew I could no longer pull myself together. Spending the night in such torture only made it felt like forever. I had no clue how I persisted through the night till the next morning, and neither did I know how I got out of the washroom. By the time I opened my eyelids again, I was already at the hospital, with Michael was standing beside me. He looked down at me with a face filled with worry as he knitted his brows. ¡°Where is this ce? I was locked up in the washroom.¡± My throat was parched and my body felt weak and tired. ¡°So you actually know you were locked inside the washroom? I wonder if there is any woman who is dumber than you?¡± After hearing my words, the worry in Michael''s eyes faded immediately. His face turned darker while his tone was full of reproach. ¡°Someone locked me in there on purpose.¡± I stared at him, displeased. I''m so weak right now, so can''t this guy say something nice andforting? How dare he calls me dumb? Does he not know he''s the reason why someone in thepany is targeting me behind my back? After hearing my words, Michael was stunned and a hint of fury shed across his eyes. ¡°You''re saying someone intentionally locked you up inside? Who was it?¡± His reaction left me speechless. It seemed like he was clueless that that was a deliberate act. ¡°I have no idea. But I''m sure someone must be behind this.¡± I was pretty sure someone was targeting me deliberately, though I was unsure who it was. ¡°I''ll get to the bottom of this.¡± As Michael said that, a hint of ruthlessness shed across his eyes. The look on his face at that moment got me freaked out a little. As time passed, I felt like I was floating in thin air as my body felt frozen. I knew I was unable to endure it any longer. My head was still spinning, and my body was aching all over. I had no strength at all. I thought I would have died inside the washroom when I was on the verge of faintingst night. ¡°Oh yes, how did you save me? Who found me?¡± The first person I saw when I regained consciousness was Michael. Till now, I still had no idea who had opened the door and saved me. ¡°The cleaners in thepany. They found you when they were cleaning the washroom. I just arrived at the office then,¡± Michael exined after taking a nce at me. No wonder Michael sent me to the hospital. So it turned out it was the cleaningdies who saved me. Since the cleaners would finish cleaning before working hours, there were probably not many people in thepany when Michael sent me to the hospital. Or else he would never do that as he tried to keep our rtionship below the radar. ¡°I''ll need to thank the cleaningdy then. If not for her, I would have been doomed.¡± I tried to suppress the feelings I had in my heart and forced a smile on my face as I told him that. I then kept my silence right after finishing my sentence. ¡°Have a good rest here, then. Someone wille and look after youter,¡± Michael uttered as he took a peek at me. After saying his piece, he turned around and strode out of the room. Without Michael inside the ward, I was somehow slightly disappointed. At the same time, I was rather curious about what he had just mentioned. He said somebody isingter? Who will that be? Has he hired a caretaker for me? Just as my mind was wandering, someone opened the door. I looked up in that direction, and when I saw the person, my heart started pounding rapidly. It was my mom. ¡°Mom, why are you here? How did you know I am here?¡± I was surprised at her presence and tried to bring myself up immediately. Nevertheless, I was weak and could barely pull myself up. ¡°Stay still. You don''t have to get up. Mr. Shaw told me you''re sick, and he asked me toe over to take care of you.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. My mom kept her poker face as she walked toward me. She did not seem to be concern about me. So the person Michael said woulde and take care of me is Mom? Somehow, I was slightly agitated inside because Mom had never taken care of me. I suddenly thought it was not a bad thing to be locked upst night. And Michael too, I was extremely grateful to him. I understood that he did it for my good. He wanted to let me feel my mom''s love and care. It turned out that he knew my mind and what I wanted was my mom''s heartfelt concern. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± I lifted my head and expressed my gratitude while looking into my mom''s eyes. ¡°I''ve made you some chicken soup. Drink some while it''s still warm.¡± My mom then ced the thermal food jar in her hands onto the table in front of my bed and proceeded to pour a bowl of chicken soup before passing it to me. When I smelled the chicken soup, tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrobly. That was a bowl of chicken soup my mom had specially made for me. ¡°Have it while it''s warm. It''ll turn cold very quickly.¡± Even as she said so, her face was still as calm as before. But there was a drastic difference as compared to the attitude she had toward me in the past. Although she did not treat me like how she would with Steven, I was still contented. After finishing the bowl of soup, I looked to Mom with a face full of joy. For this once, I thought it was totally worth falling sick. ¡°All right, since you''ve finished the soup, I''ll head back to take care of Steven. I''lle back at night.¡± My mom got ready to leave after packing the thermal food jar. ¡°Mom, are you leaving so soon? Can you stay and apany me for a while more?¡± She had only been here for over ten minutes; obviously, I was crestfallen to learn that she wanted to leave so quickly since I had hoped she would apany me for longer. ¡°If I stay here, then what about Steven? You aren''t extremely ill; you don''t need someone to be around you to take care of you,¡± she uttered in an indifferent tone. Hearing my persuasion for her to stay, my mom became slightly impatient. She lifted the thermal food jar and headed toward the door right after. Initially, it warmed my heart to see Moming over to look after me. Yet, the words she just said had pushed me deep into the abyss again. Apparently, my mother thought that I was not someone who needed to be taken care of since I was not in a life-threatening condition. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 But I''m her daughter. Shouldn''t she feel at least a bit worried when her own daughter has fallen sick? Yet, Mom had been undeniably calm and indifferent. She had left me alone so easily, not sparing even a second to apany me. Once again, the ward plummeted into silence with no one else inside but me. I felt small and pathetic inside the spacious room. That was the first time I truly felt sorry for myself. After all, who else would be leftpletely alone, abandoned by their own family but me? I turned to look out the window. Tears were beginning to slide down my cheeks. I tried to wipe them away with the back of my hand, but no matter how hard I tried, my tears continued pouring. It wasn''t long before I fell into a full-on sob. As strong as I looked to the outside world, I was just as vulnerable as most women. For one second, I longed for someone who would stay by my side, someone to care for me. Just then, my phone began ringing from underneath the pillow. I quickly gathered up my thoughts and hastily wiped off my tears before picking up, craving for any scraps of human contact. ¡°Hello?¡± My voice was hoarse and raspy, definitely a result from all that crying. ¡°Is anything wrong, Ms. Garcia? Your voice sounds different.¡± After a moment of silence, Ronan piped up from the other end of the call. The concern could be detected in his tone. ¡°It''s nothing.¡± I was surprised by how attentive Ronan could be. He had managed to figure out something was amiss despite me only saying one word. ¡°I have mastered the art of picking up hints from a woman''s tone. Have you been crying?¡± Ronan''s voice rang out once more. Even though there was a slight hint of a smirk behind his voice, anyone could hear that he was worried. ¡°It really is nothing. I''m just feeling a bit under the weather.¡± Even though I denied having cried, it was not a lie when I said I was feeling unwell. I hardly had any energy left in my body as I slipped in and out of consciousness. ¡°I still think something''s wrong. Where are you now? Are you ill?¡± Upon hearing my answer, Ronan became even more concerned. Even his voice became serious. ¡°Yeah. I''m in the hospital right now.¡± I told him the truth that time round, attempting to shake him off so he would not try to ask me out again. ¡°I''ming to see you now!¡± After saying that, Ronan hung up the phone abruptly before I could get a word in. But I''m her daughter. Shouldn''t she feel at least a bit worried when her own daughter has fallen sick? Yet, Mom had been undeniably calm and indifferent. She had left me alone so easily, not sparing even a second to apany me. As the disconnect tone traveled into my ear, I could not help but frown and feel baffled by his actions. How can Ronan be so impetuous? Even though he wants to visit me as soon as possible, shouldn''t he at least ask which hospital I''m in? I let out a helpless sigh, feeling slightly irritated. The loneliness one would feel when left alone in a hospital ward with no one to talk to could only be understood by those who had experienced it themselves. Half an hourter, I heard a knock at the door. I turned my head towards the sound. As the outline of the person became clearer, my eyes widened in shock. It was Ronan. ¡°How... How did you know which hospital I''m in?¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I gaped at Ronan, puzzled by how quickly he was able to find me. ¡°This is the only big hospital around here, and it''s said to be the best. So, it is not that hard to guess that you''ll be here.¡± An amused smile blossomed on his face as he made his way towards me. His logical exnation made me in awe of his intelligence. For some reason, Ronan reminded me of Michael, despite their personalities being pr opposites. I shed him a weak, wordless smile, too tired to talk. Moreover, Ronan and I were practically strangers. There was nothing to talk about. ¡°You look terrible. What happened?¡± All of a sudden, Ronan stretched out his hand and touched my forehead, worry written all over his face. Feeling his touch on my skin, I instinctively jolted away. Even though we had met each other a few times, I still barely knew him. The sudden intimacy made me feel uneasy. ¡°You''re burning up. You have such a high fever. Why aren''t your friends or family here to take care of you?¡± Ronan frowned as he stood up abruptly, taken aback by the temperature of my forehead. ¡°It''s fine. It''s no big deal. I don''t need to be taken care of.¡± Ronan''s words reminded me of Mom''s parting words. I felt a sharp pain in my heart as if it was being stabbed by a thousand needles. ¡°No big deal? Do you know how hot your skin felt? I''ll stay here with you. You are not to be left alone at a time like this.¡± Ronan''s eyebrows inched even closer, and his eyes were filled with concern. In that second, I saw the warm-hearted and caring man behind the yful fa?ade. Admittedly, I was touched by his offer to stay with me. ¡°You don''t have to take care of me. I''m fine on my own.¡± Even though I was moved, I still would not allow Ronan to stay. After all, he had no obligations to take care of a stranger like me. ¡°What do you mean you''re fine? Are you still putting up a tough front? Do I need to remind you of the high fever you are having? It''s not a weakness to ask for help.¡± Ignoring my protests, Ronan took a seat next to the hospital bed and began peeling an apple. Soon, he passed the freshly-peeled apple to me. ¡°Here, have an apple. You probably don''t have a huge appetite right now since you''re unwell, but fruits have the essential nutrients for you to recover faster.¡± His lips curled up into a small smile as he spoke. For once, it was missing the usual tease. With my eyes on the apple, a lump started to form in my throat. I was touched to the core by his actions. In the past, no one else had shown me any form of care when I was sick, not even my own parents except Natalie. At the thought of the treatment I received from Mom and Dad, my eyes began to well up again. Silent tears gushed out the next second. ¡°Why... Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?¡± At the sight of my tears, Ronan panicked. He clumsily wiped the tears off my face. ¡°Please stop crying. Just tell me if I say anything wrong. I''ll change. Please stop crying. Seeing a woman cry is one of my biggest fears.¡± Seeing that I cried even harder, Ronan grew even more anxious. He kept wiping away my tears with tissues and trying to calm me down. All traces of his usual mischief was nowhere to be seen. His genuine concern for me broke down my guard against him. I sat up and pulled him into a teary embrace, despite the fact that I hardly knew him. All I wanted to do was to cry out all of my misery in his arms. Ronan froze, yet he did nothing to stop me. After a few stiff minutes, Ronan ced his hands gently on my back and patted me on the back awkwardly. ¡°There, there. Stop crying. You''re ill at the moment. Crying will strain your body even more.¡± Ronan''s voice was gentle and soothing as heforted me. He felt like a giant teddy bear. As I sobbed, I remembered the fact that Ronan was about the same age as Steven. How nice would it be if Steven could show me half of the concern Ronan did? Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Ronan continued tofort me. A strange sense of warmth exuded from his embrace. Formerly, I thought of Ronan no more than a flirtatious yboy who was only trying to get me in bed. However, I hade to the realization that he truly did care for me. Ronan did not stop me as I squeezed him tighter. Only when I was exhausted from all the crying did I let him go. As I pulled away, I noticed a huge stain of my sweat and tears on his shirt near his cor. ¡°Sorry for making your shirt dirty...¡± Embarrassed to see the mess I have created, I mumbled sheepishly while avoiding eye contact. Overwhelmed by my emotions, I only cared about letting it out before I drowned in my own tears, forgetting that I had no rtion with the man in front of me. ¡°It''s okay, as long as you have stopped crying. You almost scared me to death just now. I thought I had said something wrong that drove you to tears.¡± Ronan shrugged and peered nonchntly at his dampened shirt before turning to face me, concerned. ¡°It''s not your fault. I just thought of something upsetting.¡± Utterly grateful that he had allowed me to cry on his shoulder, my perspective towards Ronan started to shift. ¡°Do you want to talk about it? After that crying session we just had, we should at least be friends now, right?¡± A bright smile bloomed on his face as he looked at me carefully. His big eyes made him look like an oversized toddler. However, I was surprisingly at ease by just staring into his sparkling eyes. After a few minutes of hesitation, my lips parted as words started to spill out. I told Ronan everything that was happening between my family and me. It was not that I wanted his sympathy. I just needed to vent. ¡°Your parents had gone overboard this time. When we first met, you were kicked out of the hospital ward. Was it because of this?¡± After my rant, Ronan''s eyes were filled with newfound pity. I pursed my lips subtly. Truth to be told, I did not like being pitied. I nodded in silence. ¡°How can your parents treat you this way? Plus, what happened with Steven was not even your fault. Why did they push the responsibility onto you?¡± Ronan stared at me sympathetically. Even so, his facial expression indicated his anger towards my parent''s behavior. ¡°It''s fine. I''m used to it anyways. It has always been like this since I was a little kid. They just made it even more obvious recently.¡± Ronan continued tofort me. A strange sense of warmth exuded from his embrace. I shrugged, feigning a look of nonchnce as I said that coolly. ¡°If you really are used to it, you wouldn''t have cried so hard just now. Also, given how sick you are, your parents still choose not to take care of you but be with your brother instead. That''s totally uneptable.¡± Ronan sped my hands in his while looking at me. Heartache was written all over his face. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Overwhelmed with sorrow, I forgot to pull away from his touch. Instead, I let him continue holding my hands. For the whole afternoon, Ronan stayed with me inside the ward. Time and time again, he would ask the nurses to take my temperature. His meticulous care for me touched me deeply. However, there was something peculiar that I had noticed. For some unknown reason, all of the nurses seemed to treat Ronan with extra caution. All of them were very obedient to his orders. Is it because Ronan looks handsome? No matter how hard I tried, that was the only reasoning that I coulde up with. Before long, the sun began to set. Ronan had taken care of me for hours. I was starting to feel sorry for taking up so much of his time. Just as I was about to ask him to go home, the door of the room swung open. In walked Mom with a box of food in her hands. ¡°You must be hungry. I brought you some dinner. Eat up.¡± Mom ced the food in front of me before pouring me a cup of water. At the sight of my Mom, I could not help but feel my heart squeezed. After she left this noon, she had not visited me again, albeit Steven''s ward was on the same floor as mine. I adverted my gaze, refusing to showcase my tense rtionship with Mom in front of Ronan. Upon opening the box, I noticed there were only two types of greens with in rice inside. I nced up at looked at my mom. Even though I was not satisfied with the food, I swallowed my disappointment while reminding myself to be grateful that Mom was willing to bring me food. Without another word, I picked up the cutlery. Before I could eat, Ronan interrupted. ¡°What kind of dinner is this? There are barely any nutrients. Anna is a sick patient right now, so she needs nutrients for her to get better. This food is not going to do anything for her recovery.¡± Ronan shot a re towards Mom. His voice wasced with displeasure and contempt. ¡°Anna, who''s this? A friend of yours?¡± With a frown, Mom peered at Ronan before directing her question to me. ¡°Mm hmm. He''s my friend.¡± Before that day, I would have never called Ronan my friend. However, after the attentiveness he had shown me that afternoon, I realized that he had a kind heart despite his sharp tongue. ¡°Your friends are getting more and more impolite! Not only did he not greet me when I entered, but he evenined that the dinner I prepared for you is terrible!¡± Knowing that Mom had always been petty, I had no doubt that she would hold a grudge against Ronan over what he had said. ¡°Mom, he has no ill intentions. Forget about it.¡± I nced at Ronan out of the corner of my eye before exining softly. ¡°Thanks for taking care of me this afternoon. It''s gettingte, and you must be tired. You should go home and get some rest.¡± I then turned to look at Ronan, signaling with my eyes for him to leave. The memory of Mom getting furious at Natalie for defending me still burned in my mind. ¡°It''s getting dark soon. How am I supposed to not worry about you being alone?¡± Ronan frowned at my suggestion, knowing full well that no one would be taking care of me. ¡°It''s alright. I have been on drip for the whole day, and I''m feeling much better. I can take care of myself just fine.¡± Touched by his concern, I gave him a smile before reassuring him. ¡°Alright then. In that case, I''ll ask the nurses toe here more often so that you can ask for assistance if needed.¡± At the sight of my persistence, Ronan stopped pressing onto the matter. Even though he was preparing to leave, he was thoughtful enough to ask for certain arrangements to be made for the sake of my comfort. After a long time of not experiencing what it was like to be cared about by someone, Ronan''s actions brought warmth into my heart. Despite the two of us being just friends, he was willing to sacrifice his day to take care of me, unlike my own family. I nodded at Ronan with a smile. He then picked up his jacket and started to make his way towards the door. As he passed by Mom, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her with a serious look in his eyes. ¡°Ma''am, Anna is your daughter. Now that your own child has fallen ill, I hope that you can show her a little bit of love and concern, not endless demands.¡± With those words, Ronan strode out the room. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Staring at Ronan''s silhouette, Mom frowned before turning her gaze to me. Her eyes were filled with anger and displeasure. ¡°This is the kind of friends you make? How ridiculously rude!¡± ¡°Mom, don''t speak of him that way. He has been taking care of me the entire afternoon.¡± Hearing Mom berating Ronan, my anger red up that I defended him. Despite everything, Ronan did take care of me the whole afternoon. I would be lying if I was not ming Mom for not even checking in with me. After all, I was not a saint. It would be impossible for me to feel indifferent if my own mother did not love me. ¡°Taking care of you the entire afternoon? What''s going on between you two? Is he your boyfriend?¡± At the news of Ronan taking care of me, Mom''s eyebrows knitted even tighter. Her voice became solemn as well. ¡°No, Mom. We''re just friends. You''re reading too much into it. He''s younger than me. How could he have been my boyfriend?¡± Although taken aback by Mom''s sudden usation, I still answered her truthfully. ¡°You''re not young anymore. It''s time for you to find someone and settle down. It''s because of the whole fiasco between you and Justin that your father and I still feel humiliated. We can barely look at anyone back home.¡± At the mention of my boyfriend, Mom started bringing up the incident with Justin again. She had repeated it so many times that I pretty much had it stored in my memory. Even so, I still felt hurt every time Mom brought that up. My past with Justin was a deep emotional trauma. Mom''s repeated recollection of the past was a huge disregard of my feelings. I had sincerely wanted to marry Justin back then. It was he who cheated which caused the wedding to be canceled. Must I be med for that as well? Was it my fault that he cheated? ¡°Mom, can you not talk about this again? I have yet to find a suitable match for me, and I am not nning to look for one for the time being.¡± I snapped at Mom in frustration, irked by her words. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°What do you mean you have yet to find a suitable match? I think Michael is a fine young man, wealthy and handsome. If you were to marry him, you would never have to worry about anything else in your life!¡± All of a sudden, Mom somehow included Michael in the topic. Upon hearing that name, my eyes gleamed as my heart ached. ¡°It''s impossible for anything to happen between Michael and me, much less getting married.¡± Suppressing the disappointment I felt, I spoke calmly. Staring at Ronan''s silhouette, Mom frowned before turning her gaze to me. Her eyes were filled with anger and displeasure. Michael had told me not just once but many times that our rtionship was nothing but a fling. He would never take me as his wife. Besides, I knew my ce. Someone like Michael would only marry someone of the same family status and wealth, definitely not a nobody from a small vige like me. ¡°How is it impossible? I think Michael seems interested in you. If not, he wouldn''t have paid for all of Steven''s medical bills and the follow-up treatments without a doubt.¡± Mom''s eyes lit up as she recalled Michael''s generosity in paying for Steven''s bills. My heart sank. I had assumed that Mom wanted me to marry Michael for my happiness. Turned out she just wanted to leech off Michael for Steven''s sake. ¡°Michael and I are not dating, unlike what you had assumed. Besides, it''s absolutely impossible for us to be together.¡± I looked up at Mom and announced in a firm manner. ¡°Why is it impossible? Anyone could tell Michael is well off. If you marry him, you will never have to worry again! Do you not think of that?¡± Seeing the determination on my face, Mom looked disappointed. She did not even try to hide the panic she felt. ¡°Instead of saying I will never have to worry again, I think you mean Steven will never worry again. Am I right?¡± I stared straight into Mom''s eyes as I finally stated what was on my mind. Even though she made it sound like she wanted the best for me, it was all just for show. Her true intention was to benefit Steven. I had always been paying for most of our household expenses. In the meantime, Steven was basically living his days carefree with no upation and throwing away money without a care. My ability to carry the financial burden alone was limited. If I dated Michael, his deep pockets would save Mom and Dad a lot of worries regarding Steven and his debt. Upon hearing my honest thoughts, Mom''s expression went stiff as a subtle blush crept up her cheeks in guilt. However, it was not long before her face flushed in anger. ¡°If you truly end up marrying Michael, what''s wrong with giving Steven a little portion of what Michael has if Steven needs it in the future?¡± Mom hollered at me, dismissing all of my feelings and emotions. ¡°It''s exactly because of this that Michael and I will never be together! Mom, if you really want to fix this issue at the source, what you should do is ask Steven to get a job!¡± Mom spoiling Steven to no end was the sole reason he ended up the way he was. If Mom had not spoilt him, Steven would never turn out that way. ¡°How dare you still reprimand your brother even at this time? Anna Garcia, it was all your fault that Steven ended up with broken legs! Yet, you still have the audacity to scold him? I truly have wasted so many years raising such a useless daughter!¡± As usual, Momshed out at me for criticizing Steven. She despised any criticism towards her precious son, not even if it was for his own good. ¡°Mom, if you continue to spoil Steven this way, do note to me ever again if he gets into trouble in the future. I''m not going to care anymore, for I no longer have the ability to do that.¡± Seeing how Mom defended Steven without missing a beat, I had no doubt that Steven would find himself entangled in a mess again. Since young, every time Steven made a mistake, she would somehow find a way to deflect the responsibility onto someone else. It was no wonder Steven could never learn his lesson since he grew up in such an environment. ¡°Y-you ungrateful brat! I truly have raised you in vain. Here I was kind enough to bring you dinner! I should have fed this to the dogs instead!¡± Seeing Mom''s face turned redder as her anger red up, I stopped arguing and picked up the cutlery once again. Before I could take a bite, Mom snatched the box away and tossed it on the ground in rage. The contents inside the box spilled all over the floor. Staring at the food on the ground, I held back my tongue. The messy sight reminded me of my own broken heart. It was no secret that my words hadpletely enraged her. She shot me a death re before marching out of the room without turning back. With no one else but me in the room, I threw the covers over my head and started to sob, allowing all of my pent-up feelings to escape through bitter tears. It truly baffled me how Mom would never listen to a word I said. Could she not tell that I said those harsh words for Steven''s well-being? Just like that, Mom left and never returned. Does she not care that I''m sick? Does it cross her mind that I have nothing to eat now that she threw my dinner all over the floor? Does she take into ount that my body is weak at the moment? In a span of one day, I had lost count of how many times I had cried. The same questions echoed in my mind again and again as I cried my heart out. My throat was starting to get sore from all the crying. I felt my energy being drained away from my already weak body, causing my body to be limp and haggard. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 After a long while, my sobs turned into sniffles. Only then did I remove the covers from my head. I leaned against the headboard as I stared mindlessly at what was supposed to be my dinner. Soon, Michael arrived. The moment heid eyes on the chaos in the room, his eyebrows furrowed as he strode towards me. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°Nothing. I spilled my dinner.¡± I answered calmly with my eyes still zoned into the food, not bothering to look at him. ¡°Your mom?¡± Michael had a sharp mind. It took him no time to put the pieces together. ¡°Thank you, Michael.¡± Even though the time I spent with Mom that day was far from pleasant, I was still immensely grateful to Michael. I knew he had done all that he did for me to be in Mom''s good books. Unfortunately, Mom''s attitude towards me would not be easily changed in the foreseeable future. ¡°Why are you still putting your hopes on such a horrible mother? Anna Garcia, you''re now a grown woman! You don''t have to stick around anymore.¡± At the sight of my disheveled look, Michael''s expression darkened before reprimanding me coolly. ¡°I''m still putting my hopes on her because she is my mother,¡± I stated calmly without any expression. After a few seconds of silence, I sighed. ¡°Whatever it is, let''s stop talking about this. I''m famished. Can you buy me some food? I just want to channel all my misery to my appetite.¡± Throughout the entire day, I had only had some chicken soup that Mom brought me in the morning and nothing else. My stomach had been rumbling since hours ago. Food was my only concern for the time being. ¡°What do you want? I''ll ask the secretary to send some over.¡± Michael took out his phone and nced calmly at me, preparing to give his secretary a call. ¡°Let''s eat out instead. I don''t want to stay here for a second longer. Don''t worry, it''s already dark out there. No one will recognize you.¡± Despite knowing Michael for so long, I had yet to have a meal with him in public. One of the main reasons, I suspect, was Michael''s fear of our rtionship being out in the open. Therefore, I assured Michael that no one would recognize him without giving him the window to decline. ¡°Your body is still weak. Are you sure that you can go out?¡± To my pleasant surprise, Michael seemed to be more concerned about my health than others recognizing him. At first, I had thought Michael to be a self-absorbed man who cared for no one except himself. It was truly beyond my expectations that he would take my well-being into consideration. After a long while, my sobs turned into sniffles. Only then did I remove the covers from my head. I leaned against the headboard as I stared mindlessly at what was supposed to be my dinner. ¡°I''m feeling much better, I promise. The high fever was just a result of my exposure to low temperatures the whole night, so it is probably just a cold. My temperature has gone down now though.¡± Seeing that Michael did not t-out refuse my invitation, my heart fluttered in delight. I quickly reassured him that I was fine. ¡°Let''s go, then.¡± After a minute of close scrutinizing, Michael agreed in the end. Thrilled by how easily he agreed, I threw the covers away and put on my shoes. Even though I had promised that I was fine, a wave of dizziness hit me the second my feet touched the ground. I fell to the front, but Michael caught me with swift hands. Inded in Michael''s arms. Our bodies were in close proximity to each other. Breathing in his unique scent, my heart pounded faster. ¡°This is what you mean by ''feeling much better''? I gotta admit, Anna, you''re getting better and better in lying.¡± Michael sat me down on the bed. A grim look was casted on his handsome features. His eyes were gleaming in anger. ¡°I am really fine. I just stood up a bit too quickly.¡± Terrified that Michael would change his mind, I quickly exined. I had finally managed to convince him to eat out with me. There was no way I was going to let him change his mind just because I almost fell down. ¡°Don''t force yourself if you''re unwell.¡± Towering above me, Michael stared me down with a skeptical look. With his strong observation skills, the weak state of my body definitely did not go unnoticed. I was directly beneath the air-conditionerst night, almost freezing to death. How could I have recovered from that so quickly? ¡°I really am fine. Let''s go. The food will run out soon if we stay any longer.¡± Not allowing Michael to refute, I dragged him out of the room by his hand. I had voluntarily held his hand because my footsteps were unsteady. I did not wish to risk falling down again. Michael stopped blinking, dumbfounded. As his gaze traveled to our hands, his lips curled upwards into a lovely smile. As I stepped foot outside the hospital, I sucked in a deep breath. The cold breeze of the night hit my skin. Taken into ount the fact that I was still having a fever, goosebumps started to crawl on my skin as I shivered. Michael seemed to have predicted that oue. Without wasting a second, he took off his coat and draped it onto my shoulders, engulfing me with his scent. ¡°Why didn''t you put on an extrayer despite knowing you still have a fever? Are you trying to freeze yourself to death?¡± Michael pursed his lips upon seeing my pale face. I looked at him, speechless. Whatever hint of gratitude I had felt towards him slipped away. His vicious tongue truly made it hard for anyone to like him. Anyone can tell that you''re concerned, so can''t you just say it nicer? I thought bitterly. You just had to speak so harshly, do you? ¡°We''ve been walking for a while now. What do you want for dinner?¡± ¡°Have you ever tried street food?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I turned to face Michael''s side profile. My face was beaming with excitement. Truth to be told, I had invited Michael so that someone would apany me for street food. In the past, I would alwayse for street food whenever I''m sick and alone. It was my idea of a break. ¡°You want to have street food?¡± Michael halted in his tracks and stared at me in disbelief, unsure of what he had just heard. ¡°I shall treat you tonight. People like you have probably never eaten street food before in your entire life. Tonight, I will make it my mission for you to have a taste. The food is scrumptious,¡± I said smugly. ¡°Aren''t you a bit weary of food poisoning? Do you know how dirty the streets are?¡± Michael''s expression darkened as he red at me. To no one''s surprise, his words were harsh usual. I would have retorted but I made an exception since I neededpany tonight. If I argued with him, he might just leave and I would be left alone again. A little dirt never hurt. Have you not heard of that saying? Even so, I knew that convincing someone like Michael Shaw to have street food with me was no easy task. To my surprise, Michael frowned at me but remained silent. Usually, his silence meant he had agreed to do something. My heartbeat quickened in excitement as he scored a few more brownie points with me. I guess this man isn''t as heartless as he looks. He can be really sweet sometimes. I found a food street nearby. Stalls stood all over the ce as the aroma of the food wafted in the air. Pumped up, I hurried towards the stalls with Michael tailing not far behind. The moment he hadid eyes on the surrounding, he had not stopped scowling. I stopped in front of a stall and ordered many meat skewers. Just as I was about to pay, it dawned on me that I didn''t have money on me. I immediately felt awkward. ¡°Um... I didn''t bring any cash. Can you...¡± I turned to look at Michael sheepishly. I had forgotten that I had spent the entire day in the hospital and I did not have any money on me. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Michael silently looked at me before paying the stall owner. I said I was going to treat him, but he became the one treating me instead. I feel like crap... Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''ll treat you next time! I promise!¡± I blurted, before pulling Michael toward a nearby table. He looked at me with disdain when I did that. After all, he was a germaphobe, so the entire ce was more like a psychological challenge to him. ¡°Sit. It''s not dirty.¡± I pulled his hand as I spoke. Since we started walking down the street, Michael had been fairly tense. When I tried to make him sit, he got even tenser. He continued to look at me with disdain as I gobbled up the meat skewers. I then stopped eating and gave him a couple of the meat skewers. ¡°You should give these a try. They''re really good.¡± ¡°I don''t want to eat these. They are just going to poison me.¡± Staring at the skewers in my hand, his expression turned darker. Oh my... can''t this man say something nicer? No one will die after eating the skewers. I pouted as I thought to myself. ¡°Just give it a try. It''s not as bad as you thought.¡± I then pushed the skewer toward his mouth and looked at him with anticipation. Michael hesitated for a bit before opening his mouth and ate it. I could see his tension relieving as he gracefully chewed on the meat. ¡°It''s pretty good, right? I told you, the delicacies you eat on a daily basis are not necessarily the best. Sometimes, it''s the ordinary food that tastes really good.¡± I was happy to see him enjoying the skewers. Even more than being happy, I was proud of myself for sessfully convincing the richest man in Avenport to eat with me at a roadside stall. Michael took a couple more skewers from me and ate faster than I could, but he maintained his grace. We continued to eat until I stuffed my stomach full. On our way back, I felt a little tired. After all, the street we were in was pretty far away from the hospital, and Michael didn''t drive. Not to mention it was notoriously difficult to hail a taxi in that area. ¡°Let''s stop for a while. I''m a little tired.¡± My attempt to pull Michael''s hand to make him stop failed, and even though I just ate, I had no energy left in my body to hold him back. The fever was really dragging me down. ¡°We have just walked a short distance? You need to exercise more, Anna,¡± Michaelmented as he saw me squatting on the ground. ¡°Do you know that you have no empathy? I''m a patient now so getting exhausted easily is normal,¡± I muttered. Michael turned his back against me and kneeled down. ¡°Come on.¡± I was a little surprised. Don''t tell me he''s actually nning to carry me... When he saw me hesitating like a lost child, he growled, ¡°What are you standing there for? Come on, I''ll carry you! With your current speed, it''ll take forever before we arrive at the hospital!¡± Michael was clearly annoyed, but my heart was beating fiercely. He''s going to carry me... After I snapped out of it, Iy myself on his back. Michael secured me on his back before strolling down the dimly lit street. I didn''t know what he was feeling at the moment, but to me, it felt romantic. It was as if we were a couple madly in love. I wanted the moment tost longer, but I knew his affection toward me was temporary. I bet he didn''t think we were a couple madly in love. When he eventually leaves me, I wonder how much it''ll hurt my heart. We didn''t say a word to each other all the way back to my room in the hospital. From that moment onward, my feelings toward Michael changed. When we arrived, Michael gentlyy me down on the bed. Even though I wasn''t heavy, I could see Michael was clearly worn out after walking for such a long distance. ¡°Thank you...¡± I voluntarily pulled out some tissue paper and tried to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. ¡°What, do you think I''ll leave my woman alone at the side of the road?¡± Michael grabbed the tissue paper in my hand, wipe his forehead, and threw it into a nearby trashcan. He called me his woman. I was so excited to hear that, even though it wasn''t the first time he said that to me. I just lowered my head, not knowing what to say anymore. Michael nced at his watch. ¡°It''s gettingte. I''ll be leaving now.¡± Then he took his coat and left. I felt disappointed he left so quickly, even though we had a nice moment there. Michael had be so much more important to me that I didn''t want to imagine how much pain I would be in when we eventually parted ways. After all, we were never meant to be together. Still lying on the bed, I couldn''t shake Michael out of my mind. I wondered if he had ever loved me. I closed my eyes and shut away those thoughts. Why am I thinking so much when I know it won''t lead anywhere? Sleep, Anna, sleep. And so I slept. In fact, I even had a pretty good dream. In the dream, I saw myself living a happy life with Michael. We were married, and we had two kids. When I woke up in the morning, I was so sad to find out that it wasn''t real. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Much like yesterday, Mom sent me breakfast. After I finished it, she left without a word. Momentster, Ronan showed up. ¡°Are you surprised to see me? Look what I have prepared for you.¡± He dangled a hearty breakfast in front of me with a smile. ¡°Why are you here today? Don''t you have work to do?¡± I was a little more touched than surprised to see him. ¡°Do I look like someone who needs to work?¡± Ronan grinned teasingly. I furrowed my eyebrows. He does look like he belongs to a rich family. If that''s the case, it''s not abnormal for him to not work. However, I don''t particrly like people like him. ¡°I have had breakfast,¡± I informed, even though the breakfast he prepared looked great. ¡°The one your mother prepared could barely fulfill all your nutritional needs. You might not have a lot of appetites right now because you''re sick, but you need these nutrients. I think you should at least eat a little, okay?¡± Seeing how he still insisted on me eating, I sighed and went along with it. ¡°Even if you don''t need to work, don''t you have anything else better to do?¡± I spoke as I ate the food. It was a little weird that he kept visiting me because we barely knew each other. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I was worried that no one would take care of you, so I came to visit.¡± Ronan smiled. ¡°I don''t need anyone to take care of me, especially when I''m leaving the hospital today.¡± Despite my words, I was still a little grateful that he cared about me. I knew he had seen me as a friend, and despite the fact that I disliked people like him, I could tell that he was a good person. ¡°Did you spend the night alone here? Your boyfriend didn''t apany you?¡± His tone turned serious. I trembled a little as I recalled the scene from yesterday. However, I couldn''t reveal my rtionship with Michael to anyone. Besides, we weren''t a couple anyway. ¡°I don''t have a boyfriend.¡± I shook my head. That wasn''t a lie technically. ¡°You don''t have a boyfriend?¡± Ronan seemed surprised to hear that. ¡°Is it that weird? Didn''t you alreadybel me as a spinster in your mind?¡± The fact that he was surprised pissed me off. It''s not that weird for me to not have a boyfriend at this age, okay? I pouted. ¡°Of course not. You look so pretty and young. If the two of us walked down the street, people would think you''re my little sister,¡± he quickly denied it and started praising me. I had to admit, talking with someone like Ronan made me rxed a lot. Even though he seemed a little childish, his sunny smile gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. ¡°Enough with your jokes. I''ll have you know that I''m older than you, so you''re my little brother instead!¡± I smirked. After he spent the entire afternoon taking care of me yesterday, I already saw him as my little brother, especially when he was about the same age as my brother. If only Steven cared about me as much as Ronan did. ¡°I don''t want to be your little brother!¡± Ronan furrowed his eyebrows and his smile faded. Secondster, he raised one eyebrow. ¡°But, I will consider being your boyfriend.¡± ¡°Stop joking around. There''s no way you can be my boyfriend.¡± I rolled my eyes a little. It was only the second time we ever met, after all! ¡°Why not? I look handsome, and I have a good family background. What else are you not happy with me?¡± He looked at me, upset and anxious. ¡°Because our age difference is too big. I don''t want to be a cradle-snatcher.¡± I found it amusing that he was quite stubborn. ¡°Don''t you know cradle-snatcher love had be a trendtely? Nowadays, there''s a bunch of them out there looking for young and handsome men like me. Or are you saying you prefer an older man as your boyfriend?¡± Ronan mocked. ¡°So what if it''s a trend? I still like men who are more mature.¡± Since a man like Ronan is bound to have a lot of women around him, I bet he''s pissed because he was never rejected by anyone before. ¡°Mature? Like my cousin who''s 30 years old? And also has an emotionless face that would never change expression, even when he''s looking at a pretty woman? You call that mature?¡± Ronan looked at me with a sad face, unable to understand why I didn''t like him. ¡°Maybe I like those types of people.¡± When he described his cousin, it reminded me of Michael. It may sound pathetic, but only Michael could pull off that absolutely emotionless face in this world. ¡°That really hurts. I can''t believe I got rejected by a beautiful woman. How sad.¡± Ronan acted dramatically, despite his goofy expression. ¡°All right, that''s enough joking around for the day.¡± I wasn''t in the mood to entertain him anymore. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 After the drip was done, Ronan was still hanging out in my room. ¡°Uhm, I''m about to leave the hospital. You should go ahead.¡± I was touched by his willingness to apany me, but I still felt ufortable around him. Being taken care of by him like that made us looked like we''re close, even though we weren''t. ¡°I''ll send you back. It''s best not to overexert yourself.¡± Ronan spoke inly. ¡°There''s no need for that. I''ll just take the subway. I''ve been giving you a lot of trouble for the past two days,¡± I swiftly rejected his offer as I was living in Michael''s mansion. I couldn''t let Ronan know about my rtionship with Michael because Michael would get angry. ¡°This is the second time you have rejected me. Why are you so afraid if I know where you live?¡± Ronan''s tone and eyebrows reflected his disappointment. ¡°Of course not. I just thought I don''t want to cause you any more trouble after taking care of me. I''m grateful for your help, but I felt like we''re getting a little too close as friends,¡± I timidly exined. ¡°You''re not troubling me. I''m just worried that you might''ve not fully recovered yet, which is why I wanted to send you back-¡± The ringing on Ronan''s cellphone interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. He took out his phone and answered the call. Momentster, his expression turned serious. ¡°Got it. I''ll be there soon.¡± Ronan''s goofy expression faded away as he turned toward me. ¡°I''m sorry, Anna. I can''t send you back now. Something just came up.¡± ¡°It''s fine. You should go. I can go home on my own.¡± I let out a sigh of relief in my mind. After the drip was done, Ronan was still hanging out in my room. ¡°I''ll be going now. If I have timeter on, I''ll give you a call.¡± He then put on his coat and left. Soon after, I left the room as well. Once I dealt with the discharge procedures, I visited Steven''s room. I simply stood outside his room like a stranger and watched a heartwarming scene unfolding within. After I walked out of the hospital, I received a call from Natalie. It had been a while since west met, so I agreed to her invitation to go shopping. Initially, I thought about declining it because I was supposed to rest, even though my fever had faded. In the end, I couldn''t win against her pleas and headed toward a nearby mall. When we met up at the mall, Natalie was excitedly trying out new clothes as I barely kept up with her with disinterest. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. It wasn''t that I didn''t want to buy new clothes, I just didn''t have the money for it. I had to save up and repay my debts to Michael for helping Steven. It might take years, but I didn''t want to owe him anything. ¡°Anna, what do you think? Do I look good in this dress?¡± She walked out of the changing room in a light-green dress. ¡°You look good in any clothes, Natalie.¡± She had a slim and sexy figure, so no matter what she wore, she would look great in it. Nevertheless, even if Natalie wanted to buy those clothes, I doubted she even had the money to do so, since we were in an expensive brand store. All she could do was trying out the clothes. I expected her to be smiling after I praised her, yet her expression turned angry. ¡°Why aren''t you saying anything?¡± I asked curiously before following her gaze. When I noticed what she saw, my body froze, and my heart shattered. Not too far away was a fashionable woman holding Michael''s arm. She was smiling with her pretty face, unlike him. Michael hates women whom he doesn''t like touching him, but he has allowed this woman to cling to him. I wonder what is their rtionship? I was getting flustered and heartbroken. ¡°Anna, are you alright?¡± Natalie approached me when I wasn''t paying attention and held my hand. I kept staring at Michael and the woman next to him instead of answering Natalie. Tears welled up in my eyes as they walked toward us. ¡°I''m fine... Change your clothes back, Natalie. Let''s leave,¡± I pleaded as I looked away in a panic. ¡°I''ll go and change now.¡± Natalie promptly stepped back into the changing room. I turned my back against Michael and the woman next to him. I didn''t want him to see me here, because if he did, I think I wouldn''t be able to control my emotions. ¡°Michael, how about we go to this store? I think I saw some nice dresses inside,¡± the woman said sweetly. I tried searching through my memory, but her voice was unfamiliar to me. From her volume, I could tell the two of them were about to step into the shop. Please don''t let him see me. Please don''t let him see me. Please. Please. Please. ¡°Let''s go inside and take a look, then.¡± Michael''s voice sounded emotionless, but my heart still ached. I could hear their footsteps right behind me. I had a feeling Michael was looking at my back, yet I wasn''t brave enough to turn and face him. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 I nced at the woman next to Michael as she was picking which clothes to try out. She was tall, her skin was fair, and whenever she smiled, she looked as graceful as a princess. All in all, she was a very pretty woman. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Let''s go, Anna,¡± Natalie eximed after she walked out of the changing room. That idiot! Now Michael definitely knows that I''m here! I thought to myself as I trembled in fear. Just as I expected, Michael arrived in front of me. However, his gaze contained manyplex emotions that I couldn''t understand. I didn''t know if I should greet him or, as he mentioned before, pretend not to know him if we ever see each other in public. It was quite awkward for both of us to stand there in silence. ¡°Michael, what do you think about this dress? Do you think it suits me?¡± The woman approached him with a dress she picked out from the rest. Michael didn''t answer her and still stared at me. The woman raised her eyebrow in suspicion. She examined me for a bit before she whispered to Michael, ¡°Do you know thisdy?¡± I could tell she was looking at me antagonistically. ¡°No.¡± Michael took onest look at me before leaving. I thought he would at least say that I''m one of hispany''s employees. I wasn''t sure how to react to his answer. ¡°If you like it, you should try it out,¡± said Michael softly to the woman. ¡°Wait here then. I''ll be back in a moment.¡± The woman nced at me, kissed Michael on his cheek, before going into the changing room. Naturally, that whole scene made me want to cry. I nced at the woman next to Michael as she was picking which clothes to try out. She was tall, her skin was fair, and whenever she smiled, she looked as graceful as a princess. All in all, she was a very pretty woman. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Michael asked coldly after making sure the woman couldn''t hear us anymore. ¡°To look at the clothes, obviously.¡± I did my best to put up a calm demeanor. He was staring at me intensely. I could tell that he was wondering if I was stalking him. ¡°If there''s nothing else, I''ll be taking my leave now, Mr. Shaw.¡± I couldn''t bear his deep gaze anymore, so I turned, grabbed Natalie, and left. Michael furrowed his eyebrows and didn''t try to stop me from leaving. He also didn''t exin what his rtionship with the woman was, which made my heart ached more. I was pretty upset after leaving the mall. Regret started to seep into my heart. If I hadn''t agreed to go shopping with Natalie, I wouldn''t have met Michael and his woman. ¡°That Michael has gone too far! He even pretended not to know you, even though you two spent so much time together! He''s a terrible man!¡± Natalie heard our exchange and was getting angry on my behalf. She didn''t say anything earlier because it would just make things worse. ¡°Our rtionship is an indecent one. It''s only normal that he pretended not to know me.¡± I smiled bitterly, despite stating the truth. Natalie stopped dead in her tracks and faced me with a serious expression. ¡°But you''re clearly upset. Tell me honestly, Anna. Are you in love with him?¡± I averted her gaze because I didn''t know how to answer the question. ¡°You can tell me anything, Anna. I know what kind of person you are, and I know that if you have no feelings toward Michael, you wouldn''t have agreed to be his lover, she said anxiously. ¡°So what if I have feelings for Michael? I''m just his mistress. Things between us could end at any time,¡± I admitted. I always knew there wouldn''t be a happy ending for the two of us, and today was a great example of my prediction. The woman next to Michael must''ve been his official girlfriend if she was allowed to be so intimate with him. He would never bring me to a public ce like the mall. ¡°When did you be so unconfident, Anna? If you like Michael, then just tell him that you like him. Maybe he likes you as well!¡± Natalie seemed even more anxious than I was. ¡°Michael and I live in two different worlds. He won''t like me. When we made a deal, we promised that this would only be a casual fling and nothing more,¡± I depressingly rified. Michael made that very clear to me. If I told him I liked him, he would probably just think I was harboring some bad intentions. ¡°All I can say is that, even if the two of you live in very different worlds, the problem can be solved if he likes you.¡± Natalie pouted. She clearly didn''t understand why I was being so worried. Sometimes, I admired how bold Natalie could be. If I had a personality like hers, I bet I wouldn''t be living so miserably. ¡°Let''s not talk about this anymore. I''m tired, and I want to go back home and rest. You should head back home too. We''ll meet again some other time.¡± Seeing Michael hanging out with another woman totally killed my mood for shopping, and I didn''t want Natalie to see how sad I was. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 After returning home, I felt extremely uneasy. All I could think about was the scene of Michael being together with that woman. Aside from feeling restless, I was terrified too. I remained seated in the living room until midnight, but Michael did not return for the entire night. Could it be that he''s with that woman? I felt an unprecedented sense of panic. In fact, I was even more flustered than when I caught Justin and Mabel sleeping together. It was at that moment that I realized I had fallen in love with Michael. In the morning, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Filled with self-contempt, I smirked mockingly when I saw the dark circles under my eyes. Anna, you think too highly of yourself. To Michael, you''re nothing but a lover who cannot be known to the public. What right do you have to feel sad? I did not like being in such a state, and I hated the feeling of being unable to control my feelings even more. Despite knowing that I would be hurt if I fell in love with Michael, I just could not control my heart at all. I did not even eat breakfast. When I arrived at the office, the CEO''s office was still closed. Usually, Michael would have already reached the office by now, but he was still nowhere to be seen. Could it be that he''s still sleeping? Sitting at my desk, I kept staring at Michael''s office. I had no motivation to work at all. Long after office hours had started, Michael finally appeared. His hair was slightly disheveled and he looked exhausted. Despite knowing him for so long, I had never seen him so haggard. I could not help but wonder if he was too tired from sleeping with another woman the previous night. My thoughts were not usually so vulgar, but I couldn''t help but think of that. These possibilities were precisely those that I was terrified of. Michael did not leave the office after that. When he walked past me in the morning, he did not even spare me another nce. I started to suspect if our rtionship was going to end soon. ¡°What''s wrong, Anna? You don''t look well. Are you sick?¡± Millie, who was sitting opposite me, discovered that something was wrong with me. Hence, she asked me softly with a worried look on her face. After returning home, I felt extremely uneasy. All I could think about was the scene of Michael being together with that woman. Jolted back to my senses, I panicked and averted my eyes. ¡°No, I just didn''t have a good restst night and am a little tired.¡± ¡°I heard about you being locked in the toilet a few days ago. Are you alright now?¡± Millie brought up the incident that had happened earlier. She stared at me with a look of pity and there was a hint of worry in her voice. ¡°I''m fine. Don''t worry!¡± Feigning nonchnce, I forced out a smile and replied casually. Although I pretended that I was not bothered by it, I wanted to find out who was the person targeting me and insisting on going against me. Not only were the files in my folder deleted a few days back, the person even locked me in the toilet and turned the air conditioner to the lowest temperature. In fact, I almost died. If it were not for the cleaner who discovered me, I would not be sitting here anymore. ¡°Attention, please. Everyone in the design department, please head to the meeting room for a meeting.¡± Just when Millie was about to say something, Michael''s secretary walked out of the office, pped her hands and made an announcement. I''ll have to meet Michael at the meeting. My heart skipped a beat. For some reason, I felt reluctant to do so. Is it because I''m terrified of something? However, since I was at work now, I had to prioritize work regardless of how unwilling I was. Joyful Sess was such argepany, but Michael''s office was located on the same floor as the design department coincidentally. Earlier, I was narcissistic enough to think that it was because of me. Yet, I now understood that I was nothing to him. When I arrived at the meeting room, everyone was discussing what Michael was going to brief them about. Soon, the door opened and Michael appeared. He was wearing a ck suit which entuated his lean figure. His expression was as cold as always and there was a calm look in his eyes. He scanned our faces briefly before sitting on the main seat. Although he did not speak hastily, his silence and cold aura were so intimidating that no one dared to utter a single word. ¡°I''m sure that everyone has heard the news about an employee being locked up in the toilet for an entire night a few days ago, right?¡± Michael finally spoke after a long time. The reason why he organized this meeting was to address the incident where I was locked up in the toilet two days ago. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at him withplex facial emotion. Everyone started discussing softly after he finished speaking. I could not hear what they were whispering about, but they were probably surprised that Michael would hold a meeting just for such a minor incident. ¡°This is not an ident. Someone did it deliberately, and that person is from the design department! Can the culprit please reveal yourself?¡± instructed Michael coldly after ncing at everyone. Amotion broke out immediately afterward. Everyone exchanged looks, wondering who was the one who did it. I was looking around as well. When I saw Tiffany, who had deliberately targeted me in the toilet, I noticed that there was a panicked look on her face. However, she was still pretending to be calm. Out of all of us present, she was the only one flustered. Hence, I was certain that she was the culprit. Despite the fury raging within me, I tried my best to stay calm. Since I had no evidence now, I could not possibly use an innocent person. Since Michael held a meeting to address this issue, it meant that he had found out who the culprit was. ¡°Is no one going toe forward?¡± demanded Michael coldly, his gazending on Tiffany. Everyone could sense the coldness in his stare. Noticing Michael looking at her, Tiffany looked even more flustered. However, she did not stand up and admit to it. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Tiffany Barker?¡± His cold voice sounded as he called out her name directly. There was a hostile look in his eyes and his voiceced with rage. Tiffany trembled before standing up in a panic. After shooting a nce at Michael, she lowered her head in a hurry. I could see her shivering all over. ¡°Mr. Shaw...¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Michael stared at her coldly, his tone was terrifyingly solemn. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I didn''t do it. It was not me...¡± Trembling, Tiffany waved her hands frantically and denied it. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 ¡°Do you still want to deny it?¡± Michael narrowed his eyes as he shot a cold re at her. His voice was filled with an intimidating tone. This caused Tiffany to tremble even more. Everyone in the meeting room stared at her and were beginning to suspect her. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I really didn''t do it! I''m innocent! Please find out the truth.¡± Tiffany gazed at Michael agitatedly, her eyes reddening. ¡°You won''t give up till the very end, huh?¡± asked Michael coldly before beckoning his secretary, who immediately inserted a sh drive into theptop. Tiffany''s figure appeared on the screen. The surveince camera footage taken at the entrance of the toilet captured how she had deliberately locked the door after I entered. The surveince camera footage was so clear that it was impossible for Tiffany to deny it anymore. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I...¡± She knew that it was useless to keep denying it. However, when she was about to say something, Michael interrupted. ¡°This is just a small part of it. There''s more.¡± Not giving her a chance to reply, Michael stated coldly while staring at her sharply. Soon, the image on the screen changed to that of Tiffany turning the temperature of the air conditioner to the lowest level. Not only did she lock me inside the toilet, but she even turned the temperature to the lowest. It was really lucky of me to survive till the next morning. If I was discovered a bitter, I might have died freezing. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± Michael asked Tiffany inly after the secretary turned the screen off. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shaw. I really am! After doing that, I felt very terrified too. I only wanted to y a prank on her and didn''t expect the consequences to be so serious.¡± As there was no way for her to rebuke him further, she admitted to her wrongdoings. However, she kept trying to defend herself. ¡°Well, you did it. Do you need a reason to justify your actions?¡± Michael''s expression was still cold despite hearing her exnations. ¡°Mr. Shaw...¡± Michael never condoned preferential treatment. Regardless of what the reason was, what was right and wrong were clearly distinct. He would not forgive someone because of the reasons or justifications they gave. ¡°Do you still want to deny it?¡± Michael narrowed his eyes as he shot a cold re at her. His voice was filled with an intimidating tone. ¡°You''re fired,¡± stated Michael in an icy tone. After ncing at her nonchntly, he looked at the rest. ¡°If anyone else does something like that again, then you should just leave thepany on your own!¡± I was surprised when Michael fired Tiffany as I had expected him to simply punish her. After all, she did not actually want to harm me. To my surprise, Michael actually fired her. Because of that, my heart started beating rapidly. Did Michael do that because of me? ¡°I''m really sorry, Mr. Shaw. I promise that this will never happen again. Can you please forgive me this time?¡± Hoping to keep her job, Tiffany stared at Michael anxiously and apologized profusely. As it was a tough feat to work at Joyful Sess, so there was nothing more important than safeguarding her job. ¡°Why are you still standing there in a daze? Chase her out now!¡± Frowning impatiently, Michael instructed the secretary coldly. After receiving his orders, the secretary asked Tiffany to leave directly. Soon, the meeting room was silent again, for no one dared to say a single word. I gazed into Michael''s dark eyes, not knowing if he did all that for me. ¡°Meeting dismissed!¡± Michael did not say anything else. After ncing at me emotionlessly and saying those two words, he left the meeting room. Sitting at my desk, all that I could think of was how Michael had taught Tiffany a lesson in the meeting room. I wanted to know what he was thinking about and whether his punishment was so severe because of me. ¡°Anna, I think that Mr. Shaw treats you differently. Although Tiffany really crossed the line this time, firing her was an exceptionally harsh punishment. Employees who have been fired from Joyful Sess could hardly find a good job anywhere else,¡± remarked Millie as she inched closer to me. Now that even Millie thought that Michael was treating me differently, I felt even more unsure. However, it was not easy to read Michael''s mind. ¡°Mr. Shaw''s a fair person, so I expected him to make that decision. I don''t think that it''s because of me.¡± I remembered how Michael was together with another womanst night, and how he did note back for the entire night. Hence, it was impossible for a man like that to take those actions because of me. He probably did it for the sake of thepany. I shot a nce at the CEO''s office. Actually, I wanted to go in, and confront him on what was his rtionship with the woman from yesterday. However, I was in no position to do that. Thus, I had no choice but to suppress all of my emotions and thoughts. I did not want to discuss anything about Michael, so I lowered my head and started to work. Suddenly, there was amotion in the department and everyone was discussing amongst themselves. I nced over and spotted a fashionably dressed woman walking toward Michael''s office. That was the woman with Michael yesterday. Since she coulde to thepany and look for Michael so openly, it meant that they shared a special rtionship. After she entered his office, she did note out for a long time. I had no idea what both of them were doing. My colleagues in the department were discussing whether the woman was Michael''s girlfriend and praising her for her beauty. The more they said that, the more upset and uneasy I felt. ¡°Anne, do you think that the woman who just came is Mr. Shaw''s girlfriend?¡± Millie moved closer to me again and asked curiously. Since everyone was thinking that she was Michael''s girlfriend, I was even more convinced about it. Averting my gaze and suppressing my sadness, I tried my best to sound calm. ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°The woman who went in just now is really pretty. It''s so obvious that she''s from a rich family too! She''s a good match with Mr. Shaw.¡± Millie did not notice anything wrong with me. Like the others, she kept praising that woman''s beauty. I knew for a fact that a woman who could catch Michael''s eye would definitely be good-looking. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 The woman stayed in Michael''s office for a long while beforeing out. When she left, there was a happy grin on her face. When she passed by me, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and stared at me in confusion. ¡°Have we met before?¡± Not expecting her to suddenly speak to me, I was stunned. After returning to my senses, I averted my gaze guiltily. ¡°Really? I don''t remember.¡± I had to admit that this woman had a good memory. We only met each other briefly yesterday, but she still had an impression of me. The only reason why I had a strong impression of her was solely because she was together with Michael yesterday. ¡°I remember that we met yesterday at the shopping mall. So, you''re an employee of Michael''s company!¡± A look of revtion dawned upon her face before she eximed, sounding like she was hinting at something. Although there was a smile on her face, I could already sense her hostility from yesterday. ¡°Really? I don''t remember that.¡± Laughing dryly, I feigned a look of nonchnce and tried my best the suppress the upset feeling within me. Just when she was about to say something, the door of the CEO''s office opened and out came Michael. When he spotted her talking to me, he immediately strode toward us. ¡°Emma, what happened?¡± asked Michael calmly when he reached her side. ¡°I''m fine. When I was about to leave, I bumped into thisdy. Since we met in the shopping mall yesterday, I could remember her.¡± Emma shed him a gentle smile before linking her arm with his intimately. With their good looks, they looked like a match made in heaven when they stood together. However, I felt a little upset. ¡°Really?¡± Michael nced at me calmly before looking back at Emma with a small smile on his lips. I had never seen him look so gentle before. ¡°I asked you if you knew thisdy yesterday, but you said no. Are you lying to me on purpose?¡± Emma gazed at Michael in feigned anger. Although her tone seemed displeased, she sounded cute more than anything else. Every action of theirs caused my heart to ache. However, I still pretended to be calm. ¡°There are so many employees in thepany. How can I possibly remember all of them?¡± replied Michael nonchntly as he stared at me without any emotion. The woman stayed in Michael''s office for a long while beforeing out. When she left, there was a happy grin on her face. He was trying to tell Emma that even if I was his employee, he still did not know me. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Forcefully suppressing the bitter feeling rising within me, I feigned nonchnce. After ncing at Michael, I fell silent. ¡°I thought that you''re close to thisdy. Still, how can you not have an impression of such a beautiful woman? Are you lying to me, Michael?¡± Emma''s gaze flitted between me and Michael before ncing back at him suspiciously. ¡°Do you think that I''m lying to you?¡± Instead of saying anything, he frowned impatiently. He was a man skilled at concealing his emotions. Even if he was lying, it was impossible to capture any traces of guilt from his expression. ¡°How is that possible? I trust that you''ll never lie to me. Am I right?¡± It was as if she had noticed Michael''s displeasure, Emma leaned herrge breasts against his body and spoke in a cutesy voice. Michael scrutinized Emma calmly before saying, ¡°It''s gettingte, so you should go back first. I still have a lot of work to attend to here.¡± After that, he spun around and entered the office without sparing a second nce at either of us. The moment his office door closed, the woman''s smile disappeared from her face. She shot me an arrogant nce before leaving. I could not help but frown. A woman''s instinct was always the most urate and I could sense that she was extremely hostile toward me. After she left, silence returned to the office. Everyone lowered their heads and started working. However, some people would shoot me a strange nce asionally. I had been feeling uneasy since yesterday. For some reason, I thought that I was about to be ditched. Michael would probably bring up the topic of breaking up with me soon. After ending things with him, I could finally have my own life. However, even though our rtionship had not ended yet, I felt sad just by the thought of it. I had no clue what I should do now. It was a long wait before work ended. Since Michael was usually thest to leave, I deliberately sat at my desk and waited for him, my gaze constantly fixed on his office. Everyone in the office had left except for me. Nevertheless, Michael still had note out. I stood up, took in a deep breath, and strode toward the CEO''s office. When I entered the office, Michael was still reviewing his documents with his head lowered. Upon hearing me entering the room, he raised his head and nced at me calmly. Still, he did not say a single word. I was displeased by his cold attitude. Even if he was about to end our rtionship, he should still inform me. Why is he pretending that we are strangers? ¡°I have something to tell you, Mr. Shaw.¡± Standing not far away from him, I said in a very cold tone. There was also a rare tone of solemnity in my voice. ¡°If there''s anything, tell me after I''m done with work.¡± Michael did not say anything else. After saying that calmly, he continued reading the documents and ignored me. Although I was upset by his attitude, I was in no ce to argue with him. Hence, I just stood rooted to the spot and waited for a long time until he finally finished his work. ¡°What is it?¡± After tidying his documents, he raised his head and asked me nonchntly. There was no trace of emotions in his gaze. Staring into his eyes, I was at a loss for words for a brief moment. ¡°Is... Is Emma your girlfriend?¡± After a long hesitation, I finally asked the question that had been upying my mind. I stared at him nervously, hoping that he would deny it. Although I had already guessed the answer, I still felt indignant and reluctant to give up. ¡°There''s a use in the agreement that states that you''re not allowed to interfere with my private affairs, right?¡± Michael did not answer my question. Instead, he frowned and gazed at me unhappily. I was rendered speechless by his words. My expression changed slightly as I found myself at a loss for words. ¡°I just want to know if Emma''s your girlfriend. I''m not interfering with your private life.¡± I knew what Michael thought of me. Even if I knew about his rtionship with Emma, there was nothing I could do. At the very most, I could only end our rtionship. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 ¡°So what are you going to do about it even if you knew?¡± Michael frowned and directed his cold re at me. He had been acting indifferent towards me since yesterday. I assumed it was because he had a girlfriend. It looked like I needed to end this rtionship even though it hurts me to do so. ¡°I think we should end our rtionship. I assume you have no further need for me since you have a girlfriend now to help fulfill your desire.¡± I suppressed my anger but couldn''t keep out the indifference from my tone. Why doesn''t he tell me directly that he doesn''t need me anymore since he has a girlfriend now? What''s the point of keeping quiet and merely gave a brooding look? ¡°You came looking for me to tell me this?¡± He stood up as his face turned darker and walked towards me. He stopped in front of me and looked down at me. The rage burning in his eyes pressured me to shift my gaze. Yet, I forced myself to maintain eye contact with him. I shouldn''t feel guilty because I had done nothing wrong. ¡°Yes, that is why I came looking for you. I think you should be loyal to your girlfriend. You''re disrespecting her by sleeping with me.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I calmly stared Michael down. ¡°Loyal? Anna, are you joking?¡± Michael merely sneered. His sardonic gaze made me feel disturbed. I had no idea what he was thinking. ¡°What do you want then? You already have a girlfriend now, so we should just end our rtionship.¡± My temper was spiking at that point. Does he n to continue our rtionship? Is he not worried about his girlfriend finding out at all? ¡°I don''t intend to end our rtionship because I think sex with you is better than sex with Emma.¡± Anger rushed through me as I couldn''t believe such shameful words woulde out of his mouth. ¡°So what are you going to do about it even if you knew?¡± He still doesn''t want to let me go despite having a girlfriend. What have I ever done to him for him to treat me this way? ¡°Michael, you''re crossing the line. I agreed to be your lover on the condition of you being single. If you continue this rtionship with me despite having a girlfriend, I would be the mistress.¡± It was not something I could ept. I despised being the third person in a rtionship. ¡°You''re not considered a mistress if I''m not married. So our rtionship will end the day I get married.¡± He stated indifferently with a deadpan expression. So our rtionship will end on his wedding day? Is he expecting me to look at him as he gets married to another girl? How could he so be heartless? I was rooted in ce with both of my hands balled into fists by my sides. My nails were digging into my palms, yet I didn''t feel the pain because my hatred towards Michael had consumed me. ¡°Let''s go. It has been two days since I slept with you.¡± He didn''t care about my feelings. He merely reached for my hand and approached me. I struggled to release my hand from his grasp while ring at him. I loathed his touch. His forehead creased as he looked at me glumly. I guessed he had never encountered a woman who would deny him. I was furious and anxious due to his prating gaze. I merely stared at him silently and left without a word. I was nning to take the subway home, but he stopped his car at the entrance directly in front of me. ¡°Get in!¡± He didn''t sound angry anymore, but I knew he was still angry. ¡°Mr. Shaw, we''re not in Birchwood right now. You said we''re strangers once we left the house.¡± I don''t want to be alone with him right now, so I reiterated what he had said to me the other day. I feel sad every time I think about him having a girlfriend. ¡°Anna!¡± Michael glowered at me with gritted teeth. His face turned even darker. It was a sign that he was about to blow up. I avoided looking at him and instead took him as a stranger. Didn''t he say he didn''t know me in front of his girlfriend that day? So it makes sense for me not to know him now. ¡°Sorry, I need to take the subway.¡± After a glimpse at Michael, I walked away, not giving him a chance to speak. After a few steps, a loud and piercing honk sounded from behind. He was hitting the honk forcefully, inciting a piercing sound, making me frown. I tantly ignored him, unwilling to spare him another nce. I don''t want to return to Birchwood at this moment. But I don''t have anywhere else to go. I was pacing at the entrance of Birchwood, unwilling to enter. But as the day turned dark, I entered resignedly. The first view that weed me as I opened the door was Michael sitting cross-legged, reading a book on the couch in the living room. He said nothing when he saw me. His face was impassive. I didn''t want to talk to him either. I headed straight for the kitchen after I set my bag down. I didn''t know what got into me but I only prepared dinner for myself and nothing for him that night. As I prepared to eat, he set his book down and walked towards me. I ignored him. I have nothing to say to him. I wanted to leave this ce so badly every time the thoughts of his girlfriend crossed my mind. ¡°Where''s mine?¡± He took a seat opposite of me with a frown on his face. ¡°What?¡± I feigned ignorance and continued eating. ¡°My dinner. Do you expect me to look at you as you eat?¡± Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Michael fixed his gaze on my dinner. ¡°I forgot to prepare yours. It''s not toote for you to dine out.¡± I didn''t lift my head as I spoke, unwilling to look at him. ¡°You''re doing this on purpose!¡± I couldn''t hide my thoughts in front of him. He was staring at me coldly. ¡°No, you''re overthinking,¡± I retorted indifferently. I took a page from his book. He used that same tone on me when he told Emma he didn''t know me. ¡°Anna, you better don''t piss me off. There is a limit to my patience.¡± His dark eyes glinted as though they could swallow me whole. He is unexpectedly scary when he''s furious. I try to keep myself in check whenever I challenge him. ¡°Have mine then. I''m tired I''m going to rest now.¡± I have to keep my frustration in check, no matter how angry I am¡ªthe oue of pissing him off is not something I can bear. His rage dissipated from his face. He even managed a smile. Maybe he didn''t expect me to offer him my dinner. When he smiled, he looked charming and attractive, but I wasn''t in the mood to admire him at that moment. I stood and headed straight for the bedroom. After a quick shower, I was lying on the bed, preparing to sleep. s, sleep evaded me. Unsure of how long it had been before I heard the bedroom door opened. Knowing it was Michael, I quickly pretended to sleep. I know I don''t have the right to be angry, but I can''t control my feelings. I don''t know how to talk to him. Once he got on the other side of the bed, he moved near me. No one understands his intention better than I do, but I''m not in the mood to do it tonight. My mind is full of thoughts of him with another girl. My train of thoughts keeps leading towards whether he had already slept with Emma and whether he was with Emma when he didn''te backst night. Michael fixed his gaze on my dinner. ¡°I forgot to prepare yours. It''s not toote for you to dine out.¡± I was gradually getting more irritated at my thoughts, so I turned my back to him. I was determined not to have sex with him that night. He was very patient in bed. He understood I was rejecting him from my bodynguage, yet he didn''t give up. His hands started to caress my body. A hot tingle flowed through me. He knew my body too well. He knew where exactly to touch to get a response from me, but I didn''t give in. I smacked his hand away. ¡°I''m tired. I need some rest.¡± I sounded impatient. I didn''t reject him outright but hinted to him. ¡°Since you''re tired, just close your eyes and enjoy. Let me do the rest.¡± I don''t know if he didn''t get my hint or he was acting. He had a seducing smile when he breathed those words into my ear. And his hands continued fondling me. I knew he was the type who wouldn''t give up until he got what he wanted. ¡°Michael, that''s enough! I said I don''t want to do it tonight.¡± I turned abruptly and stared at him. Why couldn''t he be more understanding of my feelings? How could he be so self-centered? He was baffled by my outburst. Next, I could see anger simmering in his eyes. ¡°Anna, watch your tone! You''re pissing me off!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Michael gritted his teeth and coldly threatened. ¡°I said I don''t want to do it, and I am angry.¡± There is no way I will give in tonight. He can do it with his girlfriend instead. I''m sure she won''t reject him. ¡°Anna, now you''ve done it!¡± Michael got on top of me, pinning me down like a boulder. He was rough. The pain brought tears to my eyes. He is torturing me! I wanted to remove his hand, but he seemed to know my intention, for he used his other hand to trap both of my hands. There was lust and rage in his eyes. ¡°Let me go! You''re hurting me!¡± I bit back a cry of pain because I didn''t want to appear inferior in front of him. ¡°Listen to me, Anna. You''re my lover, so it is your duty to please me. Do you hear me?¡± He said in a low, deep voice. His dark eyes stared ruthlessly at me. The way he talked had always been arrogant and overbearing. He didn''t care how others felt. I was angry and wanted to resist, but I was well aware of his temper. The more I resisted, the more he would torture me. ¡°Why are you forcing me? You have a girlfriend and so many other women.¡± There were tears in my eyes when I looked into his as I yelled. ¡°Forcing you? You think I''m forcing you right now?¡± His anger reached a boiling point. ¡°I''ll show you what forcing you is like.¡± His face looked so cold that it was scary. Next, he started kissing me on my neck. However, he wasn''t gentle as he used to be. There was a hint of madness in his actions as he bit me all over my neck like beast. He bit so hard. My entire body was trembling from the pain in my neck. He is like a madman when he''s angry. I tried pushing him away andnded punches on his back with all my strength, yet it didn''t deter him in the slightest. My resistance had only increased his madness. Suddenly, I felt a piercing pain in my neck, making me yelp in pain. The tears flowed from the corners of my eyes as I grabbed the bed sheets tightly. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 ¡°Michael, you psycho! Let go of me!¡± I continued to hit him. Is he a dog? He bit down so hard. Now I''ve lost it too. ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± He pushed himself up and hovered over me. The room temperature felt chilly from the coldness in his eyes. There was a tinge of redness on his sexy lips, further enhancing his sensualness. Despite his good looks, the wound on my neck upied my thoughts. Is he a vampire? He broke my skin when he bit my neck hard. Does he need to be so harsh? Was he nning to suck my blood or what? ¡°Michael, don''t make me hate you!¡± I stared intently into his eyes. Never had I felt such hatred for a person. Humiliation and anger poured through me as Iid there trapped under him. I could feel his body froze at my exmation. ¡°Did you say you hate me?¡± he breathed. He spoke softly, but I felt chills running down my spine. ¡°I will hate you more than anyone else in this world if you continue to force yourself on me.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . I was a strong, independent woman. I could endure any challenges or insults thrown at me, but rape was something I couldn''t bear. I couldn''t tolerate him stomping on my pride and shattering it. He stared at me for a long while. When I thought he wasn''t going to let me go, he got off of me. I nced at him wryly. Because he usually wouldn''t let me off so easily. ¡°Don''t think I couldn''t do anything to you. It''s just that I don''t like to force women.¡± He red at me as he spitted those words. I was terrified that he was going to hurt me because I could never understand his moods. He stood and got dressed quickly, then left without even giving me a nce. Soon, I heard the door mmed shut. It''s sote in the night. Did he go looking for his girlfriend? He must''ve went to Anna''s to ke his needs. ¡°Michael, you psycho! Let go of me!¡± I continued to hit him. Is he a dog? He bit down so hard. Now I''ve lost it too. I got more irritated by my train of thoughts, so I pulled the nket over myself, hoping it could stop me from thinking about Michael. In the next few days, Michael didn''t return to Birchwood nor did he go to thepany. I wondered where he went. I didn''t see him since that day he left. Even though I was aware that he wasn''t in his office, I couldn''t help but sneak nces at the closed door. I must be out of my mind! ¡°Millie, Mr. Shaw hasn''te in for two days. Do you know where he went?¡± I asked Millie, feeling restless. ¡°Mr. Shaw? Don''t you know?¡± Millie cast me a puzzled gaze and replied, ¡°He''s on a business trip to Ustrana. I think he brought his girlfriend with him. Maybe they''ll go on vacation while they''re there,¡± answered Millie. My heart sank, and anxiety started to consume me when I heard that Michael and Emma had gone overseas together. Huh, they went overseas together. Well, They would have slept together since Michael has such a strong sex drive. I couldn''t help but feel disappointed when I heard they went on a trip together, even though Michael probably had slept with Emma even before this. ¡°Anna, are you okay? You don''t look so well,¡± Millie worried. ¡°I''m fine. Don''t worry about me. I need to use the washroom.¡± I stood in a hurry and dashed towards the washroom, afraid that I couldn''t mask my expression anymore. Noticing the washroom was empty, I sat on the toilet with my eyes red around the rim. The thought of Michael being happy with Emma wrung my heart. I hated the fact that I was so useless and that I had fallen for Michael. The arrangement between us is nothing but an agreement. We agreed not to fall in love, so what am I going to do now? I took out my phone and searched for Michael''s number. I finally called him after hesitating for a long while. After a long while, the call was picked up by a woman, instead of Michael. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hel...Hello, I''m looking for Mr. Shaw.¡± The woman''s voice belonged to Emma. I remembered her voice despite hearing it only twice. ¡°Michael is in the shower, so he can''te to the phone right now. Is there is a message I could take for you, Ms. Garcia?¡± Emma''s voice was sweet and polite, but I could hear there was an undertone of hostility. Michael is in the shower. So what they''re about to do next is... I broke my train of thought because I couldn''t handle thinking about him sleeping with another woman. I didn''t want to be petty, but I just couldn''t control myself. ¡°No. There''s no need. I''ll hang up now.¡± I didn''t want to listen to her voice any longer, so I was about to hang up when she stopped me. ¡°Ms. Garcia, let''s meet when I get back.¡± Emma''s sweet voice was gone and reced with a somber tone. ¡°Why do we need to meet? I would say we''re not even acquaintances.¡± I frowned at her request to meet. I had a bad feeling about it. We''re strangers, yet she wanted to meet me out of the blue. It can''t be good news. ¡°I think you''ll be interested if it''s about Michael and me. I know both of you have a special rtionship. Else, as an average employee of Joyful Sess, you won''t have his number.¡± Emma''s voice turned cold. So she still found out about my rtionship with Michael despite me pretending not to know him. Emma is Michael''s girlfriend. Now that she has exposed my rtionship with Michael. It felt like I was the intruder of their rtionship, and I was rather ashamed of myself. ¡°Sorry. I have something to attend to. I''ll be hanging up now.¡± I believe every other mistress like me would feel inferior to the girlfriends. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Without saying another word, I hung up the call in a panic. As I clutched my phone tightly, the tears in my eyes finally trickled down my cheeks. In the past two days, I had even considered confessing my feelings to Michael so that we could be together. But these were merely wishful thinking because I knew that he would never be with me due to the vast difference in our statuses. I sat on the toilet bowl and cried for a long time beforeing out. After sshing water onto my face, I stared at myself in the mirror. There was anger in my red-rimmed eyes. I was mad at myself for being so pathetic. He was unworthy of my love, but I couldn''t control my feelings. I thought I''d never fall in love again after Justin''s betrayal. However, the fact that Michael was with another woman upset me. The feelings were more intense than when I caught Justin and Mabel in bed. I''ve fallen in love with you, Michael. What should I do? As I was constantly distracted, I failed toplete the tasks assigned to me by our supervisor, Harry. As a result, I was reprimanded for two days straight. Since joining Joyful Sess a few months ago, I submitted quality work every single time. But these two days, I was always absent-minded at work, so much so that Harry was slightly disappointed in me. I was called into his office again that day. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . In his office, I spoke first. ¡°Mr. Doyle, you wanted to see me?¡± Harry looked at me intently, but the next second, he threw a document file in front of my feet and barked angrily, ¡°Is this how you do your work, Anna? I put you in charge of writing the quarterly report, but look at what you wrote. It''s full of mistakes!¡± I bowed my head in response to his admonishment, then repeatedly apologized, ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Doyle. I''ll redo it immediately.¡± Bending down, I picked up the file and turned to leave. However, Harry wasn''t going to let me leave just yet. ¡°Hold up!¡± he called out and walked toward me, looking disappointed. ¡°What''s going on with you these two days, Anna? You''ve been making mistakes at work. You''re an experienced employee, but the work you''ve submitted was not even up to the standard of an intern. Thepany hired you here to work, not to space out during working hours.¡± Without saying another word, I hung up the call in a panic. I lowered my head guiltily at his words. I was also aware of how neglectful I had been for the past few days, leading to the sloppy work. However, I had no control over my mind whatsoever. I knew that I couldn''t let my personal life affect my work. Yet, I couldn''t control my heart. Thus, I was caught in a bind. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Doyle. I''ll make sure this won''t happen again.¡± Although Harry didn''t say anything too harsh, I could clearly sense that his patience had run out. If I continued making mistakes like that, I could very well be fired. Harry furrowed his brows in frustration. ¡°Forget it. Get back to work, and remember not to let your emotions affect you when you''re here.¡± With that, he dismissed me with a wave of his hand. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Doyle.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked out of his office. I have to get my act together and stop making mistakes. After leaving the supervisor''s office, I returned to my own desk. Millie immediately leaned over with a look of concern on her face. ¡°Anna, are you okay? I heard Mr. Doyle scolding you just now.¡± Millie was the only one in the office I could get along with. Even though we started off as colleagues, we already considered each other friends. ¡°It was nothing. Just some mistakes regarding work on my part.¡± Being scolded by the supervisor was a very embarrassing matter, so I didn''t want to reveal too much. ¡°Anna, I noticed how distracted you''ve been these couple of days. Is something bothering you? These minor tasks were never a problem for you in the past.¡± Even Millie realizes that I''ve been acting strange. Is it really that obvious? ¡°No. It''s probably because of PMS. That''s why I''m having all these mood swings.¡± I hastily averted my gaze and found a random excuse, then remained quiet after that. Millie wisely stopped prying further and continued with her work. To make up for my negligence, I had to work overtime that night. So I was probably the only one left in the entire office. Harry was already very disappointed with me recently. To keep my job, I had to stay back to redo the quarterly summary. Massaging my sore neck, I tidied up the documents on my desk, switched off the lights, and left the office. It was very dark by the time I walked out of the office building. ncing at the time, I heaved a sigh and hailed a taxi home, seeing as I wouldn''t be able to make it in time for thest subway ride. I was waiting by the roadside when the blinding re of headlights abruptly came on a short distance away. I instinctively used my hand to block my eyes while cursing inwardly. Who the hell is this idiot? Doesn''t he know how rude it is to shine his car lights at someone thiste at night? If it were in the past, I would''ve stormed over to give the driver a tongueshing. But I was exhausted that day and couldn''t be bothered. Thus, I remained where I was and waited for a taxi. Just then, the car drove toward me. Only when it was close enough did I realize that it was Michael''s car. Knowing that the person inside was Michael, my heart skipped a beat. Is he back? Is he here to see me? I watched as Michael alighted from the car and strode toward me. We hadn''t seen each other for only a week, but it felt like an eternity to me. Michael came to a halt in front of me. As he towered over me, I detected a hint of a smile in his obsidian eyes. ¡°Why? Aren''t you happy to see me?¡± When he didn''t receive a response after a long time, his brows knitted together into a displeased frown. Only then did Ie back to my senses. Tears stung my eyes at the thought that we hadn''t seen each other for a week, and my voice was slightly choked when I answered, ¡°No. I was just surprised. I didn''t expect you toe looking for me again.¡± ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you''re upset about something, Anna?¡± Michael raised his brows at me, and the smile in his eyes became more prominent. Why do I feel like this guy seems to be very happy to see me sad? ¡°No. Why would I be?¡± I sniffled, trying my best to stop my tears from falling. Then, I averted my gaze, refusing to look at him. Without probing further, Michael said, ¡°Come on. Let''s go home.¡± Then, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward his car. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 When I heard him utter the words ¡°go home,¡± my chest tightened painfully. I looked up at him in surprise as conflicting emotions surged in my heart. I was reluctant to get into Michael''s car. The thought of him being with another woman in the past few days left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I was bone-tired right now and had no energy to put up a fight with him. After sliding into his car, I remained silent in my seat because I truly didn''t know what to talk about. As the car sped along the road, Michael turned to look at me and asked casually, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± ¡°Why do you even care whether or not your lover missed you? Seeing as you were having fun with a beautiful woman the past few days.¡± The corners of my mouth arched into a mocking smile as bitterness crept into my heart. Just how greedy is this guy? He already has such an exquisite beauty by his side. Yet, he still wants me to miss him? Why did he even ask me that? Does he miss me? Surprisingly, my sarcastic tone didn''t annoy Michael. His mouth curved into a charming smile as he inched closer to me and muttered, ¡°Who told you I was having fun with a beautiful woman? Are you jealous, Anna?¡± When his breath tickled my ear, I quickly moved away but maintained calm and expressionless. I really didn''t know what to say to him. ¡°Why are you avoiding me, Anna? I''ve let you off the hook a few days ago but you''re trying to piss me off again tonight?¡± Michael straightened in his seat, the smile vanishing from his face. His gaze burned with barely restrained anger as he stared at me. Instead of answering his question, I changed the topic. ¡°Did you have fun overseas in the past few days?¡± ¡°You think I went overseas to have fun? I went there for work.¡± Michael slowed the car and nced at me with furrowed brows. ¡°You brought your girlfriend overseas. Obviously, it was to have fun.¡± Anger surged in me when I recalled that Emma had picked up the call when Michael was in the shower. He said he went there for work? Yeah, right. More like a honeymoon. ¡°You''re jealous, aren''t you?¡± Michael asked. It would be impossible for him to not detect the jealousy in my tone. I wanted to keep a cool head, but I just couldn''t ignore the difort in my heart. When I heard him utter the words ¡°go home,¡± my chest tightened painfully. I looked up at him in surprise as conflicting emotions surged in my heart. ¡°No, I''m not!¡± I denied without missing a beat. I was already pathetic enough in front of Michael. Thest thing I wanted was for my dignity to be strippedpletely by exposing my true feelings in front of him. But of course, Michael didn''t believe me for one second. Even a fool could see that I was jealous that Michael had taken Emma overseas with him. ¡°You''re still denying? I can practically smell the jealousy in the air.¡± However, there was no use in being jealous; neither did I have the right to be. Emma was his official girlfriend, while I was a nobody. ¡°When do you intend to marry her?¡± I lowered my head and steered the topic away. My mind was overwhelmed with thoughts about Michael and his girlfriend. I clearly knew that asking these questions would only make me feel more miserable, but I just couldn''t help myself. Michael frowned impatiently because I kept asking stuff about his girlfriend. ¡°I don''t know,¡± he answered in a clipped tone, then ignored mepletely. We arrived at Birchwood very soon. After a whole day''s work, I waspletely worn out. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed. Even the thought of dinner didn''t interest me. Since it was alreadyte, I assumed Michael had already eaten and would go to bed right after taking a shower. To my chagrin, Michael had other ideas. Just when Iy down in bed, he came in and announced loudly, ¡°Anna, I''m hungry.¡± ¡°It''s almost eleven. Didn''t you have dinner with your girlfriend beforeing back?¡± I opened my eyes and stared at Michael, irritated by the disturbance just when I was about to fall asleep. ¡°I went to see you as soon as I got off the ne. Do you think I had time to eat dinner?¡± I noticed the dark look on Michael''s face, probably because I kept mentioning his girlfriend. I could even see the simmering anger in his eyes. But upon hearing his answer, my heart thumped violently in my chest. He came to see me right after getting off the ne? Does that mean he didn''t even send his girlfriend home? My heart soared, and my mood was instantly lifted. ¡°It''s already sote. I didn''t buy any groceries because you weren''t home these few days. So there isn''t much left in the refrigerator.¡± As I was in a better mood, my body felt more invigorated as well. Sitting up in bed, I decided to make something for Michael, but I wascking ingredients. ¡°Just make something simple,¡± Michael replied curtly, then walked to the bed andy down directly. The lights in the bedroom were very bright, so I could clearly discern the exhaustion lining his features. Perhaps he was indeed working overseas in the past few days. I shot him a nce but left the bedroom without disturbing his rest. In the kitchen, I opened the refrigerator and found itpletely empty. Two days ago, I thought Michael wasn''ting anymore, so after finishing all the ingredients in the refrigerator, I didn''t restock anything. There was only two cups of instant noodles left. Left with no choice, I boiled some water, then cooked the two cups of instant noodles. I was tired after working the whole day. Hence, I made do with what I had on hand. By the time I went back to the bedroom, Michael was already asleep. As I listened to his even breathing, I observed the way the lights entuated his chiseled face. ¡°Michael,¡± I nudged him and called out softly. Although Michael seemed sophisticated and morous as the CEO of arge corporation, no one knew all the blood, sweat, and tears he poured into achieving this sess. People tend to forget that he was also a human who got tired and needed to work hard like everyone else. ¡°Mm,¡± Michael responded softly before opening his bleary eyes. I felt slightly pained to see him this tired. I initially thought he took his girlfriend overseas for a vacation, but it seemed like he really went there for work. We went to the dining room together. Upon seeing nothing on the table besides the two cups of instant noodles, Michael''s brows drew together. ¡°Anna, is this the dinner you prepared for me? Junk food?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Michael eyed me with suspicion, as though he couldn''t believe that his dinner was a cup of instant noodles. ¡°There were only two cups of instant noodles left. And it''s already past midnight now, so all the restaurants are closed.¡± I looked at Michael awkwardly. Of course, I wanted to prepare a delicious meal to reward him for his hard work, but I had nothing to work with, so this was the best I could do. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 ¡°There''s nothing left in the refrigerator? Then what did you eat these two days?¡± Michael frowned at me, and I caught a glimpse of the concern shing in his eyes. Am I seeing things? Is he actually concerned for me? ¡°I¡ª¡± These few days, I either ate instant noodles or skipped eating altogether. Being gued with thoughts of another woman in his arms every day left me without much of an appetite. It was so bad I even dreamt of him getting intimate with her in bed. I was physically and mentally drained these days. I was on the verge of falling apart at the seams. Michael''s scanned me from head to toe before remarking, ¡°You''ve lost weight.¡± My eyes widened slightly in surprise. Is this man that perceptive? He can even tell that I lost weight? ¡°Let''s eat and go to bed. You look tired.¡± I looked away in panic. Everything Michael said since showing up made me a flustered mess. I was afraid I would identally expose my emotions in front of him. After pushing a cup of instant noodles toward him, I dug into my own cup. Michael''s attitude toward me that night left me very confused. In the past, he never treated me so gently. Instead of making things difficult for me like he usually did, he merely nced at me before he started eating. After eating, I followed Michael back to the bedroom. Probably because he was too exhausted, he slept almost as soon as his head hit the pillow instead ofing on to me like he usually did. I was coincidently tired as well. Without Michael bothering me, I felt rxed as Iy down beside him. With his arms loosely around me, I fell asleep very quickly. ¡°There''s nothing left in the refrigerator? Then what did you eat these two days?¡± In my sleep, I felt my body tingle with electricity. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Opening my eyes in a daze, Michael''s handsome face slowly came into focus. My eyes flew wide open when my mind registered that I wasn''t having a wet dream, but it was Michael teasing my body. ¡°What are you doing, Michael?¡± I instantly became fully awake and eyed him warily. ¡°What else do you think I''m doing? I was too tired for thisst night, but I can make it up now that it''s morning.¡± Michael''s mouth curved into a flirtatious smirk. Then, he leaned down to kiss my lips. I turned my head away and said to him with a smile, ¡°I think you should get more rest. You looked really tiredst night. There''s still some time left before you have to go to work. Sleep a while longer.¡± After he fell asleep without any actionst night, I knew he wouldn''t let me go so easily the next day, but I didn''t expect that he''d be horny so early in the morning. ¡°Trust me, I''ve gotten enough rest. I need to vent now.¡± Michael raised his brows at me, his gaze turning heated. From the looks of it, I knew there was no way for me to escape his clutches. I really couldn''t understand how this man could be so energetic. Justst night, he looked like a walking zombie, but he was so full of energy right then. He was even ready to get it on. I heaved a helpless sigh. ¡°But I''m still tired...¡± After working overtimest night, I wanted nothing more than to sleep for the entire day. Unfortunately, I was roused from my beauty sleep. ¡°Just lie down and rest if you''re tired.¡± Michael had always been an overbearing man. Once he set his mind on something, no amount of persuasion would make a difference. Besides, his eyes were already brimming with lust, so it was close to impossible to make him calm down. I wanted to say something, but Michael crashed his lips onto mine before I could. After several days of not seeing him, the heat from his lips made my heart race. It was then that I realized how much I craved for his kiss and touch. Before I realized I had fallen in love with him, I kept resisting his advances. But now that I was aware of my feelings for him, I stopped rejecting him. The only problem was that I felt despicable for sleeping with him when he already had a girlfriend. ... Michael told me to just lie down and rest, but how was that possible when he was teasing me like that? He was in no hurry at all, staying focused on my breasts for a long time before moving on to another sensitive part of my body. ¡°Michael...¡± At first, my n was to pretend to go back to sleep so that he''d eventually lose interest, but I couldn''t control myself anymore as soft moans escaped my lips in response to his actions. His lips curled into a sexy grin when he heard my needy moans. Bringing his lips beside my ear, he whispered in a husky voice, ¡°So eager already? Didn''t you say you were sleepy?¡± His warm breath tickled my neck when he spoke, causing my skin to tingle and my heart to flutter in my chest. I turned my face away shyly, unable to meet his intense gaze. Michael chuckled upon seeing my reaction. Thankfully, he didn''t say anything else and continued where he left off. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 After what seemed like an eternity, Michael rested on top of me while panting heavily. I could feel his heart racing due to the vigorous exercise we had just done. After a while, he propped himself up on his hands and looked down at me. ¡°Did it feel good?¡± Still flushed from our passionate entanglement earlier on, it made his question sound extra amorous. A blush of embarrassment shed across my cheeks immediately as I turned to face away from him. How was I supposed to answer such a straightforward question? ¡°Nope,¡± I answered. That was the only answer I could give as I couldn''t possibly have told him that I enjoyed it. That would be too embarrassing. ¡°Really? You were moaning in pleasure just now. Were you faking it?¡± Michael was not upset with my answer. Instead, he cocked his brows as the corners of his lips curled into a sexy smile. In addition to his topless body, he looked extremely seductive. After hearing what Michael said, my face turned as red as a ripe tomato and I was too shy to continue looking at him. Was there anything that the man did not dare to say? Who would be able to fake those moans in the middle of doing it? ¡°It''s gettingte. We should get up and get ready for work,¡± I said in a fluster. Michael''s intent gaze was making me ufortable. I wanted to push him away, but he did not budge at all. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? I''m the boss, yet I''m still here. Why are you so eager to go to work?¡± I red at Michael after he said that, feeling a little angry. We had already finished doing the deed. What else did he want? Was he thinking of doing it again? ¡°We should hurry if you want to do it one more time.¡± I opened my arms and closed my eyes, waiting for the man to take action. It must be because he was not satisfied. So, he did not want to let me go. After what seemed like an eternity, Michael rested on top of me while panting heavily. Michael froze for a second before giving me a puzzled look. After he processed my words, he raised his brows and replied, ¡°It seems like I did not satisfy you even after trying so hard just now. Well, I really can''t tell that you have such a high drive. Does it mean that I need to work harder to satisfy you in the future?¡± I resisted the urge to give him two tight ps after hearing his reply. Did I say anything to imply that my sex drive is high? Indeed, he had a strange way of thinking. ¡°I just thought that you''re not satisfied. Otherwise, why would you refuse to get off me? Do you know how heavy you are?¡± Since he wasn''t nning on doing it again, why was he stillying on top of me? Did he really not know that I could hardly bear his weight? ¡°If there is time, I can pleasure you again. But, I think we''ll have to wait till tonight,¡± Michael said as he got out of bed. I heaved a long sigh of relief after he left. I got dressed as well. I intended to take the subway. However, since Michael insisted that he would fetch me to work, I dly epted the offer. He was driving slowly towards the office. When the car stopped at a red light, he took out a jewelry box from his pocket. ¡°This is a present for you,¡± he said as he tossed it into my arms. I noticed that Michael had an awkward expression on his face. He was looking straight at the red light, avoiding my gaze intentionally. I looked at him in surprise and opened the jewelry box at once. What greeted my sight was an exquisite diamond ne. The piece of jewelry was stunning as it sparkled under the rays of the sun. More importantly, it was a gift from Michael. However, I could not ept such an expensive gift. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thanks for the present but it''s too expensive. Please take it back as I can''t ept it.¡± The diamond ne must have cost him at least tens of thousands. How could I ept it when I already owe him so much? I closed the box and handed it back to Michael. Diamonds were a girl''s best friend. However, I really should not ept any gifts from Michael anymore, let alone an expensive one. ¡°I won''t take back what I have given. If you don''t want it, I''ll throw it out of the window right now.¡± Michael''s smile disappeared after I rejected his gift. Right then, he was about to throw the box out of the window. ¡°No! How can you throw this away!¡± How could the man throw away a diamond ne that cost tens of thousands without feeling anything at all? ¡°Since you''ve rejected it, there''s no point in me keeping it. Do you expect me to wear it myself?¡± Michael replied with a cold expression. Obviously, he was angry that I had rejected his present. ¡°You can give it to your girlfriend. You don''t have to get rid of it. After all, it''s such an expensive item.¡± I lowered my head as I said the word ¡°girlfriend¡± in dejection. ¡°Anna, from now onward, you''re not allowed to mention the word ''girlfriend'' in front of me!¡± Michael''s icy voice echoed in the air as he red at me coldly, obviously upset. How could his emotions change so quickly? Was I wrong to say that? Emma was indeed his girlfriend. Why was I not allowed to mention it? ¡°So¡ª¡± Michael interrupted my speech, ¡°You have only two choices now¡ªept the present, or I''ll throw it away!¡± Chapter 181 Chapter 181 I knew that Michael was making things difficult for me on purpose. As such, I continued hanging my head low and did not reply. ¡°Since you don''t want it, I''ll just throw it away.¡± Noticing my silence, Michael frowned and rolled down the car window. Just when he was about to throw the ne out of the window, I yelled, ¡°Wait!¡± Given his character, I knew that he meant his words. But how could he throw away something so valuable? Michael halted his actions and tossed the ne to me instead. ¡°From now onward, you are not allowed to reject any presents from me.¡± Michael did not look at me when he said that. I bet he was the only person in the world who would force another person to ept his gifts without considering their feelings. What an egomaniac! ¡°Thank you.¡± I was actually grateful that the man had remembered to bring me a gift. However, I felt a tad guilty for epting it. Michael mmed the breaks at the next red light and turned to face me. He took out the diamond ne and put it around my neck. It was such an intimate action that sent my heart racing and gave me a blissful feeling. ¡°Not bad. It suits you.¡± Michael had a look of satisfaction as he admired the ne on my neck. I couldn''t help but notice how attractive he was when he smiled. That reminded me of our intimate moment earlier on and my heart skipped a beat. I knew I had fallen for him. But, how long could west? Michael did not notice anything amiss about me and started the engine again. However, deep down I was feeling uneasy. I realized that I was falling deeper for Michael and was worried that I would not be able to control my feelings. As usual, Michael drove to the underground parking and I got out of the car when no one else was around. I did not like the feeling of having to sneak around every time. However, I understood Michael''s thoughts and knew that it was not possible for the both of us to be an official couple. I was aware that he was doing that to protect my reputation but that did not stop me from feeling ufortable. Even though work kept me busy the entire morning, I could not help but look towards the office intermittently as I thought about the scene in the car earlier on. The moment Michael put on the ne for me, I felt a sense of bliss that I had never experienced before. ¡°Anna, your ne is so gorgeous. I remember seeing it in a fashion magazine. It''s newlyunched and costs a few hundred thousand,¡± Millie said excitedly as she approached me. ¡°Really? I didn''t know that.¡± My heart did a double somersault when I heard what Millie said. However, I responded with a faint smile. I did not expect the ne to cost a few hundred thousand! Wasn''t that too much money for a random gift? How could I ever ept it! ¡°Anna, is it a gift from your boyfriend? Your boyfriend is so generous to give you such an expensive present.¡± Millie''s envious gaze was fixated on my ne. I knew that Millie was referring to Yuval but, I merely smiled without replying. Even though we had already broken up, I did not feel like publicizing my rtionship status. Yuval was decent enough to not bother me after we broke up. He had simply disappeared from my life. I could tell that Millie really liked my ne from the way she stared at it and I shook my head helplessly. It seemed like she was really into luxury goods. Just when I was about to speak, my phone rang. I frowned, seeing that it was an unknown number. ¡°Hello,¡± I said as I answered the call. ¡°Hi, Ms. Garcia. I''m Emma. Do you remember me?¡± Emma''s impassive voice sounded over the phone. My heart skipped a beat when I heard the name ¡°Emma.¡± After shooting a nce at Millie, I stood up and walked away to speak to Emma. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . The woman must have gotten my number from Michael. An ufortable feeling arose in my heart as I recalled that it was Emma who picked up the phone thest time I called Michael. ¡°Hello, Ms. Jones. What can I help you with?¡± I asked Anna calmly after walking to the lounge and closing the door. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I said that I would find you for a chat when you called Michael a few days ago. I''m sure you didn''t forget that, did you?¡± Even though Emma sounded quite casual, my instinct told me that it couldn''t be something good that she called and that I should not meet her. ¡°Sorry, I''m currently at work. Besides, I don''t think we have anything to say to each other since we are not that well acquainted anyway,¡± I replied in an indifferent tone and rejected the woman directly, intending to hang up after that. My mood was actually rather good that day. However, Emma''s call ruined it. ¡°Ms. Garcia, could it be that you dare not meet me?¡± Emma replied in a much colder tone. Looks like she doesn''t not intend to give up. ¡°Ms. Jones, you''re overthinking. Why would I not dare to meet you? I just thought that there''s no need for that since you and I are not even friends.¡± It was clear that Emma was trying to stir up trouble. I would never go easy on anyone who bothered me, regardless of who the other party was. So what if she was Michael''s girlfriend? She was the one who started it first. ¡°Well, I think we definitely need to meet. We should have a talk about Michael. I''ll send you the address and I hope you''ll show up,¡± Anna said coldly and ended the call, without giving me a chance to reply. I felt a flicker of irritation when she hung up on me. But, at the same time, anxiety rose within me. After all, she was Michael''s girlfriend. I took a while to regain myposure before walking out of the lounge. After receiving Emma''s call, I did not feel like working anymore. I could guess the reason for her call. That was also why I was feeling uneasy. I looked towards Michael''s office and could not help but wonder how he would feel if he knew about it. Shortly after, I received a text on my phone. The address was at a caf¨¦ near the office. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 I put my phone aside, hoping I could stop thinking about what Emma said, but I was wrong. I found myself going over to meet her when lunchtime came. I knew nothing constructive woulde out of our talk, but I refused to run away from the issue. Besides, I did not believe she would let me off the hook just like that if I did not show up. So, I decided to just meet up with her. I spotted Emma drinking a cup of coffee at a table beside the window right after I came through the caf¨¦''s door. She gave off a charm of elegance from the way she dressed and carried herself. She was inarguably a beautiful woman. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I took a deep breath to calm myself down before walking toward her and sitting down. ¡°What would you like to have?¡± Emma spoke before I could greet her. ¡°I''m good. I don''t have much time, Ms. Jones, so let''s cut to the chase.¡± I had no intention of talking to her over a cup of coffee¡ªI was not in the mood. After all, she was Michael''s official girlfriend. ¡°I see you''re a forthright person. All right then, let''s get straight to the point.¡± She was taken aback by my candidness, but she quicklyposed herself and smiled. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I know that your rtionship with Michael is somewhat extraordinary. But, I think you know I''m his girlfriend, right?¡± Of course, I knew she was his girlfriend, but still, hearing those words from her made me feel ufortable. I listened to her without any expression as if she was talking about someone totally unrted to me. ¡°I don''t see why you need to tell me that, Ms. Jones.¡± I fixed my apathetic gaze on her. ¡°You don''t need me to call you out on what both of you are doing, don''t you, Ms. Garcia? You guys might be keeping it a secret, but I know what I know.¡± Emma looked at me in the eyes without the slightest hint of perturbance. To be honest, it was unnerving. Michael and I had already tried everything we could to keep it under our hats. We pretended as if we did not know each other. However, Emma could still tell with just one look. I put my phone aside, hoping I could stop thinking about what Emma said, but I was wrong. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about, Ms. Jones. Mr. Shaw is just an employer to me.¡± I tried to sound as natural as I could without taking my eyes off her. Michael and I had made a deal to keep our rtionship hidden from everyone. Even if Emma guessed it correctly, I would not admit to it. ¡°Is it just me overthinking, or you not wanting to admit it?¡± The smile on her face faded away when she found out I was inexorable. Her gaze hardened as I felt her breaths of enmity engulfing me. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Jones. If this is why you asked me out, then I don''t see the point of me staying any longer. I still have work to attend to. See you around.¡± I stood up and got ready to leave. ¡°Ms. Garcia.¡± Emma shot up on her feet and red at me. A frown broke out on my face as I turned toward her again. Yes, I had a guilty conscience, but I was also angry. ¡°Is there anything else, Ms. Jones?¡± I tried to sound polite since I did not wish to get into a fight with her. ¡°You''d better stay away from Michael if you don''t want anything to happen to you. He''s my boyfriend. I will not let any woman go near him.¡± Emma made no effort to conceal the hatred she felt toward me. ¡°Say this to Michael, not me.¡± I stared at her for a moment and then turned to leave. It was clear as day that she asked me out just to warn me to stay away from Michael. I knew I had to cut things off between Michael and me, but he was the one who refused to let me go, so there was nothing I could do. If Emma could just talk to Michael and ask him to leave me, then I would not be caught in an unpleasant situation like this. My heart was in a mess on the way back to thepany. Although I lookedposed back there, I knew I was on the losing end from the very beginning. There was no future for Michael and me. Just as I was upied with thoughts, a loud honk sted from behind. I frowned and moved aside impatiently, but the honking did not stop. I whipped my head furiously, getting ready tombast the driver, but I held my tongue the moment I saw the familiar Ferrari. Ronan got off the car and walked toward me. A yful smile spread on his lips as he came closer. ¡°What a coincidence, Anna.¡± Ronan looked surprised and delighted to bump into me on the street, but I was not in my best mood. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Oh, I''m meeting Michael for golf,¡± Ronan said with a smile on his face. That exins the casual outfit. I had to say people of his ss led very different lives from ordinary folks like me. ¡°I see. Off you go then. I need to get back to work.¡± I did not feel like talking to Ronan after what happened. ¡°Where''s yourpany? I''ll send you over.¡± It was really kind of Ronan to offer to send me back to work. He had always been this helpful. Back then, he would always insist on sending me home. ¡°It''s fine, I can go back on my own. I just had lunch, so it''ll be good for me to walk a bit.¡± I turned him down without hesitation. My colleagues would start making assumptions if they saw me in a luxury car. After the brush I had with Tiffany, everyone at thepany kept their distance from me. Although it was not my fault, they clearly ostracized me and talked bad behind my back. I did not want to further aggravate my predicament. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ronan asked again. I could see the disappointment on his face when I rejected his offer. ¡°Yeah, I''ll be fine. You should get going too. Don''t keep Michael waiting.¡± I turned him down with a resolute but polite smile. Ronan knew I could be very upromising, so he just waved me goodbye and got back into his car. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 I ran into Michael when I got back to thepany. I saw him when I was about to go into the elevator, but I did not talk to him since he said we should keep a distance when we were in public. I originally wanted to wait for him to step outside before I entered, but to my surprise, he tugged me into the elevator and closed the door behind us. ¡°Aren''t you heading out?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I was confused. His silence elicited a frown on my brows, but before I could say anything, he pulled me into his arms and dipped his head, giving me a kiss. My eyes widened in shock at his sudden gesture and my mind went nk. His kiss was gentle. I almost felt like he was kissing someone he genuinely loved. Michael pushed me against the wall and continued kissing me. My heart raced in excitement and fear. I was worried the door might open and people might catch us in the act, but kissing him in the elevator also gave me an inexplicable thrill. Just as I was hoping for more, Michael pulled away from me. He looked much more collected now. I was suddenly at a loss for words looking at him. He had always acted in unexpected ways that startled me. ¡°I''ll be out for the afternoon. I''ll see you after work. Make sure you go home right after work.¡± The way he talked sounded as if he was ordering me, but there was also a subtle smile on his face at the same time. I would be lying to say that I waspletely unfazed by his charm. I could not help but wonder if I really had a special ce in his heart, or was everything just a fling for him. I secretly hoped I meant something to him. ¡°All right, I''ll be home early.¡± I nodded stiffly after some time. My mind was still hooked on the thought of our rtionship. He had no obligation to treat me this nicely if there was nothing serious going on between us. But, if we were really a thing, I did not understand why he wanted to keep our rtionship a secret. I ran into Michael when I got back to thepany. I saw him when I was about to go into the elevator, but I did not talk to him since he said we should keep a distance when we were in public. I really had no idea what he was trying to do. After getting an answer from me, Michael pressed a button on the elevator and walked out. I stared at his back as he walked off and pped myself back to reality. I had to stop myself before I got carried away. It was ridiculous for me to even think Michael and I might end up being in a serious rtionship. I dived right into work after I got back to my seat. I busied myself with work the whole afternoon as time flew by quickly. After work, I went to a nearby supermarket to buy some ingredients so I could make some of Michael''s favorite dishes. It had be a habit for me to cook him dinner. I was not even sure if I would be able to wean myself off this habit if we were to break up one day. Michael went straight to shower after he got home. He was exceptionally particr about his personal hygiene. After he was done, we sat down at the table for dinner. Although my cooking was not splendid, he would always finish off everything I cooked. When Michael was done eating, he took a napkin to wipe his mouth. ¡°Go get ready. We''re going to the mall,¡± he said softly, looking at me. ¡°What do you need from the mall?¡± I asked out of curiosity. I felt Michael had been behaving differently. Back then, he would be so paranoid about us getting spotted by other people when we were out. I could not believe he was actually asking me to go to the mall with him. ¡°You''ll know when we get there.¡± Instead of telling me what he wanted to buy, he left me hanging and guessing. ¡°What if someone sees us?¡± I finally asked after much contemtion. I darted my nervous gaze at him, awaiting an answer. ¡°It''s normal for someone like me to have women around me all the time.¡± Michael shot me an indifferent gaze. What he said made sense. Given his wealth and status, women would be flocking to him all the time. But, it still made me wonder why he was suddenly fine with people seeing us in public. With this question burning inside me, I decided to get to the bottom of it despite knowing Michael was a testy man. ¡°I thought you''ve always wanted to keep our rtionship a secret?¡± ¡°Don''t you think you''re asking too many questions, Anna Garcia?¡± I could tell he was annoyed by the look on his face and his tone. I pouted my lips in dissatisfaction and kept quiet. After washing up, I got changed and went out with him. He brought me to the biggest mall nearby and held my hand as we walked in. That was the first time he did so, and it gave me butterflies in my stomach. His drastic change in attitude made me doubt if all this was real. I could feel the scrutinizing gazes of the people around us as we walked into the mall. Everyone was looking at Michael. He was like a shining star in the crowd. Of course, I did attract attention from some of the men, but it meant nothing to me. Michael was all I cared about. I followed his lead until we came to a store in the corner. A flush of heat rushed up to my cheeks when I looked at the store. ¡°Why did you bring me to a sex toy store?¡± I pulled him by the arm and looked at him awkwardly. There was no way I was going in. ¡°We''re here to buy sex toys of course.¡± Michael lugged me in, glimpsing at my shy face. I pushed his hand away and shook my head adamantly. ¡°I''m not going in, Michael. We should leave.¡± Never in my entire life had I gone to a sex toy shop. It was too embarrassing for me. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 ¡°You''re leaving just like that? We haven''t gotten anything.¡± Michael pulled my hand, showing no sign of relenting. I red at him in fury as none of us budged. I would never follow him here if I knew this was what he wanted to buy. He must have no shame to bring me here at this hour. ¡°I''m not going in. You can go in on your own if you want to.¡± I grabbed the store''s door handle with my other hand as I spoke. ¡°Are you sure you''re noting in?¡± he asked, letting go of my hand with his brows still locked in a frown. ¡°I''m not going in no matter what!¡± I shouted back without backing down. ¡°Fine, then just wait here. You''ll regret your action when we get hometer.¡± Michael stopped forcing me and went in himself. I felt so embarrassed looking at him go in. I could not understand how he coulde to a ce like this without even flinching. I felt an urge to leave there and then. Michael really never failed to surprise me. I had no idea he was this thick-skinned. I waited for a long time before he finally appeared at the door again. I spotted the cashier looking at him adoringly as he walked out. ¡°Do you want to see what I have bought you?¡± A sneaky smile curved on his lips as he swung the shopping bag in front of me. ¡°I''m not interested.¡± He surveyed my body from the top to the toe without saying a word. I red at him and walked off, upset. How can someone be so brazen? My steps halted when I suddenly recalled what he said. He said he got something for me. I wanted to turn back and ask what he meant, but it urred to me that I would not want to talk about sex toys with him in the public. ¡°You''re leaving just like that? We haven''t gotten anything.¡± I kept quiet and continued walking. Behind me, Michael did not say a word but smiled indulgently. I had a feeling things were not going to turn out nicely for me. After we got in the car, I took a quick nce at the shopping bag, trying to see what he bought. I hope it was not a vibrator since that was what I always saw in porn. A gush of embarrassment washed over me at the thought of it. At the end of the day, I was still a conservative girl in nature. Michael let off augh when he caught me sneaking a peek. ¡°Why? Can''t wait to try it out? Don''t worry. I''ll make sure you''re satisfied after we get home.¡± I almost puked hearing him speak. There must be something wrong with him to misconstrue my action, but I was wrong to expect anything sane from him. He tricked me into going to a sex toy shop at night, and he did not even care if people saw us together. What the hell is he thinking? I felt like giving him a lecture, but I was so infuriated I could not put my emotions into words, so I red at him and said no more. After all, it was not like I had ever won an argument with him. I would rather not waste my energy talking to him. I went straight to the bathroom to take a shower right after we reached Birchwood. There was no way I would let him have his way. Seeing I was about to get into the bathroom, he took out a pajama from the bag and threw it toward me. ¡°Wear this.¡± I heaved a sigh of relief when I found out it was just pajamas. Just when I thought he was not as perverted as I thought, I gasped looking at the clothes he passed me. I could not believe he bought a see-through bra. That piece of ck cloth was so thin it could barely cover an inch of my skin. The panty was equally awful. ¡°Can I say no?¡± I blinked my eyes, hoping desperately that he would go easy on me. I had never worn something like this before. Besides, it was as good as not wearing anything. ¡°Nope. You don''t have a choice.¡± He replied without hesitation despite seeing the unwillingness in my eyes. I knew there was no use trying to go against him. He had always been so demanding. I looked at the lingerie in my hands helplessly. So he has a fetish for sexy lingerie. Michael got annoyed when he saw me fidgeting in reluctance without going in. ¡°What are you waiting for? Do you want me to bathe you? I don''t mind doing it in the bathroom.¡± I darted into the bathroom without a second thought. Although I knew I would be doomed that night, I refused to do that with him in the bathroom. I stood at the bathroom door for a good few minutes, looking at thece lingerie I was wearing. This was simply too much for me. I would rather just go out naked than wearing something so provocative. ¡°Anna Garcia! Are you done already?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Michael''s voice came through the door loud and clear when I was still struggling to muster my courage. I bet he could not wait. ¡°I¡ª¡± I swallowed my words back immediately. I knew if I said I was done bathing, he would ask me to go out right that moment. ¡°I''m giving you three minutes before I go in myself.¡± He was clearly crossed because I made him wait. Given his temper, he would really barge in if I kept him waiting. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 I finally got out of the bathroom when he was counting down to thest minute. I stood before him shyly, not knowing where to look. Although Michael had seen my bare body before, it was still embarrassing for me to let him see me in erotic lingerie. I took a quick glimpse at his face and saw desire welling up in his eyes the moment he caught sight of me. He came over right away and carried me over to the bed before unleashing all his pent-up frustration all the way until midnight. After a good few hours of lovemaking, he finally got off me andy down beside me with a satisfied smile on his face. Despite being worn out, I felt a sense of contentment looking at him. ¡°I really like this lingerie. You should try another set tomorrow night. I got you ten.¡± He turned toward me and started toying my breasts with his finger. I felt an urge to p him in the face. ¡°I''m not wearing stuff like this anymore.¡± I could never in my wildest imagination think he would buy me something like this¡ªwhat more ten. ¡°Well, I know you''ll end up doing it in the end.¡± He shot me a raunchy smile. I red at him when I saw the anticipation glistening in his eyes. It would be useless for me to object to hismand. ¡°Whatever. I''m sleeping first,¡± I said curtly and cut off the conversation. Michael hugged me from behind and fell asleep in no time. He must be drained after all the hard work tonight. Despite being disgruntled with his attitude, I found myself sleeping soundly in his arms. I had already gotten used to sleeping beside him after all this time. In fact, I would feel miserable if he was gone one day. I finally got out of the bathroom when he was counting down to thest minute. Like any other day, we woke up and went to work the following day, but unlike his usual self, he did not let me get off the car at an uncrowded ce, nor did he try to hide me from peoples'' eyes. ¡°We''re here.¡± He turned and looked at me before I got off the car. ¡°Let''s just wait until these people walk off,¡± I replied nervously, checking out the surroundings. ¡°Never mind them.¡± I looked back at him, startled. I simply could not wrap my head around what he was thinking. He used to be so secretive about our rtionship, but he seemed to have changed totally. ¡°I''m sure everyone at thepany is gonna gossip about me if they see meing out of your car.¡± Even if Michael did not care about what others said, I did. Besides, I was still confused about our rtionship. If he wanted to go official with me, he should at least let me know for sure what our rtionship was first. I did not want to end up making a clown out of myself in front of my colleagues. If they found out about Michael and me, there was no way I could continue working here. Michael knew what was on my mind. I could sense his anger building up in the enclosed space although he did not breathe a word. I ignored him without taking my eyes off the people outside. When they were finally gone, I got out of the car quickly and went up to the office. As usual, I had a hectic work schedule in the morning. When lunch hour came, everyone took a break and got ready to get lunch. Michael got out of his office and came right toward me. My heart thumped seeing him walking toward me. I knew he was up to something. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. All eyes were on him as he approached. His towering presence drew closer and I could feel it was going to turn out bad the moment his eyes curved in a gentle smile. ¡°Could you help me get lunch?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah... Sure...¡± I was dazed by his sudden tenderness. My frantic gaze swept across the office and I saw everyone looking at me. I started cursing at him in my heart for putting me in a tight spot. I had made an enemy out of everyone. Just when I thought he had done enough damage, Michael spoke again. ¡°Let me know if you need help with the Benyx project. I know it''s a little tricky.¡± This would be the end of me. My heart skipped a beat when he spoke to me so kindly, but worry quickly banished the excitement in my heart. Everyone''s aversive re was directed toward me. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shaw,¡± I answered, putting extra emphasis on thest two words. I had to keep things professional between us although I still had no idea what he was trying to do. ¡°All right, go grab lunch then.¡± With that said, he turned and went back into his office. I felt a suffocating burden lifted off my chest after he left, but the antagonism from all the female colleagues still sent a shudder down my spine. What did I do for him to create trouble for me on purpose? Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Even Millie was looking at me differently after my interaction with Michael. She was the only person in the whole office who was nice to me. I panicked at the thought of losing her trust. ¡°I''ll go get lunch.¡± I did not know what else to say. So, I blurted out whatever came to mind and excused myself. My heart was still unsettled even after I came back to the office. Michael''s action was really suspicious. He could well text me or send me an email, but he chose to talk to me in close proximity in front of everybody. I went to his office to deliver him the food before going back to my ce for the fear of him nitpicking on me. Once again, all my colleagues'' stares trailed my movement as I walked into Michael''s office. I feignedposure and walked in as if I had real business to talk to him about. To ensure people outside did not second-guess our rtionship, I dropped his lunch on his table and turned to leave. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Michael called out to me before I walked past the door. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I stopped and looked back at him. ¡°I will go in a bit.¡± I thought I was smart by thinking he would let me off the hook if I told him I had not eaten. ¡°Then just stay and eat together. I don''t think I can finish everything.¡± What''s wrong with him? I could not believe he said that. ¡°It''s okay. I''ll just eat on my own. You''re the CEO here and I''m the employee. It''s best if we keep our distance before everyone else senses something fishy.¡± I had already incurred public wrath when he asked me to buy him lunch and even offered me help with work. If I stayed and ate with him, everyone at the office would wage war against me. Even Millie was looking at me differently after my interaction with Michael. ¡°Do you want me to repeat myself? Don''t test my patience.¡± He was fixed on not letting me leave. He knew I was afraid of him, so he went ahead and threatened me. I tried suppressing the anger in my heart and walked toward him. He passed me a pair of cutlery and started eating himself. He knew people would have their doubts if I lingered too long in his office, but he asked me to stay nheless. He was doing this on purpose. I lost my appetite, thinking about what others would say. It was not until Michael finished lunch that he let me out. As expected, I was met with hostile res the moment I stepped out of his office. I lowered my head and walked back to my own table to prevent any eye contact. Millie came over and looked at me with surmising eyes. ¡°Anna, what''s with you and Mr. Shaw? Don''t tell me you guys are...¡± Sleeping together? I finished Millie''s sentence off for her in my mind. We slept together a lot of times, but I could not tell her that. I looked at Millie guiltily. ¡°I don''t know what''s wrong with Mr. Shaw today.¡± I saw nothing wrong with ming everything on Michael. After all, he was the reason why I was getting so much hate from everyone. ¡°Really? The way he talked to you is as if you guys know each other really well. You know how all the women here see him as their prince charming. You''ll be good as dead if there''s really something going on.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Millie? I''m just a normal employee like everyone else. There''s no way I will know someone like Mr. Shaw personally.¡± Millie''s words only confirmed my fear. I was still traumatized by what happenedst time when I was locked in the toilet. Everyone would kill me if Michael continued giving me special treatment. The suspicion on Millie''s face disappeared after I assured her. ¡°That makes sense. We''re all just his employees. He''d probably pick a woman from a good family if he had a girlfriend.¡± My heart eased when Millie finally believed me. Although I had sessfully diverted her doubt, I was still irked by what Michael did to me. Millie was a trusting person, so I was able to persuade her, but that did not mean other people at work would take me for my word. I left work earlier in the evening because I was afraid something would happen to me, but before I could get out of the building, a gush of cold water came pouring on my body out of nowhere. When I wiped my face and looked upward, the culprit was nowhere in sight. I was infuriated. I knew someone must have done this to me deliberately. How I wished I could run upstairs and catch the person red-handed, yet I knew it would be best to not make a huge fuss out of this, else everyone would be bitter toward me. I could only bear this silently. I walked out of thepany building, wet and cold. Even the cab driver was looking at me intermittently throughout the journey home. I took a hot shower after I arrived, but I could not stop sneezing. I just got out of the shower when Michael reached home. When he saw me shivering in my thick towel, he came over. ¡°Why are you all wrapped up like this? It''s so warm today,¡± he jeered. ¡°Can you please stop being so snarky? Can''t you see I''m sick?¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Sick people were always in their foulest mood. I would not have given Michael such an attitude if I were not ill. ¡°You caught a cold? This is so out of the blue.¡± He reached out his palm and touched my forehead. A frown stitched on his forehead when he felt my temperature. ¡°Anyone can catch a cold anytime. Don''t you know that?¡± I red at him unhappily, recalling what happened earlier on. I did not breathe a word to him because I knew he would turn the wholepany upside down in search of the culprit, further inciting everyone against me. ¡°You get sick too easily. Some exercise will do you good,¡± he said without suspecting anything. ¡°Well, it''s not like I have time for that. Work is tiring enough already.¡± I rolled my eyes and muttered myints. It was true that work was taxing. I felt tired every day after work. Exercising would be thest thing I wanted to do. ¡°You can still exercise at night if you don''t have time in the day. Having sex is good training too.¡± A naughty smile curved on his lips as he eyed me. Anger shot up in my heart when I finally understood what he meant. I could not believe he could still crack a joke like this after knowing I was sick. ¡°You can exercise on your own if you like. I don''t have the energy for that.¡± I was not feeling well, so I would definitely not join him tonight. ¡°But it''s not something I can do alone.¡± Michael looked at me innocently as he sat down beside me. I recoiled the moment he came closer. I was not in the mood to entertain him. ¡°I really need to sleep.¡± The dizziness in my head was so unbearable; sleeping was the only thing I wanted to do. I still had to work the next day. Sick people were always in their foulest mood. I would not have given Michael such an attitude if I were not ill. Michael was vexed at my rejection, but after seeing me in such a state, he relented. I went back to my room and knocked off right after I got in bed. I had no idea how long I slept for, but when Michael woke me up again, I was still not well-rested. ¡°Stop it! Just let me sleep.¡± I tossed to another side and continued sleeping. ¡°Take some medication before you sleep now,¡± he instructed sternly, ¡°Or I''ll strip you naked.¡± Having sex was thest thing I wanted to do, so I sat up. ¡°Come, take some med.¡± Michael passed me a tablet and a ss of water. I took the ss from him quietly, moved by his kind gesture. I thought he woke me up because he wanted to sleep with me, but it turned out he just wanted to give me some medication. From what I remembered, our house did not have any cold medication. Did he go out just to get them for me? ¡°You went out just now?¡± I probed curiously, feeling an inexplicable warmth budding inside my heart. ¡°Of course. It''ll be troublesome for me if you''re sick for too long,¡± he replied with a hint of annoyance. His harsh words washed away thest bit of gratitude I felt toward him. Sometimes, I wondered why he just could not say somethingforting. Michael took the ss of water from me and ced it beside my bed after I was done. ¡°Get some rest. You canpensate me some other time.¡± Hey his head beside mine and dozed off not long after. I could never understand why he craved sex so much. He was sure to have things his way if I recovered tomorrow. Doesn''t he ever get tired of it? I puckered my lips and slept after he did. When the rm clock rang the next day, I was still feeling giddy. But, other than that slight difort, I was a lot better overall. I moved my hand along the empty space beside me and figured Michael must have gone to work. After washing up, I stopped by a cafe to get breakfast before going to thepany by subway. When I arrived at thepany, I sensed the gloating stares of my colleagues drilling through me. They probably knew about what happened to me yesterday. Truth be told, I was indignant at their spite. However, since I was here to work, I decided to just brush my feelings aside. I sat at my table and got ready to hand in yesterday''s design draft to the editor. Yet, to my chagrin, the draft was nowhere to be found. My heart started racing as I looked through all the documents on my table. I would never misce such an important document. ¡°What''s the matter, Anna?¡± Millie spotted my abnormal behavior and asked. ¡°Millie, did you see the draft I was working on yesterday?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I was really getting anxious. I spent days getting it done, and the client wanted to see the draft today. I simply could not afford to lose it at this point. ¡°I don''t think I saw it. Did you leave it at home?¡± Millie was also getting worried when she saw me poring over all the documents on my table. She even started looking for it with me. ¡°I''m sure it''s here. I didn''t bring it home.¡± Fear was eating me up on the inside. What should I do now? At that point, I was sure many people were delighted at my plight. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 I scanned their faces and was positive that one of them must have done this to me. I went in front of everyone and red at them one after another. It was true that I did not want to confront them head-on, but my patience had its limits. That was myst straw. I toiled for days toe up with the design. I would not let this slide. ¡°Who took it?¡± I focused my gaze on a few women as I asked. ¡°What are you talking about? None of us is interested in what you''re working on. You''re the one who lost it. You can''t me us for that,¡± one of them replied acridly. ¡°I know one of you did this. You''d better admit it before it''s toote. You know how much this design n means to me.¡± Seeing the unmistakable glee in their eyes, I told myself not to let my emotions take over. ¡°I really didn''t see it. You can''t just me us for something we didn''t do.¡± ¡°Yeah, you can''t do that. Besides, who knows if you actually finished it? Don''t me us for your ipetence.¡± All of them came together in unison to corner me. ¡°Mr. Shaw wants this document today. I''m sure he won''t let any of you go if he finds out one of you took it.¡± Since they were not afraid of me, I decided to just use Michael''s name. Although they were all head over heels for him, Michael was still their boss. They knew what he was capable of when he was cross ¡ªTiffany was a walking example. Fright settled over their faces when I mentioned Michael, but they did not chicken out. They still refused to give me back the document. ¡°We said we didn''t do it. You can just go ahead and tell Mr. Shaw. Who do you think you are anyway? You''re just a rookie here. Having Mr. Shaw at your back means nothing to us.¡± I scanned their faces and was positive that one of them must have done this to me. ¡°What are you talking about? He''s just my superior and nothing more than that.¡± I was enraged when they brought up Michael and my rtionship. I had always been professional on all fronts when it came to working. I never once thought I was any more special than anyone else. They were the ones who kept picking a fight with me. ¡°Oh really? Then exin the way he talked to you yesterday! I dare say you''ve already slept with him!¡± Their tant remarks incited fury in my heart. I squeezed my fists, trying to control my anger. ¡°That''s none of your business. It seems to me that you''re the one who''s desperate to get him in your bed. Sadly, you don''t have what it takes.¡± I was usually a calm and quiet person, but they went overboard today. I would not just sit and let them trample all over me. The supervisor happened toe out when we were in an altercation. He was furious when he caught us fighting. ¡°What are y''all doing? Work quietly or pack your stuff and leave!¡± Harry was a severe man in his mid-forties. Everyone at the office walked on eggshells whenever he was around. ¡°Mr. Doyle, Anna is the one who started it. She used us of stealing her document.¡± They went over to the supervisor and started pointing out my faults. ¡°Mr. Doyle, a document I was working on is missing. I think one of them took it.¡± ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± Now that Harry was here, they decided to strike the iron while it was hot. I could tell from their gleeful expression that they were the ones who took my document. s, it was true that I had no evidence. ¡°I knew it! She''s just trying to frame us. She''s doesn''t even have any solid proof. I demand an apology.¡± Seeing I was rendered speechless, one of them stood forward and looked at me confidently. I fell under everyone''s attention since all our colleagues heard our argument. ¡°Anna Garcia, do you have any proof that they are the ones who took your document?¡± I could tell Harry was not pleased with me for wasting his time and obstructing everyone''s work. ¡°I don''t have any proof, but I''m sure it''s one of them.¡± I did not see why that was even a question. I would not be fighting with them if I had any proof. Harry must not be in his right mind to even ask this, but I did not point that out because after all, he was still my supervisor. A deep frown carved on his brows when he heard my answer. ¡°Then how can you just me people like that?¡± Then, he turned toward the group of women. ¡°Tell me, is it any of you?¡± ¡°Mr. Doyle, this is so unfair. We don''t even know what she''s talking about.¡± Their tone instantly became skittish under Harry''s questioning re. ¡°Anna Garcia, do you still have respect for all your colleagues? This is a workce. I expect some professionalism from you.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Harry still chose to believe them in the end. My blood was boiling. I knew I had to stand up for myself this time. ¡°Mr. Doyle, I can''t prove that it''s them. But neither can they prove that they didn''t do it either. You''re clearly taking their side.¡± Chapter 189 Chapter 189 ¡°Anna Garcia! Is this how you talk to me?¡± Harry was exasperated when I shouted at him. ¡°But that''s the truth!¡± I retaliated. I looked at him in the eyes without backing down. I did not care if he was the supervisor. ¡°Do you know I can sack you right this second?¡± Harry hurled threats at me because he felt humiliated when I yelled at him in front of everybody. ¡°And do y''all know I can fire all of you?¡± Michael''s voice came from behind all of a sudden. ¡°What''s with all the ruckus early in the morning?¡± Michael''s voice was cold and raspy. Everyone looked away as he swept his gaze across the office. The women fell into silence and even the supervisor straightened his back. I turned and looked at him with my eyes red. ¡°What happened?¡± Michael turned toward me and asked without betraying any emotion in his voice. I told him everything from the very beginning. Michael''s eyes were burning with anger when I was done telling my story. ¡°So none of you took it?¡± His fierce re sank through them as he interrogated the women. They were shaking under Michael''s harsh questioning. ¡°No, we didn''t do it. Anna is the one who''s trying to set us up.¡± The women came forward one by one and mumbled the same answer. ¡°Really?¡± Michael''s gaze hardened as he scrutinized their faces. ¡°We really didn''t do it, Mr. Shaw...¡± I could tell they were lying from how their voices trailed off weakly. ¡°Since y''all said no, then I''ll find it until I get it.¡± I was touched seeing Michael standing up for me, but I could not dismiss the bugging thought of my colleagues finding out about our rtionship. Michael gestured at his secretary to start searching. ¡°Anna Garcia! Is this how you talk to me?¡± Harry was exasperated when I shouted at him. My gaze followed the secretary anxiously. I was genuinely afraid that the document was lost. The people from Benyx Corporation would be here anytime soon. They would definitely want to see the design during the meeting. It would be toote for me to start penning it all over again. I clenched my fists as the search continued. It did not take long before the secretary located it in one of the drawers of the table. When one of the women saw the secretary retrieving the document from her drawer, her face turned pale. Even her cronies started quivering in fear. ¡°So? Is it you, or is it not you?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Michael took the document from his secretary and smirked. The woman who turned out to be the main culprit could not even bring herself to look at Michael. ¡°What''s with the silence? You were so articte just now.¡± The smirk on Michael''s face slowly faded as the rage in his eyes intensified. Joyful Sess was known for its strict discipline toward employees, so naturally, Michael was incensed by their actions. ¡°Mr. Shaw, we''re just trying to pull Anna''s leg. We really didn''t mean it.¡± The woman had the audacity to say it was all just for fun. ¡°Do you think it''s funny? I know you did this to me because you dislike me. You clearly knew I need this document for the meetingter, but you hid it deliberately. I don''t see how this is funny.¡± I finally spoke my mind. Initially, I wanted to just let bygone be bygone and forget what happened yesterday, but what they did today was just too much. ¡°I''m sorry, Anna. We''re really just trying to prank you. Please forgive us.¡± Those women were full of tricks and schemes. They knew Michael saw through their act now that he found out they took my document. He would not let them off unpunished, so theirst resort was to beg for forgiveness from me. They flocked around me and held my hand, pretending as if we were close friends. I looked at them repulsively, wondering how people could be so fake. I ignored them and took the document from Michael before going back to my work desk. It was up to Michael how he wanted to deal with them. I had already proven that they were the ones at fault. The women did not expect me to be so cold-hearted. They were now entirely under Michael''s mercy. ¡°None of you are receiving your bonus this year. If something like this happens again, count yourself fired.¡± Michael spared them onest nce and walked into his office, leaving the women behind in shame. Although Michael did not sack them, depriving them of their annual bonus was already enough of a punishment for them. Joyful Sess'' bonus was a huge sum and no one would lose it without feeling their skin peeled. ¡°What are y''all waiting for? Get back to work!¡± Harry bellowed at them while the women were still recovering from the shock. They looked at me spitefully before returning to their seats. They were not friendly to me, to begin with, so there was no point trying to save them. I would readily do to them what they did to me if they continued the act. By the time I finished sorting out the design n, the representative from Benyx had arrived. It was the same female manager fromst time. I was not entirely d to see her. After all, she asked Michael out for dinner thest time she came. I knew she wanted to have a chance with Michael, but he turned her down. Despite my displeasure at her arrival, I still had to be friendly toward her since she was thepany''s client. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 With the file in my hand, I walked into Michael''s office. When I entered his office, I saw that the pretty manager''s hand was resting on Michael''s shoulder, and they seemed to be very close to each other. I felt a little ufortable at the sight of this. It seemed to me that Michael would take on any woman who came on to him. Thest time when we were in the meeting room, he did not hesitate to decline this pretty manager''s advances. Did he fall for her charms today? ¡°This is the advertising proposal for Benyx Group, Mr. Shaw,¡± I said tly as I ced the design draft in front of him. ¡°Ms. Light, please take a look at this and let us know your thoughts.¡± Michael nced at me before he picked up the file and passed it to the pretty manager. Then, he discreetly brushed her hand off him. ¡°There''s no need for me to look at it. I have full faith in Joyful Sess.¡± She took the file without even ncing at it and ced it back on the table again. Then she moved closer to Michael and pouted her full red lips. I couldn''t bear seeing her getting so close to Michael. I was rather upset, but there was nothing that I could do about it. Anyway, I had no right to be upset because Michael and I were not in a rtionship. Michael appeared to be calm. Perhaps he had encountered this kind of scenario far too many times. ¡°Very well then, I won''t keep you any longer, Ms. Light. I have other important matters to attend to.¡± Just like before, he asked her to leave. ¡°You''ve turned down my invitation to dinner thest time, Mr. Shaw. I doubt you will turn me down this time if I were to ask you out for dinner again. After all, a gentleman doesn''t decline a woman''s offer twice in a row.¡± It was obvious that she had yet to give up on Michael. I cast Michael a nervous nce and was hoping that he would reject her. However, his answer this time around disappointed me. ¡°How can I let a beautiful woman pay for dinner? Dinner is on me tonight,¡± Michael said with a faint smile as he looked at her. As soon as he said that, my heart sank. He actually agreed to go for dinner with her. Can''t he tell that she''sing on to him? Isn''t it inappropriate for him to have dinner with another woman when he already has a girlfriend? With the file in my hand, I walked into Michael''s office. When I entered his office, I saw that the pretty manager''s hand was resting on Michael''s shoulder, and they seemed to be very close to each other. And even if he''s single, he''s got to think about me. Although we''re not officially in a rtionship, he has to take my feelings into consideration. ¡°Okay then. I''ll send you the address of the restaurant shortly. Don''t bete, Mr. Shaw.¡± She was pleasantly surprised for a second before she beamed at him. She probably did not expect Michael to agree so quickly. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t bete, Ms. Light. I''ll get back to my work now.¡± After Michael said that, he picked up the file and looked at it. Evidently, he was telling her that it was time for her to leave. ¡°In that case, I won''t bother you any further. I''ll see you tonight.¡± She didn''t seem to mind that she was being asked to leave as she was still on cloud nine after he agreed to have dinner with her. She shed him a smile and walked out of Michael''s office as her high heels clicked across the floor. Michael and I were the only ones left in his office. I red at him and wanted to vent out my frustration, but I was at a loss for words. He''s gone too far. How could he agree to have dinner with that woman? Sensing that I was still standing there, he lifted his head and stared at me with a deep frown marring his face. ¡°Why are you still here? Don''t you have work to do?¡± ¡°Are you really going to have dinner with Ms. Light tonight?¡± I asked sullenly as I looked into his eyes. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Michael raised his eyebrows and gave me a puzzled look. ¡°Isn''t it inappropriate for you to have dinner with another woman when you already have a girlfriend? Moreover, you have me...¡± I trailed off. I was afraid that Michael could hear it in my voice, then he would be able to tell that I had fallen for him. ¡°Are you jealous, Anna?¡± Michael sneered at me and his face cracked into a smile. ¡°No, I''m not. I just think that you shouldn''t go,¡± I lowered my head and answered reluctantly. Yes, I''m jealous. I don''t want him to get too close to another woman. I was upset, but I couldn''t say what was on my mind. I had no idea why Michael was treating me this way. What if I said what was on my mind? That would anger him for sure. ¡°Ms. Light is my client. It''s just social dinner.¡± Michael didn''t change his mind. He had his heart set on going for dinner with Ms. Light. ¡°I think she likes you, and dinner is just a way for her to get closer to you.¡± A woman''s intuition is always right. I could tell by the way Ms. Light looked at Michael. She definitely had the intention to develop a rtionship with Michael. I believed a smart man like Michael would be able to see that. Still, he did not decline her offer for a dinner date. Does it mean that he''s into developing a rtionship with her too? ¡°That''s enough. This is my personal affair. Get back to your work.¡± Seeing how I reacted, Michael grew impatient and ordered me out of his office. He stopped talking and ignored me by burying himself in work. I knew it was not my ce to say those things to Michael, but I was rather hurt when he said it was his personal affair. In fact, I was berating myself. I knew that Michael''s actions had nothing to do with me, but I still felt ufortable to see another woman getting close to him. I turned around to leave his office and returned to my seat. I couldn''t concentrate on my work when my mind was on Michael''s dinner date with another woman. What if they drink too much and have sex afterward? The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. It seemed like he would take any woman into his arms as long as she came on to him. I sighed in exasperation and told myself to snap out of it. Instead of focusing on Michael, I ought to focus more on myself and live for myself. I shouldn''t lose myself in a rtionship that was doomed from the start. Just when I was about to get off work, my phone rang. It was Ronan on the line. Upon seeing the caller''s name, I let out a helpless sigh before I answered the phone. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Are you free tonight? Care to have dinner with me?¡± Ronan''s all-too-chipper voice sounded through the phone. He was always in a jolly good mood and not having a worry in the world. ¡°I¡ª¡± I was not in the mood to meet Ronan when I was troubled with the thought of Michael having dinner with another woman. After a nce at Michael''s office, I decided to tell Ronan that I was not interested in having dinner with him. But before I could turn him down, Ronan''s voice came through the phone. ¡°You''ve turned me down countless times. Are you going to do it again today? It''s not nice of you to keep rejecting me, you know?¡± Ronan sounded rather aggrieved on the phone. If I were to turn him down again, then I would be rather unkind towards him. Although I didn''t quite agree with Ronan''s frivolous ways, he was the one who took care of me when I was hospitalized. I knew deep down he was a good person. ¡°All right. I''m getting off work now and heading home. I''ll change my clothes first before calling you.¡± In the end, I finally agreed to meet up with Ronan. Apart from his frivolity, he didn''t seem to have any other shorings. ¡°All right. I''ll wait for your call.¡± On the other end of the phone, Ronan sounded rather excited. I hung up and cast a nce again at Michael''s office. I didn''t want to meet up with Ronan initially, but I didn''t want to stay home and wait for Michael to return from his dinner date with another woman either. I would be better off having a nice dinner with a handsome man as mypanion, although Ronan was like a brother to me. At the end of office hours, most of the colleagues in my department had clocked off work. But Michael was still in his office. I frowned and fought the urge to go into his office to look for him. Back at Birchwood, I changed my clothes and walked to a nearby bus stop before calling Ronan. I could have asked him to pick me up at Birchwood, but I didn''t want anyone else to know about my rtionship with Michael. If Ronan were to know where I lived, he would have stormed into Michael''s house. And if that were to happen, Michael would definitely fly into a rage due to some misunderstanding. By then, I wouldn''t be able to exin myself out of that mess. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Are you free tonight? Care to have dinner with me?¡± I waited at the bus stop for a short while before a shy Ferrari drove up in front of me. Ronan was not driving fast because this was a residential area. ¡°Why are you waiting for me in a ce like this? Next time, just let me know where you live, and I''ll come and get you,¡± Ronan said as he stuck his head out of the car window. He was dressed in ck casual wear with a pair of oversized aviator sunsses. Although the sunsses covered up more than half of his face, one could still tell that he was a handsome man. ¡°There''s no need for that. It''s not easy to find the street I lived in. Besides, it''s just a stone''s throw away from this bus stop. It''s no trouble at all,¡± I got into the passenger seat and answered with a faint smile before proceeding to change the subject. ¡°Do you have to go to such length to keep it a secret? We''re friends now, aren''t we? Are you afraid to let me know where you live?¡± Although Ronan seemed cavalier, he was also a clever man. He could tell that I was deliberately trying to change the subject. ¡°What do you want to have for dinner?¡± I quickly changed the subject as I didn''t want to be interrogated about where I lived. Ronan''s face stiffened with dismay when he realized I was changing the subject, but he quickly put on a smile again after that. ¡°I heard there''s a newly opened Jetroinian restaurant that serves coast-worthy fresh salmons. Let''s go there, shall we?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I answered with a smile. Ronan put the car in gear, and not long after that, the car came to a stop at the entrance of a Jetroinian restaurant. This ce looked to be a high-ss restaurant, and it would definitely cost a lot of money to dine here. ¡°This ce looks expensive. Let''s go somewhere else.¡± I was being serious. Although Ronan was the son of a wealthy man, he was also unemployed. Thus, I felt bad for having to spend a lot at a high-end restaurant. ¡°Please don''t worry about the price. Dinner is on me, and I can afford it.¡± Ronan seemed to read my mind. He patted me on the shoulder before he took my hand and walked into the restaurant. Since I treated him as my own brother, I didn''t mind when he took my hand and led me in. I felt rather out of ce because that was my first time to dine at such a high-end restaurant. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. We chose a window seat, and I sat across from Ronan. As soon as we sat down, a waiter approached us with the menu. ¡°Order anything you like,¡± Ronan said as he handed me the menu with a smile. ¡°I''ll leave it to you to order. It''s my first time at this kind of restaurant, so I don''t know what to order.¡± I handed the menu back to Ronan. I didn''t know what to order without looking like a fool. ¡°Okay then, I''ll order for us.¡± Ronan didn''t object either. With the menu in his hands, he began to order several dishes that I had never heard of before. While we were waiting for our food to arrive, I shifted my gaze towards the main entrance. I froze when I saw who it was at the door. Michael walked into the restaurant, with Ms. Light following closely behind. She looked exceptionally stunning, and it was obvious that she had taken the time to dress up for dinner. She beamed widely as she walked up to Michael and hooked her hand around his arm. Michael did not push her away, but he frowned as he looked at her hand on his arm. After that, they chose a table that was not too far from me. When Michael was taking his seat, he looked in my direction and instantly spotted me. He blinked in astonishment before shifting his gaze to Ronan. Since Ronan was seated with his back facing Michael, thetter only saw the former''s back. A scowl darkened his face. And I began to get all hot and flustered from his icy gaze. I''m so screwed! How could it be so coincidental? To run into Michael at the same restaurant when I''m out for dinner with Ronan. I panicked and lowered my head because I was afraid to lock eyes with Michael again. At that moment, I struggled to put on a calm face as my mind began to race. ¡°What''s wrong, Anna? You don''t look so good.¡± Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Ronan tilted his head up. His eyes shone with worry when he stared at me. All I could think about at the time was Michael, so I paid no attention to what Ronan was saying. I simply kept my head down as my heart thumped wildly. Shoot! I can''t believe we bumped into each other here! ¡°Anna?¡± Ronan called out to me again when he noticed that I wasn''t reacting at all. His handsome brows were frowning slightly, and his gaze carried a hint of worry. ¡°Huh? What?¡± I blurted in surprise while shifting my attention to him. ¡°Something seems off about you. What''s wrong?¡± ¡°I-I''m fine. I just need to go to thedies'' room real quick.¡± Ronan''s expression changed after he heard what I said, and confusion started glowing in his eyes. I had tilted my head up and snuck a peek at Michael. Anxiety ran wild in me when I saw that he was staring at me, so I excused myself and quickly got out of my seat. After that, I rushed to the washroom. Inside the washroom, I washed my hands and looked at my own reflection. I looked so nervous that it was ridiculous. What are you worried about, Anna Garcia? He''s on a date with another woman, whereas you''re having an innocent meal with a friend. Why are you scared? I red at my reflection as regret donned my face. Michael is the one at fault; he agreed to go on a date with that woman. Why do I have to feel guilty? I sshed some water on my face before I exited the washroom. Unfortunately, I was pushed to the wall as soon as I walked out of there. My back was hurt, and my first instinct was to cuss aloud, but I never had the chance to do so. When I saw that the perpetrator was Michael, my heart started thumping wildly, and I was nervous once more. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡± Isn''t he supposed to be on a date with that beautiful woman? Why is he here? Did he alsoe to use the washroom? ¡°I''m the one who should be questioning you. Anna Garcia, how dare you? I can''t believe you''re going behind my back and seeing another man. How freaking brave of you!¡± Michael''s handsome face was so grouchy that he looked scary. His words and tone brimmed with fury as he spoke like he was interrogating me. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? We''re just friends. It''s not what you think!¡± When I learned that Michael had misread the situation, I was angry and worried at the same time. I didn''t want him to see me like that. Ronan tilted his head up. His eyes shone with worry when he stared at me. Moreover, Ronan and I were really just friends. In fact, he was actually a few years older than me. So, I only saw him as a younger brother. Hell, did he think I am a cougar? I am not into younger men. ¡°You''re having dinner with him! How could I have misread the situation? Seriously, do you think you can fool me, Anna?¡± Michael didn''t believe a word I said because his anger had clouded his judgment. My exnation was to no avail as he was already intent on the notion that Ronan and I were an item. I wanted to exin myself again, but then I recalled how he was out on a date with a beautiful woman. I didn''t evenin about his date! Why should I reassure him when I''m only having a meal with a friend? The thought fired me up. I red at Michael and spoke in a distant tone when I pointed out, ¡°You''re on a date with a beautiful woman, so what''s wrong with me being with a handsome dude? It''s not like there''s anything you can do about it.¡± ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± Maybe it was because he never expected me to change my stance so abruptly, but Michael was stunned for a second. His gaze instantly filled with fury when he looked at me again. Michael was dying of anger. The rage in his eyes was burning wildly, but my words had cornered him, and there was nothing he could say. All he could do was re at me, and I could tell that at that moment, he was already at the edge of going off. ¡°Mr. Shaw, if there is nothing else you''d like to share, I''d like to return to my seat. My friend is waiting for me.¡± I put on a brave face, but the pressure exuded from Michael''s eyes made me incredibly ufortable. All I wanted was to run away from him as quickly as possible. At first, I wanted to flee as soon as I finished speaking, but Michael grabbed my wrist and red angrily at me. ¡°Anna Garcia, how dare you cheat on me that tantly? You really have gotten gutsy!¡± Michael had no intention of letting me go. He had always been a possessive man. Now that he saw me having a meal with another man, he was probably too angry to be hungry. ¡°Have you forgotten we are not in a rtionship, Mr. Shaw? So it''s a little inappropriate to say that I cheated on you.¡± Michael''s attitude toward me had changed drastically over the past two days. I refuted and said those words because I wanted to test the water and learn who I was to him. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. My words touched a nerve once again. His dark brown eyes burned with rage so wild that it felt like it would turn me into ashes. His grip became tighter, and I felt like my bones were being crushed. I frowned in pain, but my gaze remained distant when I looked into his eyes. ¡°Let go of me, Michael. You''re hurting me!¡± I used my other hand to push him and try to get away from him. Unfortunately, his hand was as strong as a pincer and had locked me in ce. It didn''t matter how I fought back. His grip remained strong. ¡°I know you''re pushing my buttons, Anna, but I''ve told you a million times¡ªyou are mine!¡± Michael had always been ridiculously possessive. It didn''t matter how he felt about me. All that mattered was that I belonged to him and must be blindly loyal to him. ¡°Let go of me, Michael. Let go!¡± He was strong, and my wrist hurt so much that my tears were gathering in my eyes. Darn it. If I had known that I''d bump into Michael tonight, I would never havee out for dinner. Fate can be such a b*tch! ¡°I will shout if you don''t let go, Michael, and I will tell everyone that you attempted to rape me!¡± I couldn''t help threatening him when I saw that he was not budging at all. This man is unreasonable. I''ve exined the situation to clear the misunderstanding, and I''ve fought to get away from him. Neither worked! ¡°Rape? Have you forgotten that you belong to me?¡± Michael''s tone remained distant, and his eyes shone with taunt when he heard my threat. ¡°Except no one knows about our rtionship. If I were to shout and frame you as a rapist, people will believe me. You are a prominent figure, after all. Are you not worried about tarnishing your own reputation?¡± Truth was, I had nothing to back up my words. I was honestly worried that Michael would ignore my threatpletely, but I had to fight back. Who knows what he will do to me if we keep staying here? Michael red evilly at me, but he refused to let go. I parted my lips to shout. At that moment, he let go of me abruptly. His sharp gaze red over as he threatened, ¡°You win this time, Anna Garcia, but I will deal with you when I get home tonight.¡± Michael turned around and left after saying his piece. My wrist still hurt from being gripped like that, but I sighed a breath of relief. My relief didn''tst long, though, because I started worrying about what I''d have to deal with that night. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 I stood in the same spot and took quite some time to calm my nerves before I returned to my seat. That was when I saw that Michael was already back on his date with the beautifuldy. Thedy kept smiling, and it seemed like she was trying to seduce Michael. That got me upset. I was tempted to rush over and chase that woman away. ¡°Anna, why were you gone for so long? Are you not feeling well?¡± Ronan seemed curious and worried. ¡°Oh, I''m fine. There was a queue at the washroom,¡± I lied quickly while shifting my attention over. ¡°Oh, then let''s eat up. Everything is served.¡± Ronan didn''t suspect anything. He simply got me a salmon sandwich. A hint of love and care glowed in his eyes when he looked at me. Am I seeing things? Why does he look like he is staring at his girlfriend when he smiles at me? Gah, I''m probably just nuts. My brain hasn''t been working welltely. I shook my head to stop myself from overthinking. After that, I tilted my head down and started eating, but I can''t stop myself from ncing over at Michael. He happened to turn to me as well. All I saw was the anger in his distant gaze and the displeasure in his grouchy expression. Those got me to turn my attention to the food right away and pretend I never saw him. That guy won''t let me go tonight, anyway, so I might as well enjoy myself while I still can. I spent the entire meal looking away from Michael, but I could sense that his re was on me all the time. I ended up having that meal while on edge. Ronan took me to the bus stop. He wanted to drive me all the way home, but I honestly couldn''t exin myself if he met Michael there, so I rejected his offer. Ronan seemed a little disappointed about that, but he didn''t push it further. He simply stared into my eyes before he turned around and left. I took a deep breath after Ronan''s car had gone out of view. I had to prepare myself mentally before I deal with Michael back at home. I walked slowly because I truly didn''t want to go back. He was scary when he lost his temper, and I honestly got on his nerve that day. Unfortunately, I still had to go back. Michael was already sitting on the sofa in the living room when I reached home. His ferocious gaze shot daggers at me as soon as I entered the house. I stood in the same spot and took quite some time to calm my nerves before I returned to my seat. That was when I saw that Michael was already back on his date with the beautifuldy. ¡°W-Why are you back so soon?¡± I felt guilty when I looked at him and saw that haunting re. ¡°Why are you home sote? How long does it take to finish a meal? Couldn''t bear to part with your lover?¡± Michael stood up and approached me. His eyes shone with intense fury when he red over. I averted my gaze. My initial n was to circle around him and retire to the bedroom, but that no longer seemed possible. There''s no way he''d let me go tonight. Michael had barred my path, and his handsome face had an evil expression on when he looked at me. ¡°It''ste. We should rest.¡± I looked at Michael and was speaking meekly because we''re home. I no longer had anything to threaten him with, so I could only admit defeat. ¡°We have some scores to settle, don''t we? So how can we go to bed? Anna Garcia, did you really think you can con me just like that?¡± Michael has made his mind and will not let me go tonight. D*mn it. I''ve already lowered my stance to this extent, but he''s still not satisfied. Seriously, what does he want from me? The truth was, I was angry as well, but I couldn''t show it. Michael was already on the edge of losing his temper, so I will be making things worse for myself if I keep pushing his buttons. Michael approached me as I backed away from him. Our steps were synchronized like we were a team, but I felt aggrieved when I looked into his eyes. ¡°It''s not what you think. I was only out with a friend, and all we did was having dinner together. Will you please stop imagining things?¡± I wanted to act tough and ignore Michael without offering any exnation, but I couldn''t. This man has always reacted badly to being pushed. If I remain stubborn, he will crush me before I even know what happened. ¡°Is that so? Then why are you home sote? Where did the two of you go after dinner? Did you sleep with him?¡± Michael didn''t believe anything I said, even though I''ve already made things crystal clear. He insisted on assuming the worst. ¡°Don''t cross the line, Michael Shaw! There is nothing between the two of us. Why must you think so badly of me?¡± I was a little angry when I red at him. His words were tant insults to me. I have never slept with any other man since I met Michael. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. I never even slept with Yuval, whom I dated for some time, and I''ve only known Ronan for a few days! ¡°Why should I believe you? I want to do a spot check!¡± At that moment, Michael had reached his epitome of anger. He didn''t trust me at all and didn''t believe that there was anything between Ronan and me. ¡°Spot check? How do you do that?¡± I frowned and stared strangely at Michael. How could he tell if I have slept with another man? ¡°By taking you to bed!¡± Michael spat those words evilly. He never gave me a chance to fight back and was quick to throw me over his shoulder before walking back to the room. He dumped me onto the bed and showed no care for me at all. I struggled to sit up, but he hovered over me and pinned me down before I got to do so. ¡°What are you doing, Michael?¡± I was a little scared when I saw the crazy look on Michael''s face. I honestly had no idea what he was going to do. ¡°Conduct a spot check, of course!¡± Michael had a grouchy expression on when he spat those words. He pulled my skirt up the very next second. I had been naked in front of Michael before, but the way he treated me at that moment made me feel ashamed and insulted. I truly wanted to fight back. I didn''t do anything. Yet, he suspects my infidelity and insists on doing a spot check. Is that how he sees me? As a cheap wh*re? ¡°Let go of me, you pervert!¡± The way Michael acted at that moment was no different from a pervert. ¡°A pervert? How dare you call me a pervert, Anna Garcia?¡± Michael was a powerful figure, and it was likely that no one ever dared to insult him right in his face. As such, my words hadpletely infuriated him. He didn''t give me a chance to say anything else. All I felt was a chill as he took my undergarment off right away. Anger and humiliation intertwined within my heart. My eyes were bloodshot as I red angrily at Michael''s handsome face. This man has reached a whole new level of despicable! How could he do this to me? Chapter 194 Chapter 194 ¡°Let go of me, you pervert!¡± I struggled as much as I could. At that moment, I was truly tempted to p Michael right across the face, but I was too chicken to do so. ¡°You belong to me, Anna Garcia. Do you hear me? You are mine, and I will not allow you to be with another man!¡± Michael was grouchy when he red at me and grumbled into my ear. My heart trembled fiercely. An idea instantly shed through my mind. I-Is he jealous? Is that why he''s angry at me for having dinner with Ronan? Thinking about that got me a little excited. I truly wished that was the case. I stopped struggling against Michael. My eyes shone with sincerity, and I stared for a long time before I replied, ¡°Okay, I understand, and I won''t sleep with anyone else before our rtionship ends, but he really is just a friend.¡± Michael was the only one I love with all my heart and soul, so how could I possibly get intimate with anyone else? Even if our rtionship ends, I likely won''t be with anyone for a while. I am destined to be hurt by this rtionship between us. The fury in Michael''s eyes dissipated quickly when he saw me softening. His grip on my hand loosened as well. He looked into my eyes as I gazed calmly into his. There wasn''t even a hint of guilt in me. ¡°You better remember the words you said, Anna Garcia. I will not allow my woman to betray me!¡± warned Michael in his deep voice. His tone was powerful and convincing as he did so. My heart trembled as I nodded robotically. The strong aura his body exuded got me inexplicably nervous. I stared nkly at him. Michael kissed me before I came around. He wasn''t as forceful as he was earlier, but he was still possessive. Despite that, I couldn''t stop myself from falling for him. I knew that I would just get hurt if I fall deeper in love, but I couldn''t help it. Michael kissed for a long time. He didn''t let me go until my mind had already shut down. That night, he was especially passionate, and I had trouble keeping up. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt like my back was breaking when he was finally done. ¡°Let go of me, you pervert!¡± I struggled as much as I could. At that moment, I was truly tempted to p Michael right across the face, but I was too chicken to do so. I panted as Iid on the bed. Michael, however, walked right out of the bedroom. He didn''t hold me in his arms like he used to, and that disappointed me a little. Hearing the running water from the washroom got me curious. I wanted to know if he was simply possessive of me, or if he truly cared. Despite my curiosity, I didn''t have the guts to ask him. I worried that his answer would break my heart. I was exhausted after Michael drained me like that, so I closed my eyes and stopped wondering. It didn''t take me long to fall asleep, and I didn''t know when Michael returned to bed, but he was awake when I got up. He tilted his head toward me when I looked at him. His gaze was serene, and I couldn''t detect any emotions from them. ¡°Last night...¡± I remained quiet for a long time, but when I finally tried to speak, I realized that I was at a loss for words. ¡°Let''s get up.¡± Michael didn''t say much after blurting those words. He simply got out of bed. I felt a little nervous as I watched him get dressed. Is the dinner incident over? Or is he still angry? I didn''t think that I did anything wrongst night, but I didn''t want him to be mad at me. Michael and I got out of bed together. At first, I assumed that he would offer to drop me off at work as he had over the past few days. But, he didn''t. He walked down the stairs and drove away with no regard for me. It felt like he hadpletely neglected my existence. I was a little disappointed when I watched his car going down the road. I sighed before heading toward the subway. There were times when I found that I have overestimated my existence in Michael''s life. He never let go of what happened yesterday and is still mad at me. I had just reached the office when my phone rang. It was my mom. It had been days since I went to the hospital, and I hadn''t called her in a while. Her calling me out of the blue like that gave me a bad hunch. I scanned my colleagues to make sure no one was looking before heading to the pantry to ept the call. ¡°Hey, mom.¡± ¡°Anna Garcia, do you realize that it has been a while since you visited the hospital? Do you n on abandoning your dad and your brother? Are you just going to ignore us after you tossed us to the hospital?¡± Mom''sint spewed out of the phone as soon as the line was established. I had already gotten used to my mom''s tone by then, but I still couldn''t help frowning a little. ¡°Sorry, mom. I have been busy at work, so I haven''t had the time to go visit.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. It didn''t matter how my mom treated me in the past. I was still wrong for not visiting more frequently. ¡°Steven will be discharged in a few days, but he needs to go for regr check-ups. It will be inconvenient for us if we go back to the vige, so find a ce for us to stay here.¡± My mom neverined about me not visiting again. Instead, she changed the topic. ¡°Okay, I will try to find a suitable ce.¡± I spoke after being quiet for a while. My budget was already tight, so if I were to rent another ce, the weight on my shoulders would be extremely burdensome. However, I understood that Steven''s legs were badly injured, and he needed proper medical attention. That was why I agreed to help out. ¡°Remember to source for a spacious ce. Get us a ce with three rooms and easy ess to the washroom. You know how your brother''s legs are right now. It''s difficult for him to go to the washroom.¡± My mom''s tone had no warmth; she had been ordering me around since the line was established. I knew that she was angry at me, so I was trying my best to butter her up. Still, I had to turn her down when she wanted a ce with three rooms. ¡°Mom, it''s very expensive to rent a ce with three rooms in this city. It''ll cost thousands a month.¡± I didn''t have much money left with me, so there was no way I could afford it. The rent in Avenport was simply too high. ¡°What? Is money more important than your brother? So what if it''s thousands a month? Are your brother''s legs not worth the price?¡± Chapter 195 Chapter 195 My mom''s displeased voice carried a hint of anger when it boomed from the phone. ¡°That''s not what I meant, mom. It''s just that it really is that expensive to rent a ce like that in Avenport. I don''t have that much money on me, and it''ll take some time before I receive my sry.¡± I was quick to exin myself when I heard that my mom had misunderstood the situation. I was troubled as well. Naturally, I''d want to get Steven a nicer environment for him to recuperate in, but I simply didn''t have the capability to do so. ¡°How about this, mom? I will get a slightly smaller ce for the time being and will find everyone a better ce after I receive my sry next month.¡± I honestly didn''t have the funds to rent a better ce, so I had no choice but to negotiate with my mom. I knew that my mom could never bear to see Steven being hurt even a little, but I simply had no choice. ¡°I bet you''re just being stingy. You''ve been working for a while now, so how is it possible that you have no money for renting a ce? Seriously, I have wasted my life raising you. I can''t believe that you''re not willing to even spend a few thousand on us.¡± I was working hard to please my mom, but she refused to believe me. What makes her think that I am rich? ¡°Mom, it''s really not what you think. I don''t have the money. Why won''t you trust me?¡± My rtionship with my mom was already strained. I had tried to fix it. Unfortunately, my mom didn''t believe me at all, and that got me angry. ¡°Fine, even if you don''t have the money, that Shaw guy must have it, right? He is a manager, so a few thousand probably means nothing to him.¡± My mom saw that she couldn''t convince me, so she shifted her target to Michael. Hearing her words got me even angrier. ¡°Stop targeting Michael, mom. I will not let him spend another penny on us. He has already paid for Steven''s medical fees and has given us over a hundred thousand! We can''t possibly ask more of him.¡± I would never agree to let my mom ask Michael for more money. If things hadn''t changed and Michael and I were just in a business agreement, I might consider asking him for the money, but it''s different now. The way I see him has changed, and I don''t want our rtionship to be rooted in money. ¡°You won''t give us the money, nor would you let the Shaw guy do so. Anna Garcia, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for us? You''re just going to ignore us now that you have a rich boyfriend. Is that it?¡± My mom''s displeased voice carried a hint of anger when it boomed from the phone. My mom lost her temper right away when she heard how direct I was in rejecting her request. She thought that I was purposely being mean. ¡°Mom, there is nothing between Michael and me. He is just my boss, and he has helped us a lot. We are not supposed to just keep asking him for money. What gives us the right to do so? And why should he help us, anyway?¡± My mom was angry, but so was I. My family was like a bottomless pit. Michael had helped them out a few times, and they''ve already gotten into the habit of asking more whenever they needed the money. Why should Michael keep sponsoring them? Can''t they be grateful for what they already have? Why must they depend on others? ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Anna Garcia? Do you want to watch your family die? Have you forgotten that the person lying on the hospital bed is your own brother? His legs wouldn''t even be broken in the first ce if you had gathered enough money!¡± My mom never realized what the family''s problem was. All she ever did was shift the me to me. ¡°I won''t ask Michael for the money, mom, and that''s that. I will try my best to find a more spacious ce for the three of you to stay in. I have to work now, so I''m hanging up.¡± I didn''t want to continue arguing, so I hung up immediately after I finished speaking. It wouldn''t matter what I say. My mom would just pin all the me on me, anyway. As far as she was concerned, I was the one who was always at fault. I took a few deep breaths to ease my frustration after hanging up. After that, I left the pantry. The situation at home made it so that it was impossible for me to concentrate on work. All I could think about was the family drama. I honestly don''t know what to do now. I turned and stared at Michael''s office. For a moment there, I was truly worried about my mom contacting Michael and asking for money. Thest thing I wanted was for our rtionship to be further I was distracted all day. I didn''t return to Birchwood after clocking off. Instead, I started looking for ces to rent near the hospital and prayed that I could find an economical yet spacious spot. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find anything despite spending all my time on it. The hospital was located in a rich neighborhood, so the rent for the houses near the ce was ridiculously high. I asked a few owners, but everyone asked for about three thousand a month. I was stuck in a dilemma because I simply didn''t have any money. I went to so many ces that I felt like my legs would give away. Still, I could find an affordable house to rent. Even the less spacious ces would cost over two thousand a month. I took the subway back to Birchwood. I spent all day walking around, so my feet were sore. The first thing I did when I got back was to sit on the sofa. At that moment, I didn''t want to even lift a finger. When Michael entered through the front door, the first thing he saw was me sitting there like a disheveled dog. His beautiful brows frowned tightly before he walked over andined, ¡°Is it really that tiring to work in the office? Just look at the state you''re in.¡± Michael ced his briefcase aside and took off his coat before he tossed it on the sofa. Then he sat down beside me. ¡°That''s not it. I have been looking for a ce to rent since I clocked off today, but I can''t find anything. I ended up walking all day. That''s why I''m tired.¡± Joyful Sess'' workload was huge, but working there wasn''t so tiring that it''d get anyone that tired. ¡°You''re looking for a ce to rent? Are you nning on moving out?¡± Michael''s frown became even tighter when he heard that I was out looking for a ce to rent. His eyes also glowed with anger when he turned to me. ¡°No, I was just looking for a ce for my parents and Steven. The hospital is discharging Steven soon, and he needs a nice ce to recuperate. Renting a ce nearby would make it easier for him to go for check-ups.¡± I don''t know why Michael was suddenly angry, but I couldn''t stop myself from exining the situation to him quickly. The anger in his eyes faded quickly after I told him the truth. His gaze also became less distant. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . He remained quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°Just leave it to me. I will have my secretary go look for an ideal ce tomorrow.¡± Michael spoke nonchntly, and it seemed that he wasn''t really worried about it. ¡°No, that''s not necessary. Please don''t involve yourself in the matter. You''ve already helped my family a lot, and I don''t want to keep dragging you into this mess.¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Michael had already spent so much money on my family, so there was no way I''d let him deal with the issue at hand. A few hundred thousand meant nothing to him, but formon folks like me, it was an enormous debt. I had already owed him so much, and I didn''t want that debt to be bigger. ¡°Do you honestly think that you can handle this on your own? If I''m not mistaken, you''ve already spent all your savings, haven''t you?¡± Michael wasn''t angry about my rejection at all. He knows me so well! He actually guessed it right, and I have spent all my savings. I tilted my head down in shame when faced with his nonchnt gaze. I didn''t know what to say because I truly couldn''t afford to make ends meet with the money I had on me at that moment. Despite that, I still didn''t want to owe him more. ¡°I''lle up with something. Please don''t involve yourself in the matter.¡± I looked into his eyes and had a straight face on when I spoke. I didn''t want Michael to get involved in the matter because I didn''t want to owe him more than I already had, and I didn''t want my family to keep asking him for money. Michael never owed us anything, and my family had no right to keep asking him for money. He frowned a little after hearing what I said, but he never replied. I guess his silence means that he''s agreed to stay away. ¡°Anna, you don''t need to keep shouldering all the responsibilities yourself. I can help you out financially.¡± Michael was quiet for a long time before he spoke up. His words touched my heart, and I appreciated the way he could always lift me up when I was at my lowest. I understood that my family had a lot of issues and knew that it would be very difficult for me to shoulder it all on my own. However, it was still my family''s matter, and I couldn''t drag him into it. ¡°There''s no need for that. My parents will just be greedier if you keep helping them out. They will ask for more money as time goes on.¡± It would not be inappropriate to call my family members worthless bloodsucking parasites. All they ever did was daydream about how they could get rich without working. They never thought about making an effort to lead a fruitful life. ¡°The same applies to you, doesn''t it? If you want to solve the issue within your family, then you must ignore them and stop letting them take advantage of you.¡± Michael had already spent so much money on my family, so there was no way I''d let him deal with the issue at hand. Michael was a smart man, and he understood all that as well. He could even analyze the pattern clearly. Unfortunately, I couldn''t bring myself to ignore my familypletely. As a member of the family, I simply couldn''t stand idly by and watch as they suffer. I especially couldn''t ignore my parents, who were getting older. They were from a small vige and had little ie. ¡°My parents are getting older, and I don''t want them to suffer.¡± I had my head down and spoke calmly. After that, I kept quiet. Truth was, my parents wouldn''t need much money. They were two elders who lived in the vige, so how much could they really spend? The only problem was that my stupid brother had a knack for dragging the entire family down with him. We wouldn''t be in that terrible state if he weren''t addicted to gambling. There were times when I truly hated him, but it didn''t matter what I said or yelled or scolded. Nothing worked on him because he never listened. I only prayed that he had learned his lesson after his debtors broke both his legs. Hopefully, the pain and the heavy price will change him into a better person. ¡°It''ste. You should go shower and rest.¡± No one dwelled on that topic. Michael got up and walked to the bedroom after saying his piece. I sighed as I watched his figure walk away. After that, I followed him along. I felt much better after the shower. When I got out of the washroom, I saw Michael lying on the bed and swiping on his phone. There was no saying what he was looking at. I didn''t say anything. Instead, Iid down beside him right away and prayed that the man would let me rest that night. I worked all day and went to look for a ce to rent after I clocked off. Hence, I was exhausted and had no intention of dealing with him. Michael put his phone away after I went to bed. He turned around and held me in his arms. I stiffened. He''s not thinking about doing something dirty tonight, is he? I closed my eyes as I tensed up. That was not a good night, and I truly wasn''t in the mood for anything romantic. To my surprise, he was simply letting me rest in his arms. He had his other arm hold me, but he did nothing else. I opened my eyes then. All I saw was that he had already closed his eyes and was going to sleep. That got me to sigh a long breath of relief. I guess the guy still has a conscience. He knows that I am tired, so he didn''t ask for anything. I closed my eyes and went to bed. It was nice. I had always slept better when I was in his arms. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Unfortunately, the rare peace didn''tst long. My mom was waiting for me on the ground floor of my workce the following afternoon. I didn''t know that she was there and had been waiting for a long time until it was time for me to go have lunch. When lunchtime came, my colleagues left one after another. I got ready to leave as well. However, Michael texted me just before it was time to clock off. He asked me to go to the parking lot. When I got to the ground floor, I saw my mom sitting on the stairs outside the entrance. I frowned a little upon seeing her, but I walked to her, anyway. ¡°Mom, what are you doing here? How did you know this is where I work?¡± I didn''t know how my mom found this ce, but I had a bad feeling about it. She must be here to ask for money again. ¡°Like I have a choice? I had toe here. Honestly, how long has it been since you went to the hospital? Do you still remember that the man lying on the hospital bed is your brother? Do you even still take us as your family?¡± scolded my mom. She was quick to get angry when she saw me. I was angry when I heard her scolding me like that, but I didn''t say anything. We were at the entrance of thepany, and there were many spectators. If we got into a fight, it would affect my reputation at work. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± I had to suppress the anger within me and look at my mother when I asked that question as calmly as possible. ¡°What else could I havee for? I came to ask you if you have found a ce to rent. Steven is getting discharged on the day after tomorrow,¡± said my mom while frowning at me. ¡°Mom, it''s not that easy to find a ce to rent in a city like this. I tried looking for one after I clock off yesterday, but everything is just too expensive, and nothing fits. I''ll go search againter,¡± I promised. I worried that my mom would think that I didn''t work hard on it, so I hurriedly exin myself. ¡°Too expensive? I bet you''re deliberately making it so that your brother can''t have things easier. He''s a patient now, so what''s wrong with spending some extra money to get him a better ce? Are you really that stingy?¡± Chapter 197 Chapter 197 My mom couldn''t be bothered to listen. At that moment, she simply thought that I was being stingy. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Mom, will you please be reasonable? I will definitely give you the money if I have it, but I am completely broke!¡± I was getting angry as well. No matter how hard my mom pushed, it wouldn''t change the fact that I am broke. What will it take for her to believe that I don''t have any money? ¡°I don''t care. The bottom line is that you must find a ce for your brother to recuperate. I don''t believe that you can''t even afford to rent a ce!¡± growled my mom as she red over. Her words sent a shiver into my heart. She was tantly forcing my hand, and she remained persistent despite seeing how troubled I was. Does her heart not ache at all? I am her daughter. Even if she puts all the me on me, shouldn''t she still feel something when she sees how troubled I am? ¡°Let''s go, mom. I''ll take you to the bank now and show you my ount bnce. You can see for yourself if I have the money or not.¡± My mom''s attitude hadpletely infuriated me. I walked to her and grabbed her hand to lead her to the bank. I will show her just how much I have since she doesn''t believe me. That will prove whether I am wrong for being heartless or if she is unreasonable for pushing like that. My mom flung my hand away and red at me angrily. She insisted, ¡°I will not go. If you want to go to the bank, then you can do so yourself! I don''t care if you don''t have the money right now. Everything must be perfect for your brother''s recovery. Deal with everything yourself. If you can''t even find a ce to rent, then I will disown you!¡± Seeing how agitated I got made my mom feel guilty. Maybe she knew that I didn''t have any money. She only came all the way over to make me ask Michael for the money. That makes sense. Michael has always been too generous when spending money. Maybe they think that going after Michael is the fastest and easiest way to get rich. That could be why my mom is making such unreasonable demands. ¡°Mom, do you realize how heartbroken I am when I hear you say that? I honestly want to know. Does your heart ever ache a little when you push me like this?¡± I would be even more disappointed if it turned out that she really was only using me for the money. ¡°Who would care for your brother if I sided with you? You''re standing all well and healthy here, but what about your brother? He can''t even stand now. Yet, you think I should be heartbroken for you?¡± My mom couldn''t be bothered to listen. At that moment, she simply thought that I was being stingy. My mom''s emotion was running wild, so her voice was getting louder. That got the spectators to turn to us. My mom was tearing up a little. I know that she was only crying for Steven''s sake, but from the perspective of the spectators, it looked like I had made her cry. I had always known that my mom cared more about Steven, but hearing her words still stung my heart. Sometimes, I truly hated the fact that I was not a boy. If I were their son, my parents wouldn''t treat me the way they did. My tears were swirling in my eyes as well. I was truly disappointed in my mom, and I wanted to vent, but I didn''t dare to say anything in front of her. I was worried that our rtionship would be worse if I did. My mom red at me. Fury burned in her eyes, but she suddenly shifted her gaze elsewhere. I hadn''t even registered what was going on before I saw her walking around me to going after someone else. I turned around curiously and saw Michael''s figure in my line of sight. Panic ran wild within me. I instantly guessed that my mom was running toward Michael. My mom might ask Michael for money, and that worried me, so I chased after her. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I am Anna''s mom. Do you still remember me?¡± greeted my mom with a bright smile on her face when she was right in front of Michael. Michael paused. He shifted his gaze downward, and his brows were frowning a little when he looked at my mom. It was obvious that he wasn''t happy about my mom''s sudden appearance because he didn''t respond to her right away. I hurried over to my mom and pulled at her a little. Anger was burning in my heart when I requested, ¡°Mom, will you please just head back for now? I will figure something out and deal with the housing issue.¡± ¡°Figure it out? What could you figure out? If we were to depend on you, we will be homeless.¡± My mom flung my hand away. She didn''t even bother to look at me. I snuck a peek at Michael. All I saw was him being grouchy without saying a word, and that got me worried. Anyone would get upset if someone were to show up suddenly and block the path. ¡°Mom, can we talk about this after we get home? We''re at the entrance of my workce, so please don''t make a scene. You''re really making things difficult for me.¡± I would be too embarrassed to face Michael if my mom kept causing a fuss like that in front of him. Additionally, my colleagues would see her and would gossip. ¡°Fine, I won''t make things difficult for you. I will solve the matter on my own.¡± My mom spat those angry words at me as she red over. After that, she turned to Michael. ¡°Mr. Shaw, will you do me a favor? I need some money. Will you loan me? You can deduct the money from Anna''s sry next month.¡± My mom was smiling at Michael and was trying to butter him up. At that point, she could only think about the money. She never even considered how I''d make ends meet if my sry for the following month was deducted entirely. Michael frowned deeply. He shot a calm look at me. He didn''t say anything when he saw how troubled I was. Instead, he circled around my mom and left. We were in a public spot, and I''m guessing he didn''t want to have anything to do with me. Being badgered by someone like my mom probably made him even angrier. My mom didn''t give up, even though Michael had walked away. She chased after him and whispered something into his ear. I didn''t need to be a genius to know that she was asking for money. Michael was rich, and my mom knew that well. She also understood that she could get a lot more from him than she could from me. I was furious. She was badgering Michael right in front of me! Even if I somehow ignore how much Michael had already given us, this is a public space. She never even considered how Michael and I feel! I followed closely behind my mom and kept tugging at her arm. I asked her to stop chasing after Michael and told her that he wouldn''t loan her any money, but she refused to listen to me. In the end, she followed him all the way to the underground parking. ¡°Mom, will you please stop behaving this way? Can you spare me some dignity? Causing a scene at my workce like this¡ªhow the hell am I going to continue working here now?¡± I was forceful when I pulled at my mom. My voice was already filled with anger because I had run out of patience, and I simply couldn''t hold it in anymore. ¡°Go away. Don''t get in my way!¡± My mom wouldn''t listen to me and was forceful when she pushed me aside. I wasn''t prepared for that, so that got me to fall hard on my butt. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 The sharp pain from my butt made me frown in agony. My mom was harsh when she pushed me earlier, and it was obvious that she never worried about whether I''d get hurt. Michael had a nk expression the entire time, but his gaze turned grim instantly when he saw my mom pushing me like that. ¡°That''s enough!¡± growled Michael. His eyes burned with anger when he turned to my mom. My mom was a senior who had seen more than what a typical youngster like us would''ve seen. However, Michael''s cruel tone still managed to get her to tremble. Her eyes shone with anxiety when she turned around to face Michael. ¡°I''m so sorry about this, Mr. Shaw. This is so embarrassing.¡± My mom was great at reading expressions, and seeing how angry Michael was prompted her to ignore me. She turned around and smiled at Michael. ¡°Please settle your family drama at home, and stop making a scene in mypany!¡± Michael red over at my mom and spat those words evilly before he turned around. Once more, he left. My butt was still stinging a little when I got up. I was devastated about how my mom pushed me earlier, but I was also angry. ¡°Mr. Shaw, wait. Do you think you can do as I asked earlier?¡± My mom wasn''t going to let Michael go because he hadn''t given her the money. Michael stopped short. He turned to my mom once more, and his eyes shone with distaste when he pointed out, ¡°Anna must be the one to consent to the deduction of her future sry. Your words mean nothing!¡± After saying his piece, Michael got into the car and closed the door. He never gave my mom a chance to say anything else. He simply fired up the car and left right away. I felt ashamed when I saw Michael driving away like that. He already knew all about how my family was, but I still felt embarrassed when he saw how my mom treated me. ¡°Hear that? He said that you must be the one to make the decision. You are to ask for a loan off of your sry tomorrow. Your brother''s amodation issue must be settled!¡± My mom had walked up to me when I was still out of it. She pointed her finger at me, and her tone was commanding when she spoke. There was no room for negotiating at all. ¡°I will not agree to this, mom. I am busy and will be leaving now.¡± I wasn''t heartbroken about spending the money, but I was angry at my mom. Is that all I am to her? Did she raise me just so she would get money out of me? The sharp pain from my butt made me frown in agony. My mom was harsh when she pushed me earlier, and it was obvious that she never worried about whether I''d get hurt. I circled around my mom and staggered out of there. I didn''t want to discuss the matter with her at that moment. ¡°Anna Garcia, do you even still see me as your mom? Are you going to abandon me here just like that?¡± she howled at me, not expecting me to leave her there. I felt bad about it, but I steeled myself and didn''t look back. I, too, was an emotional creature. My mom was pushing me to a corner, and I had no way out. I honestly didn''t know how to deal with her anymore. I staggered into the living room when I returned to Birchwood. Michael was sitting on the couch, and I didn''t know what to say when I saw him there. I thought about how my mom kept pestering him earlier, and that got me so embarrassed that I couldn''t even bring myself to look at him. ¡°You''re home,¡±mented Michael. He could tell that I was at a loss for words, so he broke the silence. When he turned to me, his tone was calm. ¡°Yeah.¡± I had my head down and didn''t dare to look him in the eye. ¡°Come here.¡± He saw how I was acting like a child who had been caught making a mistake, and that got him to frown a little. Still, he wasn''t actually angry. I walked to his side and sat with him. I didn''t even know how to begin apologizing. He must hate what my mom did earlier. ¡°How do you n on dealing with your mom''s issue?¡± At first, I didn''t want to talk about the issue at all, but Michael spoke up. His voice carried no emotions when he asked that question. ¡°I don''t know.¡± I shook my head. It''s true. I hadn''t thought about how to deal with the matter because my mom would not be satisfied, anyway. Moreover, even if I settled the amodation issue, there would still be other issues in the future. I couldn''t even imagine how far my mom would push me. I frowned in frustration. It felt like my family was actually trying to get me tomit suicide. ¡°I said that I can help with the housing¡ª¡± ¡°No, there''s no need for that. I don''t want to get you involved in the matter.¡± I knew what Michael wanted to say. Truth was, renting a ce, or even buying the property, meant nothing to him. However, I knew that I couldn''t ask more from him. I couldn''t depend on him for everything. ¡°Do you think you have what it takes to solve the issue?¡± Michael was frowning in frustration as well. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he couldn''t possibly understand how I felt at that moment. I understood that he was trying to help me, but him helping out repeatedly would just make my family greedier. What''s next after the amodation issue is solved? Was he supposed to pay for their groceries too? There was nothing between Michael and me. Our deal was that he only needed to borrow me some money. He had no obligations to deal with a bottomless pit like my family. ¡°I want to get to the root of the problem. First, I will rent a small ce for them with the money I have on me. All it needs is to be clean. When Steven recovers, I will have him get a proper job and work hard.¡± I knew that solving the problem of the family must begin with dealing with Steven. My parents wouldn''t keep asking me for money as long as he worked hard and could make ends meet on his own. Most of the money I gave my mom would end up with Steve because he never worked. All he ever did was gamble everything away, and that was why their expenses were that high. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°You have overestimated your brother.¡± Michael scoffed in distaste after hearing my words. I was already frustrated, and Michael''s words truly hit me hard. I knew that it would be difficult for Steven to change his ways, but I had no other choice. The only way to solve the issue was for him to change. He would keep asking the family for money so long as he didn''t have a job, and my parents would surely ask me for it if they didn''t have any money. I can''t afford to support them that way. ¡°I must try even if my chances of sess are low. The pressure will truly crush me if I don''t.¡± I tilted my head down. I was exhausted, but that was my only way out. ¡°If you want things in your family to change, you must stay strong and ignore them. Anna Garcia, you are too kind for your own good.¡± Michael shot a look at me and tossed me those words before he got up and retired to the bedroom. I sat on the sofa on my own. Frustration filled me. At that moment, I truly wanted to just ignore them and let them deal with their own problems, but I couldn''t. I knew that my parents never loved me, but they raised me, and it would be unfilial of me to ignore thempletely. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 I sat on the sofa for quite some time. Michael was already asleep by the time I went into the bedroom. Iid down beside him, and while on the bed, I tossed and turned. I simply couldn''t sleep. Everything at home was draining me. I was distracted at work on the following day, so I didn''t aplish much. When it was time to clock off, I went to look for a house to rent. The most urgent matter at hand was to find a decent ce to rent, or Steven would be homeless after he got discharged. I searched high and low in the region near the hospital. It took some time before I finally found a ce I could afford. The ce was rather small, but it was clean and rtively convenient. It cost about two thousand a month, and I paid one month''s deposit to rent the ce. Staring at the cash notes in my wallet, I sighed in exasperation. It would take some time before I received my next sry. How am I going to survive in theing days? I had been working for years. Yet, I had fallen to that extent. With absolutely no other options avable, I called Natalie to loan some money from her. It''s not like I could actually starve myself until I receive my sry. I never enjoyed loaning money from others, but at that moment, the most crucial thing at hand was to survive. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Natalie had always been generous with me. I asked for one thousand, but she transferred two thousand over to my ount. With a friend like that, it made me feel warm and fuzzy. The amodation issue was solved, so I was rxed. I wasn''t as gloomy as I was earlier either, so I made a few of Michael''s favorite dishes after I returned to Birchwood. I was busying away in the kitchen while Michael was reading a finance magazine on the sofa. ¡°Your mood seems better. Did you find a ce to rent?¡± asked Michael as he flipped the magazine. He never even looked up when he asked that question. ¡°Yeah, I rented a small ce. The interior was decent, and it was quite convenient.¡± Hearing Michael''s voice prompted me to turn around and look at him. I was a little excited when I shared the good news. I was truly relieved to have solved the housing issue, but Michael didn''t share that relief. He simply warned, ¡°Don''t celebrate just yet. This is just the beginning.¡± He took one look at me and said those words before he stopped talking again. It was rare of me to have a good day, but Michael''s words instantly turned my mood around. I red over in displeasure. Darn it, why can''t he just let me be happy for a while? I''ve just solved a huge issue. Isn''t that something worth celebrating? I sat on the sofa for quite some time. Michael was already asleep by the time I went into the bedroom. ¡°It''s fine if you don''t want to say anything to make me happier, but you didn''t need to attack me like that either,¡± I mumbled while ring at his back. ¡°I was just reminding you because I worried that you''d go unprepared and upset yourself in the end. Things won''t progress that smoothly tomorrow,¡± replied Michael. He had put the magazine away, and his eyes shone with exasperation when he looked at me. ¡°I''ll deal with it tomorrow. The important thing is that I have done all I can.¡± I understood that my mom would not be happy with the ce I found them, and she would definitely behave passive-aggressively with me tomorrow. Still, I had already done my best, and there was nothing I could do even if she was upset. After serving the food on the dining table, I called out to Michael, ¡°Dinner''s ready!¡± He remained quiet the entire meal, and his expression was nk, so I had no idea what he was thinking. ¡°I''ll have my secretary pick Steven up from the hospital tomorrow,¡± informed Michael when we were almost done eating. He only tilted his head up and looked at me at that moment. ¡°No, that''s not necessary. I''ll just get a taxi.¡± I rejected his offer instinctively. The more Michael helped me, the more troubled I felt. I was worried that my debt to him would just keep snowballing. ¡°Must you repeatedly reject my offers like that, Anna? Have you forgotten that you are mine?¡± My constant refusal ignited tiny mes of fury in him. I guess there aren''t many women who would refuse his kind gestures. I tilted my head up and looked at him. My heart trembled when I saw his somewhat angry eyes. Still, I knew that he was just trying to help me despite the anger. ¡°T-Thank you.¡± In the end, I epted his help. I had always felt especially at ease when he helped me. After dinner, we retired to the bedroom. That was when Michael acted up again. I had just closed my eyes and was getting groggy and sleepy when his misbehaving hands started caressing all over me. I frowned in frustration and pped his hands away. I wanted to ignore him, but his hands came at me again immediately after. We didn''t do anything the night before, so there was no way he''d let me go that night. ¡°Michael, I''m tired. You should get some rest, too.¡± I was rejecting him politely and nicely. I prayed that he was kind that night and would let me off just like that. ¡°If you''re tired, then you can justy there. I''ll be quick and won''t ask you to do anything else.¡± It seemed that my rejection did nothing to Michael. At that moment, I felt like he wouldn''t let me go unless I was dying. I sighed exasperatedly because I knew that there was nothing I could do. I simply closed my eyes and let him be. He kept his word and didn''t ask me to change position whatsoever. However, his promise of being quick was a total lie¡ªitsted over an hour! Why was that man such a lunatic on the bed? I was so tired that I didn''t want to budge at all. Michael returned to his side of the bed when he was finally satisfied. I got the after pill from the nightstand''s drawer and swallowed it without water. Michael''s beautiful brows frowned when he saw me taking that pill. He seemed to have something to say, but he chose to remain silent in the end. I didn''t even look at Michael after I took the pill. I just went straight to bed. Steven was getting discharged on the following day, so I took the day off. When I reached the hospital room, I saw that my parents had already prepared everything. My mom red at me when she saw me there. Her face shone with tant anger. ¡°I found a ce to rent, mom. You guys can move in today.¡± I knew that she was still angry about what happened the day before, and I was mad as well. Still, I was a little regretful about leaving her there in the underground parking. ¡°Then why are you still standing there? Go get the paperwork done. Your dad and I have been caring for your brother in the hospital all this while. It''s bad enough that you didn''t take any shifts, but are you really going to demand that I do every single little thing?¡± It didn''t matter how well I behaved. My mom would remain upset with me. I felt like she would never want to see me again if she didn''t need me to get more money. ¡°I''ll go do that right away.¡± I didn''t want to argue with my mom again in the hospital, so I was quick to leave after saying those words. Michael''s secretary followed me over to the hospital because things were inconvenient for Steven and his broken leg. That was why they got a more spacious car over for him. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Afterpleting the paperwork, Michael''s secretary drove my parents and Steven to the new ce I rented. The secretary left after dropping us off. My mom circled around the house after Michael''s secretary was gone. She approached me with a horrible expression andined, ¡°What kind of a ce did you get us? It''s so small. How are we going to live here?¡± I rented a two-bedroom amodation. It wasn''t spacious, but it was more than enough for staying temporarily. Despite that, my mom was still dissatisfied. ¡°Mom, I understand that it is a little cramped, but it is sufficient for all three of you to stay here. Please, just make-do, okay?¡± I deliberately ignored my mom''s dissatisfaction and stared at her with a troubled look. ¡°Make-do? That is not a problem for me, but what about Steven? He needs a good ce to recuperate. This ce is so small, and the furniture is right next to each other. What do we do if he bumps into them?¡±ined my mom as she pointed at the sofa and the coffee table. She stared at me in dissatisfaction, and her tone carried a hint of anger. ¡°If you''re that unhappy with it, then you can go look for a ce on your own. That is if you can afford it.¡± The ce was more than enough for their daily needs, but my mom was stillining endlessly. She never even considered how I felt, and like her, I was angry as well. I already did my best to give them a good life, but they remained ungrateful and evenined about it. I am so done with them. They might have raised me, but the way they treated me is too much. I have emotions, too. There is no way I can hold it in forever! I didn''t want to argue with my mom, so I turned around to leave as soon as I finished saying my piece. Truth was, I had already done my best to keep the family together. If they insisted on behaving that way, then I had no choice. I''d be selfish from then on and take care of myself. ¡°Wait!¡± My mom''s expression changed. She probably didn''t expect my temper to be that terrible that day. So, she called out to me in the end. ¡°What?¡± I turned around and stared at my mom without wearing any expression. My tone was calm when I spoke to her. Afterpleting the paperwork, Michael''s secretary drove my parents and Steven to the new ce I rented. The secretary left after dropping us off. ¡°Give me two thousand. Your brother needs more nutrients and good food to recuperate,¡± said my mom while stretching her hand out towards me. It was obvious what she was requesting. Money, again! I frowned as anger filled my soul. At that moment, it felt like my mom had nothing else to say to me, except to ask for money. However, I am not a cash withdrawal machine¡ªI didn''t have the money for her. I fished five hundred out of my wallet and handed it to my mom. My tone was chilly when I said, ¡°I don''t have that much money on me. Here''s five hundred for now. Call me after you''ve used it up.¡± I only had the two thousand Natalie loaned me earlier, and I would have to starve if I gave it all to my mom. My mom held the money in her hand and frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°Your brother''s injury is serious. What can I do with just five hundred?¡± My mom was probably feeling annoyed about the five hundred I gave her. There was a time when I would give her however much she asked. Yet, I was putting her on a budget at that moment, so naturally, she was upset. ¡°That is all I have with me now. If you don''t want it, I will take it back.¡± I had a grouchy expression on and worked hard to suppress my anger. After saying my piece, I reached out to grab the money I just gave my mom. Naturally, I knew that my mom wouldn''t let me have it. She might find the moneycking, but she was still quick to shove it into her pocket. My mom was familiar with my temperament. She knew I was still angry and that I would take the money back. ¡°You and dad should rest up. There wasn''t a ce to rest in the hospital, and the two of you must be tired from staying there for so long.¡± I shot one look at the room that Steven was in before I turned around to say those words to my mom. After that, I walked out of the ce. I knew that I couldn''t do what my mom asked when those matters involved Steven. I had to fight back, or she would never learn to be thankful for what she had. I felt relieved after leaving the rented ce. It was unlikely my mom would ask me for anything for the time being. Five hundred should feed them for over a week. It was still early, and I didn''t want to head home yet. Recalling that I hadn''t met up with Natalie for a while, I drove toward her ce. When I reached her ce, I saw a familiar car parked at the side. Yuval was standing right next to it. I panicked. I didn''t expect to see him there that day, so I didn''t know what to say to him. We didn''t sleep together, but we were a couple back in the days, and I was the one who broke up with him. Bumping into him truly made things awkward. I stood on the spot and wondered if I should just leave. If I went forward, he would definitely see me, and it didn''t seem right to act like we didn''t know each other. ¡°Anna?¡± I was still struggling with my decision when Yuval saw me. His expression turned stiff when he saw me there. ¡°Hey, what a coincidence. I didn''t think I''d bump into you here.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Yuval had already seen me, so the only thing I could do was bite down and greet him back. Unfortunately, our past rtionship made it so that I had no idea what to talk to him about. ¡°Yeah. It''s a small world. I''m here waiting for Natalie.¡± Yuval approached me. A warm smile donned his serene face, as usual. ¡°You''re here for Natalie? Why are you looking for her?¡± At first, I assumed that Yuval was there to ask about me, but it seemed that I was overthinking the situation. Huh, I didn''t expect him to be here for Natalie. I secretly sighed a breath of relief, but suspicion arose in my heart. He''s actually here to look for Natalie? When did the two of them get so close? ¡°I-I...¡± Yuval''s expression turned stiffer when he heard my question. He stammered endlessly without answering my question, and I could tell that he felt awkward. I wasn''t an idiot. Realization hit me upon seeing Yuval''s expression. My eyes bulged in astonishment as I blurted, ¡°You''re courting Natalie?¡± I was pretty certain that was the case. Otherwise, Yuval wouldn''t have behaved so nervously. He knew that I had already guessed the truth, so he took one look at me and grinned awkwardly, without saying anything. ¡°I can''t believe it''s real. When did you fall for Natalie?¡± Chapter 201 Chapter 201 As Yuval was still considered my ex-boyfriend, I could not believe that he was pursuing Natalie, my best friend. The news shocked me. Though, I must say that he was quite a decent person. Hence, I figured it might be a good thing if he ended up with her since we had already broken up anyway. ¡°Natalie hasn''t agreed to be with me. Anyway, um, I still have something on. Bye.¡± Perhaps it was somewhat awkward for us to be discussing such an issue, for he then hurried into the car and left. My ex-boyfriend fell in love with my best friend. It indeed sounds a bit... Nevertheless, Yuval and I had never been in love. We were only together because we felt that we were suitable for each other. Hence, if he genuinely liked Natalie, perhaps it was a good thing. As I watched his car leave, I came back to my senses and headed upstairs. Then, soon after I rang the doorbell, the door opened. As I did not call before I went over, Natalie was surprised once she saw that it was me. Afterward, she quickly pulled me inside. ¡°Anna, you''re finally willing toe to see me. I thought you''d forgotten about me ever since you moved to Michael''s.¡± She then pulled me to the living room, where I sat on the couch. While standing in front of me, she stared at me in dissatisfaction. ¡°How could I forget you? You''re my best friend. I''ll forget anyone else but you,¡± I replied. In reality, both of us had not seen each other in a long time. As I did rarely contact her during that period, I still felt somewhat guilty inside. ¡°Oh, is that so? For some reason, I find that you really ce love over friendship, Anna. Your mind''s fully upied with Michael nowadays that there''s no ce for me anymore.¡± It appeared that my fawning did not let her anger dissipate, for she was still looking at me unhappily. ¡°Ms. Xavier, it''s not like what you think. I''ve been very busy with my family affairs recently and was too frustrated. I hardly had any time left to contact you.¡± I then took her hand in mine and began earnestly exining my situation. What I said was entirely true ¡ªfor the past two days, I had been so swamped with my family matters that I could barely breathe. ¡°Alright, alright. I believe you, so don''t keep staring at me like that.¡± Seeing that I was pouting and looking at her as though I had been wronged, she acted as if I made her skin crawl. Eventually, she could not take it anymore and sit down beside me. ¡°I knew you wouldn''t be angry at me. You''re my best friend.¡± In reality, I knew that Natalie would not be angry with me from the very beginning. Therefore, I was not worried about it. Just then, she turned to look at me and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, how''s everything back home? Did your mom make things difficult for you?¡± As soon as she mentioned my family issues, I felt a headacheing on. I sighed helplessly as I started feeling moody. ¡°Steven''s out of the hospital, but he still needs to recuperate for a long time. Thus, I''ve arranged a ce for the three of them today.¡± Since Natalie was my best friend, I would not keep anything from her. ¡°Your entire family''s now in the city. That''ll take a huge chunk out of your pocket. Will you be able to afford it?¡± Following that, she, too, sighed helplessly with her gaze filled with distress. ¡°So what if I''m not able to? Steven''s legs aren''tpletely healed yet, so he has to take time to recuperate. After all, it''ll affect the rest of his life,¡± I replied. ¡°But your parents arepletely squeezing you dry right now. You''re just a woman, Anna. Can''t you treat yourself better? It''s not your sole responsibility to support a family, so why do they think it''s alright to treat you like an ATM?¡± Seeing that I was so helpless, she then became a little angry. As they say¡ªonlookers see most of the game. But of course, she was also naturally more biased toward me because she was my friend. ¡°I''ll hold on for a while longer. After Steven recovers and can start working, I won''t be stuck in this situation anymore.¡± If I did not care about my parents and Steven right then, they would not be able to survive. Thus, I could only take care of them at the moment. I only hoped that his legs would get better soon. Once he recovered, I would find him a reliable job. ¡°Do you think he can work?¡± Natalie asked as she frowned. Her perceptions about Steven were the same as Michael''s. They all thought that I was thinking too well about him. Although I was not sure what would happen in the future, I did not have a choice right now. After all, they were my family, so I could not possibly leave them to fend for themselves. I sighed again but did not speak. I was just feeling a bit uneasy. ¡°Okay, let''s not talk about this anymore. I don''t want to ruin the mood,¡± I replied. Right now, whatever issues that concerned my family would make me frustrated. Hence, I instinctively wanted to escape. ¡°Okay, let''s not talk about it anymore. Anyway, no one knows what''ll happen in the future.¡± Knowing that I was irked, she also stopped talking about it. Subsequently, both of us remained silent. Then, all of a sudden, I recalled meeting Yuval downstairs. Feeling puzzled, I said, ¡°Natalie, I want to ask you a question. You must answer me truthfully!¡± I turned around and looked at her expectantly, for I greatly wanted to know what was going on between them. ¡°What is it?¡± Since I was looking at her with a solemn expression, Natalie frowned and looked back at me, deeply perplexed. ¡°What''s going on between you and Yuval? Are you guys dating?¡± After asking what I wanted to know the most, I looked at her seriously while waiting for her answer. Upon hearing my question, she was first startled, then became flustered. ¡°No. It''s nothing like that. Why''re you suddenly asking this?¡± However, although she denied it, I could see her anxiousness. ¡°I saw him downstairs literally just a few moments ago. He said he was waiting for you.¡± After saying that, I then looked at her inquiringly. She looks so nervous. There must be something going on between them. ¡°You''re overthinking, Anna. There''s nothing between us. He''s your ex, so I won''t be involved in any rtionship with him. Don''t worry.¡± Seeing as I was still looking at her suspiciously, her expression became increasingly nervous as she continued looking at me. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It was only after listening to her words that I realized what she was thinking. In reality, she was nervous only because she was afraid I would be upset since he was my ex-boyfriend. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 I felt touched knowing that she had probably kept rejecting Yuval because of me. It was clear that I was more important to her. However, I had always regarded him as a friend. As a result, I did not feel ufortable that he was wooing Natalie. I held her hand and looked into her eyes as I said, ¡°Nat, Yuval''s a good man. If you have feelings for him, date him. I won''t mind.¡± She had probably not expected me to say that because she looked at me in surprise and was stunned by my words. ¡°Anna, you...¡± ¡°You''re my best friend, so I do hope that you''ll find your own happiness. Also, I don''t have any feelings for him. We only got together because we seemed good together, but we don''t have feelings for each other. So, you don''t have to miss out on a good man because of me.¡± Indeed, he was quite a good man who was both attentive and considerate. Back then, I broke up with him without giving him a reason and still felt guilty about it. Thus, if they genuinely liked each other, I hoped they could be together. She was surprised as she probably did not expect that I would not care at all. Then, she widened her eyes and looked at me in disbelief. ¡°Do you really have no feelings for him? At the end of the day, he''s still your ex. Thus, I kept thinking that it''d be very awkward if we got together.¡± Although she did not admit her feelings for him, I could tell from that sentence that she had a dilemma. Thus, I replied, ¡°I really don''t mind. Anyway, we were only together for over two months, and we didn''t do anything that crossed the line. So, you don''t need to feel so awkward about it.¡± I then smiled at her. After all, if my best friend could find a man who loved her, I would be ted instead of feeling ufortable. ¡°But I still don''t know how I feel about him. This just came all too suddenly, and I don''t know how to react.¡± Ever since she was betrayed by that scumbag, John, she no longer dared to step into a new rtionship just like that. She was afraid it would turn out the same as thest time. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Then we''ll talk when you''ve figured out how you feel about him.¡± Only she could decide for herself whether she wanted to be with him. Thus, I would not interfere in their rtionship. After chatting for a while more, I then left because I had to rush back to prepare dinner. Although I was already very tired then, Michael was a very picky man. But recently, he toned down a little since he knew I was down in the dumps. However, I seemed to be down on my luck recently. Soon after I walked out of Natalie''s house, a car behind me kept honking at me. Irritated, I turned around. It was not a car that I recognized. Thus, I turned and left, not wanting to care about it. I merely took a few steps before a man''s voice rang out from behind. ¡°Ms. Garcia, our miss would like to speak to you.¡± Ms. Garcia? Is he calling me? Pausing in my footsteps, I turned to look at the man suspiciously. He appeared to be around thirty or forty and was wearing a ck suit. The man was probably a chauffeur or a bodyguard. ¡°And who is that? I''m sorry, but I don''t think I know her.¡± I neither knew any important women nor wanted to cause any trouble; all I wanted then was to hurry back. ¡°Ms. Garcia, get in the car, and you''ll know who she is.¡± Seeing as I was about to leave, he stood in front of me to block my way. Clearly there with unkind intentions, I frowned and said coldly, ¡°What are you doing? I want to go home now!¡± ¡°She''s waiting in the car for you. Please don''t make me use force!¡± Nevertheless, my cold reply did not bother him at all. His expression was equally cold, and it looked as though he had no intention to let me go. As the man was tall and big, I would not be able to run if he used force on me. Thus, I felt somewhat scared then, for I had no other choice. ncing at the car not far away, I felt angry. Okay, let''s see what kind ofdy she is. Hmph! The nerve of that man! I can''t believe a man would want to use force against me, a woman! I then strode toward the pure ck Cadic. When I was at the backseat window, it rolled down slowly to reveal Emma''s delicate face. I felt a little surprised seeing that it was her. However, I also knew that nothing good woulde out of her finding me. ¡°Ms. Jones, what do you mean by this?¡± Since she wanted to see me, it would not be for anything good. Naturally, I did not have to be polite either. ¡°Get in. We''ll talk inside.¡± She then frowned slightly and looked at me as though she was way superior. ¡°It''s fine. Just tell me why you''re looking for me. If there''s nothing, then please excuse me as I still have something else to do.¡± Ever since I met Emma the previous time, I knew she was hostile toward me. I had always been a person who drew a clear line between whom or what to love and hate. Thus, since she did not like me, I felt the same for her. ¡°I have something to tell you, so get in the car. After all, you wouldn''t want the people to know about your rtionship with Michael, right?¡± Emma gave me a side-eye nce and used Michael and my rtionship against me. I hated it when others threatened me¡ªthe first person being Michael himself, and now, Emma. Although I stared into her eyes coldly, I eventuallypromised after a while. After all, I could not ignore my reputation. Thus, I walked around the car and entered, sitting beside her. ¡°Speak. What''s up?¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia, we had a very unpleasant conversation thest time. I thought about it carefully when I got home, and I think maybe I wasn''t sincere enough; that''s why you got angry. So, I came here today with a lot of sincerity.¡± Her tone was gentle and pleasant. However, she was wearing a haughty expression right in front of me. Perhaps it was because she was rich since young. Thus, although she looked polite enough on the surface, deep down, I knew she looked down on a mere country girl like me. ¡°What do you mean? I don''t think we have anything to talk about.¡± Thest time she looked for me, it was nothing more than to talk about Michael. Hence, I felt like our meeting today probably had to do with Michael again. ¡°I heard that your brother lost money while gambling and someone broke his legs? The treatment should''ve cost a lot, and the follow-up rehab is probably not that cheap either.¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Emma then broke into a triumphant smile. ¡°You did a background check on me?¡± I asked. My anger suddenly surged after hearing her words. Other than that reason, there was no other exnation for why she was so clear about my family matters. ¡°I merely wanted to know you a bit better. I didn''t investigate you on purpose.¡± In contrast to my cold gaze, there was no reaction from her. Instead, she was a little happy seeing that I was angry. It wasn''t on purpose? Hah! Who''d believe that? ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± I looked at her coldly as I tried to hold back my anger. In the past, at the very most, I did not like her. However, at that moment, I hated her. Who the h*ll did she think she is to do a background check on me? As her expression turned cold, she finally came clean about her purpose. ¡°My n is simple. I want you to leave Michael. After all, I am his girlfriend, and you... are nothing.¡± ¡°And if I don''t agree?¡± In reality, I had long guessed that she wanted me to leave him. Originally, I did not intend to break their rtionship and would obediently go when he asked to end our rtionship. However, I was annoyed that she had poked her nose into my private matters. As a result, I decided then that I would not let go of Michael that easily. ¡°If you agree, I''ll give you a huge sum of money so that your entire family won''t have any worries in the future. You''re a smart woman, Ms. Garcia. I think you know how to decide.¡± Her expression was not one of anger. She held a nk check in her hand, then handed it to me. As usual, her gaze was still full of contempt. I looked at the nk check in her hands. It was indeed a very attractive offer. Moreover, I was short on money right then. If I took it and casually asked for a few million, it probably would not be a problem for her. In addition, I would not need to work so hard in the future. However, I was not that cheap. Although I liked money and knew its importance, I was annoyed by her disrespect toward me. Therefore, with a cold expression, I took the nk check over. Most likely thinking that I had epted her condition, she smiled triumphantly. However, my next move had her dumbfounded. Without hesitation, I tore it up and threw it out of the car. ¡°Anna, what do you mean by this!¡± Her beautiful face was distorted in anger as her gaze filled with fury. ¡°Don''t you understand what I mean? If you don''t, I''ll tell you bluntly. I don''t care about your stupid money!¡± Here she was, thinking to use the money to make me leave Michael and forget the fact that she had investigated me. However, I had always been someone who held grudges, so I would never forget how she humiliated me today. She replied, ¡°Don''t you need money? I heard that you''re short of funds right now, so you can stop pretending.¡± She was furious on the inside but was still pretending to be calm on the surface. I had to give it to her, though¡ªher acting skills were top-notch. ¡°Hah! Why do I need to do that? Do you think I''ll care for your stupid money? Anyway, aren''t you very clear about my rtionship with Michael? Isn''t he much richer than you? If I want money, he''ll give me much more than you''ll ever give!¡± She merely wanted to show off her superiority and that she was richer than me. Not only that, but I knew she also wanted to tell me that we were on totally different levels. ¡°You!¡± However, she could not say anything else to refute me and merely red at me with a furious gaze. She looked as though she wanted to tear me apart right then and there. ¡°Don''t make me force you, Anna. Do you think I''ll worry just because you brought Michael up? Don''t forget. To Michael, you''re just an embarrassment. Do you think you can beat me?¡± She looked at me in disdain, making no secret of the irony and contempt in her tone. It turned out that she had already thoroughly investigated the rtionship between Michael and me. What she said really made me feel a little ufortable. Despite that, I did not show it in front of her. ¡°Since you think I''m no match for you, why''d you look for me again and again? Was it because you think that I''m a threat to you? And you''re worried?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. I then sneered, sparing no effort to fight back against those who targeted me. Although I was only an ordinary person, she had no right to talk to me in that manner, even if she came from a wealthy family. After all, I did not owe her anything. Knowing I had hit the nail on the head, Emma could not hold it in anymore as she shifted her gaze downward guiltily. It proved that women knew women best. That was why she could easily catch onto my weaknesses. And simrly, I could do the same to her. ¡°You''re going too far! I''m so much better than you in all aspects, be it my background or appearance. Worried? Hah! Why should I be?¡± Her expression turned vicious as she looked at me with her gaze full of hatred. There was no more of the gentleness and generosity she showed in front of Michael. As expected, she was a good actress. ¡°If you''re here just to make me leave Michael, then you''ve made a mistake! Goodbye!¡± Not wanting to stay and talk with her any longer, I then opened the car door and left. ¡°Just you wait, Anna. One day, I''ll make you disappear in front of him forever!¡± Her sharp threat then rang out from behind me. Although I was angry, I never looked back. There''s no need to care about such a woman. She''s crazy. Does she think she can just use the money to trample on my dignity? I did not lose in our confrontation. In fact, it could be said that I won very gloriously. However, my good mood soon disappeared. Since I had made an enemy of Emma that day, she would definitely find trouble with me in the future. After she left, I walked along the sidewalk alone while sighing helplessly. I was annoyed, for there was one thing that Emma had not made clear. That was, to Michael, I would always be an embarrassment. Merely from that one point, I waspletely defeated. Solely because she hade from such an influential family background, she could proudly stand beside him. Compared to her, I was nothing; nothing but a lowly country girl. When I arrived outside the house, I stopped and took a deep breath before entering the password. I did not want Michael to see that I was upset. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 I didn''t see Michael after I came back, so I searched around for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Guess he wasn''t back yet then. He was probably upied by his work since it was getting quitete. That man really was a workaholic. I swear, he wouldn''t even get up before finishing his mountain of work. I went to make a simple dinner andid it out on the table. It had been a while since I lived with him, and I noticed he liked a simple dinner more. It was weird, though, since he probably had caviar for breakfast before we started dating, so I wondered why he liked my homemade food. At that point, I just guessed he wasn''t really a picky eater. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I waited for him toe back so we could dig in, but much to my chagrin, he still wasn''t back yet. Hey, you should''ve at least given me a call. What am I supposed to do now? The fact that he wouldn''t call me got on my nerves. Even though I knew he didn''t need to tell me anything, the radio silence was still annoying. At that, I cursed him silently and decided to stop waiting for him. If he isn''t calling me, there''s no need to wait then. I was about to dig in when my phone rang. Michael? Huh, at least he''s not a heartless b*stard. The fact he called me made me feel a little better, so I took the call. ¡°Hey, what''s taking you so long?¡± I snapped at him, disgruntled. ¡°Hello, Ms. Garcia,¡± a woman answered me. Wait, Emma? That was the first thought I had. Where''d that guy go? I knew something was up when she was the one answering me. Since she was taking the calls, that meant Michael was with her. That fact angered me, but it also made me jealous. Michael spent most of his time with me, but he only made his rtionship with Emma public. ¡°Why are you answering for him? Do you need anything?¡± I had to ask despite knowing that they were together. One could say that I did not know when to give up. ¡°Michael''s taking a shower, so he won''t be going back tonight. He''s staying at my ce. Don''t wait up on him,¡± Emma answered smugly, while my heart shattered into a million pieces. I gripped the phone tightly, and I teared up. Even though I knew Michael was staying with Emma, hearing it from her was still soul-crushing nheless. ¡°Noted with thanks. If there''s nothing else, then I''ll be hanging up. Bye.¡± I was starting to suffocate, and I had to hang up fast. Otherwise, I might lose it if I start thinking about how he would stay the night at her ce. ¡°I told you he''s mine, Anna, so give up. Stop hurting yourself,¡± Anna told me coldly before I could end the call. I knew she was threatening me, but I snapped back, ¡°You''re not the boss of me, Emma.¡± Then I hung up before she could say another word. The moment that phone call ended, I couldn''t take it anymore. I couldn''t take the fact that he was staying with another woman, and I couldn''t take the fact that they would be f*cking in a moment. The mere thought ripped my heart apart, tearing me up. I knew Michael was a yboy. And I knew he wouldn''t be with me for life, but still, I wanted him all for myself. Turning to look at the dinner on the table, Iughed at myself. It was unbelievable, but all I could think about was Michael. To think I cared about a man who only saw me as a ¡°business partner.¡± To think I actually fell in love with him. Oh, how pathetic and foolish I was. Well, who knew one call was all it took to ruin my appetite? I left the dishes on the table and went to my bedroom, but I knew it''d be a sleepless night. I tossed and turned, but I didn''t get a wink of sleep even when dawn had risen. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Michael pounding another woman as hard as he could. How could I sleep when all I could think about was him getting it on with another woman? God, even sleeping was tortuous for me at that point. I took a look at the time and realized it was already five-thirty in the morning, but Michael was still nowhere to be seen. Wow, I guess that must be one hell of a night. Right when I was about to plunge into another session of depression, I heard someone opening the door. That''s Michael. It has to be. We''re the only ones who have the ess code. I should be feeling happy, but for some reason, I wasn''t. In the end, I pretended to be asleep since I didn''t want to see him. I was worried I couldn''t stop myself from imagining him having sex with Emma. Eventually, he came to the bedroom, and he opened the door. Even though I wanted to blow up and demand an exnation, I couldn''t even bring myself to open my eyes. Heck, I couldn''t even breathe. Then I felt himing toward me with his sharp piercing gaze on my face. A few momentster, hey down beside me and gave me a hug. He loved to spoon me as he drifted to sleep every night, and I loved being the little spoon. That was the past, though. Now I wanted him to get off me. It used to feel good, but all I could think about at that point was if Michael had hugged that woman like how he was hugging me right now. So I turned around, refusing to face him. I was upset, but I had to cover it up. I didn''t know how much longer I couldst, but I didn''t know how to tell him about my feelings either. But of course, he realized I was pushing him away, and he frowned. ¡°I know you''re awake. C''mon, why aren''t you talking to me?¡± He sounded as sexy as usual but also tired. Though I didn''t want to ignore him, I still couldn''t bring myself to face him. Since I was turning my back on him, I looked straight ahead and let my sadness flow. ¡°There''s nothing to talk about. You were out all night, so you must be exhausted now.¡± Once again, I thought about how he had spent the night before with Emma, and my heart crumbled into pieces. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 ¡°Yeah, I am. I pulled an all-nighter,¡± he answered calmly and went to sleep, oblivious to my feelings. It was just a simple answer, but it hit me like a truck. I couldn''t believe he admitted to it without any exnation. ¡°Were you with Emmast night?¡± I was holding on to a sliver of hope, convincing myself that Emma was lying to me. Maybe he wasn''t even at her cest night. Even though the chances of that happening was close to zero, I wanted to believe in it. But I knew it must be true since Emma called me using his phone. That couldn''t have happened if he wasn''t with her. ¡°How did you know?¡± He gave me a look of surprise and sounded rmed. I didn''t get the answer straight from his mouth, but his aversion was already an answer in of itself. So he was with Emmast night. Why is he looking so rmed, though? Is he suspecting me of something? We''ve known each other for so long. I thought you understood me. I closed my eyes silently, and tears streamed down my cheeks. He frowned in displeasure because of my silence, then he turned me around by force. ¡°What is goi¡ª¡± Michael was about to interrogate me, but he swallowed his words when he saw me crying. ¡°Why are you crying? I haven''t even begun.¡± Michael looked like he was worried about me, though I wondered if I was just reading into it too much. Maybe I was, since there was no way he''d worry about me. I decided to not hide it anymore, so I stared back into his eyes. Even so, I couldn''t stop crying. ¡°Is this it, Michael? Are you gonna break up with me?¡± I asked calmly. If he were to say yes, I''d leave him without a fuss. ¡°Is that all you think about, Anna?¡± It wasn''t the first time I had confronted him with that question, and he''d blow up every time. I tried to force him into breaking up with me at first so I could leave him, but at this point, I was just terrified about the fact of breaking up. Everyone might think I was just a slut for keeping Michael around as a friend with benefit when he was in amitted rtionship, but I didn''t care. I couldn''t help myself from falling deeper and deeper into this pit of love. ¡°Because that''s how I feel. Emma''s your girlfriend, and you two seem to get along well. Since that''s the case, I don''t see why I should stay around,¡± I answered bravely, but in reality, I knew I was hurting myself. He was fuming, but I had to do it. If I were to stay with him any longer, I would eventually go beyond the point of no return. ¡°Emma''s a different case, Anna. You''re my woman, understand?¡± Michael answered darkly, dominantly. It was obvious that Michael wasn''t going to break up with me, but I was starting to worry. If I were to go beyond the point of no return, I wondered if I could manage to save myself from the pain. My heart had been shattered into a million pieces before, and I didn''t want to go through it again. I peered at him seriously, mustered all my courage, and asked, ¡°Do you like me, Michael?¡± I wanted to know how he saw me, and if he actually cared about me. Michael was slightly surprised. He frowned for a moment, thinking about my question, then he answered, ¡°I do like you.¡± His answer hit where it mattered the most, and I was shaken. I couldn''t believe that he''d say that to me, but at the same time, I cried even harder. Even though our rtionship wasn''t blessed, hearing him say that he liked me filled me up with bliss. And then all that bliss came tumbling down, plunging me into hell. ¡°I like to f*ck you, Emma. You''re the only woman who can turn me on.¡± I felt suffocated, and I looked at him painfully. So the only thing he likes about me is my... I see. I''m a fool for thinking that he actually likes me. For some reason, I regretted asking him that since his answer crushed me underfoot. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°I see. Well, I am, after all, your friend with benefit, so I guess it''s not surprising that''s the only reason you like me.¡± Iughed at myself, staring at him in agony. Michael was also looking at me, but his gaze was quizzical, and a frown creased his forehead. ¡°You''ve been acting weird today,¡± he said calmly. Michael''s gaze pierced through me, but I couldn''t see through him. ¡°It''s still early, so go to sleep.¡± I turned my gaze away, refusing to talk to him any longer. Frankly, I was disappointed, but not in him. I was disappointed in myself for expecting too much out of him. In the end, I had forgotten where I stood. ¡°What''s wrong, Anna?¡± Michael queried darkly. Apparently, he was annoyed because I turned away again, and the tension between us rose. ¡°Nothing. I''m exhausted, that''s all.¡± I started crying again, but I held my sorrow down so he wouldn''t hear me sniffling. Then I pretended to sleep, telling myself to give up on Michael. Don''t hold your breath. He''s just your f*ck buddy, Anna. That''s all he is. Without warning, Michael suddenly started pinning me down and kissed my ears. His breathing became heavier, which was a telltale sign that he wanted to f*ck me again. However, I remained motionless because, honestly, I was not in the mood for it. He started moving down and kissed my neck. I could feel the desire within him, but I really didn''t want to do it. Finally, I couldn''t keep it in anymore, so I turned around and shoved him away. Caught by surprise, Michael was pushed back, much to his annoyance. His face fell, and he glowered. ¡°Are you crazy, Anna?¡± I could see the mes of fury in his eyes that threatened to burn me to cinders. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 On the other hand, I stared at him calmly. He was still ring at me, demanding an answer, but I didn''t say a word to him. Since I knew I would crumble if I stayed there any longer, I wanted to get out of bed. ¡°Exin yourself, Anna.¡± He grabbed my hand. It was a surprise that he was holding himself back instead of yelling at me right away. ¡°Don''t think too much about it. I need to get out of bed now.¡± I stared at him calmly. There was no point telling him how I really felt since he only liked me as a f*ck buddy. ¡°Today''s a Saturday!¡± He gritted his teeth, and his patience was already running thin. Sh*t. I totally forgot that it was a weekend, so I didn''t have to go to work, but still, I didn''t want to see him. ¡°I need to see Steven.¡± I blurted out. Then I changed into a new set of clothes. I had to leave no matter what, and Michael didn''t stop me. However, he was still ring at me coldly. I could feel his fury boiling, but I didn''t have the time to care. Once I left Birchwood, I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Taking in a deep breath, I calmed myself down and tried toe up with a n for the day. But nothing came to mind. If I went to see Steven, mom would just mock me again, but I couldn''t go back to Michael''s ce either. So I just stood there nkly, until my phone started ringing. I wondered who was calling me, so I whipped my phone out. Ronan? I was slightly annoyed, but I took the call anyway. ¡°Hello.¡± My voice was cracking up from all the crying. ¡°What''s up?¡± Ronan sounded excited. ¡°Nothing. Just hanging around.¡± I sniffled. Ronan noticed that my voice was cracking. ¡°You don''t sound too good. Wait, are you crying?¡± he asked, concerned. ¡°I''m frustrated. Can we talk?¡± I had no idea how to face Michael or my parents. Ronan was the only person whom I could feel rxed around. Besides, he was an optimist, so I thought talking with someone like him would cheer me up. ¡°Sure. Where are you anyway? I''ll pick you up,¡± he agreed readily, and I noticed a hint of worry in his voice. ¡°I''ll be waiting at the bus stop. The one where you picked me up.¡± ¡°Sure. Give me a minute.¡± Then, he hung up. Ten minutester, I saw Ronan''s red Ferrari in the distance. He stopped his car in front of me and came to open the passenger seat''s door. I was feeling gloomy before he came, but his smile melted my sorrow away. One would never go wrong hanging out with an optimist. Ronan went back to the driver''s seat and revved up the car. ¡°Why are you frustrated anyway?¡± He looked at me with concern. ¡°Did something happen?¡± I was touched by the fact that he was so gentle and caring about me. It hadn''t been long since we met, but he felt like family to me. Every time I was with him, I felt warm and fuzzy. ¡°Yeah, a lot. Got involved in some family problems, and my love life isn''t looking good either.¡± I didn''t hide anything from Ronan since I needed someone whom I could talk to. ¡°Yeah, I can see where you''reing from. You got dealt a bad hand, growing up in that kind of family.¡± Ronan had seen how my mother acted around me back at the hospital, so he knew about my family even if I didn''t tell him anything. ¡°What''s wrong about your love life, though? You got a boyfriend?¡± Ronan started getting nervous after asking that question, and he stared at me unblinkingly. I was feeling weird getting stared at, so I turned away stiffly. ¡°No. I''m not getting a boyfriend for now.¡± Michael could never be my boyfriend, and we might end our rtionship at this rate. Given my circumstances, it might be a long time before I would be ready for the dating scene again. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ronan heaved a sigh. ¡°So what''s the problem, then? I thought you don''t have a boyfriend.¡± He slowed down and turned to me with doubt. ¡°I have someone I like, but I know it''s never gonna work between us.¡± The thought of Michael alone was torturous for me. I didn''t want to lose myself to him, but I couldn''t, and I cursed myself for my weakness. Ronan looked crestfallen after hearing that. It took him a while before he could look me in the eye. ¡°If you like him, why can''t you date him then?¡± ¡°Because there''s a big gap between our status. Plus, he doesn''t like me, and he has a girlfriend.¡± I knew I must sound like a broken record at this point, but the fact that Michael might be having sex with Emma the night before was still annoying me. Ronan was giving me a look of doubt, sadness, and confusion, but he didn''t say anything. I wondered what he was thinking, but I was also surprised that he didn''t console me. The conversation went dead for a while since we seemed to have run out of topics. A long, long whileter, Ronan said, ¡°If it''s impossible to date him, then let him go. Don''t get too into it, or you''ll end up hurting yourself.¡± He sounded a lot more serious than he usually was. I sighed. I knew that better than anyone, but it was true love, so I couldn''t just let it go that easily. I would have totally done it if I could since it would have freed me from the pain I was feeling. ¡°I know.¡± I muttered lightly as I stared down at the seat. ¡°I''ll take you to the beach. Some fresh air ought to do you good. Maybe you''ll start feeling better.¡± Ronan shifted the topic and beamed at me, then he turned around. ¡°But the beach is quite far away, isn''t it?¡± ¡°I''m a pro driver, so we''ll be there in a jiffy. Anyway, you can sleep if you want to. I''ll wake you up when we get there.¡± I had never gone to the beach even though I had been working at Avenport for years, so I was looking forward to it. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 I didn''t sleep, though. Look, I wanted to, but I wasn''t feelingfortable without my pajamas, so all I could do was look outside the window. Ronan finally stopped his car an hourter since we had already arrived at the beach. I went out of the car silently and headed for the beach. The ocean was as vast as the eye could see, and it gleamed a brilliant blue under the sun. It was simply glorious; the sight of the ocean alone washed away my frustration. ¡°So, how is it? Gorgeous, eh?¡± Ronan came up behind me, admiring the ocean, just like how I was doing. As usual, he was smiling. ¡°It is.¡± I smiled. I could feel my mind calming down once I saw the deep blue sea. Then, Ronan and I had a little stroll along the beach. I could feel the morning breeze softly brushing across my cheeks, and it felt great. Ronan was trying his best to make meugh, and he managed to do it. Anyone wouldugh at his jokes since he was naturally funny. We spent quite a while at the beach before going back exhausted. It was gettingte, and the sun was setting. As it would take us more than an hour to get back, it would be nighttime when I got home. The exhaustion finally caught up to me when we were on the way back. I didn''t sleep a wink the night before, and I spent most of the day on the beach, so eventually, I drifted to sleep. I woke up groggily a long whileter, but the first thing I saw was a face inches away from me. Oh, sh*t! Who the heck... Oh, it''s Ronan. He was almost kissing me, much to my shock. I opened my eyes, and Ronan did the same. We stayed in this pose for a while, then I shoved him away a momentter. I was angry because I knew what he was trying to do. Ronan was just like a little brother to me, so I never expected him to steal a kiss when I was sleeping. ¡°What were you doing, Ronan?¡± I red at him furiously, and he shrank away in fear. ¡°I-I didn''t mean it. I just couldn''t help myself,¡± he looked me in the eye while exining seriously. But since I was enraged, I wasn''t going to ept any exnation. I thought he was just a goofy guy on the surface, but I never expected him to sexually harass me. ¡°That''s uneptable, Ronan. I thought we''re friends! What am I to you, just a girl you''re flirting with?¡± I thought he saw me as a friend, but I never knew he would try and take advantage of me. Honestly, I was disappointed. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It''s not what you think, Anna. We''re friends, and I really like you. You can feel it too, right?¡± Ronan started panicking after that, and he tried to exin himself. ¡°You wouldn''t have done that if you saw me as a friend. Don''t you think that''s disgusting?¡± Even though he said he saw me as his friend, that did nothing to douse my fury. I had hung out with him a few times, so I thought he was just a goofy guy on the surface but a good guy in reality. However, what he did earlier had totally destroyed that image. ¡°I know I was rude, Anna, but I couldn''t help myself. You have to believe me!¡± He held my hand, and he was starting to panic. I swatted his hand away the moment he touched me, as I was too angry to listen to any exnation. ¡°I don''t think we should be friends anymore, Ronan. I don''t want to see you anymore, so leave.¡± I only became friends with him because he was always full of warmth. But after all that had happened, I felt like our friendship hade to an end. It was a pity, but I would never be friends with someone who would harass me, so I got out of the car without a word. And then Ronan quickly got out as well and blocked my way. ¡°I''m really, really sorry, Anna. Please forgive me just this once. I won''t do it anymore, I promise!¡± Ronan gazed at me and pleaded. I really wanted to be his friend, but I couldn''t ept what he was trying to do in the car. Since I had fallen for someone, I didn''t like it when another man was trying to approach me. But even so, I didn''t want to turn him down when he was pleading like a child. ¡°I really, really like you, Anna. Can you be my girlfriend?¡± Just when I was about to forgive him, he hit me with another shocker of a confession. I gawked at him and wondered if I was hearing things. Did he just confess to me? It took a long time for me to process it, then I refused him without thinking, ¡°I''ll never be your girlfriend. It''s impossible.¡± There were two reasons for my refusal. One, because I loved someone else, and two, I prefer men who were more mature. Ronan was just a kid, so I couldn''t see myself falling for him. ¡°Why?¡± To be frank, Ronan was actually quite charismatic. He was the perfect boyfriend in terms of looks and background, but he was younger than me, so I only ever saw him as my brother. Thus, having him as my boyfriend would look weird. ¡°Because we wouldn''t make a good couple. You''re like a brother to me.¡± I couldn''t believe he was trying to woo me. Didn''t he know I was older than him? And shouldn''t he try to woo the youngerdies first? Why did he even fall for me anyway? Ronan frowned the moment I said I saw him as my brother. ¡°But I don''t want to be your brother. I want to be your boyfriend!¡± he retorted. ¡°Get a grip, Ronan! I''m a few years older than you, so we can''t be a couple.¡± I gave him a look of resignation. How persistent can he be? I''ve already said no, so get a clue. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 ¡°So what? Plenty of women date men who are younger than them, and it''s great having an older wife.¡± Ronan didn''t think that our age gap was a problem, contrary to me. He didn''t mind it, and he even made a case for it. I could see the resolve in his eyes, and whenever Ronan was serious, he was a different person entirely. Damn, he just made it three times harder for me to say no. ¡°I told you it''s impossible, Ronan. You''re just like a brother to me, and I have someone I like, so I will never say yes,¡± I stared him in the eye, refusing adamantly. Ronan froze up when I told him I had someone I liked. Then, much to my disbelief, I saw a hint of sorrow in his eyes. If I hadn''t seen that, I would have thought he was joking with me. Ronan had always been the goofy kid, but the sadness in his eyes made me waver. Did he really fall for me? But we''ve only hung out a couple of times. We don''t really know each other well. It''s insane that he''d fall for me so easily. ¡°But you can never date the guy you like, right? So I''ll make you forget all about him. I wouldn''t have confessed today if you hadn''t told me about that. I''ll make you happy, Anna. I swear,¡± he said solemnly. It was the first time he was acting so serious, and it had to be during a confession. I was both happy and troubled. It was great that he didn''t see me as a frivolous woman, but on the other hand, if he was persistent about this, I might end up losing a friend. ¡°Ronan, I told you I only see you as a friend. If you''re still not giving up, then I think it''s best that we never meet again.¡± I didn''t want to hurt him, but I had no choice. I could never see a future where I was dating him, so I had to make sure that he would give up on me. Ronan froze up again, and he looked at me in agony. He never expected me to be so cruel, but he still didn''t give up, though his sadness was already overflowing. ¡°So... we can only just be friends?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I answered adamantly, crushing all his hope. Upon that, Ronan stared at me in silence, and I said nothing too. A momentter, he smiled again. ¡°I see. Then, we''ll just be friends,¡± he said softly. I heaved a sigh of relief. Good thing he''s not persistent. But then he said something that almost made me bang my head against a wall. ¡°But give me a call when you want to be my girlfriend, okay? I''m always here.¡± Great. He was still holding on to a sliver of hope even though I had rejected him. ¡°That day will never come, so don''t hold your breath.¡± I couldn''t believe he was still holding on to hope even though I said no. For some reason, I felt like he wouldn''t give up until I said yes. Damn, he''s just like Michael. Michael. And depression came crashing back again, but I shook my head, forcing myself to forget about all that had happened. Since I couldn''t change the past, there was no point moping over it. ¡°I''ll be leaving now, so you get some rest. But don''t shy away just because of what happened tonight. We''re still friends, okay?¡± Ronan was still smiling, but I could see that he wasn''t as upbeat anymore. Oh, he''s smart. He knew I would avoid seeing him again. Yes, that was my n, but since he stopped me from doing it, I couldn''t stay away anymore. ¡°Don''t worry. You''re my brother and my friend. I won''t avoid you, but please don''t confess to me anymore.¡± I gave him a smile and calmed him down. As long as he stopped confessing to me, we could still be friends. ¡°Sure. Bye then.¡± He waved goodbye and left. I heaved a sigh of relief after Ronan was no longer in sight. I was surprised that he confessed to me, but I was also worried. What if we could no longer be purely friends after this? But that was a problem for another day. It was already night, and I had nowhere else to go but home. However, I still had no idea how to face Michael. Unlike the night before, Michael was in the house when I came back. The moment I came in, he shot me a sharp look, and a chill ran down my spine. ¡°Where were you? You were out all day long.¡± He gazed at me quizzically. I averted my gaze, for it was too hard to face him. For some reason, I couldn''t bring myself to look him in the eye. ¡°I went out to get some fresh air,¡± I answered as calmly as I could, then I went toward the bedroom. Annoyed by my attitude, Michael barked, ¡°Hold it right there!¡± I could see that he was angrier than before, but I didn''t turn back, though I stopped in my tracks. Right then, I knew I had angered him, but I didn''t want to exin myself. ¡°Where were you, and who were you with?¡± Michael shot two more questions at me, then he came toward me. If looks could kill, the fury in his eyes would have burned me to a crisp. ¡°I went to the beach with a friend.¡± I looked at him and answered calmly, then I tried to go around him, but Michael wouldn''t let me go easily. He grabbed my arm, ring at me with unbridled fury. ¡°A friend? What kind of friend?¡± I was wincing from the pain on my wrist, but my pain was burned down by my fury because I could see the doubt in his eyes¡ªhe thought I was cheating.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 I met Michael''s furious gaze with my own as I shouted angrily, ¡°Mr. Shaw, I believe I shouldn''t have to report to you that I''m hanging out with my friends!¡± That look of suspicion in his eyes is making me so ufortable! Why should I have to tell him everything in such great detail? ¡°How dare you take that tone with me when you''ve been out the whole day with your phone switched off?¡± I was usually quiet and obedient in front of Michael, but I refused to let him have his unjust way with me that day. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''m a human being, not some pet or object! I have the right to meet up with my friends whenever I want to!¡± He was questioning me like I was his girlfriend, and that I had been caught cheating on him, both of which were not the case here. I felt my eyes tear up a little, but I refused to cry in front of him and forced myself to hold my tears in. Michael froze for a brief moment before his expression turned terrifyingly grim, and he tightened his grip on my wrist even further. I grimaced in response but made sure not to cry out from the pain. ¡°Did you hit yourself in the head, Anna? Have you forgotten that you''re my woman now? Don''t you think you should exin to me who you were with today?¡± Michael growled at me through clenched teeth. Usually, seeing him like this would''ve filled me to the brim with fear. This time, however, I felt a lot more upset than I was afraid. ¡°If I''m your woman, does that make you my man in return? If you''re going to question my whereabouts today, then you should also exin why you didn''te homest night! Why did you spend the night with Emma, huh? Answer me!¡± I lost control of my emotions, and my tears rolled down my cheeks as I raised my voice at him. It was the first time I told him how I really felt, and in a questioning tone too. He was with another woman till this morning, and he has the audacity to question me like this? Why should things be so unfair between us? What right does he have to stop me from being intimate with other guys when he spends an entire night with another woman? Does he seriously think I''m okay with that? How could he be so selfish? He never cares about my feelings at all! Michael went wide-eyed with shock from my sudden outburst and loosened his grip on my arm significantly. ¡°You''re mad at me because I was with Emmast night?¡± Michael asked calmly with an eyebrow arched, making it impossible to tell what he was actually feeling. ¡°Yeah, that''s right! I''m mad at you for sleeping with another woman! You don''t care about my feelings, and you''re always suspecting me of having inappropriate rtionships with other men!¡± I couldn''t care less about what he felt and poured my heart out to release all my pent-up emotions from last night. I tried to keep them suppressed and acted like I didn''t care about it, but I couldn''t stand it any longer. Seeing him reminded me of how he had slept with Emmast night, and the mere thought of it caused my heart to ache tremendously. Michael was taken aback by my response once again. It wasn''t the first time I hadshed out at him, but I had never been honest about my feelings each time. ¡°Anna!¡± he shouted with a frown. ¡°I know I don''t have the right to ask anything of you, but please let me have some freedom! I''m really stressed outtely!¡± Pouring my heart out helped calm me down a lot, so my tone wasn''t as agitated as before. ¡°Who told you I was sleeping with Emmast night? You really have an overactive imagination, Anna!¡± Instead of getting angry with me, Michael simply arched an eyebrow at me gleefully as he said that. ¡°She''s a very pretty woman, and you spent the night with her. I think it makes perfect sense to assume that you two had sex.¡± They must''ve had sex! There''s no way a brute like Michael would be able to contain himself with a beauty sleeping next to him! ¡°Do you really think I would just f*ck any woman in sight? You think I don''t have any self-control at all?¡± Michael asked with a deep frown, clearly unhappy about what I said. ¡°Am I wrong? Emma''s a pretty woman, and she''s your girlfriend right now, so she wouldn''t have any reason to refuse your advances anyway...¡± I mumbled softly. Michael kept insisting that he didn''t sleep with her, but I still found it a little hard to believe. Heck, I would''ve f*cked her right then and there if I were a guy in his position! There''s no way he could''ve held himself back, especially with how pretty Emma is! ¡°Anna! Why won''t you believe me?¡± Michael''s eyes lit up with anger and frustration when I refused to believe him. I really wanted to take his word for it and ept the fact that they didn''t have sexst night, yet I just couldn''t help doubting him at the same time. ¡°I...¡± ¡°Emma was sickst night, and my mom insisted that I go look after her. Because she kept clinging to me, I ended up spending the night on the couch instead!¡± Despite being on the verge of exploding with anger, Michael clenched his teeth and exined himself anyway. It was the first time he had actually made an effort to exin himself seriously, and I shuddered a little when I realized he was most likely telling the truth. ¡°So... You really didn''t have sex with Emma?¡± I asked him once again just to make sure and would choose to believe him if he could answer me firmly. ¡°Anna, how dare you doubt my words? Do I even have a reason to lie to you?¡± I figured no one had ever doubted his word before, as he got really mad at me for it. However, I was surprised that he didn''tsh out at me this time, and that made me feel a little happy inside. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 ¡°I believe you now... I thought you didn''te homest night because...¡± I was going to say he had gotten sick of me and wanted to do it with Emma instead but found myself unable to finish my sentence. ¡°I''m not really interested in Emma, so I won''ty a hand on her any time soon.¡± The frown on Michael''s face eased up a bit when he saw that I had believed him. Wait... Did he just say he isn''t interested in Emma? But, she''s his girlfriend! How could he possibly not be interested in her? ¡°But Emma is your girlfriend, isn''t she? How could you not like her?¡± I asked after a long pause. ¡°What makes you think I like her?¡± Michael asked while staring down at me. Although he had made it clear that he wasn''t into Emma, him not answering my question directly made me even more curious. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you don''t like her, then why is she your girlfriend?¡± I didn''t understand why he would date Emma if he didn''t have any feelings for her. ¡°It''s an arrangement made by my family,¡± Michael said indifferently. ¡°Why didn''t you object if you don''t like it?¡± I had my own selfish reasons for asking him that question. Regardless of whether we ended up being together in the future, I didn''t want Michael getting intimate with any other women until it was over between us. ¡°That''s not something you should concern yourself with.¡± Michael narrowed his eyes in annoyance and avoided my question once again. I was a little upset that he didn''t like telling me about his personal life, but I knew better than to push him any further. While I wasn''t sure of what he actually felt, I was still d to know he didn''t actually like Emma. ¡°I''m a little tired, so I''m going to bed after a shower.¡± I was on the verge of copsing from exhaustion after going an entire day without sleep. Meanwhile, Michael made no attempt to stop me, so I went to take a quick shower before going to bed. Although he was still unhappy about me spending the entire day outside, he didn''t say anything about it and simplyy down silently next to me. I was able to fall asleep fairly quickly that night after knowing that he didn''t have sex with Emma while we were still together. I didn''t know if it had anything to do with what I said to him, but Michael had beening home on time every night throughout the next couple of days. Even on the days where he had to attend social events, he would still try his best to make it home as early as possible. One day, Michael was reading his books on finance while I was preparing dinner, and his phone rang all of a sudden. He closed his book and furrowed his brows when he saw the name on the caller ID. As I was inside the kitchen at the time, I had no idea who it was until he answered the phone. ¡°Hello, Emma,¡± he said coldly. I was chopping up some vegetables and shuddered when I heard him mention her name, nearly cutting myself on the finger as a result. Even if Michael didn''t have feelings for her, I was still ufortable with the fact that she was his girlfriend. I couldn''t quite hear what Emma said as I was too far away, but Michael''s words made me feel a lot better. ¡°I''m busy, so there''s no point in calling me. Just go to the hospital if you''re not feeling well!¡± His tone was as cold as usual, and it didn''t take a genius to figure out that Emma was using her sickness as an excuse to spend time with him. I bet she wasn''t expecting Michael to refuse her request, huh? I know it''s mean of me to feel happy about it, but I really didn''t want him going over to see her, especially thiste at night. Sure, nothing happened between themst time, but there''s no way to guarantee it''ll be the same this time! It might be selfish of me to say this, but I don''t want him to hurt my feelings while we''re still together. Despite that, Emma continued talking to him, and the look on Michael''s face grew increasingly impatient with each passing second. ¡°I''m very busy, Emma! Stop calling me unless it''s an emergency!¡± Michael shouted coldly into the phone and hung up right after that. I didn''t know what Emma said, but seeing him get annoyed at her set my heart at ease. Looks like he really doesn''t like her... Wait, does that mean he won''t fall for any woman at all? Well, regardless of what Michael truly feels, at least he''s by my side right now! I thought to myself as I stared at him silently from behind and went back to preparing dinner. ¡°Dinner''s ready!¡± I called out to Michael after serving up all the dishes. He then got up from his chair and walked over to the dining table without saying a word. I stole nces at him during dinner to observe his facial expressions and saw that he had apletely indifferent look the whole time. It was as if the phone call with Emma didn''t happen at all. I wasn''t really sure what to say to him, and things got a little awkward for the both of us. ¡°You seem to be treating her rather coldly,¡± I mumbled and quickly lowered my gaze as I continued eating. Michael stared right at me and asked, ¡°What? Do you want me to shower her with affection instead?¡± Of course not! But of course, I didn''t dare show my real emotions in front of him. ¡°Unless I like someone, I won''t show them any affection nor waste my time on them.¡± Michael spoke up once again, and I shuddered a little when I heard what he said. If he doesn''t want to waste his time on Emma because he doesn''t like her, then... What about me? He''s coming over to be with me every night! Does that mean he likes me? ¡°I''ve just realized how heartless of a man you are,¡± I said after a long pause. Michael arched an eyebrow slightly in response. ¡°Is that so?¡± As much as I hated Emma, I couldn''t help but feel sorry for her as I knew she truly liked Michael even though he didn''t feel the same. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Regardless, my feelings of sympathy toward her did not make me hate her any less as I still remembered how she kept picking a fight with me. Meanwhile, Michael kept mepany every day in and out of work. Although the nature of our rtionship was a thorn in both our sides, I was satisfied with what I had. One day, Emma showed up in front of the office building the moment I came out. Judging by the way she was standing in my path, it didn''t take a genius to figure out that she was here to cause trouble. Michael had left the office early in the afternoon to discuss an important project, so Emma was obviously here for me. ¡°You''re in my way, Ms. Jones,¡± I said coldly with a frown. ¡°I think we really need to talk, Ms. Garcia.¡± Emma had the same old vicious look in her eyes when she looked at me, and that ruined her otherwise beautiful appearance. ¡°I don''t think there''s anything for us to talk about, Ms. Jones. You''ve stated your point twice now, and I believe I have made myself very clear as well. I suggest you stop wasting your time.¡± Emma''s probably trying to threaten me into leaving Michael again, just like she did on both of our previous encounters, but I''m not about to give in to her threats! Emma''s eyes lit up with rage when she saw how stubborn I was. She then nced behind me and broke into a sinister grin as she threatened me, ¡°Ms. Garcia, are you sure you want to be talking about your affair with Mr. Shaw here where all of your colleagues can hear us? What would they think if they find out you''re sleeping with your CEO?¡± I got a little worried upon hearing that as I recalled how people treated me when they suspected me of having an affair with Michael. ¡°Ms. Jones, don''t you get tired of resorting to threats all the time?¡± I hated the feeling of being threatened, and this was the second time Emma had threatened me. ¡°I''m fine with it as long as it helps me get what I want. Let''s talk over coffee, Ms. Garcia,¡± Emma said with a smug grin that did nothing to hide the look of hatred in her eyes. She then turned around and began walking toward a nearby caf¨¦ before I could say anything in protest. As angry as I was, I had no choice but to do as told and sat down across in front of her at a table. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, I was starting to lose my patience and said coldly, ¡°How about you not waste both of our time and just say what you came to say?¡± ¡°I came to talk to you about Michael, of course. I''m sure you know very well what we did after I called you that night, Ms. Garcia. I''m Michael''s official girlfriend, so I will be the one he marries in the future. Unless you want to bebeled as a homewrecker, I suggest you back off as soon as possible,¡± Emma said. And here I thought she would finally have something new to say... This is no different from what she said the other day! ¡°And what exactly did you two do, hmm, Ms. Jones? I really have no clue, so would you mind exining it to me?¡± I asked with a sarcastic grin. I knew she was going to tell me they had sex that night, but Michael had exined everything to me before this, so I wasn''t going to believe her at all. In fact, I was even starting to suspect that her feeling unwell was all faked just to trick Michael into looking after her. ¡°We''re all adults here, Ms. Garcia. Surely there''s no need for me to exin the obvious?¡± Emma was clearly triggered by what I said but maintained her smug facade anyway. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Holding back the urge tough at her, I pretended to have a sudden realization and looked at Anna in shock as I eximed, ¡°Are you perhaps implying that you slept with Michael? Oh, my god! You two had sex?¡± Because we were in a public area, I made sure to raise my voice on the part about having sex for emphasis. The surrounding people gave Emma weird looks when they heard it, and I could see her fidgeting in her seat from embarrassment. ¡°Michael and I are a couple. What''s so strange about us having sex?¡± Judging by the forced gleeful smile on her face, I figured she thought her words had hurt me deeply. ¡°Is that so? Funny, Michael told me he neverid a finger on you, and that he hates you a lot,¡± I said while casually taking a sip of my coffee. Triggered by me exposing her lie, Emma lost her temper and threatened me again, ¡°You... What the hell do you mean by that? I''ll have Michael fire you for talking in that tone with me, Anna!¡± ¡°You can go ahead and tell him to fire me right now if you think he''ll listen to you. Just don''t go crying when you realize you''re not as important to him as you think.¡± Honestly, though, I couldn''t care less about Emma''s threats. I knew Michael very well, and he definitely wasn''t the type to be manipted so easily. After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Emma stared me in the eye and said coldly, ¡°Is this how you want to do it, Anna? You''re just dead-set on going against me, huh?¡± ¡°Ms. Jones, you''re the one who keeps trying to pick a fight with me. If you want to keep Michael by your side, then you should go talk to him instead of me!¡± She''s making it seem like my fault after everything she''s done to me? How shameless and unreasonable can she get? ¡°Don''t me me for being merciless, then. I''m not afraid of you simply because you''ve slept with Michael!¡± Emma shouted at me with a vicious look in her eyes, making no effort to hide her hostility whatsoever. I lost my temper from her repeated threats and refused to back down either. ¡°Bring it on, then!¡± Not wanting to give her a chance to respond, I stood up and stormed out of the caf¨¦ immediately after saying that. Oh, my god! Emma is so unbelievably annoying! It''s Michael who doesn''t like her, and yet she''s ming it all on me instead! Well... Now that I think about it, I''d be a lot more surprised if Michael actually has feelings for someone like her... Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Michael was already home by the time I returned. He shed me an unhappy look foring home late and asked, ¡°What took you so long? You finished work hours ago.¡± ¡°Why don''t you go ask your girlfriend?¡± Emma''s repeated harassments left me in a bad mood and even seeing Michael annoyed me greatly. ¡°Huh? What did Emma do to you?¡± Michael frowned slightly in shock as he didn''t expect us to know each other. ¡°What do you think? Of course she tried to threaten me into leaving you!¡± I had been constantly threatened ever since I got into this rtionship with Michael, and it was really getting on my nerves. What annoyed me the most was how Emma kept picking a fight with me even though I never did anything to her. If she really wants to be with Michael that badly, she should be persuading him to break it off with me instead! What''s the point ofing to me again and again? Michael went silent after hearing what I said. Judging by how his expression had turned grim, I figured he didn''t like what Emma did either as he hated others interfering in his affairs. However, him being quiet angered me just as much. Emma only threatened me because of him, so he should at least say something about it. ¡°Mr. Shaw, you''re the one who refused to end this rtionship with me, so I hope your little girlfriend will stop harassing me because of it. I''m just trying to do my job and earn a living here.¡± Emma''s threat to expose my rtionship with Michael to everyone in the office left me somewhat concerned as I wouldn''t be able to continue working there if that happened. Michael frowned at me in response and said coldly, ¡°I hate it when women unrted to me meddle in my affairs. Don''t worry, Anna, I''ll take care of this!¡± I felt a lot more relieved after hearing that. Emma isn''t afraid of me, but that doesn''t mean she isn''t afraid of Michael. There''s no way she''d dare anger a guy she''s trying to be with! Michael headed over to the balcony with his phone in hand while I prepared dinner in the kitchen. He was emanating an icy-cold aura all over, and I could tell he was furious after our conversation earlier. Unable to help my curiosity, I strained my ears to eavesdrop on their conversation. ¡°Emma, don''t you think you''re crossing the line here? How dare you meddle in my personal affairs?¡± Of course, I could only hear what Michael said from where I stood. ¡°Listen, this is just an arrangement made by our families. I am not interested in you at all, got it? Don''t let me catch you meddling in my personal affairs ever again, or there''ll be hell to pay!¡± Michael had always been a very cold person and never held back toward people he didn''t like, even if that person was his gorgeous girlfriend. Watching Emma''s threats and vicious attitude disappearpletely as she submitted to Michael''s nasty outburst had me feeling incredibly satisfied. Michael hung up the phone after dropping a couple more warnings and returned to the living room with a cold look on his face. ¡°Michael, aren''t you afraid of angering Emma by talking to her like that? She is still your girlfriend, after all...¡± I spoke up eventually after staring at him in silence for quite a while. I couldn''t bring myself to understand why Michael wouldn''t deny her being his girlfriend if he didn''t like her at all. He ims it''s an arrangement that his family made, but... Given how domineering and stubborn Michael is, I doubt anyone would be able to force him into anything! ¡°Do you think I give a damn what she feels? You mean a lot more to me than she does!¡± Although Michael said that to emphasize how little Emma mattered to him, I couldn''t help but shudder at thest sentence he said and found myself staring nkly at him from behind. Do I really matter to him? Even just a little? After what seemed like forever, I regained myposure and was about to say something to him, but held my tongue in the end. No, it''s probably just wishful thinking on my part... I mean, Michael caring about me? Pfft... That night, I couldn''t seem to fall asleep no matter how much I tossed and turned in bed. My mind was all over the ce, and I had a lot of questions that I dreaded getting disappointing answers for. Right as I was going crazy from my thoughts, Michael turned around to face me and began running his hand all over my body. His eyes were closed, but I could tell exactly what he wanted to do. I used to wear pajamas to bed every night, but that habit changed ever since I got into a rtionship with Michael. He insisted that I sleep in the nude every night as he found it troublesome to take my clothes off every time he felt like having sex. Having no mood for sex at all, I frowned in annoyance as he fondled my breasts with those huge hands of his. Regardless, I knew how passionate Michael was about intercourse and didn''t want to anger him by rejecting his advances. I wasn''t sure where he got his moves from, but he always had a way of getting me aroused even when I didn''t feel like having sex. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. That was probably why I could never escape his clutches whenever he wanted to do it. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Wave after wave of pleasure crashed into me in yet another wild night of passion. Michael fully satisfied himself before he rolled off and pulled me tightly into his embrace. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Although he was the one doing all the hard work, the way he constantly adjusted my position to cater to him had already left me sufficiently worn out. So I closed my eyes, and I let him keep me there. It urred to me then that this time, I forgot about the pills. Perhaps Michael''s threats had taken effect, the next few days saw no further movement from Emma and passed without incident. Without her getting on my case, I felt a little more at ease. After Ronan''s confession thest time, I was a little reluctant to pick up when he called today. But since I had agreed for us to continue as friends, I sucked it up and answered. ¡°Finally, Anna. I thought you were really going to ignore me,¡± Ronan said, his voice from the other end full of hurt. ¡°Why would I when I''ve promised not to avoid you thest time? I was just a little tied up a moment ago.¡± I let out an awkwardugh as I cooked up something on the fly. ¡°Is there something you need from me? ''Cause I''m at work right now.¡± I was worried that Ronan might ask me out for a meal or the likes, so I used work as a deterrent before he could suggest anything else. ¡°Why am I calling? Cause I missed you, of course. And tonight, I''d like to introduce you to someone,¡± he said, still wanting to meet up as though he had not gotten the hint. ¡°But I''m afraid I won''t have the time to. Lots of work to catch up with. How about next time?¡± As it was only quite recently that he confessed his feelings for me, I did not feelfortable seeing him again so soon, and considering his personality, he might also start saying something inappropriate. ¡°Are you turning me down here, Anna? Making excuses even when you said that you won''t? I''m really upset, Anna.¡± Ronan may like to goof around, but he had a mind like a steel trap. ¡°Alright, alright. Let''s meet in the afternoon then.¡± Knowing that I would not be able to wriggle out of this, I eventually gave in and that made Ronan audibly pleased. I then took care to remind him not to run his mouth before I hung up. He was actually a pretty nice guy, but I could not have him taking a liking to me as we could never be together. After work, he texted me the address to a restaurant, which took a long ride on the subway to reach. I was positively astounded when I arrived at the ce he mentioned; aspared to the Jetroinian restaurant west visited together, this one could very well be a five-star establishment. That profligate fe must have had too much cash to spare, choosing to dine at a posh ce like this. Coming up to the door of the private room marked 1101, I pushed my way through. Being in such a high-end restaurant for the first time really made me nervous, as this was a ce better suited for the affluent than peasants like me. I had barely even taken a step when Ronan popped out to pull me inside. ¡°At longst, Anna. Come, let me introduce you to my cousin, the famous business whiz kid, Michael Shaw.¡± I shuddered when I heard that name, and became dumbstruck when my gaze fell upon Michael''s face. Michael... Learning that he was the cousin that Ronan had been talking about was disconcerting as the two of them could not have been more different from each other. There was a glint of astonishment across Michael''s eyes when he first saw me before his handsome face cooled off. I bet that he was not expecting for me to be that person Ronan wanted to introduce him to either. ¡°What''s wrong, Anna?¡± Ronan frowned when he saw me staring at Michael and seemed a little concerned. ¡°I''m fine. It''s nothing...¡± I withdrew from making eye contact with Michael when Ronan sat me across from him, as his icy gaze threatened to pierce right through me. Ronan then proceeded to take his own ce beside me. ¡°What do you think, Michael? Isn''t she gorgeous?¡± The chirpy man was primarily focused on Michael, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness between Michael and myself. ¡°Yeah, she is. You''re pretty capable now, aren''t you, Ronan? Trying to poach my people?¡± Michael nced at me before he tossed back and emptied his winess without a sliver of emotion. His words took me aback and had my heart thumping against my chest. Did he mean to tell Ronan about us? I looked upon his inscrutable expression with apprehensiveness and anticipation, quietly hoping for him to not keep our rtionship a secret any longer. ¡°Whatever do you mean by that, Michael? Do you two know each other?¡± Ronan''s eyes flitted between Michael and myself, looking quite perplexed, while I kept my head low and awaited Michael''s response. ¡°She works in my design department,¡± Michael said ndly after taking another nce at me and sounded very distant. Lifting my head to him, I tried to hide my disappointment as that was not the sort of response I was looking forward to. ¡°So you work at Joyful Sess. What an amazing coincidence.¡± Upon hearing Michael''s answer, Ronan smiled a little and appeared more rxedpared to when he heard the former''s previousment. ¡°Yeah. I''ve never heard you mention that Mr. Shaw''s your cousin before,¡± I said while I eked out a smile. There was no way that I would have shown up here had I known how they were rted beforehand. Heaven forbid. The two of them, cousins? How could such a coincidence even exist in this world? I must have been jinxed to even chance upon something like this. In the meantime, the look in Michael''s eyes intimated that he might skin me alive, so I was sure that some punishment would be in order when I got home at night. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 ¡°I had no idea that you''ve been working at Michael''spany cause I''d have told you about him and also asked him to look out for you otherwise.¡± Ronan did not notice the unnaturalness in my inflection, and even if he did, he would have thought that I was just being reserved in Michael''s presence. ¡°No... That won''t be necessary. It''ll be better if Mr. Shaw treated me just like everyone else,¡± I cleared my throat and replied in a small voice. The way things stood, I would have no more freedom to speak of had Michael tried any harder to ¡°take care of me.¡± ¡°Rest assured that she is in good hands. Never knew that you are friends with Ronan, Ms. Garcia. This is truly unexpected.¡± Michael turned his attention onto me. Even under his even tone, I could sense his repressed rage. ¡°It was just happenstance that we became acquainted.¡± I bowed my head as I dreaded to meet his eyes, and silently prayed for some magnanimity from the petty Michael, who would surely blow his top when we got back¡ªa profoundly worrying prospect, as far as I was concerned. ¡°Happenstance? Perhaps you should be more careful around Ronan because he''s a notoriousdies'' man.¡± Michael''s searching eyes had me wondering what exactly he was implying, but regardless, I knew for certain that he would be upset. ¡°Hey, could you not ramble on about stuff like that in front of Anna? I''ve already left that old life behind and decided that she will be my one true love.¡± Oh God, could you please just shut the hell up! Are you trying to get me into trouble, bbering away like that in front of Michael? Ronan¡¯s swift protestations against Michael calling him out gave me the urge to smack some sense into him. ¡°Do you like her and wish to be with her?¡± Though not addressing me directly, Michael''s eyes were riveted upon my face the entire time. His gaze was as chilling as swords aimed right at me. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Damn you, Ronan. Did you honestly forget everything I told you over the phone? All thanks to you, my life might be over soon. ¡°Of course. Anna''s the first woman who has ever made me feel this way, so I wish to court her and be with her, and... Ah!¡± Seeing that he was going to bber on and on, I pinched him out of anger. It would likely be on him should I get killed tonight. ¡°What''s that for? I''m not done talking yet!¡± Ronan red at me indignantly and sounded quite displeased. ¡°Shut up, Ronan. You''re going to get me into deep sh*t!¡± I seethed through my teeth when I saw from the look on his face that he was not going to let up. There was a shift in Michael''s mood throughout the interaction between Ronan and myself. His expression turned increasingly frosty, and I could distinctly feel the temperature in the surrounding air nosedive. I lifted my head only to see Michael''s burning eyes regarding me intently. ¡°Don''t listen to him, Mr. Shaw. It''s nothing like that, ''cause we''re just friends.¡± Worried that Michael would misunderstand the rtionship between Ronan and myself, I promptly offered up an exnation in a bid to avoid an unenviable fate. ced under the scrutiny of the wordless Michael, his dark demeanor had me jittery. ¡°Can''t you cut me some ck in front of my cousin, Anna? That''s a pretty vicious thing to say to a dashing charmer like myself.¡± Not expecting such candor from me, Ronan looked rather aggrieved. Why would a woman on the verge of her own demise bother to salvage his self-esteem? His mouthiness would be my ruin. I should have consulted my horoscope before leaving home today, as my agreeing to meet with Ronan must go down as the mostmentable decision ever. ¡°Would you believe that I would break off our friendship if you continue to speak like this, Ronan Moore?¡± I threatened under my breath as I red at him. I must be out of my mind to have a friend like him who would sooner orter be the end of me. The aggrieved Ronan mmed up immediately at my strong-arm tactic. ¡°Did you mean it, Ronan?¡± Michael asked as he turned his attention to his cousin. His voice was so deep and low that no emotions could be inferred from it. ¡°Of course. Was bringing her to you not proof enough of my sincerity?¡± Ronan assented to Michael''s queries promptly and without hesitation. That Ronan had me exhaling in exasperation. ¡°I''d like to visit the restroom.¡± Not wishing to continue to face Michael''s cold stare, I made up an excuse to step away. While I looked into the mirror at the dour face staring back at me and imagined what Michael might do when I got home, I could not help but feel sorry for myself. But seriously though, how could Michael and Ronan be rted? I simply could not identify any smidgen of resemnce between the two. Michael was standing outside when I walked out of the restroom. His sudden appearance made my heart skip a beat and filled me with dread. ¡°Um... What are you doing here?¡± My eyes were transfixed upon him for some time before I asked meekly. ¡°I should be the one doing the asking, Anna Garcia. What''s up with you and Ronan?¡± To my trepidation, Michael regarded me with a darkened expression and fury stoking within his eyes, so I hastened to exin myself while I averted eye contact. ¡°We met at the hospital, but it''s not what you think. Ronan has always been frivolous, so you can''t really take what he says at face value!¡± Michael was not going to let this slide, so if he were toe after me tonight, I would never forgive Ronan for it. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not to get close to any guy apart from myself? Are you ignoring what I told you?¡± When Michael leaned in reproachfully, that was how I knew for certain that he was bothered by my rtionship with Ronan. ¡°We''re just casual acquaintances. Can''t I even have any male friends?¡± I took two steps back and looked upon Michael with a frown. This man was bing increasingly unreasonable. I had already promised not to date anyone else until our rtionship was over, but surely he couldn''t possibly disallow me from making friends, right? Was wanting to have a social life too much to ask? Chapter 215 Chapter 215 ¡°Casual acquaintances? I''ve never seen that guy getting serious with any woman before,¡± Michael snorted and would not even listen. ¡°You can take it however you like, but we should get back before your cousin gets suspicious of us.¡± There was little else I could say to convince him of my innocence, but I was not in the opinion that I am in need of vindication. Michael was brooding and looked as though he had something else to say, but I had already stepped around him and made my exit. He had always been distrustful of me and never once did ept my exnations. How could I have a rtionship with any other man when he was the only one who consumed my entire being? He never understood my feelings and probably did not care even if he did. We returned to the private room where Ronan was fiddling with his phone, one after the other. Seeing how we came back in at almost the same time had him appearing a little quizzical before he broke into a smile once more. ¡°What took you both so long? Don''t tell me that you''ve taken a fancy to Anna?¡± The cynical Ronan teased. ¡°Would you give her up if I did?¡± Michael asked, seemingly in earnest. Ronan''s eyes widened, and his expression stiffened in some incredulity. Even I trembled inside as neither of us anticipated that particr response. ¡°Just kidding. As you may know, we don''t share the same taste,¡± the atmosphere turned awkward before Michael diffused it with a chuckle. ¡°You nearly had me there for a moment, but honestly, I wouldn''t fight with you over her if it were true, though.¡± Ronan rxed and recovered the smile on his face when he realized that Michael was only pulling his leg. ¡°Really? I think you''d be quite reluctant should that really happen one day.¡± The grin faded from Michael''s lips as he regarded Ronan meaningfully. What Michael told Ronan had me on an edge. They were rtives, and with my current rtionship with Michael, I am a little at a loss for how to deal with both of them. ¡°Alright, enough on this subject. We should tuck in before the food turns cold.¡± There was a subtle shift in Ronan''s expression as he let out a slight smile and tried to change the subject. Still sitting across from Michael who was dining elegantly, I had conversely no appetite whatsoever. Though unsure as to how I should navigate my rtionship with the two men, I was certain that I did not want to be caught between them. The meal ended amidst a suffocating ambiance for me. Ronan offered to drive me home afterward and bundled me into his car without giving me an opportunity to turn him down. Meanwhile, Michael nced over once and made noment before he drove off on his own. ¡°Could you not do that next time, Ronan? I''ve already made it clear thest time that we''re only going to be friends, and nothing more. So why did you have to say those things in front of Michael?¡± Ronan seemed to be in a fine mood as he drove along, but I was pissed as hell. ¡°You did turn me down, but I didn''t dere that I was going to give up. And with my charms, who knows whether you might change your mind one day. I''m not convinced that you wouldn''t be moved after we''ve spent more time together.¡± As though the rebuke in my tone eluded him, Ronan remained as confident as ever that I would inevitably gravitate toward him. Speechless at his self-conceit, I wonder what it would take to inject some sensibility into this guy. ¡°What you said today could be very problematic for me. Michael must be very upset, and things could get rough for me at work.¡± I breathed out haplessly. Michael''s anger stemmed from his misunderstanding of my rtionship with Ronan, but considering that I was unable to reveal the nature of our rtionship, I could only cite potential issues of a professional kind. ¡°Why are you being so pessimistic? Thepany belongs to Michael, so if I was to woo you, he''d be more likely to help than to make things difficult for you.¡± Those words of his made me want to smash my own head into the wall. Ugh, you dumb*ss! How could Michael possibly want to help you? If Ronan found out about Michael and myself, I was sure he would not have felt that way. My wish was to get Ronan to keep his distance, but I did not know how to go about expressing that, as the option of telling him about his cousin and myself outright waspletely off the table. I sighed and said no more. Whatever happens, happens. There was no point in thinking that far ahead. Ronan did intend to see me all the way to Birchwood, but I implored him to drop me off at a bus stop instead. Honestly, I would be totally done for if Michael saw that I allowed for it. As unwilling as he was, Ronan nhelessplied as he was unable to get around my stubbornness. Arriving under my block made me a little afraid to head upstairs because the illuminated lights to my unit meant that Michael was definitely home. I was tempted to flee out of certainty that nothing good awaited me there. At this moment, my cellphone snapped me out of my thoughts. Fishing it out, I panicked when I saw that the animated name was Michael''s, and it took me several deep breaths to settle myself enough to answer the call. ¡°Hey.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''ve two minutes to get up here. Or else!¡± Hearing the iciness in his inflection tells me that he already knew that I was downstairs. My heart stopped as I began to mourn for myself, as I inferred from his tone his murderous intent. Initially, I thought about saying a few words over the phone in appeasement, but the line went dead before I could have said anything. Twitching my lips, I slid the phone back into my bag before I hurried along. I could not afford to exceed Michael''s two-minute allowance and was practically sprinting while I kept track of the timing on my watch. Owing to the considerable wait for the elevator, I finally gave up and took to the stairs. Huffing and puffing by the time I passed through the door, I wished that I could just sit my ass down there and then. I ran like I had never run before, and the speed at which I moved could have seen a first-ce finish in a hundred-meter sprint. Heaving, I saw Michael seated on the couch, aloof as ever upon witnessing my entry. ¡°You''re twenty-eight seconds behind,¡± he said humorlessly. ¡°It''s just a little slower, but I''ve alreadye up as quickly as I could.¡± Chapter 216 Chapter 216 I breathed heavily and looked upon Michael with displeasure. The time was exceeded by just that teeny bit, so was it necessary to be this calctive? His unhappiness with the situation surrounding Ronan was understandable, but this? I was not in the wrong so I was not going to apologize for it. ¡°You are increasingly demonstrating your disregard for me, Anna.¡± He spoke casually while he eyeballed me dispassionately. However, that still managed to make me feel enormously pressurized and fearful even when nothing had been done anything to me yet. Meeting his gaze, I could not stand the way he looked at me. No one could understand how it felt to be misunderstood and distrusted by someone one loved. ¡°What do you want me to say, Michael? What will it take for you to believe that there''s nothing between Ronan and me?¡± It might be that Michael was bothered by the things Ronan said, but the crux of the issue was that he still did not trust me. ¡°Ronan is a serial yboy, so you''d do well to steer clear of him,¡± Michael said after he took one nce at me. I could sense the simmering rage which he had been keeping in check, but I could not, for the life of me, figure out why he was acting out of character today. On any other asion, he would have told me outright that I was his woman and ordered that I keep other men at arms'' length. But not today. Perhaps it was in consideration of his cousin''s position that he did not say that to my face. ¡°Ronan''s your cousin...¡± I reminded him of that in my squeaky voice¡ªnot in the defense of Ronan, but out of a feeling that there were no simrities between them. ¡°That guy''s always canoodling around beautiful women and never one to turn any away. Describing him as such is already putting it mildly,¡± Michael snorted. That was what I thought in the beginning as well, but I was not in the opinion that Ronan could be the amorous type after spending some time getting to know him better. It was kind of hard to exin this sentiment of mine either, so I held my silence and kept my head bowed. ¡°Between me and him, you could only be mine. So stay away from him from now on, you hear?¡± Seeing how unresponsive I was, Michael furrowed and hardened his stance, and I exhaled helplessly before I walked towards the man who had fallen back into his possessive ways. Settling down next to him, I wrapped my hands around his arm and spoke softly, ¡°Right now, I''m not interested in any guy apart from you, so I hope that you would be able to have a little more faith in me and not doubt me all the time.¡± I looked straight into his eyes in earnest, like I could see none other. Michael probably had not expected that. There was a sparkle in his eyes, and the fiery aura surrounding him swiftly dissipated. ¡°I''ll trust you only if you stay away from other men,¡± Michael said, his emotional state indecipherable. But what followed left me shuddering. ¡°Can''t tell what''s so good about you that got me worried that someone else might snatch you up.¡± Michael thenughed in a self-deprecating manner that was previously unheard of from him. My eyes lit up while his words sent ripples through my heart. People would only fear losing those whom they loved. Could it be that Michael had also fallen for me? The more I thought about it, the more my heart was set aflutter. For the first time ever, I was sure that Michael did like me. I put my lips to his without hesitancy. After all, what could not be put into words was better expressed through action. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Even though my kiss could only rouse Michael''s carnal desires without bringing his attention to my emotional depths, that was still what I did. Michael''s eyes widened at my sudden advances before he closed them and reciprocated. Before a gifted kisser, my own effort could still becking finesse, so Michael very quickly took over and pulled me into his arms. His kisses were intense, and his hands were wrapped so tightly around me that they threatened to meld me into him. My cheeks became flushed, and we were quickly bing delirious after some furious making out. Clearly, our senses had been awakened. Every time I initiated, it always yielded a strong reaction from Michael. Once this kiss wound down, he swept me up into a cradle and strode into the bedroom. That night, we gave ourselves to each other, and he was indefatigable like an unbridled stallion. When I woke up the next morning, I realized that he had left a whole bunch of hickeys running all over my body up to my neck. Those sitting on my nape were unambiguously conspicuous even after I got dressed. I examined them in front of the mirror and exhaled, knowing well that they were going to stick out like a sore thumb if I were to show up at the office like this. However, it could not be helped as I could not possibly miss work just because of a few love-bites. Meanwhile, Michael was already fully dressed when he came up beside me. His lips curled into a smug grin while he let his eyes linger upon the reflection of my neck in the mirror. ¡°Those actually don''t look half-bad up here.¡± I knew what exactly he was referring to, and if my mood was not bad enough, hearing Michael''s words made me roll my eye at him. As if doing it was not enough for this man, he had to leave such an embarrassinglyrge mark behind on me. ¡°Would you think the same if I left the same thing on you?¡± He could be as s¨¦ as he wanted because I was the one who was branded, but I reckoned that he would not have the roles been reversed. ¡°I won''t mind it if you want to.¡± Michael''s stylishly arched brow perked up while he spoke. His equanimity was starting to wear on me. Since he said he was amendable to it, I should stamp one on him and see how much he enjoyed that. With that in mind, I elevated myself onto the tip of my toe before he could react and sucked hard upon his neck, withdrawing in satisfaction only after I had left a very prominent impression behind. ¡°It seems more like you''re drinking blood rather than creating a love-bite, Anna.¡± Michael looked upon me in derision before turning away and out of the bedroom. The man was long gone just as I was beginning to catch his drift. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 ¡°Hold it right there, Michael! Who''re you calling a vampire?¡± I couldn''t believe he was disgusted by the fact that I did not know how to nt a hickey. Today, Michael offered me a ride to thepany. I did not refuse because that meant I did not have to take the subway and could save a few pennies. I then got into Michael''s car. ncing sideways, I spotted the hickey I had nted on his neck. I felt a sense of aplishment as well as the satisfaction of revenge. The CEO of thepany had a hickey on his neck, one that was more obvious than mine. I wondered if Michael would be worried that other people could see it. ¡°Are you done yet? I don''t mind if you want to nt a few more.¡± Michael spoke. He eyed me when he noticed that my gaze was still fixated on his neck. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°No. I think one is obvious enough. Not everything is a number''s game.¡± I was looking forward to seeing how he would react once he stepped into the office. Would he be ovee with embarrassment? After all, I nted that thing in in sight. However, Michael merely peered at me. Keeping his eyes on the road, he said nothing. Soon, we reached the office. Right then, the coast was clear in the underground parking, so I quickly got out of Michael''s car. The two of us basically arrived at the office one after the other. Michael was the Prince Charming in the eyes of most of the women working there, so naturally, his presence attracted the most attention. My gaze followed him as well. With a nk expression on his face, he walked towards his office. Right at that moment, everyone gasped when they spotted the hickey on his neck¡ªsome widened their eyes in shock, while others expressed disbelief. After all, this had never happened before. Everyone returned to their senses only after Michael entered his office. And right after that, chaos ensued. ¡°Did you see that? There''s a hickey on Mr. Shaw''s neck!¡± ¡°I saw it! I saw it! It''s so obvious!¡± ¡°Has Mr. Shaw spent the night with a woman? If so, it must have been quite exciting!¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, how did it end up this way? I thought Mr. Shaw''s not interested in rtionships. I''m so heartbroken.¡± ¡°Who do you think Mr. Shaw''s spent the night with? If I ever find out who she is, I''ll never forgive her.¡± ¡°You said it! How dare she steal Mr. Shaw from us, and right under our noses too! She''s got a death wish!¡± Everyone present had started gossiping about, many of whom seemed disappointed. Although I knew Michael could not possibly be inexperienced with women, he was just too good at keeping secrets. Even if he had dated or slept with anyone, there was no chance we would find out about it. I just never expected that me leaving a hickey on his neck would cause such an uproar. Besides, what those women said somehow made me anxious. If they find out that I''m the one who nted the hickey on Michael''s neck, will theye after me? I was starting to regret what I did and began to worry about myself. I worried that they woulde to trouble me the way they did before. ¡°Anna, did you see that? Mr. Shaw''s got a hickey on his neck.¡± While I was indulging in my thoughts, I heard Millie calling me. She, too, had not snapped out of the shock. ¡°What? Oh... so there is,¡± I mumbled, somewhat ashamed. ¡°Who do you reckon could pull off a stunt like that?¡± Millie turned around to look in the direction of Michael''s office, seemingly in deep thought. ¡°How would I know? I''m not very close to him.¡± Perhaps it was because I knew what I did, I was beginning to feel guilty. I could not bring myself to look Millie in the eye. ¡°True. We''re just regr employees. How could we possibly get a handle on Mr. Shaw''s private life? I''m guessing the woman who managed to sleep with him must be absolutely gorgeous. Oh dear, the girls here are going to have their hearts broken.¡± After she got my reply, Millie stopped pursuing the matter. I then heaved a long sigh of relief. However, what she said next made my heart leap to my throat. ¡°Hey, Anna, what''s that on your neck? Is that a hickey?¡± Millie''s gaze fell upon the hickey on my neck, while a surprised look crossed her face. She saw it! In a panic, I covered my neck with my hands while guilt shed across my face. ¡°What do you mean? I was bitten by a mosquito. There were lots of those in the roomst night.¡± ¡°A mosquito? Anna, what do you take me for? I''m not a kid, you know. Do you think I can''t tell a hickey from a mosquito bite?¡± Apparently, Millie did not buy my exnation; she pursed her lips, doubt written all over her face. Sometimes, Millie was just too smart for her own good. If only she could apply her cleverness to her work, she would be more than just a regr employee. ¡°It''s really a mosquito bite.¡± I insisted. Even though I could not convince Millie, I would not want to admit it either. After all, having a hickey on the neck was not exactly glorious. ¡°Whatever, you can''t fool me! We''re all adults here, so there''s nothing to be shy about. So things got a little too intensest night. That''s totally normal.¡± Unlike me, Millie did not think that hickeys were embarrassing. She had, in fact, spoke of it quite generously. I looked at her and gave an awkward smile, not sure how to get the conversation rolling. ¡°Well, this is a coincidence. You and Mr. Shaw got a hickey at the same time. Don''t tell me you two spent the night together...¡± Millie seemed to have thought of something when she suddenly linked Michael and I together. Although she was just making a guess, my heart skipped a beat. After all, one could not help feeling guilty after committing a bad deed. ¡°N-Nonsense! How could I have gone out with Mr. Shaw? You can''t joke about stuff like this!¡± Driven by my guilty conscience, my heart kept thumping. Deep down, I was scared, but I still put up a false pretense of calmness andposure. I could not let anyone know that I was the one who spent the night with Michael. Many female coworkers were currently specting about the mystery girl who slept with him, and they made it clear that if they found her, they would make her pay. Knowing what was at stake, I would never admit it. ¡°Alright, fine. What''s the matter with you? It''s just a harmless joke. You should see how nervous you looked, almost like you''re the one whom Mr. Shaw spent the night withst night,¡± Millie said with a smile when she saw how flustered I got. ¡°Don''t ever make these kinds of jokes, okay? Don''t you know that those people,¡± I pointed at the women around the workce, ¡°won''t think twice about sinking their teeth into the girl who slept with our boss? If they think it was me, I''m dead meat!¡± I knew a lot about women''s jealousy and what thedies could do because of it. Hence, there was no way I would want to stick a target on my head. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 ¡°Alright, alright. I''ll shut up about it, okay? Look how frightened you are! Anybody else would have jumped at the chance to be known as thest person Mr. Shaw had slept with. But you''re something else. You''re so scared.¡± Every time Millie talked about me and Michael, I would try my hardest to draw a line between us. Apparently, Millie thought I was just being a scaredy cat. But I did not care what anybody else thought as long as no one knew whatever was going on between Michael and I. At the end of the day, I would not want to be the public enemy of every other female employees here. ¡°I just want to work and earn a living in peace. I don''t want to think about anything else. Mr. Shaw and I? No way.¡± What I said was only half true. Of course I wanted to be with Michael, but I did not have faith that it wouldst. ¡°You''re right. Every woman here knows that Mr. Shaw won''t fall for us, but we just can''t help fantasizing about it, you know? It''s not going to happen, but a girl can dream.¡± Actually, my coworkers were well aware that a rtionship with the boss was impossible. Michael would never pick them, but they would still dream about the possibility. In that aspect, I was no different from them at all. I did not reply Millie. Instead, I dipped my head and went back to work. Michael''s hickey might have caused a great sensation but, as work got busier, the news slowly slipped away from everyone''s mind. Eventually, people stopped talking about it. At that, relief washed over me. After an entire day at work, I was pretty exhausted. At that moment, I just wanted to get home, have a shower, and catch some well-needed Z''s. Last night with Michael was absolute madness! Deprived of sleep, I felt dizzy the whole day. Hence, there was only one thought in my mind right then, which was to get some sleep! When it was time to leave work, I cleaned up my desk and was about to go when my phone rang just as I rose to my feet. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was my mom. I hesitated for a while and eventually answered the call. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± ¡°You''re off work, right, Anna? Why don''t youe home? I''d like to talk to you.¡± I heard her voiceing from the other end of the phone. She did not sound as cold and distant as before, but somehow itcked emotion. Thus, I was a little surprised by the shift in her attitude. Although she was rather indifferent whenever we talked, I felt inexplicably happy to have received her call. ¡°All right, I''m on my way.¡± I had no idea what my mom wanted to tell me. But I ended the call right away and headed straight to the rented house I got for them some time ago. I guess sleep would just have to wait. When I got there, the door was not shut tight, so it opened with just a light push. At that time, I could see Mom preparing dinner in the kitchen. She sent a faint greeting my way when she saw me. ¡°You''re here, Anna.¡± ¡°Yes, I''m back.¡± I responded just as faintly. There was nothing else to say since I still could not grasp heads or tails of her change in attitude towards me. ¡°Why don''t you sit at the table, or go say hi to Stevie? Dinner will be ready soon.¡± Mom''s voice rang from the kitchen again yet again, her tone unchanging. For the first time in forever, Mom did not fire up when she saw me, just like she used to in the past whenever I returned home. Touched by her perceived change in behavior, my eyes reddened. Has Mom finally got it to her head not to be mad at me anymore? ¡°Okay. I''ll go check on Steven first, then I''lle to help you.¡± I sniffled with a grin spread across my face. The next thing I knew, I was walking into Steven''s room. Steven was leaning against the headboard, ying on his mobile phone. Although he had been discharged from the hospital, his legs were still in casts, making it inconvenient to walk. ¡°Hi, Steven. How have you been doingtely? How are your legs?¡± I sat down in front of him. From the fruit bowl, I randomly selected an orange and began peeling it. ¡°Still hurts, but I feel a lot better than before.¡± Oddly, Steven''s animosity toward me had faded. He did not look at me, for his eyes were glued to the phone, but at least he responded. Well, what do you know... My family''s attitude toward me seems to have changed. That''s a huge relief. ¡°Oh, okay. But you still ought to be careful and take lots of rest. We don''t want any lingering side effects.¡± I threw in a reminder as I handed the peeled orange to Steven. Steven gazed at the orange. He blinked once, shot me a nce, and epted the fruit. ¡°Okay. Anyway, you can leave now. Don''t distract me from ying my game.¡± After Steven ate the orange, his patience dwindled, and he was already asking me to leave. Compared to how he behaved in the past, his attitude toward me had certainly changed for the better, so I had nothing against that. I rose to my feet and left the room. Then, I came to the kitchen. Mom was still busy making dinner, so I approached her and helped to clean the vegetables. That evening, the whole family was at peace. I felt content, so much so that I allowed another smile to form. ¡°So... Mom, why the sudden call today? What is it you want to talk to me about?¡± I remembered the phone call¡ªMom said she wanted to talk to me about something. Right then, I wondered what it could be. ¡°We can talk at the table.¡± Mom was still cooking, so she did not spare me a look. The fact that she had gone silent only made me wonder even more, but I said nothing about it. Dinner was especiallyvish tonight. Mom had prepared a few of my favorite dishes, and a few more of Steven''s. He could not walk on his own for the time being, so I pushed him in his wheelchair whenever I could. ¡°Have some more. It''s your favorite.¡± In the past, Mom would give the tasty ones to Steven first, but today was different. She ced some braised pork ribs into my bowl, and when she spoke to me her tone was soft, albeit not quite affectionate. I looked up at her in bewilderment. This was the first time she gave me good food on her own ord. An indescribable feeling swept through me, close to bittersweet. ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± Tears were brimming in my eyes. I smiled at Mom, filled with gratitude. Then I dipped my head and savored the ribs she got me. It was a touching moment as I had finally experienced homely goodness. ¡°Anna, I called you home today because I need to ask you something.¡± I was halfway through the ribs when she brought it up. ¡°What is it?¡± I stopped eating and turned to face her. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What''s going on between you and Michael? Are you two dating?¡± I panicked at the sudden mention of Michael. Mom can''t possibly be that persistent, can she? Does she still view Michael as some sort of money-spinner? Thest time Mom asked Michael for money, it had been embarrassing. I did not want something like that to happen again. ¡°Mom, you''re thinking too much. Michael''s my boss, not my boyfriend.¡± I looked into her eyes as I exined. I was telling the truth. Indeed, Michael was not my boyfriend, and he would never be. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 ¡°But I feel that whatever there is between the two of you is not as simple as an employment rtionship. I''m your mother, Anna. I''ve raised you since you were a baby. Don''t you think I know how you tick?¡± Mom chose to ignore my exnations. Besides, I could see that she had more to say as she bored into my eyes. Confronted by her incessant questioning, I averted her gaze guiltily. I did not have a good answer for her. After all, I could not very well say that Michael and I were friends with benefits, could I? Mom and Dad had a more traditional mindset. Thus, if I really said that out loud, I would probably never see the light of day again. ¡°Mom, Michael''s really not my boyfriend...¡± I might not know what else to say, but I most definitely could not let Mom and Dad assume that Michael was my boyfriend. Otherwise, they would just keep asking Michael for money, devoid of any shame or guilt. ¡°If Michael''s not your boyfriend, then... is it true? Is it true what they say, that you''re his mistress?¡± The conversation suddenly took an ugly turn. I froze when she called me a mistress. I looked at Mom with a pained expression, and my heart ached. Mom actually called me a mistress. I was well aware that my rtionship with Michael was not something that could be discussed openly. If other people had called me that, I probably would not have minded. However, out of all people, it had to be my mother who used that word. I''m your daughter, Mom. How can you call me that? It''s such a demeaning term! Have you ever considered my feelings? ¡°Mom, how can you say that?¡± My eyes turned misty as I stared at her, feeling upset. ¡°Anna, we are decent people. How could you let yourself be someone else''s mistress? Do you have any idea the shame you''ve brought to your father and me? What are we supposed to do the next time we meet our rtives?¡± Mom did not give me a straight answer. But instead, she had basically decided that I was Michael''s mistress. ¡°I''m not! I''m not anybody''s mistress!¡± Mom always jumped to her own conclusions. She never listened to me, and even if I did borate, she would not believe me anyway. It was then that Dad, who had been eating silently while Mom and I were bickering, announced his stance on the matter. ¡°I don''t care what you are. From now on, I want you to cut ties with Michael. Don''t ever see him again.¡± He spoke harshly. My dad was never much of a talker, but whenever he opened his mouth, his words were intimidating. ¡°Dad, he''s my boss. I work there. How can we not meet? What''s up with you guys today? Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?¡± I was very confused. In the past, Mom and Dad had never asked me about my rtionship with Michael. Today, out of the blue, they called me toe home and then proceeded to ask about whatever was between us. It was all too weird. ¡°Then quit your job! Go work at anotherpany! There''s bound to be one that will take you!¡± Dad''s stern voice sounded again, but he did not answer my question. ¡°Why? Why must I quit my job? For your information, Joyful Sess offers the highest sry in the entire design industry, and it''s apany with the most promising future for me. How can I give that up so easily?¡± Without having to think, I rejected Dad''s demand. Getting the opportunity to work in Joyful Sess was not an easy feat, and I would not let it go to waste! ¡°High sry, you say? Then how long will it take for you to earn one million?¡± It was Steven who spoke this time. He looked at me with contempt. ¡°What do you mean by one million?¡± I stared at him quizzically. I had no idea what he meant, but I had a bad feeling that I was about to find out. ¡°To tell you the truth, a woman came to us a couple of days ago. She told us that as long as you stay away from Michael, she''ll give us one million.¡± Steven could be quite a thoughtless person. With no effort at all, he had voluntarily spilled the beans. Hearing that, I suddenly felt like I was struck by lightning. instantly, I understood why Mom and Dad wanted me toe home, and why they deliberately brought up Michael. Their eyes are on a prize all along! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. This was ridiculous. I thought my family had changed their attitude toward me. I thought Mom had forgiven me. However, I had juste to realize that she was putting up a pretense all this time. She was good to me because she wanted the reward money. ¡°Mom, you''re doing it for the money, aren''t you?¡± I looked into my mother''s eyes, holding onto what little glimmer of hope I had left. I hoped she could give me a good exnation and tell me that it was not the money she was after. All that, despite the fact that I already had an answer. I knew what kind of person Mom was. For a moment, I just did not want to believe it. She nced at me, and I could see the guilt in her eyes. Then, she avoided my gaze but remained silent. Her actions only verified what I feared to be true. ¡°I guess Steven''s right. You just want the money.¡± I sneered. A chill spread throughout my veins. I thought I had finally felt what it meant to fit right at home, but it turned out that I had only been fooling myself. Facing Mom, I snickered. As Iughed, tears began to flow down my cheeks. What kind of world is this? The people I consider dearest to me can''t seem to stop conspiring against me. ¡°Come off it! Michael''s not your boyfriend anyway! Just quit your job, and we can get one million! Think about it! One million is a veryrge sum! It''s just waiting to fall into ourps! It''s a blessing, I say!¡± Mom was bing desperate. She knew I would not do it, and she was getting flustered. ¡°A blessing? By sacrificing me and my future? What do you n to do with that money? Can you really bring yourself to spend it, knowing what you did to get it? Which one is more important to you: Me, or one million offered by a stranger?¡± Between the three of them, they would probably choose the money and get me away from here. They would rather get their ¡°blessing¡± in exchange for my suffering. Is money that important to them? So important that family means nothing? ¡°There''s nothing topare! I don''t care what you are to Michael! I want you to leave that man! And this city as well!¡± They paid no mind to the pain they had caused me. The only thing they cared about was to get me to leave so that one million would be theirs. ¡°I''m not leaving him, and I''m not resigning my post. You''d better give up that thought!¡± I shouted as I wiped away the tears with the back of my hand, all the while ring at them. However, I would never give in. I would not leave, and I would not let them have the money because they had the gall to put a price on my pain and suffering. ¡°You... How dare you speak to us like that? You''ve be rebellious, that''s what you are! We''re your parents. You must obey us!¡± Dad mmed the table and rose to his feet. He was purple with rage. ¡°Oh, I''m surprised you''re aware that you''re my parents. But as parents, shouldn''t you be supportive of your child? Look at you! Time and time again, you''re the ones forcing me to do what you want. Have you ever seriously thought about what I want?¡± All these years, just because they were my parents, I hadpromised time and time again. There were many times I wanted to fight back, but I relented because I felt indebted to them for raising me. But not anymore! Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Probably because of Michael, I was firm with my stance this round. In an instant, my parents'' faces turned grim. Even though they were gazing at me with an unmissable sense of guilt in their eyes, I could foresee that they would not easily change their minds. ¡°Let me put it this way. As long as you are willing to cut ties with that man, we won''t be bothered no matter where you intend to go for your career advancement in the future. After we receive this one million, you don''t have to transfer us money again. By then, your burden will be eased as well. It''s a win-win situation for us, isn''t it?¡± My dad voiced his opinions and negotiated with me in a way. All this while, he was the core decision-maker at home as the patriarchy concept was deeply ingrained in our family. ¡°I won''t leave him, so you won''t be able to get that one million as well.¡± I took a firm stand by emphasizing my decision. I had made up my mind to turn a deaf ear to them this round and would not give in to them no matter what. They could only me themselves for letting me down. ¡°Anna, you are really adamant! Since Dad and Mom have made themselves clear, why are you still so persistent? What''s the point to continue staying by his side? Will he give you one million because of that? Fine then, if you insist, get him to give us one million first. By then, I''m sure Dad and Mom won''t force you again.¡± I had had enough bickering with Dad and Mom, and now Steven was adding oil to the fire. All of them were forcing me to leave Michael! ¡°Is money all that you care about¡ªthat you would rather sacrifice everything else just for the sake of money?¡± I scoffed. They are all the same. Their minds are preupied with one million, and they never spare any thoughts for me! At that very moment, I felt dejected like a deted balloon. ¡°Money is the most important thing in the world! Tell me¡ªwhat can one do without money? Do you think you can survive without a single penny?¡± My mom refuted in great displeasure, and my heart fell upon hearing her words. Undeniably, we can''t survive without money. Even so, money can''t buy everything in this world. Don''t they know that there''s a price to pay for everything? If they get that one million but ruin my future, won''t they feel guilty about it? ¡°I can work hard to earn that money. As long as I maintain my good work performance in Joyful Sess, I foresee that I can earn one million within a few years.¡± I retorted. Even though one million was arge sum, as long as I had good career growth, I was sure it was a gainable sum within just a few years. I refused to leave Michael mainly because I did not wish to end my rtionship with him. Apart from that, I could not let go of my current job. ¡°Hmph! By the time you manage to earn one million, we might''ve already starved to death! Anna, do you even hear yourself!¡± Steven mocked with narrowed eyes. He had apparently lost his patience in me. ¡°No matter what, I won''t give in this round!¡± Ished out at them and stood up at once. Deep down, I knew that they would not consider my words, what''s more, to change their minds. Thus, there was no point for me to waste time arguing with them. Without hesitation, I stormed out and mmed the door. The moment I stepped out of my parents'' house, tears started to roll down my cheeks. Right that instant, it struck me that I was worthless in their eyes. Taking a deep breath, I tried my best to hold back my tears. It''s not worth shedding my tears for them! Since my family members were treating me inconsiderately all this while, I talked myself into behaving more selfishly for the rest of my lifetime. From now onwards, I will not be soft-heartened and give in to them again! Of course, I will continue to y my part well as a filial daughter, but I won''t force myself to do anything beyond my capability. On top of that, I will not sacrifice myself for anyone''s sake anymore. Recalling what my parents had mentioned to me earlier, my gut instinct told me that it must have something to do with Emma. Talking about a well-to-do woman who intends to let me leave Michael, I can''t think of anyone else but her. Hmph! This maniptive woman even thinks of bribing my parents. She has apparently investigated me earlier on and knows well about my family issues! After taking a few more deep breaths, I managed to cool down and cheer myself up. Then, I took out my phone and gave Emma a call. ¡°Ms. Garcia, what a surprise to receive your call! Is there anything that I can help you with?¡± The moment my call got through, Emma answered it almost at oncenguorously. A wave of fury surged from within me at the thought of how she set me up by bribing my parents. I tried to cool my head off by tamping down the rage within myself. ¡°Stop putting on a show! I''m sure you know the reason I call you now, don''t you?¡± ¡°How would I know? Ms. Garcia, if there''s nothing else, I will hang up now. I''m too busy to entertain you,¡± she replied insolently. Infuriated by Emma''s insolence, I could not hold back any longer and snarl, ¡°You''re the one who bribed my parents with one million so they can talk me into leaving Michael, aren''t you? How could you do this?¡± ¡°Oh, I see, so it''s about this. Yeah, you''re right, I was the one. So what about it?¡± she admitted without any sense of guilt. ¡°You despicable woman! How could you stoop so low? Your main intention is to force me into leaving Michael. But, why do you have to drag my family members into this mess?¡± I gritted my teeth and bellowed at her. I was already having a strained rtionship with my family memberstely. Yet, her sudden strike was adding fuel to the fire, causing me to burn the bridges with my family members. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Even though I rejected them on the spot and left immediately after that, I knew that things had not come to an end. I was pretty sure that my mom would not easily let go of the opportunity to gain such a large sum of money. ¡°Me? A despicable woman? Hah! If I''m despicable, then you are definitely shameless! Anna Garcia, who do you think you are? May I remind you that you''re just Michael''s f*ck buddy, whose only job is to satisfy him in bed! So don''t you dare think too highly of yourself!¡± Emma retaliated with oppressive words. My anger was exacerbated by her harshness, yet I was at a loss for words to refute. ¡°Emma Jones, watch your manners! The more you provoke me, the more I''m determined to be with Michael. It doesn''t matter if I''m only his f*ck buddy, ''cause at least we''re f*cking each other, unlike you with him! He''s not even interested to even touch you at all... And I was the one who thought too highly of myself! Hah! Just look at you!¡± No matter how badly I was chided by others, I would never let my weaker self be exposed to them. Furthermore, I wasn''t good at pretending to be innocent, and I didn''t have to do that as well. I would rather defend myself, especially when I was facing Emma, and retaliate her provocations firmly. ¡°Anna Garcia, you watch your mouth! After all, I''m still an heiress, and you¡ªyou''re just a nobody!¡± Emma raised her voice in agitation. I had apparently triggered her emotion with my words. Ah! As expected, she is upset because Michael is not keen on sleeping with her! ¡°I''m not interested in this bicker with you, Emma. But let me get one thing straight¡ªno matter what kind of plots you are scheming, I won''t let you seed!¡± I scoffed while ring at her coldly. I hated those who set me up and those who exploited my family to threaten me even more. ¡°Anna, even if your parents fail to talk you into giving in to them, don''t becent and think that I can''t do anything to you! There are still many other methods!¡± Emma''s icy-cold voice sounded from the other end of the line. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 I knew that the woman was determined to force me into cutting ties with Michael and would not easily give up. Her threatening tone had caused another wave of fury to engulf me. When I was back at home, there was still no sign of Michael. I was disappointed, as I was thinking of telling him about what happened earlier. Unable to restrain the growing exasperation in my heart, I needed to vent my anger at once. Why are there endless hups in my life? I took out Michael''s red wine from the wine cab and slumped onto the couch. People im that they tend to forget about their frustrations when they get drunk. Let me give it a try! I poured the red wine into a ss and started to drink. I did not know the way to judge the quality of red wine and just finished ss by ss spontaneously. Due to my low alcohol tolerance, I started to feel giddy after gulping down a few sses of red wine. Apart from that, my vision became blurry gradually. Not long after that, I had finished almost half a bottle of Michael''s red wine. I sensed that I had started to get drunk, yet those disgruntling moments I intended to put out of my mind appeared to be even more vivid in my mind. What''s the matter? Why do I tend to remember everything better even after I''m drunk? Drink my sorrows away? I really doubted if it was effective. I was almost drunk, yet I could not put the despair out of my mind. My heart flinched whenever I recalled how my beloved family members would readily betray me just to obtain one million. By the time Michael reached home, I waspletely drunk. Upon hearing the sound of the door opened, I turned to look in the direction of the door. The moment his figure came into view, I was ovee by a wave of indignance. ¡°You''re back?¡± I forced a smile and burped. After struggling frantically to get up, I wobbled toward him. Michael froze in his steps and knitted his brows. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± He was displeased when he caught a glimpse of the bottle of red wine which was almost empty. As I was advancing toward him, my legs gave out abruptly, and I fell onto the floor. However, a drunken me could not feel the slightest bit of pain as I struggled to get up. ¡°Anna Garcia, how much did you drink? Look at how disheveled you are now!¡± As he raised his voice, his frown deepened into a scowl. There were flickers of fury in his eyes. The next moment, he strode toward me and lifted me up effortlessly to the couch. Sensing the intimidating gazes of his zing eyes, my heart started to throb again. ¡°Why are you shouting at me? I only drank a little,¡± I refuted and looked at him indignantly. Right that instant, tears started to well up in my eyes. I yearned to seek sce andfort from him even more. ¡°Are you sure it''s just a little bit? Anna, look at the wine bottle. You''ve almost finished the whole bottle! What''s the matter with you? Have you gone nuts?¡± Michaelmbasted as he pointed at it, causing me to be down in the dumps. ¡°I just feel like drinking some wine. What''s wrong with that? Can''t I have the right to even do this? Why can''t I decide for my own life? Why do I need to give in to all of you all the time? Why?¡± Unable to restrain the growing indignance within me, I imagined that he was my parents and unleashed my wrath at him. Those were the words stifled within me for a long time. Nheless, I was unable to blurt out the words whenever I was face-to-face with my parents. After all, they were the ones who nurtured me throughout these years, so I did not have the heart to be on bad terms with them. In an instant, Michael stiffened at the sight of my agitation. When he came to his senses, there was anger simmering in his eyes as he snorted, ¡°Anna Garcia, have you lost your mind?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I have put a lot of effort all this while. But, why can''t all of you try to be concerned about me a bit more? I really yearn for your love and care. Since young, I have been working hard to fulfill your requests. I always think that it''s because I''m not conscientious and diligent enough. Thus, after completing my studies, I work really hard to earn money. Even so, you never treat me any different, no matter how hard I try. Why? Tell me why!¡± I gazed at Michael with my teary eyes as I mumbled sorrowfully over and over. For so many years, I had always wondered why my parents were treating me indifferently all the time. I had tried by all means, yet they never changed their demeanor toward me. It did not make sense if it was just because of their patriarchal mindset. Miraculously, Michael''s expression softened, and the res in his eyes vanished speedily. He was an intelligent man and was surely able to guess what I had encountered a while ago. Thus, he strode toward me with inexplicable mixed emotions in his eyes. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist at once and pressed my face hard against his chest. ¡°What happened? What did your parents do this time?¡± There was unmissable concern in his low, charismatic voice. Sensing my distress and helplessness, he did not shove me away from him. ¡°Emma bribed my parents to talk me into leaving you. She promised to give them one million for that. When I went back to my parents'' house today, they even forced me to leave this city.¡± I sniffled and sobbed as I told him what had happened. Despite that, I did not intend to tell on Emma and request Michael to stand up for me. I just wanted to pour out my heart to him. Compared to my parents, he was someone a lot closer to me at the moment. As snippets of my family members forcing me to leave shed across my mind, my tears started flowing like a river. I wiped my tears and snot instinctively with Michael''s shirt. At that very moment, I had forgotten that the man was germophobic! Another wave of anger red in his eyes again. At the peak of his fury, he almostshed out at me once more. Yet, sensing my indignance, he somehow suppressed his anger and held himself back. After quite a while, he asked indifferently, ¡°So Emma did that?¡± Even though he had seemingly softened, he was still giving off an intimidating vibe. ¡°Yeah, she had threatened me numerous times, yet I never gave in to her. I''ve never expected her to use my parents against me.¡± My lips curved into a self-deprecating smile as I squinted tipsily at Michael. Once again, my money- minded parents could not resist the charm of money and would rather let me be the sacrificialmb. As I embraced Michael tightly, his unique scent seemed to calm me down gradually. Whenever I was alongside him, I could at least sense a little warmth. At least there''s still someone who cares about me. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 I shuddered as a surge of fear crept into my heart. Wrapping my arms tightly around Michael, I then murmured helplessly, ¡°You''re the only person by my side now. The only one...¡± I feared that he would treat me just like how my parents did. I was in great fear¡ªfearful of being given up by everyone else, just like my parents. I could feel Michael''s body tremble upon hearing my words. Instantaneously, he embraced me tightly, sending ripples of warmth that seemed to ease the uneasiness in my heart. ¡°I will get this matter resolved.¡± Even if I was not sure what he was referring to, the firmness in his tone managed to calm me down in an instant. Apart from that, my confidence was boosted in a way. With him beside me, I did not feel like I was abandoned and all alone. Burying my face in Michael''s chest, I blurted out everything deep down in my heart all this while. ¡°Michael, do you know that I have been leading a hectic life throughout these years? I''m both physically and emotionally exhausted. Apart from working hard every day, there seem to be endless issues at home for me to attend to. Life has been really stressful for me. I''m just yearning for a simple life that is less stressful. Is that considered wishful thinking that I shouldn''t have?¡± I only had a simple wish. Apart from the love and care from my parents, I wished to lead a peaceful and happy life with my family. Nevertheless, it was like a dream which was impossible to be fulfilled. ¡°Anna, pull yourself together!¡± Michael furrowed his brows as he snapped at me. Besides empathy, there were flickers of rage in his eyes. ¡°Do you think I still have the right to ask for more?¡± I smiled bitterly. Even though it was just a simple wish, I could not even assure if it would be a reality. Thus, I always reminded myself not to build castles in the air. ¡°You''re worthy of something even better!¡± Michaelmented domineeringly as he looked at me firmly. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. At that, my heart skipped a beat. I was utterly touched at his words. After all, Natalie used to be the only one by my side all this while whenever I was down. That night, I never let go of Michael as I cried my heart out to vent my anger and distress. Surprisingly, he was also unusually patient with me and did not push me away in exasperation. As my tears trickled down my cheeks profusely, I drifted off into sleep. I woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache. Aside from that, I was feeling ufortable all over. Massaging my temples, my mind was aplete nk. When I came to my senses again, I racked my brain, trying to recall what happened the previous night. But because I was probably too drunk, I could hardly remember anything. ¡°Well, well... You finally woke up. I thought you would sleep till this afternoon.¡± Michael''s mocking tone sounded abruptly from the side of the window. I turned in the direction of his voice. To my surprise, he was standing in front of the window, gazing at me. As he had his back to the sunlight, I could not really make out his expression from his silhouette. ¡°W-Why are you still here? Are you not going to the office?¡± I looked at him and stammered sheepishly. ¡°Have you forgotten how drunk you werest night? You hugged me and cried for hours till midnight. As a result, my entire body is aching now. Yet, right now, you still have the heart to urge me to go to work?¡± He raised his brows and strode toward me. I hugged himst night and cried for hours? Really? I tried hard to recall what had actually happened the night before. Hmm... it seems that he''s right... I can''t believe that I had cried and wailed in front of Michaelst night! My disheveled appearance must''ve scared him! Ugh... What an embarrassment! Meanwhile, Michael fixed his gaze on my face without uttering any words. Pin-drop silence ensued in the room, resulting in a tense atmosphere. Eventually, I mustered up my courage to break the silence and apologize to him awkwardly, ¡°Um... I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it.¡± ¡°I''ll settle the issue with Emma!¡± Michael paused and enunciated, ¡°Live your own life! You don''t have to put yourself in a tight spot because of anyone, not even your parents!¡± He seldom talked to me about my family, and I understood that he was motivating me in a way. Deep down, I was grateful to him for his great concern. ¡°Michael, thank you.¡± I looked into his eyes to express my sincerest gratitude. To me, he had undoubtedly kept me apanion during my loneliest and most helpless moments. I was thankful to him for everything. Even if I knew that I must try to be strong, I really loved the moment when he tried to protect me. That was when I could feel his great concern for me. Michael looked awkward when I thanked him sincerely. He shifted his gaze away from me as if he was trying to conceal his awkwardness. ¡°Have a good rest today since it''s Saturday. I need to go out to take care of something.¡± After that, he strode out of the bedroom without hesitation. I had no idea what Michael was upied with on a Saturday. Anyway, I did not have any right to question him on that. Since I was still having a hangover headache, I grabbed the opportunity to get some sleep and rx. By the time I woke up again, it was already in the afternoon. I was awakened by the ringtone of my phone. I whipped out my phone beneath my pillow instantly. My brows knitted when I noticed that it was a call from my mom. I was pretty sure she was giving me the call to pester me into leaving Michael again. Without hesitation, I hung up the phone. I had had enough the night before and was not in the mood to hear any of her pestering words. Nheless, she was persistent this round. Not long after I hung up, my phone rang again. To my dismay, it was her again. I grimaced in frustration as I did not feel like entertaining her. Even so, I was aware that it would only make things worse if I refused to answer her call. She might head straight to my office to confront me later. By then, the rtionship between Michael and me would be revealed in broad daylight. The moment I answered the call, my mom''s bellow of anger sounded from the other end of the line. ¡°Anna, how dare you hung up my call earlier. Do you still have any respect for me? Are you trying to give me a stroke?¡± My temples started to throb because of my mom''s high-pitched tone again. Thus, I had to bring the phone further away from my ear. Even if I could foresee her demeanor toward me after what happened yesterday, I could not resist but feel depressed and frustrated. ¡°Mom, I''m busy at the moment. If you make this call just tosh out at me, I''ll hang up now.¡± Still enraged with what happened the night before, I answered coldly and was about to hang up. ¡°What have you done? The woman named Emma has suddenly changed her mind. Anna, our one million is gone because of you! Damn it!¡± Before I could hang up, my mommbasted again in utter exasperation. I was too dumbfounded to speak. Has Emma really change her mind? Was Michael behind all this? He was apparently the only person who could let Emma change her mind. Again, I was touched by what the man had done for me. When I was in deep waters, he came to my rescue again and had the issue resolved. ¡°I didn''t do anything, and I have no idea about it.¡± I ced the phone back to my ear and answered coldly. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 ¡°How dare you tell me it''s not your fault when you''re the reason she has changed her mind?¡± Mom refused to believe me and held me ountable for her loss once again. Apart from Steven, money was the next thing she cared about the most. Since she wasn''t able to get her hands on the one million, she was devastated by the loss. ¡°Your opinion has nothing to do with me! I''ll repeat myself for onest time! This has nothing to do with me! I won''t agree to leave even if Emma doesn''t change her mind! It''s time for you to give up!¡± As infuriated as Mom might be, I was equally irked. She had ced my future at stake for her personal gain. Is she indicating that my future is nothing aspared to a million? Has she any idea of all the sacrifices I have made over the years? After spending years to get to where I am, she''s asking me to start all over again! ¡°You''re such an ungrateful daughter! How dare you get full of yourself and talk back against me? Have you forgotten that I''m your mother?¡± No matter how irritated I was back in the day, I would listen to her. That was the first time I made myself clear I wouldn''t give in. She was taken aback by my response. ¡°Mom, if you think I''m taking you for granted, so be it! Over the years, I have tried my best to fulfill your demands! Stop pushing your luck unless you''re ready to live a life without me!¡± I had made up my mind to sever ties with them if she continued bringing up the absurd request. No longer could I stand them and their demands anymore. They had never considered me a member of the family. In fact, they had brought upon nothing apart from misery in my life. Michael was right¡ªno one, not even my parents, was in a position to mess with my life. I won''t tolerate them any further! I have been trying my best to please them over the years! It''s about time to put an end to everything! I had no intention to forsake them, but I thought I needed to consider my needs instead of cing others before myself. With that being said, I would no longer entertain any of their absurd requests. Mom, who was on the other end, got increasingly infuriated. A few seconds of silenceter, she yelled, ¡°Are you trying to threaten me? Stop getting ahead of yourself just because you''re an adult!¡± ¡°Mom, I''m not! Instead, you''re the one who''s pushing your luck! I can''t believe you''re willing to ruin my future over one million! What makes you think I''ll agree to listen to you?¡± I started burning with rage when I recalled Mom was about to turn my life upside down over one million. No one in their right mind, including me, would give in to their absurd demand. ¡°Y-You!¡± ¡°Mom, if there''s nothing else, stop calling me in the future! I''ll transfer two thousand to you on a monthly basis and nothing more! I won''t entertain any of your silly requests anymore!¡± I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. As soon as I made myself clear, I wrapped up the conversation and hung up the call. Two thousand was more than enough to cover their expenses living in the suburbs. I wouldn''t mind giving them extra if they needed it for something else, such as visiting the doctor. I had generated every single cent through working my ass off. It wouldn''t be ridiculous to take care of Mom and Dad, but I wouldn''t do the same for Steven. He had to stop relying on me when he was capable of making a living. I couldn''t possibly support him throughout the rest of his life. After blurting out the things I had in mind for a long time, I wasn''t in the mood to sleep anymore. Although I was upset things seemed to have gotten to the point of no return between Mom and me, I was d to take it off my shoulders. I jumped out of bed and got myself dressed before heading out to make myself something to eat. After going through an entire day without having a meal, I couldn''t stand it anymore. The moment I reached the living room, Michael showed up in the foyer. I asked, ¡°Where have you been?¡± I guessed Michael was the one behind Emma''s sudden change of mind. Therefore, I was grateful for the things he had done behind the scenes. If it weren''t because of him, Mom would continue forcing me into submission with everything she had under her disposal. He answered my query with an indifferent look, ¡°I was out with Emma.¡± I knew he had resolved the issue on my behalf. Smiling, I expressed my heartfelt gratitude. ¡°Thanks, Michael! If it weren''t because of you, my parents wouldn''t have given up!¡± ¡°Actually, I''m not trying to do you a favor. I''m just resolving an issue of mine. I hate it when others poke their nose into my business. This is the second time Emma tries to cross the boundaries.¡± Michael had warned Emma to mind her own business. However, she continued pushing her luck after another few days. Thus, Michael couldn''t stand it anymore. Although he ensured me he had been doing it for his sake, I was d to have him around. After all, I was the one who benefited the most. ¡°Actually, I''m afraid we won''t be able to keep our rtionship confidential if Mom shows up at the company and make a fuss out of it.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. I was afraid she would show up at thepany and stop me in person again since I had made myself clear that I wouldn''t give in no matter what. Upon a simple nce, Michael nonchntly replied as if it wasn''t a big deal, ¡°Do you think the security guards are paid for standing around idly? If they''re not even able to stop your mom from making a scene, it''s time to terminate them and hire someone else for the job.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten thest time-¡± I was about to tell him the time Mom managed to sneak into thepany when the ce was heavily guarded. Aware of the things I had in mind, Michael asserted before I could finish my sentence, ¡°They have been fired for not carrying out their duty. The ones I have hired won''t let anyone can''t identify themselves into thepany without my consent.¡± I heaved a long sigh of relief when I heard him. Otherwise, it was about time for me to leave the company should Mom show up and make a fuss. Michael stared at me with his face scrunched up as I started losing myself in a train of thought. He asked, ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be getting our meal ready? Hurry up and get going!¡± ¡°O-Oh! I''ll do it at once!¡± Seconds after I returned to my senses, I sprinted in the direction of the kitchen. As it was way beyond lunch hours, I wondered why he had not had his lunch with Emma when he was out with her. Unable to keep my curiosity to myself, I asked in anticipation of his reply, ¡°Haven''t you eaten with Emma?¡± He answered with his brows furrowed, ¡°Huh? Do you think I''ll dine with someone who won''t stop getting on my nerves? How am I supposed to enjoy my meal when she''s around?¡± Chapter 224 Chapter 224 I was thrilled when I heard him regard Emma as someone he disliked. I wasn''t supposed to gloat over others'' misfortune, but I just couldn''t help it. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Whenever Michael was around me, time would pass by in the blink of an eye. It felt as if nothing else mattered as long as Michael was there for me. In the uing few days, Mom stopped bothering me. Emma had stopped showing up to pick on me as well. I thought that would be the end of the incident, but that was very na?ve of me. When I was on my way to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for dinner after getting off work, a luxury car pulled over in front of me and got in my way. I arched my brows in confusion. The moment I tried to get past the car, the passenger wound down the window. A woman in herte-forties had her eyes glued to me. She had dolled herself up with all sorts of designer items. It was safe to assume she was a member of the upper echelon. When she caught me staring at her, she started scrutinizing me in return. A few secondster, she popped a question, ¡°Anna Garcia?¡± Startled by the fact she knew my name, I asked, ¡°Huh? Do you know me?¡± Who is she? Are we acquainted by any chance? I tried my best to recall the time we encountered one another, but my effort was to no avail as I was certain we weren''t acquainted. Instead of answering my query, she brought up something else and suggested with a deadpan look, ¡°Ms. Garcia, care to join me for a cup of coffee?¡± She was able to carry herself in an elegant manner befitting a member of the upper echelon throughout the conversation. ¡°I''m so sorry for being rude, but do you mind introducing yourself? I don''t think we''re acquainted by any means.¡± I was taken aback by her request to join her for a cup of coffee as I couldn''t recall anyone else bringing up a simr request during our first encounter. ¡°I''ll answer the queries you have soon enough. There''s a caf¨¦ that''s just around the corner. We''ll head over and talk over a cup of coffee.¡± She wound up the window the moment she finished her sentence. A short whileter, the car was pulled over in front of a nearby caf¨¦. As much as I tried to figure out her identity, my effort was to no avail. After all, a country bumkin like me couldn''t possibly be acquainted with someone from the upper echelon. Nheless, I ended up epting the offer and making my way to the nearby caf¨¦ she had mentioned. When I showed up, she had long taken a seat and started enjoying her cup of coffee in an elegant manner. I brought myself to a halt before making my way over. There was something odd about her. Thus, I couldn''t stop myself from being on my guard. As soon as I took a seat opposite her, she broke the silence and asked, ¡°Ms. Garcia, what would you like? It''s my treat.¡± I had a hard time figuring out the emotions associated with the question due to her tone. Unable to keep my curiosity to myself, I asked with a confused look, ¡°Why don''t you go ahead and answer my question? Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m Josephine. Josephine ckwood. Michael''s mother.¡± Josephine looked at me in the eyes and enunciated her reply. What? She''s Michael''s mother? Why has she paid me a visit in person? My mind was all over the ce after I figured out her identity. I was afraid to look at her in the eyes and started looking elsewhere to avoid her gaze. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Shaw.¡± She asked with her eyes glued to me, ¡°Ms. Garcia, forgive me for being blunt, but are you in some sort of rtionship with Michael?¡± I was overwhelmed by a sense of insecurity as I couldn''t be sure if she was a friend or a foe. ¡°I...¡± I ended up stuttering since I was at a loss for words. As a result, my eyes started flickering in despair. ¡°Ms. Garcia, are you aware that Michael is currently in a rtionship with someone else? Emma is an exceptional young woman. To be frank, she''s also the family''s sweetheart.¡± I went dead silent in response to her question. Subsequently, Josephine carried on with the conversation in a calm and collected tone. It sounded just like an ordinary conversation, but it was evident that her statements were double innuendos¡ªshe had indicated she wanted me to sever ties with Michael. Judging by her choice of words, it was safe to assume she had misperceived me as the one messing up Michael and Emma''s rtionship. Unable to withstand the humiliation, I rebuked, ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I''m afraid you have misperceived the sort of rtionship we have. We''re nothing more-¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia, you do realize Michael needs a spouse who''s on par with him in terms of social status, don''t you? I don''t mind him fooling around with others since he''s still a young and reckless man. However, he''s going to get married to Emma at the end of the day. I can''t afford to have Michael''s image tarnished. Are you aware of the things I''m talking about?¡± Josephine interrupted me before I could finish my sentence. All along, she thought Michael hadn''t been taking me seriously and deemed him fooling around with me. Well, she wasn''t that far off the mark either. At the end of the day, things would never work out between Michael and me. Nheless, it felt awful to have Josephine picking on me. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I''m well aware of the things you''re talking about. You don''t have to worry because I have never tried to do anything silly to ruin Michael and Emma''s rtionship.¡± It was never my intention to ruin their rtionship. As a matter of fact, Emma was the one who wouldn''t stop picking on me. When Josephine heard me, she nodded in return. She wasn''t as pressing as she was a few minutes ago. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I believe you''re also aware of the reason I have paid you a visit in person today. Therefore, please refrain from driving them apart from one another in the future.¡± She had paid me a visit in person to chase me away from Michael. Although she had made herself clear, there was nothing much I could do to turn her down. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, why don''t you approach Michael instead of me if you want me to stay away from Michael? I have always been the subservient one in our rtionship. In other words, I''m not in a position to sever ties with him without his consent. I''m sure you know how domineering he is, don''t you?¡± I had no choice but to leave Michael since Josephine had made herself clear. Otherwise, she might see me as another lustful woman. As much as I was reluctant to leave him, I had to put an end to our rtionship to salvage my almost none existent dignity. Meanwhile, Josephine frowned when she heard me. Her frustration was written all over her face, but she chose to keep those to herself. ¡°I''ll deal with Michael soon, but I need you to be slightly proactive as well! It takes two to tango¡ªit''s better to make up your mind as soon as possible to save yourself from being humiliated when the time comes.¡± Chapter 225 Chapter 225 She had just indicated I would be reluctant to leave her exceptional son when it was time to put an end to our rtionship. In spite of being irked by Josephine''s reply, I had to keep my emotions to myself since he was Michael''s mother. I looked at her in the eyes and asserted, ¡°You don''t have to worry, Mrs. Shaw. I''ll stay away from Michael as soon as he severs ties with me. I''m just a country bumkin, but I''m at least capable of honoring my promises.¡± Michael was the only man I had in mind. However, I would stop getting in his way when everything was over. That was the least I could do to protect my little to none dignity. Josephine was gratified by my promise. She beamed in satisfaction andplimented, ¡°Ms. Garcia, you''re a good woman. I believe you''ll get yourself a better half in the future.¡± She started being courteous with me as soon as I promised her to stay away from Michael once everything was over. No way someone from the upper echelon would sincerelypliment a country bumkin. ¡°Thanks! If there''s nothing else, allow me to excuse myself!¡± Throughout the conversation we had, Josephine managed to carry herself in a courteous manner. However, I couldn''t stand being anywhere near her when I recalled she was there to drive me apart from Michael. Unsure of the proper way to carry on with the conversation, I thought it was about time to leave. Josephine didn''t bother to stop me. When I was about to leave, she repeated herself, ¡°Alright, Ms. Garcia! I hope you''ll honor your promise when the timees!¡± Once again, my eyes flickered. Her reminder had got to me, but I put on a strong front and asserted, ¡°I''ll keep that in mind, but please deal with Michael on my behalf.¡± I had brought up countless requests to put an end to our rtionship, but Michael wouldn''t hesitate to turn me down. Therefore, it was better to send Josephine to deal with Michael. ¡°You don''t have to worry. I have faith Michael will make the right call when the situation calls for it.¡± She reassured me things would turn out just fine at the end of the day. To be precise, she had just indicated Michael would listen to her because I was just a nobody. Afraid I would let loose of myself in front of her, I nodded and strode my way out of the caf¨¦ as soon as possible. Josephine had made herself clear she would never ept me as Michael''s better half. It was then I stopped getting my hopes high as things would never work out between Michael and me. It wasn''t much of a surprise as I had long foreseen it happening. However, it still hurt in spite of getting myself prepared ever since the day we got into a rtionship. Afraid of the things awaiting me, I started wandering the streets after departing from the caf¨¦. I lost myself in a train of thoughts and imagined how things would turn out differently if we were in a serious rtionship. Nheless, that would remain an imagination. Most of the members of the upper echelon would end up in a political marriage for their family''s sake. As I couldn''t be of much aid to Michael and his family, things would never work out between us. I soon made my way back to Birchwood. However, Michael was nowhere to be seen yet. I started surveying the surroundings of the ce where we spent most of our time together. No matter how much I was against the idea, I would have to make the call for our sake. Otherwise, we would both end up miserably should things remain as they had always been. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After returning to my bedroom, I started packing my stuff. I was determined to leave the ce after bidding farewell to Michael when he was back. I had a hard time gathering my thoughts while packing my stuff. The one thing I could be certain of was I would be upset to leave the ce. All of a sudden, someone opened the door from outside. I thought it must be Michael. Immediately after I zipped my suitcase, I rushed in the direction of the living room. Michael, who seemed to be exhausted, nced at me and took a seat on the couch in silence. I felt bad on his behalf as he seemed to have a long day again. Although he was the CEO of the company, there were a lot of things on his te that would require his attention. Standing in front of the exhausted man, I hesitated and thought it wouldn''t be wise to bring up the topic to put an end to our rtionship. However, when I recalled his mother''s harsh remarks, I knew I couldn''t afford to drag it on any longer. In the end, after making up my mind, I looked at him in the eyes and asserted, ¡°Michael, I have something to tell you.¡± Michael furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°What is it about?¡± I looked elsewhere to avoid his gaze when I caught him looking in my direction. All of a sudden, I was tongue-tied. He had no intention to get to the bottom of it since I started stuttering. After he took another peek at me, he instructed, ¡°I''m hungry. If there''s nothing else, hurry up and go get dinner ready.¡± After standing in front of him in silence for a few minutes, I braced myself and denoted, ¡°Michael, it''s about time for me to leave.¡± He turned around and had his eyes glued to me in shock. Without a doubt, he was startled by the things I had brought up out of the blue. He jolted up from the couch and raised his volume against me. His wrath was written all over his scrunched-up face. ¡°What did you just say? Say it again!¡± As he started emanating an intimidating presence and confronted me, I lowered my gaze and repeated, ¡°It''s about time for me to leave.¡± My heart wouldn''t stop racing, but that hadn''t stopped me from honoring the promise I had with Josephine. His expression darkened within a few seconds. Gritting his teeth in an attempt to suppress his wrath, he gasped out his reply, ¡°Anna, have I not mentioned you''re not in a position to bring that up?¡± I was afraid he would take things out on me, but I couldn''t care less since Josephine had indicated she wanted me to stay away from her son. She would deem me a shameless woman should I continue staying in touch with him. I mustered my courage and looked at him in the eyes. ¡°Your mother came to see me today.¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked in a callous tone with his eyes flickering in bewilderment. ¡°She asked me out for a cup of coffee with her and told me Emma was your only designated better half. Therefore, she wanted me to stay away from you and stop meddling with your rtionship with Emma. I-¡± I left the rest of my sentence unfinished, but I was certain Michael had figured out the reason I brought up the request to sever ties with him out of the blue. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 He asked with his brows furrowed, ¡°Has she asked you to leave me?¡± I remained silent in response to his query. He could easily rule out that was the case through my response. Prior to meeting Josephine in person, I once thought of keeping our rtionship going on for as long as possible. I wouldn''t even mind being a nobody as long as I could be with him. ¡°No one gets to make the call on my behalf! Anna, I''ll repeat myself for onest time! You''re not allowed to leave me unless I''m the one who has instructed you to leave!¡± Initially, I thought he would give up as soon as he found out it was an instruction from his mother. After all, he had gotten into a rtionship with Emma under Josephine''s instruction. Nheless, things seemed to work the other way round. ¡°Michael, your mother has made herself clear she wants me to stay away from you! I don''t want to humiliate myself any more than I already have! Can you please allow me to leave? It''s the best for both of us!¡± As much as I wanted to stay in a rtionship with him, I had to leave. Never would I allow others to humiliate me when I wasn''t even the one at fault. Unfortunately, Michael got increasingly infuriated when I repeated myself. He red at me in the eyes and started panting in wrath. ¡°Anna, are you sure it''s because of my mother? Are you sure it''s not because you have always wanted to leave me?¡± I was equally heartbroken and upset by the question directed at me. He seemed to have his fair share of doubts against my statements. ¡°It doesn''t really matter anymore! It''s about time to put an end to our messed-up rtionship! I have promised your mother to leave you alone! Please don''t make me break my promise!¡± No matter what Michael was up to, I was determined to leave since I had given my word to Josephine. I wouldn''t change my mind in spite of the pain I felt. Sooner orter, I would have to move on from our rtionship. ¡°Anna!¡± In spite of being intimidated by his menacing aura, I repeated, ¡°I have already packed my stuff! I''ll be leaving tonight!¡± I could feel he had his eyes on me, but I paid no heed to him and returned to my bedroom once I made myself clear. Halfway through the way back to the room, I brought myself to a halt and said, ¡°Thank you so much for everything you have done for me over the past few months!¡± I was afraid to turn around and express my gratitude while looking at him in the eyes as I was afraid I would change my mind at thest minute. Although we were few feet away from one another, I could still feel his strong murderous intent. I thought he must have felt a strong urge to take me out in person. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Nheless, I marched my way back to the room and retrieved the suitcase I had packed. I had to ensure that was the end of our rtionship. Otherwise, Josephine would deem me a shameless woman incapable of honoring her promise. All this while, Michael red at me in silence. I had no intention to engage in another conversation with him, but he stopped me when I was merely a step away from the entrance. ¡°Hold it right there!¡± I brought myself to an abrupt halt and felt my limbs turning stiff the moment I heard him. No matter how much I tried, I couldn''t seem to bring myself away. The only thing I had in mind was to flee the ce and stay away from him. Hence, I dared not look in Michael''s direction and ended up facing him with my back. My departure wouldn''t be a big deal for Michael since he merely needed me to keep himpany in bed. However, my life had been turned upside down as I was head over heels in love with him. ¡°Michael...¡± I had a lot of things to tell him, including the affection I had for him. I felt a strong urge to tell him my desire to stay with him for as long as possible, but I couldn''t seem to bring myself to finish the sentence. ¡°Just stay here! I''ll leave!¡± Initially, I thought Michael would try to stop me from leaving, but his reply took me by surprise. I couldn''t fathom the reason he had brought that up. It felt as though he had just acknowledged that was the end of our rtionship. I had gotten myself ready for the things that would be in store for me, but I secretly hoped he would do something to salvage our rtionship. At least that would make me feel I once mattered. Shortly after he finished his sentence, Michael strode his way out of the ce without exining himself. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach when he banged the door shut. I couldn''t believe Michael had left for real. Seconds after I snapped out of bewilderment, I cast my suitcase aside and copsed to the ground, wailing as I was overwhelmed with grief. Staring at the door, I secretly hoped Michael would soon return to me. However, that would remain a dream of mine. He would never go back against his word and return to me. I started wailing at the top of my lungs when the memories of the time we spent together came flooding into my mind. That was the beginning of another nightmare since I could still feel his presence when he was no longer around. In the end, I spent the entire night waiting for Michael''s return. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen until dawn break. I ended up spending the whole night recalling the ups and downs we had gone through. It was then I found out that he had long be a significant part of my life. Whenever I recalled I would have to spend the rest of my life without him, I could feel my heart-wrenching. I spent the uing few days lying on the bed for most of the time. I just wasn''t motivated to do anything as if a significant part of me had been removed against my will. Whenever I closed my eyes to bring myself to sleep, Michael''s image would show up. I was on the verge of losing my mind as I couldn''t seem to shrug him off. There was nothing I could do to get rid of the desire to meet him. I reached for my phone a few times, but I resisted the urge to call him due to the promise I had with Josephine. I couldn''t afford to go back against my promise as that would make me just another shameless woman. On top of that, Michael might not change his mind and return to me anymore. Out of the blue, I heard someone ringing the doorbell. I was on cloud nine as I thought Michael had made his way back. Thrilled by the possibility I had in mind, I jumped out of bed and rushed in the direction of the entrance to answer the door. I thought I would get to see Michael soon, but the person at the doorstep wasn''t Michael. His secretary had shown up instead. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 I stopped smiling the moment I found out the only person I had in mind wasn''t the one at the doorstep. Michael was the only person I wanted to meet. Nheless, I looked at Jackson in the eyes and asked, ¡°What brings you here today?¡± Only a limited few were aware we had been residing at that particr ce. Therefore, I was shocked when Michael''s secretary showed up out of nowhere. As we weren''t really acquainted with one another, Jackson answered my query with a courteous smile, ¡°Mr. Garcia, Mr. Shaw has sent me here.¡± I thought he has forgotten all about me, but that was never the case! He has sent his secretary over to check on me! As thrilled as I might be, I kept my emotions to myself and asked in a calm and collected tone, ¡°Why has he sent you?¡± Since not many were made aware of our rtionship, I thought it would be better to keep our rtionship confidential from everyone, including Jackson. When he heard my query, he handed me a check, ¡°Mr. Shaw wants you to have this.¡± Two million only. I gaped at the amount involved and lost myself in the process of thought at the presence of the check. Why has he asked his secretary to bring me a check? What exactly is he up to? Seconds after I returned to my senses, I took a peek at the check and stuttered my question at Jackson, ¡°W-What is he up to? W-Why has he sent you over to hand me a check?¡± I couldn''t figure out the rationale behind Michael''s decision, but I had a bad feeling about it. In anticipation of Jackson''s uing reply, my mind was all over the ce. As much as I wanted to run away from the truth, it was only a matter of time until I had to brace myself through it all over again. After a few seconds of silence, Jackson announced, ¡°Mr. Shaw wishes topensate you for your loss.¡± Jackson might not be aware of the loss that was mentioned, but I was well aware that was the thing Michael and I once talked about. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Is this the sort ofpensation he has been talking about? Is he trying to uphold his promise? I had my eyes glued to the check with my pursed lips shivering and my heart wrenching. Didn''t he turn me down when I insisted on leaving? Why has he changed his mind? Why has he sent his secretary to hand me a check? I refused to ept the check as that would put an end to our rtionship for real. Jackson urged with a frown, ¡°Ms. Garcia?¡± I had no intention to reveal the things going on. Thus, I put on a strong front to deceive Jackson and answered while avoiding his gaze, ¡°Mr. Goldstein, please send it back to him!¡± On the other hand, Jackson seemed to have gotten used to it. It might not be his first time dealing with the aftermath of Michael''s messed-up rtionship with others. He was able to remain a straight face until the moment I turned him down. ¡°Is it because of the sum?¡± he asked with his eyes flickering. ¡°No! Two million is a fortune I can only long for! However, I don''t need any sort ofpensation! When you go back, please tell Mr. Shaw that I don''t need anything from him!¡± It''s inappropriate and rude for someone to put a price on the affection others have for them! It feels as if he''s insulting me by trying topensate me with money! I was really against the idea of epting his offer. Michael wasn''t made aware of the sort of affection I had for him, but that couldn''t justify his action. ¡°Ms. Garcia, are you sure you want me to return this to Mr. Shaw?¡± Jackson asked in a serious tone when I turned him down again. Judging by the fact he had his brows arched, it was safe to assume that he was impressed. He might have imagined me epting the check before showing up at my doorstep. ¡°Am I supposed to repeat myself again?¡± Since Michael was nowhere to be seen, I had no intention to waste my time with Jackson anymore. Once I answered his query with another rhetorical question, I tried to close the door. He stopped me and asserted, ¡°Mr. Shaw had made himself clear he wanted you to ept this. If you wish to return it to him, I think it''s better for you to meet him in person.¡± I thought Jackson would leave me alone after being turned down twice. To my surprise, he repeated himself and insisted on handing me the check. epting the check would make it seem as though money was the foundation of our rtionship. We started getting acquainted because of money, but I no longer wanted to base our rtionship on that foundation. Hence, I refused to ept it in spite of Jackson''s insistence. On the other hand, Jackson made it look as if I wasn''t in a position to turn him down. After giving it a thought for a few minutes, I took it over. I made up my mind to meet Michael in person just to return the check to him. Once I took it over, I told Jackson, ¡°Mr. Goldstein, thank you so much for your time and effort. I''ll pay him a visit in person and return this to him tomorrow.¡± He responded with a nod and departed once he wrapped up the conversation. I returned to the living room and took a seat on the couch after sending him off. Michael had personally signed the check. He might have offered the fortune to ensure I could live a carefree life, but little did he know that would make me feel ashamed of myself. Is this the only thing left between us? Has our rtionship always been a deal? Over the past few days, I failed to show up for work as I was afraid of running into Michael in person. Unable to gather my thoughts, I didn''t want to embarrass myself in front of him anymore. I dressed up and got myself ready for work the next day. It wouldn''t do me any good to run away from Michael since I was a staff of thepany. Sooner orter, we would run into one another. Never would I forsake my job over our messed-up rtionship. After all, I would have to make a living and move on without him. Once I reached the entrance, I took a deep breath to calm myself. It took me a few minutes to muster the courage to step into thepany. I couldn''t stop myself from looking in the direction of Michael''s office once I returned to my workstation. When I recalled Michael was merely a few feet away from me, I couldn''t stop my heart from racing. Seated at my workstation, I just couldn''t focus on work. As soon as everyone started focusing on their respective tasks, I brought myself up and marched in the direction of Michael''s office. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 I stood at Michael''s office for a very long time, not having the guts to open the door. Although it was just a few days of not seeing each other, we have already be strangers. Whenever I thought of him, I felt nothing but agony. In the end, I knocked on the door and waited for Michael to answer before going in. He was sitting on his desk with his head down, signing on papers. He was calm, with no expression on his face. I looked at his face, confused, at the same time, ufortable. Our breakup didn''t seem to affect him one bit. Perhaps, I waspletely dispensable. I looked at him while standing still. In just a few days of not seeing each other, we seem to have grown more distant. After moments of silence, and he raised his head. He looked surprised when he saw me but immediately regained hisposure. ¡°Why did youe?¡± He furrowed his eyebrows and spoke nonchntly. I endured the pain in my heart and walked towards him. I ced the check for two million in front of him, sparing no effort to look calm. ¡°This is the check given to me by your secretary yesterday, and I''m returning it to you now.¡± I tried my best to sound calm too. However, I could feel my voice trembling. I wasn''t sure if he noticed it. He furrowed his beautiful eyebrows and looked at the check. His eyes were filled with emotions that I couldn''t grasp. After all, I had never grasped his emotions since the beginning. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and spoke nonchntly, ¡°The house at Birchwood, and this two million, is mypensation to you.¡± The word pensation¡± pierced my heart as there was never what I wanted. Giving me compensation would only make me even more upset. ¡°I don''t need yourpensation. We''re just taking what we need. You have helped me a lot, so you don''t have topensate me now.¡± I took a deep breath to calm my emotions. His indifference was pulling my heartstrings. I really wanted to ask him if he had any longing for me after we broke up. I would be happy to know even if it was just a little. He looked at me with mixed emotions. He wanted to say something, and I was waiting for him to say it. But he didn''t say a word. He remained silent, quietly looking at me. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I''ll take my leave if there''s nothing else.¡± I couldn''t repress my longings any longer. I wanted to leave as if I was running away. Michael''s attitude made me see everything clearly. He had no feelings for me, not even one bit. Even though I was well aware of the fact that we would be separated regardless of whether he liked me or not, I was still hoping to see some response from him. Unfortunately, the person I loved did not love me at all, and that broke my heart. If it were before, Michael would stop me from leaving. However, he did not stop me today. In fact, he didn''t even utter a word. Maybe I had overvalued myself. He wouldn''t have any feelings for me knowing his personality, and I was just being wishful. I went back to my workstation absent-minded. It was difficult for me to ept his attitude towards me. As a result, I ended up spending the whole morning in a muddle. At noon, Emma came to the office. She must havee to look for Michael. I was constantly looking at her feeling agonized. Michael must be treating her wholeheartedly now. Emma strutted proudly. She suddenly stopped when she passed by me, and nced at me with a smug look on her face as she smirked. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I knew nothing good coulde from her, so I buried my face and pretended to work. I didn''t want to pay her any attention. Now that I had ended my rtionship with Michael, she should have no reason to trouble me anymore. ¡°Anna, it feels bad to be dumped by Michael, right?¡± Emma sneered quietly. Only the both of us could hear it. As soon as I heard Michael''s name, my body went stiff. The pain in my heart returned. Emma''s words really pierced my heart. I took in a deep breath, then calmly raised my head to look at her. ¡°Ms. Jones, you''ve got what you wanted. I hope you will not trouble me again from now on.¡± I was already feeling devastated. I didn''t have the mood to deal with Emma. ¡°What happened to your arrogant attitude? I have told you that Michael will only be mine. You''re nothing to him!¡± Although Michael and I were over, Emma didn''t seem to let me off the hook. Maybe it was because I had gone against her so many times before. Hence, she still resented me even after I had ended my rtionship with Michael. ¡°Indeed. I am insignificant. But Ms. Jones, why bother with someone like me then? Aren''t you afraid that you might embarrass yourself? You''re currently Mr. Shaw''s girlfriend. Would you really want others to see yourself oppressing an employee in his office?¡± Initially, I didn''t want to ignore Emma. But the woman was such a bully. She had already achieved her objective, but she continued to bug me. I had no ce to vent my emotions; I could only suppress them within me. If she continues to provoke me, I will no longer be nice. ¡°Anna, what do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like that!¡± Emma''s facial expression changed. She stared at me with anger in her eyes. It was evident that she was angry. ¡°I''m not anything as I''m a human being! Ms. Jones, I know you''re ady with power, but I''ll advise you to not push your luck. I have nothing to lose. I would do literally anything if I had to.¡± Emma thought I was over with Michael, and she wanted to rub some salt into my wound. I knew that very well. But, no matter how frustrated I was, or how humble I had always behaved in front of Michael, I did it all for him only. I would never back down in front of Emma since I am not afraid of her. ¡°How dare you threaten me even without Michael protecting you now?¡± Emma must''ve thought that the reason I dared to go against her the whole time was because I had Michael protecting me. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 I looked at Emma''s face and sneered, ¡°Michael was never my protector. I won''t be afraid of you even without him.¡± Emma red at me, infuriated. She wanted to say something, but I didn''t want to waste my time with her any longer since many of our colleagues were looking at us. ¡°Ms. Jones, I think you should go to Mr. Shaw quickly. If hees out and sees you with me, what do you suppose he would think of your action?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The person Emma was most worried about was Michael. Even though I no longer had anything to do with him, I still brought him up. As expected, as soon as I said that, the look on her face changed. She looked at me, burning with anger, but she didn''t say a word and left angrily. I would never admit defeat in front of Emma, but that didn''t mean I didn''t feel any difort inside. As she walked into Michael''s office, the pain I felt was even stronger. My gaze stayed on the CEO''s office''s door. Although it no longer had anything to do with me, I couldn''t help but wonder what both Emma and Michael were doing in the office. To be honest, I was rather possessive towards Michael. He was my first man, and we used to be intimate. Although I always said that I hated him, I knew that the moment I started hating him was when I fell in love with him. In the past, whenever Emma entered Michael''s office, she would be driven out by him. However, she had been in there for an hour, and she hadn''te out yet. I felt even more disturbed. Has Michael changed his attitude towards her so quickly? I didn''t know how long it took before the both of them finally came out of the office. Emma hugged Michael''s arm with a smile full of happiness. However, Michael''s face was emotionless. Although it wasn''t as apparent as Emma''s, I didn''t notice any trace of disgust on his expression. Looking at them being intimate broke my heart. My eyes were locked on Emma holding Michael''s arms. My heart ached as if it was poked by a needle. It was as if Emma could feel my gaze, she nced at me with a smug face. She was utterly showing off that she was the only woman next to Michael. I looked at Michael, hoping that he would shove Emma aside. Watching him being with another woman hurt me deeply. However, it was over, and it seemed as though I was the only one who was hurting. After he nced at me indifferently, he never turned back. The way he looked at me was like aplete stranger. When they were about to pass by, she suddenly looked towards him and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Michael, there''s a new restaurant near my ce. Let''s go eat there tonight.¡± ¡°We can go if you want.¡± Michael smiled softly. He looked at me, then looked at Emma again. His voice was gentle. I could feel it after being with him for such a long time. I could feel that he didn''t put in any emotions. Maybe he was just giving her a half-hearted answer. Delighted, Emma said, ¡°I knew you treat me the best. Marrying you might be the luckiest thing that could happen in my life.¡± To me, Michael''s answer was more than enough for Emma. She threw a provocative look towards me, then leaned her head on Michael''s shoulder with a happy smile. I tried my best to look away, not wanting to listen to their conversation. I would be lying if I said I wasn''t jealous. I was just a woman so how could I not feel hurt and jealous watching the man I loved embracing another woman. Moreover, she looked all happy and drown in love. Michael smiled as he let Emma lean on his shoulders, and they both entered the elevator together. I waited for the elevator door to close, and then I lowered my head. I gave out a bitterugh, enduring the pain in me. Even though I was the one who wanted to break up, I thought Michael would at least be reluctant. However, it seemed the one who was reluctant was me instead. ¡°Mr. Shaw really loved his girlfriend. He must be the most perfect man in the world.¡± Millie, who was sitting opposite of me, was also observing Michael and Emma. She saw the entire disy of affection as well and had a look of envy in her eyes. My heart hurt even more after listening to Millie. I lowered my head, trying to distract myself with work. However, Millie didn''t know how I was feeling. Millie suddenly had a thought. She raised her head and looked at me, worried. ¡°Anna, how are you and your boyfriend doing? I haven''t seen him pick you up for so long. Is everything okay?¡± Millie was referring to Yuval. However, that was a long time ago. Yuval and I had broken up for several months, but I had never told her. ¡°We... We''ve broken up for a very long time already. I don''t have a boyfriend now.¡± Having felt disappointed, I gave her a faint smile. I was relieved when I broke up with Yuval. However, breaking up with Michael seemed to have hollowed my heart. ¡°What? Did you break up with him? When did this happen? Didn''t you both do it earlier?¡± Millie was shocked when she heard the news. She probably didn''t expect us to break up. Yuval must have looked like a good man to her. And she must be referring to the hickey on my neck the other day. I was surprised by her reaction at first, but it made sense. She didn''t know that I broke up with Yuval long ago. She must have assumed that it was him who left the hickey, which was pretty normal. Compared to Michael, it was more eptable to give her the impression that Yuval left the hickey. ¡°Let''s not mention it anymore. It''s all in the past now.¡± How could I ever think about Yuval? I only had Michael in my mind. There was no ce for anyone else in my heart. ¡°Alright, I won''t bring it up anymore. But it''s okay. You''re beautiful, and you have a good personality. There will be better men waiting for you in the future.¡± I looked devastated. Millie must have thought she brought up something sad, so she quicklyforted me. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 After work, I saw Ronan''s car in front of the building. Since Michael warned me before, I didn''t want him to get the wrong idea. So I made a detour and left. However, Ronan had very sharp eyes. He noticed me the moment I stepped out of the building. I didn''t even have the chance to hide myself. ¡°Anna.¡± When I was about to leave, I heard Ronan''s voice behind me and staggered slightly. Now I couldn''t hide even if I wanted to. I turned towards him and answered without any expression, ¡°Ronan, why are you here?¡± ¡°What do you think? Of course, I''m here to look for you.¡± Ronan marched towards me with a smile in his eyes. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. I raised my head, and I responded indifferently because Michael was angry thest time. ¡°Are you looking for me? What is it?¡± I had been avoiding Ronan recently for I didn''t want Michael to get angry again. However, I seemed to have forgotten that I had nothing to do with Michael anymore. Hence, no matter which man I was close with, he wouldn''t care anymore. I didn''t know why, but the thought of Michael made me upset once again. ¡°I miss you. Is this reason good enough? What happened to you in the past two days? You wouldn''t answer my calls, and I was worried that I did something wrong and angered you.¡± Ronan frowned his delicate eyebrows and stared into my eyes. He looked worried. ¡°It''s nothing. I was just in a bad mood these days, and I wanted some quiet time for myself. If there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave. We''ll stay in touch.¡± I was in a bad mood at that time, so I didn''t want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to be left alone. ¡°Since you''re in a bad mood, let me take you out to rx, or you can tell me what''s bothering you. Holding it in won''t do you any good, so you will feel better after pouring it out.¡± Ronan didn''t want to let me leave. I knew he was worried about me, but I didn''t feel like talking. ¡°No. I''m very tired from work. All I want to do now is to go home and rest.¡± I didn''t want to say too much, so I turned around and was about to leave. But, he grabbed my wrist and immediately pulled me towards his car. ¡°Ronan, what are you doing!¡± I was annoyed by his actions. ¡°I want to make you feel better. It hurts me to see you like this.¡± He stopped and looked at me condescendingly. I was a little touched. Although Ronan seemed to fool around all the time, I could feel that he really cared for me. With that, I didn''t refuse anymore, and I let him drag me into his car. Ronan quickly started the car and drove at high speed. The scenery outside rushed past the windows. I could feel my heart thumping. Why was he driving so fast? Didn''t he know that it''s dangerous? Moreover, it was a city center. What if he crashed into someone? ¡°Ronan! Drive slower. It''s dangerous!¡± I held on tightly to my seat belt. My heart was thumping out of fear. ¡°Don''t you think this is exciting? You''re in a bad mood. You should enjoy the thrill of the ride.¡± He had a frivolous smile on his face. I could tell from the look of his eyes that he was very excited. I looked at him as my face turned pale. I really regretted getting in his car. He is ying with fire. What thrill? Would it be thrilling if we were dead? ¡°Ronan, stop the car!¡± I looked forward in horror and shouted at him. My voice was trembling. ¡°Don''t worry. There will be no idents. I''m confident in my skills. Besides, I''m a professional racer.¡± Ronan looked at me with a smug face, showing no signs of slowing down at all. What? A racer? I didn''t expect him to be a racer. However, even if he was a professional racer, he speeding in the city center. Most importantly, mistakes happened, even for a racer, and I wouldn''t want to die in his car. Ronan''s face turned serious, and he slowed down the car. Maybe he noticed that I was scared. I let out a long sigh of relief. The tensed feeling in my heart was finally rxed. Ronan drove along the way and we finally stopped at the bank of the river. ¡°Tell me. Why were you in a bad mood in the past few days? Did something happen?¡± Ronan stopped the car, and turned to me with a serious look on his face. I could feel the concern in his tone. ¡°it''s nothing. Just some personal issues.¡± My instincts were telling me to skirt the issue. I couldn''t mention my rtionship with Michael. In fact, I have never told anyone before. ¡°Do you even treat me as a friend? Friends are like trash cans, so you can dump all your unhappy thoughts on me. After that, you won''t be sad anymore.¡± He frowned and looked at me very seriously. I was in control of my emotions until I heard his words. My eyes couldn''t help but turn red instantly. ¡°Really. It was nothing. But seeing that man with his girlfriend really made me feel a little ufortable.¡± I must never let him know about my rtionship with Michael, so I only told him half the truth. Ronan went stiff. Then, he looked at me as if he was feeling sorry for me. ¡°Do you still love him? You already knew he couldn''t be with you. Continuing to love him would only make you suffer even more.¡± The car went silent. He raised his head and looked at me. Apart from being concerned, there was compassion in his eyes. ¡°I know, but I can''t control my feelings.¡± I lowered my head and gave out a bitterugh. Of course, I understood the truth in his words. However, it was no easy feat to withdraw my feelings from a person. It may sound easy, but I was always stubborn in rtionships. Thus, I couldn''t let it go easily. ¡°I really don''t know who that man is, but I''m truly jealous and envious of him for you love him.¡± Maybe I looked miserable at that moment. Ronan had a distressed look on his face, but I knew what he said was true. I may have hurt him while I was feeling upset. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Ronan must be dying to know the identity of the man I loved. He had an insatiable curiosity, which was why I definitely could not tell him anything. If he were to find out that Michael, his own cousin, was the man I loved, I guessed he would take it pretty hard. ¡°It doesn''t matter who he is,¡± I argued. ¡°He''s nothing but someone insignificant in my life anyway. No matter how much I like him, it would be impossible for us to be together even in the future.¡± I felt awful saying it. It was like I was giving up a part of something within me. I wasn''t even sure if I would be able to forget Michael with the passage of time. Maybe sometime in the future, I would be able to say his name without having the same heartache as I did at this moment. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Since you are destined to not be together, why don''t you give me a chance instead? I''m very fond of you, and I''m certain that I could give you love and happiness.¡± Everybody was selfish in their own way. Though Ronan appeared to feel sorry for me, I was sure that he was hoping with all his heart that I would not end up with my mysterious lover. ¡°You''re talking nonsense again,¡± I chastised. ¡°Haven''t I told you before? You''re like a little brother to me. I''ve also told you many times that it is impossible for us to be together.¡± I sighed with exasperation at Ronan trying his luck with me again. He was always on the lookout for opportunities to dere his undying love for me. ¡°I''ve told you many times before, too,¡± said Ronan stubbornly. ¡°I don''t want you to see me as your little brother. Start thinking of me as a potential boyfriend or even your future husband.¡± It was evident that my rejection had displeased Ronan. Being the yboy that he was, his annoyance had already been forgotten as he inched his face closer to mine, wearing a suggestive smile as he did so. ¡°Ronan, if you get any closer I swear I will punch you in the face.¡± I leaned as far back as I could, determined to maintain a distance between me and that boy. Sometimes his teasing can go too far which really put my tolerance to a test. If I had not known him as well as I did, I would never have befriended someone like him. ¡°Are you really willing to put a dent in a face as handsome as mine? You will have to be responsible for me for the rest of my life if you damaged my face!¡± Ronan stared up at me withrge puppy eyes, with a twinkle of mischief in them. When did he learn to be such a scumbag? ¡°Ronan, you''re really asking for it, aren''t you?¡± I said threateningly. Despite my warning, he came even closer. I realized a little toote that I was stuck against the car seat with nowhere else to turn to. I waved a fist in rm in front of Ronan''s face as our lips were about to meet. I wouldn''t hesitate to hit him if he got any closer. Faced with a punk like him, one would have to exert brute force. ¡°Anna, are you even a woman? Shouldn''t you be closing your eyes and anticipating a kiss when a handsome guy like me leans in?¡± Ronan gazed at me, looking as innocent as a poor littlemb. Though I had always viewed him as a little brother, I couldn''t deny the fact that he was indeed a good- looking guy. Ronan''s confidence had been shattered when he realized that his charms were not working on me. ¡°Did I even tell you that you look are handsome?¡± I gazed at him as his eyes twinkled hopefully. Though Ronan and I often bickered whenever we hung out, I had to admit that he did have a way of making me feel better. It had just urred to me that everything he did was with the intent of distracting me from dwelling on any unhappy thoughts. My heart swelled with appreciation for Ronan. Though everything was aughing matter to him, he really did have my best interests at heart. For that, I felt very grateful. ¡°Thank you, Ronan,¡± I said softly as I turned to face him. Though the awkwardness that had shed before his eyes had not gone unnoticed by me, he regained hisposure quickly byughing it off. ¡°I''m not used to you being this formal with me,¡± he joked as I rolled my eyes in exasperation. It looks like I can''t say anything nice about him since he would make a big fuss out of it. Well, well, well... he''s more used to me being mean to him. ¡°I''m hungry,¡± Iined as my stomach started growling. ¡°Take me out to dinner.¡± I saw Emma at the office today, which upset me so much that I had lost my appetite for lunch. Since my mood had improved, I had suddenly realized that I was ravenous. ¡°No problem. What would you like to eat? It''s on me.¡± Ronan was delighted when I had finally smiled again. He looked as if he was a ky fellow but he had always been good to me to the point of amodating to all my requests. ¡°How do beer and barbeque sound? Has a rich brat like you ever had street food like barbeque?¡± I had a sudden hankering for beer, but I wasn''t sure if a rich guy like Ronan would deign to apany me to go for some cheap food. ¡°You have underestimated me, Anna. I''m pretty sure I''ve had more street food than you!¡± Ronan red at me indignantly, though I couldn''t tell if he was being serious or not. ¡°Excellent! Let''s go then. I''m excited to have a drink with you, little brother.¡± I ced my arm on his shoulder boldly. Life could be sad sometimes, but Ronan''s presence made it impossible for me to not let things go and rx. Perhaps I had already considered him as a friend subconsciously. ¡°Don''t ever call me your little brother!¡± Ronan grimaced. ¡°Why not? I''m several years older than you, am I not?¡± Ronan''s sudden seriousness had had me speechless with surprise. It was such a small thing to be upset about. ¡°I don''t want to be called anything else except ''husband'' or ''boyfriend'' standing next to you,¡± Ronan said with a pout. ¡°Since you have yet to fall for me, let''s just greet each other by names, shall we?¡± It appears that he took offense to being called ¡°little brother¡± to heart. Shaking my head incredulously, I decided toply with his request as I wasn''t in the mood to argue with him. ¡°Let''s go, Ronan. I''m starving.¡± Pleased that I had dropped the matter, Ronan started the engine and drove off to the ce. When we got to the restaurant, I had ordered almost everything on the menu and pigged out. Ronan was true to his word. He enjoyed himself as much as I did, not looking out of ce in a restaurant serving cheap food. In between bites, we drank beer heartily. Nothing bothered me at that moment. However, having a low tolerance for alcohol as I did, I felt pretty dizzy after only two bottles. On the other hand, Ronan had almost an entire crate by himself. It was my idea to drink, but it seemed like he was making the most out of it. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Ronan and I got pretty hammered soon after. Knowing well that he was not in any state to drive, he hailed a cab for me to get home. Somehow I made it back to Birchwood in one piece, which was a miracle considering the fact that I didn''t remember how I got there. Even though this wasn''t my home, I had begun to treat it like one. After stumbling into the bedroom, I fell face down onto the bed without even changing out of my dirty clothes. It felt amazing being drunk; the pleasant sensation of floating had cast the worries and frustrations away to the back of my mind. In my stupor, I felt someone touching my face. It was familiar andforting which reminded me of Michael. I was convinced that it was a dream that I had, as real as it had felt. I opened my bleary eyes with difficulty and caught sight of Michael''s silhouette in front of me. I must be dreaming, I thought to myself as a smile spread across my lips. It''s over between me and Michael. What reason would he have for being here? I think I must be dreaming of him because I miss him too much. I had originally intended on shutting my eyes and going back to sleep, but it was such a rare urrence that I had the chance to see Michael again. Even if it was a dream, I wanted to gaze at him for a little longer. ¡°Michael, I miss you...¡± I muttered, gazing upon the blurry face. If it was a dream, then so be it. I would pour my heart out to him, and tell him everything that I wanted to say because it was very likely that I would never get a chance to for as long as I live. ¡°You miss me, Anna?¡± Michael whispered. Like his usual self, he spoke in a manner that suggested that he was always in control of the situation. ¡°I think of you every day, Michael. What happens now that I have fallen for you?¡± I pleaded. I was not afraid of what he might think, as I knew well even through the haze of insobriety that I was conversing with a figment of my own imagination. I just had to get the words out or it''d haunt me forever. ¡°Anna, say it again.¡± Michael looked shocked. ¡°Michael, I''ve fallen for you... I love you¡± I repeated only this time I said it with more passion and affirmation. ¡°If you had fallen for me, then why did you break up with me?¡± Michael''s voice returned to its usual casual manner, though it sounded like it contained suppressed grief. I was saddened by his question. I ended things with him only as an attempt to keep whatever dignity I had left. ¡°I do not want to be left with no self-respect. Your mother hase to me. If I didn''t break up with you, nobody would ever respect me again.¡± I smiled bitterly as the pain in Michael''s eyes became more apparent. If it was not for the sudden appearance of his mother, I might still be immersed in temporary and superficial happiness. At my response, Michael''s eyes became more guarded though he did not pursue the matter. Gazing upon his beautiful face so close to mine, I could not resist any longer. The next thing I knew, my hands were around his neck as I kissed him affectionately. I could do whatever I want in my dream. I didn''t have to care about what he thought. All I wanted was for him to stay with me. Michael was caught off guard by my move, though it didn''t take long for him to reciprocate. I kissed him vigorously. Perhaps it was due to the knowledge that my actions would have no repercussions in the lucid realm, I acted without restraint. Soon, Michael had sumbed to my passions. Climbing into my bed eagerly, he held me tightly in his arms as his hands wandered all over my body which felt extremely erotic. I surmised it was due to the effects of the alcohol. Being drunk had its perks in making me more brazen too. I took the initiative undoing his belt and reaching into his pants. I hesitated when I felt his erection. Michael wouldn''t know what I did in my own dream, I reminded myself. There''s no need to be shy. With that encouraging thought, I became emboldened. It was true that the effect of alcohol was a catalyst to all brazen acts. Our bodies moved in sync with each other. With each sessive peak up the roller coaster of pleasure, I had reached climax more times than I could remember. Even through the haze of a dopamine surplus in my brain, I was rather embarrassed that I had wet dreams when I was drunk. It seemed like I was more scious than I realized. Michael''s turn to climax came. He shuddered in rapture before sliding off toy beside me. As he held me tightly in his arms, his lips never left my skin. ¡°Anna, I think I''ve fallen for you too,¡± said Michael softly. Even in the depths of my dream, my heart thumped wildly at the sound of his voice. The man''s influence on me was profound. I said nothing but turned around to hug him back, afraid that he would disappear if I did not hold on to him. I wasn''t sure if it was due to the alcohol or the physical exertion I just went through that had made me drop promptly off to sleep. The following morning, I woke up with a monstrous hangover. With a groan, I opened my eyes and had to quickly shield them as I have yet to adjust to the blinding rays of the morning sun streaming through the blinds. I had intended on getting out of bed. However, a soreness throughout my entire body quickly discouraged me from doing so. ¡°What the hell happened for me to be this sore all over?¡± I muttered to myself. Suddenly, I recalled my saucy dream fromst night. As vivid as it was, it was only a dream and would have no reason to have its effects manifested into a reality. rmed, I spun around to stare at the bed where Michael used to sleep before. There was no trace of him, as it should be. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. It really was a dream, after all. It had been a couple of days since we had parted ways with one another. When we ran into each other at work, he saw me as a stranger. It was really foolish of me to expect him to have spent the night with me. Perhaps I missed him that much to have concocted that fantasy for myself. With a self-deprecatingugh, I pulled myself together and got up. With a start, I realized in horror that though I did not change out of my dirty clothes before climbing into bed the night before, somehow I woke up not wearing anything. Aside from that, I had red spots all over my body. They were faint but definitely there. What the hell is going on? Chapter 233 Chapter 233 That wasn''t even the worst part as mydy parts felt awfully sticky too. Could I have actually climaxed in my sleep? I thought to myself with embarrassment. It felt so real, though. How is my sex drive this high? This is embarrassing! I shook my head vigorously, trying to clear the feelings of disappointment and shame. I went into the bathroom and took a shower. It had made me feel much more rxed though an ache persisted in between my legs as if it had been through friction. I was beginning to doubt if the events from the night before had actually happened in my dream. After a quick breakfast, I dashed off to the office. If not for the rm I had set in advance, I would undoubtedly have turned upte for work. Since Michael and I were not seeing each other anymore, my failure to be punctual might result in my dismissal. That was how I expected him to treat any other employee. When I arrived before the elevators at the lobby of the office, I was rooted to the spot by the sight of Michael upying the only elevator that was avable. The sight of him caused my heart to flutter helplessly especially after yesterday night. Afraid that he would deduce what I dreamt about if he looked deep into my eyes, I nced quickly away to avoid catching his eye. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It was toote as Michael had already seen me. He merely frowned as he stared at me without a word. The tension in the air between us was thick as neither of us spoke. I remained outside the elevator as I had no idea how I was going to interact with Michael. ¡°Anna, you''re showing up at work looking sloppy!¡± Michael cast a cold eye as he looked up and down, taking in every detail of my appearance. I smoothed my hair nervously. In a haste, I had run all the way in from the entrance of the building to the lobby. When I had arrived at the elevator, I''m sure I looked an awful sight with my hair looking like a rat''s nest and panting like a winded dog. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shaw. I will pay closer attention next time.¡± His cold attitude had made me feel worse than I already did. Oh no, it looks like my dismissal is imminent. I tried my best to appear polite yet unconcerned. I didn''t want Michael to see me being upset. Michael nced toward me indifferently onest time before closing the elevator doors to my face. Somehow that had upset me even more. Even though we had broken up, that didn''t mean that he had to talk to me in such an attitude. I didn''t understand why he was so cold. It was me who initiated the breakup. But I was also the one who seemed to not be able to ept it, not Michael. When I had arrived at the office, Michael was nowhere to be seen. It was only recently that he showed up at the office every day to deal with some documents. Otherwise, it was rare to see him out and about. On the other hand, Emma had shown up every day. Unfortunately for me, Michael did not seem to detest her as much as he used to. Perhaps they really were a good fit being together. Though it caused my heart to ache whenever I saw Emma and Michael being intimate together, I did make a conscious effort to ignore it whenever I was at work. I was determined to not let my personal issues affect my professional performance. When I was about to get off work that day, Mom called me. It had been a peaceful couple of weeks of not hearing her voice, so I was curious at her motive for calling this time. I did ask her about why she called, however, she just told me to go home to her without providing an exnation. She was family after all. And it had been a long enough time for my anger to abate. I had my share of responsibilities back home to bear. When I arrived back home a couple of dayster, Steven was training to walk with crutches in the living room. Though he looked like it took him a great deal of effort to walk, his progress was astounding. ¡°I''m back,¡± I called out. Mom was supporting Steven on his waist with a pained expression on her face. ¡°I''d heard that you broke up with Michael. Is that true?¡± Mom nced at me. This is unbelievable. The first thing she says to me after all this time is about Michael. I did not expect her to ask this question. At the sound of his name, I could not repress a shudder. ¡°Mom, why do you ask?¡± I did not answer her immediately. Instead, I posed a question in return. ¡°It doesn''t matter how I found out. Just tell me if it''s true?¡± She persisted irritably at my attempt to wriggle out of answering her. Conversations between us were always like this. She always had an ulterior motive. ¡°Yes, it''s true. I have nothing to do with Michael anymore,¡± I replied while looking her dead in the eye. It was a good decision to inform her about our breakup. That would effectively put an end to her schemes of asking him for money. ¡°What''s wrong with you? That woman, Emma, had offered you a million to break up with Michael but you didn''t. And now you did it for free! Are you doing this on purpose?¡± Mom lost it and flew into a fit of rage. I frowned in disgust at her response. I wasn''t upset about her being furious with me. It was more the fact that all she cared about was the million that I had been offered. She was still mad that I had missed out on that one million. ¡°Mom, it''s not the same. Me breaking up with Michael had nothing to do with that deal. We are just not meant to be.¡± Michael and I had begun dating because of an agreement. I didn''t want to end things based on that agreement too. Our rtionship involved the benefits of many parties. I wanted things to end well rather than a motive. ¡°It sounds the same to me. The fact is that you have broken up with him! Anna, tell me that you didn''t do it on purpose just so that our family wouldn''t receive that sum of money!¡± Mom wouldn''t understand my rationale. All she could think of was the one million that had slipped past her greedy fingers. Her motive of summoning me home became clear. It was to discuss the loss of the one million. It was toote to be upset about that, anyway. My rtionship with Michael was over. Even if I were to face the same situation again, I would still make the same choices. I would never strike a bargain with my rtionship. ¡°Mom, that is history now. Can you just let it go?¡± I sighed with frustration at her anger. I had tried everything I could think of to talk her out of it in the past but to no avail. She remained stubbornly set in her ways. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 ¡°What do you mean to let it go? It''s so easy for you to say that!¡± Mom yelled. She was, even more, infuriated the more I tried to talk sense into her. ¡°That one million was so close at hand and poof! It was gone! And it''s all your d*mn fault! Do you think I''m going to let this go?¡± She sounded like if I had been an obedient daughter and listened to her, she would have gotten the money. It was all my fault that I blew the money away. At that moment, Mom could not be reasoned with. No matter what I said, it would be in vain as she definitely was not in a receptive mood. ¡°Mom, breaking up with Michael is my business. I don''t have an obligation to get you that money. In the same way, you have no right over my decisions. I am an adult now, I have the right to walk the path of my choice.¡± I would have swallowed my pride andplied to appease Mom in the past. However, my mood had gone from bad to worse. I would not stand to be insulted any longer. ¡°Oh, you''re an adult now, aren''t you? Do you know anything about showing gratitude to your parents? You''re an ungrateful brat! Raising you is the biggest regret of my life!¡± With an usatory finger pointed at my face, Mom''s voice rang with me in every syble. I scowled with indignant rage. After so many years of pouring my heart out for the family, how could she say that I am ungrateful? I am always here to help out whenever our family runs into trouble, without a word ofint. And now, Mom thinks that I''m an ungrateful brat. I should be the one with bigger regrets instead of her. I didn''t understand why I was born and raised in such a dysfunctional family. I had no wish to be born into a rich family, but one with loving parents was more than enough. ¡°Mom, if this is what you think of me, I don''t think I can do anything to change your mind. However, I feel that I have fulfilled the responsibilities of a daughter to you. If you continue to make unreasonable demands like this, I will not condone it!¡± I said calmly despite my internal turmoil. My patience for her was slipping away. It would be more urate to say that my tolerance for their ill-treatment of me had gone past its limit. I wasn''t sure if I became heartless or it had been their endless demands that had pushed me to the edge. ¡°Get out of my house. Get the hell out of here. You''re not my daughter!¡± Mom pointed at the door, her face contorted in fury. The worse her attitude became, the more my temper grew. With the amount that weighed on my mind in the past few days, my patience had worn thin. I spun around and left without looking back. Sometimes I wondered if I were more vicious, I might have even disowned them and cut them out of my lifepletely. That would spare me a lot of heartache and sorrow, but I knew myself best. My biggest weakness was my family. Nothing else would exin why I foolishly gave in to their demands for years on end. I was still simmering in a rage as I trotted along the road. However, I called Natalie to ask if I could come over before hailing a cab. I have been in a foul mood recently, and it had been a long while since Ist saw Natalie. I haven''t even kept track of how she had been doing with Yuval. I found Natalie at home alone watching television when I arrived. With a casual nce toward the TV, I sat down next to her and watched it together without a word exchanged between the two of us. It was an animated series. Though it seemed childish, the simplicity of the story was veryforting. If everybody could live life with the innocence and curiosity of a child, the world would be a much better ce. ¡°Aren''t you busy, Anna? What brings you here today?¡± Natalie asked without tearing her eyes away from the screen. She munched on crisps before she addressed me. ¡°I''m in an awful mood. I''d like to be around a friend right now.¡± Like Natalie, I kept my eyes fixed on the TV and spoke in a level voice. ¡°You''re stuck with Michael every day. How is it possible for you to be in an awful mood? You haven''t called me in days, so I thought that you have forgotten all about me.¡± Natalie responded sarcastically to my remark, she could not believe that I would be unhappy being with Michael. My heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name, ¡°It''s over between me and Michael,¡± I said after a brief pause. Natalie knew how genuine the feelings I had for Michael were. Hence, I could be myself and not hide anything in front of her. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°What happened? Weren''t you guys doing well together? Why did you break up with him?¡± Natalie was in shock at the news. I told her about Michael''s mother locating me and Emma giving me trouble. Natalie was my best friend. There was nothing I needed to hide from her. Natalie was outraged. ¡°This is too much! That''s between you and Michael. What the hell is wrong with those two?¡± ¡°It''s his girlfriend and his mother, the two other women in his life. We both know that nothing will ever happen between me and Michael.¡± Though it hurt to end things with Michael, I did not me anybody for standing in our way. We were just not destined to be together. I hung my head dejectedly. No matter what, I was still fond of Michael. To watch a crush of mine be with another woman, possibly getting married and raising children together, was soul-crushing. ¡°Anna, why can''t you focus on the bright side of things instead of fixating on the fact that it is impossible for you and Michael to be together? Nothing is impossible in this world!¡± Natalie was not ustomed to me being down in the dumps. She red at me in anger and spoke loudly to me as if I couldn''t hear her through the shroud of my own self-pity. I flinched at the volume of her voice. She was so loud that she could have damaged my eardrums. ¡°I''ve told you this before, the difference in social status between me and Michael is too great. His future wife has to bepatible with him.¡± All the elites of society care about in a marriage was to strengthen their status to form powerful alliances. Emotional connections were thest factor of consideration. Michael was a very good example. With such a domineering personality, he was ustomed to having his orders carried out. However, when it came to his own marriage, his mother had actually set him up to marry Emma. Though he did not like her, he did not reject her either. It was his mother''s arrangement that he had so meekly epted. Even Michael epted this reality as the way society worked for people like him. Other rich young men of his ilk would undoubtedly feel the same way. ¡°Anna, you underestimate yourself. I could tell that Michael is very fond of you. It''s very possible that he liked you a long time ago! Love is something that messes with one''s sense of judgment and rationality. If Michael had indeed fallen for you, he would pay no heed to his mother''s choice for a daughter-in- law.¡± Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Natalie did not agree with my point of view due to her simplistic way of thinking. If two people like each other, they would find a way to be together. If they had no feeling for each other, nothing would work out. If I could be as brave as Natalie, things between me and Michael might have turned out very differently. ¡°Enough about me and Michael, Natalie. How''s it going between you and Yuval? Are you together yet?¡± Talking about Michael made me feel sad, and I was really sick of feeling that way so I was determined to talk about something else. At the mention of Yuval''s name, a sense of doubt appeared in Natalie''s eyes. ¡°What is it? Is there something you can''t tell me? We''re best friends, Natalie. You can trust me.¡± I felt a slight twinge of annoyance at her reticence. Being only concerned about her romantic life, I didn''t feel that my question constituted as prying. ¡°I don''t know how to tell you, Anna. I haven''t figured out how I feel toward Yuval. I can''t even tell if I like him that way. All I know is that I don''t hate him.¡± Ever since that trauma with John, Natalie had grown wary of her feelings toward men. Though she appeared to be unmarred by the experience, I knew her well enough to know that it had hurt her deeply. ¡°If you find him bearable, you could try dipping your toe in and see how you get along with him. If you find that you really don''t like him that much, you could still be friends with each other.¡± Though I knew that Yuval was a pretty good guy, it still depended on how much Natalie enjoyed being with him. That was something she had to figure out herself. After having dinner at Natalie''s, I went home. Whenever Ie back to this ce, I would always be reminded of all the memories with Michael when he used to be here. I stood in the living room trying to wrench myself back into the present. But, I found it hard to forget him even after we had ended our rtionship. It was a sad truth but I realized that I didn''t even have the courage to let go of our rtionship. With a resigned sigh, I chastised myself for overthinking. After a quick shower, I climbed into bed. Thatrge bed in the bedroom had been upied by Michael and me in the past. It bore the memories of the numerous incidences of intimacy between us. Besides, Michael only belonged to me when he was in bed with me. Lying on the bed, I could still feel the rhythm of his breath next to me despite him being gone for many days. When I closed my eyes and listened, it really did feel like the good old days when he had held me in his arms. However, the harsh reality reminded me that nothing could ever happen between the two of us. I shut my eyes tightly, determined not to overthink. The more reluctant I was to let go, the more it hurt me. The next couple of days were routine and dreadfully boring. The monotony had me believe that my life was withering away before my very eyes. At the office, Michael had treated me like aplete stranger. He was very clear-cut whenever he spoke to me. Though it was hurtful, I had finally begun to get used to his absence in my life. One morning when I arrived at work, I found my colleagues gathered around for some gossip. Being uninterested in matters like these, I did not join them. Instead, I headed straight to my desk. I turned on myputer and picked up where I left off on the advertisement design that I was working on yesterday. Suddenly, Millie detached herself from the crowd and made her way toward me. ¡°Anna, you''re such a model employee to be working as soon as you get in. Aren''t you curious about what we''re gossiping about?¡± Millie said with her arm around my shoulder, a grin on her face. ¡°No, thank you. I''m not interested in celebrity gossip. Besides, I don''t even recognize half of them,¡± I replied without looking up, my eyes being fixated on the keyboard on which my hands were flying around drafting a letter. ¡°We are not gossiping about any celebrity but Mr. Shaw!¡± At Millie¡¯s promation, my hands and my heart felt as if they have screeched to a halt. ¡°What about Mr. Shaw?¡± I asked calmly despite the nervous hammering of my heart. ¡°Mr. Shaw is getting engaged this weekend! What a juicy piece of news, isn''t it?¡± Millie was beyond herself with excitement when she spilled the beans. Unfortunately, that news was more like a knife cutting into my heart, and I felt a hand squeezing my heart so hard it threatened to burst. ¡°This weekend. That''s pretty sudden, isn''t it?¡± Despite my best efforts, my voice still trembled at the query. ¡°Everyone got the news today. Man, what a shocker! Mr. Shaw is actually getting engaged.¡± Millie was too busy being in awe at the news to notice my ashen face. The news of his engagement had upied my mind to such a degree that my head felt like bursting. There goes my ability to think about work for the rest of the day. Has he really fallen for Emma to be engaged to her this quickly? ¡°Anna, what''s going on? You didn''t respond.¡± Millie gazed at me curiously at my prolonged silence. ¡°It''s... nothing.¡± I stared at my shoes in an attempt to hide my despair. ¡°You have your mind so buried in work that you don''t even seem to care about Mr. Shaw''s engagement,¡± Millie remarked, apparently displeased that I did not react in the way she had expected me to. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. I waited for Millie to leave before turning my gaze toward the CEO''s office. Michael was in there, about to be engaged to Emma in a couple of days. I had mentally prepared myself for this eventuality, but it still hurt more than I could bear. The rest of my day was spent in a daze. I had contemted to barge into Michael''s office to beg him not to go through with the engagement by telling him how I felt a few times. However, I managed to control the irresistible impulse every time. I just didn''t have it in me to do something as brazen as that. On the way home from work, I opted to walk along the road instead of taking the subway. As I walked, my mind swirled with the news of their engagement. Being as upied as I was, I did not notice the Ferrari driving slowly next to me to match my pace. I didn''t even hear the driver tooting his horn obnoxiously, to the chagrin of other pedestrians. ¡°Anna!¡± shouted a familiar voice. I nced toward the direction of the voice only to see Ronan''s handsome face staring in my direction. However, I was not in the mood. With merely a nce at him, I continued with my forward march. How nice it would have been if it were Michael who had stopped beside me. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 When Ronan noticed me ignoring him, an annoyed look crept onto his face, and he yelled, ¡°Anna, what kind of response is that? I''m talking to you!¡± I frowned as my mood soured. I was not in the mood to fight with him. All I wanted was some peace. ¡°What happened to you? Why did you ignore me? Have I offended you in any way?¡± Ronan asked as he stuck he head out of the window. He could sense that I was not being myself. ¡°You didn''t make me mad. I just want to have some time alone. Don''t follow me,¡± I uttered without sparing him a nce. Then, I quickened my pace. In the past, Ronan would insist on following me, but to my surprise, he listened to me. It made me rx. Soon, I came to a river and sat there alone. It was spacious and quiet, which was exactly what I wanted. I did not want to say nor do anything. After I heard about Michael''s engagement, it felt like someone had stuck their hand into my chest and dug my heart out. I felt hollow on the inside. I sat there for what seemed like ages. The sky gradually darkened, but I still did not want to go home. That was a ce that harbored the memories of Michael and me, so it would only make me suffer. Once he was engaged with Emma, I would not even have the right to even fantasize about being with him anymore. Therefore, I had to learn to control myself. At some point, Ronan appeared and came to sit by my side. ¡°What happened? You seem upset,¡± he asked. ¡°He''s getting engaged this week,¡± I murmured as I stared at the surface of the river. It felt as if it was a reply to Ronan and a reminder to myself too. Ronan turned around to look at me. He kept quiet, but I could see the sadness he felt for me in his eyes. ¡°Do you know that I was really upset when I heard that he was getting engaged earlier today?¡± My eyes remained fixed to the front. It did not matter to me if Ronan would reply. To me, he was just a listener. Perhaps I would feel better after telling him the things that were bothering me. He sighed. Then, he reached out to pull me into his arms. ¡°Remember that you have me no matter what. I won''t ever hurt you or make you sad.¡± The determined way he said that was as if he was promising me something. I did not know whether he wasforting me or he meant what he said but those words made my heart shudder. I was really touched. ¡°If only he were you...¡± I thought I was strong. Not a single tear had escaped from my eyes when I heard about Michael''s engagement. Yet, my tears started falling upon hearing Ronan''s words. ¡°If only he were you...¡± In that period of time, I could sense that Ronan''s feelings for me were genuine. Moreover, he had done so much for me. I was truly moved by him, but he was not Michael. If Michael were him, I would''ve been the happiest person on earth, wouldn''t I? However, the words I said hurt Ronan instead. Right as they left my lips, I could sense him tensing up as a disappointed look shed past his face. It was as clear as day how important Michael was to me from those words. ¡°I wish I were him too. That way, the one you love would be me, not the man who''s always making you sad.¡± Every time I talked to Ronan, it was because Michael made me upset. I had been venting to him without considering his feelings. As it turned out, I, too, was a selfish person. I knew Ronan had feelings for him, but I still continued to tell him about the other man I love. I guessed he must have felt sad every time he listened to me. ¡°Sorry. I shouldn''t have said that earlier. You''re who you are, you''re an excellent person too,¡± I hastily apologized when I realized my words might have hurt him. Although I wanted to pour out my feelings, I did not want to upset the other person when I did that. ¡°So what if I''m excellent? I still can''t catch your attention.¡± Ronan was unfazed by my praise. Normally, my praise would have made his day. Yet, he remained calm. ¡°You''re important to me, but I don''t like you romantically. Ronan, you''re someone who cares about me.¡± Then, I hugged him. Other than Natalie, Ronan was probably another one of my best friend. He was a ray of sunshine, bringing warmth and light into my life. ¡°That''s enough. Can you not continue saying those words that''ll break my heart? I''ve heard them thousands of times by now,¡± Ronan interrupted frustratedly when he heard me rifying our rtionship. I knew he did not like what I said, but it was the truth. He had to realize that we were notpatible. Hopefully, he would not keep sacrificing himself for me. In the past, I would have been adamant about continuing the topic. However, I was not in the mood to talk about us. We were silent for a long time. In the end, Ronan was the one who broke the silence. ¡°It is a beautiful night, and this ce is quiet. Why don''t we have a drink?¡± ¡°A drink? Where would we get that?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. A drink was exactly what I wanted, but getting it would seem difficult in a ce like this. ¡°I knew you were in a bad mood, so I''ve bought some drinks on my way here. It''s in the trunk. I''ll get it.¡± It was not long since I knew Ronan, but it was as if he knew me so well. He was able to guess what I wanted to say. ¡°Quite the preparation. Go ahead. I''ll wait for you here,¡± I said after giving him a small smile. Right as I thought Ronan would let me go and head to his car, he abruptly pecked a kiss on my forehead. At that, my heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I was in a daze. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 By the time I came back to my senses, Ronan was gone. He sneaked a kiss! Isn''t he getting more and more courageous? Have I been too nice and gentle to him recently? I was unhappy about Ronan kissing me, but I was not as angry as I thought I would be. Soon, he returned with a bag of beer. Still sitting by my side, he opened a bottle and handed it to me. Instead of taking it, I looked at him and grumbled, ¡°What did you do earlier?¡± He froze for a second when he heard my question. In the next second, a cheeky expression crept onto his face, and he grinned. ¡°I kissed you. Didn''t you realize that?¡± Glee was written all over his face, and for a moment, I had the urge to smack him. ¡°Ronan, have you forgotten what I said to you? How dare you kiss me? Are you asking for a good round of beating?¡± That was simply outrageous. However, the more he acted that way, the more annoyed I was. ¡°I''ve liked you for such a long time. What''s wrong with me stealing a kiss? I didn''t do anything to cross the line anyway,¡± Ronan whined. His words only made me angrier. ¡°ording to your theory, if you were to have feelings for me for a few years, you''ll get to sleep with me?¡± I could not understand what kind of logic he had. He has liked me for a while, so he gets to kiss me? Does he mean that if he likes me for a long time, he''ll get to sleep with me? ¡°If you want it, I''d do it dly.¡± My words were meant to be a retort, but it was as if the implication had gone over his head. In fact, he had even twisted the meaning of my words. Furious, I red at him. Right as I was about to say something, he interrupted me. ¡°Let me tell you a secret,¡± he muttered as he leaned closer to me with that same grin on his face. I was a curious cat, so my interest was piqued by the mysterious way he said that. I wanted to find out what secrets Ronan could possibly have. At my apparent interest, his grin widened. Leaning closer to my ear, he whispered, ¡°I''m very good in bed. I canst a long time, and I''m big and long. If you''d like to have a go with me, I''ll be more than happy to serve you.¡± ¡°Ronan, what you need is a punch!¡± The shameless words of Ronan made my face flush bright red. In the next second, I smacked my palm onto the back of his head. He is so shameless to say such things to me! When will he ever be serious? We''re friends, so how can he say something like that? Ronan was staring at me with a displeased expression, but he whined, ¡°Anna, can''t you be gentler with me? I''m a handsome man. You can''t keep hitting me like this.¡± ¡°Whatever. You''re not allowed to say this to me anymore. I''ll smack you every time you do that.¡± Actually, I was not angry with him. Instead, I felt awkward, for we were supposed to be friends and nothing more. However, I knew that he loved teasing others, so he was only joking with me earlier. ¡°Do you have to be so cruel? If you won''t let me sleep with you, why can''t you let me just think about it?¡± he mumbled with a frown. ¡°If you say this again, Ronan, I''ll ignore you for the rest of my life.¡± He''s getting more and more shameless. Even as friends, a joke like this is definitely overbearing. ¡°All right, all right. I won''t say it anymore. I was just joking with you.¡± Noticing my anger, Ronan stopped and began apologizing to me frantically. Nevertheless, the frown remained on my face as I kept quiet. The upsetting feeling about his words was still churning in my stomach. ¡°Here, let''s not talk about that anymore. Have a drink. Aren''t you in a bad mood today? I''ll drink with you until we drop.¡± My silence made Ronan panic even more. It seemed like he realized he had taken the joke too far earlier. Hearing that, I decided to let the matter go. Taking the beer from his hand, I then began gulping down the content. I didn''t know when I had started the habit of drinking whenever I felt frustrated. Maybe I''ll end up as an alcoholic. Knowing that I seemed to have forgiven him, Ronan sighed in relief. He then began drinking as well. Soon, the two of us finished all the beers. My alcohol tolerance was far from good; it was only two bottles before I began losing track of my surrounding. Ronan''s face had turned red from the alcohol as well. I just realized it''s always Ronan who kept me company whenever I''m vexed about something. Honestly, I''m d he''s around. A long whileter, both of us finished several bottles respectively. I could feel my head spinning, so I rested on Ronan''s shoulder, not wanting to move anymore. ¡°Ronan, I think I had too much...¡± I could barely speak those words without slurring. ¡°Same here.¡± There was a simrly drunk look on Ronan''s face. He''s no better than me. ¡°How are we getting home? I want to go home and sleep.¡± I was drunk, and so was Ronan. Neither of us knew how we were going to make it home at that point. ¡°Lean on my shoulder and sleep, then. I promise I won''t do anything to you.¡± Ronan tilted his head to the side as he began slurring as well. My mind was nothing but mush, so I did not know what to say. Thus, I closed my eyes and rested instead. However, the night by the river was freezing. At the start, the breeze feltfortable, but soon, I began shivering. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. With that, I moved closer into Ronan''s arms, trying to steal some of his warmth. An indefinite amount of time passed, and in my drunken state, I felt someone draping a jacket over me. Ronan sobered up so quickly? With much effort, I opened my eyes. After blinking away the blurriness, what greeted me was the sight of Michael''s face. My heart sank before I blurted out, ¡°Ronan, I can''t believe I''m seeing you as Michael. Say, do you think I''m missing him too much?¡± Then, I startedughing at myself. The look on the man''s face darkened right after hearing my words. In fact, I could even see the rage in his eyes. Chapter 238 Chapter 238 I frowned in dissatisfaction when I felt Ronan''s coldness. I initially wanted to say a few words in protest. However, because I felt dizzy, I held my tongue and closed my eyes to sleep. The next day, I reluctantly opened my eyes because the sunlight caused difort to my eyes. I spent quite some time adapting myself to the brightness. When I got up to change my clothes, I was surprised to find myself in my own room. What happened? Didn''t I drink with Ronan and fall asleep by the river? Why am I at home now? What transpired? Did Ronan bring me home? But I thought I saw Michaelst night. Could it have been him? I tried to recall how I had made my way home. However, I rejected the thought of Michael being the one who brought me home the moment it surfaced in my mind. Since Michael was busy preparing for the engagement ceremony, I figured he didn''t have time to bring me home. Besides, he couldn''t possibly do it, for he didn''t know I had been drinking with Ronan by the river. In that case, there was only a probable exnation ¡ª Ronan brought me home after he sobered up. Since the man had drunk a lot yesterday, I was surprised that he could still bring me home. As such, I couldn''t help but think that I had underestimated Ronan, for he could drink like a fish. I initially wanted to call him to thank him for his help. Nheless, I dismissed the thought once I realized that my phone had shut down due to a low battery percentage. It was already past 8 a.m. when I checked the time. Since I would probably bete to work, I immediately changed my clothes and freshened up. As I was brushing my teeth, a wave of nausea engulfed me all of a sudden. I tried to vomit but didn''t end up throwing up anything. I frowned and looked at my pale face in the mirror. Then, I heaved a sigh at the thought of me not yet sobering myself up because I had too much alcoholst night. I couldn''t help but feel curious about why I hadn''t been able to hold my liquor. After all, I only had two to three bottles of beer. It was a wonder why I still felt like throwing up the next morning. Due to time constraints, I took a cab instead of the subway. Despite that transportation change, I was stillte to work. When I arrived, Michael was standing in the office of the design department and saying something. My heart skipped a beat uncontrobly once I saw him. Nheless, I concealed my emotions and lowered my head as I walked toward my desk. However, my presence still grabbed everyone''s attention because Michael was having a meeting with every staff. As if he could tell that I felt extremely uneasy, he shifted his gaze toward my face. ¡°I realize that many of our staffete to work recently, particrly those from the design department!¡± I was startled upon hearing it, for he was criticizing me in front of everyone. I felt a little angry, but the feeling of sadness overruled that emotion. After maintaining myposure, I stood up and said to Michael calmly, ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shaw. I''ll never bete to work next time.¡± As Michael stared at me, I lowered my head and dared not to meet his gaze. In the past, the man wouldn''t say anything if I waste. Now that he had scolded me before everyone in the design department, I wondered if it was a sign that he didn''t care about our past rtionship anymore. It wasn''t my intention to disregard thepany''s rules, merely because I used to sleep with Michael. Nheless, I felt hurt when he criticized me before everyone. ¡°From now on, whoever iste to work will have a month''s bonus deducted!¡± he announced coldly after ncing at me. Once the man gave the order, everyone turned their hot gazes toward me. In thispany, a month''s bonus could sometimes be higher than our sries. Hence, deducting bonuses due toteness was a disproportionately heavy punishment. I lowered my head and fell silent. However, tears welled in my eyes uncontrobly, for I couldn''t understand his motive for doing so. Is he trying to embarrass me and force me out of thepany? ¡°Anna,e to my office now!¡± Michael nced at me again and growled out crossly. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. With that, Michael walked into his office. Every staff in the design department was frightened and dared not utter a word. Although I didn''t know what he wanted to tell me, it would be something unpleasant to hear. After all, his recent attitude toward me was the clearest sign. Meanwhile, many of them shed me a gleeful nce, for they probably thought something terrible would ensue soon. As I came into the CEO''s office, Michael nced at me from his desk as though he was waiting for me specifically. ¡°Mr. Shaw, may I know why you want to see me?¡± When only a two-meter distance stood between us, I halted in my tracks and lowered my head. Besides, I tried my best to make myself calm. ¡°What do you think the reason is?¡± Michael gazed at me aloofly and asked me back. As I looked at him, I could see his eyes beaming with anger. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I''ve already apologized for beingte to work. I promise not to repeat it. Please give me a chance.¡± Since he had embarrassed me in front of all my colleagues over my tardiness, my first thought was that he wanted to continue scolding me. ¡°Why do you always get drunk recently? Do you think you can bete to work just because you''ve drunk too much?¡± Michael questioned furiously. My heart lurched upon hearing it. I looked at Michael shockingly and wondered how he knew I had beente because I was hungover. ¡°How... how did you know?¡± I frowned, feeling at a loss. Given that I had drunk with Ronanst night, he was supposedly the only one who knew it. ¡°You reek with alcohol! Do you think no one will notice it? Anna, you''re the staff of mypany. I don''t want my staff to have a messy private life!¡± Michael said coldly and gave me a look of reproach. As I was already in a bad mood, his usation about my private life hurt me even more. ¡°Messy private life? Am I a promiscuous woman in your eyes? Don''t you know why I drankst night? It was because you and Emma are about to get engaged! Michael, have you ever truly cared about my feelings?¡± With that, Iughed bitterly and nced at the man. A momentter, tears welled up in my eyes, for I didn''t wish to hold in my emotions anymore. I felt incredibly drained after faking my feelings every day. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Michael froze when he realized that I was emotional. He frowned deeply and stared at me for a long time but didn''t utter a word. Meanwhile, I met his gaze squarely. Michael would probably think that I wanted to be with him out of sincerity or the need to get money. No matter what he thought of me, I didn''t care and only wished to vent my feelings at him at that moment. ¡°Anna, what do you mean when you say such things? Do you want to continue to be with me?¡± Michael''s eyes were unreadable. Besides, his t tone of voice made it difficult for me to guess if he was delighted or furious. He used to warn me many times that we were merely friends with benefits. Also, he reminded me that I shouldn''t have any expectations nor feelings for him. However, my words clearly revealed that I was fond of him. My heart raced because I was unsure how to answer him. I was afraid that I could hardly convince him nor myself if I told him that I wished to end our rtionship. After all, I truly liked him. I wanted to open my mouth to say something, but a sudden wave of nausea overcame me. I couldn''t help but bend down and retched. The next moment, I quickly ran out of the office. Given that Michael was germophobic, I could imagine that he would break down mentally if I vomited in his office. Although everyone was looking at me, I didn''t have time to keep my grace and dashed toward the washroom hastily. In the washroom, I stood in front of the vessel sink and retched uncontrobly. However, just like what happened in the morning, I only threw up some gastric juice. I frowned as I looked at my pale face in the mirror. I had to admit that I did drink a lot the night before. However, since I usually had a high alcohol tolerance, I wasn''t sure why I felt so ufortable this time. I continued sshing my face with some cold water in an attempt to sober myself up. Deep down, I told myself not to drink too much anymore, for I wouldn''t want to feel this amount of difort anymore. I stayed in the washroom for quite some time beforeing out. Knowing that Michael and I had nothing to talk about, I didn''t bother heading back to his office. Moreover, I wasn''t obliged to answer any of his questions. As I returned to my desk, I saw Michael standing at the door and staring at me as if he wanted to scrutinize me. Although I didn''t know what was on his mind, I avoided his gaze, pretending that I didn''t see him. After all, his attitude toward me earlier on revealed that there was nothing to talk about between us. ¡°What''s wrong, Anna? You don''t look well. Are you sick?¡± Millie, who stood in front of me, asked me with concern in her tone the moment she saw how pale I looked. I still felt waves of nausea while sitting at my desk; nheless, I was a lot better than just now. ¡°I''m alright. My stomach just feels slightly ufortable. I threw up in the washroom just now,¡± I exined weakly and shed her a smile as a gesture to thank her for her kindness. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmm, could it be that you''re pregnant? I have a friend who just got pregnant, and she looks just like you now,¡± Millie stated as she looked at me curiously. Meanwhile, my heart skipped a beat upon hearing it. My mind went nk, for I had never thought about the possibility of being pregnant. My period came a dayter this month. Nheless, since I had had irregr periods, I never thought about pregnancy. Despite Millie''s reminder, I could hardly believe that I was pregnant. ¡°I don''t think so. I think my body simply can''t take the amount of alcohol I drankst night. Anyway, I''ll feel better when I have some pills at hometer.¡± I shed Millie a stiff smile and denied her casual suggestion of the possibility of pregnancy. ¡°Alright. I initially thought you would have good newsing your way. Now I realize that you drank too muchst night.¡± Millie looked somehow disappointed after listening to my exnation. After that, she lowered her head and proceeded with her work silently. Meanwhile, I felt uneasy and worried that the woman was right about it. After all, I had never prepared myself mentally for pregnancy and would be clueless on how to proceed from that point in my life if it was true. As I lowered my head frustratedly, my mind was in turmoil as it repeatedly yed Millie''s words. Besides, Michael had probably heard our conversation because he was still standing at the door of his office. Nheless, I deliberately ignored his gaze the entire time I was at work. After getting off work, I bought some pregnancy test kits from a pharmacy. Since many people said pregnancy test kits weren''t 100% urate, I decided to buy a few kits to check more than once. The first thing I did after I got home was rushing into the washroom to do the test. When the first red line appeared, I was nervous and kept staring at the rising liquid. Deep down, I was praying to God that I wasn''t pregnant. Unfortunately, things didn''t go as I wished because a faint second line soon appeared. My heart sank instantly at the sight of it. I''m really pregnant... Since I had never thought about such a possibility before, I was anxious and clueless about what I ought to do next. I had never experienced abortion. Also, I grew scared at the thought of thought going infertile; many people had be infertile after undergoing such a procedure. After a moment, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Since it was only the first test, I told myself that the result was possibly inurate. With that remaining hope in mind, I took the rest of the test kits and tried them one by one. However, the results were all consistent¡ªI was really pregnant. Each test kit had two red lines ¡ª one was clear, while the other was faint. Once all the test kits showed two lines, myst hope was shattered. Needless to say, I was a 100% pregnant. What should I do now... I had never experienced such a dilemma before. I now carried Michael''s baby, but our rtionship had long ago ended. If I gave birth to the baby, it would mean that I had conceived a child out of wedlock. I knew I would feel a wave of shame about myself, and my parents would probably drive me out of the house out of anger. Hence, the only thought I had was to get an abortion. Since I couldn''t keep the baby, it was the only way out. After all, I wouldn''t be able to stand it when people talked ill of me if I had indeed conceived a baby out of wedlock. I took my phone out with shivering hands and scrolled through it, looking for Michael''s number in my contact list. The fear of getting an abortion was overwhelming, so I hoped he could apany me to the hospital. I needed him to provide me with some kind of support. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 I hesitated for a long time. In the end, I decided to turn off my phone. I didn''t have the courage to call Michael. If he found about my pregnancy, he would definitely be furious. He would probably think I had purposely gotten myself pregnant. I had a sleepless night, worrying about my pregnancy. When I made my way to the office the next day, I was in a really bad state of mind. I had been absent-minded at work ever since I realized I was pregnant. I couldn''t focus on my work at all. At noon, when everyone else went for lunch, I didn''t bother. I didn''t have much of an appetite. Besides, I wasn''t in the mood. As soon as the entire department left during the break, I turned on theputer to search for information about the abortion procedure. I had no other choice but to abort the baby. My heart was in my throat when I read about the risks of having an abortion. I was already scared, and after reading about the risks involved, I began to worry even more about it. As I was concentrating on it, the door of the CEO''s office opened. I hurriedly closed the page, pretending to be working. Michael walked out of the office. He was a little surprised when he saw me, but he made his way towards me anyway. He stood behind me and asked indifferently, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± I could feel his hard gaze on me. ¡°I''m not hungry, and I still haven''t finished my work.¡± I didn''t bother raising my head as I spoke; I didn''t want to look at Michael. After I had found out about my pregnancyst night, I was truly afraid to face him. Michael was smart and quick-witted, so I was afraid that he might notice something. Will he change his mind and be together with me if he knows I''m pregnant? I immediately got panicked at that thought. Am I actually thinking about using the baby to threaten Michael to be with me? How could I think such a thing? Since when did I be such a scheming woman? ¡°What happened to you yesterday? You had an upset stomach because you drank too much? Is that true?¡± The man''s sudden question about me retching yesterday had caught mepletely off guard. I felt even more panicked. Did he really discover something? ¡°Yeah. I drank too much. My stomach was not well.¡± I tried my best to sound calm, not wanting him to notice something was off. I then made up my mind to get an abortion as soon as possible. I was afraid that he might get to the bottom of what went wrong. Fortunately, he didn''t ask any further questions. His eyes fell on my face for a moment before he left. Once he was gone, I let out a long sigh of relief. I could still feel my heart pounding because of nervousness. After work, I headed straight to the hospital. I had already studied a little about abortion, but it was still information I had gotten on the inte. It would be better to rify things through a doctor. At the hospital, I went to the obstetrics and gynecology consultation room. It was my first time visiting such a ce, so I seemed to be constrained and nervous. I couldn''t bring myself to rx in front of the doctor. ¡°Are you pregnant? Or?¡± I didn''t reply. After a brief moment of awkward silence, I spoke, ¡°I believe you''re pregnant.¡± I kept my head down as I whispered those few words. ¡°Alright. Please proceed for a checkup. I will look at your medical report soon.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The doctor finished the notes on the prepared report as she spoke. After the Doppler Ultrasound and blood test, I held my medical report and walked into the consultation room again. Looking at my test result, the doctor''s expression was indifferent. ¡°Your result looks fine. The baby seems healthy so far, so there''s nothing unusual with your report. Just remember to rest well. Don''t overexert yourself.¡± Upon hearing the doctor''s words, I lowered my head, unsure of how to respond. In fact, it was a wonderful feeling to know that there was another life in my stomach. I secretly hoped I would one day have a baby that wasn''t birthed through wedlock. ¡°Are there any other questions?¡± the doctor frowned in confusion at the sight of my reaction and asked. ¡°Actually, I came here to get an abortion. I don''t wish to keep the baby.¡± In the end, I decided not to keep the baby. ¡°You don''t want the baby? Have you thought it through?¡± The doctor''s expression darkened upon hearing that. She did a great job at maintaining her professionalism as a doctor, but I was aware of how her gaze had changed upon hearing me say such a thing. ¡°Yes. I''ve considered it carefully. I can''t keep the baby. So, please arrange the surgery for me as soon as possible.¡± I had pondered over my decision for a long while and finally made up my mind after hesitating many times. ¡°Fine. If that''s the case, then I''ll schedule your surgery this weekend. I''ll be on duty then. Besides, you''ll probably be working on weekdays. Do you have time during weekends toe?¡± The doctor immediately scheduled a time for me. ¡°That arrangement sounds good. Thank you so much.¡± It would be Michael''s engagement on the weekend. Meanwhile, I would be aborting our baby on the same day. How ironic! After exiting the hospital, I was surprised to see that I didn''t feel any sense of relief even though the surgery time and date were confirmed. Instead, I actually began to feel a little depressed. After all, it was another life in my stomach. It was such a cruel decision not to allow the baby toe into this world. How could a mother be so cold-blooded to her own kid? I felt so guilty and remorseful. But I really didn''t have any idea on what else I could do. This was the first time I was experiencing a situation like this. My thoughts had been a jumbled mess ever since I found out about my pregnancy. Except for abortion, I didn''t know what other options I had. As I walked down the streets, my phone rang ¡ª it was Ronan on the line. Immediately, I felt myself grow irritated. The moment I answered the phone, Ronan asked me out for a meal, but I rejected him almost instantly. After the mentally exhausting day I had, I was not really in the mood for a meal. It seemed that Ronan could feel my irritation over the phone. Hence, he didn''t insist on it and ended the call. I sat down by the side of the road, suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling of loneliness. I hade to a realization that there was no one by my side when I was going through such a hard time. I retrieved my phone and searched for Michael''s number. I hesitated for a long time and finally made that call. The call went through almost immediately, and the man sounded deep and sexy on the other side of the phone as he said, ¡°Hello?¡± I immediately teared up upon hearing his voice. I didn''t know what I should tell him; I didn''t even know I had called him in the first ce. ¡°You''re getting engaged in two days. Congrattions.¡± I was silent before saying those snipped words. The man on the other end of the phone remained silent. I could hear the sound of him breathing heavily; he was silent for quite a while. I thought he didn''t wish to speak with me. Therefore, I moved to end the call. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 ¡°Where are you?¡± Just as I was going to end the call, I heard Michael''s deep voice sound from the other end. My heart trembled upon hearing his question. I stuttered out two words, about to give him an answer, ¡°I''m at...¡± ¡°Michael, hurry over. Let''s discuss the details of our engagement.¡± I was interrupted by Emma''s voice from the other side of the phone. My heart sank. Apparently, he was with Emma now. It was obvious that they were discussing their wedding details. That fact was like a cut to the heart. Not wanting to bother the two of them, I didn''t answer Michael''s question, hanging up the phone instead. I hated myself for being such a fool. The two of them were going to get engaged soon, but I still couldn''t get over him. Despite knowing the fact that he was not going to be mine, I had still contacted him. I was no different from a homewrecker. I sat by the side of the road and chuckled darkly, finding my own antics ridiculous. I had really overestimated myself. Michael had already decided to get married to Emma. Of course, he wouldn''t take me seriously. I buried my head in my knees, feeling utterly lonely and vulnerable. The sky slowly got dark as I remained sitting by the street. Many pedestrians couldn''t help but shoot me weird gazes as they passed by. However, I wasn''t bothered by it. I didn''t know how long I had been squatting there. Suddenly, bright lights shed in the direction of my eyes. Instinctively, I covered my eyes with my hands. If it was any other time, I would definitely be angry and went after the driver, but today I was not in the mood for any confrontation. The car with the blinding headlights came to a screeching halt in front of me. The next second, my heart skipped a beat the moment I recognized the person who had just exited the car. Michael? What is he doing here? I don''t remember telling him my whereabouts. Michael strode over and looked at me from above. His handsome face looked grim. ¡°Get in the car!¡± he domineeringly ordered before I could say anything. ¡°Why are you here? Aren''t you supposed to be discussing your wedding details with Emma?¡± I tilted my head up and stared at him, not bothering to move from where I was. My heart was feeling inexplicable pain. ¡°I said, get in the car!¡± I remained on the floor. There was a hint of anger in Michael''s voice as he yelled at me, and his gaze was growing colder by the minute. My brows furrowed slightly upon hearing his tone. I didn''t want anything to do with him anymore; I shouldn''t have made that call earlier. He looked at me furiously. The next second, he strode right in front of me and pulled me up. Then, I was pushed into his car forcefully. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°What are you doing, Michael? Why are you here looking for me instead of spending time with Emma?¡± Michael sped down the road, ignoring my question. I stared at him angrily with eyes that seemed to be zing with fire. ¡°Aren''t you trying to make mee here? Is that not the reason you called me earlier?¡± Michael took a nce at me and answered coldly. He had read my mind. All of a sudden, I was at loss for words. Feeling guilty, I hurriedly moved my gaze away. I really couldn''t hide anything from him. ¡°Did you call me to stop me from getting engaged with Emma?¡± Michael was speeding down the road at an inhumane speed while asking that. Although he had his eyes fixed on the road, his voice was oddly calm. ¡°No, I didn''t. I''ve never thought of ruining your marriage.¡± He must be thinking I want to ruin their engagement ceremony. Perhaps, he came all the way here to give me a warning. ¡°Anna, do you think you can lie to my face about things?¡± Michael was evidently extremely unhappy with my denial. His brows were tightly furrowed as he shot me a stern look. ¡°Michael, there''s only one thing I have to ask you.¡± I lowered my head, feeling down. How can I stop him from marrying Emma? ¡°Go on!¡± The man looked impatient. ¡°We were together for a long time. Have you ever truthfully liked me?¡± After being silent for quite a while, I finally popped the question. Michael had been saying that we were just friends with benefits. There was nothing else more than that. However, I was not willing to ept the truth. As soon as I asked that question, the man immediately mmed on the brakes. When the car rolled to a stop, he turned to look at me with a grim expression on his face. I looked him in the eyes calmly, patiently waiting for his answer. I was aware of his engagement, but it would be a great constion if I knew that he had actually liked me once. ¡°I did,¡± Michael answered with a calm expression. Initially, I thought he was going to warn me and make sure I know my ce. However, his answer was beyond my expectation. He actually said he liked me... ¡°Michael, you...¡± My eyes widened as I looked at him. I couldn''t believe my ears. Michael had never admitted to openly liking me before. But this time... ¡°I said I do like you. Don''t you understand?¡± My surprised face ignited a frown out of Michael. He sounded quite displeased. I stared at his eyes that were full of seriousness, and at that moment, I felt really content. A lump in my throat rose in my throat several momentster. Hence, I averted my eyes, afraid that I would lose control of my emotions and bury myself in his arms. ¡°Anna, I have to admit that you''re the one and only woman whom I have truly liked ¡ª maybe even loved. But as you know, I''ve never been a person who let my feelings get the upper hand over me.¡± I could tell that he was actually reminding me of his engagement with those words. Even if I was the person he had feelings for, his final choice would still be Emma. My mouth gradually curved into a bitter smile. I wasn''t surprised at all. I had seen thising, but it still really hurt. I turned to look at him and replied earnestly, ¡°I understand. I have never thought of interfering with your wedding.¡± I sucked in a deep breath at that, trying to remain calm. ¡°That''s good. I hate scheming women who try all sorts of tactics to get what they want. You''re the woman I love. I hope you won''t let me down!¡± Though he sounded as if he was satisfied with my answer, his expression didn''t show any signs of happiness. Upon hearing his warning, I lowered my head and remained silent. ¡°I''ll send you home. How could you sit there alone at this hour? Aren''t you afraid of being in danger?¡± Upon saying that, Michael started his car again, driving toward Birchwood. He sped along the road all the way, so we arrived within ten minutes. We walked into the house side by side ¡ª sometimes we had done ages ago. ¡°Have a good rest.¡± Michael nced at me calmly as he spoke. Then, he turned around and prepared to leave. I didn''t know what had gotten into me, but I hurriedly wrapped my arms around his waist tightly, pleading, ¡°Can you stay with me tonight?¡± I would never have a chance to spend time with Michael anymore in another two days. I guessed tonight would be myst chance of feeling the type of happiness only he could bring me. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 ¡°Anna,¡± Michael called out my name gently. Even though I did not see his face, I could feel that he must have thought that I wanted to get back together with him. Instantly, I let go of my hand. Compared to wanting him to stay, I did not want him to misinterpret my feelings. I thought he would walk away. But to my surprise, he turned to me abruptly and started kissing me forcefully. Knowing that he would have a fianc¨¦e soon, I knew I should not be doing this. But the fact was that I could no longer control myself. It was, without doubt, the first time I loved someone so humbly. I had long gotten used to his obsessive and robust kiss, and I somehow enjoyed it. Wrapping my arms affectionately around his neck, I closed my eyes and responded to his kiss. He seemed extraordinarily passionate today. Maybe it was because we had separated for a long time, and he had started to miss the feel of my body. The kisssted for a long time before Michael carried me into the bedroom. He ced me on the bed and began taking off my clothes. At that moment, I recalled reading from the inte that sex was not rmended during the first three months of pregnancy, as it might cause a miscarriage. Although I had already decided to abort this baby, I was still worried about any ident that might happen. ¡°Michael, please stop...¡± As soon as his hand started touching beneath my shirt, I grabbed it nervously, trying to stop him. Seeing my gesture, he furrowed his eyes in discontent. ¡°Why? Am I making you ufortable?¡± Michael was a confident man in bed, as he knew perfectly about all the woman''s sensitive spots. Thus, he was baffled when I stopped him abruptly. ¡°Let''s not do that today. Okay?¡± I looked him in the eyes and finally spoke after hesitated for a long while. I knew best that he was like a crazy beast when making love. That was why I feared there was a big chance it would cause some degree of harm toward my baby. ¡°Anna, are you fooling around with me? Why did you tempt me just now then?¡± Upon hearing what I said, his eyes zed with rage. He would be pissed every time I stopped him halfway, so I was not surprised by his reaction. Especially when we had not met for such a long time; I had expected him to react exactly in such a manner. ¡°It''s a little inconvenient for me today...¡± I spoke with a meek voice while gazing at his eyes. ¡°Inconvenient? Why? You aren''t on your period now, right?¡± Obviously, he was not satisfied with my hesitance. ¡°Michael, I really can''t. Let''s just chat tonight, okay?¡± I grasped his arm tightly, pleading with him. He looked utterly displeased as he spat out, ¡°Anna, are you telling me not to touch you?¡± I nodded in silence. I knew it would piss him off, but I could not tell him the real reason for my refusal. ¡°Fine. Since you''re not avable down there, let''s use other parts then.¡± At that, his expression turned into anticipation. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I looked at him in confusion, unable toprehend his words. ¡°Help me with these.¡± He snickered as his finger touched my lips lustfully. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. I was a grown woman. Thus, I would be a fool if I still failed to understand what he meant. ¡°Can I use my hand?¡± I stared at him awkwardly, trying to persuade him with a soft voice. Frankly, I found it preposterous to jerk a man off with my hand, but it was way more eptable compared to using my mouth. ¡°Anna, there''s no third option. Make your decision.¡± Michael did not consider my suggestion at all. My heart dropped; I knew he would not give in. But for the sake of my baby, it seemed like I had to go with my mouth. While I was still trying to clear my thoughts, Michael had already taken off his pants. ¡°Michael, I...¡± I was still trying to talk him out of this. But before I could finish my sentence, his hands had grabbed my head firmly. Fortunately, seeing my struggling expression, he was still willing to slow down his pace. I was unsure if it was too exciting for him or if he deliberately shortened the time to save my struggle, but itsted not more than half an hour. Upon seeing him finally satisfied, I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That was good. We should have tried it long ago.¡± Michaelid down and held me in his embrace, his expression beaming with delight. He was happy, but in contrast, my heart was beyond exasperated. As he was having a great time alone, it was but such an awful experience for me. If I knew he would behave so rudely, I would not have wanted him to stay. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 That night, I did not manage to catch even a wink of sleep. Within my mind, all I could think of was Michael''s engagement n with Emma. ¡°Michael, are you really willing to marry Emma? Won''t you regret it?¡± I had been contemting how to ask that question for a very long time, but I eventually failed to suppress my doubt. When I spoke, I was not even sure if Michael was still awake. ¡°So what if I''m not willing?¡± He answered my question with another question. Nheless, I could sense that he did not seem that bothered to proceed with the engagement. ¡°If you''re not willing, why would you do it then? Don''t you think spending a life with someone you don''t love is quite a miserable life?¡± I turned around to face him with my eyes looking extremely earnest. ¡°Not everything in this life goes as we please.¡± He stared back at me, his tone utterlyposed. But somehow, I could felt slight helplessness in it. I was at a loss for words at that moment. Perhaps he has a good reason to follow and ept the arrangement made by his family. It seemed like love was not the top priority in his world. ¡°It''ste. We should get some sleep.¡± Trying hard to suppress the sorrow in my heart, I closed my eyes after saying that. I was not sleepy at all, but I was petrified to continue the conversation with him. I feared that I would eventually find out that he would not cancel the engagement regardless of his feelings for me. As I closed my eyes tightly, but I could feel Michael still gazing at me. After a short moment, he reached his hand and caressed my face gently. My body trembled slightly upon feeling his touch. At that instant, I wished I could jump right into his embrace and beg him not to marry Emma. But who am I to ask him for that? And even if I said it, I was not sure if he would change his mind. ¡°Giving up on you might be the hardest decision I will ever have to make in this life.¡± With his hand still on my face, he whispered out those words. Upon hearing that, my chest heaved up and down as I tried to suppress my emotions. I could feel the sincerity in his words, but I could notprehend why a man would choose his career over his happiness. In the end, I did not open my eyes to face him, eventually dozing off without realizing it. I slept soundly that night; I guess Michael gave me a unique sense of security. However, Michael had already left when I woke up the next morning. Staring at the deserted room, I felt a sudden emptiness within my heart. Are we really bing strangers from now on? I sat on the bed with my hands wrapped tightly around my legs. I started thinking back on all our memories. Even though Michael often treated me coldly and domineeringly, he was the only one who was there for me whenever I needed help. Staring at the empty bed, I could still smell his scent from it. Last night would most probably be thest time I would ever get to meet him. I locked myself from the world for these two days. I did not dare to turn on the television nor the computer at all, as all the news would be broadcasting about Michael''s sensational engagement. I did not think I would be able to ept that reality. During the weekend, I finally got out of my room, heading towards the hospital. On this same day, Michael would be getting engaged with Emma. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. On the day of my appointment for my abortion, I arrived at the doctor''s office bright and early. The doctor saw me entering the office and said indifferently, ¡°Have a seat. So have you decided to truly abort the baby?¡± ¡°Yes, I have. It''s not the right time for me to have a kid.¡± I lowered my head and said this sentence hesitantly. ¡°Then get yourself ready now. We will proceed with the operation half an hourter.¡± After confirming my decision, the doctor gave me a set of verbal instructions to follow. Half an hourter, the doctor guided me to the operating room. My heart skipped a beat looking at all sorts of tools in that room. Upon seeing the doctor start to disinfect all those tools, my heart fell with a thud. It was my first time entering an operation room, so I was reasonably terrified. My face paled in fright the second I saw the doctor holding up a tool and approaching me. A few minutester, the doctor turned to look at me. I could not recognize her face as she was wearing a surgical mask. ¡°Take off your pants and lie down.¡± She pointed rigidly at the bed behind me. After hesitating for a long while, I stepped towards the bed slowly and took off my pants. Even though I had never undergone an abortion before, I had expected the need to expose mydy part. Although it was a female doctor attending to me, I still could not help but feel embarrassed. After all, besides Michael, no one had ever seen my privatedy parts. I forced myself to lie down on the bed with my heart pounding uncontrobly. The baby belonged to Michael and I. At that moment, some part of me somehow wished I could keep it. As Iy on the bed, my body started to tremble incessantly. The doctor instructed gently, ¡°Spread your legs, please. I can''t operate on you like this.¡± It seemed like she detected my nervousness and was trying to calm me down. Closing my eyes, I reluctantly spread my legs. I persuaded myself that there was nothing to be shy of, as the doctor must have conducted such an operation countless time. ¡°I''ll disinfect you first. And before the operation, I''ll give you an anesthetic. So you won''t feel any pain throughout the process. Don''t worry.¡± The doctor was still kind enough to give me someforting words. ¡°Thank you.¡± I opened my eyes, not knowing else how to respond to her. I could not see what she was doing as Iy down, but I could feel something cold on the lower part of my body. She must be disinfecting me. At that moment, the only thing I could see was the operation light above me. Thinking that the baby inside my belly would soon be gone, I could not help but start to panic a little. I was not a cold-blooded person, and I felt remorse for ending a life like this. Afterpleted the disinfection, the doctor directed the operation light towards mydy part and went to take a needle. I guessed it must be the anesthetic. At that moment, I felt as though my spirit was leaving my body. Once she injected the anesthetic, I would not be able to feel anything ¡ª everything would be over once I woke up. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Staring at the needle approaching my body, I suddenly felt a great fear of losing the baby in my stomach. I pushed away from the doctor nervously and jumped right off the bed. ¡°I''m so sorry, doctor. I changed my mind. think I want to keep my baby.¡± As I scrambled to wear my pants, I stared at the doctor apologetically. I wondered if I was the first one who regretted the decision of abortion right at the veryst second. I thought the doctor would be mad, thinking I had wasted her time. But instead, she showed signs of no anger at all. She took off her mask and cast a genuine smile towards me. ¡°Every child is an angel. Please appreciate such a gift in the future.¡± Upon saying that, the doctor turned and walked out of the operating room. I did not know how and when I left the hospital. As I walked alone on the street, fear still lingered in my chest. The thought of my baby being gone if I had not change my mind at thest second ignited a sense of despair within me. Even though I felt lost at the thought of the future of myself and my child, at that very moment, my instinct told me that I would not regret this. The baby was part of me now, and there was no way I would abandon it. I touched my belly carefully. Although it was still too tiny to be detected, I could imagine it growing gradually. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head and looked at the sky. I had made up my mind. No matter how people would look at me, no matter how hard it would be to take care of a child, I would try my best to be a good mother. Taking out my phone, I called Natalie to see if she was at home, and I was d to know that she was. After I arrived at her house, we chatted briefly before she suddenly mentioned Michael. ¡°Anna, do you know that Michael is getting engaged today?¡± My friend stated the question carefully while observing my expression. Before that, I was still in the joy of keeping the baby, but my smile vanished the instant I heard that man''s name. ¡°Of course I know about it. It''s the biggest news that''s trending all over now. Everyone knows about it.¡± I knew Natalie was aware of my feelings towards Michael, but I still tried my hardest to seem calm. ¡°Don''t you have any n? Since you like him so much, are you going to watch him getting married to another woman?¡± Natalie was somewhat pissed by my calmness. In my heart, I knew she was a true friend who cared for my happiness. ¡°At this point, there''s nothing I can do anymore. As you know, there is no future between Michael and I.¡± I knew Natalie was trying to encourage me, but I had lost all my courage. I was afraid that more courage would only bring more agony in the end. ¡°Anna, are you going to piss me off? How can you give up without trying? Didn''t you say that Michael also likes you?¡± ¡°Natalie, I have never expected a future of us. I feel content with having this baby. That''s all that matters to me now.¡± I patted my belly gently; the child was my only spiritual sustenance right now. ¡°Baby? What baby? You''re pregnant?¡± Natalie was stunned momentarily as her eyes widened in bewilderment. ¡°Yes, it''s Michael''s.¡± Natalie was the only friend I trusted ¡ª I hid no secret from her. After all, she would find out about it sooner orter when my belly started to grow. ¡°What? Anna, you...¡± Even though she had already suspected it, she was at a loss after hearing my confession. ¡°I know what you''re thinking. You must think I''m crazy.¡± I had her Natalie long enough to know how she would feel about it. I would not be able toprehend my decision either if I was the old me. But I now realized that a mother would do anything to protect her child, even though it might seem insane in others'' eyes. I guessed that was the sacrificing love of a mother. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Anna, are you out of your mind? Do you realize you''re pregnant out of wedlock? If you give birth to this baby, how will the world look at you in the future?¡± Natalie stared at me with a panicked look on her face. But as a matter of fact, I had already considered every possible consequence she mentioned. That had been the exact reason I wanted to abort my baby. But when I was on the operating bed, I realized that all the pressure and critics from the world were nothingpared to my unborn baby''s life. ¡°I don''t care how people will look at me. There''s no way I could possibly kill my own child.¡± At this moment, I could feel my deep connection with the baby in my belly. I knew I would not be able to forgive how inhuman I was for seriously thinking to abort my own child earlier. ¡°You... I don''t know what to say. Didn''t you use contraception when you had sex with him? You''re ruining your own life like this!¡± Natalie knew she would not be able to change my mind, but she was still utterly concerned about my well-being. ¡°Don''t worry. I have decided to keep the baby, so I am prepared for whateveres my way.¡± The second I decided to keep the baby, I had decided resolutely that I would protect my child no matter what happened in the future. ¡°Fine. Since you''ve made up your mind, I''ll support you. But... When are you nning to tell Michael? You are going to tell him, right?¡± I did not respond to her question for quite a long time. ¡°No, I don''t n to tell him. I''ll bring up the child myself,¡± I told her in an earnest tone. ¡°What? How can you not tell him? Anna, are you stupid?¡± My response once again left Natalie in awe. ¡°Michael is already engaged, and they will be getting married soon. There''s no point of him knowing.¡± I doubted if it would make any difference if Michael knew about my pregnancy. ¡°Anna, you''re not thinking straight. The baby belongs to him, so he has the right to know. Moreover, how could you possibly bring up the child all by yourself?¡± My best friend disagreed thoroughly with my decision. However, regardless of how right she was about the burden of taking care of a child, I was still reluctant to inform Michael of this. I lowered my head, seeming extremely dispirited. ¡°Anna, listen to me. The difficulty of taking care of a child is beyond your imagination. You must tell him now. Even if you don''t, he will find out when your belly starts to grow. Don''t forget that you''re still working at hispany.¡± Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Natalie''s words held some degree of truth. I was also aware that it would be difficult to keep the news of my pregnancy from Michael. Not wanting to further discuss this topic with her, we talked for a bit longer before I decided to leave. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I intended to keep the baby, but I didn''t know how to keep this a secret from Michael. He was an intelligent man. If I told him the baby was someone else''s, there was no way he would believe me. Today was his engagement day. Initially, I refused to watch anything that had to do with it. However, I could not hold myself back. I turned on the TV to watch his engagement video, which was ying in a loop. The man was dressed in a white suit, looking tall and charming. His expression was still cold as ever, and his piercing eyes seemed like he could read right through someone. No matter where he was, he would always be the center of attention. Standing beside him was Emma, who had her hand around his arm. The champagne-colored dress complimented her skin, and the long length of the dress hugged her every curve. The bright smile on her face made her look even more appealing. Though I didn''t want to, I had to admit that the two of them were a perfect match. As much as I wanted to deny it, my heart ached upon looking at the couple. I hurriedly turned off the TV; I didn''t dare watch it any longer. I had known that watching further would make me sad, but I had been able to hold myself back. At night, while I was tossing and turning in bed, I suddenly thought of an idea to prevent Michael from finding out that I was pregnant with his child ¡ª leaving thepany. Even though I was reluctant to do so, that was the only way to avoid his suspicion. On Monday, I strolled straight to the HR department to hand in my resignation letter, and it didn''t take long for me toplete the procedure. When I returned home, I let out a helpless sigh because I was once again unemployed. The most important thing for me to do right now was tond a job. Otherwise, when the baby finally came, both of us would suffer. In the next few days, I applied for jobs in a fewpanies, but because I had to raise a child all by myself in the future, I had to find a job that offered a high sry. Unfortunately, I had not managed to find the idealpany that met all my requirements after a long time of searching. After I left Joyful Sess, Michaelpletely disappeared from my life. It was as if we had never met at all. However, today, when I was staying at home looking at the job offers in the newspaper. The door to my room suddenly opened, making me instinctively turn toward the door''s direction, only to see Michael walking in. ¡°You... Why are you here?¡± I asked, stupefied. Since he was already engaged with Emma, I hadn''t expected him toe here any more; it seemed like I was wrong. ¡°You resigned?¡± he asked, ignoring my question. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied tly. Did hee here to talk about that? ¡°State the reason,¡± he demanded. I noticed that his face had darkened upon hearing my answer. Though I didn''t know why he was so mad, my heart still fluttered upon meeting him. ¡°No reason. I just wanted a change of working environment.¡± Since I could not let him know about the baby inside my stomach, I had to make up an excuse to brush him off. ¡°Anna Garcia, tell me the truth!¡± He started approaching me as his face turned gloomier. A trace of anger shed in his eyes. ¡°It''s my right to resign. I shouldn''t have to report anything to you. So what brings you here today?¡± The look in his eyes made me uneasy, and in fear that he would find out about my pregnancy, I wished he would leave. He halted his steps as the fire in his eyes dissipated. It was soon reced with an awkward expression. ¡°Come back to thepany tomorrow,¡± he told me rigidly. It was my first time seeing him in such a state. ¡°Why should I?¡± I stared at him, bbergasted. ¡°I''m not used to not having you around,¡± he answered stiffly. This was a first ¡ª he had never openly expressed his true feelings on a matter before. ¡°That''s not good enough a reason for me to return thepany. If I continue working there, it will only bring about unnecessary trouble.¡± Under normal circumstances, I would have agreed with him without any hesitation. However, the situation was different now. I was bearing his child, whom I had decided to give birth to without his knowledge. I could not let him know about this. ¡°I have personallye to see you, yet you still dare to reject me?¡± he questioned with a tight frown, staring at me in disdain. ¡°We are already over, Mr. Shaw. I wish not to be involved with you anymore. I don''t want to keep being delusional that we might happen.¡± I had left thepany after careful consideration. Of course, the baby was the top reason. But other than that, I also didn''t want to see him with Emma because that would be painful. ¡°Do you n to erase your existence from my life, Anna?¡± Michael''s eyes flickered with an emotion that I could not decipher. I looked down, not bothering to reply to his question. That was my silent way to confirm his guess. We would not end up together, anyway, so what was the point of maintaining contact with each other? I finally uttered after some time, ¡°I''m tired, Michael. If that''s all you came here for, please see yourself out.¡± ¡°I canceled my date just toe here, Anna. How dare you chase me away?¡± He squinted his eyes, evidently furious. My heart skipped a beat upon hearing his statement. He canceled his date with Emma just to see me? ¡°You were supposed to have a date with Emma?¡± I questioned, gazing at him in suspicion. ¡°What do you think? Anna, out of everyone, you''re the first woman who has rejected me!¡± ¡°You know, you once said I''m the first woman you were ever attracted to. If Emma wasn''t in the picture, would you have ended up with me?¡± Judging from what he said, it was enough to figure out that I was important to him. Still, he had never directly told me that he wanted to be with me. I could not guess what was going through in his mind. Are benefits more important than anything else to him? Chapter 246 Chapter 246 ¡°Anna, do you want to be with me because of love or because of the title of Mrs. Shaw?¡± He stared at me intently. His frown remained on his face. What? Does he seriously think I want to be with him because I want to achieve such a title? Does he think I''m doing this merely for money? Learning that was how he viewed me, a bitter smile tugged on the corner of my lips. I shouldn''t have asked him that. For him, everything between us is a joke. ¡°If you''re convinced I want to be with you because of that ridiculous reason, please leave. From now on, we''re nothing but strangers,¡± I stated coldly while pointing at the door, breaking eye contact with him. So he thinks my feelings for him are fake? That I''m only with him for worldly possessions? Sure, being his wife means enjoying endless glory and wealth. Many women arepeting to be with him, but I am not what he thinks I am. I love him, and that''s the only reason why I want to be with him. Even if he were just an ordinary person, my feelings for him wouldn''t change. ¡°Strangers? Are you trying to make me mad, Anna?¡± he questioned coldly. ¡°Maybe if I withdraw myself from your life, you''ll change your perspective about me.¡± Yes. Maybe being strangers will open your eyes to see that I''m serious with you. Enraged, Michael shot me a cold look before turning to leave in silence. Though I was relieved that he was no longer around me, my heart ached, for I still could not believe that that was how lowly he thought of me. Half an hourter, someone knocked on my door once again, but I ignored it, assuming that Michael had returned. To my dismay, the knocking was insistent. It was getting annoying, so I opened the door in the end. ¡°Michael, haven''t I made it clear that we-¡± My voice trailed off when I noticed that the person outside was not Michael, but Emma, looking immensely pissed off. ¡°Emma, why are you here?¡± I questioned with a frown. What is she up to this time? ¡°You should know better, shouldn''t you? Stop pretending to be innocent, Anna!¡± she shouted while staring at me. Rage evidently dancing in her wards. ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about! You''re not weed here. Get lost!¡± Every time I met the woman, she never failed to make my blood boil. Now that I was pregnant, I had no energy to deal with her. So with that said, I proceeded to m the door in her face, but she had managed to block it somehow. ¡°What? You''re afraid of facing me? Is that it?¡± Pushing the door open, she invited herself inside. Her re never averted from me. My brows snapped together as I sensed her contempt, and my patience was starting to get thin. ¡°I no longer have anything to do with you, Emma. Please leave me alone!¡± As I used to have an affair with Michael, I would sometimes feel guilty whenever I met Emma. But he and I were over now, yet she still came looking for trouble. There was no way I would allow her to throw a fit and step all over me. ¡°Is that so? Then tell me, you b*tch. Why are you still seducing Michael when you know we''re already engaged? Aren''t you ashamed that you''re this desperate?¡± she spat out angrily. A trace of hatred tainted her eyes. ¡°Excuse me? Who are you to call me a b*tch?¡± I refuted irritatingly as I stared back at her with the same amount of hatred. ¡°I''m saying this as his fianc¨¦e! Anna, I saw with my own eyes that he left this ce earlier! Don''t you dare try to deny it! Why are you still clinging onto him, knowing he''s engaged now? What do you n on doing exactly?¡± It was ridiculous how she thought I had lost against her because she was now engaged to Michael. Sure, my heart stung when she mentioned she was his fianc¨¦e, but I would never let her know about that ¡ª I would never allow her that satisfaction. ¡°I''m not clinging onto him. He came here willingly. If you don''t believe me, you can ask him yourself,¡± I informed sternly. Though I didn''t want to have this meaningless argument with her, I could not let her keep making such a groundless usation. In the past few days, I hadpletely cut off contact with Michael and decided that we would be strangers from now on. Him showing up earlier had nothing to do with me. ¡°Do you think I''d buy your tant lie? I seriously don''t know what Michael sees in you! Why is he this entranced with you? This is your reminder that Michael is now my fianc¨¦. If you continue seeing him, I''ll make sure the whole Avenport goes against you!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Nothing would change her mind regardless of what I said. I felt like I was simply her outlet to vent her complex emotions. ¡°I''m already immune to your threats. This isn''t the first time you''ve done this, but my patience has its limits too. I''ve already exined what''s needed to be exined. It''s up to you whether to believe me. This is my house, so leave! You better not show up here anymore!¡± Since I had never expected her toe here, I was pretty taken aback when she showed up. However, that was also the reason for my fury. How dare she cause trouble on my territory? So what if she''s his fianc¨¦e? That still didn''t give her the right to do such a thing. ¡°How nice of you to still have the guts to threaten me. Anna, if you want topete with me, look at yourself in the mirror first and foremost. I will never forgive you for stealing my man.¡± Chapter 247 Chapter 247 ¡°Whatever you say. Now get the hell out of my house!¡± I demanded. I was already used to her threats, so I didn''t take it seriously. ¡°I''m not afraid of you, Anna. I''m for real this time. I''m going to make the whole town your enemy!¡± Emma became even more furious upon seeing my nonchnt attitude toward her threats. Without wanting to waste more energy on her, I kicked her out before mming the door shut. Her appearance worsened my already bad mood. I was not afraid of what she would do. I just hated being misunderstood and threatened. The woman didn''t leave immediately. Instead, she stayed and kicked my door like a madwoman, but upon seeing that I didn''t bother to acknowledge her any longer, she stomped away. Two days after the incident with Emma, I had almost forgotten that she had evene to my house. For the past couple of days, I busied myself online-searching for the things I needed to pay attention to during pregnancy. Of course, I never neglected the responsibility of looking for a job despite being busy. However, my peaceful days onlysted that long. Today, when I went out to keep hunting for a job, I noticed that people were staring and pointing at me, causing me to feel a bit self-conscious as my brows furrowed. Deciding to brush them off, I continued my journey. However, as much as I wanted to ignore them, things were starting to get out of hand as they would gossip about me whenever they passed by me. Some even secretly snapped photos of me without my consent. At one point, two young women took pictures of me when they passed by me. Frowning in confusion, I tried my best to eavesdrop on their conversation. ¡°Look. It''s the unscrupulous woman who hooked up with Michael Shaw.¡± ¡°Looks really can be deceiving. Who would''ve known such an innocent-looking woman would get it on with someone else''s fianc¨¦?¡± ¡°Well, pure-looking women like her are the cheapest women alive. We don''t know how many men she slept with. We''ll probably be shocked by the number.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. I could not believe my ears. Not only were they degrading me so openly, but this whole thing seemed to have something to do with Michael since they mentioned him. ¡°What are you talking about!¡± I yelled angrily. Who do they think they are to disrespect me like this? Startled by my sudden outburst, the two women didn''t react for some time. However, when they regained theirposure, they started to hurl insults toward me. ¡°We''re talking about how shameless you are. What? You can hook up with Michael, but we can''t talk about it? Don''t be a hypocrite!¡± uttered one of them. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you sprouting? You don''t even know me! What gives you the right to use me of hooking up with a man?¡± How do they know about Michael and I, though? Even if we did have an affair before, we were over now. I was not like the woman they pictured in their minds. ¡°Almost everyone in this country knows who you are. You''re on the headlines of everything, even the news. By denying that you hooked up with Michael Shaw, are you trying to say the news are lying about it?¡± stated the other one as she stared at me in disdain. I was dumbfounded when I heard those words. ¡°Headline? What do you mean it''s on the headlines?¡± ¡°Oh. So she didn''t know she made it to the headline of newspapers. No wonder she still has the guts to leave her house. If I were her, I would have stayed home.¡± Not believing her, I immediately went to buy thetest newspapers. Indeed, news of the affair between Michael and I was on the front page. Right now, I was known as the mistress of someone else''s fianc¨¦. Wherever I went, people stared at me in disgust as if I were filthy. ording to the newspaper, I was trying to climb the socialdder by seducing the most famous man in town. They had even included a photo of me sitting in Michael''s car. Though it was a sneak shot, both our faces were as clear as day. The person who took this photo must have been a professional, but I had no time to care about such a petty matter. Since I had made it to the headline with negative news, I was now the number one public enemy. It was unpleasant to have everyone pointing at me and insulting me without bothering to be discreet at all. Infuriated with the current situation, my trembling hands clenched the newspaper. Ever since Michael got engaged, I had ceased mingling with him. Still, that didn''t stop this sh*t from happening. Somebody was obviously trying to frame me, but I had no idea who. My mind scanned every possible person that would intentionally target me like this. That was when Emma popped up. Yes. She must be the one behind this ordeal. She did threaten me two days ago, after all. Noticing that the pedestrians were still gossiping about me, I decided to return home. Along the way, I could not deny that I felt a bit scared. Almost every person I crossed paths with did the same as the others. My mind was in a mess as I had no idea how to face such people. When I arrived home, a sense of humiliation still lingered deep within me. I quickly fished my phone and dialed Emma''s number. The woman was getting increasingly outrageous. It was evident that she was trying to ruin my whole being. I took a deep breath and waited for her to pick up, which she did just after the first ring. ¡°Hello?¡± Though she sounded casual, I could detect the smugness in her voice. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 ¡°It was you, wasn''t it?¡± I questioned without beating around the bush. I was so overwhelmed with anger that I would have pped Emma in the face if she were in front of me. How dare she do this when she knows that women value reputation the most? She''s such a vile woman! Sure, I did have a thing with Michael some time ago, but I was never a mistress nor a homewrecker! That was totally false news! ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about,¡± she denied, but the triumph in her voice stated otherwise. ¡°Oh, I think you do! Don''t even bother trying to pretend! You''re a vicious woman, Emma!¡± I howled furiously. At that moment, I really wished I could make her pay for what she did, but I didn''t have any proof against her since I had never expected her to pull such a stunt. ¡°So what if it was me? You can''t do anything to me, anyway. And so what if I''m vicious? At least that''s better than being a b*tch,¡± she finally admitted. Her voice became cold as her attitude toward me worsened. ¡°Don''t you think you''re too much? You clearly didn''t think how this news would impact Michael too!¡± Knowing that my words would not affect her, I had to bring the man into this conversation. He was the only one that could truly scare her. ¡°Anna, don''t you know the situation at all? You''re the viin here. Why would he be impacted? Any woman would be able to seduce him as you did. Did you think people will actually drag him along with you?¡± she sneered, totally disregarding that what she did would also disturb Michael. Howbeit, what she said was true. I was the viin here; people would be focusing entirely on me. It seemed like she had only taken such extreme steps after thorough consideration. ¡°Even if it doesn''t impact him, you still used his name for something as horrible as this. It will only make him hate you even more.¡± One thing I learned of Michael was that he hated people using him regardless of the reason. Even though the issue would not affect him, he definitely would not ignore it when he found out. ¡°Shut up, Anna! How could you say he''ll hate me when I''m his fianc¨¦e?¡± Agitation reced the triumph in her voice after hearing me say that. It must have triggered her. ¡°Because he doesn''t like you at all, and you know about that as well. I really don''t get why you insist on marrying someone who''s not even in love with you.¡± Anyone could guess that Michael didn''t feel anything for Emma just by judging his attitude toward her. Emma was aware of that, but she still wanted to force their rtionship, and that was something I could not decipher. ¡°I told you to shut up! Shut the hell up!¡± she yelled hysterically, letting me know that I had hit the bullseye. Emma simply didn''t want to ept it. ¡°Why should I shut up just because you tell me to do so? You know, Michael himself personally told me that he doesn''t like you one bit. In fact, he despises you!¡± I didn''t care if I was being harsh toward her. Compared to what she had done to me, I was far more merciful. ¡°Say one more thing, and I swear I''ll make the public hate you more than they already do, Anna!¡± she threatened once again. ¡°You''ve already aplished that, anyway, so I don''t mind if you decide to scheme anything else. But remember, if my life is threatened because of this, I''ll drag you to hell with me.¡± I''m not a saint, and I don''t aspire to be one. Anyone who messes with me will get it back tenfold! ¡°Anna, you¡ª¡± I ended the call before she could say anything else. All she would do is threaten me again, anyway. She had already ruined my reputation. What more could she threaten me with? Although I had won against her over the phone call, I didn''t feel proud at all. In fact, the frustration I felt never left me. There was only one person who could help me clear my name, and that was Michael. Bearing that thought in mind, I proceeded to look for his phone number. However, I hesitated for a long time upon recalling what I had said to him when he came over that day. Would he still want to help me after that? Even though he was my only way out, I still decided against it as I put my phone aside with a sigh. When I was lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. ncing at the screen, my eyes brightened upon seeing Michael''s name. After taking a deep breath, I epted his call. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡± he asked ndly. I hesitated a bit before replying, ¡°At home.¡± He must have seen the newspapers. Otherwise, he would not have called me. ¡°I saw the headlines. It started from a magazinepany called CHIC.¡± As expected, my hunch was correct. It was not surprising, though. There was no way he would not hear of this cirction, considering that even I had already known about this. I hadn''t expected him to immediately investigate whichpany had started the publication, so I could not care less about it. What I wanted to know was his reaction upon learning that Emma was the mastermind behind this matter. ¡°Do you know your fianc¨¦e''s the one behind this?¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± he questioned sullenly. ¡°You can carry on investigating if you don''t believe me. Given your ability, I''m sure you''ll find the truth in no time.¡± I had no idea if he believed me or not, but I knew investigating this matter would be a piece of cake for him. He was silent for a while, which had made me nervous. Why isn''t he saying anything? Doesn''t he believe me? Does he think I''m trying to set Emma up to break them apart? Chapter 249 Chapter 249 ¡°I believe you,¡± he uttered after some time, clearing my doubts. ¡°Really?¡± Touched that he had chosen to believe me, my eyes turned misty and a lump formed in my throat. ¡°I know what kind of a person she is. Let me handle this, alright? I''m not going to let you get ndered.¡± Though he didn''t reply to my question, everything he said almost made me burst into tears. ¡°Thank you,¡± I stated softly. He could have ignored the matter since he would not be dragged along, considering people would not dare to badmouth him. Still, he decided to help me, and that proved just how good he was to me. I was merely an ordinary person, so the public''s continuous harsh opinions would seriously take a toll on me. ¡°You don''t need to thank me, Anna. Nobody''s allowed to bully you except me, after all,¡± he replied. In an instant, my feelings hit rock bottom again. So he only helped me because of his own possessiveness. To him, I was still the woman nobody else could bully but him. ¡°You really have a tendency to ruin the moment, didn''t you? I don''t feel touched anymore. Thanks a lot,¡± I uttered sarcastically. Couldn''t he have at least pretended that he cares about me? ¡°Why do you get touched so easily, Anna?¡± His voice remained indifferent, but I could hear the smile hidden in it. ¡°How do you n to resolve this matter? Is it going to get tricky?¡± It''s not like I''m doubting his abilities... I believe in him more than anyone. However, given our current rtionship, I don''t want to cause him trouble, especially when the matter directly involves me. ¡°You don''t have to worry about anything involving this. I''ll hold a press conference tomorrow and clear everything at once,¡± he reassured. After our call ended, I had a hard time recollecting myself. Although our rtionship had ended, I could still feel the concern he felt toward me. Maybe even more so than when we were still together. My eyesnded on the newspaper once again, and a frustrated frown made its way on my face. At that moment, my hatred toward Emma had increased drastically. The woman had always bothered me when I had never intentionally provoked someone. It must be her way to project her irritation for failing to make Michael fall for her. To say that I didn''t resent would be a complete lie. I stayed at home for the rest of the day because I knew I would not be able to withstand the judgmental stares and insults I would receive outside. Since I was still afraid of going out the following day, I decided to watch TV to relieve my boredom at home. Switching on the device, the first thing that showed up on the screen was Michael''s press conference. He was sitting on the stage, looking as cold as ever, with shes of cameras illuminating his face. ¡°Mr. Shaw, mind telling us who the woman in the photo is? ording to the newspapers, she''s your mistress who''s trying to ruin your current rtionship. Is that true?¡± asked one of the reporters boldly. Upon hearing his questions, the man''s already cold face turned even more stoic as his rage-filled eyes red at the reporter. ¡°I''m going to resolve this matter right here and now. The woman in the photo is the woman I love. She is not a mistress. From now on, I don''t want anyone tobel her as a mistress!¡± Everyone was stunned by this revtion because he was known as the ruthless man who had never fallen for any woman before. To hear those wordsing right from him was beyond shocking. My reaction was no different from theirs. Did he seriously just admit that he loves me in front of the whole country? No. I must be dreaming. Michael would never do such a reckless thing. ¡°Just to make sure, Mr. Shaw. The woman you imed you love is that Anna Garcia woman, correct?¡± questioned the same reporter from earlier, trying to get a confirmation. ¡°Haven''t I made myself clear? I''m going to catch the culprit behind this issue!¡± Although he didn''t directly voice that the woman he loved was me, his tone alone was enoughThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. assurance. Amotion suddenly broke out among the crowd; the reporters didn''t know what else to ask. Perhaps it was because Michael''s answers were not what they had expected. ¡°From this day on, all of you better not disturb her anymore.¡± With that said, he stood up and left the press conference. Even when he was out of sight, my heart was still pounding. When he told me he would resolve this issue, I never envisioned the solution to be him telling the whole country that he loved me. Moreover, his fianc¨¦e was the one who had pulled this stunt, so what he did would be a huge p to Emma. I had to admit that it made me feel like I still had a special ce in his heart. Even though we could not end up together, my heart still burst with joy when he held a press conference just for me. Turning off the TV, I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. As if expecting my call, he picked up in no time, and his t voice echoed from the other line, ¡°Have you watched my press conference?¡± ¡°Yes. I watched it just now.¡± My heart palpitated again upon remembering what he had said at the press conference. We fell into silence for a while. ¡°Thank you, Michael. If not for you, I really wouldn''t be able to live in Avenport anymore.¡± Emma had only done such a vicious thing to drive me away from Avenport. She wanted to make sure that I was no longer in Michael''s life. Unfortunately for her, the man had sided with me and had even assumed responsibility for the entire issue. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 ¡°You''re my woman. I''m the only one who can bully you.¡± Sadness flickered in my eyes after hearing his statement. When will he understand that we''re not together anymore? ¡°Michael, we...¡± I trailed off, not knowing how to word it. When I was about to continue, though, Emma''s yells echoed from his side. ¡°Michael, what''s that supposed to mean!¡± Although I could not see her face, I could tell she was furious from her tone alone. ¡°Emma, who do you think you are to be barging in my office like this?¡± he questioned without hanging up. His voice didn''t carry even an ounce of affection. ¡°Well, I''m only acting like this because of you. Tell me, Michael. Why did you do that?¡± This time, her voice had softened up, but there were still hints of anger. As I listened to their conversation, I grew a bit nervous. I was aware that this was between them. I should have hung up, but I was curious to hear his answer. ¡°What do you mean why?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I am your fianc¨¦e, Michael. Why did you tell the world you love Anna? Why did you want to be responsible for that issue?¡± Her tone contained a tinge of grudge, as well as irritation when she mentioned my name. ¡°Bold of you to have the audacity to question me. Don''t think I don''t know you''re behind this, Emma. I don''t appreciate being used.¡± As I had expected, he hated that Emma had taken advantage of his name. Sure, it was selfish of me to tell him that she was the culprit, but I didn''t want her to keep using him like this. ¡°Y-You''ve misunderstood, Michael. I have nothing to do with this,¡± she denied nervously. Still, even I could sense the guilt in her voice, let alone Michael. ¡°Don''t bother lying to me. I''m not stupid.¡± ¡°You have to believe me, Michael. I really didn''t do it! What did Anna tell you? Since she''s so keen on breaking us apart, she must have deliberately told you false things to frame me!¡± she lied, sounding evidently panic-stricken. Upon hearing her including me in her lies, my wrath increased tenfold. She really can''t give me a break, can she? ¡°Don''t be so self-righteous around me, Emma! If you want to be Mrs. Shaw, you better watch yourself. My patience is wearing thin!¡± Michael remained firm on choosing not to believe her. As I listened intently, all I could imagine was his frosty eyes ring straight at Emma. ¡°Can you stop being so mean to me, Michael? I only did that because I love you.¡± Emma admitted to her involvement in the end, knowing it was already futile to continue lying. ¡°And because I love you, I''m jealous of the way you treat Anna. I want to win your love.¡± From the way she sounded, I could tell that she was acting pitiful, trying to soften Michael''s heart. Most men would have caved in when women behaved like that, after all. Little did she know, Michael was not like most men. He was a heartless person who would not be affected by whatever people would say and do, especially when it was someone he was not fond of. ¡°Before I reach my limit, piss off!¡± he howled. His reaction was worse than what I had in mind. ¡°Michael...¡± eximed Emma, obviously shocked that he was driving her out. ¡°Do not make me repeat myself,¡± he warned, nearly at the end of his rope. The line turned silent after that, so I presumed that Emma had left. That made me nervous, considering that I had listened to their entire conversation. I was afraid of how Michael would react when he noticed that I hadn''t hung up. Holding my breath, I contemted whether to start talking. ¡°Did you hear everything?¡± The man''s voice sounded just when I had decided to end the call, causing me to panic yet guilty. After all, eavesdropping was by no mean an honorable action. Moreover, I didn''t know what to expect from him since he was unpredictable. He might even get mad at me. ¡°I-I didn''t mean to... But I couldn''t help myself from doing so,¡± I defended myself weakly. ¡°It doesn''t matter. It''s not like it''s something important.¡± Fortunately for me, he was not enraged even after learning that I had eavesdropped. ¡°Um, about earlier... don''t you think you''re a bit cruel to Emma?¡± I asked. Of course, I was definitely not sympathizing with her. I just didn''t want him to be mean to someone because of me. ¡°What happens between Emma and I isn''t your concern. You should focus on looking after yourself, Anna,¡± he answered curtly, brushing off the fact that Emma would be downhearted by how he had treated her earlier. ¡°Okay. Um, I''ll be hanging up, then,¡± I told him. There was nothing I had left to say. ¡°All right. Bye.¡± With that said, Michael ended the call. What he did at the press conference today had, of course, moved me. However, I wondered why he had decided to help me when we were no longer together. What am I to him? Chapter 251 Chapter 251 I had thought that this would alle to an end, and Emma would stop causing me troubles, especially after Michael had made himself clear to her. However, it was evident that I had underestimated her jealousy. The next day, the doorbell at home rang. Upon answering the door, I saw a few tough-looking men standing outside. Taking in their fierce expressions, I somehow had a bad feeling that they were here with no good intentions. I nced nervously at them as I asked timidly, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Are you Anna Garcia?¡± The man in lead asked coldly. ¡°I am. Why are you looking for me?¡± I had to admit I was terrified to face a few fierce-looking men alone. ¡°Guys, we''re at the right ce!¡± The man in lead turned around and said to the men behind him. I frowned in confusion. Just when I was about to ask more, the leader of the group suddenly shoved me aside. He then barged into my house with his men. They started smashing the furniture and electrical appliances inside without saying anything else. I widened my eyes in shock, my anger slowly surging within me. ¡°Who are you people? Why are you smashing my stuff?¡± I rushed into the living room and shouted at them. This was outrageous. They were smashing my stuff without a valid reason. However, my efforts to protest were to no avail. They didn''t even look at me as they continued smashing around. One of them even started walking toward the bedroom. ¡°You''d better stop now! Otherwise, I''d be calling the police. You are trespassing on private property and attacking a citizen. You will go to jail for this!¡± Seeing that none of them was paying attention to me, I got even more furious. Everything in this house contained memories of Michael and me. I was devastated to see them being smashed into pieces. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. They finally reacted a little to my threat. They shot me fierce nces while one of them walked toward me. ¡°You want to call the police? Sure, go ahead! I doubt you''d dare to do so!¡± He was staring at the phone in my hand as he walked closer and closer toward me with a threatening aura. I backed away slowly as I trembled in fear. I was terrified at that moment since I had no idea what their intentions were. ¡°Why are you doing this? I don''t even know you. Why did you barge into my house and start smashing my stuff?¡± I forced myself to fix my gaze on him as I questioned loudly. I had never seen these men before, and I knew I never had any grudges with anyone else. As such, I was puzzled by this whole situation. ¡°We were hired by someone else to do this. Youngdy, you have no one but yourself to me for making such an enemy.¡± Upon hearing that, I finally understood that they were merely hired help paid to do someone''s dirty job. However, I still couldn''t think of anyone else that had bad blood with me, except for Emma. Is she crazy? She should know how dangerous it is to have a few men barging in when I''m living on my own. Why did she do this? ¡°Who hired you?¡± I tried to look as calm as possible as I questioned the man standing in front of me. In reality, my palms were already sweating profusely from fear. I knew I shouldn''t let them sense how frightened I was. Otherwise, they would find me an easy target. ¡°Do you think we will tell you? Aren''t you being a bit too naive here?¡± The man sneered and nced at me with disdain. ¡°Guys, I think we''re done here today! Let''s go!¡± Without answering my question, he nced around at the messy living room behind me and nodded with satisfaction. He then waved a hand at his men. ¡°You can''t leave without exining yourselves!¡± Although I was terrified, I still couldn''t let them get away with destroying my home before I found out who was the one behind this. ¡°Get out of our way! We will beat you up if we had to!¡± The man in lead shoved me aside, making me fall toward the couch. Knowing that I would hit myself on the belly, I reflexively shielded it with my hands. I was pregnant at that moment, and the most important thing for me was to protect my baby from any possible harm. I fell heavily on the couch, and fortunately, the couch was soft enough to shield me from the impact. There was a faint pain in my belly, but I knew it wasn''t that serious. They left without even looking at me. After that, I sank onto the ground as I took in the messy living room. This was the ce I lived with Michael, and every single item in this house was filled with our memories. Yet, all of them were now smashed into pieces. My heart ached to see this scene. My tears started flowing down my cheeks as I hugged my legs and curled myself on the ground. I was terrified and feeling helpless right then. Suddenly, my phone rang. I answered it as soon as I saw who it was from. ¡°Michael.¡± I started crying as soon as I answered the call. I was still scared from before, and I wished he was here with me. If he was here, he wouldn''t have allowed this to happen. ¡°Anna, why are you crying?¡± Michael was startled at first when he heard me crying. His tone sounded anxious. ¡°C-Can youe over now? I... I''m scared...¡± I asked while sobbing. My voice and my body were still trembling. I was still scared as I got reminded of the men barging into my house and smashing my stuff. ¡°What happened?¡± He got anxious after noticing that something was off in my tone. I told him everything over the phone while sobbing. At that moment, I really couldn''t find it in myself to be left alone at home. ¡°Wait for me. I''ll be right over.¡± Michael ended the call right after saying this. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Hearing the disconnect tone from the phone, my heart sank in despair. I was still trembling in fear. I might not be this scared if this had happened before. However, I was pregnant now. I had to keep myself safe during my pregnancy. It would take Michael at least another half an hour to travel to my ce. Yet, he came into sight within twenty minutes. After taking in the messy situation, the look on his face froze for a moment. He then strode toward me and crouched down with a concerned look. ¡°What happened?¡± Michael''s voice was deep and hoarse, it sounded a little cold, but I could tell that he was nervous about me. ¡°I don''t know. A couple of men barged in and started smashing my stuff. They didn''t say anything but mentioned that I''ve made some enemy out there.¡± I got into his arms once he appeared in front of me. His presence made me feel much more relieved, and my fear from earlier was slowly fading away. ¡°How about you? Did they hurt you?¡± He carefully scrutinized me. I knew he was concerned about me. ¡°I-I''m fine...¡± I was about to tell him that they shoved me, but I swallowed my words immediately as I didn''t want him to know about the baby. Although I said I was fine, Michael was still frowning. Noticing the cold glint in his eyes, I guessed he was furious about this. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know who did this?¡± We were silent for a while, and Michael turned toward me, asking me that question with a serious tone. My gaze flickered slightly upon hearing that question. I didn''t know how to answer him. ¡°If I told you this was Emma''s doing, will you believe me?¡± After all, Emma was Michael''s fianc¨¦e. I had already driven a wedge between them back when Michael helped me. He probably wouldn''t believe my words now. As expected, Michael''s expression darkened upon hearing that. He didn''t answer, and his silence made me feel uneasy. I didn''t want to suspect Emma of this, but she was the only one holding grudges against me. Besides, not many people knew that I lived here. Michael was remaining silent, but his gaze turned colder with time. I hung my head low, feeling a little disappointed. Before I could say something else, Michael interrupted by saying, ¡°I''ll have someone clean this mess upter. Let''s take you to the hospital and see if you''re injured.¡± Just like that, Michael shifted the topic. He then helped me up. ¡°There''s no need for that. I wasn''t injured. They didn''t hurt me.¡± I rejected his offer right away. I was afraid that he would find out that I was pregnant once we were at the hospital. I pushed his hand away, and my expression turned a little awkward. To be more urate, I panicked and felt guilty. Michael was a smart guy, and he frowned upon noticing my unusual reaction. His eyes were filled with doubts as he stared at me. ¡°Anna, are you hiding something from me?¡± He stared down at me with an inquisitive look in his eyes. I would always feel guilty whenever he looked at me like that especially now that I was hiding my pregnancy from him. ¡°N-No, not at all. You''re overthinking.¡± I was being wary, afraid that he would notice anything. If I was to tell him about my pregnancy, he might think that I would use my baby to threaten him. ¡°Anna, you''d better not be hiding anything from me.¡± Michael stopped asking, but I could tell that he didn''t buy my act at all. ¡°Well, it''s not like I can hide anything from you without you knowing. Am I right?¡± I lowered my head in guilt, not having the courage to meet his gaze. Regardless, I still tried to sound calm. ¡°You''d better be!¡± He scoffed. After scrutinizing me, he made a phone call to request someone to clean up this ce and rece the furniture. ¡°I will get to the bottom of this, and I promise this will not happen again,¡± Michael said that with a gloomy expression as he swept a nce across the house. Perhaps he had started suspecting Emma even though he didn''t react to what I said earlier. Not too long after the phone call, a group of people already arrived at the house and cleaned the mess up. They had also sent over the new furniture. With Michael''s luxurious preference, the furniture they sent was high-end too. I hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°I don''t think I can pay you back for the furniture right now, but I''ll think of a way to do so.¡± In truth, I wanted to ask if I could refuse the furniture Michael asked to send over. They all looked expensive, and I could never afford them without working for years. On top of that, I was having a baby too. ¡°Did I ask for you to pay me back?¡± Michael sounded upset as he frowned. ¡°How can I not pay you back when all this furniture looks this expensive?¡± I panicked a little upon hearing that. I knew Michael was generous, but we were not together anymore. If anyone else found out about this, it would certainly stir up unwanted gossips, and I never wanted to go through that again. ¡°Anna, are you trying to get rid of my presence in your life?¡± Although I knew my decision was the right thing to do, it wasn''t the same case for Michael. He never liked people rejecting him. ¡°It''s not like that. You''ve helped me with a lot, and I can''t possibly ask for more. That''s why, you don''t have to help me in this,¡± I said timidly with my head hung low. ¡°Fine, do as you please, then!¡± Michael was visibly angry. He turned around and walked away after saying that. I lowered my eyes in disappointment after he left. I felt terrible, but there was nothing I could do about it now that we were no longer together. The brand new furniture made my house look more high-end than before, but at the same time, there were lesser traces of my memories with Michael in this ce. Perhaps it was time for both of us to move on. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Everything went back to peace, and those men never came back. The next time I left the house, I noticed that the number of securities had risen. Upon an inquiry, I was informed that Michael had made aint about security to the management. Michael''s influence spanned over the entire Avenport, and many people feared him. As such, when he comined, everyone reacted quickly. He was a man who never liked to have his whereabouts made known. As such, I was shocked when I heard that he hadined to the management himself for my sake. Although I was touched by it, an uneasy feeling grew inside of me. Michael had been treating me differentlytely, and it scared me. I was afraid that I would break my own promise and go looking for him if he continued treating me so nicely. That day, I was sitting in the living room. As I looked at the brand new furnitureying around the house, I felt like I was in a different ce despite the fact that it was still the same house. When my mind was elsewhere, my phone suddenly rang. The moment I saw the caller ID, I couldn''t help but frown. It was Ronan. I answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± came my t greeting the moment the call connected. Recently, I had been focusing on my pregnancy and finding a job. So, I didn''t get in touch with Ronan for quite a long time. As soon as I became aware of this, I felt odd since Ronan had not contacted me during that time, too. ¡°It''s been a while since we talked. Do you miss me?¡± As soon as the call was connected, Ronan''s teasing voice came through, and it made me frown. This guy never changes. We haven''t got in touch for so long, and his first sentence to me is a cheeky one. ¡°I''ve been busy, and I don''t have time for your nonsense. If you merely called to tease me, please end the call.¡± My voice was full of irritation as I didn''t have the energy to entertain him. After all, I needed those energies to find a job. Ronan was an unemployed and a good-for-nothing man. Though he was an adult, he had no n to look for a job. ¡°Regardless of how busy you are, you must have time for a meal, right? I want to bring you to lunch,¡± demanded Ronan. Despite the disappointment after hearing my remark, Ronan didn''t give up. It was just like him to ask me repeatedly until I gave in. ¡°I really have things to do in the afternoon. I need to go look for a job.¡± Upon hearing Ronan''s invitation, I instinctively rejected him. At that moment, my mind was full of the fact that I still hadn''t got a job, and I didn''t want to waste my time with him. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Aww,e on, I just want to bring you to dinner. You don''t have to reject me so bluntly. If you need a job, I can help you with it. I do have a lot of connections, after all.¡± Seeing that I rejected him, Ronan tried to tempt me with what I wanted at the moment¡ªa job. ¡°You have a job suitable for me?¡± When I heard that Ronan could help me in getting a job, I was intrigued. After all, my priority now was to get a job and earn money as I needed to prepare for my baby''s birth. ¡°Yes. Are you doubting me?¡± Ronan was not happy to hear the suspicion in my voice. ¡°No, I don''t mean that.¡± I chuckled awkwardly upon realizing that my question was rather inappropriate. Though I had no intention to have a meal with Ronan, I changed my mind after hearing his offer. Soon after, he picked me up at the bus station near my house. Before long, we arrived at a Western restaurant. While I was enthused about the job Ronan might introduce me to, I wasn''t paying attention to the food I was ordering. After all, I wasn''t interested in eating. As the dishes came, Ronan, who was now sitting in front of me, kept serving me food. His eyes were full of smiles as he looked at me. I, on the other hand, didn''t refuse his hospitality. After taking a few bites, I lifted my gaze toward him and asked, ¡°So, do you know where I can get a suitable job? It''d be better if it''s a position with higher pay.¡± My eyes were full of anticipation as I looked at Ronan. I sincerely hoped that he could be reliable for once and introduce me to a good job. ¡°What happened to your previous job with Joyful Sess? Why did you resign?¡± Instead of answering my question, he threw another question at my face. ¡°Nothing happened. Things weren''t going well. So, I resigned.¡± I came up with an excuse. As I thought of the real reason behind my resignation, I lowered my head as my face fell. Upon hearing my answer, Ronan furrowed his brows deeply. ¡°Weren''t going well? Did Michael bully you? If he''s being difficult, you cane to me. I can help you with that.¡± Even his eyes were full of worries as he looked at me. ¡°No, he was fine. I resigned because of personal issues. He''s got nothing to do with it,¡± I quickly exined. Ronan''s remark had frightened me. I couldn''t let him go looking for Michael. If he knew about my past rtionship with Michael, I was sure that he would look down at me. Luckily, Ronan didn''t press on the matter. He smiled and said, ¡°Okay. Don''t worry about your job. I''ll help you ask around. I have friends everywhere. I''m sure they will be willing to provide you with a good position for my sake.¡± I was relieved that he was willing to let go of the topic, and at the same, I was grateful. Even though letting him help me meant that I wouldn''t be getting the job through a proper channel, I had no other choice as I desperately needed a job to support myself and my unborn child. ¡°Then I''ll trouble you with it, Ronan.¡± As I smiled at him, my gratitude toward him grew. It seemed that even though he looked goofy all the time, he was reliable when needed. ¡°You don''t have to be so courteous. I''m honored to help. Plus, who knows, you might fall in love with me.¡± Ronan didn''t like me being so polite to him. However, what he just said made me want to beat him up. ¡°That won''t happen in this life. But if there''s a next life, I might fall for you.¡± I was now a pregnant woman. There was no way that I could be with Ronan. Even if I wasn''t pregnant, we could never be a couple as he was Michael''s cousin. The fact that I had a past rtionship with Michael made me feel embarrassed to be with Ronan, not to mention the fact that I was not interested in him. Ronan frowned at my words. It was obvious that he didn''t like what he heard. ¡°Can you stop saying things that''ll crush my confidence? What do you mean by we can''t be together in this life? The future is uncertain, and no one can predict it. Who knows, you might actually end up with me.¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 ¡°Ronan, you...¡± Whenever Ronan said things like that, I didn''t know how to respond to him. I wanted to say something in reply, but he stopped me before I could finish my sentence. ¡°Let''s not talk about it anymore. Here, eat more. You''re getting thinner these few days.¡± As he spoke, he served me a piece of meat. Before pregnancy, I was a meat lover. However, ever since I got pregnant, I would start retching whenever I saw any oily meat. At that instant, I felt sick. I quickly covered my mouth and rushed toward the toilet. ¡°Anna, are you all right?¡± upon seeing my reaction, Ronan yelled worriedly at me. However, I didn''t have time to respond to him as I made a beeline to the washroom. Inside the washroom, I leaned on the basin and vomited everything I had just eaten. Despite that, I still felt terribly ufortable. I could only gurgle multiple times to wash away the bitterness in my mouth. It took me a long time before I finally felt better. I noticed that for the past few days, my morning sickness had worsened. After tidying myself up, I walked out of the washroom. Ronan was looking at me worriedly when I got back to my seat. ¡°What happened to you just now? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I''m fine. Just having nausea,¡± I exined tly and dismissed with a wave. I remained silent about my pregnancy as I feared that Ronan might identally spill the beans to Michael. ¡°You don''t look well. Why don''t I bring you to the hospital?¡± Ronan epted my exnation without any question. Nheless, he was still worried about me. Although his concern warmed my heart, I started panicking at his suggestion. ¡°No, that won''t be necessary. I must have eaten something wrong. I''ll be fine after a rest,¡± I immediately rejected Ronan''s proposal. I was scared about him bringing me to a hospital. Michael was a man with connections. If he heard about Ronan bringing me to the hospital, there was no guarantee that he wouldn''t find out about the pregnancy, and I really didn''t want him to know about it. ¡°Are you sure that you''re okay? You look terrible.¡± Ronan frowned worriedly at me, his voice full of concern. ¡°I''m really fine. You don''t have to worry about me.¡± Ronan could be as stubborn as a mule once he had decided something. In order to prevent him from pushing to bring me to the hospital, I quickly changed the subject. ¡°Have you finished eating? If you are, please bring me home. I need some rest.¡± Although I was in the early stage of my pregnancy, my morning sickness was rather severe. Every time I ate, I would throw it all out. Right now, after vomiting, I had lost all of my energy, and I really wanted to justy in bed. ¡°Okay. I''ll send you home now. You really don''t look too good,¡± said Ronan when he noticed how sick I was. He drove me home straight without taking me around the city as usual. With all my energy sapped, I had Ronan drop me outside my residential area instead of the bus stop. Since Michael had moved out, I didn''t have to worry that they would bump into each other. Nevertheless, I refused to let Ronan drive into the residential area, nor did I let him know which block I was staying in. ¡°Oh, so you stay here. This area is ssy. Since you have been refusing to tell me where you stay, I thought that you''re embarrassed because your house was old and dpidated.¡± Ronan''s face was full of surprise as he observed the surroundings of the residential area. Upon hearing that, I smiled awkwardly and lied, ¡°I rent a ce here.¡± I could not bring myself to tell him that it was his cousin, Michael, who gave me the house, even though I did not want to lie to him. ¡°I see. So, which block is yours? Let me drop you right at your doorstep.¡± I got out of the car, and Ronan followed behind with a smile on his face. I knew that he wanted to check out the ce I was living at, but I had no intention of letting him in. It felt weird to invite a single man into my house, despite the fact that we were friends. ¡°No, that won''t be necessary. It''s gettingte. You should go home earlier.¡± Without any hesitation, I rejected Ronan''s offer, and without giving him time to respond, I quickly walked away. Ronan stood in front of his car with a cocked brow and a smile as he watched me running away. The moment I got home, I went to my bedroom straight away and had a nap as I was worn out. Though I had heard that pregnancy was a rather tormenting process, it was different when I experienced it myself. Now, I finally knew how terrible the morning sickness was. I was in slumber for a long time. When I awoke, the sky had turned dark. Ever since I got pregnant, besides the morning sickness, I had been feeling rather sluggish. Every time I fell asleep, I would only wake up hourster. It seemed like I would be turning into a sloth soon. I prepared a simple meal for myself. Until now, my appetite hadn''t returned, and I didn''t feel like eating, However, I didn''t want to sleep with an empty stomach. Thus, I just ate something simple. The following morning, I was awakened by the doorbell, and it aggravated me tremendously. After all, no one enjoyed having their sleep interrupted by others. I dragged myself to answer the door. My eyes widened in shock when I saw that it was Ronan. I don''t remember telling him which block I stay on. How did he find me? This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°What''s with the face? Too happy to see me first thing in the morning?¡± Amused, Ronan smiled at me and leaned closer to me as he watched me staring at him with wide eyes. ¡°H-How did you find me?¡± I questioned him as I regained my senses, my tone wary. Did he follow me here? With that thought in my mind, my guard instantly shot up. ¡°Come on, who do you think you''re talking to? Since I already know the area you stayed in, it''s only a matter of time before I found out which block you are on.¡± Ronan pursed his lips and smirked smugly. At first, I sincerely thought that he had a way to locate me. However, I only found outter on that he went on knocking at every single door early in the morning until he found me. When I was told of this, I wondered if Ronan received any beatings for interrupting others'' sleep. ¡°Why are you here so early in the morning?¡± My voice was full of irritation as I demanded. I was irked that he came without any consent. Despite that, I couldn''t throw him out as he was my friend. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 ¡°I''m worried about you. After seeing how unwell you were yesterday, I was afraid that your stomach''s still upset. So, I asked the housekeeper to make some easily digestible food for you.¡± While Ronan informed me of the purpose of his visit, he walked past me and ced a lunch box on the table. He then opened the covers andid everything perfectly. I turned my gaze to the dishes and saw that all of them were simple and mild, without any meat. For once, I didn''t feel nauseated when the smell of food prated my nasal. ¡°Thank you, but please, there''s no need to trouble yourself in the future.¡± I was incredibly touched. I was well aware of Ronan''s intention, and that was the reason why I tried to stay away from him. At the same time, I was confused as to why he didn''t ask me anything about my rtionship with Michael. After all, the scandal about us had spread like wildfire. ¡°No worries,¡± said Ronan, grinning. He pretended not to know the meaning behind my words, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes. I frowned at his reaction, but I remained silent. I then sat down and started digging in. ¡°Ronan, have you seen the news about Michael?¡± Finally, I asked him the question that had been bothering me since the day before. The scandal about Michael and I have been the talk of the town. Ronan must have heard of it, right? ¡°You mean news about my cousin? What news? I just got back from overseas yesterday. I didn''t even get to meet him yet.¡± Ronan stopped eating and looked at me in confusion after hearing my question. His voice was filled with puzzlement as well. I didn''t know how to react to his response as I originally thought that he would question me about the scandal. After a moment, I finally regained my senses. Turns out he has no idea about the news because he''s been abroad. ¡°I-It''s nothing.¡± At first, I nned toe clean with him, but after seeing his reaction, I changed my mind. I merely carried on eating. ¡°Anna, why does it feel like something is going on between you and Michael?¡± asked Ronan suddenly. My chest instantly tightened from his question, and my head jerked up. When I met with his questioning gaze, I averted my eyes guiltily. ¡°Nothing is going on. Come on now, finish your food. I want to rest afterward.¡± With that, I stopped talking. I didn''t want to discuss any topic rted to Michael with him. After finishing everything up, I walked into the kitchen to wash the lunch boxes brought by Ronan. After all, it would be rude if I didn''t do anything in return. ¡°Can I look around your house? I''ll leave after you finish washing up.¡± Ronan, who was still sitting at the dining table, asked with anticipation. I frowned at his request. I wanted to reject him, but after a moment of deliberation, I allowed him to as he wished. After all, Michael had moved all his stuff out, and I had nothing to hide. ¡°Sure. Help yourself.¡± I then turned to continue washing the lunch boxes and ignored him. Ronan was excited after getting my permission. He walked around the house and took a look at everything. After I was done with everything, I walked out of the kitchen with the lunch boxes in hand. I saw Ronan sitting on the living room couch. He was staring at something in his hand. I then realized that it was my pregnancy test result from two days ago. I dashed toward him and snatched the paper from him. I had totally forgotten about the test result, and I didn''t expect that Ronan would see it. Ronan turned around and saw the panic in my eyes. His face darkened, and I saw the disappointment and shock in his eyes. ¡°You''re pregnant?¡± Ronan asked after a long silence. He no longer had a yful tone to his voice; instead, he sounded serious. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. I lowered my head, avoiding his gaze. At the same time, I was worried. I was scared that my pregnancy would be made known to others. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied after some time. The anger on Ronan''s face was obvious after he heard my response. I noticed that he was trying to contain the fury in him. Regardless, I didn''t feel guilty for not telling him. Instead, I was thinking about how to hide this from Michael. My original n was to hide my pregnancy from everyone. I really didn''t expect that Ronan would identally see it. ¡°Who''s the father?¡± Ronan''s hands, which were hanging by his side, had balled into fists. His reaction was understandable as he was serious about pursuing me. ¡°I can''t tell you that. This child belongs to me and me only.¡± I spoke in all seriousness and determination as I lifted my gaze to meet his. From the moment I found out about my pregnancy, I decided not to tell Michael about it and raise the child myself. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Ronan frowned, confused. His expression was sullen. ¡°It means that I have no n to be with the father, so I won''t tell you who he is. I n to raise my child on my own.¡± As I spoke, I caressed my belly. ¡°Is he the man you said you were in love with? How could you be so dumb? You know full well that you can''t be with him, and yet you let yourself get pregnant?¡± Ronan''s tone was full of usation. He was mad after hearing my response. Despite his tone, I knew that he felt sorry for me. However, his concern worried me and made me on edge. I didn''t want him to waste any of his feelings on me anymore. ¡°I don''t want you to tell anyone about this,¡± I said in a serious tone while looking at him. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Ronan asked cidly with a frown. ¡°I''m sure.¡± I paused when I saw the concern in his eyes. ¡°Now that you know about my condition, you should be able to understand why we will never be together. So, I want you to stop pursuing me as well.¡± Although letting Ronan find out about my pregnancy wasn''t part of my n, it was a good thing if I could make Ronan give up on his feelings for me. I was relieved to see him leave. Men were possessive beings, and the same could be said about Ronan despite how casual he may look to others. I knew he couldn''t ept me once he found out I was pregnant with another man''s child. s, it was for the best. At least now, I didn''t have to worry about him falling deeper in love with me. Nheless, it was still a shame that I had lost a friend. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 For the next couple of days, I didn''t receive any calls from Ronan. I perceived that he probably could not ept the sudden news about my pregnancy. Consequently, I received another shocking news¡ªMichael was getting married soon. It took me quite some time to regain my senses after watching that news on the TV. That was pretty startling because Michael had said that he would investigate whether the culprit of the intrusion in my house was Emma just a few days ago. Knowing that they were about to get married all of a sudden was unexpected indeed. Thus, I wondered if he was only paying lip service when he promised to help me. Furthermore, it was difficult for me to be prepared mentally for such abrupt news since they were engaged just a few days ago. I turned off the TV, intending to calm myself down, but to no avail. Even though I acknowledged that their marriage would arrive sooner orter, I still could not ept it as it was too sudden. Perhaps I still hadn''t gotten over Michael yet. Shortly afterward, I called Natalie as I didn''t want to be alone at home while feeling exasperated. The more I was alone, the more I would recall every bit of memories of being together with Michael. Realizing that he was about to marry another woman caused my heart to feel indescribably anguished. Since she noticed that my tone sounded off, Natalie did not say too much and told me to wait for her at herpany. I found a caf¨¦ not too far away from Natalie''spany and chose that ce as our meeting point. While waiting for her, I discovered that the news about Michael''s uing marriage was everywhere. Sure enough, I felt like I was about to descend into madness. Not long after, Natalie appeared before me while panting heavily. She gulped down the water on the table after sitting down. ¡°What''s wrong? Why are you in a bad mood?¡± Natalie asked while casting a look of concern toward me right after that drink. Without answering her question straight away, I lowered my head and stirred the fruit juice I had ordered. Due to my pregnancy, I refrained from drinking coffee for the time being. Following a moment of silence, I finally answered, ¡°Michael is getting married after two weeks.¡± Upon hearing my words, Natalie widened her eyes in shock. ¡°What? Didn''t he get engaged only recently?¡± Like myself, Natalie thought that news was too unanticipated as well. After all, Michael and Emma had their engagement only a few days ago. Anyone who knew about the unforeseen marriage announcement would most definitely have the same reaction as us. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Despite feeling troubled, I didn''t know what to say at the moment. Above all, I was in no position to say anything nor had the right to speak out. The fact was that Michael''s marriage had nothing to do with me. ¡°I thought I could move on from Michael, Natalie. However, I was utterly heartbroken when I saw the news about him getting married very soon. I''m not sure what I should do.¡± I wouldn''t have expressed my genuine feelings for Michael if it were in front of others. The exception was Natalie, as she was the only friend I could trust wholeheartedly. Looking at my saddened expression, Natalie stared at me with a look of sympathy while frowning. ¡°I think you''re just tormenting yourself, Anna. Since you love Michael and are pregnant with his child, why don''t you try being in a rtionship with him?¡± As usual, Natalie encouraged me to be more courageous by sorting things out with Michael. I knew she wanted me to be happy, but I had my concerns. ¡°Stop trying to persuade me, Natalie. There''s no way I can be in a rtionship with Michael. I only want to vent my feelings to feel better. Besides, I have no intention to tell him about the baby.¡± Although I recognized that Natalie meant well, I didn''t want to do what she suggested. ¡°You''re such a stubborn woman, Anna. I don''t even know what''s going through your mind sometimes.¡± Natalie let out a sigh helplessly as she knew my attitude was upromising. After having a heart-to-heart chat with Natalie, I felt a lot better than before indeed. Still, my heart would drown in sorrow whenever I thought about Michael. Therefore, I didn''t turn on the TV even once for the next two days to avoid watching any news about Michael. The mncholy I felt did fade a little when I did that. A few dayster, I went to the hospital for a checkup concerning my pregnancy ording to schedule. Due to my care for my baby, I attended every single checkup since day one. Thankfully, not only was my body in good shape, but my baby was developing normally as well. Just as I was about to leave the hospital after the checkup, I was shocked to see the two persons in the elevator. It was Michael and Ronan. The feeling of panic swept through my body as soon as I saw Michael. I intended to walk away immediately, but my legs would not move. Consequently, I stood rooted to the spot. At that moment, Michael and Ronan had noticed my presence. Michael had a puzzled look on his face while looking at me, probably because he never expected that I would appear in the hospital. As for Ronan, his face had darkened when he saw me. I believed Ronan knew why I came to the hospital in all likelihood. Ever since he was aware of my pregnancy, he stopped contacting me. I had no clue what was in his mind, but I thought he probably felt awkward meeting me after knowing about my pregnancy. ¡°Are you going to stand there forever?¡± Michael questioned in a displeased tone when he saw that I was not moving. His voice snapped me out of my daze sessfully. I then entered the elevator with a slight hesitation and stood at a spot farther away from them. My initial intention was to flee, but I realized that action would demonstrate my guilty conscience. More importantly, I was afraid that Michael would find out about my pregnancy. That was the first time I felt like the elevator was descending unusually slow due to the situation. Moreover, I thought bumping into Michael at the elevator in the hospital was such a baffling coincidence. ¡°What are you doing here? Are you sick?¡± Michael broke the awkward silence in the elevator after a while. However, I felt even more nervous by his question. ¡°I''m fine. I''m only here for a physical examination.¡± I lowered my head in guilt after giving that excuse while stuffing the report into my bag hastily to prevent Michael from noticing it. While I was answering Michael, I also took a secret nce at Ronan as I was worried that he might reveal my pregnancy. Unlike his previous yful demeanor, Ronan''s face was devoid of expression. ¡°Isn''t Anna your friend, Ronan? Why did she have to spend money for a physical examination in the hospital you established?¡± Michael shifted his gaze toward Ronan instead of giving me a reply after listening to my answer. Considering that Ronan was not as hospitable toward me as before, I believed Michael would sense that something was off. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Regardless, Michael had revealed that Ronan was the founder of the hospital. That was a pretty shocking piece of information as I had always thought that Ronan was only a good-for-nothing living off his family''s riches. ¡°I didn''t know Anna woulde here for a physical examination. If I knew earlier, I would most definitely spare her from paying,¡± Ronan responded while curling his lips into a faint smile. His tone was casual as usual, but I could feel an indecipherable emotion in his eyes while he was looking at me. Regarding the floor I was on when I took the elevator earlier, Michael might not know I was on the obstetrics and gynecology department floor, but Ronan must have known. ¡°So, you''re the founder of this hospital. That''s quite a surprise.¡± I spoke to Ronan with an awkward tone after giving him a polite smile. ¡°I must''ve forgotten to tell you about that before.¡± In contrast to his previous witty personality, Ronan was being very courteous toward me at present. Even though it was a good thing that he had stopped pursuing me after knowing about my pregnancy, I still felt pretty uneasy by his indifferent attitude toward me. Since I had always treated him as my close friend, bing strangers because of my pregnancy was thest thing I wished to happen. However, it seemed like that was out of my control. Once we finally reached the first floor, I strode out of the elevator without dy. Being with Michael and Ronan in the elevator was not only stressful but suffocating. Before I was about to leave, I heard a female voiceing from behind. ¡°Michael! You''re finally done! I''ve been waiting for so long.¡± The second I heard Michael''s name mentioned, I could not help but stop in my tracks while my heart skipped a beat. I then turned around and witnessed Emma throwing herself into Michael''s arm. There was also a sense of coquettishness in her tone while she was speaking. In response, Michael did not push Emma away and allowed her to embrace him. Despite having an emotionless expression, there was no trace of disgust on his face. Not too long ago, I had told Michael that I surmised that Emma was the instigator of the intrusion in my house. Judging from the current situation, it seemed to me that he did not take that matter to heart at all. I wondered if Michael''s feelings for Emma had changed during that period. After all, she was the woman he had to spend the rest of his life with soon. Conversely, I was only a nobody. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Jones. Or should I call you Mrs. Shaw? Anyway, I see that you can''t even separate from Michael for a moment now, huh? Weren''t you with him just a short while ago?¡± Ronan could not hold himself back from joking with Emma. He even had a smile on his face when he saw them embracing. It was apparent that Emma was in a joyous mood upon hearing Ronan calling her Mrs. Shaw from the bright smile on her face. There was a hint of shyness in her expression too. Sure enough, I felt like a dagger had pierced through my heart the second I heard Emma being called Mrs. Shaw. My eyes began to well up in tears uncontrobly when I saw how in sync they looked, painting a picture of a happy family. ¡°It''s too early to call me that. Since there''s still a couple of days before our wedding, addressing me as Mrs. Shaw is a little inappropriate.¡± Although she gave such a reply to Ronan, Emma was gazing at Michael with a blissful expression. ¡°Why not? You''ll marry Michael eventually anyway,¡± the straightforward Ronan uttered again right after Emma finished her words. Upon hearing Ronan''s utterance, Emma hung her head for a while before staring at Michael solemnly. ¡°I hope you''ll love me with all your heart and soul instead of loving others once we''re married. Can you do that, Michael?¡± A mixture of anticipation and tenderness was in her tone as she spoke. When he heard her speaking such unexpected words, Michael furrowed his brows and looked at her with a tinge of annoyance. I understood the overtone in Emma''s words¡ªshe was still brooding over the press conference Michael held earlier. Nheless, I thought it was understandable since no woman would tolerate the man she loved to have feelings for another woman. In the meantime, it seemed like Emma had not noticed me, despite the fact that I was only standing not too far away from them. The reason was perhaps that she only had her eyes on Michael alone. Given that Michael had a chilling expression and did not answer Emma, Ronan felt the awkwardness in the air and tried to ease the tension. ¡°What are you even saying? You''re about to be Michael''s wife! Of course, you''ll be the only person he loves unquestionably! Why would he love anyone else?¡± ¡°I assume you''re unaware of what happened since you were abroad a few days ago. Michael confessed to a woman named Anna¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Michael cut Emma off before she could reveal the matter between him and myself. Ascertaining from his terrifying countenance, it was apparent that Michael did not like Emma mentioning us in front of others. Furthermore, he had always hated gossipers. Still, the ever-intelligent Ronan discovered something in Emma''s words despite being interjected by Michael. He was bewildered after hearing my name and gazed toward me with a much more complicated expression than before. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. After staring intently at me for a while, he shifted his gaze toward my belly. I perceived that he must be starting to specte something in his mind. He looked like a person who loved to fool around on the surface, but he was pretty quick-witted in reality. Others did not have to say anything more at times, as he could perform urate guesswork by himself. Consequent to Ronan''s gaze, I lowered my head in guilt and turned around, intending to leave. To my dismay, Emma''s voice sounded before I could walk away. ¡°Anna? What are you doing here?¡± She probably noticed me when she saw Ronan looking in my direction. On the heels of ncing at me with widened eyes, she looked at Michael like she was suspecting something. Based on her pettiness, she must have thought it was not a coincidence that Michael and I appeared at the hospital concurrently. She probably concluded that I was there to pester Michael deliberately. My first intuition was to ignore her and leave at once, but I refrained from doing so because Michael and Ronan were present. In addition to that, I believed Emma probably would not go too far with Michael by her side since she had to maintain the image he had for her. Hence, I turned around and stared at Emma emotionlessly while remaining silent. ¡°It is you. Why are you here? Are you here to see Michael?¡± As expected, Emma thought I was there to pester Michael. Since Emma mentioned something about Michael and me earlier to Ronan in front of Michael, I knew Ronan would possibly validate what I had told him before; that the man I was in love with was Michael. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Although I did not care about others'' opinions of me, Emma''s dubious gaze still irked me. This woman always thinks of others badly! ¡°I''m here for a medical checkup,¡± I replied in apathy, trying to shake her off. Emma sauntered toward me and looked at me in faint disdain. ¡°Medical checkup? Ms. Garcia, are you feeling sick? By the way, this hospital is under Ronan. If you do have any illness, I might be able to get you a discount,¡± she said with courtesy. Although she spoke politely, I could tell she was feigning it. Her words were not out of concern but to proim her possession of Michael. Of course, I got what Emma was trying to imply loud and clear, but I had no idea what Michael and Ronan were thinking. Regardless, any thoughts that they had mattered naught to me now. I was aware that the reason Emma stopped me was so that she could drop those words to bemuse and embarrass me. Therefore, I responded indifferently so that I could leave the ce faster. ¡°I don''t need it, Ms. Jones. If you have nothing else, I shall take my leave first¡± With that, I turned to walk away. ¡°Ms. Garcia, the wedding between Michael and I will be held next Sunday. If you''re free, I hope you''ll come to celebrate with us,¡± she said as she slightly raised the corner of her mouth, sneering. Her words immediately caused my heart to clench in pain. Irrefutably, she knew my weakness very well¡ªthat I still loved Michael. She intentionally reminded me of the wedding just to evoke my anguish. I had to say, she seeded. ¡°Emma, you''re crossing the line!¡± Irked, Michael red at Emma in vague vexation. As I had spent much time with Michael, I knew he was genuinely angry at that moment. However, since he could not rebuke her in public, he simply stared at her coldly. Noticing Michael''s rage, Emma still intended to verbalize her sarcasm. However, she met his menacing gaze as she opened her mouth. Instantly, she swallowed her words and looked at him in indignance. Obviously, she was afraid of angering Michael. However, the fact that Michael and I had appeared at the hospital at the same time had incited her jealousy. Although I was in so much agony it felt as though my heart was stabbed, I still forced a smile and turned to look at Emma. ¡°I don''t think I''ll be attending since I don''t have what it takes to take part in such a high-profile wedding.¡± As soon as I dropped my words, Michael frowned and gazed at me gloomily. Exasperated, he marched past me without uttering a word. To him, I was but a stranger now. I reckoned he couldn''t be bothered to even spare me a nce. Emma realized that her unrestrained temper had infuriated Michael. Hence, she threw a malicious re at me and immediately trotted toward him. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. I stood still and watched as they left. The moment they were out of my sight, my tough facade instantly crumbled. I gazed in the direction where Michael left as I smiled wryly. Standing not far away, Ronan was watching me. Unable to ignore my disheartenment, he walked toward me and tried to console me. ¡°Shall we have a chat?¡± he asked in a gentle tone. Unlike his usual self, who was bright and confident, he sounded calm, which slightly took me aback. I followed Ronan wordlessly. Although I never desired to get together with him, I still needed to reveal some matters I had concealed long from him. It was time for me toe clean. Ronan led me to a field behind the hospital. He stopped and turned toward me, gazing at me with mixed feelings. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. ¡°Before, you told me you already have someone you fancy. Is that someone Michael?¡± As he locked his gaze at me, I could sense the nervousness and sadness in his eyes. Previously, I hid my rtionship with Michael from Ronan because I expected our rtionship to end at some point. Since we all knew each other, I did not want the atmosphere to turn awkward if we met. Unfortunately, after what happened earlier, I could not conceal it anymore. I lowered my head and kept mum, silently agreeing to Ronan''s conjecture. Being the sharp man that he was, he immediately grasped my answer from the silence. I looked up, only to see him gazing at me somberly with his brows knitted. With a vaguely quivering voice, he asked as he redirected his gaze to my stomach, ¡°So, the child in your belly is his?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± I admitted. Even if I did lie to him, Ronan had already guessed the answer. Hence, I saw no reason to deceive him any further. Upon hearing my reply, he snickered as he said in a painful tone, ¡°So, you knew Michael long before, and you were even in a rtionship with him. And to think I had once foolishly introduced you two to each other... what a joke.¡± If the person I loved was not Michael, Ronan would not felt such dismay. Sadly, I was indeed in a rtionship with Michael before. Not to mention we even hid it from him and pretended to be strangers. If I were Ronan, I would have felt more distressed than he was after learning about the truth. Hence, I felt guilty for deceiving him. ¡°Sorry...¡± I lowered my head and apologized with a regretful expression. Aside from apologizing, I could not squeeze out any other words. Ronan chuckled wryly as he looked at me with slight resentment. Losing hisposure, his tone lost its tenderness and was reced with anguish instead. ¡°Sorry? I just found out I was yed like a fool. Do you think your apology is enough?¡± ¡°I never intended to trick you. I sincerely treat you as a friend. But, I don''t know how I should tell you about my rtionship with Michael,¡± Panicking, I tried to exin myself upon realizing furious Ronan was. Indeed, I had deceived him numerous times on this matter. However, I never intended to y with his trust. I was even afraid that our friendship would end after he had known about my rtionship with Michael. ¡°Friend? You''ve been Michael''s lover for all the time I''ve been pursuing you. I bet you must see me as a fool, huh? To think, I never suspected the rtionship between you two.¡± Regardless of my exnation, Ronan could not ept it. Indeed. Anyone would have felt disheartened upon learning that the woman he loved was deceiving him. Besides, for a man who always acted on his own ord, I could tell Ronan was actually holding back his rage. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 ¡°Yes. This is all my fault. However, I only did what I did because I know Michael and I will never stay together. I didn''t want too many people to know that we''ve been in a rtionship. This was also the reason why I can''t ept your feeling.¡± Ronan''s genuine affection for me made me feel the need to exin everything to him clearly. Even though my feelings toward Michael had receded, I could never agree to get together with Ronan, for I was once Michael''s lover. ¡°Enough. You don''t need to exin anymore. Everything is finally clear to me after so long. At the very least, I don''t need to be deceived by you two like a fool anymore.¡± Before I could exin further, he cut me off. At that moment, I reckoned that my words would not make any difference as they could never negate the damage I dealt him. The woman he loved was his cousin''s lover. He must think of me as revolting and despicable. Ronan gazed at me with a bitter smile before he turned and stalked away wordlessly. Watching his retreating figure, I could vaguely sense his devastation. Never had I expected things to turn out this way. Aside from the anguish that I felt from losing Michael, I was also swamped with guilt from the way things turned out between me and Ronan. Ronan had treated me earnestly and did a lot for me. On the contrary, I acted selfishly and hurt him. I thought that maybe a woman like me would never get to have a happy ending. Distressed, I returned home feeling enervated. It should have been a great day after learning that my child was developing healthily. Unfortunately, Emma''s appearance had ruined it all. For the next few days, I never stepped foot out of my house. Even when I had the urge to call Ronan sometimes, I would tamp those urges down. As things had aggravated to such a degree, I could never ask Ronan to forgive me. Of course, I wished for his forgiveness, but I was too ashamed to call. While I was brooding alone in the living room, a knock suddenly came from the door, pulling me back to my senses. Immediately, I directed my gaze at it. I rarely had visitors. In addition, I had be vignt after my house was destroyedst time. Hence, I peeped through the door viewer to ensure my safety. Upon seeing Michael standing outside, I was startled. What is he doing here? He has note here for a long time. Plus, he''s going to get married soon. More the reason he shouldn''t be here. ¡°Anna. Open the door!¡± Michael demanded impatiently and rang the doorbell incessantly when he saw that the door had yet to open after some time. I stood at the entrance and hesitated for a moment. In the end, I decided to open the door. Before I could even look at Michael''s face, he pulled me into his arms abruptly. Surprised, I froze. My mind stopped me from pushing Michael away as his embrace was what I longed for all this time. ¡°Michael, what are you doing here?¡± Although my heart was fluttering as I nestled in Michael''s embrace, I forced my voice to sound calm. I was bing more and more confused about the state of our rtionship. ¡°Don''t move,¡± he demanded when I tried to push him away. I caught a whiff of alcohol from him as he spoke. Immediately, I ceased resisting. ¡°Are you drunk?¡± I scowled and questioned with faint brusqueness. I rarely see Michael getting so drunk, even at socializing events, as his alcohol tolerance was good. I reckoned that something must have happened for him to get drunk ande to my ce. Michael did not answer my inquiry. Instead, he tightened his hold with his strong arms, as though he was trying to meld me into him. Although I feel suffocated, I did not struggle and simply allowed him to do as he wished. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. After a long time, Michael finally released me. He straightened and lowered his head to gaze at me. Upon seeing his face, I was shocked. The corner of his mouth was bruised, and his left cheek was swollen, as though he was beaten up by someone. ¡°What happened to your face? Did someone hit you?¡± Over the years that I had known Michael, I had never seen him getting injured. His miserable state got my heart wrenching in pain. Who''s daring enough to assault Michael? Puzzled, I never expected anyone to be dauntless enough to hurt him. Probably thinking that he looked pathetic, he turned his head away, wiped the corner of his mouth, and calmly imed, ¡°I''m fine.¡± I could tell he found the injury on his face shameful, thus unwilling to share. Knowing that he was concerned about his dignity, I did not probe any further. Instantly, the atmosphere got awkward from the lengthy silence. Michael then walked past me and entered my living room. As I found it inappropriate for us to meet alone, I did not close the door as I followed him. His movement was unsteady because of the tipsiness. I wanted to help him, but I deliberately suppressed the urge to. When we walked to the couch, Michael abruptly stopped. Before I could respond, he turned around, pushed me down onto the couch, and pinned me down. Startled, I immediately averted my gaze when they met with his. I was afraid that I might act rashly if I gazed at him any longer. ¡°Michael, what are you doing? Get off me now.¡± I pushed at him forcefully, trying to get him off my body as his weight might harm the baby in my belly. Despite my struggles, he did not budge and kept pressing down on me like a huge boulder. He stared at me intently for a moment before he questioned, ¡°What is your rtionship with Ronan? Do you fancy him?¡± Although his words were slurred, I could grasp the desperation from his tone. I frowned upon hearing his question, fury surging through me. Is this the reason why he came to see me? To ask about my rtionship with Ronan? Is he suspicious of our rtionship? ¡°No. We''re just friends,¡± I answered coldly as I looked into his eyes. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 ¡°Just friends? Do you think that I''m foolish enough to believe you, Anna?¡± Not believing my exnation, Michael became more agitated. While he stammered, a sharp glint shed across his eyes. He was doubting my rtionship with Ronan. While I looked into his dark eyes, my gaze flitted. However, in the next second, anger surged through me. ¡°It''s none of my business whether you believe me or not. Neither does my rtionship with Ronan have anything to do with you! What right do you have to interrogate me, Michael?¡± Since he was already going to marry Emma, he had no right to ask me all these questions. ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± I spoke coldly and clearly. However, my words only served to make Michael more enraged. He red at me angrily, his expression bing grim. I met his gaze calmly, unwilling to give in. Since he was about to marry Emma, there was no reason why I should endure his domineering acts. He had no right to treat me like this. Just when I thought that Michael would lose his temper, something unexpected happened¡ªhe leaned his head on my shoulder and fell asleep. It was as if it was another person being enraged earlier. A surprised look shed across my eyes. When I returned to my senses, I realized that he had actually fallen asleep. I stared at Michael''s handsome face, which was merely inches away from me. He looked so quiet when asleep. Perhaps, I would not have any opportunities to look at him from such a close distance in the future. Extending my arm, I wanted to caress his face. However, just when I was about to touch him, I froze. Although I yearned to stay by his side quietly like this, I could not do that. It had been a tough struggle for me to control my emotions. I was afraid that once I touched him, my rationality would disappear. Hence, I turned around and averted my gaze from Michael. Exerting all my force, I pushed him away from me. Although he wasn''t a huge guy, he was still exceptionally heavy to me. I had to use a lot of force before I managed to shove him away. Standing up, I nced down at his face. It had been ages since I had looked at him so intently. I wished to stay by his side until he wakes up, but I knew that he should not stay at my ce. After all, he was about to get married. If someone found out that he had stayed overnight at my ce before his wedding day, both of us would be the gossip of the town again. Furthermore, this would impact Michael''s reputation. I deliberated about it for a long time before whipping out my phone and giving Emma a call. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She was the one whom I was the most reluctant to contact. However, she was also the only one who could bring Michael away. After all, she was his wife-to-be. While the call was going through, my heart pounded. Calling Emma made me feel very uneasy. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Emma''s voice sounded cold when she picked up. In front of Michael, she might still put up a friendlier front toward me. However, when he was absent, her true colors would shine through. ¡°Michael''s drunk and he''s at my ce. If you''re free,e here now and bring him away. I don''t want to cause any misunderstandings.¡± Although I felt annoyed at how cold she sounded, I had no choice but to suppress my fury and reply in an equally curt manner. ¡°What? Michael''s at your ce? Anna, what dirty tricks have you yed to lure him there? Why haven''t you given up?¡± demanded Emma coldly upon hearing that Michael was with me, her voice bristling with fury. As long as Michael had something to do with me, Emma would assume that I had resorted to unscrupulous methods to seduce him. To her, I was nothing more than a despicable woman. ¡°Stop thinking of everyone in such a horrid way. If I haven''t given up, would I still call you and ask you to bring Michael away? I''ve already called you. It''s up to you whether you want toe or not.¡± Even though I called Emma to rify my rtionship with Michael, it did not mean that she could humiliate me however she liked. I did not owe her anything, so I would not endure her bullying. I hung up after speaking, not giving her a chance to speak. Looking at Michael, who was fast asleep on the couch, I was slightly reluctant to let him leave just like that. As he had drunk a lot, his face was flushed. I grabbed a wet towel and wiped his face attentively. ¡°Anna, you''re my woman... You''re mine...¡± mumbled Michael drowsily, still groggy with sleep. Perhaps, he could sense my presence beside him. My heart pounded when I heard what he said. Michael''s still calling out for me when he''s drunk. Is it because he loves me? But if he loves me, why would he still be together with another woman? Why is he marrying someone else? I thought that I understood Michael well. However, I now realized that I knew nothing about him. Other than hispany''s future, I did not know what else was important to him. Although he did not like Emma, he chose to marry her. Regardless of whether he made the choice for the sake of hispany, or if his family forced him to, I still could not understand it. Are these superficial things more important than his happiness for the rest of his life? I gazed at Michael, who was still mumbling my name. Every time he called out my name, my heart would skip a beat. Knowing that Michael would never change his mind as long as he had made his decision, I tried my best to not let my resolve be swayed by his drunken words. Just when I was staring at his handsome face, letting all those wild thoughts rush through my mind, I heard the urgent cking of heels outside. Since I did not close the door, Emma barged straight into my house. When she spotted me wiping Michael''s face, her eyes zed with rage. She strode toward me and roared, ¡°Anna, you b*tch! What are you doing?¡± Still not satisfied after yelling at me, she shoved me aside. As I was caught off guard, I copsed onto the floor. My first instinct was to shield my stomach with my hand. After being pushed by Emma, I was equally furious. Now that I was pregnant, I would not let anyone do anything that could harm my baby. ¡°Anna, how shameless can you be? Michael''s going to be married to me soon. Everyone in the nation knows about our wedding! Yet, you''re still seducing him in the middle of the night. It seems your shamelessness knows no limits!¡± Chapter 261 Chapter 261 ¡°Just friends? Do you think that I''m foolish enough to believe you, Anna?¡± Not believing my exnation, Michael became more agitated. While he stammered, a sharp glint shed across his eyes. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org He was doubting my rtionship with Ronan. While I looked into his dark eyes, my gaze flitted. However, in the next second, anger surged through me. ¡°It''s none of my business whether you believe me or not. Neither does my rtionship with Ronan have anything to do with you! What right do you have to interrogate me, Michael?¡± Since he was already going to marry Emma, he had no right to ask me all these questions. ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± I spoke coldly and clearly. However, my words only served to make Michael more enraged. He red at me angrily, his expression bing grim. I met his gaze calmly, unwilling to give in. Since he was about to marry Emma, there was no reason why I should endure his domineering acts. He had no right to treat me like this. Just when I thought that Michael would lose his temper, something unexpected happened¡ªhe leaned his head on my shoulder and fell asleep. It was as if it was another person being enraged earlier. A surprised look shed across my eyes. When I returned to my senses, I realized that he had actually fallen asleep. I stared at Michael''s handsome face, which was merely inches away from me. He looked so quiet when asleep. Perhaps, I would not have any opportunities to look at him from such a close distance in the future. Extending my arm, I wanted to caress his face. However, just when I was about to touch him, I froze. Although I yearned to stay by his side quietly like this, I could not do that. It had been a tough struggle for me to control my emotions. I was afraid that once I touched him, my rationality would disappear. Hence, I turned around and averted my gaze from Michael. Exerting all my force, I pushed him away from me. Although he wasn''t a huge guy, he was still exceptionally heavy to me. I had to use a lot of force before I managed to shove him away. Standing up, I nced down at his face. It had been ages since I had looked at him so intently. I wished to stay by his side until he wakes up, but I knew that he should not stay at my ce. After all, he was about to get married. If someone found out that he had stayed overnight at my ce before his wedding day, both of us would be the gossip of the town again. Furthermore, this would impact Michael''s reputation. I deliberated about it for a long time before whipping out my phone and giving Emma a call. She was the one whom I was the most reluctant to contact. However, she was also the only one who could bring Michael away. After all, she was his wife-to-be. While the call was going through, my heart pounded. Calling Emma made me feel very uneasy. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Emma''s voice sounded cold when she picked up. In front of Michael, she might still put up a friendlier front toward me. However, when he was absent, her true colors would shine through. ¡°Michael''s drunk and he''s at my ce. If you''re free,e here now and bring him away. I don''t want to cause any misunderstandings.¡± Although I felt annoyed at how cold she sounded, I had no choice but to suppress my fury and reply in an equally curt manner. ¡°What? Michael''s at your ce? Anna, what dirty tricks have you yed to lure him there? Why haven''t you given up?¡± demanded Emma coldly upon hearing that Michael was with me, her voice bristling with fury. As long as Michael had something to do with me, Emma would assume that I had resorted to unscrupulous methods to seduce him. To her, I was nothing more than a despicable woman. ¡°Stop thinking of everyone in such a horrid way. If I haven''t given up, would I still call you and ask you to bring Michael away? I''ve already called you. It''s up to you whether you want toe or not.¡± Even though I called Emma to rify my rtionship with Michael, it did not mean that she could humiliate me however she liked. I did not owe her anything, so I would not endure her bullying. I hung up after speaking, not giving her a chance to speak. Looking at Michael, who was fast asleep on the couch, I was slightly reluctant to let him leave just like that. As he had drunk a lot, his face was flushed. I grabbed a wet towel and wiped his face attentively. ¡°Anna, you''re my woman... You''re mine...¡± mumbled Michael drowsily, still groggy with sleep. Perhaps, he could sense my presence beside him. My heart pounded when I heard what he said. Michael''s still calling out for me when he''s drunk. Is it because he loves me? But if he loves me, why would he still be together with another woman? Why is he marrying someone else? I thought that I understood Michael well. However, I now realized that I knew nothing about him. Other than hispany''s future, I did not know what else was important to him. Although he did not like Emma, he chose to marry her. Regardless of whether he made the choice for the sake of hispany, or if his family forced him to, I still could not understand it. Are these superficial things more important than his happiness for the rest of his life? I gazed at Michael, who was still mumbling my name. Every time he called out my name, my heart would skip a beat. Knowing that Michael would never change his mind as long as he had made his decision, I tried my best to not let my resolve be swayed by his drunken words. Just when I was staring at his handsome face, letting all those wild thoughts rush through my mind, I heard the urgent cking of heels outside. Since I did not close the door, Emma barged straight into my house. When she spotted me wiping Michael''s face, her eyes zed with rage. She strode toward me and roared, ¡°Anna, you b*tch! What are you doing?¡± Still not satisfied after yelling at me, she shoved me aside. As I was caught off guard, I copsed onto the floor. My first instinct was to shield my stomach with my hand. After being pushed by Emma, I was equally furious. Now that I was pregnant, I would not let anyone do anything that could harm my baby. ¡°Anna, how shameless can you be? Michael''s going to be married to me soon. Everyone in the nation knows about our wedding! Yet, you''re still seducing him in the middle of the night. It seems your shamelessness knows no limits!¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Standing up, I was about to rebuke Emma when she interrupted me. She pointed her finger at me, her body trembling with fury. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I was just an ordinary person. Having been provoked by her over and over again, my fury surged. I stared at Emma coldly without feeling a single hint of guilt. ¡°This is my home and Michael is the one who came looking for me. Instead of using me of seducing him, isn''t it more urate to say that you''ve failed to win him over? Emma, you know very well that Michael doesn''t love you at all!¡± When I said that, Emma widened her eyes angrily. Her body trembled vigorously, but she could not find the words to rebuke me. ¡°Don''t cross the line, Anna! He agreed to marry me. If he doesn''t like me, would he have chosen to be with me? You should erase all those nonsensical thoughts from your mind. It''s impossible for you to be together with Michael!¡± I had hit Emma at the spot where it hurt the most. However, she forced herself to calm down and retaliated coldly while ring at me. ¡°I called you here to bring Michael away, not to argue with you. Since you''re here now, you can take him with you.¡± As I could not be bothered to waste my time with Emma, I evicted her coldly. I did not want to meet her anyway, so I wished for nothing more than for her to disappear immediately. ¡°Do you think that I want to argue with you? It''s beneath my status to quarrel with a woman like you.¡± Emma shot me a look of disdain before walking toward Michael. She bent down and stroked his face affectionately. When she looked at Michael, her eyes were filled with affectionpletely different from how she looked at me. I could tell that she genuinely like Michael. However, a vicious woman like her did not deserve to be with him. ¡°If I find out that you''re seducing Michael again, I won''t spare you! Anna, don''t be shameless enough to covet another woman''s man!¡± spat Emma at me after taking another look at Michael. The contemptuous look in her eyes did not go unnoticed by me. I clenched my fists. Having endured every humiliating remark she made toward me earlier, I could not stand it anymore. How can this woman speak so viciously? ¡°Anna, that''s enough. If you insult me again, I might change my mind and stop you from bringing Michael away,¡± I rebuked coldly as I shot a furious re at Emma. Actually, I was merely trying to threaten her. As I knew that she cared about Michael the most, the only way for her to shut up was to bring him up. ¡°How dare you? Seems the previous lesson I''ve taught you isn''t enough. Don''t force me to be even more ruthless!¡± Emma became furious the moment she heard my warning. She red at me angrily, her eyes zing with unbridled fury. However, I was not bothered by her gaze. What caught my attention was what she said about having taught me a lesson. ¡°So you''re the one who sent those people to cause trouble in my house?¡± I had always suspected that Emma was behind that, but I did not have any proof. Although Michael promised to investigate this matter, he did not say anything till now. It was as if he had forgotten about it. ¡°Looks like other than your ability to seduce men, you''re quite smart too.¡± Emma smirked coldly when she heard my question. Although she did not reply to me directly, it was clear from her attitude that she was indeed the culprit. After finding out that she was the one who did that, my hatred for her deepened. How can she be so cruel to do such a thing? Since I was pregnant now, the consequences would be dire if those people harmed my baby. ¡°How can you be so cruel? Aren''t you afraid that Michael will find out about what you''ve done? If he realizes that the woman he''s going to marry is a wicked and schemeful woman, he''ll resent you even more!¡± Emma did so many things to harm me because she was jealous of Michael''s feelings for me. However, if he found out, he would hate her even more. Emma''s expression changed when she heard that. But, in the blink of an eye, she nced at me coldly again. ¡°Do you think that a capable man like Michael can''t find out that I''m the culprit? So what if he finds out? Do you think that Michael will cast everything aside just for you?¡± Emma shot me a disdainful nce. It was clear what she was trying to say¡ªMichael had already found out about it long ago, but he took no action. As I initially assumed that he had not found out the truth yet, what Emma said was a huge blow to me. Perhaps, I had thought of myself too highly and thought that Michael would set the record straight if he knew that Emma did it. However, it turned out that I was just deceiving myself. Unable to conceal my emotions anymore, I turned around and averted my gaze. Trying my best to sound indifferent, I ordered, ¡°Leave! I don''t want to see you anymore.¡± Emma stared at me gloatingly. With some difficulty, she tugged Michael to his feet and walked toward the door. Just before she stepped out, she halted in her tracks. Suddenly remembering something, she nced at my stomach and said coldly, ¡°Don''t think of trapping Michael by using your baby. I won''t let you seed.¡± A vicious glint shed across Emma''s eyes when she said that. I could even detect a murderous look in her gaze. My heart lurched as I stared at her in shock, not expecting her to know about my pregnancy. ¡°How... How did you find out?¡± I had been keeping it a secret. Other than Ronan, no one knew about it. There was no way Emma could find out unless Ronan told her that. ¡°Considering my capabilities, do you think that it''s difficult for me to investigate you? Anyway, as I said, it''s not a wise choice to trap a man with a baby.¡± As she spoke, she stared at me gleefully before sweeping her gaze over my belly. ¡°I''ve never thought of using my baby to trap Michael. Don''t worry, I have no intentions of letting him find out that I''m pregnant!¡± No matter what it was, Emma would always assume that I was trying to seduce Michael. Anger rose within me. Since I had never nned on letting Michael find out about my baby, I spat my words out in fury. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 ¡°That had better be the case!¡± rebuked Emma before leaving with Michael. Once both of them disappeared from my sight, I walked to the door and mmed it behind me forcefully. I would be lying if I said that Emma''s words had not angered me in the slightest bit. I knew that any woman would find my past rtionship with Michael uneptable. However, all the things that Emma had done made me detest her greatly. It also turned out that Michael already knew that Emma was the one who destroyed my house. However, he did nothing about it and news of their marriage was announced shortly after. I wondered how important I was to Michael. Could all those outrageous things that Emma have done be forgiven so easily? I was furious and saddened by Michael''s actions. Recently, as my morning sickness had be more severe, I stayed at home almost every day, not wanting to go anywhere. It was only after my pregnancy that I realized how tough life was for mothers. There were only ten days left till Michael''s wedding with Emma. Every day was like torture to me and my agony only increased as their wedding day approached. I prepared a simple breakfast that morning. After eating, I nned to go to bed and rest. Regardless of what I ate, I had no appetite. All I wanted to do was to lie on the bed. Before I reached my bedroom, the doorbell rang. Frowning warily, I opened the door. To my surprise, it was Ronan. ¡°Why are you here?¡± When I spoke to Ronan the previous time, he had left furiously. After he found out how much I had hidden from him, I thought that he would never contact me again. Hence, it caught me by surprise when he suddenly looked for me. ¡°I''d like to talk to you.¡± When Ronan saw me, his expression became awkward. A long time passed before he said anything. Not knowing what he wanted to speak to me about, I felt quite unsettled. Nheless, I turned aside and let him in. Ronan sat on the couch in the living room, while I sat opposite him. After what happened the previous time, it felt like we could no longer start a conversation anymore. Previously when we met, Ronan would always act very casually. The atmosphere had never been so awkward before. I raised my head and nced at Ronan''s face, wanting to diffuse the awkward atmosphere when I spotted some bruises on his face, which looked like those on Michael''s. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± That day, Michael''s face was also injured. However, Ronan''s bruises looked more severe than his. Did both of them get beaten up at the same time? When Ronan heard my question, he touched his bruises and chuckled embarrassedly. ¡°It''s nothing. I just fought with someone.¡± With a personality like his, I was not surprised that he would get into a fight. However, as Michael''s face was also injured that day, I felt suspicious. ¡°Did you fight with Michael?¡± Both of them were influential people, so no one in their right mind would dare to touch them. The only possibility was that they fought with each other. ¡°How did you know?¡± asked Ronan in disbelief. He widened his eyes when he heard my guess. Although he did not answer my question directly, his surprised look already confirmed it. ¡°So, you actually fought with Michael! Why?¡± I asked worriedly as I gazed at him. Although they might have very different personalities, they shared a good rtionship. I could not figure out why they suddenly fought with each other. ¡°Nothing. I just think that he doesn''t deserve your love.¡± Ronan''s expression fell when he heard my question. Fury raged in his eyes when he spoke about Michael. From what he said, I could deduce that they fought because of me. For a while, I was at a loss for words. I did not want to talk about anything rted to Michael. Perhaps, it was best if we just faded from each other''s lives like this. ¡°Why did youe here today?¡± Feigning indifference, I looked at Ronan and asked calmly. Ronan, who had always spoken his mind, hesitated. He stole a few nces at me, looking uncertain. ¡°What''s wrong? Just say whatever you have on your mind. It isn''t like you to be so hesitant.¡± Although I did not know what Ronan wanted to tell me, his reaction made me feel very unsettled. It was less tiring to interact with him when he was more direct with his words. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I came here to apologize for my rude behavior toward you the other day.¡± After a long silence, Ronan finally spoke. He nced at me apologetically, his tone gentle yet serious. Not expecting him to apologize to me, I was surprised. After all, I was the one at fault. ¡°I should be the one to apologize instead. After all, I''ve kept many things from you.¡± When I recalled all the things that I had hidden from him, I lowered my head, embarrassed. The fact that Ronan knew I was Michael''s ex-lover made me feel a bit shameful. ¡°No, you''re free to keep your silence. There''s no need to confess everything to me.¡± It seemed like Ronan was determined to apologize to me, even to the extent of cing all the me on himself. He had always been a bold and generous man. Now that he was apologizing to me so seriously, I was at a loss for words. The atmosphere seemed even more awkward than before. ¡°Let bygones be bygones,¡± I concluded calmly before lowering my head. Since I had nothing to do with Michael anymore, it was pointless to be hung up over the past. ¡°Your pregnant with Michael''s child. Are you not nning to tell him?¡± Ronan''s gazended on my stomach after a moment of silence. Aplicated look crossed his eyes and I even sensed a hint of sorrow in it. I did not want to talk about my baby in front of anyone else. However, as I needed Ronan to keep my secret, I could not possibly evade his question. ¡°I don''t want to let Michael know about my baby, so I hope that you can keep it a secret from him,¡± I said seriously as I shot an anxious nce at Ronan. ¡°Why? Your baby is his child too. Why would you keep it a secret from him? If you tell him that you''re pregnant, he might cancel his wedding with Emma.¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Surprised by my decision, Ronan looked at me, perplexed and with an anxious expression. Perhaps, he thought that Michael would return to my side because of my pregnancy. After all, that was what a reasonable person would do. ¡°It''s already over between me and Michael. I''ve decided to raise my child alone. Ronan, if you still see me as your friend, I hope that you won''t spill the beans to Michael.¡± I stared at Ronan, pleading to him with my eyes. Although I wished to be together with Michael, I knew that he never had me in his heart. Even if I had his child, I would rather he choose to be with me because he genuinely loved me. Ronan gazed at me for a long time, hesitating to say something. In the end, he merely nodded in agreement. With his promise to keep the secret, I felt much relieved. Otherwise, judging from his personality, I was afraid that he would confront Michael immediately and tell him about my pregnancy. ¡°Thank you.¡± I thanked Ronan sincerely. Ever since we first met each other, he had helped me significantly. As I know that my rtionship with Michael had harmed him, I felt very guilty toward him. ¡°You''ve decided that you''ll never be together with him ever?¡± Raising his head and meeting my gaze, he asked in a surprisingly solemn tone. Although the thought of never being together with Michael saddened me, I nodded my head resolutely. After all, I could not change the dictates of fate. When Ronan heard that, he cast his gaze downward. I did not know what he was thinking about, but there was a serious look on his face that I had never seen before. He stood up and walked toward me. When he approached me, I started to feel flustered. I raised my head and gazed at him, not knowing what he was going to do. Is he going mad again? ¡°What are you doing, Ronan?¡± I looked at him nervously. Still silent, he stared at me with a serious look before going down on one knee. When I saw his actions, I jumped up in shock. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I was genuinely startled by him. He stared at me intently and said, ¡°Anna, you know very clearly how I feel about you. Since you won''t be together with Michael, let me raise your child together with you. I''ll definitely dote on your child like my own.¡± Standing paralyzed to the spot, I looked at him in utter shock. Is this guy mad? Is he saying that he wants to be together with me? Despite knowing that my baby is Michael''s, and the fact that Michael is his cousin, he still wanted to be with me? How ridiculous! ¡°Ronan, this joke isn''t funny at all. Stand up now!¡± Panicking, I gazed at him and tried my best to treat his words as a joke. I simply could not ept what he had just said. ¡°Do I look like I''m joking? I''m being very serious here!¡± Seeing that I was smiling awkwardly at him, Ronan looked at me with a frown. He sounded weirdly serious. My heart pounded. Meeting his solemn gaze, I did not know what to say. My mind had turned completely nk as if all my thoughts had been thrown out the window. Ronan''s actions were beyond my expectations. The thought that he would make such a decision had never crossed my mind. ¡°Get up, Ronan. You''re making me feel ufortable.¡± I did not know how to answer him. Furthermore, as he was still kneeling in front of me, I felt even more unsettled. Frowning, Ronan stood up and sat opposite me. He stared into my eyes, evidently looking forward to my answer. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org I felt uneasy by his intent stare. Averting my gaze, I deliberated about how I should reject him. After all, it was impossible that I would get together with him. ¡°I know that you''re doing this out of pity for me and my baby, but I want to say that I am capable enough to take care of my child.¡± Although I knew about Ronan''s feelings for me, I had no choice but to deliberately distort the truth and say that he was pitying me. I simply had no idea how to respond to his question. ¡°It''s not pity I feel for you. It''s love. Regardless of who your baby belongs to, I don''t mind. Anna, don''t you know about my feelings for you?¡± Before I could finish my sentence, Ronan became agitated. An increasingly anxious look crept into his eyes. Despite all the excuses that I had prepared, I could not utter a single one of them. Ronan was putting me in a tight spot. I knew that I wanted to reject him, but I did not wish to hurt him. Although I wanted to turn him down tactfully, I did not expect him to be so stubborn. ¡°But you know who I like. I can''t be together with someone that I don''t like, so I''m sorry that I have to refuse you.¡± I never wanted to hurt Ronan, but I had no choice. Only by showing my determination would he give up completely. Otherwise, considering his personality, he would stick to his decision as long as there was a glimmer of hope. Probably because he did not expect me to give such a cruel response, Ronan stiffened. An agonizing look crept into his eyes. Perhaps, he thought that if he appeared at my most tormenting and helpless moment, I would fall in love with him. However, I was not that weak. No matter what, I would never be together with someone I did not like. ¡°But you said that both of you will never be together. So why aren''t you willing to give me a chance to take care of you and your child? Do you not trust me?¡± Ronan stared at me, still reluctant to give up. I could sense how hurt he was from his indignant tone. ¡°It''s not because I don''t trust you. If I agree, it''ll be really unfair to you. I can''t possibly do that,¡± I exined solemnly as I gazed into his eyes. It did not matter whether I liked Ronan or not. Even if I liked him, I could not agree to his request. It would be unfair to him if he had to take responsibility despite me being pregnant with someone else''s child. ¡°I don''t need it to be fair. As long as I can be together with you, I''ll be happy no matter what!¡± blurted Ronan as he suddenly grabbed my hand. Hearing that I was being considerate of him, he beamed happily. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 I rarely saw Ronan looking so solemn, so I sensed that something was wrong. Ronan looked at me and said calmly, ¡°The owner of the car that tried to knock you down is called Drake Hammer. He is a good-for-nothing thug and has many criminal records for being involved in brawls.¡± I frowned upon hearing what Ronan said. Why is he telling me all this? What use is that information to me? Have I used Emma wrongly? However, I still felt that the car did not rush at me by ident, just that it was hard to exin why I felt that way. I looked up at Ronan quizzically and asked insistently, ¡°Am I overthinking? Is there nothing else apart from this?¡± Ronan seemed hesitant upon hearing my question. His gaze became conflicted. ¡°There''s one more thing...¡± Ronan started his sentence but did not continue. He seemed to be in a dilemma. It was rare to see such emotion on his face. I felt even more confused and wondered if my hunch was correct¡ªthat this was no ident. ¡°What else is there?¡± I looked at Ronan worriedly and was a little desperate to know whether it was an ident or that someone had nned it. ¡°I sent someone to investigate Drake. A few days ago, he received arge sum of money in his bank ount. The sender is...¡± At this point, Ronan paused again and looked at me with a conflicted expression. He still did not say who it was. From what he said, I knew that things were not that simple. Someone was trying to harm me. ¡°Is it Emma who transferred the money?¡± I immediately thought of Emma because I believed no one else in this world hated me as much as she did. I was calm and apathetic before this, but now I felt a surge of fury burning within me. Seeing that I had guessed the person behind it, Ronan stopped hiding it from me and answered frankly, ¡°Yes, it was Emma.¡± I had always been patient with Emma before this, but now that she tried to harm my baby, she had crossed the line. It was the first time I felt so much hatred and such a strong desire to destroy someone. I clenched my fists and focused on controlling the rage in my heart. If I did not control myself, I feared I would rush to confront Emma right away. Ronan seemed hesitant. It might be because he had never seen me with such a fierce expression before. A momentter, he looked at me and asked calmly, ¡°I did not expect Emma to be someone capable of this. Anna, how are you nning to deal with this?¡± ¡°I have tolerated Emma too many times. She has gone overboard this time; I can''t allow anyone to harm my baby!¡± I said coldly. Although I did not tell Ronan how I would deal with Emma, he could guess from my expression that I would not let go of the matter. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± Ronan asked again after observing me for a long time. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°It''s gettingte; you should go back. I''m also tired and would like to rest early,¡± I said. It was not that I did not want to tell Ronan about my n. In actuality, I was uncertain what I should do. Ronan did not expect me to ask him to leave so directly. His expression stiffened as he looked at me. He appeared hurt. At this moment, my mind was full of thoughts about Emma attempting to hurt my baby that I did not pay attention to Ronan''s behavior. I frowned and remained quiet. Meanwhile, Ronan sat in silence for a short while before getting up and leaving the ward. After I finished receiving the drip, I wanted to leave the hospital. However, the nurse said I should stay overnight for observation. Therefore, for the sake of the baby''s well-being, I took the nurse''s advice. I did not feel like sleeping the whole night. My mind could not stop thinking about Michael and Emma''s wedding tomorrow and that Emma hired someone to knock me down. I was at the limits of my patience. Suddenly, an outrageous idea appeared in my mind¡ªruining Michael and Emma''s wedding. Since Emma did not want me to be with Michael, I was determined to be with him. I let her have her way previously, but she was ungrateful and became all the greedier. Even if she married Michael, there was no telling what else she would do to harm my baby and me. After a sleepless night, I saw articles about Michael and Emma''s wedding on the morning news. Their wedding was about to begin. Michael wore a white suit; his handsome face appeared stern on the screen. Meanwhile, Emma was beaming and holding his arm. Meanwhile, I had been full of hatred after what happened yesterday. Now that I saw Emma leaning against Michael''s shoulder happily, I had to admit that I felt jealous and hateful toward Emma. I pulled out the needle of my intravenous drip, changed my clothes quickly, and left without informing the nurses. Then, I hailed a cab in front of the hospital and headed to the wedding venue. I checked my phone. Time was ticking away, which gave me a sense of urgency. I decided to stop their wedding. I was determined to follow my heart and stop sacrificing my own happiness. Furthermore, I could not allow my baby to be in danger. Emma was a vicious woman. Even if she married Michael and legally became Mrs. Shaw, she would never let me go. The baby in my womb would always be a thorn to her, and I was convinced she would always find ways to harm my baby and me. Thus, to protect my baby, I had to stay by Michael''s side. Only Michael''s protection could deter her from doing anything. Although I had decided what I should do, I could not help feeling nervous. I did not know the situation at the wedding and how Michael would react once I told him about my pregnancy. Soon, the cab arrived at the wedding venue. I got out of the cab quickly and ran in. Michael and Emma were about to exchange rings. She looked blissful and was about to put the ring on Michael''s finger. ¡°Wait!¡± I called out and strode toward them. The crowd was shocked to hear my voice. Everyone turned toward me; all were astonished. Michael was most surprised to see me because he did not expect me to be here. From the way he furrowed his brows, I could see that he was displeased that I had crashed his wedding. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Emma had a panicked expression when she saw me. Then, her eyes widened and she looked at me furiously. My sudden appearance attracted a lot of attention. Many people began to specte about my identity and wondered why I hade to disrupt Michael''s wedding. One should know that Michael was the most prominent man in Avenport. And one would have to be crazy to dare to disrupt his wedding. When Josephine saw me, she frowned deeply and red at me sternly. ¡°Anna, why are you here? It''s my wedding with Michael!¡± Emma quickly took a few steps toward me and spoke to me with an undertone of warning as soon as she saw me approach her and Michael. Previously, I had never thought of ruining their wedding. Instead, I quietly wished them well and hoped that Michael would live happily ever after. However, after knowing Emma was behind yesterday''s car incident, I felt nothing but hatred toward her. I walked toward Emma and red at her sternly, saying with the coldest tone I could muster, ¡°The wedding must not proceed!¡± ¡°You''re here to ruin the wedding?¡± Emma was furious upon hearing me. There seemed to be a fire burning in her eyes, threatening to engulf me. Josephine red at me coldly and said in a tone even more frigid than when we first met, ¡°Ms. Garcia, have you forgotten what you promised me?¡± Josephine cared tremendously about what other people thought. Now that I was ruining her son''s wedding, she naturally could not stand it. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I''m sorry, but I''ll have to break the promise,¡± I answered. I knew I promised Josephine that I would not bother Michael. Although I felt guilty abouting here to ruin Michael''s wedding, I had no other choice. ¡°You!¡± Josephine was too angry to say anything else upon hearing my reply. Instead, she took to giving me the death stare. I nced at her apologetically and walked toward Michael. While he had remained silent all this time, his eyes had never left me since I first appeared. I did not know what he thought of my sudden appearance at his wedding. Although I braved myself to come here, I could not help feeling anxious. ¡°Anna, you have gone too far. Today is my wedding with Michael. What makes you think you can just come here and ruin it?¡± Emma gritted her teeth in fury. She was wearing a pure white wedding dress with exquisite make-up on her face. She looked like the most beautiful bride in the world, yet her gaze was vicious. ¡°Emma, you have forced my hand. If you hadn''t tried to harm my baby, I would never have opted to do this!¡± I retorted. If Emma did not arrange for someone to knock me down, I would probably be crying in a corner alone right now. However, she has gone overboard; it is infuriating! While I may appear weak, I was not afraid to protect the people I loved. My baby was my everything. Thus, I would never let go of anyone who sought to harm my baby. At this moment, Ronan was also sitting among the guests. His eyes widened in shock upon seeing me. Since he was an intelligent man, he naturally understood why I had suddenly changed my mind and come here. Emma''s expression changed when she heard what I said. Her eyes glinted with panic as she looked at me. I knew she was feeling guilty, and this guilt proved that she was behind the incident. I red at Emma coldly and clenched my fists tightly, trying hard to contain my emotions. ¡°I don''t know what you''re saying. What baby? When did I ever try to harm you? Anna, you shouldn''t use someone without evidence!¡± Emma nced at Michael from the corner of her eyes and lowered her voice as she spoke to me. I knew why she deliberately lowered her voice. She was afraid that Michael would hear our conversation and find out that I was pregnant. Since she did not want him to know about my pregnancy, I was even more determined to tell him. I walked toward Michael while he looked at me indifferently. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I looked into his cold eyes as I opened my mouth to say something. It was just that I did not know what to say. I could speak without fear when facing the crowd just now, but I suddenly felt so weak standing before him. ¡°Are you done causing a scene? Get out if you have nothing more to say!¡± Michael finally broke his silence. He did not seem happy that I hade to disrupt his big day. It made me wonder if he really wanted to marry Emma. I felt sad and was on the verge of tears as I looked at Michael. Does he think that I am only here to cause a scene? Can''t he see that I''m forcing myself to be brave to fight for my happiness? I looked into Michael''s eyes and said firmly. ¡°You must not marry Emma!¡± Although my voice was not loud, it was unwavering. I was determined to stop Michael and Emma''s wedding, no matter what. Furthermore, I knew Michael did not like Emma. Most importantly, I could never let a woman who wanted to harm my baby stay by Michael''s side. ¡°Why not? Anna, are youmanding me? Who gives you the right to have a say at my wedding?¡± Michael questioned. Before this, I had never spoken to Michael so sternly. Now, I could see his anger ring up through his eyes. Not only did I crash his wedding today, but I also infuriated him. ¡°If you marry Emma, what about me and our baby? Michael, are you not going to be responsible for your baby?¡± I said and looked at Michael in disappointment. In actuality, I only wanted to tell him that I was pregnant with his baby. However, somehow, the words came out a little differently from my mouth. ¡°Baby? What baby?¡± Michael asked. He looked at me strangely before ncing down at my abdomen. His eyes widened. ¡°I''m pregnant with your child. It has been two months now,¡± I answered. Since I had decided to ruin their wedding, I had no intention of continuing to hide this fact from him. I had only one aim that day: to stop Michael from marrying Emma. I could not allow him to spend the rest of his life with a vicious woman like her. Furthermore, what Emma did was wrong and I could not bear with her anymore. I loved Michael, so why should I sacrifice my own blissfulness and give their marriage my blessing? Chapter 267 Chapter 267 A shocked expression that I''d never seen on him before painted his face. His eyes lit up as he stared at my belly. Ever since I knew him, he had always been a matured and steady man who could hide his emotion well. Yet, the moment he heard the news of me getting pregnant, an inexplicable gleam shed across his eyes. Well, is it surprise or excitement? The gleam faded so fast that I nearly missed it. Meanwhile, silence nketed the scene as everyone looked at me in utter disbelief. After all, it was indeed a surprise when I suddenly appeared and dropped that bomb at Michael''s wedding. Moreover, Michael had officially announced to the public that he loved me before. The scene today was undoubtedly a p to Emma''s face. Josephine, who was standing behind me, looked at me in astonishment as well. The moment she came to her senses, she quickly walked over to my side, her gaze falling on my belly. ¡°Are... you really pregnant with Michael''s child?¡± she asked, her voice trembling. As expected, everyone present was astounded by the shocking piece of news. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I will never joke about such a matter. I''m telling the truth. If you don''t believe me, you can have a look at the medical report.¡± I took out the pregnancy test report from my bag and handed it to Josephine to prove my words. She snatched it over and flipped through the report urgently. Meanwhile, Emma nced at the people down the stage. When she saw that everyone''s attention was solely on me, she couldn''t help but feel annoyed. After all, she was the bride. After looking through the report, Josephine had started to believe me. Seeing that, Emma quickly approached her and persuaded, ¡°Mrs. Shaw, don''t listen to her nonsense. She''s trying to interfere with our wedding by making up that lie. As you know, things like pregnancy test reports can be forged, so we must not be deceived!¡± I looked at Emma coldly. My hatred toward her deepened. She had known about my pregnancy for a long while, yet here she was, lying through her teeth. ¡°You knew about my pregnancy long ago. Don''t you feel disgusted to say now?¡± However, since Emma was the daughter-inw who Josephine acknowledged, thetter, of course, sided with her. Even though the reports were enough to prove my words, she still chose not to trust me. Instead, she looked at Michael to ask his opinion with a frown. ¡°Michael, what do you say?¡± she asked, embarrassment coursing through her. ¡°How should we deal with this matter? As for the wedding between you and Emma...¡± ¡°Cancel the wedding!¡± Michael turned around and left swiftly after saying that. He must be so angry. After all, I''d ruined his wedding. Moreover, with so many reporters present on the scene, what happened now would surely make it to the news headline the next day and it would affect his image. Once the people left, Michael''s secretary brought me to his mansion. There, he, Emma, and Josephine were sitting in the living room, waiting for me. Emma looked so wronged as she sat beside Josephine, with traces of tears on her face. Josephine looked at her in distress as she keptforting her. At that moment, they looked so much like a pair of mother and daughter. Upon noticing my arrival, they looked daggers at me. Josephine stood up first, approaching me and stopping right in front of me. Even though she hadn''t said anything, I could already sense her immense fury. ¡°Ms. Garcia, state your price.¡± I was taken aback by her request. The moment the realization hit me, I couldn''t help but furrow my brows. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I don''t know what you''re saying.¡± She might be Michael''s mother, but I didn''t want to fawn over her. Thus, the least I could do was to respect her. Seeing that I was acting dumb, instead of flying into a rage, she looked at me calmly and cut to the chase. ¡°I believe that none of us are dumb here. You ruined the wedding today for money, right? Why don''t you name your price already? As long as it''s affordable, the Shaw family will not let you down.¡± I was an idiot if I still couldn''t understand her meaning at that point. However, her words were humiliating to me. Is that how they interpret my action today? For money? C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I think you''ve misunderstood me. I did all this because I love Michael and want to be with him. It has nothing to do with money.¡± Looking at her calmly, I tried to convince her with my sincerity. I knew that Michael loved me and that he only married Emma for the sake of the future of hispany. Despite not knowing if my action would anger him, I had to fight for myself as I didn''t want to regret it later. Josephine was about to say something when Emma suddenly stood up and beat her to it. ¡°How greedy you are, Anna! You said you love Michael, but who will believe that? Do you think I don''t know what''s on your mind? You don''t ept the money because you think you can get more by being his wife.¡± My patience for her had totally dissipated ever since I knew she had nned to end my life the previous day. As I raised my head, my icy gaze struck her eyes. ¡°You know perfectly well the reason I''m doing this. Don''t ever think you can do anything you want just because you''re wealthy, Emma. If you dare hurt my child, I won''t hesitate to bring you to hell with me.¡± Remembering the harrowing ident the previous day, I had the urge to strangle her to death. She should be grateful that nothing happened to my child. Otherwise, I would never let her off. Fear gleamed in her eyes. However, it dissipated within seconds. After all, she came from a rich and powerful family, so naturally, she wouldn''t take a threat from an ordinary person seriously. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Emma widened her eyes as she red at me. She sounded arrogant as she knew that I wouldn''t dare to do anything in front of Michael and Josephine. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 ¡°It''s a reminder!¡± I looked Emma in the eye, not backing down. ¡°Anna, how dare you!¡± She was raging at my retort. Before she could say anything, Michael cut in with a roar, ¡°Enough!¡± His deep voice was so cold that both of us instantly shut our mouths. Even though none of us wanted to back away in the fight, we couldn''t help but cower in front of him. Emma''s expression instantly changed. Next, she ran over to his side, looking so wronged as she grasped his arm and choked on her voice. ¡°Michael, did you see how that woman treated me just now? She''s here to ruin our wedding. Can you please chase her away immediately?¡± She looked so pitiful that I would pull her into my embrace tofort her if I were a man. Unfortunately, her trick was useless to Michael. All she got was an impatient gaze from him as he pushed her away mercilessly. ¡°Michael...¡± Emma had never expected him to give her such a reaction. She widened her eyes in disbelief. No matter what, it was their wedding that day. It was only natural for her to be upset. Moreover, it wasn''t a secret that Emma had always liked him. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Michael didn''t look at Emma at all. Instead, he strode toward me before stopping in front of me with a solemn look. For some reason, my heart trembled uncontrobly upon meeting his gaze. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me that you''re pregnant? Anna, am I a fool in your eyes? Is it fun to keep me in the dark?¡± He seemed calm on the surface, yet there was an undeniable rage in his voice. I couldn''t help but lower my head, feeling guilty. I didn''t dare to meet his eyes or speak because I didn''t know how to exin myself. After all, I was so adamant about keeping it a secret from Michael in the beginning. If it weren''t for the ident yesterday, I wouldn''t have changed my mind. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to sabotage your wedding, but I¡ª¡± I parted my lips and started to exin. However, I couldn''t finish the sentence upon noticing how Michael''s expression grew darker midway. He refused to listen to me as he asked, ¡°You chose to tell me on the day of my wedding to pressure me by using the public, didn''t you?¡± ¡°No! I didn''t! It''s not what you think!¡± I quickly exined, seeing that he had misunderstood me. How could he think of me like that? It never came to my mind before, not even once. Standing behind him, Emma smirked smugly upon taking in how he treated me. ¡°All right, that''s enough!¡± With that said, he turned toward Emma. His attitude just now made me believe that my effort that day had all gone to waste and that he wouldn''t cancel his wedding due to my pregnancy. Yet, to my relief and surprise, he wasn''t that cold-hearted. ¡°Our wedding is canceled!¡± His voice sounded firm as he spoke to Emma coldly. The smile on Emma''s face dissipated as she froze in ce upon hearing his announcement. Soon after that, she went into a panic. ¡°Why? Is it because of this woman? Are you going to call off our wedding just because of her words? Don''t you know that everyone in the country is looking forward to it? How am I going to face the others in the future if you cancel it as you wish?¡± Emma could no longer suppress her emotion at that point. She looked at Michael in agonizing pain, her eyes teary. Indeed, everyone knew about their wedding. If Michael canceled it, she wouldn''t be able to hold her head high in front of others again. It was undoubtedly an utter humiliation for her. ¡°That is your problem to handle. How can I leave Anna now that she is pregnant with my child?¡± Emma''s cry did not affect him at all. His gaze on her was still as cold as before. He did not care about how his action would influence her. Emma shuddered when she heard that. Her face turned pale instantly as she had never expected him to be so cruel to her. Even Josephine panicked at that moment. Quickly, she rushed over to his side, trying to talk some senses into him. ¡°Michael, have you considered the consequences?¡± ¡°I''ve made up my mind, and I won''t change it,¡± the man said with finality. It seemed that this time, even his mother''s persuasion couldn''t change his mind. I had thought that he would never be with me even if I was pregnant with his child, yet in the next moment, he surprised me again with the unexpected decision he made for our child. I couldn''t help but feel touched upon hearing what he said to Josephine and Emma. Perhaps his career isn''t the only important thing in his heart. ¡°Michael, do you believe in her so much? She lives a promiscuous private life and mingles with several men at once. Who knows if the child in her belly is truly yours? It may be someone else''s who she slept around with before!¡± Fury had overtaken Emma at that moment. Even though she didn''t direct the maliciousments at me, they still sounded awful. Unable to stand the humiliation, I flew into a rage. Just as I was about to refute, a loud p stopped me abruptly. To everyone''s surprise, Michael had pped her across the face. His dark eyes were zing as his temper red up. Emma''s head jerked sideways with the force of the p. As soon as she recollected herself, she stared at him in shock. It never came to her mind that Michael would p her one day. ¡°Michael, how dare you hit me!¡± He might seem aloof and merciless on the outside, but he had always tolerated women. Regardless of how horrible Emma had treated me before, he had never been so ruthless toward her. It seemed that she had totally infuriated him that day. ¡°Emma, I''m warning you. Mind yournguage. My woman isn''t that indecent as what you described!¡± Michael had always been protective of what belonged to him. In his heart, I was his, so naturally, he couldn''t stand someone humiliating me. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Michael shot daggers at Emma. His dark eyes glinted with fury. ¡°How could you hit me for this b*tch? Michael, have you forgotten I''m your fianc¨¦e? This woman is here to ruin our wedding, yet you''re defending her! Don''t you care about my feelings?¡± Emma became more and more emotional as Michael stood up for me. Pointing at my face, she yelled at him bitterly. ¡°As I said just now, the wedding is canceled. Don''t make me repeat myself for the third time.¡± The man''s gaze grew frigid as Emma kept calling me a b*tch. I could sense his hostile vibe. He was indeed enraged this time. ¡°Before I make any decision, scram!¡± Michael bellowed in a low, croaky voice. His gaze on Emma was as cold as ice. The man had always been quick-tempered. Now his patience was wearing thin because of her actions. ¡°Michael, what are you doing? No matter what, Emma is your fianc¨¦e. How can you speak to her this way?¡± Michael''s harsh attitude toward Emma put Josephine on edge, who hurried over to ease things up as she red at him angrily. However, due to the crowded setting, she could not fully express her annoyance. ¡°Mom, I''ve said it just now. The wedding is canceled, so she''s no longer my fianc¨¦e.¡± His brows knitted together. Though his expression softened up when he turned to look at his mother, he remained adamant about calling off the wedding. He had made a decision, and that was final. ¡°Michael, cut the nonsense! Our family has business coborations with Emma''s family. How can you call off the wedding just like that? You must take the bigger picture into consideration.¡± Josephine gave him a death stare. Her voice was not loud but everyone present heard her clearly. I did not know Michael and Emma''s marriage was based solely on business interests. Suddenly, I sympathized with him. He had always been an iron-willed man. No one could ever convince him otherwise once he had made up his mind. Yet, a man like him had to sacrifice his happiness for his family''s interests. ¡°Even without the coboration with the Joneses, I can expand our business and bring thepany to new heights.¡± He cast Emma a disdainful nce as he spoke. Michael was an incrediblypetent man. That was why nobody doubted his capability. He could no doubt make hispany flourish without the Joneses. Looking at his resolute expression, Josephine breathed a helpless sigh. She was rendered utterly speechless. Since Emma and I were around, she could not discuss with him freely. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, look at how Michael treats me. You said you like me and want me to be your daughter-in- law.¡± Seeing that Josephine had relented, Emma felt a pang of anxiety and clutched Josephine''s hand while looking aggrieved. Her pitiable look could tug at anyone''s heartstrings, including Josephine''s. ¡°Emma, don''t worry. Michael must have said that out of anger. I''ll talk to him. He''lle to his senses once he calms down.¡± She consoled Emma, patting the back of thetter''s hand with a kind smile. ¡°Really? He''s canceling the wedding only out of anger?¡± Emma asked gingerly and softly as she peeked at Michael pitifully. Despite Josephine''s constion, she still felt troubled. Michael''s brows drew together when he caught her nce but he said nothing. His expression obviously showed that he was vexed with her. Seeing her worried look, Josephine quickly assured her, ¡°Trust me. I''ll talk to Michael. He''s usually very obedient.¡± As a snobbish woman, Josephine knew themercial benefits that Michael and Emma''s marriage could bring. For this reason alone, she would try her very best to match-make the two. She continued tofort Emma. ncing at her son, she decided to leave with Emma for the time being. Though thetter was reluctant, she knew her presence would only make Michael feel more disgusted. As Josephine strutted past me, she stopped in her tracks all of a sudden and red coldly at me. Her gaze was filled with fury. ¡°Whether your baby is Michael''s or not, I''ll never let you marry into our family. You''ll never be a Shaw!¡± The woman had made herself clear. She would never ept me or let me be with Michael, no matter what. I felt a twinge of sadness at her words. I had expected this, yet her upromising stance still bothered me. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I...¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Although I knew my sudden appearance was detrimental to the Shaw family''s reputation, I had no other choice. I parted my lips to try to say something but as soon as I attempted to exin myself, she interrupted me. She did not give me even the slightest chance to speak up. ¡°You don''t need to say anything and I don''t want to listen to you. Ms. Garcia, you''re not worthy of marrying into the Shaw family.¡± Josephine remained stern as she spoke assertively. Judging from her expression, I could tell that she would never change her tune. I hung my head. I was at a loss for words. The courage that I had while facing off against Emma vanished in front of Josephine. Emma looked at me smugly; the malice in her gaze intensified. Soon, she held Josephine''s hand and left. The living room was left with only Michael and me. Sitting on the couch, the man remained silent with a scowl on his dashing face. Like a child who had done something wrong, I stood near him and did not dare to utter a word. ¡°I''m sorry, Michael...¡± I did not know what else to say. After ruining his wedding today, something just felt different between us. I wondered what he thought of me now. ¡°Anna, do you know what you''ve done today cost me tens of millions?¡± He glowered at me. If he hadn''t had feelings for me, he would have given me a tight p, just like how ruthlessly he had treated Emma. ¡°Tens of millions? Why is that so?¡± My heart skipped a beat at the astronomical number. Instantly, I turned to gape at Michael in astonishment. Only then did I realize I had stirred up huge trouble. ¡°My marriage with Emma is the foundation of the coboration between our families. Anyone who calls off the wedding mustpensate the other fifty million.¡± His chest heaved vigorously. I knew he was on the verge of losing his cool. It must have taken him a great deal of patience to stifle his wrath and exin things to me. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Shocked, I gawked at Michael with widened eyes. I felt lost. Apensation of fifty million... ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t know it would be so serious...¡± My body quivered all over. I was rendered speechless and felt guilty. It never urred to me that wreaking havoc at his wedding would bring about such a serious consequence. If I had known it, I would not have done so. ¡°What''s the use of apologizing now?¡± Staring at a perturbed me, he frowned slightly. His expression softened but his tone remained aloof. To me, fifty million was a whole lot of money. Clenching my fists, I made a decision despite my fear. ¡°I''ll look for Emma and bring her back now.¡± However, Michael apparently knew why I suggested looking for Emma. ¡°Stand right there!¡± As soon as I turned around, his indifferent voice sounded. His dark eyes were smoldering with rage as he marched over to me. Sensing his irritation, I felt my heart racing wildly. I did not know how to deal with his mood swings. My attempt to look for Emma infuriated him. His voice became much huskier. ¡°Do you think I''m someone who would go back on my words? I said the wedding is canceled, and I mean it.¡± Didn''t you say that you''re losing fifty million because I''ve crashed your wedding? I''m going to get Emma back so you won''t have to lose so much money, and the coboration can go on as well.¡± Lowering my head slightly, I nursed a grievance because of his words. I knew I had caused him a substantial loss but the indignation that I had been harboring in my heart was unbearable. ¡°Anna, am I such a timid man in your eyes? Do I look like I need a woman to help support my company''s development?¡± Michael could read between the lines and noticed the contempt in my words. Nevertheless, I did not know why he was mad. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Holding back the raging emotions within me, I looked right into his eyes and asked impassively, ¡°What do you want me to do, then?¡± He nced nonchntly at me and answered coldly, ¡°Hold a wedding two weekster.¡± Without sparing me another nce, he strode away. Baffled, I stared nkly at his back as he made his way upstairs. What does he mean by holding a wedding two weekster? Is he going to marry me or Emma? I had a hunch that he was referring to me. My heart leaped at this thought of mine. Does Michael really want to marry me? Am I dreaming? It felt so surreal. Did he really say that just now? I stood rooted to the spot for a long time before I finally pulled myself together. I then nced in the direction of the staircase with a slight hesitation before turning around and leaving. I believed Michael was still irked by today''s incident. If I lingered around, it would only provoke him further, so I''d better leave now and only apologize to him after he simmered down. On the way home, I still found it hard to believe that Michael wanted to marry me. That was beyond my wildest dreams. Even as I crashed their wedding, I never expected him to marry me. All I could think about was to stop the vicious woman from being with him and that I refused to live in agony anymore. I shed tears of joy along the way, which drew the attention of numerous passersby. Some recognized that I was the woman who crashed Michael''s wedding earlier. Many pointed fingers at me, criticizing me for being the third wheel and ruining their wedding. If this had happened in the past, it would have made my blood boil. But now, I could not care less. They were not me, so they could not understand my feelings. Once I got back to my ce at Birchwood, I saw Ronan sitting at the entrance with his head bowed. My heart trembled at the sight of the man. Standing there, I did not know how to greet or face him. Right then, he lifted his head and saw me. His expression was grim and his usually clear eyes were nowckluster. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡± Since he had already spotted me, I could no longer keep quiet. Still, I could not find the right words to say. Jumping to his feet, Ronan strode toward me, grabbed my shoulders, and bellowed, ¡°Why did you go to the wedding today? Why did you crash Michael''s wedding? Didn''t you tell me that there''s no way you two would get together? You said you wanted to cut ties with him!¡± It was the first time he shouted and red at me so angrily. Taken aback, my body stiffened. Never had I thought he would react this way. ¡°Ronan, listen to me. At first, I had no intention to do this, but Emma was too much. I had no choice but to...¡± I knew full well about Ronan''s affection for me. He could even ept this baby, which was not his, just to be with me. However, he could not take me turning up unexpectedly at Michael''s wedding. Because of my actions, we would not be able to even have a rtionship. ¡°Stop making up excuses. You did that solely because you love Michael and want to be with him! Emma and whatever she has done are only excuses!¡± he yelled again before I could finish speaking. Staring at me with bloodshot eyes, he seemed consumed by fury. My shoulders were hurt by his iron grip. Scrunching my brows, I tried to bear with the pain. ¡°Calm down, Ronan. I know you''re mad. This is entirely my fault.¡± I had broken his heart, so it was only fair that he was fuming. If I were he, I might be even more resentful. ¡°Why? Why must you do that? No matter what I do, you just won''t consider me! How am I not comparable to Michael?¡± Chapter 271 Chapter 271 No matter what I said, it simply fell on deaf ears. Ronan had gone berserk. The grip on his hand was so strong that he almost crushed my shoulders. ¡°Ronan, what are you doing? Let go of me! You''re hurting me!¡± I grimaced from the pain in my shoulders, Ronan''s furious expression striking fear into my heart. Given how nonchnt he usually looked, I didn''t expect him tosh out with such ferocity. In fact, his reaction was in some ways simr to Michael''s. ¡°Tell me how he is better than me! Why have you never considered my feelings? Why won''t you love me?¡± Rage swelled within Ronan, so did the pressure from his hands. Unable to resist the excruciating pain any longer, I pushed Ronan away with all my might. If I hadn''t resisted, he would have crushed my shoulders. Caught off guard, Ronan staggered backward from my push. I was filled with guilt when I saw the agonizing look on his face. However, I didn''t know what to say tofort him at all. Amidst the tense atmosphere, Ronan suddenly sniggered. At that moment, he looked like an entirely different person from the one I knew. To be honest, I didn''t like this side of him at all. Even with a heartless expression, he had maintained a vibrant exterior. But now, it was obvious that I had hurt him. After a long silence. I finally looked Ronan in the eye and asserted, ¡°I''m well aware of the feelings you have for me, but we can''t force matters of the heart. You have always known that I only have feelings for Michael. Even if I didn''t ruin his wedding today, I still wouldn''t be together with you.¡± Looking at me in sorrow, he didn''t say a word. I was cognizant what I did today had crushed him. Nevertheless, I knew it was inevitable. ¡°Ronan, I''m not worthy of your feelings for me, and I''m sure you will find someone better. A girl like me isn''tpatible with you.¡± In truth, Michael and I differed a lot from each other. Hence, his feelings for me might have been triggered by a fleeting curiosity. After all, it was obvious to me that both of us were not suited for each other. ¡°Are you saying all this just so you can avoid me? This talk aboutpatibility is irrelevant. All I know is that I want you and feel the urge to make you mine. But all you ever do is hurt me. Anna, you really are a heartless woman.¡± To Ronan, my exnation was nothing but a sick joke. I knew that no matter what I said, it would only sound like an excuse to him. ¡°I know whatever I say now is useless. I also know that I''ve hurt you deeply today. But I hope we can still be friends.¡± I was overwhelmed with guilt when it came to Ronan. Although we had the right to love whoever we wanted and matters of the heart were always selfish, it didn''t take away the misery I felt for hurting the person who had always been by my side when I needed someone the most. I wasn''t a saint, and neither did I have romantic feelings for Ronan. Nevertheless, he was still important to me, just like a sibling or perhaps a kindred spirit. Therefore, I tried my best to soften the blow. ¡°Friends? Do you actually think we can still be friends? Anna, you are the first girl that I truly like. But you are also the person who has hurt me the most,¡± Ronan sneered at my suggestion of remaining friends. I knew that there was no way he would ept whatever I said right now. Despite how hurtful his words were, I didn''t me him at all. After all, I was the source of his misery. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Other than apologizing, I didn''t know what else to say. There was no way I could make up for the hurt I caused. ¡°That''s not what I want to hear,¡± Ronan said coldly as he looked at me. After that, he turned and left. The moment he turned, I caught a glimpse of the tears welling up in his eyes. Trembling, I could feel guilt permeating every fiber of my body. At that moment, I realized how selfish I was. When I ruined Michael''s wedding, all I could think of was myself; I didn''t consider others'' feelings. I watched Ronan''s silhouette until he disappeared from my sight. Only then did I withdraw my gaze. After showering at night, Iy on my bed and stared nkly at the ceiling. Michael had dered that he would marry me in half a month''s time. Despite the wonderful news, I could barely feel any joy. I sighed as I felt restless in bed. With everything that happened in the day, I was so drained that I wasn''t bothered to process what was going on. Just when I was tossing and turning in bed, I heard the door opening. My senses were pricked. I had made a lot of enemies after destroying Michael''s wedding. Furthermore, I was also traumatized by the previous incursion into my home. Creeping out of bed, I hid behind the door with a mug in my hand. If the intruder was hostile, I would smash it right on his head. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. When I heard the sound of approaching footsteps in the living hall, my heart skipped a beat and my grip on the mug tightened. As I was living alone, I would be lying if I said I wasn''t afraid. Trembling in fear, I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead as I prayed that the intruder would quickly leave. There was a brief silence. I thought the intruder was gone. However, what happened next terrified me further. I heard the footsteps grow louder; they were walking in the direction of my bedroom. I swallowed a lump in my throat, seized by fear. By then, I had raised the mug up high and was prepared to strike once the intruder entered. As I held my breath, I heard the footsteps stop outside my door. With the help of the dim moonlight, I red intently at the doorknob. Before I knew it, the doorknob began to turn. With my heart pounding furiously, my mind shed with ideas on how to defend myself if the intruder turned out to be hostile. I was prepared to get hurt as long as I could guarantee the safety of my baby. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 The doorknob turned, and the bedroom door gradually opened. I raised the mug up high and smashed it down on the intruder, aiming it at his head. Only by knocking the wind out of him could I create an opportunity to escape. Unfortunately, I had overestimated myself. Before I could strike, the intruder caught my hand. Thetter twisted my wrist, and the mug dropped onto the ground and shattered. I couldn''t help but cry out in pain at the tight grip on my hand. ¡°Anna!¡± I was struggling to free myself when I heard a familiar voice and looked back. Seeing that it was Michael, I heaved a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, I was surprised to see him there. ¡°Michael, what are you doing here?¡± I asked, my eyes widened. ¡°Anna, are you trying to kill your husband by hiding behind the door?¡± Furrowing his eyebrows, Michael nced at the broken mug before giving me a look of displeasure. The moment I heard the word ¡°husband,¡± I blushed. Given how casual his tone waspared to the day, I figured he was no longer angry at me. However, I was still mad at the fact that he snuck into the house in the middle of the night and gave me a fright. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me you wereing? I thought you were an intruder.¡± ring at him as if it was his fault, I cursed him in my heart for almost scaring me to death. ¡°Do you think I look like one?¡± Michael cocked an eyebrow and smirked faintly. I couldn''t help but be mesmerized. After all, a long time had passed since I saw that look. His attempt to hide his smile caused my heart to skip a beat. It had only been two months, but it felt as if I hadn''t seen him smile in ages. ¡°Still, you scared me.¡± I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°By the way, why are you here in the middle of the night?¡± It was midnight, and I was curious as to what he was doing at my ce. Furthermore, he seemed to be acting differentlypared to earlier in the day. ¡°Am I not allowed to see my own girl?¡± Releasing the grip on my hand, he gave me a tug and pulled me into his arms. His movements were so smooth that I found myself in his embrace before I realized what was going on. When he called me his girl, my cheeks reddened. Michael was someone who expressed his possessiveness all the time. Even when both of us broke up, he would still see me as his girl. And this time was no different. I had resented it before, but now, I couldn''t help but shudder at those words. ¡°You...¡± I averted my eyes in embarrassment for a long while before raising my gaze back at him. I wanted to say something, but no words came out. Michael carried me in his arms and walked toward the bed. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, I could sense that he was looking to satisfy his lust. Moreover, he would usually throw me on the bed before climbing on top of me. Worried about my child, I put my hands in front of his chest and was about to protest when he gently put me down on the bed. Caught by surprise, I trailed his line of sight and saw that it fell upon my tummy. When I saw that he, too, was worried about the child, I realized that my concerns were unwarranted. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Nevertheless, the care he showed didn''t diminish his passion at all. Before I knew it, he was already stripping me of my pajamas. It had been a while since we made love. I couldn''t help but blush at the sudden removal of my clothes. However, unlike our past encounters, his actions were a lot gentler this time. ¡°Michael, can you not¡ª¡± The doctor had reminded me not to have sex in my first trimester. Michael''s intentions were so obvious and I wanted to refuse him that time. ¡°Do you think I can hold myself back? Anna, how can you deny me now? Do you know how long I have restrained myself?¡± Michael knew what I was trying to say before I could finish. He gave me a frustrated look, and his voice was already tinged with lust. ¡°But the doctor said I can''t have an intense sex life in the first trimester. I''m worried that you...¡± The doctor had reminded me to be gentle while doing it. Hence, I wasn''t sure if he was capable of that, knowing how rough he was in bed. Every single thrust of his was done so with all his might. Based on his past performance, I was worried if something untoward would happen to my child. ¡°I''ll be gentle,¡± Michael replied in a raspy voice. After that, he shifted his gaze to my body. As I was only two months pregnant, my tummy was still t as usual. Seeing how Michael was holding himself back, I couldn''t bring myself to stop him. Yet I was also worried about the child in me. Just when I was battling with my own thoughts, Michael had removed all my clothes. At that moment, I waspletely naked in front of him. Michael stared at my breasts, his Adam''s apple bobbing. After that, he ced his hands on them and started teasing me. It had been a long time since we made love. Any of Michael''s minute movements felt like an intense jolt to me. Just the touch on my breast alone would send an electrifying sensation throughout my body. As desire swelled within me, I gradually closed my eyes and relished how he was teasing me. Michael didn''t fondle my breast for long and I felt dissatisfied. But very quickly, he was nibbling my breast, brushing my peak with hot licks. The lust within me intensified and I could feel myself getting wet. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Michael''s touch was a lot gentler than usual, but the raging urge within me felt more intense than ever. ¡°Anna, you seem easily aroused this time. I barely had to do anything.¡± As Michael continued to fondle me, I blushed harder, averting my gaze on purpose. I, too, was surprised by my own reaction. Even though I was always aroused by him, the sensation this time was exceptionally intense. ¡°But I like you the way you are now. The greater your arousal, the better it reflects on my technique,¡± Michael asserted shamelessly in his lusty and raspy voice. Hearing Michael''s brazen words, I couldn''t help but wish for the ground to swallow me whole. Nothing was ever too audacious for him to say. ¡°Michael, stop¡ª¡± I red at him in feigned anger. I was about to retort when he sealed my lips. Evidently, he could no longer hold himself back. However, he moved really slowly, worried about hurting me and my child. Yet the sensation I felt was extremely intense. This time, our session took longer than usual due to how gentle Michael was. For a man, vigorous movements would add to his thrill. But now that he was holding back, I could sense how tormenting it must have been for him. Although I sympathized with him, there was little I could do. After all, the baby''s safety took priority. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. After a long time, he was finally done. He sprawled on top of me and heaved a long sigh. It was obvious that he didn''te out of it satisfied. Despite that, he didn''t ask for a second round. All he did was pull me into his arms because he knew where to draw the line. Everything felt so surreal. I couldn''t deny how happy I was and how much I had missed him. ¡°Michael, what are going to do about me and our child?¡± All that happened that day felt like a dream to me. Although I was now enveloped in his arms and I could feel his touch, I still didn''t know what exactly was on his mind. Having heard my question, he fell silent for a moment before turning his gaze toward me. ¡°I told you that I will marry you.¡± He sounded indifferent. I could barely decipher the emotions behind it. Nevertheless, his words still caused my heart to race. After all, getting married to him was a dreame true for me. I was lost for words, overwhelmed with emotions. I still couldn''t believe what I just heard. ¡°Are you really going to cancel your wedding with Emma?¡± I remembered Michael mentioning that canceling the wedding would cause him to lose fifty million, which was no small sum. If I were to cause him to lose so much, I would feel terrible about it. ¡°Do I look like I''m joking to you? Anna, from today onward, stay by my side and bear us our child, all right?¡± he said in amanding manner, visibly upset by my doubts. He had always been a man of his words, hence he wouldn''t lie when he dered that his wedding with Emma was canceled. My repeated questions must have annoyed him very much. Nevertheless, I was inexplicably delighted by it. All this while, I had hated it when he spoke to me that way, but not this time. ¡°Did you choose to be with me just because of our child?¡± Michael had always been aware of my feelings for him. Yet he never changed his mind nor canceled the wedding with Emma prior to this. When he did so today, I couldn''t help but wonder if it was solely because of the child. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Michael looked at me expressionlessly while I looked at him in anxiety as I waited for his reply. ¡°The child is half the reason.¡± Although his tone wasposed, his answer wasn''t what I had expected. I gave him a puzzled look as I had assumed he canceled the wedding entirely because of the child. ¡°What''s the other half then?¡± I looked him in the eye, feeling nervous yet somewhat hopeful. ¡°You!¡± Michael replied in an indifferent tone. Nevertheless, I was ecstatic to learn that he had married me partly because of his feelings for me. My eyes sparkled, and my heart was overwhelmed with bliss. It was just that I didn''t know how to express it. ¡°Michael, I¡ª¡± It took me a long while to calm down. Looking at Michael''s face, I was about to say something when he leaned in and locked his lips with mine. The moment our lips touched, it felt as if I was being electrocuted. My mind turned nk, and I forgot what I had wanted to say. As Michael''s scent filled my senses, I felt a sense of security that never existed before. All this while, I had always been fearful of losing him. But on that day, I was certain that he would always remain by my side. Hugging him, I reciprocated his kiss. For the first time, his kiss was so gentle. It wasn''t tinged with his usual possessiveness or anger. Instead, it was filled with all his affection for me. That night was the happiest night of my entire life. I slept exceptionally well in his arms after that. In my dreams, I saw both of us at our wedding and the birth of our child. Everything was perfect, and I was the happiest person on Earth. When I woke up in the morning, I was still lying in Michael''s arms. The moment I adjusted myself, he opened his eyes. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. I gave him a surprised look as I didn''t expect him to be up at that hour. ¡°Do you think I can get any sleep while hugging you like this the entire night?¡± Michael''s voice was in and didn''t sound as if he had just woken up. Looking at his arm that I had used as a pillow, I knitted my eyebrows slightly. I trailed his gaze, and it quickly dawned upon me what the issue was. I quickly raised my head and pulled out his hand. I had used Michael''s hand as my pillow the entire night. Just when I touched him, I could see his eyebrows furrow in response. He had maintained that position for the entire night, so it must be numb by now. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Thinking back to how blissfully I slept in his arms, I felt sorry for him. ¡°Why?¡± Michael frowned, surprised by my sudden apology. ¡°Your arm must be numb by now. Why don''t I give it a massage?¡± I didn''t answer his question. The look on his face made me feel bad for using his arm as my pillow for the entire night. I slept really well and didn''t consider how ufortable it was for him. ¡°It''s fine.¡± Despite his refusal, I could see from his knitted eyebrows that he needed it. I pursed my lips in response. Although I was upset by the fact that his words were contrary to his feelings, my consciencepelled me to sit up and massage the arm I slept on. Halfway through the massage, the tension between his eyebrows began to ease. In fact, I could see that he was enjoying himself. Just when I was still massaging him, he blurted all of a sudden, ¡°Let''s go to the hospital after breakfast.¡± ¡°For what?¡± I gave him a baffled look. ¡°For a check-up, of course. You''re pregnant and a full body examination is required,¡± Michael said, shifting his gaze to my tummy. At that moment, I caught a glimpse of the faint smile on his face. It was evident that he was overjoyed that I was carrying his child. ¡°Okay.¡± The thought that Michael was taking me for a check-up at the hospital delighted me. Although I was given a clean bill of health recently, I didn''t mind going a few more times just because he was apanying me. Seeing that I was tired after massaging his arm for twenty minutes, Michael got me to stop. I had nned to make breakfast for him. However, he didn''t allow me to do so due to my pregnancy. Instead, he had the housekeepere early to the mansion to prepare breakfast. Breakfast was simple and suited to my taste. I couldn''t take anything oily at the moment as I would feel nauseous at the sight of meat. Michael drove me to the hospital after that and led me through a host of check-ups. Although they were a lot more thorough than the ones I had done, the results were more or less the same. The doctor gave us some advice and reminded me to get enough supplements. After the check-up, we had wanted to leave the hospital straight away, but we ran into Ronan in front of the elevator. I was holding Michael''s arm, and the smile on my face froze the moment I saw him. It wasn''t because I was self-conscious. Instead, I felt guilty for hurting him so badly while I was now happy together with Michael. At that moment, I couldn''t bring myself to face him at all. Every time I saw the pain in his eyes, I would feel terrible at what I had done. Ronan''s gaze fell upon my grip on Michael''s hand. He remained expressionless, but I could still see the sorrow in his eyes. Amidst the tense atmosphere, Michael looked at Ronan andmented inly, ¡°Mr. Moore, you seem to be frequenting the hospital more often now. It appears to me that you''re getting more ambitious.¡± Michael was aware of the feelings Ronan had for me. But since they were good friends, he didn''t really mind. If it was anyone else, he wouldn''t have greeted them so warmly. ¡°Do you intend for me to while away my life? I think I should pick up a thing or two from you, Michael. Women nowadays prefer men who are both aloof and sessful, like you,¡± Ronan said while looking at me cidly. I could detect the sarcasm in his words. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Knowing how much he resented me for breaking his heart, I looked down without saying a word. After all, I was the one who had hurt him. Hence, it didn''t matter what he said as long as it made him feel better. Michael furrowed his eyebrows in response as he was visibly displeased. ¡°Some people are just not fated to be yours.¡± He changed the topic suddenly, exhibiting his possessiveness. I knew he was trying to get Ronan to give up on me. In fact, he made no exceptions, even if it was Ronan. ¡°Fate? Is that so?¡± Ronan smirked before turning his attention to me. I saw the conflicted look in his eyes and couldn''t guess what he was thinking. Looking away from Michael, Ronan stared intently into my eyes and asked, ¡±Anna, do you think this is fate?¡± I knew he was moring for a sliver of hope from me. If I answered yes, I would crush him emotionally. However, if I told him otherwise, it would be a p on Michael''s face¡ªI was trapped between a rock and a hard ce. I hung my head and didn''t n on answering his question. It was understandable for him tosh out in response as I had hurt him. The only thing I could do now was to wait for him to let go. Michael''s gaze fell upon me together with Ronan''s, as if he, too, was waiting for my answer. I had thought that by remaining silent, the matter would just blow over. However, I had underestimated theplexity of the situation as Ronan wasn''t nning on letting me off. Staring at me earnestly, he pressed on with his question. ¡°Anna, why aren''t you answering my question?¡± I knitted my brows and sighed at the sight of Ronan''s pained expression. I wanted to say something to comfort him, but I just couldn''t find the words. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Enough, Ronan!¡± Michael finally snapped, sensing my dilemma. He was a man of little patience. Seeing how Ronan was putting me to the spot, he lost his temper. ¡°Both of us grew up together, Michael, but you hid your rtionship with Anna from me, causing me to pursue her cluelessly. Have you been taking me for a fool?¡± Ronan wasn''t daunted by Michael''s roar. He shifted his gaze to Michael''s face andughed at himself. In truth, both Michael and I had hidden our rtionship from Ronan. Therefore, it was understandable for him to be furious at us. ¡°It isn''t what you think it is.¡± Despite Michael''s frosty demeanor, he enjoyed a close rtionship with Ronan. When he saw how brokenhearted Ronan was over our rtionship, he felt equally terrible over it. Consequently, his expression turned awkward and his tone was gentler than usual. Perhaps he shared my sentiments about feeling guilty over what we did to Ronan. After staring at me for a while, Ronan said monotonously, ¡°Forget it. I don''t want to hear your exnation. I''ll be on my way now.¡± Without giving both of us a chance to say anything, he circled around us and left abruptly. Watching as he left only served to intensify my guilt. I was conscious of how much he hated us now. He was a dear friend, and I felt dreadful at how matters turned out. It wasn''t until he was out of sight that I regained my senses. ¡°Let''s go,¡± Michael said as he nced at me and pulled me along. By the time we got back into the car, whatever joy I felt earlier was gone. All I could think of was Ronan''s sorrowful expression. ¡°Ronan, is he...¡± I started, wanting to discuss Ronan''s situation with Michael, but I didn''t know what to say. ¡°Don''t worry, he will be fine.¡± Michael''s casual reply sounded as if he wasn''t concerned about Ronan. However, his furrowed eyebrows betrayed his true feelings. ¡°I feel really guilty when I see the condition he''s in.¡± Recalling the look in Ronan''s eye made me feel terrible about myself. ¡°Anna, what are you saying? Do you regret being with me?¡± Michael frowned when I mentioned Ronan. In fact, I could even sense the jealousy in this voice. ¡°Of course not. Being with you is the best decision I have ever made in my life,¡± I quickly exined myself when I saw the dissatisfaction in Michael''s eyes. I had always dreamed of being together with him. There was no way I would regret it now that it had be a reality. It was just that I couldn''t stop myself from feeling guilty about Ronan. If I were to do everything again, I would still make that choice. My reply elicited a grin from Michael''s face. It was obvious that he was pleased with my answer. After driving on the road leisurely for a few minutes, Michael remarked, ¡°You should move to my mansion in a few days. You''re pregnant and you need someone to look after you. I don''t feel comfortable leaving you alone at home when I''m at work.¡± ¡°But I''m already ustomed to staying at Birchwood.¡± I was sure that Michael''s suggestion had my best interests at heart. However, I wasn''t used to staying in the huge mansion. Other than Michael and myself, there were only two other housekeepers. I would be left alone in an empty house when Michael went out for work. ¡°This is not up for discussion. Just do as I say,¡± the man said domineeringly, not taking no for an answer. I pouted and didn''t protest any further, knowing he was doing it for my own good. Nevertheless, the thought of staying at the mansion made me feel ufortable. Back at Birchwood, Michael quickly left after receiving a call from the office, leaving me alone at home. I still couldn''t believe that Michael and I had reconciled. Everything still felt surreal to me. This time around, his attitude toward me had changed significantly. Never had I realized that being loved by him felt so wonderful. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Sitting alone in the living room, I looked at the Doppler ultrasound from the check-up. Although I was only two months pregnant, and there was nothing to see, I was still happy. Just when I was relishing in my bliss, the doorbell rang. I furrowed my eyebrows and went to open the door. It was Michael''s mother. The sight of her caused my heart to sink as a sense of dread began to emanate through my body. It took me a long while to regain my senses. Forcing a smile, I greeted politely, ¡°Mrs. Shaw.¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia, are you going to make me stand while I talk to you?¡± Josephine looked at me with an icy gaze. The annoyance in her tone was obvious enough for me. In response, I quickly stepped aside and invited her in, ¡°Mrs. Shaw, pleasee in.¡± Josephine ckwood was Michael''s mother. She would be my mother-inw if I married Michael. Therefore, as her future daughter-inw, I had to treat her well. Josephine frowned at me before sidestepping me to enter the living room. Standing behind Josephine as if I was a maid, I lowered my head and asked, ¡°Mrs. Shaw, would youThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org. like some coffee or tea?¡± ¡°in water will do,¡± Josephine replied without even looking in my direction. ¡°I''ll go get it right away.¡± I hurried into the kitchen to get a ss of water and ced it in front of Josephine. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, please have some water.¡± Just as I spoke, I saw Josephine staring at the medical report on the table with a frosty expression. I was aware that she refused to ept me still. I wondered what when through her mind when she saw the report. ¡°Do excuse me. I haven''t got the chance to tidy up as I just returned home.¡± I quickly collected the reports on the table and put them away. I had never felt so nervous in front of Josephine before. ncing at me, Josephine remarked, ¡°Ms. Garcia, I don''t like to beat around the bush, so let me just give it to you straight. You are not worthy of Michael, and I object to your marriage.¡± I had expected this and was mentally prepared, but hearing it in person still made me feel miserable. I looked at Josephine and my nose began to burn. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I understand that I''ve humiliated you and caused the Shaw family to lose fifty million for showing up at the wedding. I''m really sorry about that. But Michael and I genuinely love each other. I hope you can ept me.¡± Michael had already decided to be with me and my child, so I hoped that Josephine would wee me into their family and give me her blessings too. ¡°So you are well aware of the loss you caused to the Shaw family.¡± Josephine stared daggers at me, incensed by my words. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I bet fifty million is a huge amount to you and it''s impossible for you to earn that money in this lifetime. Have you no shame to continue staying by Michael''s side after what you''ve done?¡± I could understand why she was furious, especially since fifty million was a huge sum of money. Standing in front of her with a pale expression, I had no way of exining myself. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Other than apologizing, I didn''t know what else to say. ¡°Ms. Garcia, you promised me that you would stay away from Michael. But now, it''s obvious you have broken it. If you keep your word, I can look past the fifty million loss. But if you continue to pester Michael, you will have to suffer the consequences.¡± Her response sounded just like a threat. It was obvious that my apology had failed to earn her forgiveness. Although I was just an ordinary person, I hated being threatened regardless of who was doing it. I was infuriated by Josephine''s words, but I forced myself to contain my anger on the ount that she was Michael''s mother. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I agree that I have broken my promise to you, but there''s no way I''m leaving Michael now. I love him, and my child needs him. I don''t want my child to grow up without a father. The baby I''m carrying is your grandchildren too. Could you really bring yourself to let it live without its father?¡± I tried my best to persuade Josephine. Prominent families ced a lot of emphasis on their legacies. I wasn''t trying to use my child as a bargaining chip, but I just didn''t want Josephine to object to our rtionship anymore. Anger swelled within Josephine at the mention of the child. She sprang to her feet and fumed, ¡°Are you trying to threaten me with the child? Do you think I have to ept you just because you carry Michael''s baby?¡± The sight of her sudden anger caused me to panic. Realizing that she had misinterpreted my words, I quickly exined, ¡°Mrs. Shaw, that wasn''t what I meant. There''s no way I would threaten you. You are Michael''s mother after all. All I want is for you to ept me.¡± Josephine was a well-bred woman, but her disdain for me couldn''t be any more obvious. I didn''t know what else I could do to get her to ept me. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I believe I have made myself very clear. No matter what you say, I won''t change my mind. The Shaw family will take care of your child, but you will never be my daughter-inw!¡± Josephine was adamant in her refusal to ept me. I was sad and angry at the same time. I was mad at myself for begging her. All I wanted was to be together with Michael. But somehow, it just seemed to be a gargantuan task. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I figure this house doesn''t belong to you. Based on your financial ability, I bet you can''t even afford to pay for the toilet. Obviously, you are clinging to Michael for money. I have seen many gold-diggers like you.¡± Scrutinizing the house''s furniture, Josephine turned and looked at me with contempt. As someone from a rich family, Josephine could easily gauge the furniture''s worth with a nce. Given my sry, there was no way I could afford any of them. Therefore, a single look was enough to tell her that Michael had bought all of them. Faced with Josephine''s usations, I had nothing to rebut, even though they weren''t true at all. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Staring at the furniture in the hall, I knew any single item would easily cost tens of thousands. Hence, I really didn''t know how to answer her. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I know that it''s difficult for me to change how you see me, but I''m really not doing this for the money. My feelings for Michael are true. Why won''t you believe me?¡± I was getting anxious. No matter how I exined myself, she just wouldn''t trust me at all. ¡°I won''t believe a single word of yours, Ms. Garcia. If you know what''s good for you, I''m sure you know what to do. If you insist on staying by Michael''s side, you should prepare to pay the price.¡± Ignoring my exnations, she turned and stormed out at once. I froze on the spot, and my heart was filled with misery. The purpose of Josephine''s visit was to make her stand clear to me that she would never ept me no matter what I did. Although she had left the house, it didn''t make me feel any better. I was too na?ve to think that Michael and I could live happily together. With Josephine''s objection to our rtionship, I supposed Michael would be stressed out as well. I sat in the living room. The joy I felt previously was nowhere to be found. Instead, my mind was filled with Josephine''s warning. At that moment, I was terrified at the prospect that I couldn''t really be together with him. Just when I was imagining the worst, my phone suddenly rang. When I saw that it was Natalie on the line, I figured she must have found out about what happened the day before. ¡°Anna, you were amazing yesterday!¡± Just as expected, the first thing Natalie talked about was my brazen actions. If Natalie had called before Josephine''s visit, I would have rted everything to her. However, I was no longer in the mood to do so. ¡°Natalie, do you think I have made a mistake? Am I being too selfish?¡± Josephine''s appearance had caused my conviction to waver. After all, I had ruined Michael''s wedding, caused the Shaw family to lose fifty million, and broken up their partnership with the Jones family. In summary, my actions resulted in huge losses for the Shaws. I was no longer sure if my actions were right. Given the huge number of people who objected to our rtionship, I began to wonder if I had made a wrong decision. ¡°What are you talking about? You love Michael very much. It''s great that both of you get together. Besides, you are carrying his child. Even if it''s all about giving the child a proper family, I still think you have made the right decision.¡± Natalie was obviously concerned when she heard my words. Perhaps she had sensed the uneasiness in my tone. At the mention of my child, I began to calm down. I knew I had to persevere for the sake of giving it a proper family. Holding the phone in silence, I didn''t know what to say; I was still in a dilemma. Seeing that I didn''t respond, Natalie questioned me anxiously, ¡°Did something happen? Is Michael not taking responsibility?¡± The moment she shifted the subject to Michael, I rified immediately, ¡°No, Michael has agreed to marry me. He is not shirking from his responsibility.¡± Michael had been spoiling me non-stop since the day before, causing me to be filled with joy. However, Josephine''s objection unnerved me as she was his mother after all. I was really worried that he would change his mind because of her. ¡°Since Michael has dered that he would marry you, why are you feeling so unsettled? You should prepare yourself to be his bride. Anna, I really didn''t expect you to do something so courageous. In fact, I still find it unbelievable.¡± Natalie was relieved when she heard my exnation. Nevertheless, I wasn''t in the mood to discuss the matter any further. After chatting for a while longer, we ended the call. In the evening, Michael preempted me just when I wanted to prepare dinner. Two servants had arrived and headed straight for the kitchen without a word. I wasn''t surprised to see them as I easily guessed that Michael had arranged it. However, I couldn''t help but feel that he was being overdramatic. I''m just pregnant and not paralyzed. Why wouldn''t he let me do anything? All this while, he enjoys my cooking a lot. Does he not enjoy it anymore? Dinner was ready in a short while. Although there weren''t many dishes, it was still a scrumptious meal that contained most of my favorite foods. The servants quickly left once they were done. I thought it was a good arrangement as I didn''t enjoy interacting with strangers alone. Soon, Michael returned home, looking tired. However, a faint smile tugged at his lips the moment he saw me, discing the exhaustion he showed a moment ago. ¡°Are you bored staying at home alone?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org After washing his hands, Michael took a seat opposite me and gave me a gentle look. ¡°It''s all right. I''m used to it already.¡± I still wasn''t used to him treating me in such a gentle manner. It even got me thinking that I enjoyed being tormented. In fact, I felt more at ease when Michael spoke to me in his usual frosty tone. Picking up his fork, Michael kept serving me more food. Although I had an aversion to meat recently, I felt the meat prepared for that meal was a lot more ptable than I expected. When I nced at Michael, I caught him staring at me with a smile. Instantly, I knew that the meat must have gone through a long preparation process to remove the fatty stench they originally had. ¡°Michael, I''m not used to you being so nice to me.¡± I couldn''t help butment when I saw the grin on his face. The moment I let the remark slip, I wondered if I was a fool. Any sane girl would want their partner to treat them better instead ofining about it as I did. I figured the exact same thought must have crossed Michael''s mind too. ¡°Do you actually like it when I''m cold to you every day? Anna, do you enjoy being tormented?¡± he teased, breaking into a mischievous smile just as I had expected. I rolled my eyes at him. Despite feeling annoyed, I didn''t say another word. After all, I had never won a verbal battle against him. ¡°Michael, are you sure you want to be with me? What if your mother objects? Will you change your mind?¡± Remembering Josephine''s visit earlier, I gave Michael an uncertain look and got the burning question off my chest. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Caught by surprise, Michael froze momentarily before giving me a probing look. ¡°Did my mom drop by?¡± Indeed, nothing could escape his eyes. I lowered my head, my silence implicitly admitting it. Michael''s face clouded over. It was obvious to me that he was frustrated. Just when he was about to answer me after a brief pause, his phone suddenly rang. When he took it out from his pocket and saw that it was his mother, his expression darkened even more. Obviously, Josephine was calling Michael to get him to break up with me. I felt a little nervous as I wondered what his decision would be. Looking at Michael, I sped my hands anxiously and waited for him to answer. ¡°Hello, Mom,¡± Michael answered the call inly. His tone didn''t betray the solemn expression on his face. ¡°Michael,e home at once. I want to talk to you about Anna.¡± When I heard Josephine''s snarky tone over the phone, I figured she must be still exasperated with me. Upon hearing his mother''s orders, Michael snapped, ¡°I''m busy and exhausted today. Whatever it is, we''ll talk another day.¡± He sounded emotionless. It seemed to me that both mother and son were not on the same page. ¡°Michael, you are getting more headstrong by the day. Do you really want to piss me off over a girl?¡± Sitting opposite Michael, I could hear everything loud and clear. Insecurity began to creep up on me when I heard Josephine''s words. I was really worried that Michael would abandon me and my child because of her. I lowered my head so that Michael couldn''t see my nervous expression. However, as he was an observant man, my tense body didn''t escape his notice. ¡°You should know that there''s no going back once I''ve made my decision.¡± Michael spoke in a soft voice, despite his furrowed eyebrows and firm stance. After all, he was talking to his own mother. ¡°I''m not feeling well. You shoulde back and visit me tonight. It has been a long time since you came home to see me. Do you even care for me still?¡± Josephine stopped talking about me and quickly changed the topic. Michael hesitated for a moment before he said, ¡°All right, I''ll be back in half an hour.¡± After the call ended, I looked at Michael anxiously. Although Josephine had changed the subject, I was certain that she would broach the matter with Michael when he got home. ¡°I''ll head home for a while. You should get some rest,¡± Michael said as he kept his phone and stood up from his seat. When I saw that he was about to leave, I was overwhelmed by a sense of insecurity. I was terrified that all happiness I had in my hands would simply disappear. Looking at him, I asked in desperation, ¡°Michael, will you leave me and our child?¡± At that moment, I needed to hear his reassurances. Or else, I would continue to be seized by fear. Stopping in his tracks, he gazed into my eyes for a long while before answering, ¡°No.¡± The firm conviction behind his reply managed to calm my fears. With his guarantee, I no longer felt insecure. Smiling faintly at Michael with tears welling up in my eyes, I didn''t know what else to say. ¡°Wait for my return,¡± Michael replied with a smile before striding out. After he was gone, I was still left worried. Since he was a man of his word, I was confident that he wouldn''t leave me. However, I was now concerned about the difficult position he was in due to the pressure from his mother. Without him around, I had no appetite. Nevertheless, I forced myself to eat a little more just so there would be enough nutrition for the baby. After that, I waited in the living room. When it was already eleven, there was still no sign of Michael. I wondered what he had discussed with his mother. If it were any other day, I would have gone to bed at this hour. However, I barely felt sleepy at all that night. I was tempted to give Michael a call but I was worried that his mother would hear it. Time slowly ticked by. It was already midnight when I finally heard the door open. Springing to my feet in delight, I rushed to the door, only to see Michael enter with a troubled look on his face. ¡°You''re back...¡± I could guess what Josephine had said. I was worried, but I didn''t say much as I was cognizant of his bad mood. Michael looked surprised to see me. The next moment, I saw him hide away his distraught expression. ¡°It''s alreadyte. Why aren''t you asleep?¡± he asked calmly, walking toward me. ¡°I couldn''t sleep while you were out.¡± Michael put his hand over my shoulder and led me back to the bedroom. ¡°Don''t worry. I will keep my promise. No one can change my mind once I have decided on something.¡± Michael knew me best. Even though I didn''t inquire about what happened in his home, he naturally knew what was on my mind. ¡°I''m sorry. I may have given you too much pressure.¡± Despite having received Michael''s promise, I couldn''t stop myself from wanting to hear him say it out loud. I didn''t realize that I had somehow be so paranoid. I insisted on asking for repeated reassurances even though I knew he was a man of his word. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°It''s gettingte. You should get some rest. I''m going to take a shower.¡± Michael saw how guilty I was and patted me on my back tofort me. Then, he stood up and headed toward the bathroom. Lying on my bed, I listened to the sound of sshing water while trying hard to calm myself down. I was confident that Michael would resolve the matter and I reminded myself to trust him. When the sound of flowing water stopped, I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. Soon, I heard the bathroom door open. It wasn''t until Michaely down beside me that I turned around and hugged him tightly. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Hugging Michael gave me a strong sense of security, and I felt like I could solve any problem that came my way. Throughout the next couple of days, he left the house early and came homete, but never once did he neglect me. In fact, he even had the housekeepers prepare different dishes for me each meal. However, the fact that Josephine objected to our rtionship still left me feeling uneasy, and Michael coming homete every night wasn''t exactly helping. That night, I couldn''t stand it anymore and decided to wait for Michael in the living room as I wanted to know what he had been up totely. I didn''t know why, but I seemed to have be a lot more sensitive ever since I got pregnant. Michael finally came home when the clock was about to strike midnight, and he seemed really exhausted when he walked through the door. I had thought of questioning him, but the words became stuck in my throat when I saw the state he was in. Suppressing the burning rage in my heart, I walked up to him with a faint smile. ¡°You''re finally back.¡± ¡°Why are you up sote? Didn''t I tell you not to wait up for me if I''m homete?¡± Michael frowned when he saw that I was still awake, but I could tell he wasn''t actually angry at me. ¡°I... I couldn''t sleep...¡± I had wanted to ask him the burning question in the back of my mind, but I didn''t know how to go about it all of a sudden. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Michael was a smart guy and knew something was up when he saw me stammering hesitantly. ¡°I...¡± I lowered my head after looking him in the eye. ¡°You''ve been leaving the house early anding home reallyte these days, so I wanted to know what you''re so busy with.¡± I then nced at Michael nervously as I didn''t know how he would respond to my question. ¡°You stayed up sote just to ask me this?¡± Michael asked coldly. I kept quiet and simply looked down in acknowledgement. Although Michael didn''t say anything about my behavior, I could feel that I was being a little unreasonable. Michael has already promised to be together with me, and yet I''m still questioning him like this... I bet he must really hate me for this... Instead of getting mad at me, Michael simply looked me in the eye and replied patiently, ¡°I''ve been busy handling the breach of contract and the preparations for our wedding.¡± I felt my heart racing when I heard him mention our wedding. That''s right... Michael is a man of his word. I should''ve trusted him fully right from the start. When he saw me keeping my head low with a guilty expression, he walked up to me and patted my head as he said firmly, ¡°I know what you''re thinking, Anna. I always fulfill my promises, so stop overthinking things, okay?¡± My heart continued to pound uncontrobly in my chest as I looked up at him and nodded profusely. I was finally able to calm down after finding out what he had been doingtely and receiving his reassurance. I knew Michael would never leave me no matter what happened, and I no longer felt anxious the next time he left home. In fact, I was even kind of excited as I knew he was making the preparations for our wedding. That afternoon, I was watching some boring soap opera on television when my phone rang all of a sudden. A frown formed on my face when I saw Justin''s name on the screen. Justin and I hadn''t seen each other for over half a year, nor have we contacted each other the whole time. I found myself feeling uneasy receiving his call so suddenly and declined it a few secondster. There was no need for us to remain in touch as we were no longer rted. On top of that, I didn''t like him at all. In fact, I sometimes cursed at myself for dating such an irresponsible man like him. I assumed Justin would know better than to call me again after I declined his call, but it seemed I had underestimated his shamelessness as my phone began ringing again immediately after. The sight of his name shing on my screen was really irritating, but I eventually chose to answer it. Let''s see what Justin is up to this time. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked coldly after answering the phone. ¡°I didn''t think you''d answer my call, Anna! I thought you wouldn''t talk to me anymore!¡± Justin''s somewhat surprised voice came on the other line after a brief pause. Justin was really good at sweet-talking people, and that was precisely the reason I had agreed to date him back then. A singlepliment from him would leave me happy for days on end, but that was many years ago. I had long since grown out of that phase, and he had hurt me so deeply that I hated him more than anyone in the entire world. ¡°Why did you call me? Is something the matter?¡± I asked, keeping my tone cold and emotionless. ¡°Are you free to meet up right now, Anna?¡± Justin sounded a lot more serious when he heard how cold I sounded, and his request caught me by surprise. Nothing good could possiblye out of him asking to meet up so suddenly like this. It''s been over half a year since we broke up, so there''s no need for us to meet up at all. ¡°I don''t think there''s a need for us to meet up ever again. Is there anything else you want to tell me? If not, I''ll be hanging up now.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I hated Justin so much that I didn''t want to see him in the slightest. I wanted to hang up after saying that, but then Justin said, ¡°Wait, don''t hang up! I just want to see you once, Anna. I''ve been feeling guilty for a really long time, and I''ve wanted to apologize to you. Will you at least give me a chance to?¡± He sounded really anxious and sincere, but it didn''t have any effect on me anymore. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 ¡°Look, a lot of time has passed since everything that happened. There is no need for you to apologize, and I don''t want your apology either. Also, I hope you''ll stop contacting me from now on,¡± I said coldly as Justin could no longer touch my heart. Not wanting to give him a chance to say anything further, I hung up on him immediately after. Being betrayed hurt me so much that I felt like I couldn''t go on, but thinking back made me realize I wouldn''t have met Michael if not for his betrayal. I once thought that Justin was the man I loved the most in life, but I was wrong as I only learned what true love meant after meeting Michael. Although I no longer had any feelings for Justin whatsoever, getting his call all of a sudden still worsened my mood greatly because he had hurt me the most in life. Having spent the whole morning at home, I felt like I was going to die from boredom and decided to go shopping with Natalie in the afternoon. I then gave her a call and went downstairs after agreeing on a time to meet up, only to bump into Justin when I arrived at the entrance of my residential area. I didn''t know the reason behind his surprise visit here at Birchwood, but I didn''t even want to see him at all. ¡°Anna!¡± I was about to head back home when he saw me and began running toward me while shouting my name. Pretending not to see him was no longer an option as he had already spotted me, so I stopped in my tracks and turned around to stare coldly at him. ¡°I''ve been waiting here since morning, Anna! I''m so d I get to see you!¡± Justin eximed as he stepped up to me. He looked like a stranger longing to be close, but all I felt was an urge to get away from him as quickly as possible. ¡°Why did you wait here? I''ve made myself very clear on the phone earlier, Justin. I don''t need your apology.¡± The mere thought of his phone call earlier got me all agitated because I didn''t want to have any form of contact with him. Justin seemed a little upset when he saw how cold I was. He said after a long pause, ¡°I know I''ve hurt you deeply in the past, and it''s perfectly justifiable for you to hate me, but I still want to apologize anyway.¡± The look in Justin''s eyes was gentle like when we used to be madly in love with each other. It used to make me excited for days on end, but it no longer had any effect on me. ¡°I ept your apology, and I''ll be on my way now that you''re done with it.¡± I didn''t want to waste any more time and energy on him as I still had a shopping date with Natalieter. Justin then blocked my path and asked with a pained look on his face, ¡°Do you still hate me, Anna?¡± Displeased by him standing in my way, I said, ¡°You''re overthinking it. I''ve long since gotten past that phase of hating you.¡± ¡°Really? You don''t hate me for hurting you so deeply back then?¡± Justin looked at me with a mix of surprise and doubt on his face. ¡°Anything else, Justin? I''ve made ns, and I really need to go now!¡± All I wanted was to stop wasting any more time and get out of there. ¡°Let''s have lunch together, Anna.¡± The fact that Justin was treating me to lunch seemed really suspicious, so I rejected him instinctively. ¡°No, thanks. With the way things are between us right now, it''s hardly appropriate for us to have lunch together. Also, please refrain froming to see me here in the future because I don''t want my boyfriend to get the wrong idea.¡± Given how petty and possessive Michael was, he would surely get mad if he saw me still in contact with my ex-boyfriend. At that moment, the only thing I wanted was to be with Michael and avoid unnecessary trouble if possible. Despite me making myself crystal clear, Justin stubbornly refused to give up. ¡°Anna, do you really not know why I came to see you?¡± he shouted desperately from behind when he saw me walk away. ¡°Why?¡± See? I knew there was more to it! There''s no way he''de here just to apologize! I stopped in my tracks and red at him. ¡°Anna, I know what I''m about to say will make me sound like an absolute scumbag, but... I want to say it anyway.¡± Justin looked me in the eye with a serious expression. ¡°I was misguided, and I wronged you in the past, but I realized after breaking up that you are the one I truly love. Every night throughout the past six months, I''ve been dreaming about you and the happy moments we shared. Anna, I havee to seek your forgiveness and get back together with you.¡± I stared wide-eyed at Justin as I wasn''t expecting him to talk about getting back together. However, I didn''t really feel anything because I stopped loving him a long time ago. I kept quiet and simply looked at him indifferently. ¡°Anna, what happened in the past was all my fault, and I realize that now. I also realized that you''re the one I love, so will you please forgive me and give me another chance?¡± Justin walked up to me and held my hand tightly as he said that, but nothing could possibly change my mind about how I felt toward him at that point. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org I pulled my hand out of his grip and shot him a cold re in response. ¡°We''re over, Justin. I''m never getting back together with you, so you should just forget about it.¡± This man had betrayed me, and I wasn''t about to put up with his betrayal like that. No amount of sincerity could touch my heart if I no longer had any feelings for him. My tone was cold, and I gave him no room for negotiation. Justin was so taken aback that he froze for a moment before breaking into a grimace. He probably didn''t expect me to be so cold toward him at our reunion. He was staring at me with an upset look in his eyes. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 I bet he''s thinking of something along the lines of ¡°Are you really not going to give me another chance, Anna? We''ve been together for seven years! Can you really let go?¡± I might''ve actually softened up and forgiven him if he came apologizing sincerely like this shortly after our breakup, but... now that I''ve fallen in love with Michael, sweet-talking no longer has any effect on me. I looked at him emotionlessly and said in a neutral tone, ¡°I''ve gotten over it long ago, Justin. I don''t love you anymore, so please leave me alone from now on. Besides, you have Mabel now.¡± The thought of Justin having sex with my former best friend still disgusted me, and it was most likely the most disgusting thing I had experienced my entire life. Justin''s expression changed the moment I mentioned Mabel, and he grabbed my hand again as he exined, ¡°I''ve broken up with Mabel ever since I realized you are the one I love. Will you pleasee back to me, Anna? I promise I''ll only love you for the rest of my life, and I won''t betray you ever again!¡± Justin broke up with Mabel? Now that''s a surprise. For some reason, I can''t help but feel like there''s more to Justin''s request for reconciliation than it seems. ¡°What about your child? Why did you break up with Mabel when you two have a child together? If what you said is true, then that just makes you a much more irresponsible man than I imagined. There''s no way in hell I''d ever be with someone like that!¡± As if anyone would believe the words of a man who breaks up with the woman he has a child with... When I found out about their affair, Justin begged me to give them my blessings, saying that he actually loved Mabel. Did he forget what he said back then? Justin grew increasingly anxious when he realized his exnations had backfired. He desperately tried to exin himself again. ¡°I''m telling you the truth, Anna! I can let go of everything else just to be with you! Will you please believe me?¡± Having lost all of my patience from talking to him, I brushed his arm off forcefully and said, ¡°I told you, I''m not getting back with you. Don''t forget that Michael is my boyfriend now, and I doubt you''d be able to keep your job as manager if he sees you here.¡± Justin''s relentless behavior left me with no choice but to bring up Michael. Since he was working as a manager in the department store that Michael owned, I figured I would be able to scare him off by threatening him with that. Justin''s expression became twisted the moment he heard Michael''s name, and I quickly walked away while he was distracted. However, I had only taken a few steps when Justin hugged me from behind all of a sudden. The thought of him being so close to me disgusted me to no end, and I struggled with all of my might while shouting angrily, ¡°What the hell do you think you''re doing, Justin? Let go of me!¡± Justin''s actions had truly infuriated me, and it was the first time I had hated him so much. ¡°I love you, Anna! Will you pleasee back to me?¡± he shouted desperately while keeping his arms wrapped tightly around me. Enraged by his stubbornness, I stomped him hard on the foot and hurt him enough to let go of me. I then seized that opportunity and ran off as quickly as my legs could carry me. Justin used to be the dearest to me, but fear was the only thing I felt when he hugged me at the time. His sudden appearance left a bad taste in my mouth, and I couldn''t get it out of my head even after I went back home. I had no idea how Justin knew where I was, and I was afraid that he would keep showing up outside my residential area in the future. It didn''t take long before my phone began ringing again, and I quickly whipped it out to see who it was as I feared it was Justin calling. I felt relieved when I checked the caller ID and saw Natalie''s name on it. That was when I recalled we were supposed to go shopping together, but Justin''s harassment left me feeling uneasy, so I told her I wasn''t feeling well and hung up after canceling our date. Natalie knew I had a tendency to be moody during pregnancy and didn''t say much apart from telling me to rest well. Fearing that I would bump into Justin again, I stayed home for the rest of the day. Fortunately for me, Michael didn''te home veryte that night, and I felt a lot safer with him around. I went up to greet him and helped carry his briefcase the moment he stepped through the door. He broke into a bright smile when he saw how caring I was, and the two of us made our way toward the couch with me in his arms. ¡°You''ve been cooped up at home for the past few days. Don''t you want to go shopping or something?¡± Michael asked with a gentle look in his eyes while Iy in his embrace. Hearing that reminded me of my encounter with Justin earlier, and I winced in response without saying anything. ¡°What''s the matter? You don''t look so good. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Michael asked worriedly when he noticed the look on my face. He had been very concerned about my well-being ever since he knew about my pregnancy, and I knew he was worried about me and my baby. ¡°N-No...¡± His question snapped me out of my daze, and I quickly averted my gaze as I didn''t dare look him in the eye. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. I had wanted to tell Michael about what happened, but I was afraid he would get mad. Knowing how possessive and petty he was, I eventually decided to keep it from him. Since it was impossible for Justin and me to get back together, telling Michael about it would just anger him for no reason. ¡°Are you sure you''re all right?¡± Michael knew me best and asked me again after eyeing my expression. ¡°Yeah, I''m really fine. I''m just a little bored from staying home all day. Maybe you can take me out shopping this weekend?¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Michael had been busy with work and our wedding preparations ever since we were together. We barely spent time with each other. I knew staying at home all day was bad for my baby''s development, but I was afraid of bumping into Justin if I went out by myself, so having Michael take me out was the only option. ¡°Sure, we''ll go buy some baby products at the department store this weekend.¡± Michael really spoiled me a lot. He agreed to my request without any hesitation. Michael no longer needed to keep our rtionship a secret as everyone had already known about it, and that caused a drastic change in his attitude toward me. The affectionate look in his eyes filled my heart with happiness, and I wished I could just spend the rest of my life by his side. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. He held me tightly in his embrace as wey in bed that night, and I had a sweet smile on my face the whole time. I spent the next two days counting down the hours till the weekend, looking forward to spending some quality time with Michael. After what seemed like forever, the weekend finally arrived. As Michael was the owner of the department store, everyone greeted him respectfully the moment they saw him. Although he was used to such treatment, I was not and could feel everyone staring at me. As news of me ruining Michael''s wedding had shocked the entire country, it made perfect sense that they all knew who I was. We soon made our way to the baby''s department, and I found myself getting a little overwhelmed by the huge variety of products avable. Nevertheless, I still looked forward to my baby being born. Despite being less than two months pregnant, I had already started wondering if my child would end up resembling me or Michael. ¡°Hey, Michael, do you think we should buy male or female clothes for our baby?¡± I asked, feeling conflicted when I saw the clothing options; the gender of my baby was still unknown. Deep down inside, I was hoping for my baby to be a girl so I could dress her up like a princess every day. ¡°Since we don''t know the baby''s gender, we can just buy both. Who knows, we might get a boy and a girl!¡± Michael said after ncing at the clothes in my hand, leaving mepletely speechless. The doctors already told us I''m pregnant with a healthy baby, so how could we possibly have a boy and a girl? Not wanting to argue with Michael, I bought clothes for both genders as I didn''t know if my baby was a boy or a girl. We were probably the only couple who would shop for baby products as early as two months into the pregnancy. Michael and I ended up buying a lot of things, and they were all the most expensive ones in the department store. But I found it worth the money as it was all for our child. We were both in a great mood on the drive home when Michael got a text message on his phone. He then slowed down the car to check his phone, only to m his foot on the brakes when he saw the message. Had it not been for the seat belt preventing me from hurtling forward, I would have ended up badly injured as a result. Still a little shaken up by his actions earlier, I looked at Michael, who was staring at his phone gloomily, and asked in confusion, ¡°What''s the matter, Michael? What happened?¡± Instead of answering my question, Michael simply turned to look at me with rage in his eyes. I felt even more confused and had a bad feeling in my gut when I saw his sudden change in expression. ¡°What on earth is going on, Michael? Why do you look so upset?¡± I asked a second time, feeling a little nervous about his silence. ¡°Anna, you''re still keeping in touch with Justin?¡± I panicked when he mentioned Justin and went pale as I recalled what happened the other day. Michael perceived my response as a sign of guilty conscience, and he cut me off coldly before I could even answer his question, ¡°After all this while... you still haven''t let go of Justin, huh?¡± His tone was filled with suspicion, and his eyes were burning with rage. His questioning left me flustered and angry at the same time. My eyes began to tear up as I met his gaze and shouted, ¡°No! I''ve forgotten all about Justin a long time ago! There is nothing between us at all!¡± Unbelievable! After all we''ve been through just to be together, does Michael still not believe in my love for him? What Justin did hurt me deeply and disgusted me to the core, so why on earth would I even want to miss him at all? Michael seemed to have anticipated my reply, and he wasn''t buying it at all. ¡°How do you exin this, then?¡± He tossed his phone onto myp with a terrifyingly cold look in his eyes. I picked it up in confusion, only to have my mind gopletely nk when I saw the picture of Justin hugging me from behind. The photo was taken at a very clever angle which made it seem like we were a couple madly in love, and I looked like I wasn''t resisting his embrace at all. Wait... This was taken when Justin came to see me two days ago! Who took it? How did it end up on Michael''s phone? ¡°Michael, I can exin! It''s true that Justin came to see me two days ago, but I made myself very clear that I don''t love him anymore! I even told him to stay away from me in the future!¡± Had I not known that this picture was taken when Justin came to harass me that day, I wouldn''t know how to exin it to Michael at all. ¡°Then why didn''t you tell me about it? How many more secrets are you keeping from me, Anna?¡± Michael''s eyes were still filled with rage as he continued to re at me. Had this conversation taken ce in the past, he would have done more than just question me from his seat like this. ¡°I was just afraid that you''d get mad, Michael! I''m telling the truth!¡± The sight of his handsome face being twisted with anger made me incredibly anxious. Michael is a very possessive man, so there is no way he''d let his woman have any intimate contact with another guy. I chose to keep it from him because I know that all too well. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 I looked at Michael apprehensively, clueless of how I could convince him that everything between Justin and I was over. He gave me a cold stare, uttering no words, and stepped on the gas. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I gripped the handles, fearing that the car would skid off the road at high speed. My face turned ashen as I stared in front of me anxiously. Michael turned to nce at me and slowed down a bit, probably because he sensed how terrified I was. Even so, he still looked grim, paying no heed to me after that. I kept my head lowered as though I was a kid feeling guilty of a wrongful deed. After all, Justin was my ex-boyfriend. It was normal for Michael to be infuriated, although Justin was the one bothering me. Nheless, I was clueless as to why Justin would contact me again all of a sudden. I trailed behind Michael when we reached home. He turned and left after opening the door. Astounded by the abruptness, I had wanted to call out to him to hold him back, but he had walked far away. Knowing that he was still feeling annoyed, I was down in the dumps as I racked my brain about how I could convince him to believe me. I sat on the couch in the living room and waited for Michael to be home. He had promised to marry me and form a sweet family with me. Hence, I was sure as hell that he would be back again. As time psed, I could not resist feeling anxious. There was still no sign of him. I took out my phone, wanting to call Michael. But it was then it rang abruptly. At the sight of Justin''s name blinking on the screen, I felt like hanging up at once. Thinking of how his pestering days ago hadnded me in hot water today, I was irritated and my heart was filled with hatred. If not for his sudden appearance, others would not have taken the photo and sent it to Michael. At that thought, I changed my mind to answer his call. ¡°Anna, what are you doing?¡± Justin''s gentle voice sounded on the other end of the line. I was boiling with anger again the moment I heard his voice. ¡°Justin, I''ve made myself clear the other day. Please don''t call me up or appear in front of me ever again. I don''t love you anymore, and I''m in love with someone else. So please stop meddling in my life again!¡± I snapped at him, turning a deaf ear to Justin''s gentleness. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. I must make myself clear today. I must not let him continue to be a hand grenade between Michael and me that will go off at any moment. ¡°Anna, what''s the matter with you?¡± Justin asked in bafflement. ¡°That''s none of your business! Just don''t appear in front of me ever again. Goodbye!¡± I wrapped up the conversation and hung up right away, sick of my entanglement with him earlier that day. Taking a deep breath, I tried my best to tamp down the simmering fury within myself. Even though I had vented my frustration at Justin, my heart sank when I thought about the strained rtionship between Michael and me. After hesitating for quite a while, I searched for Michael''s number and gave him a call. The connecting tone sent me into a tizzy. I could barely wait for him to pick up the call. However, things did not turn out as expected. The line on the other end went dead almost in an instant. He had hung up on me right away. My heart thumped in utter helplessness. I felt even more restless as I started making wild guesses as to why he refused to answer my call. Now that we did not have to keep mum about our rtionship anymore, I was worried sick that he would abandon me due to a misunderstanding. He and our baby were my everything, so I could not lose him. I tried to call him again, but the line went dead as he hung up on me again. Deep down, I could not exin why I was getting more desperate. If Michael were to hang up on me previously, I would not be bothered to make a second attempt. However, at that moment, I could not control myself from trying to reach him. Since he refused to answer my call, I sent him a text message instead, telling him that everything between Justin and me had ended long ago. Apart from that, I emphasized that he was the only person I was deeply in love with. After sending the text message, I waited for a long time. Even so, there was no response from him, not even a simple text message. As Michael was rather impatient, I knew he would be enraged if I bombarded him with phone calls and text messages. Hence, I tried my best to cool my head off and refrain myself from interrupting him. Leaning against the back of the couch, I told myself to wait patiently, but I was gradually ovee by sleepiness when there were still no signs of him. I ended up dozing off on the couch and had a dream. In my dream, Michael wanted to break up with me. Undoubtedly, Justin was the cause of everything. Regardless of how hard I tried to exin to Michael that I only loved him, he would not believe me. He shrugged off my hand coldly and strode away without even sparing me another nce. I freaked out as he was moving further away from me. By the time I opened my eyes abruptly and scanned around the living room, only then did I realize it was just a dream. I wiped off the cold sweat on my forehead and was still rattled by the dream, fearing that the scene would turn into a reality. I nced at the clock on the wall. It''s almost midnight and Michael is still not back... Is he really not going toe back? I picked up my phone. There were neither missed calls nor text messages from him. I put down my phone in despair, my heart aching. Suddenly, I heard the door open and turned in anticipation. My eyes lit up at once as Michael''s figure came into sight. I put on my slippers hastily and made a dart toward him. When I was alongside him, I smelled a strong scent of alcohol. ¡°Did you drink?¡± I asked in great concern. He seemed to have drunk a lot more than usual. As a mature and staid man, he seldom drank so much. I tried to hold him, but he shoved me away instantaneously and stared at me coldly. The usual gentleness and affection in his eyes werepletely gone. My heart thumped. I knew he was still mad at me. ¡°Michael, I don''t have the slightest feeling for Justin anymore. You have to trust me.¡± I enunciated every word solemnly, looking into his eyes. That was my very first time trying to rify something in such an apprehensive way. I can''t let Michael misunderstand me again! I must eliminate any petty matters that will ruin our rtionship! Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Michael continued to gaze at me nonchntly in silence. There were not any hints of emotion in his eyes. I could not resist wondering if he believed in my words. Subsequently, I felt a prickle of anxiousness as another wave of uncertainty swept over me. I held my breath as I lowered my head and gripped the side of my blouse. My heart was pounding hard; my mind turned into mush. What if he came back to break up with me? As Michael continued to gaze at me without uttering any words, my lips tightened into a thin line. ¡°Anna Garcia, I wonder when you will start to think wisely with your brain!¡± Michael finally spoke after a long while. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org I scratched my head in perplex, unable to understand what he actually meant. Thinking wisely with my brain? I looked into his eyes, mustering up my courage to ask him, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Michael walked into the living room and sat on the couch. Tossing me a frigid nce, he scoffed, ¡°Don''t you know that someone deliberately took the photo? Do you think there is an ideal spot for such a high- definition photo to be taken?¡± My heart skipped a beat as something came into my mind. ¡°Do... you mean to say that Justin did that on purpose?¡± As the question escaped my lips, a surge of panic crept into my heart. It was an indecipherable feeling when I found out that someone had set me up. ¡°Remember to use your brain next time!¡± I was astounded by his words. What is ying on Justin''s mind? We have not been contacting each other for more than half a year. Why did he assign people to snap this photo? Is he trying to ckmail me? No, it can''t be. He doesn''t have the audacity to do so. Not to mention he is Michael''s employee. What is the point of shooting himself in the foot by ckmailing his boss? I scratched my head quizzically again, wondering why Justin had done so. ¡°Anyway, I will investigate this matter thoroughly. You''d better mark my words, Anna. You are my woman now. You are not allowed to spare other men any nce, especially your ex-boyfriend!¡± Michael sat upright and red at me with his zing eyes. He was even gritting his teeth when he said those last few words. He seemed to be green with envy at the thought that I might cross paths with Justin again at any time. Even so, I heaved a sigh of relief as he did not mention breaking up with me. I felt thankful that the worst did not ur as expected, despite the utter grimness on his face. Feeling delighted, I approached him and sat down next to him. Holding onto his arm, I finally felt a sense of security and cooled off. ¡°I will never fall for another man. You are the love of my life,¡± I mumbled affectionately to him. Michael was the only man in my eyes at that moment. I was certain that I would not be drawn to any other man again. I yearned to spend the rest of my life with him. My words seemed to have appeased him. There was finally a slight change in his countenance as he softened up. Since then, two days went past as usual. Michael was so upied with both his work matters and the investigation on Justin that he could not allocate time to apany me. Even though I was feeling a bit down, I knew I should not distract him from sorting things out. I grabbed the chance to tidy up the baby products we bought from the shopping mall that day. Whenever I imagined how adorable our child would look in the baby clothes, I was on top of the world. Right then, the ringing of my phone interrupted my contemtion. To my dismay, it was still a call from Justin. I recalled how Michael had warned me to have no truck with him again. Nheless, I could barely wait to find out why he was thinking of reconciling with me. After pondering for quite a while, I decided to answer his call. Justin must have presumed that I might not answer his call as he was stunned for a while before shrieking with joy, ¡°Anna! It''s so great to hear your voice! I almost thought you wouldn''t answer my call anymore!¡± Ever since I knew that he was approaching me with a hidden motive, I loathed him even more. ¡°Justin Xenakis, what do you want?¡± I raised my voice. I would not believe it if he said he was thinking of mending the rtionship with me. My gut instinct told me he must have some ploys in his mind. ¡°Anna, you know how I feel about you, don''t you? There are so many things I want to say to you. Can we meet up somewhere?¡± Justin said, instead of replying to my question. If Michael did not tell me that Justin was approaching me with a hidden motive, I would most probably reject him right away. However, I did not feel like turning him down at the moment as I was curious about his exact motive. Therefore, I agreed to meet him at a caf¨¦ not far from Birchwood half an hourter. Prevailed by the eagerness to find out the truth, I reached the caf¨¦ slightly earlier than the scheduled time. To my surprise, he arrived even earlier than me. ¡°Anna, this way.¡± Justin waved at me jubntly with a bright smile on his face the moment I stepped into the caf¨¦. I made my way toward him in utter indifference, suppressing the waves of hatred surging from within me. Seated opposite him, I only ordered a ss of in water. I could not take coffee as I was pregnant. ¡°So, why did you call me out?¡± I went straight to the point. ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to look at you. Anna, do you know how much I have missed you all this while? I want to contact you every day, but I don''t have the courage to do so. I regret hurting you previously. I feel guilty and ashamed of facing you,¡± Justin uttered sincerely and gazed at me lovingly. Pfft! He is indeed good at acting. That kind of look and tone! I would be touched if I didn''t know his exact temperament. Nevertheless, I was no longer the innocent girl years ago whom he could effortlessly coax with his sweet nothings. I almost burst intoughter at the sight of his pretentious look. Hah! It never crossed my mind that men can be good at putting up a show like women too! ¡°Since you are ashamed of facing me, why did you insist on looking for me? Don''t you think you are contradicting yourself?¡± I scoffed. He was dumbfounded. Perhaps he didn''t expect me to be so straightforward as there was a hint of sheepishness on his face. ¡°I... Anna, I know you must be thinking that I''m a man with no sense of responsibility. But I''m remorseful and have decided to turn over a new leaf. I''m sorry for what I have done. Can you grant me a chance to prove my sincerity?¡± Justin pleaded for my forgiveness. If Michael did not warn me about how despicable Justin was, I would believe that he was making a sincere apology. I was never a cold-hearted woman who would make a fuss out of nothing. But Justin''s emergence with a hidden motive had stirred up trouble and indirectly strained the rtionship between Michael and me. My loathing toward him was beyond description. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 ¡°I know exactly who you are, Justin. You don''t have to waste time beating around the bush. Just tell me right away what you want from me! What is on your mind?¡± I grimaced and snapped at him coldly. I had had enough of him babbling to me in such a pretentious way. At that instant, I spotted a sudden change in Justin''s countenance. There were unmissable flickers of shock and panic in his eyes. Regardless of how well he was bottling up his emotions, I had a gut feeling that he had something up his sleeves. ¡°Anna, I don''t get what you mean. How can I have any hidden motive? I''m pleading for your forgiveness and trying to make it up to you. I wish to win your heart again so you can be back by my side.¡± Justin continued to put on a sincere look and gazed at me with a hint of guilt in his eyes. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. If I were unaware of his wicked mind, I would surely relent at the sight of his sincerity. Even if it was impossible for me to forgive him, I would soften up and stop striking him with harsh words. Nevertheless, the unmistakable anxiety that shed across his eyes a while ago had convinced me that he was up to something. ¡°Can you please stop putting on a show? We were together for seven years. Do you think you can hide your true colors from me? Just be frank with me. What is your intention of approaching me? Or perhaps you intend to drive a wedge between Michael and me?¡± I questioned him directly. I presumed he intended to destroy my rtionship with Michael by setting me up. That exined why the photo was sent to Michael deliberately, and it was the only reason I could think of at that moment. I was actually trying to sound him out by asking him intentionally, and I was proven right when a hint of disbelief flickered in his eyes. So his exact motive is to strain the rtionship between Michael and me! ¡°Why did you do that to me? We have broken up for such a long time and haven''t crossed paths with each other since then. Why are you messing up my life now? Why are you doing this!¡± The only thing I wanted right now was to be with Michael. I would not forgive anyone who tried to destroy our rtionship. ¡°Anna, don''t get me wrong. I came looking for you because I really wish to get back together with you. Apart from that, I don''t have any other motives. You have to trust me.¡± Justin was still giving excuses to talk me into believing his words. No matter what, I reminded myself not to fall into his trap. He was not merely thinking of reconciling with me. ¡°If you are really feeling guilty for what you have done, please stop interfering with my life again. I will never be together with you for the rest of my life. Michael is the man whom I''m deeply in love with!¡± I snarled at him. Since Justin was trying to cover up his motive by all means, there was nothing I could do without concrete evidence. I could only make my stance clear that I would not fall for any other man again except Michael. Justin''s face turned grim. Nevertheless, I was not in the mood to bicker with him again. I stood up and turned away from him. ¡°Anna...¡± Justin called out my name behind me, trying to say something to hold me back. I turned a blind eye to him and strode out of the caf¨¦ without looking back. Arriving home, I was getting more desperate to know what Justin wanted to do. We have not met each other for such a long time. Why did hee to see me? When Michael came back, we had dinner as usual. Seated opposite him, I hesitated if I should bring up the topic about Justin. I could barely wait to know what was going on. However, I did not dare to voice my doubt, fearing that I would infuriate the man unintentionally by mentioning Justin''s name. ¡°Just say it right away if you have something in your mind,¡± Michael piped up, sensing that I had something to say. Hearing that, I put down my fork and gazed into his eyes. ¡°I want to know why Justin is looking for me.¡± I looked at Michael anxiously after saying that, worried that he wouldsh out at any moment. Surprisingly, he only furrowed his brows and did not flip out. ¡°I bet it has something to do with Emma, but I can''t jump to a conclusion right now as we are still in the midst of the investigation,¡± Michael exined nonchntly as if he was talking about something casual. I knitted my brows when I heard Emma''s name. This woman has beening at me all this while. Michael and I are getting married and she is still thinking of stirring up trouble? Damn it! She is just too much! I was livid. How I wished to confront her at once. Michael doesn''t like her, but she refuses to let go of him. My goodness! I wonder if she has any sense of shame! ¡°How do Emma and Justin know each other? What is going on?¡± I asked again in bewilderment. I was doubtful about the rtionship between Emma and Justin. I did not think there was any possibility that the two of them were into something together. As a materialistic person, I bet Justin would not be willing to team up with her in anything without any benefit in return. Michael replied cidly, ¡°I was notified that both of them seem to be liaising closely with each other via phone calls. Anyway, it will take a little more time before anything can be traced.¡± Since Michael was still awaiting further details on the investigation, I knew I would not be able to clear my doubt on what was happening. However, I believed he would not be mad at me again after knowing that Emma was manipting everything. ¡°If Emma turns out to be the one manipting everything, what are you going to do?¡± I asked warily. ¡°Even till now, my mom still likes her a lot. What do you think I can do?¡± Michael frowned. He did not state clearly what could be done to get the matter resolved. However, it seemed that there was nothing he could do, even if he knew that Emma was the mastermind because his mother would surely stand up for her under any circumstances. Feeling dejected like a deted balloon, I told myself to cheer up with Michael''s determination to be with me. After all, she was still Michael''s mother, and I never had the intention of instigating him into having a falling-out with his mother. ¡°You don''t have to worry. I won''t marry that woman again,¡± he said firmly before lowering his head and continuing eating. I bet he must have sensed what was bugging my mind. Michael''s promise managed to ease my frustration. Undeniably, his words meant everything to me. As long as he promised to stand by my side forever, I had nothing to fear. I gazed affectionately at him and uttered solemnly, ¡°Michael, my greatest happiness is to spend the rest of my life with you.¡± I could foresee there would be obstacles awaiting us if I insisted on being together with Michael, but there was nothing for me to fear as long as I could be with him. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Michael''s hand froze at my words. He looked at me, an indecipherable expression in his gaze. Sometimeter, he wordlessly turned his attention back to his food. I was not angry that he had not said anything in response. He was introverted, and I saw no need in forcing him to profess his love for me in all sorts of grand manners. I know that he loves me, and that''s enough for me. After dinner, Iy on the bed, tossing and turning as I struggled to fall asleep. Our wedding was but a week away, yet Josephine still hoped that Michael was marrying Emma. I was worried that she would refuse to give her blessings during our wedding. Deep in my heart, I knew that marrying Michael would make me the happiest person alive. Still, that did not mean that I could not care less about his family''s blessing. I flopped over and slung an arm around Michael''s waist, sighing as I did so. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I would never grow tired of Michael''s alluring tone. ¡°Michael, do you sometimes regret choosing me?¡± I lifted my head and asked timidly, gazing at his moonlit profile. ¡°It''ste. You should get some sleep instead of worrying yourself over such nonsense.¡± He frowned at my question, evidently displeased. ¡°Well, I feel guilty. Your rtionship with your mom wouldn''t be strained today without me in the picture. I can''t help but worry if this is going to make you regret our rtionship years down the line.¡± Shifting myself to nestle in his embrace, I ignored Michael''s frown and voiced my concerns. Michael may have kept mum about his rtionship with his mother, but I could sense that my presence had driven a wedge between them. They were family at the end of the day. I did not think that my concern over his potential resentment was unwarranted. Michael lowered his head and gave me a piercing stare. ¡°Anna, if you insist on filling your head with such ridiculous ideas, I''ll show you right now that you''re the only person I could ever love. Aren''t my actions obvious enough? Or do you need me to repeat myself?¡± I knew Michael would never joke about such a thing. I''m trying to engage him in a serious conversation here! Why is his mind turning to sex? Sometimes, I swear I have no idea how his mind works. Despite my dissatisfaction with his threat, I bit my tongue and kept quiet; I was well aware of his personality. The slightest protest was all the motivation he needed to fulfill his threat. We may have been living together now, but beyond that first night, Michael had refrained from being intimate with me for our baby''s safety. Every time I happened to see the longing in his gaze, the guilt in my heart grew a little more. I knew he was struggling to keep his urge in check for the baby in my womb. His efforts alone spoke volumes about how much he loved and cherished me. I closed my eyes and pretended to fall asleep, though I could feel his gaze burning a hole through my body. He can''t possibly be thinking of doing it, right? ¡°Anna?¡± Michael''s voice had gone hoarse, betraying his lust and desire. ¡°Yes?¡± I grew nervous at his tone, sensing that his self-control was about to snap at any moment. ¡°I can''t wait anymore.¡± The sheets rustled from Michael''s movement, and I saw a faint glowing from the nightlight he had just switched on. The light illuminated his handsome face and imbued the room with a romantic ambiance. My heartbeat quickened at his words, a plethora of emotions whirling in my heart. It was a heart wrenching decision to refuse him, but I had to prioritize the safety of the baby. I spoke hesitantly, ¡°The first trimester is the most dangerous period¡ª¡± Michael cut in, ¡°I promise I''ll be gentle. I won''t hurt the baby.¡± In the next moment, he ced his hand on my shoulder and caressed my arm, sliding it down toward my elbow. I began shivering, desire and logic warring in my mind. I knew what he was about to do, yet it seemed a herculean task to voice my objection. His ragged breathing was gradually chipping away at my insistence. Even on our first night together, it was evident that he had been holding back. I found myself softening even more toward his struggles. ¡°Michael, I¡ª¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Not a word.¡± He pressed a finger on my lips to silence me. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 I red at Michael''s cheery expression. His grin soon turned wicked, and I scoffed, burying my head into his chest. He ced his mouth right next to my ear and whispered, ¡°Someone seems enthusiastic.¡± The sensation of his warm breath grazing my ears sent goosebumps all over my skin. I would be lying if I said I was not the least bit tempted to give in to desire. Right on cue, my face became as red as a tomato. I turned my head away to avoid meeting his eyes. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Michael knew me as well as I knew him. Instead of getting upset at my silence, he merely let his hands do the talking. His teasing touches were driving me crazy, bringing me to the edge of ecstasy before retreating and leaving me hanging. Is he going to mess around with me like this the whole night? Annoyed, I shoved him away and prepared to turn around and sleep. Michael seemed to have caught on to my intention. He upped the ante before I managed to push him away. To my horror, I closed my eyes and actually moaned. I was starting to lose myself in a web of desire. Hazily, I saw Michael admiring my facial expression with a knowing smile. My reaction was a test of self-control for him as well. His admiring gaze soon turned into repressed longing as my pleasure intensified. His patience was hanging on a thin line, and it was only a matter of time before he snapped. ¡°Help me take it off,¡± Michael groaned into my ear. Always a sucker for his low and rich baritone voice, my heart tingled with need. My hands started moving on their own ord and fumbled for his pajamas. The dim glow of the nightlight was more than enough for me to admire his chiseled body. I could not help but swallow as a fresh wave of lust overwhelmed me. I knew without a doubt that Michael was the fittest and most attractive man I knew. My ogling seemed to please Michael, who wore a triumphant smirk on his face. I guess he was not immune to admiration shown by the woman he loved. ¡°Faster. I can''t wait anymore!¡± Michael found his release just as I thought I was about to copse in exhaustion. We were both panting heavily at the end. Michael stared at my flushed cheeks and smirked knowingly before pulling me into his arms. I was secretly pleased when I heard the sound of his rapid heartbeat. Slinging my arm over his waist, I sighed in satisfaction. As our wedding day approached, I spent my days suspended in a sort of anxious anticipation. Despite my concerns over how the wedding would turn out, I knew that I would be happy as long as I could be with Michael. That evening, I decided to get some groceries at the supermarket and whip up some of Michael''s favorite dishes. All this while, the housekeeper had prepared all our meals ording to my pregnancy cravings, which often shed with Michael''s preferences. Since I noticed that he had been eating less than usual as a result, I wanted to surprise him with a homecooked meal seasoned to his tastes. I smiled at the thought of preparing aforting meal for my husband-to-be. Soon, I was ready to leave for the supermarket. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Michael had showered me with so much love these days that I could not help but think of this period as the most blissful time of my life. I had just set foot beyond the main gates of our development when a ck Mercedes-Benz drove up to me and stopped, blocking my path. I frowned slightly, displeased at the driver''s manners. Since I was in an excellent mood, I decided to let it go and walk around the car. Suddenly, the back window of the car was lowered. I was Josephine inside the car. Her unannounced visit made my heart sink. I had a bad feeling about this. Josephine had been vocal about her objections to Michael''s rtionship with me. She was undoubtedly here to pursue her agenda of destroying our rtionship. She must be getting anxious now that our wedding is near. Regardless of how unsettled I felt at her appearance, I forced myself to approach the open car window and greet her politely. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Shaw.¡± I had never treated Josephine with anything less than respect, yet despite my best efforts, her icy demeanor toward me never thawed. Josephine nced at me coolly before shifting her gaze to stare ahead. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I''d like to speak with you about some matters. Shall we have our conversation here or do you think we should talk somewhere else?¡± She said all this somewhat casually, yet I felt chills down my spine. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. It was not difficult to guess the purpose of this conversation, even if I did not have the specifics. Common courtesy demanded that I invite Josephine to my house. However, the thought of being cooped up in the house alone with Josephine stressed me out. I looked at my surroundings; to my relief, I spied a caf¨¦ in the distance. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, we can try the caf¨¦ over there. They''ve just opened recently and I''ve heard good reviews about their menu.¡± The caf¨¦ alleviated my fears about being alone with Josephine. I thought a public space would help to reduce some of the tension between us. Like it or not, once Michael and I were married, she would be my mother-inw, and I did not wish to have a poor rtionship with her. Josephine followed my gaze, and I saw surprise flitting through her eyes. She''s probably shocked that I suggested a caf¨¦ instead of my ce. I guess now I know that she''s got some pretty choice words for our conversation. ¡°Drive,¡± she ordered her driver instead of replying to me and rolled up the window soon after. I sighed in resignation as I watched the luxury sedan driving toward the caf¨¦. What is she going to say this time? Nothing she could say would make me leave Michael. That did not mean that I desired Josephine''s blessing any less. No one wants to enter their marriage on the wrong foot with the husband''s mother. By the time I got to the caf¨¦, Josephine was already waiting at a table. I took a deep breath to steel myself before taking a seat opposite her. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, would you like something to drink?¡± I asked nervously at the sight of her stoic expression. She spared the briefest of nces for me before saying, ¡°You know this ce best. You can order a drink for me.¡± On the surface, Josephine''s words seemed like an olive branch of sorts, yet the only thing they did was to deepen my sense of unease. I did not know her preferences and I worried that picking the wrong drink would worsen her already poor impression of me. ¡°A cup of Blue Mountain coffee, please.¡± I stopped a waiter walking behind me and ced an order. Josephine''s expression did not do anything to soothe my nerves. My ignorance about her taste and coffee in general put me in a dilemma. In the end, I ordered the Blue Mountain coffee because of its exorbitant price tag. Even if she doesn''t like it, I don''t think she would scoff at its prestige. Thankfully, the waiter arrived with the coffee quickly. Josephine had remained silent the whole time. I followed suit, unsure of what to say to break the silence. She used a teaspoon to gently stir the coffee before raising the cup to her nose to capture its fragrance. I fretted at Josephine''s disy because I was concerned that she would find my choicecking. She eyed me once more and took a sip of the coffee. Her brows scrunched slightly, sending rm bells going off in my head. ¡°Ms. Garcia, what do you think of their Blue Mountain coffee? Is it nice?¡± Josephine ced the cup on the table, staring at me with the ghost of a smile on her face. If I did not know any better, I would have believed that she was here to have a serious discussion with me about coffee. I knew little about coffee and I struggled toe up with an answer to her question. Meanwhile, Josephine lookedpletely unruffled as she patiently awaited my reply. ¡°I think it''s quite nice. It has a rich and fragrant aroma.¡± Frankly, I had only tried Blue Mountain coffee once in my life and I thought all coffees tasted pretty simr. Coffee appreciation had always seemed like an expensive hobby to me. Besides, I preferred tea over coffee any day. ¡°Contrary to popr belief, Blue Mountain coffee isn''t the best coffee. The water used to brew this coffee is a disgrace; they should be using distilled water. The minerals in the water have distorted the taste of the coffee. I find it quite unpleasant.¡± Josephine''s nonchnce as she delivered her criticism only amplified my shock. I could not comprehend how she could derive so much information from a mere sip of her coffee. I could barely begin to tell the difference between good and bad coffee. While Josephine''s knowledge impressed me, I could not help but feel like I had failed a test of sorts. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, that is amazing. You could tell so much about the coffee from just one sip.¡± My n to remain silent failed under her steely gaze. I smiled weakly at her and voiced my admiration somewhat unnaturally to break the ice. ¡°This is basic knowledge for anyone who appreciates coffee. Ms. Garcia, are you truly ignorant of this?¡± Josephine''s humility was a thinly-veiled jab at my poor roots. Soon enough, the telltale sneer appeared in her gaze. I knew she had used this coffee incident to insult me. I was furious, but on ount of her status as Michael''s mother, I could only swallow my feelings of injustice. Josephine''s ¡°test¡± filled me with a fresh wave of shame. Tasting the great coffees of the world was always a hobby for the rich. A vige girl like me would not have had the time or means to enjoy such a luxurious activity. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 I lowered my head and fell silent. Josephine''s motive was now clear as day: she merely wanted to remind me of my inferioritypared to their family. ¡°This is but one example of the differences between you and Michael. Youe from different worlds and naturally possess different tastes. Even if you get married, you''ll struggle to cope with each other''s lifestyle habits. Michael has never had to worry about putting food on the table for a day in his life while you''re used to your rural ways. Your marriage is doomed from the start.¡± I remained silent. Her deceptively calm tone worsened instead of soothing the sting of her words. I would be blind not to notice the stark difference between our lifestyles. Still, I believed that love transcended all borders in ss and status. Josephine may have seeded in humiliating me and reminding me of the differences in our social standing, but that did not mean she had convinced me to give up on my rtionship with Michael. ¡°With all due respect, Mrs. Shaw, Michael and I may asionally run into such problems in the future, but I''m confident that our love for one another will trump these differences,¡± I delivered my line earnestly and met Josephine''s gaze. I had made my stance clear; I would never leave Michael, no matter what Josephine said. I love him, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. She fumed at my determination. Her angry stare seemed to havested an eternity before she eventually said, ¡°Ms. Garcia, are you telling me that you won''t leave Michael?¡± Josephine had dropped all pretense of acting civil toward me. Evidently, my obstinance was driving her mad and she had no qualms about baring her ws now. I was surprised at how quickly her attitude soured. Still, I was not about to give in. I nodded my head and said, ¡°Yes. I''m going to be with Michael regardless of what anyone else thinks. The only person who can convince me to leave him is himself.¡± Being with Michael meant putting up with both the good times and the bad. I swore to myself that I would never leave him unless he initiated the breakup himself. Josephine''s rage intensified. I could tell that her patience with me had run dry. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I was going to spare you your dignity, but it looks like I was overly concerned for your wellbeing.¡± Her tone seemed to have chilled several degrees. I scrunched my brows in confusion. My gut instinct told me that things were about to take a turn for the worse. Josephine rummaged in her purse that was sitting on the chair beside her. A couple of secondster, she pulled out some photos and tossed them on the table between us. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The photos were of Justin and me at a caf¨¦ two days ago. One of them was a replica of the photo Michael had received. I was dumbfounded and turned to look at Josephine. Why does she have so many photos? ¡°Ms. Garcia, you must be familiar with these photos. The man in these photos is your ex-boyfriend, Justin Xenakis.¡± Josephine must have taken my shock as a sign of guilt. So eager was she to manufacture an illicit rtionship between Justin and me. I immediately exined, ¡°Mrs. Shaw, you must be mistaken. Justin and I haven''t been in a rtionship for ages and we will never be involved with one another again.¡± I did not want Josephine''s impression of me to sink even further thanks to a misunderstanding. ¡°You''re not involved? Then how did these photose about? Ms. Garcia, it seems like you have many enemies. This morning, I received an anonymous e-mail containing these very photos.¡± Josephine stubbornly refused to believe my exnation. She''s probably already made up her mind about my rtionship with Justin. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, things are not what you imagine. I''m no longer involved with Justin. Michael investigated his matter himself and he traced the photos back to Emma.¡± I suddenly recalled Michael telling me that Emma had a hand in Justin contacting me out of the blue. Hopefully, she believes me now. Instead of being convinced, Josephine was infuriated at my audacity to pin the me on Emma. ¡°Ms. Garcia, you''re shrewder than I thought. How could you push the me onto Emma at such a time? If it weren''t for you, Emma would''ve been my daughter-inw a long time ago!¡± She had never forgiven me for ruining Michael''s wedding. She has never wanted anyone other than Emma to be her daughter-inw; I was never in the running. She''s probably still hoping for them to reconcile. My marriage with Michael is throwing a wrench in her ns. I felt increasingly dejected at Josephine''s stubborn desire to make Emma her daughter-inw. Still, I bit my tongue and made ast-ditch attempt to appeal to her eptance. ¡°Everything I''ve said is the truth, Mrs. Shaw. If you don''t believe me, you can talk to Michael or run your own investigation. You''ll see that I have no need to lie to you. I''m innocent.¡± I was a bit hesitant about throwing out that line about running an investigation, but I did not think it would be too difficult given Josephine''s ample resources. s, she was too fixated on the idea of weing her precious Emma into the family. She was never going to me Emma for her involvement in the first ce. ¡°I don''t need to investigate this matter. So what if Emma''s involved? It doesn''t cancel out the fact that these photos are real. What makes you think I''ll believe your show of innocence?¡± Ah, so she knew that Emma was behind this. She''s not above ying dirty tricks to force me to leave Michael. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I don''t need your trust. I''m satisfied as long as Michael believes me.¡± Josephine''s earlier words had been the final nail in the coffin. I now understood that nothing I said would change her mind. She was never going to look at these photos objectively in the first ce and that everything was a ploy to paint me as a cheater. Frankly, I found her behavior disdainful. I would have upped and left if she was not Michael''s mom. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 ¡°Y-You!¡± Josephine sputtered with anger, now offended at my indifference about the photographs. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, if you''re here to convince me to leave Michael, I''m sorry, but I can''t concede to your request. Nothing you do or say can force me to change my mind!¡± I dered firmly and calmly, undeterred by her rage. Being together with Michael was the only silver lining in my life right now. I would not allow anyone to take my happiness away from me. ¡°Anna Garcia, I''m Michael''s mother. What do you think he''ll say about your rude attitude?¡± Josephine had regained herposure at an astonishingly fast speed, though rage still burned in her eyes. ¡°It''s exactly because you''re his mother that I''ve been putting up with your antics, but you''ve never once shown me the respect I deserve.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org I''ve wasted too much time trying to convince her to ept me. How can she sacrifice Michael''s happiness to further her interests? ¡°Respect? I refuse to respect a gold-digger! If you knew your ce, you should have left Michael a long time ago!¡± Gone was Josephine''s calm facade as she red at me disdainfully. I inhaled deeply to suppress my rage. Her words and her assumptions were nothing short of offensive. Is that what she truly thinks of me? A gold-digger? I wondered if the members of high society viewed everyone around them through a materialistic lens. Is one''s self-worth truly defined by his or her ss? Do the poor have no right to pursue their happiness? ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I''ve always been patient and civil to you for Michael''s sake. My only wish was for you to return my respect. I maye from the vige, but my pride is as valuable to me as the next person. I won''t allow you to trample over it.¡± Her status as Michael''s mother did not give her the right to insult and humiliate me as and when she pleased. Enough was enough. Josephine looked like she had more to say, though I did not wish to subject myself to further humiliation. I stared at her and hesitated for the briefest of moments before I stood up. Bowing slightly to her, I turned and took my leave. Her stubbornness left no room for reasonable discussion. I''m not going to listen to anything else she has to say. Either way, I''m not leaving Michael. I could feel her re on my back as I left the caf¨¦. To her credit, she did not stop me. Perhaps she realized the futility of bullying me into leaving Michael. After leaving the caf¨¦, I sighed deeply before heading to the supermarket. The encounter with Josephine had doused any excitement I felt at preparing dinner for Michael. I splurged on ingredients in the supermarket, yet my mood only worsened with time. Michael came home that night looking fatigued. Our wedding was less than a week away and he had been busy handling the final details of the big day. His dedication to nning our wedding touched me. Though his previous wedding to Emma had been a much grander affair, he barely showed any interest in nning it and had instead allowed Josephine to organize the wedding as she pleased. I was ted at his hands-on involvement in our big day. Michael''s actions spoke volumes about the difference in his feelings toward Emma and me. I was confident and thankful for his love. When he came in, I hurried to him and retrieved his briefcase. I helped him remove his zer after that. Michael felt ufortable wearing his zer at home. It was a habit of his that I had observed during our rtionship. ¡°You look exhausted.¡± I could not help but express my concern. ¡°I''m fine. Things are just a bit hectictely because the wedding is happening so soon.¡± Michael lifted his head and smiled at me reassuringly. Soon, he turned his head toward the dining table, enticed by the aroma of a home-cooked meal. ¡°You''ve been nning the whole wedding yourself. I feel sorry that I haven''t been able to help with anything.¡± I felt guilty about spending my days at home, helplessly waiting for Michael to return while he bustled about managing our affairs. I regretted being unable to offer him any help during this time. ¡°Don''t be. You should focus on taking care of yourself and the baby.¡± Michael tapped my nose fondly, which immediately soothed my concern. I shuddered at his affectionate gesture. I loved it when he treated me this way; it kept the romance alive. ¡°I prepared your favorite dishes for dinner. You should try them and let me know how they taste. I haven''t cooked in a long time.¡± Michael had not had my cooking since our breakup. I fretted incessantly in the kitchen earlier, worried that my cooking would ruin his appetite. ¡°Someone''s in a great mood. You haven''t cooked for me in ages.¡± I was gratified that Michael seemed pleased at my initiative. ¡°Of course, I''d love to cook for you, but I''m never allowed in the kitchen because the housekeeper''s always around.¡± Michael made it sound like I had not cooked in eons when, in truth, the housekeeper had kept me out of the kitchen to prevent me from overexerting myself. With her preparing all our daily meals, I could barely even make a piece of toast. ¡°Is this your way of telling me that you would like to cook more often? I have no objections to that, by the way. You can be my personal chef from now on,¡± he teased and arched a brow. I knew he was pulling my leg but his taunting expression still raised my hackles. ¡°No, thank you. Just let me know if you''re in the mood for my cooking. It''s a hard pass on being your personal chef.¡± I nned to head back to work after our wedding. I need to make a living and support my baby. I''ve got no time to worry over his meals. My refusal was well within his expectations. Instead of feeling upset, he merely picked up his fork and started eating. I was suddenly reminded of my encounter with Josephine as I stared at the dishes on the table. My mood soured immediately. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Michael stared at me, frowning at my somber mood. He asked gently, ¡°What''s wrong? Why are you suddenly upset?¡± He stared at me in concern. Faced with his piercing gaze, I found myself at a loss for words. I hesitated about recounting my confrontation with Josephine to Michael. I had no idea how he would react and I did not wish to add to his worries. ¡°Nothing''s wrong. The weather''s been so hottely that it''s making me ufortable. I''ll be right as rain after some rest.¡± I forced a smile on my face and immediately evaded his eye contact. He saw straight through my weak excuse and asked seriously, ¡°Do you think I would fall for that? Anna, don''t lie to me. What happened?¡± ¡°I-I... Mrs. Shaw approached me today.¡± I eventually sumbed to his request after some hesitation. Honesty is the best policy. I did not want to keep things from him and cause a rift between us in the future. Michael''s expression hardened as I told him what had happened. When I finished recounting my experience, he looked downright hostile. His anger was palpable, yet my insecurities red their ugly heads as I wondered if he was furious at his mother for driving a wedge through our rtionship or if he was annoyed that I was being a tattletale. My anxiety peaked at Michael''s prolonged silence, and I immediately offered an apology. ¡°I''m sorry, I-¡± ¡°Don''t take anything she says to heart,¡± he said simply before turning his attention back to dinner. I was perplexed. Is this his way offorting me? Michael''s firm reply did little to soothe my fraught nerves. She''s his mom, after all. I can''t bring myself to care less about her words. He was exhausted enough as it is, and it would be thoughtless of me to add to his burdens. Josephine''s appearance was frustrating, but I believed that with time, her impression of me would improve. After dinner, I cleared the table while Michael headed off to the balcony to make a phone call. ¡°All right, I''ll see you in half an hour.¡± That was the first thing I heard when I came out of the kitchen after doing the dishes. I stared at Michael and wondered who he had been on the phone with. ¡°I''m going out for a while. You should catch an early night''s rest.¡± He seemed to avoid my gaze as he said this. It was far toote at night for him to be working onpany matters. Despite my suspicions, I swallowed the question on the tip of my tongue. I did not want to pry into every single one of his matters. ¡°Okay. Don''te home toote.¡± I smiled at him and pretended I was not dying to know who he was meeting at this hour. Michael nodded wordlessly and headed for the coat rack near the door. He grabbed a jacket and left. The house suddenly felt a lot quieter without him in it. Though we had only been living together for a few days, my dependence on Michael had grown considerably. I did not know if I could bring myself to leave him again. Bored, I sat on the living room couch and watched a si distractedly. I was about to expire from boredom when my phone began ringing. My heart sank when I saw that it was my mom calling. She had not contacted me in over a month. This out-of-the-blue phone call can''t be good news. I answered the phone resignedly. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Mom,¡± I greeted her once the line connected. ¡°Anna, what are you doing? You haven''t called me in ages.¡± My mom sounded unusually caring on the other end of the phone. It was a stark contrast to her characteristic demanding self. I wondered if something was wrong with my hearing. Did I hear her right? She''s never treated me like this. Sometimes, I thought that my mind was a bit messed up. I tended to expect the worst whenever my mom was acting nicely toward me. ¡°Mom, why did you call me today?¡± I asked warily, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my chest. ¡°Oh, nothing much. I just missed you since you haven''t visited Dad and me for a while. You should visit us tonight if you''re free. We''re heading back to the vige in a couple of days,¡± she said warmly. Her ims of missing me, however, raised my suspicions. I knew her personality; she would never say such things. Despite knowing that she probably did not mean her words, I was still delighted at her disy of concern. I longed for my mom''s love more than anything else in this world. ¡°Okay, I''ll be over in a bit.¡± We ended ourst meeting on bad terms and I did harbor some resentment toward my mom. Still, she had taken the initiative to call me and extend an olive branch, so I believed it was my duty as a daughter to forgive and forget. I checked the time and realized it was barely nine at night. Since I had no idea when Michael would come home, I decided to head over to my mom''s. When I arrived at her ce, I took a deep breath to calm myself before knocking on the door. I had not seen her in over a month and did not know what to expect. My hand had barely left the door knocker when it was opened from the inside by my mom, who practically dragged me into the house. ¡°Anna, you''re here! Come in and take a seat.¡± My mom held my hand as she invited me into the house. Faced with her unprecedented disy of affection, my suspicions grew. Mom''s acting really weird today. ¡°Mom, did you call me here for something?¡± It was increasingly difficult to believe that my mom invited me here simply because she missed me. I recalled all the times Mom had reached out to me in the past and failed to pinpoint an asion during which she did not require my help with something. When things were nice and calm, she had always gone radio silent. ¡°Of course not, dear. I called you to have a chat with you. You haven''te by to see me or call me in such a long time¡ªare you still mad at me over ourst meeting?¡± Mom looked at me like she had been unfairly maligned. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Mom''s caring demeanor was everything I had ever imagined. Now that she was finally showing affection for me, the situation somehow felt too good to be true. What''s wrong with me? I can''t help but think that something''s about to go wrong when she''s nice to me. ¡°Mom, you''re overthinking. So many things have been happeningtely and I''ve simply been too busy to find the time to visit you.¡± My words belied the resentment I felt toward my mom. I could not, however, bring myself to voice my resentment when faced with her sensitive question. ¡°Anna, I know how you''re feeling. It was entirely my faultst time. I''m sorry I didn''t stop to consider your feelings.¡± She even kept her head lowered for good measure, looking like she was deeply regretful over her actions. I looked at Mom in shock. She never used to apologize, even if she was at fault. What the heck is going on? Have I entered some alternate universe where my mom actually isn''t a selfish person? I can''t believe she''s saying ¡°sorry¡± to me right now! I did not know what to think of my mom''s sudden change in behavior, though her apology went a long way in dispelling the grudge I felt toward her. ¡°Mom, it''s all in the past now. We don''t have to bring it up again.¡± My statement was not a decision to forgive and forget each of my mom''s past transgressions. I merely did not want to be reminded of how badly she had hurt me in the past. ¡°All right, I won''t bring it up in the future,¡± Mom said in response. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Just then, Steven approached us with a cup of freshly-brewed tea in hand. ¡°Anna, have some tea.¡± He looked at me woodenly, a marked improvement from his usual hostility. I noticed that he had limped into the living room. It was, however, a good sign that he was longer in a wheelchair or crutches. He should recover fully in no time. ¡°Your legs seem to be healing well,¡± I remarked as my gazended on Steven''s legs, relieved at the pace of his recovery. ¡°I went to the hospital for a checkup and the doctor said that it was recovering well. Besides, I''m still young. With proper rest and rehabilitation, my legs will be good as new.¡± Steven no longer seemed enraged by my presence like before. In fact, he seemed to have matured a great deal, though I remained wary about his improved demeanor. ¡°That''s great! Once you''ve fully recovered, you can focus on looking for a job. Please stop gambling, or you might not be as lucky the next time around.¡± He had gotten both his legs broken due to his gambling debts. I was worried that he would go back to the gambling dens again once he was better. ¡°I know. I''ll look for a job soon. Don''t worry, Anna,¡± he replied calmly. Steven would have argued with me in the past instead of obediently epting my advice; I would not have put it past him to me me for his broken legs as well. His behavior today, however, struck me dumb. Has he finallye to his senses? ¡°Anna, are you marring Michael Shaw soon?¡± Mom suddenly piqued up and shifted the conversation topic to my impending wedding. An inexplicable feeling shed through my heart. I did not want to mention anything to do with Michael in front of my mom, precisely because she viewed him as a cash cow. It was bad enough that Josephine saw me as a gold-digger. If my mom chimed in with unreasonable requests, it would only serve to affirm Josephine''s assumptions and ce my rtionship with Michael in an even more negative light. ¡°We''re still preparing for our wedding but we''re down to the final details,¡± I uttered hesitantly. Nheless, no amount of concern justified keeping news of my wedding from my parents. I had to tell them eventually. I prayed fervently for their genuine blessings. ¡°I knew from the beginning that you had feelings for Michael. I''m so happy that you''re finally marrying each other. His family background is impable. We must''ve struck the lottery to have a daughter marrying into such a wealthy family.¡± Mom was ted at the news of my wedding. She must be imagining how wonderful her future is going to be. I could not exin why, but her excitement dampened my mood. Her invitation today could not possibly be for just a heart-to-heart talk. ¡°Mom, I''m marrying Michael because we love each other. It has nothing to do with his wealth.¡± I frowned, not bothering to hide my displeasure. Even if Michael was the poorest man in the world, I would choose him out of love. Our rtionship would be less stressful if he was an average worker instead of some business bigshot in Avenport. I was subtly hinting at Mom to drop her ns of touching Michael''s money. It was rather crude to call her out on her greediness, so I could only hope that she caught my hint. ¡°I understand; you''ve always been such a sensible and considerate girl. Still, it must be better to marry a rich man than a poor one.¡± s, Mom''s excitement showed no signs of dampening. I sighed in resignation, confident that my mom had summoned me here today to confirm that I was marrying Michael. She must be calcting all the benefits she can derive from her future association with someone as rich as Michael. ¡°Before I forget, you should help Steven out once he''s recovered and looks for a job. He shouldn''t be working too strenuously on ount of his leg.¡± My silence tipped Mom off about my wish to stop discussing Michael. She immediately changed the topic to Steven''s job search. Frankly, I was not leaping at the opportunity to help him find a job. I was sick of solving his problems since our childhood. Besides, his work ethics were questionable at best. Even if I got him a job, there was no guarantee that he would repay my kindness with hard work. I eyed his legs and was being indecisive. I could not deny that Steven seemed more sensible than before. Perhaps he has finally learned his lesson. Eventually, I sumbed to my mom''s request. ¡°All right, I''ll keep an eye out for some job opportunities and let Steven know.¡± Dad and Mom woulde to rely on my brother''s ie for a living sooner orter. I could not care for them my whole life, after all. If Steven made an honest living, it would lessen all our burdens. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 ¡°Thank you, Anna.¡± Upon seeing that I had agreed, Steven regarded me in surprise and thanked me for the very first time. ¡°Anna, you and Michael are going to be married soon, and a betrothal gift is customary in our vige. Have you discussed this with him?¡± The atmosphere had eased. However, the attentionnded on Michael and me when my mother brought up the matter of money. ording to the wedding traditions in our vige, the groom had to give a betrothal gift. I didn''t want things to be so traditional between Michael and me. After all, we were together because we loved each other, and it had nothing to do with a dowry. My brows furrowed slightly, but I didn''t respond to my mother''s question. In truth, I said nothing to Michael since I had no desire to receive one. Naturally, he could fork out tens of thousands, considering his status. I couldn''t shake off the feeling that I''m selling myself off if I were to ask him for a betrothal gift. And I didn''t like that feeling. My mother knew from my silence that I hadn''t said a single word to Michael about the matter. All at once, she grew chagrined. ¡°Don''t tell me you''ve never brought that up with him? A betrothal gift from the groom is customary in our vige, so you can''t disregard the tradition.¡± While saying that, her voice sounded a tad urgent, and the look in her eyes was anxious as she stared at me. ¡°Mom, is it important? Michael and I love each other. The wedding will proceed with or without the betrothal gift.¡± Despite my mom''s determination to have her way, I just couldn''t bring myself to agree to her demand. Michael had already spent hundreds of thousands on my family, which was several times the amount of a betrothal gift. ¡°So, you don''t n on making him pay, huh? You haven''t even married him, yet you''re scrimping on his behalf. Have you forgotten the hardships your father and I faced to raise you? It''s only right for Michael to show his appreciation.¡± My mother was obviously irked and she wasn''t mincing her words. Every time she spoke in such a manner, I found her unreasonable. Even now, I felt rather irritated, for I loathed how money-minded she was. ¡°Mom-¡± ¡°I don''t care! If you want to marry Michael, a betrothal gift is indispensable. Besides, parents from both parties should at least meet before the ceremony, no? You failed to observe the basic courtesy.¡± I initially wanted to argue, but my mother gave me no opportunity to say a single word. She would cut me off unceremoniously whenever I was about to speak. Only then did I realize her motive for calling me home that night was to talk about the wedding. Theck of genuine concern from my own mother hit me even though I had long since grown ustomed to it. Mom is right about one thing. Michael and I are getting married. He should meet my parents regardless of the gap in our statuses. ¡°How about this, Mom? I''ll arrange for Michael to meet you both in a few days when he''s not so busy with work.¡± I finally relented at my mother''s perpetual wrath and concurred to have Michael meet them. Nheless, I would never agree to a dowry. ¡°I don''t trust you. Give me Michael''s number, and I''ll phone him myself.¡± I had already eded, but she was persistent about the matter, worried that I was merely brushing her off. ¡°Mom, I don''t think that''s appropriate.¡± She left a bad impression on him back then. I''m truly worried that he''ll immediately rebuff her when she expresses her wish to meet him. After all, there''s nothing he won''t do. ¡°Are you still my daughter, Anna Garcia? I want to meet my future son-inw, yet I''ve got to adhere to your arrangement and wait until you''ve set a date? I''m your mother and his future mother-inw, youThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org. know?¡± My mother shot to her feet and red at me furiously. I couldn''t bring myself to aggravate her further. In the end, I capitted and scrolled through my contacts for Michael''s number. Satisfied, she took my phone and entered Michael''s number into her contacts. A wave of regret washed over me. Maybe I shouldn''t have given in just now. If Mom calls him every other day, he''ll certainly be annoyed. Then, a conflict might break out between the two of us. There was nothing much to say once I knew my mom''s motive. Soon, I left. It wasn''t thatte, and I wasn''t in a hurry to go home. I wandered on the streets because Michael was definitely still out at this hour. After all, he would ring me up right away if he didn''t see me when he returned home. As I walked aimlessly, I caught sight of a familiar car parked at the entrance of a high-end restaurant. The two people who subsequently alighted had my eyes almost instantly popping out of my head. When Michael and Emma appeared in my line of sight in concert, my heart ached badly. Michael walked ahead toward the restaurant while Emma followed behind him. She quickly caught up to him and took his arm. Agony welled in me as though someone had stabbed me in the heart. My legs felt as though they were shackled to the ground, and I couldn''t move a single step. I wanted to rush forward to confront Michael about being with Emma at such an hour and having dinner together when they had already broken up. Countless questions and stark panic assailed me in a flurry. Clutching my throbbing head with both hands, I couldn''t make sense of what was going on. I was a rtively sensitive person. Seeing Michael and Emma together brought me tremendous distress. I stood by the curb for eons and merely stared at the entrance of the restaurant. I didn''t leave, nor did I enter the premises to see what they were doing. Like a fool, I waited for them toe out. As I stood there, every single second was torture for me. My imagination went wild with spections about their rtionship then. He detests her, but he''s having dinner with herte at night. They even came in the same car! Chapter 294 Chapter 294 I really couldn''t understand why Michael would do such a thing. Time ticked by, and the two of them finally exited the restaurant about a little over an hourter. Emma looked blissful as she took Michael''s arm while he remained expressionless. I couldn''t read his mind. The duo climbed into the car and drove off. However, they weren''t heading toward Birchwood. Watching as his car drove further away, I sprinted after him for a short distance. s, a human was no match for a car. The corners of my mouth curved into a bitter smile. Was my happiness a mere illusion? Does he really love me? I started making my way home forlornly. Vivid images of them together kept reying in my mind. A burning desire to know exactly why they were meeting each other seized me. After what seemed like hours, I halted in my tracks and rummaged out my phone to call Michael. It rang for an eternity before his alluring and low voice drifted out from the other end of the phone. ¡°What''s the matter? Are you not in bed yet?¡± His voice was still as gentle as ever, and I couldn''t hear anything different at all. The calmer he sounded, the deeper I fell into the icy abyss. ¡°Where are you right now?¡± Suppressing the tremor in my voice, I did my utmost best to sound calm and collected. ¡°I just finished dinner with a client. I''ll be home in no time. Rest earlier if you''re tired. You don''t need to wait up.¡± Michael''s voice turned all the more tender, and I could even imagine a faint smile on his face. He''s so very handsome when he smiles. It''s mesmerizing. If I hadn''t seen him with Emma tonight, I would be moved by his tenderness. Now, however, I merely feel pain. ¡°Okay. I''ll be hanging up, then.¡± I couldn''t quite hold my emotions back, so I hurriedly hung up before tears escaped my eyes. For a brief moment, I had the impulse to confront Michael. I wanted to hear his exnation, yet I was afraid of the repercussion. I was hoping that he''d take the initiative toe clean with me. From the look of things now, that is just wishful thinking on my part! When I arrived home over an hourter, Michael still wasn''t back. Despite having no inkling of where he went with Emma or what they did, I didn''t dare mull it over either. My worst fear might turn out to be true. Emma was an exceedingly beautiful woman, and she outshone me by far. Besides, Michael had been restraining himself because I was pregnant. I was truly afraid that he couldn''t control himself and hooked up with her. Another thirty minutes passed before he finally came home, looking a tad tired. I could smell the stench of alcohol on him. Nheless, he wasn''t inebriated. When he stepped into the house, I merely threw him a cid nce because I didn''t quite know what to say right then. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not to wait up?¡± Michael came over to me. Upon seeing that I was still awake, he cradled my face to kiss me. In the past, I would never reject him. However, my mind was running amok with tons of questions¡ª what did they do; did he kiss her? Turning my face to the side, I dodged his kiss. At that very moment, my expression was cold and devoid of emotion. Michael''s brows furrowed in displeasure, and his gaze was tinged with disgruntlement as he eyed me. ¡°I''m tired. I''m going back to the room to sleep first.¡± I would frantically exin myself when confronted by his chagrined gaze, but I didn''t want to say a single word to him right then. I headed toward the bedroom without even sparing him a nce. The crease of Michael''s brows deepened. His eyes remained fixated on my back as I entered the bedroom, seemingly contemting something or other. Once on the bed, I stared at the ceiling nkly. My mind was filled with images of Michael with Emma together. I wondered if he had regretted choosing me over Emma or whether they rendezvous at her house or hotel. The more I brood about it, the greater the torment that coursed through me. Clutching the covers tightly with both hands, I couldn''t help hammering my head a few times to force myself to stop thinking about it. Soon, the creak from the opening door pierced the room as Michael came in. When I heard his footsteps, I immediately closed my eyes and feigned sleep. I really didn''t know how to face him right then. After taking a shower, hey down next to me. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Silence reigned for a long time. I thought he had already fallen asleep. As I grew increasingly galled, I turned and gave my back to him, sulking alone. ¡°Are you in a bad mood tonight?¡± At that precise moment, Michael spoke out of the blue. His voice was mild, betraying none of his emotions. I opened my eyes and stared straight ahead silently. Hmph! He didn''t tell me the truth on the phone previously, so I''ve got nothing to say to him now! Closing my eyes, I forced myself to go to sleep and forget about the man beside me. Michael likewise turned to his side and hugged me around the waist from behind. It was his favorite position. I loved the feeling of being hugged by him, too. But at that very moment, I couldn''t help the aversion within me. I took his hands away and inched closer to the edge of the bed to keep a distance from him. ¡°What''s wrong with you tonight? Have you gotten your wires crossed?¡± My abnormal behavior time and again had Michael losing his patience. That was actually no surprise since he had never been a patient man. It was already impressive that he managed to hold his temper when I avoided his kiss and ignored him earlier. ¡°Nothing''s wrong. It''ste, so let''s go to sleep.¡± I could tell that he was seething, but he was still trying his best to suppress his anger. However, I wasn''t in the mood to exin anything. Nevertheless, my words didn''t appease Michael. He turned me around and bored his ebony eyes right into mine. I could see fury zing in them. ¡°Anna, what exactly is wrong with you tonight? Are you angry because I came homete?¡± Michael frowned slightly. Despite his wrath, he was still patient. ¡°No. You''re reading too much into things,¡± I murmured calmly. His furious gaze would usually intimidate me. For some inexplicable reason tonight, I wasn''t the least bit afraid/. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 ¡°Then why are you angry?¡± When I denied his conjecture, Michael became all the more puzzled. Even at that very moment, he had no idea I had seen him having dinner with Emma. As I stared into his eyes, the question I wanted to ask him stuck in my throat. Ugh! Do I stillck courage at the end of the day? ¡°Anna, just spit it out if you''ve got something to say!¡± Michael was obviously at the end of his patience. His jet-ck eyes were pinned intently on mine, and his handsome face had darkened significantly. ¡°Who did you meet tonight?¡± At longst, I still gave voice to the question haunting me. While I''m only an ordinary woman, I can''t tolerate infidelity. Even if our rtionship changes because of the incident tonight, I still have to get to the bottom of it! Looking into my eyes, Michael was stunned upon hearing my question. He didn''t answer me right away. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me this? Have you gotten wind of something or other?¡± A frown marred his face, and hesitance manifested in his eyes. Perhaps he, too, had his suspicions. ¡°You haven''t answered my question.¡± Still, I didn''t answer him. Right then, I only wished that he would exin voluntarily. I hoped that there would be no secrets between us. Perchance Michael hadn''t expected my persistence because the furrow of his alluring brows deepened when my words fell. He gazed into my eyes for a long time. ¡°I''ve already told you on the phone earlier that I was having dinner with a client tonight.¡± His voice was still as even as ever. If I hadn''t seen him with Emma with my very own eyes, I definitely wouldn''t doubt his words. I initially hoped that he would tell me the truth, but even greater distress swamped me after hearing his answer. I''ve already made things so clear, yet he still kept it a secret from me. Is there really something scandalous going on between them? Why can''t he be honest with me? My heart sank to rock bottom. I had nothing else to say to him then. I didn''t even want to see him for a moment longer. ¡°Anna, open your eyes and tell me clearly what exactly is wrong with you tonight!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Michael''s patience vanished entirely. He glowered at me with fury written all over his face. Forced to open my eyes, I stared into his profound gaze. Yet, I couldn''t discern his thoughts. A long time passed before I finally murmured, ¡°I saw you with Emma tonight. Is she your client?¡± The corners of my mouth curved into a mocking arc. He has always been telling me he loathes her, but they had dinner together at such ate hour tonight. She even held his arm intimately, and he raised no protest. Therefore, I truly can''t sense that he detests her. Hearing that, Michael was visibly taken aback. But in the next moment, he promptly concealed his emotions. However, the sh of emotion that flickered across his eyes earlier had me feeling exceedingly perturbed. ¡°Were you tailing me?¡± He didn''t answer my question earlier, but questioned me with a grim expression on his face. ¡°No. I saw it incidentally. Michael, we''re getting married soon. Can you please exin what exactly is going on with you and Emma?¡± I stared right into his eyes, waiting eagerly to hear his exnation. I once discovered Justin cheating on me with my best friend when we were about to get married. I finally found my happiness after much difficulty. Just when I thought I was the luckiest woman in the entire world, I spotted Michael having dinner with Emma. I really didn''t want to experience the horrifying feeling of betrayal once more. Michael was different from Justin, so I definitely wouldn''t be able to take it if the former had betrayed me for real. ¡°I was merely discussing business with her. You read too much into things,¡± Michael answered cidly, without further exnation. Throughout it all, he looked into my eyes. ¡°You were discussing business with her? Do you think I''ll believe that? Michael, if you regret getting together with me, tell me frankly. I can ept you not loving me, but I can''t ept your infidelity.¡± I inhaled deeply, trying my best to keep my tears at bay. If their rtionship is really as per my imagination, then I''d rather he no longer loves me than him doing anything that constitutes a betrayal to me! ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± My words caused Michael to lose control. A scorching rage zed in his eyes, making it evident that he was apoplectic right then. Nheless, I regarded him calmly. Although I was rather shocked by his expression, it was overshadowed by sorrow. ¡°Michael, I love you. Please don''t hurt me.¡± I couldn''t quite keep my emotions in check anymore. Reaching out, I hugged him around the neck and buried my head in his neck to sob. I had been feeling exceedingly uneasy that night. I was afraid that he no longer loved me, and even more than that, terrified that he would betray me. Michael was initially infuriated, but he jolted hard at the sight of me crying. In the next second, he pulled me into his embrace. ¡°I''ll never hurt you.¡± He hugged me tightly, his voice low and deep as it echoed in my ears like a promise. Relief suffused me. Still, I couldn''t rest easy after what I witnessed that night. ¡°But what''s with you and Emma-¡± I still wanted to pursue the matter, but I trailed off mid-utterance since I knew he wasn''t the kind of person who liked exining himself. ¡°I discussed the breach of contract with her tonight. As you know, it has to do with me calling off the wedding.¡± Perhaps Michael felt sorry about my distressed state then, for he voluntarily answered my question without me having to ask further this time. And at that moment, I believed him. ¡°Then why didn''t you tell me the truth earlier? Why did you lie and say that you were meeting a client?¡± Recalling how he hadn''t been truthful with me though I questioned him repeatedly just now, aggravation and ire flooded me. I poked my head out and peered at him with displeasure etched on my face. ¡°I was afraid that you would overthink it. Look, isn''t this exactly what you''re doing right now?¡± As Michael looked at my eyes that were shimmering with tears, he sighed in exasperation. Then he reached out and wiped the tears off my face with his long and slender fingers. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 As I sensed the warmth from Michael''s fingers, my heart skipped a beat. I gazed at him through teary eyes. Although he had already exined things earlier, I couldn''t help feeling aggrieved. ¡°Were you truly discussing the breach of contract with Emma?¡± I stared at him uneasily. I felt truly unsettled because I had been betrayed once. Fear inundated me, and I was terrified that Michael would end up just like Justin. ¡°Don''t you believe me anymore?¡± Surprisingly, Michael didn''t get up in arms in the face of my doubt. Mayhap he knew I was only feeling disquieted from my past. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°It''s not that I don''t believe you. I''m just afraid...¡± I lowered my eyes. Truth be told, I particrly abhorred myself at that moment. I was wholly dependent on him at present that I might feel as though the sky had copsed if he truly left me. ¡°As I said, I''ll never hurt you. Anna Garcia, you''re the only woman I love.¡± Michael hugged me tightly again, his voice deep and beguiling. Inexplicably, I felt much more at ease then. That night, he slept with me tightly in his arms. Perchance it was because he exined things to me that my reliance on him grew increasingly stronger. When I woke up the next day, he was no longer beside me. I nced at the time, only to see that it was already past nine in the morning. Ever since I got pregnant, I became increasingly fond of sleeping and would slumber for hours on end each time I intended to take a nap. I truly felt that I was going to be a pig soon. Subsequently, I cast a look at the date and realized that I should be going to the hospital for a checkup that day. Michael even reminded me about it two days ago and said he would apany me for the prenatal checkup. However, I couldn''t quite bring myself to trouble him since he had been very much busy in the past few days. He already has his te full with hispany matters. It''ll be more exhausting if he still has to take the time to apany me now. After changing, I ate something simple for breakfast before setting out for the hospital. Upon learning that the hospital where I had been having my prenatal checkups belonged to Ronan, I actually felt a tad perturbed. On second thought, he hardly ever makes an appearance. Besides, how could a freedom lover like him possiblye to the hospital every day? A wave of guilt inexplicably surged within me. It was more than ten days since west had any contact. I wonder whether we could even be friends anymore. I hailed a taxi to the hospital. When I went to the lobby to make payment, I caught sight of someone who looked like Ronan. Nevertheless, there were too many people, and I couldn''t see clearly either. Preupied with getting into line to make payment, I quickly forgot about him. At that exact moment, a voice that made my heart lurch slightly rang out behind me. ¡°Anna.¡± It was Ronan''s voice,cking his usual insouciant nonchnce. At that, I nced back over my shoulder. When I saw his handsome countenance right before my eyes, my heart jolted, and words momentarily eluded me. ¡°What a coincidence to see you here today!¡± That trite remark was all I could say as a greeting to him after a long silence. ¡°Are you here for a prenatal checkup?¡± Ronan''s expression remained impassive, and that had me feeling a touch disconcerted. In my memory, he was a touch rogue with a wicked smile. Now, his cheerful face was nketed by ayer of tranquility that wasn''t him at all. ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied softly, even as I averted my gaze awkwardly upon noticing his intent gaze on my stomach. I knew he must be still feeling extremely upset right then, so I felt particrly guilty every time I saw him like that. I didn''t know what I could do to make up for it. ¡°Let''s go. I''ll take you there. You can skip the queue.¡± Ronan stalked over to me after a moment of silence while looking straight into my eyes. Taking my hand, he dragged me to the bank of elevators. His sudden action had panic surging within me. I instinctively wanted to break free from his hold, but his grip on me was too strong. Thus, I had no choice but to allow him to continue grasping my hand. ¡°Where are you taking me, Ronan?¡± It was going to be my turn, but look what happened now. He pulled me out of the queue! If I were to queue all over again, I really don''t know how long I''d have to wait. ¡°As I said earlier, I''m taking you for a prenatal checkup.¡± Ronan didn''t even bother looking at me, dragging me right into the elevator before pressing the floor button. We were the only ones inside. I felt exceedingly awkward with just the two of us in this enclosed space. ¡°Actually, I''ll be fine on my own. It''s just a normal checkup. You don''t need to follow me.¡± Remembering the agonized look in his eyes when he regarded me back then, I didn''t quite dare look him in the eye. After having hurt him so deeply, regret inexorably lingered within me. ¡°Why are you here alone today? Did he note with you?¡± Ignoring myment, Ronan changed the subject. I knew he was referring to Michael. The tense rtionship between the two cousins had me concerned. ¡°He has a lot of work at the office recently, so I didn''t tell him I wasing for a checkup today.¡± Indeed, Michael had already told me a few days ago that he would apany me for my prenatal checkup. I didn''t want to disrupt his work, so I came alone. Besides, I was just in the first trimester. It wasn''t as though I was close to giving birth and needed someone to keep mepany. After having obtained my answer, Ronan didn''tment further. The elevator plunged into silence once more, making me even more ill at ease. ¡°I apologize for losing control of my emotions a few days ago and treated you in such a reprehensible manner,¡± Ronan said. He dipped his head a fraction, but his gaze was fixated on my face. ¡°Let''s not speak of the past anymore. Furthermore, I hurt you first, so you did nothing wrong in this matter. If anyone has to apologize, I should be the one.¡± While his words back then were extremely unpleasant and upsetting, I certainly didn''t me him. Conversely, I felt very much guilty to see him in his current state. If it weren''t for me, he wouldn''t be so tormented. ¡°Can we still be friends in the future?¡± Ronan cautiously inquired as he looked into my eyes. I could see hope burning brightly in his clear eyes. ¡°Of course! We''re always friends!¡± Chapter 297 Chapter 297 While I had no romantic feelings toward him, he was an exceedingly important friend to me. Hence, I had never thought of giving up our friendship from the very beginning. With my affirmative answer, Ronan''s expression eased considerably. The corners of his mouth tilted upward, forming a faint arc. He was a striking man in the first ce, and he was even more dashing when he smiled. Truly, I loved to see him smile. However, his smile didn''t reach his eyes. Although we were currently chatting andughing, the feeling had changed entirely. We were now treading on eggshells when we interacted with each other. Just when I was at a loss for words, the elevator doors finally opened. I stepped out first. Only when I was with Ronan in public did my awkwardness dissipate. ¡°Let''s go. I''ll take you for a checkup.¡± He grabbed my hand again and headed toward the ultrasound room. ¡°I haven''t registered or paid yet.¡± As he pulled me along, I abruptly realized that he had dragged me upstairs before I could register just now. ¡°With me here, you don''t need to register or pay.¡± Ronan didn''t even look at me despite hearing my words When the nurse in the room saw him dragging me over, she was stunned for a moment before a faint smile bloomed on her face. ¡°Have her go first.¡± Without even sparing her a single nce, Ronan pushed me right in front of her. ¡°Sure, I''ll make the arrangements right away.¡± The nurse immediately took me into the ultrasound room. I was a tad averse inwardly. After all, plenty of pregnant women were waiting outside, and here I was cutting queue thanks to Ronan. Besides, I could clearly see the dissatisfied looks thrown my way by several pregnantdies. It was already toote since they had already led me into the ultrasound room. My checkup was smooth sailing. I didn''t have to queue for any tests, and that was indeed a plus point in my book. Ipleted all the tests within an hour or so. The baby was still in perfect health, which granted me much peace. Being my first pregnancy, I had been worrying about many things and would only rest easy upon hearing that the baby was fine after each prenatal checkup. When I was done, Ronan and I went to the bank of elevators once again. I originally wanted to leave right away, but I couldn''t quite bring myself to say it outright. ¡°You must be tired after bustling around. Let''s have lunch together.¡± The elevator doors opened, and I was just about to step in when Ronan spoke at that precise moment. ¡°No, it''s okay. You''re probably very busy. I''ll just go home and eat,¡± I reflexively declined. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. It was still eptable when he helped me out with my checkup earlier, but I still felt a tad awkward to have lunch with him alone. At my demurral, the corners of Ronan''s mouth curved into a bitter smile. In the end, he remarked once more, ¡°Are we really going to be strangers henceforth after this?¡± His voice was a soft murmur, but it inexplicably tugged at my heartstrings. Actually, I don''t want to see our friendshipe to this too. As I looked at the wry expression on his face, a sliver of distress crept into me. ¡°All right, let''s go and have lunch together. But it''s your treat, okay?¡± I couldn''t bear to see him crestfallen. And honestly, I didn''t mind whoever footed the bill. I merely said that to ease the atmosphere between the two of us. ¡°Sure. As long as you''re willing, I don''t mind treating you to a meal every day!¡± Seeing that I had agreed, Ronan lifted his face. The gloominess that was shadowing him disappeared in the blink of an eye. I shed him a smile but said nothing further. After leaving the hospital, we went to a nearby restaurant. As soon as we arrived, the manager instantly came up and arranged a table for us. Ronan was probably a regr patron there. ¡°The steak here is pretty good. You should try it.¡± After we had taken our seats, Ronan gazed at me with a faint smile. While he was missing his s¨¦ air of the past, that was already a vast improvement from before. ¡°You seem to be a regr here. You must have brought tons of women here to eat, huh?¡± The manager spoke at length to him earlier, so it''s clear as day that he has spent quite a fortune here. ¡°You''re the first woman I''ve ever brought to this restaurant. Ever since making your acquaintance, no other woman has caught my interest. Oh, well...¡± I only wanted to ease the atmosphere, but his unexpected reply that followed had me feeling more awkward. I knew he was serious about me back then. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have volunteered to stay and offered to raise the child with me after learning about my pregnancy. However, I was now with Michael and would be his cousin-inw in the future. It was really inappropriate for Ronan to make such ament now. I lowered my head in embarrassment without responding to that. Right then, I couldn''t think of any topic and didn''t know what to say. Fortunately, the steak was promptly served. Thus, I could then bury my head in the food to conceal my uneasiness. I was still having morning sickness. My appetite wascking, and I didn''t feel like eating anything. Ronan had his head lowered as he concentrated on cutting his steak, yet he didn''t eat any. While I was a touch perplexed, I didn''t ask him about it. In no time, the steak on his te was all cut into pieces. Then he ced it before me and swapped with mine. Huh? So, he was actually helping me to cut my steak earlier. ¡°No, it''s okay. I can manage on my own.¡± It was an intimate gesture shared only between lovers. I felt rather mortified that he did that for me right then. ¡°We both ordered steaks of different vors. This te is actually mine.¡± My demurral did not offend Ronan. Instead, he pointed casually at my te. When I registered his meaning, embarrassment inundated me in an instant. I had been eating his steak! Oh my God, why didn''t he say anything? I''ve already eaten his! I initially wanted to object to him taking my steak. However, I no longer had any reason to do so. Ronan looked at me with amusement, and he seemed very much jubnt to see me all mortified. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 I was actually resentful that Ronan said nothing about me eating his steak. Upon seeing his smile, I felt that my embarrassment didn''t matter. Well, I''d just consider my humiliation as making it up to him. Then, I stared at the cut steak he handed me just now. Putting my mortification aside, I started wolfing it down. Without realizing it, the atmosphere between us eased considerably. At some point, I noticed Ronan frowning slightly at something behind me. Following his gaze, I likewise nced behind me in puzzlement. The moment I glimpsed Emma''s countenance, my appetite swiftly vanished. My brows scrunched together, and I nned to ignore her since there was nothing more to contend between us. Michael has already decided to be with me. She won''t be able to affect me, no matter what she says. ¡°What a coincidence to bump into you here, Anna! And you''re even having lunch with Ronan!¡± Emma smirked. I could see the sheer hatred in her eyes, but she was currently suppressing it and feigning a calm expression. ¡°I don''t think it''s any of your business who I have lunch with.¡± I eyed her frostily, not in the mood to entertain her. Hearing her scornful tone, I knew she must be plotting something or other. Nheless, I didn''t want to go head to head with her since Ronan was here. ¡°Ronan, I heard you courted Anna in the past, yes? At that time, your rtionship with her seemed to be extremely intimate. Is that true?¡± Surprisingly, Emma wasn''t offended by my indifference. Instead, she turned to Ronan and spoke to him in a mild voice. The man was a shrewd person, so he could tell at a single nce she was deliberately picking on me. All at once, his expression went stony. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Who are you to meddle with my rtionship? Who are you to me? My cousin-inw? Oh yes, I forgot my cousin has already called off his wedding to you! You''re nobody to me now.¡± ¡°How dare you, Ronan Moore?¡± Ronan was also one who could kill someone effortlessly. He didn''t use any profanity or blow his temper, yet a nonchnt remark was all it took to aggravate Emma. She shot daggers at him, obviously infuriated at being ridiculed. ¡°Please leave if there''s nothing else, Emma. Don''t hamper our appetites here!¡± Ronan didn''t give a sh*t whether she was pissed off. Emma was livid, but Ronan feigned ignorance and he chased her out of the restaurant. Emma was a proud woman. At the sight of the man''s contempt for her, the reins of the wrath within her instantly snapped. ¡°You''re really something else, Anna. You''ve finally stolen Michael away from me, and now you''re seducing Ronan. Can''t you live without a man?¡± Although Emma was fuming because of Ronan, she directed her anger at me instead. After all, he was still Michael''s cousin, and his power in the family wasn''t to be underestimated. She probably didn''t dare offend him, so she could only vent all her rage on me. Her remark was simply a deration that I was cheating on Michael and insinuating that I was a sl*t. I had no problems inferring that implicit meaning when it was so conspicuous. I initially didn''t want to bicker with her, but she was always so relentless that I was truly enraged this time. ¡°Emma, please watch your tongue when you speak. Ronan and I are friends. Is it against thew for us to have lunch together? Besides, what has whomever I eat with has got to do with you that you''re pointing fingers here?¡± I abruptly shot to my feet and looked right into her eyes. I usually refrain from kicking up a fuss, but that doesn''t mean that I''ll allow others to pick on me! She always assumes that I''m easy prey; she has underestimated me. Also, she''s only targeting me because Michael doesn''t love her and doesn''t care about her. Many people swung their gazes at her when my words rang out. Emma had always been an arrogant person, so she red at me irately now that she was left with no retort. The loathing in her eyes glinted even more vividly. ¡°Anna, don''t think that you now have nothing to worry about anymore. You''re not worthy of Michael! I''ll never allow you to marry him!¡± Having nothing else to say to that, she could only spit out those words. ¡°You have no say in whether I can marry Michael. He''s willing to marry me, and I''m also willing to marry him. Therefore, you can''t stop it from happening.¡± I regarded her coldly, not at all intimidated by her threat. ¡°Anna, you''re truly shameless, you b*tch! You already have Michael, so why are you still seducing Ronan?¡± At my words, Emma hit the roof. After bellowing that in high dudgeon, she lifted her hand to swing it at my face. My eyes went wide in shock. Oh no, it''s already toote for me to dodge! Am I really to just take this blow from her? Fortunately, Ronan was quick to act. He grabbed her wrist in one fell swoop. At that moment, his expression was icy cold, making it evident that he was furious. His grip was extremely strong, and fury zed in his gaze as he stared at her. ¡°What are you doing, Ronan? Let go of me!¡± Emma wrenched her hand away hard when pain shot up her wrist. Likewise, her eyes radiated outrage as she glowered at him. Hmph! She must have thought that her hand would''ve surelynded on my face and never expected Ronan to stop her at that critical moment! My heart that had been previously lodged in my throat finally settled back into my chest. Turning, I eyed her with wrath simrly burning in my gaze. Facing her, I raised my hand and pped her across the face without an ounce of hesitation. I put a lot of strength into the blow, so much so that even my hand was smarting. Emma''s face snapped to the side at my strike. When she finally gathered her wits about her, she gaped at me in disbelief even as the anger in her eyes zed all the more hotly. ¡°How dare you hit me, Anna Garcia? Who do you think you are that you actually dared to hit me?¡± After jolting back to her senses, her face contorted into a mask of fury, and she struggled desperately. Right that moment, her blood was boiling so hot that she wanted to kill me. She wanted to charge at me, but before she could do so, Ronan shoved her away and stood in front of me. ¡°Emma Jones, is this your manners as the daughter of a prominent family, simply hitting someone just for the sake of it?¡± Ronan''s expression was cial then, making it unmistakable that his patience toward Emma had reached its end. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 ¡°You im to be mere friends with her when you''re defending her thus, Ronan? Are you such a staunch defender of hers because she slept with you?¡± When Emma saw that even Ronan was shielding me, the rage within her grew into a congration. She spoke icily while staring at his face. Good Lord! She''s still defaming me at this time, huh? Towering rage likewise mounted within me. Ugh! My p across her face earlier was just too paltry! A woman like her really needs to be taught a lesson! ¡°Watch your words, Emma! I''ve been tolerating you from the very beginning, but you''ve truly crossed the line now!¡± I was so incandescent that I trembled all over. Looking at her coldly, I tried to suppress all my wrath. I knew that she was only deliberately ndering me because she was jealous that I was now with Michael. Nheless, the anger within me continued spiraling. ¡°I''ve crossed the line? Judging from your expression now, you must be feeling guilty, huh? Anna, who do you think will believe you when you im that you''ve never slept with Ronan when the two of you are so close?¡± Emma could distinctly perceive the storm brewing in my eyes, yet she wasn''t the least bit bothered. Instead, her gaze turned a touch triumphant as she scrutinized me, looking as though she had dirt on me. ¡°Emma, there''s a limit to my patience! Therefore, it''s best that you do not provoke me!¡± My hands that were hanging by my sides were balled into fists, and I was currently putting all my effort into curbing my wrath. Argh! How I wish I could p her several more times now! How could there be such a woman in this world? ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°So what if just want to provoke you? How can youpare to me other than by relying on Michael and Ronan? Anna, I truly wonder what tricks a b*tch like you has up your sleeve that you actually managed to bewitch two men!¡± While uttering thest sentence, Emma''s eyes were filled with envy. Well, well... She truly doesn''t care about her image anymore after having lost Michael. In the past, she would feign gentleness and graciousness in front of others, but now, she doesn''t even bother putting on the most basic facade! Keeping a lid on the bubbling outrage within me, I was just about to retort when Ronan roared, ¡°That''s enough!¡± His handsome countenance was terrifyingly grim. It was my first time seeing him in such an inmed state. Although he had always given me the impression of an easygoing man with no temper, I still couldn''t help shuddering at his infuriated expression right then. After all, his frigid expression was just too simr to Michael''s. Emma, who was going to insult me further, was stunned for a moment upon hearing his bellow. But when she realized what was happening, she flipped her lid once more. ¡°You''re going to protect this b*tch as well now, Ronan? Don''t forget that she''s presently Michael''s woman! Don''t you see red and feel resentful when you imagine her seeking pleasure beneath him every night? Yet, you''re still defending her here? Don''t you feel as though you''re a fool?¡± Her voice was indifferent as she stared at his face, and every single word out of her mouth was clearly meant to sow discord between Ronan and me. My heart sank, and outrage enveloped me. As I stared at her, hatred surged within me. Ronan hadn''tpletely epted the fact that I had gotten together with Michael, so her words at that moment were undoubtedly rubbing salt into his wound. I turned my gaze on the man, only to see that his expression had indeed turned cial. His face was scarily grim even as a glimmer of ruthlessness shed across his eyes. Mild-tempered people were all the scarier when they flew into a rage, and Ronan was precisely that kind of person. I''ve always thought that Michael is the most terrifying person I''ve ever seen in my life when he loses his cool, but from the look of things now, Ronan is no less intimidating. Simrly, Emma''s gaze flickered when she saw Ronan''s riled expression. Nheless, she swiftly masked her emotions. She then turned smug instead upon seeing that he had already gotten vexed because of her words. As such, she was sure that he wouldn''t be siding with me anymore. ¡°Ronan, a man like you can have any woman you like. Why must you pine for a b*tch like her? A woman like her has been defiled by tons of men, so she''s probably all loose down there.¡± She sounded increasingly triumphant as she spoke, and her eyes brimmed with provocation. Perhaps she now believed that her persuasion had worked its magic, and Ronan would no longer stand up for me. Hearing such a shamefulment from her, I went off the deep end. I lifted my hand to p her again since she needed to be taught some manners. However, before my hand couldnd on her face, a p sounded, and Ronan struck her across the face. He glowered at her with fury etched on his face. At that moment, he resembled a predator lying in wait, making one''s blood run cold. Emma''s hand flew to her face as she gaped at him incredulously. She probably never expected him to get physical and hit her. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and it was a long while before she finally snapped back to her senses. ring at him, she immediately shrieked, ¡°How dare you hit me, Ronan Moore? Do you know who I am? Yet, you had the guts to hit me?¡± She had been living a pampered life since young, so she was naturally a stranger to such grievance. In fact, likely no one had ever dared to hit her in all her years. But today, two people had pped her across the face. Hence, she definitely couldn''t tolerate such an insult. ¡°Listen here carefully, Emma. Anna isn''t someone you can simply disparage. And now, I''ve finally understood why my cousin didn''t want you. No man will like a shrew like you!¡± Ronan looked down at her condescendingly, his gaze so cold that not a trace of emotion could be discerned. After dering that frostily, he no longer spared her a single nce but took my hand and strode away. ¡°Just you wait, Anna! I''ll never let you off the hook!¡± Emma''s livid voice again rang out from behind me. Not only am I aware that she''s bursting with hostility toward me right now, but she certainly won''t give up easily either. Thus, I''ve got to be careful in the future. Otherwise, no one knows what she''ll do. Ronan dragged me out of the restaurant without saying a single word throughout it all. Besides, his striking face remained as dark as ever. After getting into his car, I could sense that the atmosphere was particrly oppressive. Despite his lack of reaction earlier, I knew that Emma''s words had already affected him inwardly. He had feelings for me, so he instinctively regarded me as his woman. As such, he was naturally upset to hear about me being intimate with Michael since men were inherently possessive. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Ronan sped on the road with his eyes trained straight ahead. From beginning to end, he said nary a word. I felt exceedingly uneasy at his present state, and distress engulfed me. I wanted tofort him, but I didn''t know what to say. After all, it was an indisputable fact that I was intimate with Michael, and I was even pregnant with his child right then. ¡°Ronan...¡± I called out his name softly after hesitating for an eternity. ¡°You don''t need to say anything. I know Emma was deliberately disparaging you, and you''re not the kind of woman who sleeps around. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have fallen for you.¡± Ronan seemed to have anticipated my words, for he had already made his stance clear without waiting for me to exin myself. Lowering my head, I heaved a helpless sigh. Guilt showed in my eyes as I gazed at him, yet I just didn''t know what to say. ¡°I know you truly love Michael, but I still hope that you''ll give me a chance. If you''re not happy with him and wish to leave him, please consider me first, okay?¡± Stopping the car, Ronan turned and regarded me seriously. I could see the solemnity in his eyes, but it was precisely that which had me feeling all the more guilty. He has sacrificed a lot for me, but all I gave him in return was hurt. I hung my head since I wasn''t quite certain how to answer him. If I concur, then I''ll be giving him hope, and he won''t be as sad as he is right now. However, I also know all too well that I''ll only be holding him back if I do. I''ve got no idea what will be of me if I break up with Michael, nor do I have any idea whether I''ll fall in love with him then. But as of now, the answer is no. ¡°Please promise me that, Anna!¡± Upon seeing my prolonged silence, Ronan''s voice became tinged with a hint of urgency, and his gaze turned pleading. At the sight of him then, I really couldn''t bring myself to turn him down. After a long silence, I finally nodded. ¡°Okay, I promise you that.¡± While this is an empty promise, I already owe him too much, so I''m willing to give him if it makes him feel better. Of course, I didn''t think that I would break up with Michael because he was the only man I had ever loved irrevocably in this lifetime. I felt that I wouldn''t leave him for the rest of my days. Having said that, if we truly broke up one day, I would fulfill my promise and make it up to Ronan. When Ronan saw that I had agreed, he was thrilled and clutched my shoulders with both hands. Delight shone in his eyes as he gazed at me. It''s just an empty promise, yet he''s over the moon. But looking back at the past, I''ve been rejecting him from the very beginning and never gave him any hope. This is the only time, so he''ll naturally be ecstatic. ¡°It''s ratherte, so please drive me home. I''m a bit tired.¡± Not wanting to continue lingering on that subject with him, I straightened and stared right ahead as I said that cidly. Immersed in his exhration then, Ronan didn''t notice anything amiss about me. ¡°Sure! I''ll drive you back right away!¡± he agreed readily. After saying that, he started the car and drove toward Birchwood. The car came to a stop at the entrance of themunity. In the past, he would insist on seeing me to the door, but he probably knew that Michael was also staying here at present, so he didn''t offer to apany me upstairs. Anyway, that was a good thing because the longer we spent in each other''s presence, the more awkward I felt. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. When I had alighted from his car, I was instantly much more rxed. But upon returning home, I was still bugged by the incident earlier. Emma seemed extremely resentful, so I was worried that something would happen before our wedding. I did my best to calm myself and keptforting myself inwardly. No matter what happens, I still have Michael by my side. He''ll definitely resolve the problem, and our wedding will undoubtedly go smoothly! Returning to my room, I took a nap. When I woke up in the afternoon, my mood had improved significantly. I nced at the time, only to see that Michael would be getting off work soon. Although the housekeeper had already prepared dinner, I knew that he preferred eating my cooking, so I dismissed her. Then, I started cooking dinner in the kitchen alone. At the thought that Michael would be able to eat my cooking every night, happiness suffused me. I wore a blissful smile on my face. When I had finished cooking, Michael had also arrived home from work. He smelled the aroma of food the moment he stepped into the house. He walked over to me with his thin lips curved into a faint arc. We sat at the dining table across from each other. As he swept a gaze over the dinner I prepared, he seemed very much contented. Ever since he came home, a faint smile lingered on his face. While it wasn''t conspicuous, it was exceedingly captivating. I loved his smiling countenance, and it simply possessed an indescribable allure that enticed me. Halfway through dinner, Michael suddenly stilled and stared at me solemnly. ¡°What''s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?¡± I asked in a murmur while looking at him in bemusement. In the past, he ate plenty as long as it was something I cooked, but he only ate a few bites today. Could it be that the food isn''t to his liking? ¡°No, it''s just that I''ve got something more important to do right now.¡± A seductive smile tugged at Michael''s lips, and he reached into his pocket. When he said that, my puzzlement grew. Isn''t eating the most important thing now? Is there anything else that takes precedence? My gaze was riveted on his hand as curiosity drove my desire to know what exactly he meant. Shortly after, he took out a square jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to me. As I stared at the jewelry box, my heart hammered wildly. I already had my suspicions, but I still didn''t dare believe it. My eyes were rounded from shock, and my heart pounded in a frantic rhythm. Even my outstretched hand was trembling slightly. ¡°Open it and have a look.¡± Michael shed me a smile upon seeing my nervousness. Then, he motioned for me to open the jewelry box. I took the jewelry box from him. Although it was light, it felt exceedingly heavy in my hand. When I opened the jewelry box, the dazzling diamond that greeted me had me momentarily falling into a trance. It was a diamond ring. The diamond ring wasn''t massive. Instead, it appeared to be of the exquisite type and was incredibly stunning. My heart skipped a beat. While I had already surmised that it might be a ring, I still couldn''t help being shocked when beholding it with my own eyes. At the same time, tears started shimmering in my eyes. I always thought that he didn''t care about giving me a ring. It''d always bothered me greatly, but I didn''t dare mention it to him and had been bottling it instead. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 It seemed that Michael did not forget. Moreover, the ring''s style was exactly my type. There was no doubt that he had personally selected the ring. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Michael''s gaze softened as he saw happy tears rolling down my cheeks. He quickly strode toward me, took the ring, got down on one knee before me, and slid the ring onto my finger. At that moment, as I stared at the ring on my finger, I couldn''t believe that it was real. Is this a dream? Has Michael just proposed to me? I could never bring myself to imagine him proposing to me. All this while, I thought that the happiest time of my life would be the day I became Michael''s wife. That thought changed after that day. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Michael, who knew me like the back of his hand, was aware that I was still immersed in the surprise. As a result, he didn''t press me for an answer. He merely sat next to me and pulled me into his arms. ¡°I promise to give you everything any woman would ever dream of,¡± dered Michael in a soft but firm voice as he wrapped his arms around me tightly. His deration was full of affection. As of that moment, I felt that I had lived my life to the fullest. To obtain Michael''s love was the luckiest thing that could happen in my life. Women were emotional beings, and I was no exception. As Michael''s deration had touched me, I couldn''t help but cry uncontrobly. All I could do was tighten my hug and feel the warmth of his embrace. ¡°I love you, Michael.¡± As I stuffed my face into Michael''s chest, my voice came out muffled. Michael''s body stiffened upon hearing what I said. Though he knew about my love toward him, he had never heard me dering it out loud. The next moment, the embrace became more intense. It took me a long while to finally rpose myself. As I nced up, I saw Michael looking down at me with a smile. My gaze then fell on his plump lips. The next second, I raised my head and captured his lips. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 ¡°Michael, take me...¡± I whispered in Michael''s ear lustfully and wrapped my arms around his neck. ¡°Since you''re the one asking for it, don''t beg me for mercyter, Anna.¡± An hourter, Michael copsed on top of me. It took him quite some time to be able to breathe evenly again. ¡°How do you feel? Did you enjoy it?¡± The redness on my face caught Michael''s attention, and he smirked smugly in return. I rolled my eyes at him and turned away shyly to avoid answering his question. Doesn''t he know the answer to that? He couldn''t have possibly not heard my cries. I''m sure he is just trying to tease me. ¡°What''s with that look? Are you not satisfied? If so, then let''s go for another round.¡± Michael deliberately twisted the meaning of my response and looked at me teasingly. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing how much he was messing with me made me want to p him in the face as a punishment. But lucky for him, I was exhausted and had no energy left. I didn''t have the mood to react to his jokes. Seeing how tired I was, Michael felt sorry for me and didn''t continue with his tease. Instead, he carried me to the bathroom, positioned me in the bathtub, and helped me to clean up. While it was enjoyable to have someone serve me, I found Michael annoying because he kept taking advantage of me. I tried to stop him but in vain. After the bath, Michael ced me on the bed before returning to the bathroom to clean himself. Bone-tired, I drifted off into a deep slumber without waiting for Michael to get in the bed. The next morning when I woke up, my face turned red uncontrobly as soon as I saw the hickeys on me. They had reminded me of the happenings with Michael the night before, which hadsted for an hour. At the same time, my phone rang. The sight of Michael''s name on the caller ID left me grinning happily, and I quickly answered the call. ¡°Are you up?¡± Michael''s sexy voice came through the moment the call connected. ¡°I just woke up,¡± I replied. I then took a nce at the time on my phone. Wow, it''s already ten o''clock in the morning. I bet I''m the only person still in bed at this hour. ¡°Get up and get dressed. I''ve arranged for our parents to meet today.¡± Michael''s voice came through again, and his words shocked me. I didn''t speak to him about this before. How could he know to arrange for this? Did he have such a n in his mind too? ¡°What? Why would you want to meet my parents out of a sudden?¡± I asked carefully after a moment of silence. After thest meeting with my mother, I hadn''t had the courage to speak to Michael about her betrothal gift request. I had a hunch that my parents would press on this matter if they met that day. ¡°Your mom called me today and requested it. They are your family, so it''s appropriate to grant them that. After all, the request is not outrageous,¡± Michael answered honestly upon hearing my question. I, on the other hand, was disappointed after hearing his answer. I could feel my heart sink instantly. Since my mother requested the meeting, I was sure that she would talk about the betrothal gift. As I got worried, I forgot to answer Michael. ¡°Are you okay? Why aren''t you saying anything? Is something wrong?¡± Michael''s confused voice sounded from the other end of the phone, thinking something was wrong. ¡°N-Nothing. I''m just worried that Mrs. Shaw would not ept my parents.¡± I wouldn''t be so worried if my parents merely wanted to meet Michael as I could exin to him what was going on. However, if Josephine saw how avaricious my parents were, she would conclude that I was a gold digger. If so, it would be hard for me to exin it to her afterward. ¡°Don''t worry about it. You have me. Go wash up. I had my secretary send you clothes to wear. I''ll go pick you up in the afternoon.¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Michael, however, had no clue about my worries. After informing me of his n, he hung up the phone. Dread grew in my heart. I then picked up the phone and dialed my mother''s number. After a few rings, the call got disconnected, and it made me frown. I tried again, but it didn''t work. At that instant, as I wasn''t sure what my mother''s intentions were at the moment, I was getting worried. Noon arrived, and Michael picked me up on time. On the other hand, I had put on the flower print dress sent by Michael''s secretary. Though it was simple, it was a designer dress. I was agitated when I got into Michael''s car. Since morning, I''d been trying to call my mother, but there was no answer. I really couldn''t wrap my head around her n. Soon after, we arrived at a five-star hotel owned by Michael. When we first met, Michael had even deliberately booked a room there to make love with me. ¡°Your parents should have arrived. I have ordered the manager to take them to a private room. You don''t have to worry about anything,¡± Michael reassured me in a t tone and grabbed my hand as he noticed my anxiousness. I nodded and returned his gaze as I knew he was trying tofort me. In any case, I wasn''t worried about Michael not doing a good job of weing my parents. Instead, I was scared that my parents would ask for outrageously greedy conditions. Michael and I arrived at the luxurious private room on the thirty-third floor. When we got into the room, I saw both of my parents there acting like rubes. They were walking around the room, admiring the surroundings andplimenting the quality. Though my parents were indeed from the countryside, and I had no intention to hide that from Michael or pretend to be someone sophisticated, I was irritated to see the way they acted. As my parents'' full attention was on the room, they didn''t notice us entering. Hence, I called out to them with a frown of irritation. ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± The two regained their senses after hearing my voice. When they saw Michael and me, smiles immediately filled their faces. ¡°You''re here!¡± My mother, Maria, was the first who walked toward me, but her gaze was on Michael. After a quick study, her smile grew wider. It was clear as day that she was satisfied with Michael. After all, Michael was a near-perfect and impable man. I couldn''t find any w in him. It would be more likely for Michael to find me unsatisfactory rather than the other way around. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, please have a seat. Do forgive me if the weing service is unsatisfactory. My mother will be arriving soon,¡± Michael greeted them with a faint smile. Michael knew my parents well, but he was also aware that I craved for my parents'' love. As such, he treated my parents as courteous as he could. After sitting down, my parents'' gazes continued to be glued to the private room''s surroundings. They were amazed by it. This was merely a private room. Yet, its size was as big as a house. Seeing how excited my mother was, my heart sank further. ¡°Mom, I called you today. Why didn''t you pick up?¡± I got angry when I thought of the unanswered phone calls. I was sure that she deliberately declined my calls. ¡°What call? Did you call me? I have no idea that you did.¡± Upon hearing my question, she pretended to be shocked and confused. Though I admire her acting skills, she was my mother, and I knew her well enough to spot her lying. ¡°Are you sure? Why don''t you take your phone out to have a look? You can see that I have called you multiple times in the morning, and you rejected every call,¡± I called her out on it angrily without saving her face. I didn''t think of protecting her dignity in front of Michael since I was unsure of her intention. Her expression darkened after being exposed. Her gaze became unfriendly as well. However, she remained silent about it as Michael was at the scene. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°I''ve used the same phone for years, and it has some problems from time to time. If you had called me and I saw it, I would have picked it up. Isn''t that right, Michael?¡± She then shifted her attention to Michael. ¡°You''re right, Mrs. Garcia. I''ll have someone send you a new phone tomorrow.¡± Michael spoke tly after taking a nce at me. Since Michael was there to talk about our wedding with my parents, he had to take care of my mother''s feelings. My mother smiled with satisfaction after hearing Michael''s answer. She then turned to me and commented displeasingly, ¡°Anna, take a page out of Michael''s book. He''s a better child than you.¡± Her words angered me, but I had to drop the topic. It was just that I was still mad. Twenty minutes passed, Josephine still hadn''t turned up, and my parents became impatient. Logically, the man''s parents would be the first to arrive at the scene on such asions, but things were the other way around that day. ¡°Michael, is your mother noting? We''ve been waiting for quite a while. Isn''t it rude that your mother hasn''t arrived?¡± My mother''s face darkened after ncing at the door and failing to see Josephine. ¡°I''ve called her. The traffic is rather heavy at the moment. But I assure you that she will be arriving soon.¡± Michael was aware that his mother waste to the meeting on purpose, but he was good at hiding it. As the atmosphere was getting more and more awkward, the door opened. The graceful Josephine then appeared in front of our eyes. It was apparent that Josephine had gone through the trouble of dressing up. The number of jewels on her was rather jaw-dropping. After all, she was a wealthy wife, and she could afford the highest quality jewelry. Mom''s gaze was fixed on Josephine as soon as she entered the room. She was fixated on the jewelry. ¡°You''re here, Mom! Mr. and Mrs. Garcia have been waiting for a long time for you.¡± Michael walked up to his mother and seated her like a gentleman. When Josephine arrived, I saw Michael let out a sigh of relief. ¡°It''s fine. Your son told us that you were stuck in traffic.¡± My mother''s anger instantly dissipated after seeing the jewelry, and she tried to ease the atmosphere. ¡°Traffic? What traffic?¡± However, Josephine wasn''t nning to y nice. She pretended to be confused with my mother''s words. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 ¡°Wasn''t there a traffic jam when your mom was on the way? That must be why she''ste. Michael told us about it just now.¡± My mother''s attention was fixated on Josephine at this particr moment, but she still had not realized Josephine was doing it on purpose. Instead, she took her time and exined everything to the woman. I felt anxious in my heart. Josephine''s first words had given me the impression that things were not going to go well today. I immediately looked toward Michael when I felt worried and noticed he was wearing a sullen expression on his face. Just then, Josephine tidied her hair and replied in a sarcastic tone, ¡°What traffic? That was just an excuse Michael made up for me. I was setting up a spa appointment with a friend andpletely forgot about the meeting today.¡± At that moment, even if my mother was oblivious, she could still see that Josephine had no regard for us at all, and her expression turned grim immediately. When Michael, who was sitting next to Josephine, noticed the tension in the air, his expression darkened as well. ¡°Mom, watch your attitude!¡± he reminded his mother in a hushed tone while looking at her with a gloomy gaze. Although Josephine was not fond of me, she still had to show Michael some respect. Despite the dissatisfaction in her eyes when she looked at me, she said nothing in the end. ¡°You''ve been waiting for a while, Mom and Dad. Please help yourself to some water.¡± Because I did not want the atmosphere to turn sour, I did my best to ease the tension between our families, hoping to keep them from causing any moremotion. At the same time, the waitress began serving the dishes as well, which helped to reduce the awkwardness in the air. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, given howte it is, you must be hungry as well. Let''s eat first.¡± When Michael noticed that Josephine did not respond, his gaze shifted to my parents. ¡°Sure, sure.¡± My parents had spent their entire lives in the countryside and had never dined in such a fancy hotel. They could not help but get excited when they saw the scrumptious dishes being ced on the dining table. Moreover, they had poor table manners as well. Seeing this, I was left speechless and felt a little embarrassed by their gawking. If Michael was the only one here, I might not be that embarrassed. After all, he was aware of my family''s predicament. However, Josephine was present at the scene as well. She was already bothered by the lifestyle and status differences between me and Michael. Her already bad impression of me was bound to be worsened by my parents'' behaviors. Sure enough, she had a contemptuous look on her face when she noticed my parents'' poor table manners. There was a hint of disdain in her eyes, and I felt ufortable when I saw the way she looked at my parents. ¡°Have you two been living in the countryside all this while? Judging by the way you''re eating, it seems like...¡± I could not tell if Josephine was trying to humiliate my parents or if she had had enough of them. Even though she did not finish her sentence, I could already tell what she was trying to say. My expression was sour when I turned to look at Josephine. At that moment, my parents were the only ones who had yet to react to the situation. ¡°Mom, you should leave for your spa appointment if you have nothing nice to say.¡± It was evident that Michael was enraged as he cast a stern gaze at his mother. Josephine was about to say something but stopped herself upon Michael''s warning. Clearly, she was furious too. When my parents noticed Josephine''s hesitance after being warned by Michael, they realized he was the one who had the final say in most matters. My mother then cleared her throat, shifted her gaze to Michael, and prepared to say something. However, for some reason, a sense of uneasiness arose in me. Sure enough, what my mother said next had confirmed my conjecture. ¡°Michael, your wedding with Anna is just around the corner. Shouldn''t there be some things that are held in our tradition?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. My mother''s tone was casual, but the excitement in her eyes gave me an idea about what she was going to say next. Nervous, I clenched my fists and quickly interrupted her, ¡°Mom, it''s our first meeting today. Why don''t we talk about traditions some other time?¡± I knew what my mother was going to say next, had I not stopped her. Knowing my mother''s temperament, she would not be satisfied with just a betrothal gift. ¡°It''s fine, Mrs. Garcia. Just state your request if you have one. Me and Anna''s wedding is just around the corner. It will be toote if you tell me about it next time.¡± I tried my best to deter from the topic, but Michael was oblivious to the nervousness in my tone. Although he and my mother shared some unpleasant interactions in the past, I was going to be married to him. Since my parents were about to be his inws, he was naturally more polite toward them. ¡°Sure! Since you''re insisting, I might as well tell you.¡± My mother gave me a disapproving look, and I could tell she was ming me for not allowing her to speak. At that point, my nerves got the better of me, and I could not utter a word. Furthermore, Michael had allowed my mother to express her wishes, so it would be inappropriate for me to stop her again. ¡°I''m not sure if this is a tradition in your city. In the countryside, whenever a woman marries, the man is expected to give a betrothal gift.¡± As soon as she finished her words, my mother shifted her gaze toward Michael''s face and scrutinized his expression. However, Michael''s face revealed nothing as he remained deadpanned. On the contrary, Josephine furrowed her brows, as if dissatisfied with my mom''s request. ¡°Mrs. Garcia, how much would you like?¡± Michael''s face remained calm and expressionless. I could not tell what he was thinking at the moment. A betrothal gift of thirty to fifty thousand was nothing to a person of Michael''s status. However, I was concerned that my parents would use this opportunity to demand an outrageous sum. When she heard Michael''s response, my mother''s face immediately lit up. She then excitedly held up two fingers toward Michael. ¡°Twenty thousand?¡± Josephine was unfazed when she saw my mother extend two fingers. After all, twenty thousand was just pocket money for their family. A frown formed on my mother''s face as she shook her head in dismissal of Josephine''s guess. ¡°Obviously not. How can it be a mere twenty thousand?¡± ¡°Two hundred thousand?¡± Josephine furrowed her brows as she spoke. Despite believing I was not worth that sum of money, she did not say much. On the other hand, Michael remained expressionless the entire time, as if he did not care about how much she was going to request. As I watched the situation unfold, I could not help but frown as I turned to look at my mother. Even in the countryside, a betrothal gift of that amount was extremely outrageous. No one in their right mind would spend that much money on a betrothal gift. Although my parents were greedy and asked for two hundred thousand, I did not think it was utterly ridiculous. However, her next words caused my eyes to widen in disbelief. ¡°It''s two million. Not two hundred thousand.¡± My mother wore a slight smile on her face as she uttered those shocking words. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 ¡°What do you mean two million? Are you crazy!¡± Josephine stood up abruptly. A glint of rage shed across her eyes as she looked at my mother. It was clear that she could no longer put up with my mother''s outrageous behavior. Furthermore, my heart sank when I noticed Michael was furrowing his brows as well. I knew that two million meant nothing to Michael, but my mother used our marriage to extort such a huge sum of money from him. I could not help wondering if he was feeling sorry for me. ¡°Mom, don''t you think this is too much?¡± Seeing that Michael did not respond after a while, I frowned and looked at my mother with displeasure. I was not expecting her to ask for such a ridiculous amount of money. ¡°Is two million too much? I raised you from a young age and spent so many years taking care of you. You wouldn''t be where you are right now if it weren''t for your parents. How is it too much to ask for two million? I don''t think the Shaw family will have a problem fulfilling my request even if I''m asking for twenty million.¡± My mother''s tone wasced with annoyance when she realized I was taking the Shaw family''s side. She looked at me with rage-filled eyes and scolded me as if I was an unfilial daughter. Nheless, I was dissatisfied with my mother''s actions. She had gone overboard by requesting a two-million betrothal gift. To put it into perspective, in the countryside, betrothal gifts of ten to eighty thousand were already considered excessive. ¡°How dare you have the audacity to ask for two million as a betrothal gift? Do you really think your daughter is worth that much money? This is ridiculous!¡± Josephine jumped from her seat and snorted coldly. She cast an unhappy gaze at my mother and was visibly upset by the shocking request. I was well aware of Josephine''s dislike toward me. She had always suspected that I got together with Michael because I was after his money. Now that she was saying these things about me in front of my parents, I could not help but feel heartbroken, despite it being the truth. ¡°Based on your words, it seems to me that Michael isn''t sincere about marrying Anna. How could you try to settle things in such a half-hearted manner when my daughter is already pregnant with your son''s child?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. My mother was unwilling to back down and stood her ground against Josephine. She appeared to be hell-bent on obtaining the two-million betrothal gift. However, Josephine had already expressed her disapproval of my rtionship with Michael. Coupled with the fact that my parents were being greedy, I was afraid that our marriage ns would fall through because of the discord between our families. ¡°You are clearly trying to extort us!¡± Josephine was so enraged that her words were stuck in her throat for a long time. When she finally got her words out, she bellowed furiously at my mother without a single care about her image. ¡°Don''t say that, Mrs. Shaw. Since my daughter is going to marry into your family, it''s only appropriate for your family to prepare a betrothal gift. How could you call that extortion? Perhaps the Shaw family can''t keep their promise and is intending to walk away from this marriage? My daughter is clearly carrying Michael''s child. If you decide to back out, I don''t think it will be good for your family''s image if word gets out, don''t you think so too?¡± My mother was not dumb and began to threaten Josephine. When I witnessed her behavior, I got chills down my spine. She was clearly ckmailing the Shaw family using my marriage. ¡°Y-You...¡± In the face of my mother''s threats, Josephine was so angry that she could not even utter a single word. At this point, there was nothing but anger on her graceful face. While I could not tolerate the banter that was going on, I also knew that my parents would not compromise, even if I were to advise them. The longer I remained there, the more humiliation I brought upon myself. Aftering to that realization, I stood up while holding back the tears in my eyes and left quickly. When Michael noticed I was leaving the room, a slight frown formed on his face. In the next second, he began to chase after me, leaving my parents and Josephine in the private room. Although I had been preparing for a long time, I still felt ufortable about it. Furthermore, my parents'' behavior did not leave me with any options. I did not know what to do right now or how to deal with Josephine in the future. When I walked out of the hotel, I could not hold back my tears anymore. Why did it turn out this way? I finally have a chance to be with Michael, and I also have a feeling that happiness is just around the corner. How did it be like this? Why is it so difficult for me to lead a simple and happy life? Michael was following behind and caught up to me. He then grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop in my tracks. However, I was crying profusely at this point. His eyes were filled with distress when he saw the teardrops streaming down my cheeks. I looked up at him, bing more and more aggrieved. ¡°Why did this happen? Why are they doing this to me? What did I do wrong?¡± I threw myself into Michael''s arms and hugged his waist tightly as I expressed my sadness. He sighed helplessly and gently patted my shoulder. I could tell he was heartbroken to see me this way. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll take care of this.¡± Michael''s voice was not loud, but he sounded confident. Even though I knew he could solve the problem for me, I still felt wrong. My parents treating me like a cash cow was a hard pill to swallow. After all, they used my marriage to get more money for themselves. Is my happiness truly unimportant in their eyes? Do they have anything else in their minds besides money? While looking up at Michael with my tearful eyes, I asked, ¡°Will you give them the money¡± ¡°You''re not doubting my ability to fork out that sum, are you? Anna, am I really that incapable in your heart?¡± Michael lowered his head to look at me and spoke to me in a soothing tone. He used that tone because he did not want me to be too upset about this. Despite the fact that he did not directly answer my question, I knew he was nning to give my parents the money they had requested. I also knew that if the two of us wanted to be together in peace, we would have topromise and relent. However, I was unable to ept this kind of fate. Moreover, if he actually gave it to them, Josephine would despise me even more. ¡°Two million is not a small amount at all. Furthermore, we don''t ask for that much money in the countryside.¡± I lowered my head slightly, feeling a twinge of guilt in my heart. How can I not feel guilty about it? Because of me, Michael has to fork out two million. Moreover, he helped my father pay for his surgery as well. The surgery cost hundreds of thousands, and now my parents are requesting a betrothal gift worth two million! ¡°You''re priceless in my heart. Two million is nothing to me.¡± Looking at the guilty expression on my face, Michael let out a nonchnt chuckle. What he said caused my heart to skip a beat. I didn''t know what to say for a moment, so I just hugged him even tighter. In Michael''s heart, my baby and I were most important to him. I was well aware of that fact, but that was not the reason for my parents'' greed. Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Thanks to my parents, the terrible feeling I felt earlier remained even after returning home. It was saddening that the first thing they had to say when they saw me was asking for two million. Despite already acknowledging that I was insignificant to them a long time ago, seeing them prioritizing money over my happiness was still disheartening. As if that was not enough, Michael received a call from Josephine as soon as we arrived. Even though she did not say anything other than wanting Michael to head home, I perceived that it must be about the incident at the hotel earlier. After hanging up the phone, Michael stared at me with an unnatural expression. I knew he was pondering about how to tell me about that call. ¡°Don''t worry about me. Go ahead.¡± I smiled at him in response while feigning a look of nonchnce desperately. Still, needing to hide my true feelings was not only unbearable but also depressing. I believed no woman could face such an incident forthrightly if it happened before their wedding. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°I''ll be back very soon.¡± Michael curled his lips into a half-smile after my words and nted a kiss on my forehead before leaving. Following his departure, the smile on my face vanished as I looked toward the door in anguish. Anyhow, I realized that it was not wise for me to dwell on such a feeling unceasingly. Thus, I took a deep breath topose myself before making up my mind to meet my mother about the money issue. I would not allow them to receive two million from Michael for no reason whatsoever. A few momentster, I arrived at the house my mother lived. After knocking on the door for quite some time, someone finally opened it for me. It was Steven. Unlike his previous hospitable demeanor, he looked indifferent when he saw me. I recognized that their decent attitude toward me previously was only because of the betrothal gift. Since the situation had escted to this extent, it was no surprise that a 180-degree change of attitude urred. Once he opened the door, Steven walked back into the house without even sparing a nce at me. When I entered the living room, I discovered that my parents were on the couch watching TV. Like Steven, they did not bother to cast a nce at me. It was pretty apparent that they were ignoring me since I was standing not too far away from them. Regardless, I decided to remain standing while looking at them watching dramas for the time being as I thought they would talk to me after dissipating their anger. However, I had overestimated my importance. For the next thirty minutes, I was a nobody that no one gave a rip about. ¡°We need to talk, Mom,¡± I uttered in a chilling tone, staring at my mother as I could not suppress the fury in my heart any longer. The second she heard my utterance, my mother shifted her gaze toward me at longst. Her eyes were seething with rage as well. ¡°There''s nothing to talk about between us! Aren''t you on the Shaw family''s side now? I don''t even know if you''re my daughter anymore!¡± Those words from my mother were full of displeasure. Undoubtedly, she saw me as the culprit that prevented her from getting two million from the Shaw family earlier at the hotel. She must have thought I was standing up for them. I intended to talk it through with her initially, but her attitude indicated that it would be fruitless. Her decision would never change, no matter how I was going to reason with her. ¡°Did you care about my feelings when you asked for two million at once, Mom? Do you realize how difficult my life will be in the Shaw family if we''re on bad terms with them? I''m your daughter, for heaven''s sake!¡± I spoke everything from the bottom of my heart while staring at my mother in sorrow. Even if she preferred males over females, she should have had paternal love toward me at the very least since I was her daughter. Yet, every decision she had made thus far was hurtful toward me. In response to my grumble, a hint of guilt surfaced on my mother''s face, and she furrowed her brows. Nheless, the more noticeable expression was annoyance. ¡°Who gave you the idea that I didn''t care about you? Isn''t it reasonable for me to ask for a small betrothal gift since you''re about to marry into the Shaw family? We''re the ones who raised you. Shouldn''t you show us some gratitude? Unlike your forting prosperous life, your father and I have suffered for a very long time. Don''t you want to see us having a blissful life?¡± Although I would not deny the sensibleness of my mother''s words, a couple of things she did had gone overboard in my judgment. Marriage is equivalent to my paramount happiness. As my parents, shouldn''t they foremost desire to see me having a blessed life instead of emphasizing money? Why didn''t they ever care about that? ¡°I won''t stop you from asking for a betrothal gift, but two million is too much. A betrothal gift of over a hundred thousand is already arge amount in our area. Have you considered how Mrs. Shaw would think of me?¡± Josephine had always thought I seduced Michael only for money''s sake. Consequent to that incident at the hotel, that opinion of hers must have solidified even more. As a result, changing her impression of me was much more difficult. ¡°The Shaw family should be happy since you''re pregnant with their descendant!¡± My mother nced at me apathetically before resuming to drink her beverage. It seemed like I was unquestionably a nobody to her. Subsequently, I clenched my fists tightly in furiousness. An urge to cause a big fuss surged within me, but I controlled my emotion because of my pregnancy. Being hot-tempered constantly during pregnancy would affect the baby''s growth. ¡°I will never allow you to receive two million no matter what, Mom!¡± I made my position clear to my mother as I could not endure her attitude. She was never going to receive two million from Michael on my watch. That was not to say that I was reluctant to give financial support to my parents, but their action would only lead to my hardship in the Shaw family. ¡°You''re sticking up for outsiders now, huh? Are you even my daughter? How can you say such a thing to me?¡± My mother stood up from the couch while ring at me. I would havepromised before, but the numerous things that I experienced during that period had made me realize my ce in my parents'' hearts. As I thought what I had done for them over the years was already sufficient, I was determined to be resolute and prevent myself from suffering once more. ¡°I''ll ask Michael to give you a betrothal gift of two hundred thousand tomorrow night, Mom. It doesn''t matter whether you want it or not. Don''t even think about the two million. If you think two hundred thousand is not enough, I''ll take it back!¡± I enunciated those words with a cold tone while subduing the anger in my heart. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Two hundred thousand was the most I could tolerate. Even though Michael was not short of money and would give more money if my mother let him take the initiative to propose the amount, I was adamant not topromise because of my parents'' attitude. My pricelessness to Michael was irrelevant at that point as well. ¡°Two hundred thousand? That''s ridiculous! How can you dismiss your father and me with that amount of money when we have raised you for so many years? You''re such an ungrateful wretch!¡± My mother looked at me with rage as she spoke. If I were not pregnant, she would have hit me already. Ungrateful wretch? Again? Despite not showing my genuine feeling outwardly, my heart could not help but feel sorrowful whenever my mother used that term to call me. In her eyes, I was nothing but an ungrateful and heartless wretch. However, it was dumbfounding that they had overlooked my sacrifices for the family throughout the years. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°I don''t care what you say about me. My decision is final. Whether you want that betrothal gift of two hundred thousand doesn''t bother me as I will notpromise this time regardless. If worsees to worst, I''ll stop myself from returning to this house ever again! No big deal!¡± Since my mother would not yield to a meek approach, I had to demonstrate my dominance over her to keep her in check in such circumstances. ¡°You''ve gone too far for saying such things to Mom, Anna. Are you going to break ties with us because you''re about to marry into a wealthy family? Do you think we''re an embarrassment to you? You must be afraid that we''ll ask for money from you in the future.¡± Steven limped toward me at that moment, staring at me smugly. The mature aura he emanated during myst visit was no more. ¡°You can think whatever you want about me!¡± I had long been ustomed to the scene where each of my family members singled me out. Hence, I red back at Steven without hesitance while uttering those words before leaving. Given that I had made my stance clear to them, there was no point in remaining there any longer. Yes, they were my closest family, but they were also the people who hurt me ad nauseam. No ordinary person would treat what I had experienced like it was nothing. For that reason, there was a strong desire in me to never return to that house forever. Soon after leaving my parents'' house, tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrobly once again. Every time such a problem urred, I felt like I was about to go insane like a madman. As I walked along the streets with tears flowing down my eyes, the pedestrians passing by me could not help but cast their nces toward me. Nevertheless, I did not mind that at all. Why should I care about their gazes when I can''t even deal with my family? A whileter, my phone rang. The ringtone sounded for quite some time before I returned to my senses. As soon as I realized the caller was Michael, I wiped away my tears promptly and cleared my throat before answering the call. ¡°Michael...¡± I had more to say initially, but I felt like I was about to burst into tears and could not finish my sentence. ¡°Where are you? Why aren''t you at home?¡± I was not sure whether Michael had noticed the oddity in my voice, for his tone had be more anxious. ¡°I dropped by my mom''s ce just now. I left the ce not too long ago.¡± Sniffing my nose, I tried to keep my voice tranquil as best as I could since I did not want Michael to worry about me again. ¡°Remain at your current spot. I''ll be there right away,¡± Michaelmanded me without dy after hearing my answer. I knew he was still worried about me. Although there was an element of vexation in his tone, I could feel his utmost concern toward me. A mixture of warmth and mncholy was brewing in my heart at the moment. After ending the call, I remained at my current location in obedience as I knew Michael wasing for me very soon. He was most probably the only person in the world who loved me with all his heart, soul, and strength. Sure enough, he was my everything at present. Around ten minutester, Michael''s car came into sight. He appeared before me as soon as he stopped the car. His countenance was a little grim, but I could discern the worry he had for me through his eyes after taking a closer look. ¡°Didn''t I tell you to stay at home and wait for my return? Why didn''t you listen?¡± Michael glowered at me after scrutinizing my entire body. His tone while speaking was abination of anger and concern. He must have known that I was in a terrible mood as he was the person who understood me the most. In addition to that, he would also perceive that I returned for something unpleasant since it was about my family. ¡°I''m fine. Nothing happened.¡± I threw Michael a faint smile before pretending to speak in a carefree manner. I had no idea how fake my smile was as Michael stared into my eyes intently for quite some time. Then, he scooped me up from the ground and shoved me into the front passenger seat. In response to his action, I did not resist and sat in the car quietly. The only thing I wanted at that moment was to be by Michael''s side. Not sure if it was intentional, but Michael was driving pretty slowly. Due to his silence ever since we got into the car, I wondered if he was indeed upset. ¡°About the betrothal gift¡ª¡± ¡°About the betrothal gift¡ª¡± Coincidentally, Michael and I uttered in unison about the same thing when I was about to tell him concerning the betrothal gift issue. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward as we stopped talking after hearing both parties mentioning the same topic. ¡°After you.¡± I smiled at Michael, wanting him to speak first. Verily, I intended to know his point of view regarding my parents'' request. ¡°I''ll send two million to your family tomorrow,¡± Michael said those words casually while looking ahead as though that amount of money was picayune. He always had an unyielding personality, but he chose to give in for the very first time for my sake. Two million was perhaps nothing to him. ¡°Two million is too much. I''ve already told my family that two hundred thousand is the maximum,¡± I responded to Michael while gazing at his gorgeous side profile. Albeit acknowledging that he could probably earn more than two million in a single day, I did not want my parents to take advantage of his wealth. ¡°What? Do you think you''re only worth two hundred thousand? If your parents ask for twenty million instead of two million, I will still agree to it.¡± Michael decelerated the car and gazed at me with earnestness. Those touching words caused my heart to palpitate irresistibly again as I looked at Michael with appreciation. For him, I was invaluable in his heart. He was the only person who thought of me in that way too. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Feeling incredibly touched, I was on the brink of tears. I lifted my head slightly, trying not to lose myself in front of Michael. ¡°I know that you don''tck money, but you know my parents'' personalities well, right? If you give them the money this time, they''ll definitely ask for more in the future. I don''t want my family to burden you.¡± I was very insistent with my point, unwilling to give in. Hearing that, Michael turned to look at me. I instantly noticed the surprise in his eyes. Perhaps he had never expected me to make that decision. After all, I was always the one topromise every time something happened with my family. I knew that Michael would be surprised upon seeing how determined I was this time. ¡°All right. I''ll listen to you.¡± Michael stopped insisting. After we were together, there were several times I became the one to make decisions, and Michael would always respect my choices. The next day, Michael sent two hundred thousand to my parents'' ce. I did not tag along as I did not want to argue with them anymore. As soon as he came back, I tried to ask him about the situation, but he dismissed the topic readily. Although he did not show any emotion on his face, I was very sure that my parents had not treated him pleasantly. Michael had always acted all high and mighty. Everyone around him treated him with respect, but my parents were rude to him. For an arrogant man like him to endure and tolerate them must be hard. There were still three days left until our wedding. I was feeling excited and nervous at the same time. I could not help but look forward to it. In three days, I can finally stay with Michael forever. Michael prepared and settled everything for the wedding ceremony on his own. He even looked for someone in Pillere to custom-tailor my wedding gown. Our wedding would surely be unable topare to Emma''s, but Michael was putting a lot of heart into it. I would be moving to Michael''s mansion after our marriage. Hence, he asked me to go and take a look at his ce. He had some matters to handle in thepany, so I hailed a taxi to his ce alone. In all honesty, I liked our tiny house betterpared to his spacious mansion, as our house felt much warmer. Moreover, the furnishings in his house was ck and white. That color scheme made the ce look even colder. I paced back and forth in the living room, thinking of ways to make the space feel warmer. Sitting on the couch with my legs on the coffee table, I fell asleep shortly after, which might have been due to my pregnancy. Suddenly, I woke up to the sound of someone coughing. As I opened my eyes in a daze, Josephine''s face appeared in front of me. My heart instantly dropped. Am I hallucinating? Why is she here? I must be dreaming. I tried tofort myself internally. However, I could not help but stand up straight in the next second. Right then, I finally regained my senses. Josephine was, indeed, looking at me right in front of me. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, what brings you here?¡± Josephine was not satisfied with me all this time. I had to be extra careful in front of her as I did not want to anger her. ¡°Ms. Garcia, don''t you know you should be more aware of your image as a woman? If you''re tired, you can go ahead and take a nap on the bed. How could you sleep on the couch and put your legs on the coffee table like that? Do you think that''s how an educateddy should behave?¡± Josephine ignored my question. She nced at the table and spoke with a voice filled with contempt. I lowered my eyes, trying to avoid her eyes as I listened to her lectures. I did not expect Josephine to come. If I knew that she would be here, I would have never done that. Nevertheless, everything was already toote. ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Shaw. I''ll be more mindful next time.¡± I had no choice but to be obedient in front of Josephine. After all, she was Michael''s mother, so I hoped that I could change her impression of me. Unfortunately, her actual impression of me was far from my expectation. Although I had already apologized to her, she refused to let me off. ¡°I don''t understand what''s wrong with Michael. Why would he fall in love with such a useless woman like you? I''ve never expected my daughter-inw to be a hoyden. Our family is going to be a joke if this news spreads!¡± Josephine stared at me with a contemptuous look on her face as she insulted me. Although I had mentally prepared myself for that, I could not help but get infuriated upon hearing her words. I tried to suppress my anger as I did not want the situation to worsen. Besides, Josephine was an elder to me. She would also be my mother-inw in a few days, so I had to respect her. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I know that you''re very dissatisfied with me. I''m also aware that there''s a big gap between the Shaw family and me. But then, don''t you worry. I''ll try my best to learn everything so that I won''t embarrass the Shaw family.¡± The people from the upper-ss society valued their reputations the most. It was apparent that Josephine cared about her ego and dignity a lot. It must be hard for her to ept the marriage between Michael and me. I could only learn to be better so I would not embarrass their family. ¡°You won''t embarrass the Shaw family? We''ve already be a joke in the corporate world! Don''t you know that we''re the big shot in the industry? Rumors have already been spreading around ever since Michael decided to marry a worthless woman like you.¡± Josephine shot me a disdainful nce. No matter how much I tried to please her, her attitude to me was as rude as usual. Everyone thought that I did not deserve Michael. However, our statuses could never bepared to the value of our rtionship. I stood still in front of Josephine, remaining silent. No matter how much I tried to please her, she would never change her attitude toward me. Deep inside, I was a prideful person, and her words had challenged my patience. Just when the tension in the air was so thick that one could cut it with a knife, Michael came back and broke the silence. As soon as he noticed Josephine in the living room, he was stunned for a moment. Then, he walked briskly toward us and stopped between Josephine and me. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± With that said, he turned around to size me up. ¡°You''re getting married soon, so I came here to help you with the arrangements. Can''t I do that?¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Upon noticing Michael''s gaze on me, Josephine knew that he was worried about me. Hence, her tone and attitude became harsher. In fact, I understood why she would act in that way. Her son cared about another woman''s feelings more than hers. It was only natural she would feel upset. ¡°Of course, you can do that. But then, we don''t want to trouble you. Anna will handle everything here since this is our house. She can decorate it ording to her preferences.¡± Michael shed a smile. He pretended to worry about Josephine on the surface. However, he was being considerate of me deep inside his heart. After all, he knew that I did not want to face Josephine. ¡°Michael, I know what you''re thinking. You''ve forgotten about your mom now that you have a wife, huh? Is Anna more important than me?¡± Josephine understood what was on Michael''s mind. The more Michael tried to defend me, the more she hated me. I lowered my head without saying anything, not wanting our rtionship to be tenser. ¡°Mom, that''s enough, or I''ll really get angry.¡± The man frowned as he warned with displeasure. Michael was not good at pleasing anyone. He had never sweet-talked anyone, including me. Josephine knew him well. She turned to re at me, saying nothing upon noticing the impatient expression on his face. Feeling helpless, I let out a sigh. I don''t think Michael knows howplicated the rtionship between a mother and daughter-inw is. Otherwise, he would not have defended me just now. Perceiving Josephine''s sharp gaze, I felt anxious. I did not even dare to raise my head to look into her eyes, afraid that she would vent her anger at me. ¡°Mom, if you have no other business here, you should go home and get some rest now. Don''t worry about the wedding anymore. You only have to attend the ceremony on that day.¡± A momentter, Michael nced at Josephine, who was ring at me furiously. My heart immediately sank upon hearing his words. I let out a sigh under my breath. That''s not helping! ¡°Are you chasing me away now? How can you do that to me? I''m your mother!¡± Josephine widened her eyes in surprise. Her gaze was zing with anger. To be honest, anyone would be infuriated to hear him say that. I would be mad too. ¡°No, Mrs. Shaw. We''ll be happy if you can stay and help us with the decorations.¡± I instantly grabbed Michael''s arm to stop him before he managed to say anything else. Then, I turned to look at Josephine with a bright smile. Michael stared at me in confusion upon hearing that. He furrowed his brows slightly, trying to figure out the reason I said that. However, I could not exin much to him in front of Josephine. I tried to change the topic so that we could resolve the awkwardness. Josephine understood my intention behind my words, so she did not continue the argument with me. ¡°Michael, do you see that? You''re worse than an outsider. I shouldn''t have given birth to you in the past. All you do is make me angry every day.¡± Josephine stared at Michael upon ncing at me. I knew that Josephine was calling me an outsider. Although I was upset to hear that, I continued to put on a smile. ¡°Mom!¡± Michael was never a patient man. He raised his voice as he noticed the sarcasm in Josephine''s words. ¡°Forget about it. My feelings don''t matter to you anymore now that you have a wife. Fine. I''ll stop bothering you and take my leave now,¡± Josephine blurted that sentence out after a second. She took her handbag before turning around to leave. I let out a sigh of relief as I watched Josephine leave. However, I could not help but feel disappointed. There are only three more days to our wedding, but Mrs. Shaw still hasn''t epted me. I was just an ordinary person. I did not wish for a grand or expensive wedding. The only thing I wanted was blessings for my marriage. ¡°Don''t take that to heart. Just give me a call if anything like that happens again in the future. I''lle back and settle it for you.¡± Michael turned to look at me. His tone was calm, but I knew he was worried about me. ¡°Don''t defend me like that in front of Mrs. Shaw next time. She''s going to dislike me even more.¡± I rolled my eyes at him with a sigh. ¡°Why? Am I supposed to sit here and listen to her snarkyments without doing anything?¡± Michael frowned. ¡°You won''t understand even if I exin it to you. Women''s thoughts areplicated.¡± I wanted to exin to him at first. However, I immediately recalled that he was just a typical man, so there was no way he could understand that. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Michael did not probe further upon hearing that. After all, that was not the main issue right then. Josephine was Michael''s only family member I had met before. Therefore, he decided to bring me to visit his parents and grandfather in the Shaw residence the next day. I had hardly heard anything about his family from him, but that was a given. I thought that Michael''s mansion was already pretty big. However, as soon as I arrived at the Shaw residence, I was stupefied. They were not staying in an ordinary mansion as the building and compound were way more luxurious than anything I could ever imagine. The building was a few times bigger than Michael''s mansion. Moreover, the decorations of the estate were resplendent and majestic. The Shaw family''s wealth was beyond my imagination. Standing at the entrance, I could not help but feel nervous. After all, I already found it hard to deal with Josephine. If the rest of Michael''s family members act like his mother, it''ll be difficult for us to be together. I followed behind Michael as we walked toward the mansion. My fingers were in a twist from my nerves, and my heart thumped fast as I wondered about his family''s attitudes toward me. Michael noticed my nervousness, so he stopped walking. As soon as I stopped beside him, he reached out a hand to grab mine. ¡°Don''t be so anxious. I''m not sending you to execution.¡± His lips curled into a smile. My heart is going to jump out of my mouth soon. How dare he still makes fun of me? Perhaps I looked a little funny as I felt uneasy. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 ¡°I''m here, no matter what happens.¡± Detecting that I was worried, Michael held my hand tightly and looked at me tenderly. I felt a lot more at ease after feeling the temperatureing from his palm and took a deep breath to calm down. I would have to meet Michael''s family sooner orter, anyway. Michael led me through the long corridor while holding my hand, and we finally arrived at the living room. An older man around seventy years old sat in the living room on a couch. Although his hair was gray, his agile and deep eyes seemed capable of reading a person''s thoughts. His eyes went straight to me when Michael and I entered the living room. I felt inexplicably pressured once I noticed his gaze. Rooted to the ground, I didn''t know what to do. I knew the identity of this old man as soon as I saw him even though Michael had not introduced him yet. ¡°Hello, Grandpa.¡± I finally remembered to greet the old man after hesitating and standing still for quite a while. I worried that he would be difficult to get along with judging by his looks because his eyes made me a little uneasy, but soon after, I knew I was overthinking things. ¡°So this is my granddaughter-inw. Come here and let me take a look at you.¡± Stunned after hearing what he said, I wondered if there was something wrong with my hearing because he looked strict, yet his words felt kind. I turned to Michael and saw him gesturing at me to go over to the old man with a smile. Today was the first time I came to the Shaw residence. I looked away from Michael and walked toward his grandpa. At the same time, I saw Josephine watching me with a displeased look, and I knew that she was still angry with me. I stopped and hesitated when I was close to the old man as I didn''t know what to do next. ¡°Your name is Anna Garcia, right?¡± Michael''s grandpa, Andy, took the lead and started a conversation. I guess he couldn''t help but show some kindness when he saw me standing there nervously. ¡°Yes, Grandpa.¡± I lowered my head and answered softly. ¡°Anna means one full of grace. It''s a good name.¡± The old man looked at me with a smile before taking my hand and letting me sit beside him. Having him treating me so kindly, I was surprised and felt inexplicably happy. I could feel that he wasn''t ostracizing me and that he liked me quite a fair bit. I felt so much lighter because of this. After all, I didn''t want Michael''s family to hate me. ¡°Anna looks decent, Michael. You should treat her well and never hurt her after marriage, you hear me?¡± The old man patted my hand, looking pleased before turning to Michael and speaking with a hint of authority in his tone. ¡°I know. I''ll cherish her all my life.¡± Michael was in a good mood when he saw that his grandpa was pleased with me. However, for some reason, what he said made me ufortable. Am I not thinking straight recently? ¡°Dad, you can''t possibly be satisfied with her as a granddaughter-inw, right?¡± Josephine spoke while ncing at me coldly before turning to Andy. ¡°Anna is so much better than Emma. She looks pleasant and pleasing to the eyes; I like her.¡± The old man made no secret of his appreciation toward me. I felt happy when hearing his praise and satisfied that I could gain the approval of someone in the Shaw family. ¡°Dad, you only like her because you don''t know what she has done yet!¡± Josephine looked at me again, and her expression turned colder. I knew she didn''t want the old man to like me, so she deliberately targeted me. It made me feel nervous immediately. Andy had a good first impression of me, but I was worried that her words would change that. Michael''s expression was also faintly sullen at this time. He was pretty angry, seeing that his mother was targeting me. ¡°I''ve lived for a long time already, and you don''t think I know how to read people?¡± The old man snapped before she could continue. He also looked at her with dissatisfaction. Josephine had always acted high and mighty, so she would dare to target me even in front of Michael. But the old man knew what to say, and he also used a fierce tone when he spoke. Josephine immediately stopped talking when she heard him and shot me a re. ¡°Anna, you will soon be a member of our family. You can tell me if someone in this family makes things difficult for you¡ªI will help you.¡± Andy retook my hand and spoke kindly. This was the first time someone other than Michael defended me like this. My eyes reddened from all the overwhelming emotions. I didn''t know why but I felt the deep affection from Andy, the kind of affection elders gave to the younger generations. This was the first time I met him, yet he made me experience familial affections. I waspletely fond of the old man at that instant. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa,¡± I sniffed before smiling at him. Michael just smiled slightly without saying anything when he saw my reaction. I noticed a room not far away with its door open at this time. Inside the room was a middle-aged man practicing calligraphy, and his figure appeared very elegant. The man must be Michael''s father. I stood up and went to the door of the study before offering my greeting. ¡°Hello, Mr. Shaw. I am Anna Garcia.¡± In my impression, people who liked calligraphy were often very schrly and would be kind to others. And as expected, Lincoln Shaw looked up and promptly smiled at me after hearing my greeting. ¡°Oh, it''s you, my soon-to-be daughter-inw. To gain a hold of Michael''s heart is pretty remarkable.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Michael''s father was like his grandpa; he talked more casually and was easier to get along with. I was once again relieved, seeing that he was not dissatisfied with me. I smiled in reply, and Michael spoke at this time. ¡°Dad, you continue your calligraphy practice. I''m going to stroll around with Anna.¡± Although the other two members of the Shaw family were easy to get along with, Michael could sense that I was still feeling quite uneasy. ¡°Okay, go ahead. Tell your mom to ask the kitchen staff to prepare a sumptuous meal.¡± Lincoln seemed to be absorbed in calligraphy. He resumed his practice, not knowing that his casual words just now warmed my heart. Michael took me to the garden behind the mansion. It took us nearly half an hour toplete our tour around the Shaw residence. The garden was remarkably extensive. It even made me wonder if this garden of the Shaw family was bigger than the gardens of royal pces. ¡°Your garden is so big.¡± I looked at the garden overflowing with bright flowers all around, and my mood turned brighter. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 ¡°Grandpa is getting old and likes to spend time gardening. That''s why there are so many flowers in the garden now.¡± Once Michael entered the garden, his gaze was locked on me. A broad smile then appeared on his face as he knew I liked the ce. ¡°Your grandpa looks easy to get along with.¡± Warmth welled up in my chest when I recalled how Andy treated me just now. I never thought that there would be someone so kind to me in the Shaw family. After hearing my words, Michael chuckled with a smug look on his face. ¡°Easy to get along with? It''s actually the other way around. Grandpa is a picky person, but he seems to like you a lot. To be honest, I have never seen him treat someone this way before.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Is that so? I really think that Grandpa is a friendly and warm man.¡± Michael said that Andy was a picky person, but I did not sense that at all. Instead, I truly felt that he was quite easy to get along with. He was someone I would define as a kind old man. ¡°Next time, if you are free, you can alwayse here to help him with his flowers and nts. That way, you won''t be so bored staying at home alone.¡± Michael chuckled. It looked like he was in a good mood that day. As soon as he finished his sentence, I smiled without saying a word. Although Michael''s grandpa was friendly, his mother still lived here. If she saw me wandering around the garden, she would undoubtedly hate me more. I would rather stay at home obediently. After all, I nned to look for a job after our wedding. That way, my life would not be that dull. I had lunch with the Shaw family that day as Michael''s dad mentioned that lunch would be especially sumptuous. Michael kept putting food into my bowl during the meal, whereas Andy insisted that I eat more. Around the whole dining table, only Josephine put on a cold face. After the meal, Michael and I had a short conversation with his grandpa before we left. As Michael needed to go to the office in the afternoon, we had no time to waste. Besides, our wedding was on the next day. Hence, we had a lot of preparation work to do. Michael went straight to the office once he sent me home. I got bored staying alone in the house, but I would be excited once I thought about our wedding the next day. I spent that night in excitement, anticipating my wedding with Michael. Since my house was situated in the countryside, it would be impossible for Michael to pick me up there. Therefore, I had waited for Michael in the house at Birchwood together with my parents and Steven. Although we had a dispute two days ago regarding the betrothal gift, my wedding was still something big. My parents would still need to be present on my wedding day. Furthermore, my parents did not n to have a bad rtionship with me in the first ce. Otherwise, it would be difficult for them to ask for my help in the future. The makeup artist that Michael hired had reached early in the morning of my wedding day. After my makeup, the makeup artist styled my hair. After everything was done, I looked into the mirror. It was unbelievable! With the wedding gown on and my heavy makeup, I could not believe that the pretty woman in the mirror was actually me. Initially, my appearance looked pure and innocent. However, after the makeup, it seemed that a seductive aura had enveloped me, rendering me unable to recognize myself. I guess it was true that a person would look different with makeup. ¡°Anna, I can''t believe you would look this good after dressing up. I guess this was why Michael fell for you.¡± Standing off to the side, Steven was amazed by my look after makeup. Although he praised me, I did not feel happy with hispliment. Instead, I had a feeling that he was trying to be sarcastic. ¡°Steven, no one will treat you as a mute if you keep your mouth shut.¡± I shot Steven a nce as I spoke, unwilling to argue with him on my wedding day. After I was done with makeup, I waited anxiously. As Michael needed to entertain the guests at the wedding venue, he had arranged transportation for my parents and me to the venue. Not long after, a ck Lincoln stopped downstairs, followed by arge convoy. My parents were invited into one of the cars in the back. Once I got into the car, my heart clenched at the thought that I would arrive soon at the wedding venue. A smile appeared on my face, excited at the thought of spending the rest of my life with Michael. The car went at breakneck speed, and it was quickly separated from the convoy in a split second. Looking in the rearview mirror, I could no longer locate the cars behind. Nheless, the chauffeur did not show any signs of slowing down the vehicle at all. ¡°Please drive slower. The cars behind can''t catch up to us.¡± I was a little worried at that moment as the speed of the car was even faster than Michael''s usual driving speed. However, even though I had said so, it seemed like the chauffeur did not hear what I said. When he arrived at a junction, he suddenly changed the car''s direction without even slowing down. That direction was not the direction to the wedding venue. At that moment, distraught and fear swamped my heart. ¡°Stop the car! Stop the car now! I want to get out!¡± I started having doubts and felt a sense of insecurity, thinking I might be in danger. I only thought of leaving the vehicle instantly as there must be something wrong with the chauffeur. The chauffeur did not bother about me. The car was still maintaining its high speed, and it was about to reach the outskirts of town. I was so afraid that fear was written all over my face. ¡°You, why did you bring me here! What are you trying to do with me!¡± I looked at the chauffeur warily. I must have been too busy wallowing in my blissful thoughts of my wedding with Michael earlier and did not notice the chauffeur''s appearance. Just then, I saw a long scar on the left side of his face from the rearview mirror, making the man look pretty scary. From his appearance, I knew he wasn''t someone good, and he was definitely not the chauffeur that was supposed to send me to the wedding venue. ¡°You better be obedient! Otherwise, you would have to suffer!¡± He turned around and glowered at me with his stony gaze as I might have offended him. Feeling his cold gaze, I was so frightened that a sense of fear began to emanate from my body. ¡°Who are you? Why did you take me here?¡± At that instant, I was sure that the person in front of me was not the chauffeur Michael sent to pick me up. Besides, I knew nothing about his identity, making me even more fearful. ¡°You will know very soon.¡± The chauffeurughed mirthlessly as he elerated the car. The speed was even faster than before. I knew that if I continued to do nothing, I would be in danger without a doubt. Therefore, I had to get out of that ce quickly. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 I looked outside the window. Initially, I wanted to jump out of the car to escape, but the car was moving too fast. If I attempted to jump out, I would perish quicker. Even if I escaped death from the fall, a miscarriage would be likely. I have toe up with a feasible n to escape immediately. After scrutinizing the driver, who was focused on driving the car, I noticed that he did not seem to be afraid that I would escape. Looking at the steering wheel in his hands, I contemted for a long while. Bracing myself, I lunged toward him and grabbed the steering wheel, hoping to force him to stop the car. When people encounter danger while driving, their instincts will tell them to stop the car. Once he hits the brakes, I will run away. If I''m lucky, I will be able to escape. The moment my hands touched the steering wheel, the car immediately started to swerve about wildly. The driver was shocked and hurriedly pushed me. ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to end your life!¡± he yelled, stunned by my actions. When the car started to swerve, my heart was full of fear. Nevertheless, I had to find a way to escape, or else my life would be in greater peril. He was very strong, but due to my survival instincts, I tightly grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it in a frenzy. In the end, the driver was helpless and had to hit the brakes. The car violently jerked forward beforeing to a halt. Thankfully, I braced myself, or else the impact would have been on my stomach, and my baby would be in jeopardy. When the car stopped, I bnced myself. I immediately opened the door and ran. Using all my strength, I dashed away. I needed to leave this ce immediately. Taking out my phone, I wanted to call Michael. With one of my hands holding my dress and the other, my phone, it was challenging to call him. I fumbled for a long time before I managed to call Michael. ¡°How dare you! Stop running now!¡± The driver was catching up to me. Men were, by nature, more athletic than women. Moreover, my current state made me unable to run quicker. I was extremely scared when the driver was about to reach me. ¡°Stop! You can''t run away. Don''t waste your time by trying to escape now!¡± The man''s voice behind me grew closer and closer. The distance between us was narrowing, and soon, he would be able to catch me. At that moment, I could finally reach Michael. His gentle voice could be heard from my phone. ¡°Hey, are you reaching the wedding venue now?¡± ¡°Michael, save me! Someone has kidnapped me!¡± There was no time for pleasantries. I feared for my life, as well as for the baby''s life. ¡°What''s the matter? Where are you now!¡± Michael''s voice turned frantic. ¡°I am at...¡± Before I could answer him, the driver had already caught me. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me forcefully, causing my phone to fall to the ground. After being seized by that man, my heart was filled with terror as I did not know who kidnapped me or their motive. My phone screen was shattered from the fall. I did not know if Michael could still hear me. ¡°I''m at the suburbs. Michael, save me!¡± I screamed at the phone, hoping that Michael could hear me. At that moment, I wanted to break free from the man and continue running, but I was promptly knocked out. I did not know if Michael could find me, and I was uncertain whether he could rescue the baby and me. After a long time, I blearily opened my eyes. My neck was extremely sore from being hit earlier. The ce was pitch ck. It took a long time before my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I realized I was in an underground basement of sorts. I struggled to stand up but to no avail. My hands and feet were bound, and my mouth was covered with tape. Widening my eyes in realization, I finally understood what was happening. I have been kidnapped. Despite being afraid, I needed to calm down no matter how scared I was. I needed escape. As I did not know if Michael heard my plea for help, I could only depend on myself for the time being. I struggled with all my might, but I was too weak and could not break the ropes. After a long while, I finally quietened down as my energy depleted. Looking around my surroundings, I believed that no one was in the basement. The thoughtforted me. At the very least, I was safe at the moment. If there was someone else around, my life might have ended already. The energy in my body was exhausted. I knew that I would not be able to escape. Will my life end here? Michael, please rescue me soon... I didn''t know how long it was when the door creaked open, and numerous people came into the underground basement. As there was little light in the basement, I could only see them clearly when they came near me. My eyes widened once I caught sight of Emma. I looked at her in disbelief. Finallying to my senses after a long time, I realized that she had nned this all along. She captured me in order to ruin the wedding of Michael and me. Thinking about this, I began to loathe Emma immensely. Previously, I had only disliked her. Regardless, I did not know she could go to such lengths and do something as despicable as kidnapping me. How can she be so evil? I coldly red at Emma. She was indeed the person whom I abhorred the most in the world. At that moment, I really wanted her to perish. When Emma noticed me staring at her, a smile appeared on her beautiful face. She walked toward me in her high heels. Stopping in front of me, she looked down. Her eyes were full of contempt. ¡°Anna, are you shocked to see me here? You had never expected me to kidnap you, right?¡± Emma''s voice was shrill. Her tone was defiant. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Her face was very close to mine, and I really wanted to p her then. However, I was helpless as my hands were tied, and I could not speak. I could only look at Emma''s delighted face in silence. Emma''s gaze traveled to my wedding dress. I could clearly see the jealousy in her eyes. In the end, her gaze halted at my chest. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 ¡°That wedding dress is indeed beautiful since a designer in Pillere made it. Michael really spent a lot on you. Anna, how could you seduce Michael to such an extent?¡± The envy in her eyes became more apparent as her tone stiffened. Looking at her disgusting face, I used all my might to struggle. Rage overwhelmed me, and I even had murderous intentions. I had looked forward to my wedding for ages. Michael and I had ovee many difficulties to be together, but Emma wrecked everything. Enraged and filled with hatred, I would be a saint if I did not want to kill her. ¡°Stop wasting your energy. Do you think you can break free from those?¡± The more I struggled, the more Emma smirked. She looked at me mockingly before ripping the tape from my mouth with her red fingernails. ¡°Emma, you''re shameless! How could you kidnap me?¡± There was anger in my eyes as I red at Emma. I screamed at her the moment I opened my mouth. ¡°Shameless? How could Ipare to you, Anna? You are much more shameless than me! Spit it out¡ª what despicable method did you use to get Michael to sleep with you?¡± When she spoke about me sleeping with Michael, her gaze was cold. I knew that she wanted to end my life then and there. I controlled the rage in my heart and coldly stared back into Emma''s eyes. She dared to interrogate me with such self-righteousness. The woman was simply shameless. ¡°What happened between us does not concern you. No matter what had urred between us, Michael still likes me without a doubt. I warn you, Emma. He would only detest a woman like you!¡± Though I was under her control at the moment, I would not concede to her. She is so shameless. I will be sure to put her through twice as much as she has done to me! Emma was already hysterical. My words only served to pique her fury. In the next second, her hand came down heavily onto my cheek. ¡°Stop bullsh*tting. Michael obviously likes me. Anna, the reason why Michael has treated me so heartlessly is because of you, you b*tch! I will never allow you to be with him!¡± When Emma yelled at me, it was apparent that she was on the verge of a breakdown. Her stunning face immediately contorted in a fury. There was a fiery pain on my cheek. The force of her palm caused my head to turn sideways. I moved my head to face her coldly. This woman has hit me many times already. I will be sure to remember this. ¡°No one would love a woman like you! Emma, your looks may be captivating, but your character is rotten to the core!¡± Again, I frigidly looked at her. At that moment, I feared nothing. In front of Emma, I did not want to appear weak. I refused to see her delighted face in front of me. ¡°How dare you say this to me, Anna. Do you think you are still under Michael and Ronan''s protection now? The both of them don''t know that I have captured you. Even if I were to make you perish in this barren and deste area, no one would ever find out about it!¡± Emma red at me with hostility. Every word that came out of her mouth was a threat to me. My heart was racing, and I had a bad feeling about my situation. I nced at Emma in astonishment, ruminating over her words. Does this woman have enough guts to end my life? We live in aw-abiding society. If she dared to wound me fatally, she would be incarcerated! ¡°You would have to go to prison if you murdered me. You wouldn''t have a good life if you did that!¡± Emma would not take the risk. She would not pluck up the courage to murder me. Her words are just a method to scare me. My courage increased as I thought about this. Truthfully, I was just an ordinary woman. In the face of such danger, I would certainly be afraid. ¡°Prison? When that momentes, I will use my money to get someone to take the me. Anna, you are so naive. Do you really think I would be imprisoned if you died?¡± A peal of coldughter came out of Emma''s lips. She did not seem to care about my warnings and was apathetic about the consequences of murdering me. I looked into her eyes, wanting to see whether she was just threatening me. Instead, I saw the killing intent in her. This woman really wants me dead... My mind was in chaos for a moment. If she really chose to do that, many people would be willing to take the me for her. Seeing my panic, Emma was delighted. She coldly examined me, a knife in her hand. Gazing at the fruit knife, I trembled with fear. If ropes did not bind me, I would have already copsed to the floor in terror. ¡°Well, have you started to feel afraid now? Anna, why did you steal my man? I will let you know the consequences of snatching my man away from me today!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Emma''s face was entirely contorted with rage. It appeared that she could not wait to end my life. I looked at the knife in Emma''s hand, my forehead dripping with sweat. Anyone would be afraid in this situation. ¡°Emma, calm down. If you kill me, Michael will not let you off. You can get someone to be the scapegoat for you, but if Michael finds out about this, will he really let you get away with it? Don''t forget ¡ªI am pregnant with his child!¡± Emma was like a madwoman at that moment, and I knew she really wanted to annihte me. If I could only let her see Michael now, she might be able to get a grip on herself. I was pregnant and needed to protect my baby and me. I could not let anything happen to my baby. If something happened to me, the child''s life woulde to an end. Emma''s smile froze when she heard my words. Her gaze fell onto my belly, and malevolence shed in her eyes. As I saw her stare, I became afraid. I was scared that she would lose control and actually murder me. ¡°I had forgotten that you are carrying Michael''s child. Anna, you b*tch. What right do you have to bear Michael''s child?¡± Emma became increasingly agitated. She was shouting at me, the hatred in her eyes bing more and more evident. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Inhaling deeply, I stifled the fury within me. Although I was currently fuming, I had no choice other than to keep myposure. For the safety of the child I''m carrying, I must remain calm! ¡°Emma, not only are you a high-borndy, but you also have stunning looks. Many men like you, so why must you cling on to Michael? You should be able to sense that he doesn''t have any feelings for you.¡± I tried my utmost best to sound calm and collected. Her emotions are all over the ce now, so I can''t provoke her further. ¡°Indeed, many men like me. But I don''t like them. Michael is the only person I fancy! Why does he not like me? And why would he fall for someone worthless like you instead? How are you better than me?¡± Resentment zed in Emma''s eyes, and hatred had long since pervaded her entire being. Anyhow, I inwardly breathed a long sigh of relief upon seeing that her attention had been diverted by my words earlier. ¡°It takes two to tango when ites to matters of the heart. Some people and things can''t be forced. Don''t stray from the path, or you''ll only be regretting it at the end of the day.¡± Emma was a terrifying woman, yet I pitied her all the same. Despite being pampered since young and having tons of suitors, the person whom she truly loves has never spared her a nce. Actually, God is fair. My life has been miserable since young, but I''ve attained happiness for the rest of my life now that I''ve gotten together with Michael. In contrast to the hardships I suffered in the past, it all pales inparison in retrospect. ¡°Can''t be forced? Are you telling me that Michael will never be with me no matter what I do?¡± Grasping the meaning of my remark, Emma abruptly turned to stare at me, her eyes burning with rage. Conversely, I gazed into her eyes calmly. At such a time, I couldn''t argue with her anymore. Her emotions were extreme in the first ce, so I would only be in greater peril if I were to go against her. ¡°You know full well that he doesn''t love you. So, why are you still hanging on to him? You''re exceedingly beautiful and could easily seek out your own happiness,¡± Imented once more with my eyes fixated on her. Perhaps my words struck a chord in Emma, for tears shimmered in her eyes. ¡°Seek out my own happiness? In this entire world, the only person who can give me happiness is Michael! As you stole him from me, Anna Garcia, I''ll certainly make you pay the price for having done so!¡± Just when I thought that she was swayed, her gaze turned cial in the blink of an eye. She turned to me fully, the indifferent smile ying on her lips growing increasingly distinct. ¡°What...¡± At the sight of her condition right then, I was so petrified that words eluded me. I pulled out all stops to persuade her just now, yet she still wants to eliminate me now! ¡°Anna, you rambled on and on just because you wanted me to let you off, no? How could I possibly spare you when you stole Michael? You must pay the price today!¡± Emma regarded me frostily, the curve of her lips particrly eerie. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Are you really not afraid that Michael would learn of this, Emma? Do you think he''ll fall for you after you kill me?¡± I eyed the knife in her hand apprehensively with my heart lodged in my throat. ¡°Anna, I won''t change my mind no matter what you say now. Even if he doesn''t love me, I won''t allow the two of you to be together. If I can''t have him, nobody else can have him!¡± Emma shrieked furiously. I thought she would immediately stab me with the knife, but that wasn''t what happened. Instead, she strode away. At that, I studied her in puzzlement, not quite understanding what exactly she wanted to do. Could it be that all she said earlier was simply to scare me? And in reality, she doesn''t have the nerve to finish me off? When that thought urred to me, relief suffused me. No matter how nasty her words are, I don''t mind putting up with it as long as she doesn''t do anything to hurt me or the baby in my stomach. ¡°Even if I kill you, Anna, I won''t grant you such an easy death. I''ll make it so that you''ll be humiliated even in death!¡± A cold gleam of calction shed across Emma''s eyes. The words out of her mouth had dread rising within me since I had no idea what her precise n was. ¡°What do you want from me, Emma?¡± I stared at her nervously, my eyes long since nketed with ayer of terror. ¡°You love seducing men and sleeping with them, no? I''ll have you thoroughly satisfied today!¡± After saying that, Emma waved a hand before I could even register what she meant. At once, several men from a near distance away started strutting toward me. In a trice, my heart lurched. As though a light bulb had gone off in my head, I anxiously looked at the approaching men, my heart pounding wildly. ¡°What are you doing, Emma? Get them away from me!¡± I struggled with all my might even as I fearfully eyed the men who were drawing closer to me. By then, I was already a touch incoherent. ¡°Don''t you like seducing men? Let them all enjoy themselves today, then. Anna, I''m going to destroy your reputation so that you''ll never again be able to show your face before Michael for the rest of your days!¡± That utterance of hers verified the assumption ying in my mind, and the trepidation within me snowballed. At that moment, those sleazy-looking men were mere steps away from me. I frantically darted my eyes at Emma, still harboring a shred of hope within me. ¡°You can''t do this, Emma! Order them to go away!¡± Oh no, I''m nauseated just by looking at these few men walking toward me! If I truly end up being vited by them, I think I might not even have the courage to continue living in this world! ¡°I''m going to ruin youpletely, Anna! I''m going to make certain that you feel filthy until the day you die! Haha!¡± Emma cackled callously, herughter sending a chill down my spine. Right then, those few men had already reached me. As their lecherous countenances appeared before me, I became all the more terrified. ¡°This woman looks quite pretty, and she''s got an alluring figure as well.¡± ¡°Hear, hear. Look at her generous bosom and slender waist. It''ll definitely feel amazing when we do her later!¡± They started discussing my attributes, and all the words out of their mouth were downright revolting. Subsequently, one of the men reached out to touch my face. I immediately turned my face away to avoid his touch. ¡°Get lost! Don''t touch me!¡± Confronted by thosescivious men, I was gripped by the urge to curse them out right then and there. ¡°Whoa! She''s a feisty one! I like it!¡± ¡°It gets boring after doing docile women too many times, so this is a perfect opportunity for a change of pace!¡± ¡°It''s awkward to do her standing, guys. There''s a table over there, so let''s put her on that table.¡± One of the men pointed at the table a stone''s throw away as he spoke to the others. Upon hearing that, they untied me and dragged me to the table. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 I shoved at them hard in a bid to flee. However, a woman couldn''t possibly escape when confronted by a few men. No sooner had I pushed them away than I was caught again. ¡°Well, well... You still want to make a run for it, huh? Do you think you''ll seed?¡± One of the men clutched my shoulder, and his repulsive face gradually drew close to me. ¡°Get away from me, you b*stards!¡± Restrained by the men, I started cursing them out in my panic. Ugh! I''m so disgusted by these depraved men that I feel like vomiting with just a touch from them, let alone allowing them to do such a thing to me! ¡°I simply enjoy the spirited type like you! I really can''t wait to see you beg for mercy beneath us. Rest assured that I''ll grant you much pleasure!¡± Despite my struggles, the few men weren''t at all enraged. Instead, their interest in me grew by leaps and bounds. Their crudenguage had my face flushing bright red with anger. Nheless, all of my resistance then were in vain, for my puny strength couldn''t hurt them in the slightest. Where are you, Michael? Come quickly to save me! The few men then pushed me back onto the old and shabby table. Having done so, they all reached out and ripped at my wedding gown. ¡°No!¡± That wedding gown was the wedding gown I would be wearing for my wedding with Michael. As they tore at it, the agonizing pain that assailed me felt as though they were ripping my heart out. I struggled mightily, but two of the men restrained my hands. In the meantime, another man ripped my wedding gownyer byyer. I could no longer hold my tears at bay. Never had I been so aggrieved, afraid, and terrified as I was at that moment. How I wish Michael would appear before me right this second! I really need him to protect me! My wedding gown was all torn to ribbons, exposing my long and slender legs to the few men. Worse still, my upper body was almost bared with just the vital parts barely covered. Mortification, fury, and fear deluged me all at once. Tears welled in my eyes as well. Argh! If only I could kill them all right now! Truthfully, I had never hated someone as much as I did then. At that instance, the urge to ughter everyone there seized me. If they really defile me, I''ll never let them off regardless of the cost! When Anna saw that I was just a hair''s breadth away from being sullied, the corners of her mouth lifted into a sneer. I could distinctly see the triumph in her eyes. Good heavens! Her ruthlessness exceeds my imagination by far! How could there be such a vicious woman? ¡°She''s got a sensual figure, and her skin is also silky smooth. It''ll certainly be immensely gratifying when we do herter! I''m bursting at the seams to have a go at her right now!¡± The gaze of one of the men, who seemed to be the leader, wandered back and forth on my exposed skin. My heart sank upon noticing the thrill in their eyes as they gobbled me up with their stares. Resigning myself to my fate, I screwed my eyes shut. Before those few men, I hadn''t even the ability to break free and could only bear with it helplessly as they helped themselves to me. Just when I plunged into absolute despair, a loud bang pierced the air. It sounded like the crashing of a door. tion instantly flooded me. Could it be that someone hase to save me? Everyone present swung their gazes at the door in unison, only to be greeted by a tall figure. When I glimpsed the familiar face, I could no longer curb the grievance and terror within me. Tears streamed down my face like a broken dam. As for Emma, her expression promptly froze when she saw that the person was Michael. Fear flickered in her gaze. Michael swept a frigid gaze over the few people present. When his eyes alighted on me, rage instantly zed within them. ¡°Who did that?¡± My wedding gown was in tatters right then, exposing my skin here and there. If I hadn''t struggled so much, I would have probably ended up in my birthday suit. The few men were momentarily stunned by Michael''s sudden appearance. When they had snapped back to their senses, they exchanged a nce and were all instantly infuriated. ¡°Where did youe from, you b*stard? Are you sick of living?¡± Seeing that Michael interrupted their fun, the leader stalked toward him while cursing him out. Michael''s arrival had relief imbuing me. However, I couldn''t help growing anxious about him instead. The men there outnumbered him, so I was worried that he would get hurt. That was something I didn''t want to see. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Repeat that again!¡± Michael''s handsome countenance was frightfully grim. His eyes exuded a menacing chill, and his voice was icy cold. It was apparent he was on the verge of going off the deep end. ¡°Do you have a hearing problem or something? I don''t mind repeating that ten or even a hundred times! Are you sick of living, you... Ahh!¡± The man swaggered right up to Michael with an arrogant look on his face, not at all taking him seriously. Judging from his expression, he was even nning to teach Michael a lesson. He had just reached Michael when thetter flipped him over and locked his arm to his shoulder before he had even finished speaking. Michael restrained him in a single move and gave him no opportunity to put up a fight. Kicking the man in the waist, he sent him flying. With a thud, the man fell t onto the ground. When the others saw their leader being defeated in the blink of an eye, they were all staggered. They looked at each other nkly, at a momentary loss. From Michael''s move and strength, they could tell that he was trained in a single nce. Therefore, it might not be so easy for them to fight him. Honestly, I never knew that he had fighting skills. I was initially beside myself with worry, but my fraught nerves eased after seeing him subdue the man earlier. Meanwhile, the man who lost swiftly saw red when he saw his buddies looking at each other without doing anything. ¡°Why are the lot of you standing around? Didn''t you see that b*stard striking me? Hurry up and avenge me!¡± Following his bellow, the few men who were initially dazed exchanged another nce, upon which a savage gleam glinted in their eyes. They then strode toward Michael together. At the sight of the five or six men heading toward him, anxiety inexorably swamped me once more. Although his move just now was very impressive, I was still concerned about him sustaining injuries with so many men ganging up on him. ¡°Michael...¡± In fact, all the men around me were currently surrounding him. I called out his name uneasily, worried sick about him. If anything were to happen to him because he came to rescue me, I''d rather he not come instead. There was quite a distance between us, and my voice was a mere whisper. Nevertheless, Michael seemingly heard me, for he turned to me with anguish in his ebony eyes. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 ¡°I''ll make certain that every single person who hurt you pays the price!¡± Michael''s hands balled into fists with popping sounds, sounding rather bloodcurdling. When he shifted his gaze back to the men in front of him, the chilliness in his eyes turned increasingly pronounced, and I could even sense that he wanted to kill them. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. I had always harbored an inexplicable sense of faith in him. While he was facing so many people, I still couldn''t help trusting him after hearing his remark earlier. I believed in his capability and had every confidence that there was nothing he couldn''t resolve in this world. ¡°How impudent of you! You only got me because I was careless earlier! Now, I''m going to teach you a lesson!¡± snarled the man whom Michael defeated earlier. He stared into Michael''s eyes with resentment written all over his face, the fury within his eyes bursting into life once again. ¡°Well, that depends on whether you''ve got the ability to do so. Since you dared to make a move against my woman, you must pay a steep price!¡± With a tense face, Michael pinned his dark and ominous gaze on the few men before him while exuding a suffocating aura. The man probably didn''t expect him to have the guts to talk back when he was outnumbered, for he immediately went ballistic and barked at the men behind him, ¡°Why the hell are the lot of you still standing there, twiddling your thumbs? Get him! I want him to be pummeled to within an inch of his life!¡± As soon as his words rang out, the men behind him charged forward. They surrounded Michael and started raining punches upon him. My heart clenched tightly. Can he really fight so many people at once? A short distance away, Emma was likewise stricken as she hid in the corner when she saw the men hitting Michael. I knew that she had feelings for him and naturally didn''t want to see him hurt. But if she were to order them at such a time, his attention would undoubtedly shift to her. And once he realized that it was her doing, he would never let her off the hook. I initially thought that Michael would be hurt, but there wasn''t a hint of panic on his face despite a few men attacking him at the same time. He deftly dodged their attacks and struck them mercilessly. In doing so, he put a lot of strength into it and hit them at the weakest parts of the human body. Soon, the five or six men were all groaning on the ground, seemingly in excruciating agony. I had never seen him fight and had always thought that he was a mature man who would never do so. That day, however, gave me a new understanding of him. His look when he brawled had a feral allure compared to his usual aloofness. Even though I had just experienced such a horrific incident of having almost been vited, I was entirely at ease right then. Michael is so powerful that the men here aren''t his match at all. We''ll definitely be able to leave safely! There were still two men standing. One of them was the man who was first beaten by Michael. When he saw Michael defeating the few of them without sustaining any injuries, fear crept onto his face. ¡°I didn''t expect you to have such good fighting skills that you could beat a few of us alone. Anyhow, you shouldn''t be poking your nose into this when there''s no beef between us. If you leave now, I''ll just pretend that nothing ever happened. But if you want to continue making trouble here, we''re no easy prey either!¡± Upon seeing the unfavorable situation, the man wanted Michael to leave. Nheless, he couldn''t lower himself to say that, thus feigned benevolence. At that, a sneer tugged at Michael''s lips. Then, he proimed in an icy voice, ¡°If you don''t have Alzheimer''s, you should remember me saying that she''s my woman! Having made a move against my woman, you should be the ones begging for mercy!¡± His low and deep voice radiated arrogance, making it painfully clear that he wasn''t at all intimidated by the man before him. The man initially wanted to use that opportunity to recoup his dignity, but his gaze turned vicious again when Michael gave him no leave. ¡°It seems that you''re adamant about making an enemy of us. In that case, don''t me us for showing you no mercy!¡± After saying that, he whipped out a knife from his pocket and pointed it at Michael. His gaze was already colored with murder at that moment. The rest of the men got up from the ground, swaying on their feet. They, too, fished out knives from their pockets. From the look of things, they carried them around all the time. In the end, six or seven men pointed a knife at Michael. At that sight, I couldn''t help sucking in a breath. If they were merely fighting barehanded, Michael would only suffer a blow or two at most, even if he were injured. Now, however, they all have knives in their hands while Michael has no weapon. If he were shed by a knife, the consequences would be disastrous! With my heart in my throat, I kept my eyes firmly on the few men circling Michael, watching as the knife swiped past him every single time. Never had I been that afraid in my entire life. Verily, I was scared that something would happen to him. Though he''s extremely skilled, all who surround him now hold knives in their hands. Naturally, it was far more difficult for Michael to deal with them at present. They all rushed at him, but no fear showed on his face. Instead, his gaze turned all the colder. As he dodged their knives, he looked for opportunities to attack them. In that short time, the few men couldn''t inflict any injury on him either. At that precise moment, the leader threw a look at the man beside him. The man instantly understood his meaning and charged at Michael. Michael snorted, not in the least bit perturbed about the man. Turning his body sideways, he dodged the attack. In the next second, he grabbed the man''s wrist and twisted hard. A snap rang out, and the man''s arm was probably fractured. It was then that the leader seized the opportunity to stab Michael in the back. Fortunately, Michael reacted quickly and dodged. While he wasn''t wounded fatally, the knife sliced deeply across his arm. ¡°Michael!¡± As the blood gushing out of Michael''s arm ran down his hand in rivulets and dripped onto the floor, I cried out his name in agony. At that very moment, it felt as though the knife stabbed me through the heart. I struggled up from the table to rush over to him and check the severity of his injury. ¡°Stay back!¡± Michael seemed to have noticed my intention, for his brows furrowed even as he bellowed that to me. At once, I stood frozen to the spot, aware that he was worried that I would be in danger if I were to go over. At the same time, it would only hold him back since he would have to divide his attention to protect me. Regardless, I felt truly difited to see blood flowing down his arm and dripping down his fingers. If it weren''t for me, he wouldn''t have gotten hurt! This is all my fault! Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Sheer guilt and regret weighed me down as I took the me upon myself. It''s all because of me that Michael is injured! ¡°Hah! You can''t even protect yourself right now, yet you''re still concerned about that woman?¡± A sneer manifested on the face of the leader when he saw that Michael was still worried about me at such a time. And now that Michael was injured, he wasn''t afraid of him anymore. ¡°Do you think that you can really defeat me with just the lot of you? You''vepletely pissed me off!¡± Michael''s jet-ck eyes were turbulent, and the coldness in them rendered him just like Grim Reaper in the dead of night. With just a single look at him, one''s blood would inevitably run cold. Upon hearing his brazen remark, the men''s expression changed. But still, they didn''t respond further to that. Michael maintained his silence as well. He bent slightly and picked up a knife from the ground. Then, he stood there quietly while exuding a wintry aura all over. ¡°Why have you all stopped? Go and get him!¡± the leader roared at the men behind him when he saw that his men were all stunned. At that moment, I glimpsed a sh of panic on his face. They had been fighting for a long time earlier, but he only managed to graze Michael by sneaking up on him. Hence, he started worrying that he wouldn''t be able to wound him anymore now that Michael had a knife in hand. Michael''s gaze was exceedingly chilly. Striding right up to them while avoiding their knives, he stabbed the knife into their arms instead. His incensed expression was both ferocious and bloodthirsty. Right then, he stabbed them without an ounce of mercy. Despite that, he still acted with his sanity intact and ensured that it wouldn''t be fatal. In no time, several men were all inflicted with stab wounds from Michael''s knife while Michael''s hand was also covered in blood. The meny on the ground, groaning incessantly. Michael then shifted his gaze to the leader, who was the only one still standing. Thereafter, he drew closer to him step by step. By then, the man had realized that Michael was not one to be trifled with and kept backing away while trembling violently. Meanwhile, I was presently rooted to the spot. Michael''s brutal and unflinching action earlier shocked me greatly and even struck a modicum of fear within me. As far as I knew, he was at most apathetic and callous. For that reason, I began feeling as though I didn''t understand him all that well after seeing him stabbing someone else without any hesitation. ¡°S-Stay away from me!¡± The leader was scared out of his wits, and he was even stuttering as he spoke. Nevertheless, Michael ignored him entirely and continued prowling toward the man. The knife in hisThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. hand was still dripping blood and appeared particrly gruesome. At that instance, the leader had already reached my side. A cold gleam flickered in his eyes. In the next second, he swiftly raced over to me and ced his knife against my neck. ¡°Stay away! If you continue walking over, I''ll kill this woman!¡± he threatened coldly with his eyes trained on Michael''s tall figure. However, there was a trace of trepidation in his voice. While I was still spacing out earlier, terror instantly inundated me when I sensed the cold de of the knife at my neck. I never thought that he would dare hold me hostage. When Michael saw that, his gaze stilled. Right on the heels of that, the rage in his eyes became a zing inferno. ¡°Try hurting her again if you dare!¡± Michael''s hand tightened around the knife, and his voice grew all the more cial. ¡°You care about her a lot, right? I''ll kill her if youe any closer! I''m not your match anyway, so I''ll just drag her down with me!¡± The hand of the man who had a knife to my neck was shaking, betraying his fear that it wouldn''t work on Michael though he was holding me hostage. ¡°You''d better let me go. If I die, your death will definitely be even more ghastly. Michael will never let you and your family off the hook if anything happens to me. You should know his influence full well!¡± It was likely that no one in the whole of Avenport was a stranger to Michael''s name. Everyone was aware of his power and knew that offending him would result in spending the rest of their days in abject misery. ¡°Michael? Are you saying that he''s Michael Shaw?¡± After hearing Michael''s name, the expression of the man holding me hostage grew increasingly terrified. He gaped at Michael in disbelief, seemingly contemting the veracity of my im. ¡°You dared to kidnap me when you had no idea who he was? You''re really ballsy. Are you sick of living?¡± I remarked, enduring the terror within me. The look in the man''s eyes turned progressively horrified as he stared at Michael. Seeing that, I knew that my words had worked. Mounting frantic showed in his expression. By then, he was already certain that the man standing in front of him was Michael and knew that it certainly wouldn''t end well for him after having offended the man. Nheless, he no longer had a way out. A myriad of expressions flickered across his face, but he promptly regained hisposure. At the same time, the knife at my neck dug deeper. Sensing a stinging pain, I knew that he must have cut me. The moment Michael saw blood on my neck, murder brewed in his eyes as he regarded the man. ¡°How dare you hurt my woman? I''ll make certain that you pay the price!¡± Michael wanted to rush forward after saying that, but I was still being held hostage by the man. Unsurprisingly, the man''s confidence also skyrocketed. ¡°Okay, I''ll just take your woman with me! Oh yes, I even heard that she''s pregnant. As such, I''ll also have her baby keep herpany in the afterlife!¡± He knew that he would never be rid of Michael. Even if he could escape that day, he would have to spend the rest of his life in hiding. Thus, he decided to go all out with Michael. Once again, Michael halted in his tracks. Of course, he wasn''t afraid of the man but the possibility that the man would hurt me. Just when I thought that he was going to capitte, someone abruptly kicked the man, sending him flying a great distance away. The knife in his hand was also tossed away. My eyes went wide in shock, and I was at a total loss. But as soon as I spotted Ronan behind me, I immediately understood what had happened. Phew! It''s fortunate that he came in time and ambushed the man from behind. Otherwise, Michael would be at an infinite stalemate with him. When the man crashed to the ground, Michael strode up to him and stomped his shiny leather shoes on his hand. Hearing the sound of bones snapping, I knew he must have ced a tremendous amount of force into it. A wail erupted from the man''s throat, and he tried his best to pry Michael''s leg with his other hand in a bid to ease the agony in his hand. s, he had already inmed Michael through and through just now. Hence, Michael wouldn''t possibly let him off so easily. In the next second, the knife in his hand pierced the man''s palm. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 At once, the man howled in agony. When I saw that bloody scene, my heart lurched, and I grew unsteady on my feet. I had never witnessed such a violent fight or seen Michael acting so ruthlessly. With some lingering fear within me, I peeked at the man who was wailing incessantly on the ground. All color drained from my face. An ordinary woman would definitely be stricken at such a bloody scene, and I was no different. Behind me, Ronan hastily went over to me and shielded my eyes when he noticed my pale face and trembling body. ¡°Don''t look.¡± His voice was incredibly gentle. I knew that he was afraid that I would be scared, but I had already seen everything earlier. Therefore, it was toote for him to utter such a remark then. I merely stood there without saying a single word. I didn''t know what to say at that moment, and I was already shell-shocked since I had never experienced such a thing. Only after dropping his hold on the man did Michael head toward me. By then, I had long since removed Ronan''s hand from my eyes. When he glimpsed the blood on my neck after having gotten to me, anguish brimmed in his ebony eyes. The chilliness in his gaze previously had long since vanished without a trace. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± His voice was a tad hoarse, yet it inexplicably filled me with a sense of warmth. Although his actions just now were extremely cruel, I knew that he only acted thus to save me. Considering the situation back then, we wouldn''t have been able to get out of here alive if he hadn''t wounded those men. ¡°I''m fine. How are you doing? Your arm was injured earlier.¡± Recalling the knife grazing across Michael''s arm, I started growing worried. I hurriedly lifted his arm to check the injury. A cut of more than ten centimeters marred his arm. It was still bleeding right then and appeared rather horrifying. ¡°I''m fine. It''s just a paltry wound that will be healed in a few days.¡± Despite his verbal ims of being fine, I could tell that the wound must be exceedingly painful from the slight crease of his brows. It''s such a long gash that bled a lot, so it surely hurts! As he only got injured while saving me, the guilt within me ballooned. Throwing myself into his arms, I started sobbing. I really thought that I was going to be ruined today! If he hadn''t shown up, I probably wouldn''t even have the courage to continue living! Michael stiffened for a moment before he hugged me tightly in return. Beside me, Ronan lowered his eyes in dejection at the sight of us locked in an embrace and turned his face away. After crying my heart out, I wiggled out of Michael''s arms. Since Michael''s hands were covered in blood, he didn''t wipe my tears for me. Nheless, I could sense his distress from the look in his eyes. He must be feeling exceedingly guilty as well that such an incident befell me today. Sniffling, I perfunctorily wiped my tears with the back of my hand and shed him a smile to reassure him that I was well. Only then did Michael''s heart that had been lodged in his throat finally settle back into his chest. Subsequently, his gaze fixated on Emma a near distance away. Hiding in the corner, she trembled violently, probably also traumatized by the bloody scene earlier. Michael dropped his hold on me and walked toward her. The moment he caught sight of her, his gaze had turned cial once more. He was an incredibly astute person, so he naturally understood the significance of Emma''s presence there. At the thought of everything she did, his eyes radiated a dangerous aura as he stalked toward her step by step. Emma, on the other hand, trembled even more violently when she noticed the look in his eyes. Besides, his hands were currently coated in blood. Any woman would be terrified to behold that. Right then, Ronan returned to my side. Something seemed to have urred to him when he saw my tattered gown, upon which his gaze darkened. Slipping off his jacket, he draped it over me. He usually wasn''t too fond of dressing formally, so I reckoned that he was probably wearing a suit jacket that day to attend my wedding with Michael. Truth be told, I didn''t really want to ept his jacket. However, I had no choice but to relent since my gown was currently all torn, exposing much of me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I shed him a faint smile and thanked him. ¡°There''s no need to stand on ceremony with me. I was truly scared witless when I heard that you''d been abducted. I''m d you''re fine. Otherwise, I''d surely grieve for the rest of my life.¡± When Ronan spoke of my kidnapping, his gaze remained haunted with lingering fear. I could distinctly feel his concern for me, yet it had already gone beyond the boundaries of friendship. I knew that his feelings for me hadn''t changed though he didn''t verbalize it. s, I had no way of reciprocating his feelings as Michael was the only person who upied the space in my heart. Dipping my head, I cidly murmured, ¡°I''m fine.¡± Ronan could probably tell that I didn''t want to hear such words, for he didn''t say anything further despite looking a touch disappointed. By then, Michael had already reached Emma. He bore his cold eyes into hers, chilliness emanating from his ebony eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡± He looked down at her as he spoke in an interrogative tone. He had already surmised the truth, yet he was still questioning her. Emma''s fear multiplied the more he acted in such a manner. ¡°I... I...¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. She gazed into his eyes in a panic and wanted to absolve herself of all responsibility, but she couldn''t even utter a single word. Her supercilious and pompous demeanor toward me earlier was gone without a trace. At that instance, guilt was all that was left within her. ¡°Emma, you''ve been challenging my patience time and again! And you''re now so ballsy that you even dared to kidnap my woman!¡± Michael''s chest heaved with rage when he received no response from her after an eternity. It was ringly obvious that he was forcefully suppressing his wrath at that moment. ¡°Let me exin, Michael. It''s not what you think. I really didn''t want to do this at first. I just wanted to...¡± Emma rushed forward and grabbed Michael''s hand, no longer having the presence of mind to bother about the fact that his hand was covered in blood. All she wanted was to quickly justify herself to him. ¡°It''s not what I think? Are you trying to y me for a fool?¡± Michael was an inordinately shrewd person. As such, he could tell at a single nce that those men were working for her. Furthermore, they weren''t local. Otherwise, they would have known about my rtionship with him with a few well-ced inquiries. And in the whole of Avenport, no one would dare make a move against his woman. ¡°I''m sorry, Michael. Please don''t be angry with me, okay? I just wanted to teach her a lesson. I really didn''t expect things to get so bad.¡± Emma clutched at Michael''s hand tightly. Even then, she harbored no remorse and hadn''t yet given up on him. Hearing her words, I couldn''t help sneering. Hah! Things have already gotten to this, yet she''s still denying her role in this! Chapter 319 Chapter 319 ¡°Emma, I''ve long since told you that my patience is limited. Yet, you challenged my bottom line again and again. This time, you''ve pissed me offpletely!¡± Michael forcefully shook off Emma''s hand. The look in his eyes as he regarded her was cold and indifferent. He never had any feelings for her, and the only thing he felt toward her was repugnance. Emma could sense his wrath from his tone, and her gaze turned even more frantic. I could clearly see that she was trembling. ¡°Michael, it''s really not what you think! I only did such a thing because I love you too much. I know I''m wrong, so please forgive me this once, okay? I promise that this will never again happen in the future!¡± Emma''s expression froze for a moment as she stared at the hand Michael shook off. Although Michael was downright callous in his words, she continued begging him endlessly. She''s always high and mighty, yet she''s forever this lowly before him. Perhaps her love for him is real. However, the fact that she would do such a despicable thing just to have him proves that she''s a selfish woman through and through. The incident whereby she ordered those few men to sully me earlier was still vivid in my mind. If Michael hadn''t shown up in time, I would''ve ended up being debased by those men. Therefore, no one would believe in her love when she could do such a reprehensible thing despite being a woman herself. I walked over to Michael and eyed Emma coldly. Regardless of whether her love for him is real, my hatred of her had already gone bone-deep when she instructed those few men to force themselves on me. I''ll never forgive her for using such a deplorable method on me when she''s a woman herself! ¡°So, you''re regretting it now, Emma? Then, why did you not hesitate in the slightest when you ordered those men to vite me just now?¡± I pinned my frosty gaze on her, the words out of my mouth undoubtedly intensifying her culpability before Michael. When Michael heard the word ¡°vite,¡± his gaze turned chilly, and his eyes glinted dangerously. Of course, Emma knew that my remark would only infuriate Michael and put the nail in the coffin of her obtaining Michael''s forgiveness. No sooner had my words rang out than she shrieked, ¡°Stop spouting nonsense here, Anna! It was those men who wanted to vite you! It had nothing to do with me! Why are you shoving the me on me?¡± Emma shot daggers as though she had suffered a great injustice. If I hadn''t heard and seen it with my own eyes, I would even doubt whether I was ming her wrongly. However, the scene whereby she threatened me with a knife and even filmed those few men helping themselves to me with her phone remained distinctively engraved in my mind. ¡°Do you think there''s any use even if you were to deny it now? The men are still here, so why don''t we ask them who the mastermind was?¡± Snorting, I threw her a disdainful look. Does she really think denial will still work now? There are many of them here, and they''re all aware of Michael''s influence now. Hence, they wouldn''t dare lie. Sure enough, Emma''s expression changed after hearing that. She went silent and red at me with hatred etched on her face. Right then, she was definitely seized by the urge to kill me. ¡°Do you really have to be so ruthless, Anna?¡± After a lengthy silence, she finally hissed those words out through gritted teeth, her expression wintry. Her hands clenched into fists, and the loathing in her eyes grew all the more pronounced. Conversely, I didn''t care whether she detested me. I''ve endured the many things she did to me in the past, but this time, she actually wanted to do such a despicable thing to me. As such, I will not take it lying down anymore! ¡°Ruthless? Emma, I didn''t take you to task even though you targeted me time and again, hurting me in various ways. Yet, you still dare to make such a im? You know what? My patience is limited. Today, you even wanted to hurt me and the baby I''m carrying. This time, I won''t forgive you no matter what!¡± I''ll never let anyone who threatens the safety of my child off the hook! No matter what it takes, I want her to bear the consequences of her actions! In the past, Emma never took my threats seriously. This time, however, she was a tad afraid since Michael was there. Her gaze teemed with panic as she glowered at me, a hint of hatred shining through. I took a deep breath and tried my utmost best to suppress the anger burning within me since it wasn''t good for the baby in my stomach. Argh! If it weren''t for the sake of my child''s safety, I really want to rush forward and rip her pretentious face to ribbons! ¡°Michael, can you really bring yourself to hurt me when I love you so much? Besides, I sacrificed a lot because of you. I just want you to spare me a look. Is that too much to ask for?¡± Emma was also a quick-witted person. Knowing that I would never forgive her that day, she turned her attention back to Michael after shooting me a hateful look. As men had a weakness to women''s fragility, she wanted to put on a feeble act before him so that his heart would soften for her. Regretfully, Michael had never been soft-hearted toward her. He merely looked at her coldly with repugnance in his eyes. ¡°Emma, you must pay the price since you made a move against my woman!¡± he asserted cially. Without sparing her another nce, he bent down and scooped me up before striding away. I was initially startled by the sudden bridal carry. When I recalled that his arm was injured, anxiety instantly swamped me. ¡°Put me down, Michael! Your arm is injured, and it''ll only bleed even more if you carry me!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. While the cut on his arm isn''t fatal, it must be very deep since it bled so profusely! Thus, I was worried that his injury would worsen from carrying me. ¡°It''s just a paltry wound, so don''t worry about it.¡± Michael headed out with me in his arms, not at all bothered about my concern. In fact, it was as though he wasn''t the one injured. It''s such a deep wound that''s still bleeding, yet he doesn''t even grimace. I wonder if he doesn''t feel any pain. ¡°But your wound is still bleeding...¡± Although Michael didn''t seem to be in pain, I still couldn''t help worrying. ¡°There''s a cut on your neck, so I''m sending you to the hospital first.¡± Michael threw me a disgruntled look, making it clear as day that he wasn''t going to put me down. When he nced at the cut on my neck, anguish again manifested in his eyes. Since he had already said as much, I could only nestle in his arms quietly and luxuriate in the warmth of his embrace. My heart was still hammering wildly at the sight of him going all out to save me just now. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 It''s only during the critical times that I realize how important I am to him! I wrapped my arms around Michael''s neck, feeling touched then. At that very moment, I felt that everything was worth it to be with him for the rest of my days. Ronan followed behind us, and his gaze dimmed when he saw me snuggling into Michael''s arms with bliss written all over my face. I knew that he was feeling dejected, but I only wanted to be with Michael. Meanwhile, Emma stood frozen to the spot with her face drained of all color, saying nary a word further. While Michael didn''t do anything to her then, considering his character, I believed that he wouldn''t let her off easily this time because she had gone past his bottom line. When we climbed into Michael''s car, his arm was still bleeding. I looked at him in distress, wishing that I was the one injured instead. Seeing him injured while saving me, I was even more devastated than if that knife had grazed me. Ronan drove behind our car, and we headed straight for the hospital. It wasn''t until the doctor cut off Michael''s shirt and revealed his arm did I see how bad the injury was. The cut was at least ten centimeters long and was very deep. The doctor even said that it almost hurt the tendon, cleaning the wound with antiseptic while treating it. At the same time, another doctor treated the cut on my neck. When he cleaned the injury with antiseptic, stinging pain assailed me. My injury is insignificant, yet it''s already unbearably painful. I really don''t know how Michael can bear the excruciating agony when the cut on his arm is so deep. Michael sat there expressionlessly, merely allowing the doctor to clean and suture his wound. From beginning to end, he didn''t make a single sound. However, I could sense that he was holding himself in check from the sweat dotting his forehead. When I was done, I went over to him and grasped his other hand. I looked at him in anguish, words eluding me. ¡°I messed up this time. I promise that such an incident will never happen again in the future.¡± Michael''s gaze stopped on the gauze on my neck. Then, he stared into my eyes and enunciated that solemnly. In the face of his promise, my heart skipped a beat. I didn''t say anything, merely nodding seriously. For some inexplicable reason, I was actually rather d that such an incident transpired. If Emma hadn''t kidnapped me, I wouldn''t have known how important I am to him. I''d always thought that he merely likes me, but I''m now certain that he loves me! Throughout it all, Ronan remained by our side silently. At the sight of our intimacy, he appeared rather despondent though he didn''t make it obvious. After all, he knew that it wasn''t the time for that. ¡°The incident this time was Emma''s doing. How are you nning to handle it?¡± he subsequently questioned. He trained his eyes on Michael, and his expression seemed rather gloomy, which was a sharp contrast from his usual sunny disposition. ¡°This time, I''m not going to let her off so easily anymore.¡± Hearing Ronan''s question, Michael balled his hands into fists as wrath manifested on his face once more. I knew that Emma had enraged him to the point of no return. He had been turning a blind eye to the paltry matters in the past, but considering the severity of the incident this time, his character dictated that he wouldn''t let the matter rest. ¡°Just tell me if you need my help.¡± Ronan''s gaze shifted from his face to me after having obtained his answer before saying that in an impassive voice. I knew that Ronan also wanted to get involved in the matter, but I didn''t really want him to do so for my sake. It was unfair to embroil him into our affairs since I wouldn''t be able to reciprocate no matter how much he did for me. ¡°I''ll settle this matter by myself.¡± Michael naturally understood why Ronan wanted to get involved in such a matter. He fixated his complicated gaze on him for a brief moment before saying that cidly. Ronan didn''t insist further after his offer was turned down. However, I could tell that he was truly crestfallen then. While I felt a smidge guilty, I reckoned that it was the best for him. I didn''t want to see him fall even deeper while I couldn''t do anything about it. When we were having our wounds treated at the hospital, Michael''s secretary delivered a set of clothes over since the wedding gown on me was already ripped into pieces and appeared extremely revealing. After I had changed, Michael was also done having his wound bandaged. I then returned the jacket Ronan draped over me earlier. ¡°Thank you, Ronan.¡± Verily, I was incredibly grateful that he suddenly appeared and saved me that day. If he hadn''t appeared out of the blue and sneaked up on the man who was holding me at knifepoint, Michael probably wouldn''t have been able to liberate me so easily. Furthermore, it was exceedingly dangerous there, so I was truly touched that he woulde to my rescue at the risk of his life. ¡°Why are you being such a stranger to me? Didn''t you say back then that we''re friends forever?¡± Ronan shed me a bitter smile when I thanked him. His gaze dimmed as well, perchance feeling perturbed by my distant tone. ¡°Of course, I''ve got to thank you since you risked your life to save me today.¡± In truth, I instinctively wanted to keep a distance from him as I didn''t want him to do so much for me or sacrifice too much for my sake. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Anna, do we really have to be such strangers? Can''t we return to how we were in the past?¡± Looking into my eyes, Ronan chuckled wryly, sounding rather forlorn. Dismay inundated me to see him in such a state, yet I didn''t know how tofort him and was at a loss for words. All I wanted to do then was to shy away. ¡°I''m done here, so let''s go,¡± Michael said to me casually after walking out of the examination room. His sudden appearance rattled me, for I wasn''t quite sure whether he heard my conversation with Ronan just now. He''s an incredibly possessive man, so he''ll definitely be angry if he overheard our exchange. I cautiously studied his expression, only to see his gaze stilling on Ronan''s face for a moment before shifting away. At that, I breathed a sigh of relief, concluding that he hadn''t heard our conversation. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Walking over to him, I took his arm. As Ronan stared at our linked arms, his gaze darkened. But still, he didn''t say anything in the end. After we were done having our wounds bandaged at the hospital, Michael drove me back to the Shaw residence. Due to my abduction that day, the wedding was ruined, causing a tremendous negative impact on the Shaw family. Michael''s wedding was wrecked twice, so there was no news more explosive than that. Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Subsequently, Michael brought me to the Shaw residence. As soon as we stepped into the living room, everyone in the Shaw family was sitting there, awaiting our return. A sense of solemnity hung in the air. Michael''s grandfather was sitting at the center with a grave expression on his face. Josephine, on the other hand, wore a livid expression when she spotted me. Conversely, Lincoln''s expression was indifferent, his emotions indecipherable. ¡°Michael, you''re finally back! Do you know how worried I was?¡± Josephine hurried over to Michael and looked at him with anxiety written all over her face. ¡°I''m fine. Look, am I not perfectly well now?¡± Although she always picked on me, her concern for him was genuine. The look in her eyes as she gazed at him brimmed with worry. ¡°I heard that you encountered the bunch of kidnappers. Were you injured? Quick, let me look you over!¡± She was still fretful despite seeing that he had returned safe and sound, thus hastily checking him over. Hiss! Michael sucked in a breath when she inadvertently touched the wound on his arm, his expression crumpling slightly. ¡°Oh my goodness, what is it? What happened?¡± Seeing that, Josephine was so stricken that she swiftly dropped her hands. The anxiety in her gaze mounted. ¡°Michael was grazed by the kidnapper while saving me. We just came back from bandaging our wounds at the hospital just now.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. When Michael said nothing, I told her about him having been injured by the kidnapper earlier. ¡°What? Grazed? Are you okay, Michael? Is it serious? And does the wound still hurt?¡± The moment Josephine heard that Michael was injured, a frantic light entered her eyes. Her gaze turned teary as she scrutinized him. ¡°I''m fine. It''s just a paltry wound.¡± Michael shook his head in exasperation at her frantic expression. Andy and Lincoln likewise regarded him with distress etched on their faces then though it wasn''t as tant as Josephine. It was a long time before Josephine finally regained herposure after Michael''s reassurance. In the next second, she turned to me. Before I even knew what was happening, a crisp p split the air, and a heavy palmnded on my cheek. I was still dazed, only sensing a stinging pain on my face. Her p was entirely beyond my expectation. Lifting my head, I gaped at her, not quite believing that she actually hit me, and without any warning to boot. ¡°Mom! What are you doing!¡± Michael didn''t expect his mother to raise her hand against me either. When the shock on his face faded, fury followed right on its heels. He glowered at Josephine with utter chagrin on his face. However, Josephine ignored him. Her attention was wholly focused on me. ¡°This is all because of you! You''re simply a jinx! Ever since Michael got acquainted with you, nothing ever went smoothly in his life! Also, allowing you to marry into the Shaw family will just bring about the ruination of our family!¡± She red at me furiously, steam almosting out of her ears. In the face of her condemnations, my face paled at once. I was downright aggrieved, yet I couldn''t even utter a single word in rebuttal. For a moment, I was stunned at her incandescent look. ¡°What are you saying, Mom?¡± Josephine nced at my pale face before she shifted her gaze to Michael with a peeved look in her eyes. Her voice also turned much colder than before. ¡°Did you not hear me? Ever since you got involved with her, things haven''t been going well for our family. And now, you even got injured on your wedding day! Tell me what this means, then!¡± Michael''s rebuke did not work on her at all. Instead, she grew increasingly angry. The look in her eyes made it clear that she would kick me out right away if possible. ¡°That has nothing to do with her.¡± Michael''s expression was frosty, and his gaze radiated displeasure. ¡°What exactly is wrong with you now, Michael? You''ve gone against me multiple times because of her. You''ve never done this in the past! Are you nning to abandon your own mother after having her in your life?¡± Michael had defended me too much in front of Josephine recently when she wasn''t fond of me in the first ce. And after such a huge incident happened, she naturally pushed all the me on me. At his mother''s unreasonable demeanor, Michael''s face turned terrifyingly grim. Anyhow, she was still his mother, so he chose to put up with it as much as he could though she had gone overboard in her speech. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom. I know many things that transpiredtely have to do with me, and I also know that you must be extremely angry right now. I''m really sorry as well. I promise that such a thing will never happen again. I''ll never allow Michael to be injured because of me anymore.¡± While I was rather upset at having been pped for no reason, I still looked at her apologetically and made her that promise. As I felt guilty about Michael having been injured so badly because of me, I wasn''t all that vexed about her p. ¡°Don''t call me that! I''ve never acknowledged you as my daughter-inw! Besides, the wedding today was half-done, so you''re not part of the Shaw family yet! Or do you think a mere apology is enough? Michael sustained such a severe injury to save you, yet it''s only worth an apology from you?¡± Josephine couldn''t be bothered about my apology, and the words out of her mouth remained as sharp as ever. Worse still, her refusal to acknowledge me as her daughter-inw had sorrow deluging me. ¡°You''re going too far, Mom!¡± Beside me, Michael kept his eyes glued to Josephine''s face. His chest heaved with rage. Nheless, he was still keeping a tight rein on his emotions since she was his mother at the end of the day. ¡°You''re still siding with her now, Michael? Look at how much you''ve changed! You don''t even seem to be my son anymore! What''s more, such an incident has happened time and again because of her!¡± Josephine''s expression turned increasingly darker the more Michael spoke up on my behalf. Right then, she had even transferred her anger to him. Michael used to be an exceedingly mature and stable person who had everything under his control. But ever since he made my acquaintance, there had been countless incidents. Therefore, it was understandable that Josephine was saying such a thing about me though it was still hurtful to hear. ¡°As I said, this has nothing to do with her. She''s my woman, and I''ve got the responsibility to protect her. Or was I supposed to sit around and twiddle my thumbs when my woman had been kidnapped?¡± Michael roared, likewise foaming at the mouth then. His eyes had long since started zing with fury as he stared at Josephine. Although he had defended me many times before her in the past, he had never spoken so loudly. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Despite feeling all mushy that Michael chose to defend me then, I was scared that Josephine would abhor me more than ever. ¡°Do you still consider me your mother, Michael? Do you know that I''m only doing this for your own good? She''ll only hold you back if she stays by your side!¡± Josephine glowered at Michael crossly, so incensed that she trembled all over. After all, he had probably never spoken to her in such a tone. Just when Michael was about to speak further, a booming shout rang out from his grandfather, who was sitting in the center with fury written all over his face. Following his bellow, the living room instantly plunged into silence. Even Josephine didn''t dare utter a single word further. Meanwhile, I lowered my head in a timid pose. He liked me very much in the beginning, but the wedding today was marred by my kidnapping, and I even caused Michael to sustain an injury. Thus, I''m not quite sure how he feels about me now. Is he starting to hate me like Josephine? ¡°Michael was right. Anna is his woman now, so he ought to protect her as a man. That''s his responsibility even if it means his life, much less this paltry injury!¡± Andy''s remark stunned everyone there, including me. I initially thought that he would be extremely upset with me to see that Michael suffered an injury while saving me since thetter was his only grandson, but that wasn''t the case at all. His words really touched me. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was siding with me. However, Josephine instantly got up in arms the moment his words rang out. She jerked her head up and gaped at him in shock, looking all chagrined. ¡°What are you saying, Dad? Michael is your only grandson! What if something happens to him? How could you say that?¡± She looked at him irately. Nevertheless, she was no longer as worked up as when she spoke due to the man''s authority. ¡°He''s a man, so it''s his responsibility to protect his own woman! If he''s an irresponsible man, then I''d rather not have such an heir!¡± Andy had always been a reasonable person. Even after hearing her words, he still regarded her calmly and asserted that coldly. Josephine wanted to argue further, but she could only swallow the words on the tip of her tongue at the sharp look in his eyes. Lincoln, on the other hand, had been silent. He didn''t say anything, seemingly maintaining a neutral stance. However, his subsequentment made me feel that he was inclined toward Michael inwardly. ¡°All right, that''s enough. Michael isn''t a child anymore. He knows his boundaries, so don''t meddle in his affairs.¡± Walking over to her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and headed upstairs. After having been chastised by Andy, Josephine kept herself in check regardless of her dissatisfaction with me. Throwing me a chilly look, she then went upstairs. I couldn''t help feeling miserable as I stared at her disappearing back though she didn''t say anything further in front of Andy, aware that I had brought Michael much trouble. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. I hung my head, guilt percting within me. I even started wondering whether I should really stay with Michael. ¡°Anna, don''t take her words earlier to heart. Don''t worry, for you''re my granddaughter-inw as long as I''m alive!¡± Andy dered firmly, looking right into my eyes. In that family, he was the only person who supported me being with Michael unconditionally other than Michael himself. My nose stung, and words couldn''t describe how moved I was by his statement. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa.¡± Sniffling, I forced a smile. ¡°Grandpa, this incident was Emma''s doing. This time, I n to resolve it once and for all!¡± At that precise moment, Michael went over to Andy. As he spoke, his expression turned cold. When Andy heard that the incident had to do with Emma, his brows furrowed deeply, indicating that he was also enraged. ¡°She''s too devious. I objected even back when you were with her, and it now seems that my judgment back then was urate.¡± With just that nonchnt statement, Andy rejected Emma. One could tell that he didn''t like her. He then continued, ¡°It''s good that you n to do so. If you don''t resolve this once and for all, something else might happen again in the future.¡± I had no idea what Michael wanted to do about it. All I knew was that he wouldn''t let her off easily this time. Also, it was clear that Andy was very indulgent of Michael, giving him permission without even asking him what he wanted to do. All of a sudden, I felt that he was the most sensible person in the family. ¡°That''s settled, then. I''ll bring Anna home first. I''ll hold a press conference to exin the half-done wedding, while the wedding itself will be postponed for a few days.¡± Too many things had happened that day that the average person would have long since panicked. However, things were different with Michael. He took care of everything in an orderly manner. ¡°Both of you are injured, so go back and rest earlier.¡± Andy didn''t persuade us to stay either but gestured us to leave with a wave of his hand. Getting to his feet, Michael came over to me. Right then, I was still feeling rather dismal because of Josephine''s words. He took my hand, and the warmth from his hand made me feel much better. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Michael shed me a faint smile and walked out while grasping my hand. Sitting in his car, I remained silent since I didn''t know what to say then. After all, in Michael''s bid to rescue me, his arm was still wrapped in a thickyer of gauze. My gaze remained fixated on his arm, and my heart felt heavy. ¡°When we reach hometer, take a shower and rest.¡± Michael turned to me, his voice tender. ¡°Michael, do you regret being with me after I have brought you so much trouble?¡± I asked after a long silence, turning and staring at him solemnly. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? You''re my woman. Right now, I only me myself for not having protected you well.¡± My question had Michael frowning in displeasure, and his gaze radiated ire as he regarded me. ¡°Do you truly not regret it? If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have gotten injured. And because of me, yourpany must also be in hot water, no?¡± Those from the elite sses always garner a lot of attention when they marry, so having a kidnapping case during the wedding must have damaged his image tremendously. ¡°Anna, do you believe that I''ll seal your mouth now if you continue to overthink things?¡± When I staunchly pursued that question, the crease on Michael''s alluring brows deepened, and a spark of anger stained his gaze. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Noticing that Michael seemed a tad angry, I knew that he didn''t want me to speak about that anymore. He has never med me, and the guilt within me is entirely my problem. I lowered my head without saying anything further. Nevertheless, I still felt uneasy. Recalling everything that had happened recently, I was troubled and felt as though I really was a jinx. A lot of things happened to him ever since he got acquainted with me. ¡°Michael¡ª¡± At longst, I still couldn''t resist opening my mouth to speak. But before I had even finished speaking, I sensed a warm sensation on my lips. Without me realizing it, Michael had already captured my lips. My eyes widened in astonishment, and my heart pounded wildly. At that moment, I had all but forgotten what I wanted to say. Michael''s handsome face was mere inches away from me, and I felt as though I was being drawn into his jet-ck eyes as I stared into them. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Michael only wanted to shut me up, so the kiss wasn''t the slightest bit passionate. Still, my heart hammered wildly. I''ve been with him for such a long time, yet I still can''t help feeling nervous every time he draws close to me. People say that one will get ustomed as time passes and grow sick of the other person, but the feeling he gives me is different every single time. It makes me addicted. A long time passed before Michael finally let me go. He opened his eyes and looked at me. ¡°Listen here carefully, Anna. You only need to stay by my side obediently. No matter what happens, let me resolve it.¡± His words sounded like an order, so domineering that it left no room for demurral. However, it was precisely his unquestionable tone that made me fall even deeper for him. I''d be lying if I were to im that I''m not moved. In all my years, no one has ever sacrificed so much for me or shielded me behind him no matter what happens. ¡°Thank you, Michael.¡± My nose stung, and my eyes grew burned. Yet, I curved my lips into a smile as I gazed at him. ¡°In the future, you''re not allowed to call me by my name anymore!¡± I thought Michael would hug me and cuddle me upon hearing that as he did in the past. Unexpectedly, he didn''t do that. He eyed me in disgruntlement instead. ¡°Why? How am I going to address you if not by name?¡± Truly, his remark bewildered me. I''ve been calling him by name all along, and he never corrected me. What''s wrong with him today that he''s suddenly dissatisfied with my address of him? Sure enough, men''s thoughts are unfathomable. ¡°Of course, you''re to call me ''Hubby.'' Why would you still be calling me by name when you''re now my wife?¡± Michael smirked devilishly. While he spoke, he deliberately drew close to me, so much so that I could even sense the beguiling aura he exuded. Upon hearing that, my face instantly flushed bright red. I regarded him in embarrassment, for I had never called anyone ¡°Hubby¡± in the twenty over years of my life. ¡°Our wedding is still half-done, so I''m not your wife yet.¡± It wasn''t that I didn''t want to address him thus, but I was feeling shy. I had been calling him by name all this while, so it felt awkward to change my address of him suddenly. ¡°Must you ruin the mood at such a time, Anna? Regardless of whether our wedding today went smoothly, you''re my woman for all our lives! As such, you''ll have to change your address of me sooner orter!¡± Michael glowered at me. His words were extremely overbearing, but I loved hearing them. I felt intoxicated and wanted tough, but I stifled the urge. Then, I averted my face and deliberately ignored him. ¡°In that case, I''ll wait until our wedding has concluded before doing so.¡± Blushing, I looked away. Never had I been that mortified before him. ¡°No way! I want to hear it now, so hurry up and spit it out,¡± Michael demanded adamantly, frowning in vexation. ¡°Nope,¡± I declined resolutely without an ounce of hesitation. Gah! Just the mere thought of calling him ¡°Hubby¡± out of the blue feels really embarrassing! ¡°You''re certain?¡± Michael''s eyes narrowed a fraction, and a wicked smile danced in his eyes. ¡°I''m certain,¡± I stated, though puzzled as to his intention right then. ¡°Okay! I''ll have you call me ''Hubby'' willingly today.¡± Michael''s lips curved into a beguiling arc that seemed a touch devilish. For some inexplicable reason, a sense of foreboding rose within me as I wondered what he wanted to do. I eyed him in mystification. Just when I was going to inquire about it, he started the car. Hence, I could only suppress the bemusement within me. Well, he never fights any battle he can''t win, so he must have a way to have me change my address of him after having said as much. We then went back to Michael''s mansion. Although the wedding was only half-done that day, the room there had been readied long ago. The car gradually came to a stop. Before I could alight from the car, Michael went over to the passenger seat and opened the door for me. shing him a smile, I was just about to thank him when he promptly scooped me up. Jolting, I hastily wrapped my arms around his neck. I then remembered that his arm was injured, yet he simply carried me. All at once, worry pervaded me. ¡°Hurry up and put me down, Michael! Your arm is injured!¡± I saw the depth of his wound myself when it was being sutured and witnessed the blood gushing out! It must still hurt badly right now. Despite that, he still brazenly carried me! Is he not afraid that the wound will open? What is he thinking! ¡°I''m not that delicate.¡± Knowing that I was concerned about him, the corners of Michael''s mouth tilted into an alluring arc. However, he didn''t listen to me and put me down. Instead, he headed upstairs with me in his arms. In the past, I would have struggled to get down. But this time, I remained still in his arms, not daring to even twitch a single muscle in fear that I would bump his wound. Strangely, Michael appeared all the more thrilled by mypliance. Soon, he carried me to the bedroom upstairs. As I was pregnant then, he was very gentle with me. I thought he didn''t allow me to walk by myself because he was worried about the wound at my neck. I then wanted to sit up to check whether the wound on his arm opened, but he pinned me down at that precise moment. His solid body covered mine, but he surprisingly didn''t put any weight on my stomach. Of course, I knew that he was also afraid of hurting our child. ¡°What are you doing, Michael?¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Michael stared down into my eyes, his ck eyes sparkling. I couldn''t help swallowing, finding him incredibly handsome at such a close distance. ¡°What do you think I''m doing?¡± Michael didn''t answer my question, but the words out of his mouth had my mind going into the gutter. My heart raced, and my mind wandered. Is he referring to physical intimacy? But his arm is so seriously injured. It must be hurting badly, so could he really be in the mood to do something else right now? ¡°Are you sure you can manage?¡± For some reason, I inadvertently blurted that question out. Perhaps it was because I was too nervous that I forgot about Michael being apetitive man and would definitely be irked by my question. No man wanted their woman to question their prowess in bed, especially a man like him. Sure enough, his expression immediately turned chilly when my words fell, and a hint of displeasure crept into his gaze. ¡°You''ll know the answer soon enough. I''ll make you beg for mercyter.¡± Michael''s eyes were pinned on me as he spoke in a deep voice. Then, his uninjured hand started roaming all over me. His sudden action startled me. Good Lord! He''s really savage! Can''t he be a tad gentler? After all, we''re both injured. ¡°Uhm...¡± ¡°Just moan aloud. I want to hear you,¡± Michael murmured beside my ear suggestively, his voice a mere whisper. I covered my face with both hands to shield my current expression from him. Gah! His teasing is making me mortified! ¡°Michael...¡± I called out his name softly and gazed at him with zed eyes. ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± Michael deliberately feigned ignorance this time and didn''t satisfy me at once. Instead, he even stilled and stared at me while asking that cidly. Upon hearing that question, I wasn''t quite sure how to answer for a moment. I shot him a resentful nce. He knows full well that he has turned me on, yet he''s feigning ignorance! This is obviously intentional! ¡°Why aren''t you saying anything?¡± When Michael received no reply after an eternity had passed, his lips curved into a wicked smile, and his voice sounded all the more tititing. As he pressed me for an answer, I realized that he purposely wanted me to utter those embarrassing words. I red at him, but the emptiness within me impelled me to yield before him. ¡°Michael, I want you...¡± Biting my lower lip, I finally said those words. ¡°You want me to bed you?¡± Michael inquired suggestively, gazing into my eyes. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Yeah...¡± I replied frankly. I had let go of my reservations then, so it felt right to say that. I''ve been with him for a long time, and we share the same bed every night. While it''s slightly embarrassing, he''ll probably be over the moon to hear me saying that. ¡°Call me ''Hubby,'' and I''ll satisfy you.¡± Michael shifted the topic back to addressing him as ¡°Hubby.¡± Only after hearing him say that did I finally realize the meaning of him ensuring that I would willingly call him ¡°Hubby¡±¡ªhe had set me up. Indignation inundated me, and I turned my face away from him to indicate my stance. He actually set me up! If I were to do as he wished, I''d only be humiliating myself when I''d previously insisted that I''d never call him ¡°Hubby!¡± Chapter 325 Chapter 325 ¡°You''re still unwilling to call me that? It looks like you''re not in the mood yet. I''ve got to work harder.¡± ¡°You''re such a jerk, Michael!¡± Argh! He''s truly cunning to utilize a natural physiological need to force my hand! I was already so frantic that I was on the verge of bursting into tears. ¡°Call me ''Hubby,'' and I''ll satisfy you. Hurry up...¡± At that exact moment, Michael murmured beside my ear again, enticing me. I shot daggers at him, not in the least bit willing to capitte. However, I knew that he would never satisfy me if I didn''t give in. ¡°If you continue keeping silent, I''m going to fasten my pants.¡± Michael seemed to be surprisingly patient that day, not at all testy even when I stayed silent. He stood up and started straightening his clothes, making it evident that he wasn''t nning to satisfy me anymore. ¡°Hubby...¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. In the end, I yielded and called out the endearment he wanted to hear, making me rather hate myself then. Ugh! I''ve actually caved in just to have him satisfy me! How aggravating! Having not expected me to abruptly change my mind, Michael was stunned for a moment when my words fell. In the next second, delight manifested in his jet-ck eyes. ¡°I didn''t hear you earlier. Repeat that, please.¡± Michael''s bewitchingly sensual and deep voice drifted into my ears, tinged with a hint of excitement. ¡°Hubby.¡± Screwing my eyes shut, I steeled my resolve and immediately called him ¡°Hubby¡± once more. I''ve already said it just now, so repeating it makes no difference! ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Is it that pleasurable that you''re so loud?¡± ¡°Do you have no shame when saying such things, Michael?¡± ¡°Of course! If you want to hear it, I can say it anytime and anywhere. What would you like to hear?¡± Despite knowing full well that I was deriding him, Michael wasn''t the least bit angry. Instead, he eyed me wickedly. In response, I threw him a sharp re. I''ve never won an argument with him, so I''d be better served to close my eyes and luxuriate in bliss instead of having a verbal battle with him! Thus, I closed my eyes and stopped looking at him. Only after we were done did I open my eyes. Nheless, I didn''t want to look at him. As such, I turned my gaze away and ignored him. As soon as my gaze fell on Michael''s arm, panic assailed me, for I saw blood seeping out of his injured arm. I struggled to sit up, distress suffusing me at the sight of the gauze that had been dyed red. ¡°Your wound is bleeding!¡± I wonder if his wound is bleeding because he carried me upstairs earlier or because he was too vigorous just now and pulled his stitches. ¡°It''s nothing,¡± Michael replied airily, not a hint of pain to be seen on his face. Whoa! I''m getting impressed by his high pain tolerance. It''s such a long gash, yet he ims that it doesn''t hurt! ¡°It''s already bleeding, yet you say that it doesn''t hurt? Let''s go to the hospital and have your wound rebandaged!¡± Although he imed that he was fine, I was exceedingly worried. His injury had been bothering me, and I would rather suffer the injury in his stead. ¡°Don''t you need to rest for a bit?¡± Michael arched an eyebrow at my frantic expression, the words out of his mouth carrying an implicit meaning. I didn''t understand what he meant at first, but when I followed his gaze, my face inevitably flushed bright red again. Michael shot his load in me earlier, and the sticky feeling made me extremely ufortable. I usually took a bath after our horizontal tango, but I forgot about it that day because of his injury. ¡°I''ll go and take a shower. I''ll be out in a jiffy.¡± Getting to my feet, I headed to the bathroom barefooted. Distraught over his wound bleeding once more, I didn''t dare tarry. ¡°I''ll give you a hand.¡± When I walked past Michael, he grabbed my wrist and whispered that suggestively. At once, my face med. Shooting him a re, I swiftly strode into the bathroom. I didn''t lock the door, so he came in behind me. I filled the bathtub with water. Due to the wound on my neck, I couldn''t use the showerhead and could only take a bath. After stripping, I went into the bathtub. Michael''s gaze roamed all over me. He had an even clearer view of me than when we were in bed since there wasn''t a shred of clothing on me at that moment. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Although we had been intimate several times already, I felt a little ufortable letting him watch me take a bath. Ignoring his gaze, I quickly cleaned my body. We still had to visit the hospital in a while. Moreover, we did not know the condition of the wound on Michael''s arm. Michael moved closer to me while I hastened my movements. He knelt outside the tub and wiped my back with a towel slowly. Soon, I felt his hand moving to my chest from behind. We had just slept with each other, so my body was still sensitive. As soon as Michael teased me, I felt a surge of warmth envelop my body. Nheless, I was still rational at the moment. I instantly smacked Michael''s hand and looked at him with a displeased countenance. ¡°Michael, stop it, or I''m going to get angry.¡± His wound is already bleeding, and he still has the mood to fool around with me? Isn''t he worried that it''ll get infected? It''ll be really bad if an infection happens. ¡°Anna, are you trying to order me? You''re getting more and more courageous now, aren''t you?¡± Michael was annoyed too. His voice became deeper than usual. If he had talked to me like that in the past, I would surely be scared. However, I was no longer afraid of Michael then. After spending some time with him, I knew that he loved me with all of his heart. He treated me like I was a gem, so there was no way that he would get angry at me. That was also why I was not afraid to talk to him in that manner. ¡°Yes. I''m now ordering you. Will you listen to me?¡± I turned around to stare at him without hesitation. A glint of arrogance shed across my eyes. That was the first time I showed dominance in front of Michael. I was uncertain of how he would react since he was an unpredictable man. He might even get triggered by my behavior. Michael''s expression changed drastically for the next few seconds. Finally, he blurted out a short response cidly, ¡°I''ll listen to you.¡± Hearing that, I thought that there was definitely something wrong with my ears. I did not expect Michael to be thatpliant, as I had prepared myself for an argument. ¡°C-Can you repeat what you said?¡± I asked softly, looking into his dark eyes. Is he really the Michael I know? He has changed so much. Michael did not expect me to ask such a dumb question, so his face fell in the next second. Then, his sexy, thin lips parted, and he asked, ¡°Anna, I know there''s something wrong with your brain. But don''t tell me that your ears are not working too.¡± A frustrated look appeared on his face while his eyes filled with disdain and contempt. ¡°What do you mean by there''s something wrong with my brain!¡± He had been treating me like a treasure recently. Besides, he actedpletely different from how he behaved back when we started to know each other, so I was just not used to it. Isn''t that normal? How can he say that! ¡°Anyway, that''s enough. Put on your clothes now. You look like you''re trying to seduce me.¡± Michael nced at my intimate parts before taking his eyes away from my body. Those words sounded like they had a deeper meaning. After some time, I finally came to realize what he meant. Following his gaze, I looked down and noticed that I looked seductive right then. I was worried that Michael would do something to me, so I stood up and covered my body with a towel. Michael is always thinking of dirty things, isn''t he? After putting on my clothes, I showered Michael as we were worried that his wound might get wet. During the process, I touched every inch of his skin. My face flushed brightly, resembling a ripe, red apple as soon as I finished washing him. ¡°Anna, are you feeling shy?¡± Michael stared at my face with a smirk. He enjoyed watching me being humiliated the most. He must be in a good mood now since he saw how embarrassed I looked. ¡°No. I''m just feeling a little warm in here,¡± I tried to make an excuse. Why can''t Michael be more considerate of my pride? Does he really have to expose everything? ¡°Feeling warm? Are you sure? I don''t feel warm at all.¡± Michael put on his clothes unhurriedly. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Hearing that, I instantly walked away from him. Fortunately, he did not do anything to me in the end. Initially, I wanted to ask Michael''s secretary to drive us to the hospital. However, Michael insisted on driving because he wanted to spend some time with me alone. I had no choice but to listen to him. Ronan was still in the hospital when we arrived there. For some reason, I felt that Ronan had be more hardworking after I drew a line between us. Before finding out that Ronan owned that hospital, I seldom saw him working there. However, I had been seeing him in the hospital a lot after drawing the line. I did not n to tell Ronan that we would being to the hospital. Yet, we bumped into him coincidentally in the corridor. He was startled for a moment when he saw Michael and me. Then, a smile appeared on his face as he asked, ¡°What brought you guys here again today? The next appointment should be two dayster.¡± Ronan''s tone was impassive. As he shifted his gaze onto my face, I immediately lowered my head, trying to avoid his eyes. ¡°Michael''s wound is bleeding, so we have to get it patched up again.¡± I was reluctant to face Ronan right then, but I could not stop thinking about Michael''s wound. ¡°I thought we''ve taken care of his injury? Why is his wound bleeding again?¡± Ronan''s eyes instantly fell on Michael''s arm. However, Michael was wearing a jacket, so he could not see anything. ¡°It''s not a big deal. Our love-making session was too aggressive, so I identally tore my wound,¡± Michael replied without hesitation before I coulde up with an excuse. After all, the reason was embarrassing. My face immediately flushed red. How can Michael say that in front of Ronan? Ronan''s expression froze upon hearing Michael''s response. A hint of sadness shed across his eyes as he turned to look at me. I knew that Ronan would be upset to hear that, so I had been thinking of what to reply. After all, I did not want to hurt Ronan again. Chapter 327 Chapter 327 I was very sure that I would not be together with Ronan. Hence, I did not want to hurt him with my problems. Michael stared into Ronan''s eyes calmly. His expression was nk, so I had no idea what he was thinking. ¡°Your wound is still bleeding. We should get it treated first, or it might get infected.¡± With Ronan there and Michael being that straightforward, I was worried that Michael might say something more hurtful to Ronanter. It might just be me being paranoid, but I felt that Michael had said that on purpose. He knew that Ronan liked me, so he must be deliberately doing something mean. Ronan was Michael''s cousin. They were also close to each other. However, Michael was a petty man. There was no way that he would not be bothered by the rtionship between Ronan and me. Michael did not budge, so I tugged his hand lightly. Before walking into the doctor''s office, he turned around and stared at Ronan for a second. I followed Michael into the office silently. Ronan continued to stand right where he was until I closed the door. He looked rather lonely right at that moment. Feeling sorry for him, I let out a sigh upon seeing that. I hoped that he could forget me quickly so that he would not suffer anymore. As soon as the doctor removed the bandage on Michael''s arm, I noticed that a huge portion of his arm was covered in blood. The sight of it was a little nauseating. ¡°Mr. Shaw, your wound has opened up due to overexertion. Please take care of yourself better. Try not to overwork yourself. Otherwise, things will be bad if it gets infected.¡± The middle-aged doctor nced at Michael before speaking. Although Michael was the patient there, the doctor talked to him with a lot of respect. Perhaps that was due to the assertive aura around Michael. ¡°Okay,¡± Michael replied nonchntly. Then, the doctor started to disinfect Michael''s wound. All of his movements were very skilled. I guessed that he was an experienced doctor. I could not bear looking at Michael''s wound, so I instantly steered my vision away. After the doctor finished bandaging the wound, I asked him about the important matters before leaving the hospital. It was already nighttime when we arrived at Michael''s mansion, and we had not eaten anything during the day. Fortunately, the housekeeper was done preparing dinner for us. I gobbled up the dishes before heading to the bedroom. Too many things had happened that day. I was so tired that I fell asleep the moment Iy down on the bed. The next day, I woke up upon hearing my parents'' voice from downstairs. I thought that I must be hallucinating. However, I saw my mother as soon as I stepped into the living room. Meanwhile, Michael was sitting on the couch with a grim expression. My heart sank as I sped over to them. ¡°Mom, why did youe at such a time? Did something happen?¡± I approached my mom with a confused look. ¡°Why do you think I''m here? Do you know how worried I was after you got kidnapped yesterday? Look at you. You did not even give me a call or update me that you''re safe! Your father and I did not even sleepst night.¡± Her face darkened as soon as she saw me. Although her eyes were zing with anger, I felt moved upon hearing her words. The reason Mom came here was because of my kidnapping incident. However, too many things had happened yesterday, and I went to bed right after dinner because of exhaustion. Ipletely forgot to give her a call. Although she was harsh to me most of the time, she still cared about me when I was in danger. That single fact was enough to make me feel happy. ¡°Anna, your mom was nagging the entire night. She didn''t sleep at all as she was too worried that something might happen to you,¡± Dad, who had been keeping silent all along, interrupted as he let out a sigh helplessly. Although he did not sound mad, he looked a little tired and stressed. I could not help but feel touched. He must have been worried about me. ¡°Dad, Mom, I''m sorry. I promise I won''t ever make you guys worry again,¡± I sniffed and responded with an appreciative smile. I was happy as that was the first time I realized that my parents did care about me. At noon, I asked them to stay and join us for lunch. Michael did not say anything, but I could feel that he was not in a good mood. Moreover, I also requested the housekeeper to prepare more dishes for lunch. My parents looked excited. After all, they had never been to such a luxurious mansion. If I did not end up with Michael, they would never get the chance to visit such a ce. ¡°Anna, since your wedding was notpleted, what are your ns now? Will you guys organize another wedding ceremony?¡± Mom asked tentatively during lunch. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Hearing that, I turned to look at Michael without saying anything. After all, he had nned the wedding on his own. I did not know what he was thinking about after what happened yesterday. ¡°I''ll n everything again after some time. For now, I have to settle some important matters first. I''ll never allow something like the kidnapping incident to happen ever again,¡± Michael said calmly. ¡°Great.¡± My parents let out a sigh of relief in unison. I was also relieved upon hearing that, d that Michael still cared about my feelings. ¡°Anna, are you guys the only people staying in such an enormous mansion?¡± After a moment of silence, Mom lifted her head and asked anxiously. ¡°Yes. It''s just the two of us and the housekeeper. It''s usually uneventful here.¡± I turned around to scan the surroundings. The mansion was spacious and luxurious. Thinking that I had to stay in the house alone when Michael worked made me feel a little lonely. In all honesty, I liked our previous home better than this mansion. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 My mother''s countenance changed slightly right after listening to my answer. I wondered what she was pondering in her heart at the moment. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°What''s wrong, Mom?¡± I questioned her in puzzlement while looking at her with furrowed brows. ¡°I have something yet to discuss with you, Anna,¡± my mother answered me after remaining silent for quite some time. While uttering those words, she was also staring at me with a troubled look. That was the expression she would always make when talking about money. Therefore, I could not help but specte if she was about to ask for money again. Michael gave my family two hundred thousand only a few days ago. There''s no way they could spend it all so quickly. Right? ¡°What is it?¡± Despite recognizing that my mother would probably make yet another unreasonable request, I still decided to question her calmly. ¡°As you can see, Steven''s leg has almost recovered. Since you''ve said that you want him to be independent, could you ask Michael to arrange a less-strenuous job for him, Anna?¡± Even though she was talking to me, my mother''s gaze was toward Michael. It was apparent that she was waiting for him to give a response. I felt a little reluctant to ept my mother''s request as I did not want to rely on Michael on everything. However, I could not say anything since my mother had already made her request known. The only thing I wished for was for Michael to express his stance. Upon hearing my mother''s request, Michael continued having his meal elegantly as if he was ignoring her. Consequently, I frowned in displeasure because of his attitude but refrained from saying a thing since my parents were present. My mother and I were looking at Michael at the moment while I suppressed the dissatisfaction in my heart. Fortunately, Michael did not disregard us for too long as he ced the cutlery on the table and responded, ¡°I think Steven is probably not suitable to work in operational settings. Fret not, though. He can still work in the security team.¡± When I heard Michael''s proposal, I was a little unhappy because security was a job that would not bring any development in one''s career. Nevertheless, I acknowledged that Michael was a person who would never allow personal rtionships to get in the way of work-rted issues. Moreover, I was pretty familiar with Steven''s actual capability. Michael''s willingness to grant him a job was only because of my sake. Otherwise, he would have no permission to even step into Joyful Sess in all likelihood. ¡°Security team? Is he going to be the head of security?¡± My mother stared at Michael with a thrilled expression, seeing that he had arranged a job for Steven. Once again, I knitted my brows when I heard my mother''s words. It was already a profound act of goodwill for Michael to grant Steven a job, but she still wanted him to be the head of security. Concerning what kind of person Steven was, I believed Michael knew enough about him to determine the position that suited him the most. It was beyond the bounds of possibility for him to take the role of the head of security. Besides, the wage for a security guard working at Joyful Sess was already a lot higher than other ces. ¡°It''s not too appropriate for a neer like Steven to be the head of security straight away. Others may think that he has used connections. Anyhow, I will observe his performance at work. If he performs well, he will get promoted.¡± Instead of being upset with my mother''s words, Michael gave her a tranquil reply. Due to the ambiguity of Michael''s answer, my mother was at a momentary loss for words. She thought he had already made clear that he would promote Steven if he performed well at thepany. As for me, I knew full well that Michael was only entertaining my mother. In conformity with Steven''s personality, it would already be a sess if he caused no trouble at work. ¡°I''ll leave Steven''s matter to you then.¡± Although Michael''s arrangement was slightly different from my mother''s expectation, she was still well-pleased since Steven had secured a job. Following the meal, the housekeeper cleaned up the dining table instantaneously. Given that he had to deal with lots of work at thepany, Michael left swiftly. Conversely, it seemed like my mother had no intention of leaving just yet. After Michael had disappeared from her sight, my mother sat beside me and looked at me hesitantly. ¡°Is there something else you want to talk about, Mom?¡± I took the initiative to ask my mother before she enunciated anything. Judging from her expression, it was evident that she had something to say to me. ¡°You''re right, Anna. There''s another thing I need to say.¡± Rather than revealing what she wanted to say directly, my mother proceeded to stare at me in diffidence. Her reaction made me even more curious about the topic she intended to tell me. ¡°Cut to the chase, Mom.¡± Not only did I hate to beat around the bush with my mother, but doing guesswork on others'' thoughts was repugnant for me too. ¡°Steven is about to work in the city, Anna. As you may have already realized, he''s unfamiliar with this area. His wage might not be able to cover the rental if he stays outside on his own as well. What if he moves in here and lives with you? Both of you can also look after each other,¡± my mother answered at longst. Yet, I was baffled by her request. As a result, I fell into a daze for quite some time, wondering if something was wrong with my hearing. Did Mom say that he wants Steven to live in Michael''s mansion? That''s impossible! Based upon Michael''s personality, he disliked dealing with strangers. Steven''s character was abhorrent to him as well. For those reasons, he would never allow Steven to stay with us. Furthermore, the owner of the mansion was Michael, not me. That further proved that it was improper for Steven to live there. ¡°I''m afraid I have to reject your request, Mom. It''s unbefitting for Steven to stay here.¡± I looked into my mother''s eyes for a while before refusing her. I had no choice but to make that decision as I knew Michael would most definitely oppose the idea of Steven staying with us. Not only that, I did not want him to live there too. The second she heard my refusal, my mother''s countenance fell as she looked at me with vexation. ¡°There are so many rooms in this huge mansion. Steven is only going to upy one room. That''s such a small favor! Could you bear to watch your brother being all alone without support? Do you want to see him sleep on the streets without a proper shelter?¡± she reprimanded me with an usatory tone while ring at me. ¡°When you and Dad return home, you can let Steven continue to stay in the house you''ve rented. Besides, that house is much closer to thepany inparison with this mansion.¡± Since I did not intend to argue with my mother, I exined patiently after letting out a sigh. Unfortunately, my exnation had little influence on the matters my mother had determined¡ªshe would always assume that I was making excuses. The current incident was no exception. ¡°No way. I won''t be at ease if Steven lives by himself. Other than that, who''s going to wash his clothes for him? If he stays here, there are housekeepers to assist him with that.¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Steven had always been a kid in Mom''s eyes. She was insecure about leaving him alone here even though she was the one who let him stay here to work. ¡°Mom, how old do you think Steven is? How can he not be able to do such simple things himself? There is a washing machine and a fridge there. It''s not that hard,¡± Iined once again and looked at Mom in frustration. I didn''t know what else to say at this moment. ¡°You''ve married a rich man and can enjoy all the luxury alone. Can''t you just let your brother stay at your ce for a little while? You''re his sister, yet you live such a good life with a great house in the city, and your brother is here struggling. What do you think people will think about you if this gets out?¡± Mom started to vaguely threaten me after I had rejected her request multiple times. Feeling frustrated, I scowled. Her request was unreasonable from the very beginning. I would have never refused her if the ce was mine, but the mansion belonged to Michael. Steven had no right to live here, and even if he wanted to, Michael had to agree to it first. I had no right to decide. ¡°Mom, please get this clear; this mansion is Michael''s, not mine. I can''t make the decision willy-nilly. What would I do if I agreed to let Steven live here and Michael got angry?¡± I still tried to control my tone even when my expression showed my anger. I wanted to have a nice conversation with her and not quarrel. ¡°You and Michael are married now, and what''s his is also yours. Plus, the Shaw family is rich, so it shouldn''t be a problem to give Steven a house or two.¡± Mom still didn''t care at all, even when I had already exined the reason to her. She didn''t take my words seriously and always had Steven as her top priority. ¡°Mom, I can''t promise you anything, but you can rest assured that I will help him do hisundry and chores for him if he''s working properly. However, as I said earlier, it''s impossible for him to live here with me.¡± I knew it would be useless to reason with her, so I simply refused her request. I would still do the same even if she got angry. ¡°To put it simply, you just don''t want your brother to have a better life. You''re really selfish! How is it any different from not having a daughter when you treat us like this after getting a husband from a rich family? We truly brought you up for nothing!¡± Mom looked at me angrily after getting up from the couch. I had already expected her to say such a thing since it was nothing new, so my expression didn''t change much. I had long been used to this anyway. ¡°Mom, I won''t give in and let Steven live with me no matter what you''re going to say about me, so you''d better give up. I don''t want to quarrel with you, but I also hope that you''d try to think about my situation and not make things difficult for me,¡± I stated in a serious tone while looking at her indifferently. There was no room for discussion anyway, and her request was just too much. I was sure that Michael wouldn''t agree. Even I felt that it was too much, let alone Michael. Mom didn''t say anything after that and left angrily because of my firm attitude. I knew she would ignore me for a while after this, but I was also used to her attitude. Thus, I didn''t care. It was currently two dayster, and I turned on the TV out of boredom. I saw the news reporting on the financial crisis of Emma''spany as soon as I turned the TV on. The cooperation between Michael and Anna before showed that herpany had strong financial resources. So how could it be in a financial crisis in this short amount of time? I didn''t know why but my first thought was that it had something to do with Michael. Then there was another news, and this time it was about Emma''s arrest. The reason for her arrest was my kidnapping. It should be almost impossible for Emma to be arrested under her family''s influence even if she did commit the crime. After all, such rich families had a wide range of contacts, and many things could be settled with money. Emma was detained under a kidnapping charge, and only then was I sure that Michael had something to do with this. Because apart from him, I couldn''t think of anyone else with the capability to lead the police to arrest Emma. I had not been out for just two days, and so many things had already urred. Michael must have been really angry this time for him to do such things. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. I didn''t want to participate in these matters as I was sure that Michael would handle them. Steven was also sent to Joyful Sess to work a few dayster, and I thought things were going nicely. My parents returned to our hometown soon after I refused to let Steven live with me that day and didn''t continue to force me. Although things were a bit unpleasant that day, they forgot about it as time passed. Since Steven grew up sheltered, I was worried about him even after Mom had left. So I went to his house that day. I kept a copy of the key when I first rented the house, and Steven, along with our parents, knew this. It''s daytime so Steven must be at work. I should help him with hisundry and tidy up the ce. I opened the door with my key and went in. Intermittent panting noises that could make one blush were hearding from the bedroom once I set foot into the living room. That noise came from a woman. As someone with experience, I naturally knew what was happening. I was instantly rmed. What''s going on? Isn''t Steven supposed to be working today? And how could a woman be here? I never heard of Steven having a girlfriend. I quietly walked to the bedroom, and the panting noises became clearer as I got near. ¡°Steven, faster...¡± Hearing his name from the woman made me sure that Steven didn''t go to work that day and was at home. That guy was doing this kind of thing with a woman at home instead of going to work. I wondered when he would start to be a little more reliable. The intermittent pants and groans continued, and I got angrier the longer I listened to it. Michael arranged a job for him, but he didn''t work hard and instead brought a woman to do this kind of indecent thing at home in broad daylight. My annoyance grew until I could no longer hold it in. In the end, I banged on the door. The woman''s frightened voice sounded immediately after. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 ¡°Steven, what''s going on? You told me that no one woulde since you''re staying here alone.¡± ¡°I-I don''t know what''s going on. I really stay here alone!¡± Steven''s voice sounded from the room. It seemed like the knocking sound on the door shook him. ¡°W-Who''s there?¡± Steven asked from the other side of the door. I knew that his words were directed to me. Although I was infuriated, I tried my best to suppress the anger in my heart. ¡°It''s me! Your sister!¡± I responded impatiently before heading straight to the living room. Ten minutester, Steven finally put on his clothes and walked over to me frivolously with a frown. It was apparent that he was dissatisfied with my sudden visit. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Anna, why are you here? How did you get in?¡± He sat down opposite me and put his legs on the coffee table. His voice was full of frustration. ¡°If I didn''te, I would have never known what you were doing! Tell me. Why didn''t you go to work today? Why are you here?¡± I got even angrier upon seeing his attitude. How dare he behave like this after doing that? ¡°Couldn''t you tell what I was doing just now? Anna, why can''t you inform me before youe? I was so scared just now that I almost passed out.¡± Steven did not look panicked or apologetic at all. Instead, he began to put the me on me. I expected Steven to be more mature after what had happenedst time. I did not ask for much¡ªthe only thing I wanted him to do was to take his job seriously. I wished he could be more hardworking, but all he did was disappoint me. ¡°Today is a weekday. You''re supposed to be working right now, but you''re fooling around in the house instead. Do you think you''re doing the right thing?¡± I red at him with a stern expression. Steven was my brother. If I did not care about him, I would not waste my time educating him. ¡°What''s the big deal of skipping work? I''m just a security guard anyway. Besides, I don''t even have a girlfriend now. You know that men have to gratify their sexual desires from time to time, right? Or did Michael refuse to touch you since you guys have already been together for a long time?¡± Steven crossed his legs and responded with a smug face. A hint of provocation shed across his eyes. Obviously, he did not take what I said seriously. My face flushed red in anger upon hearing his question. What the heck did he say just now? How can he be so shameless? I was so furious that I wanted to smack some senses into him right then. ¡°Steven, I said that for your own good! Can you behave like a man for once?¡± I had to admit that Steven was, indeed, a useless jerk. He was just a piece of trash with zero contribution to our society. I was utterly annoyed to deal with a brother like him. ¡°What do you mean, Anna? Of course that I''m behaving like a man. Didn''t you hear that woman''s moans just now?¡± The corners of Steven''s lips curled into a disdainful smirk. I was so furious that my chest heaved violently, unable to suppress my anger anymore. A secondter, I stood up and walked toward Steven, preparing to p him. Just as I lifted my hand, someone opened the bedroom door. A woman in revealing clothes and thick makeup came into my sight. I could tell that she was a filthy woman just from looking at her appearance. After shooting me a nce, the woman strolled toward Steven and threw herself into his arms, ignoring me. ¡°Steven, who''s this? How dare she disturb our good time? Can we go back to the bedroom now? I''m not satisfied yet...¡± Her long nails were red in color. As she spoke, she reached out a finger to stroke Steven''s chest. I got disgusted upon seeing that. That woman looked and was dressed like a prostitute. I was sure that she had slept with countless other men before. Moreover, she even had the audacity to say something shameless in front of me. ¡°She''s my sister, and she came here to check up on me.¡± Steven pursed his lips, looking displeased. He did not look apologetic at all. Steven is hopeless! I guess my words did not go through to him at all. ¡°Oh, I see. I thought she was one of your lovers.¡± That woman did not even look at me. She continued to y with her finger on Steven''s chest. ¡°Anna, are you done here? Can you leave now? I have some important business to settle.¡± I was so livid that I could not find any words to retort at that moment. None of them respected me even though I was standing in front of them. Moreover, Steven did not take my words seriously. ¡°Miss, how much did Steven pay you for that? It must be nice to earn by sleeping with different men, huh? However, I personally think that women should have more dignity. Are you sure you want to sell your body like that? You might get some awful disease.¡± Although I behaved like a gentle, proper woman on the usual days, I could change my attitude anytime, especially when dealing with people like them. They had ruined my mood, so my words were also harsher than usual. How dare this woman seduce Steven in front of me? I should teach her a lesson! That woman''s expression changed drastically upon hearing what I said. She turned to re at me angrily as her face fell. ¡°What? You look like a proper woman, but you''re so rude!¡± She stood up, facing me. No woman liked to get described as a slut, which was why I said those words on purpose. ¡°I''m just stating a fact. Am I wrong?¡± I scoffed as I stared back into her eyes. ¡°Y-You...¡± The woman wanted to say something back, but she was so furious that she could not utter another word. ¡°How much did Steven pay you? I''ll pay double for you to leave the house right now!¡± With that said, I took out a thousand from my purse and handed it to that woman. Chapter 331 Chapter 331 That woman broke into a smile as soon as she saw the cash in my hand. She took the money and began to button up her clothes. ¡°Steven, I''ll take my leave first. Feel free to contact me if you need my service again.¡± Then, she blew a kiss at Steven before leaving. ¡°Hey! Wait a minute! We''re not done yet!¡± Steven stood up and called out to her. However, she ignored him since she had taken my money. After that woman left, Steven and I were the only people left in the living room. I was extremely angry with Steven after what had happened just now. ¡°I''ll give you onest chance. I hope that you can take your job seriously from now on. Stop fooling around. If this is how you handle your work, you should just quit,¡± I said after taking a deep breath. My expression was icy cold. I could not ept the fact that Steven had slept with random women. Although he was only my brother, I sincerely hoped that he could be a responsible man. ¡°Anna, aren''t you being too controlling? I''m your brother, not your husband!¡± Steven stared back at me. His eyes were zing with fuming anger. However, I was not bothered by that at all. Steven was an employee at Joyful Sess at the moment, so I had the responsibility to make sure that he would give his best to his job. ¡°Stop your nonsense, Steven. Tidy yourself up right now and get back to work!¡± I ordered while pointing at the door. I believed that I could turn him into a responsible, hardworking man. ¡°I''m not going! I''m just a security guard, after all. There won''t be much difference even if I''m not there.¡± Steven was not bothered by my words. Hey back on the couch without looking at me. ¡°Just a security guard? What else do you think you can do? If we give you a position as the CEO of Joyful Sess, will you be able to manage thepany well?¡± I knew that Steven was not satisfied with the position Michael gave him. However, he could not even handle his current job well. That was why he did not deserve better jobs in thepany. He''s always that irresponsible when ites to dealing with work. What right does he have to request better jobs from Michael? Besides, Michael doesn''t owe him anything. ¡°Anna, are you looking down on me? I''m your brother, and my brother-inw is the CEO of a big company. Michael finally offered me a job after so long. However, he ended up giving me a position as a security guard. Do you know that everyone is making fun of me because of that?¡± Suddenly, Steven stood up upon hearing my words. ¡°Michael had said everything clearly before. As long as you do your job well, he''ll give you a promotion. But then, look at yourself now. You''ve skipped work to fool around with some random woman at home. Why would anyone give an important role to someone like you?¡± I got even angrier upon hearing Steven''s protest. He''s overambitious. How dare he asks for a better position when he can''t even fulfill his duty as a security guard? ¡°I''m not asking for much. Is it hard for you guys to give me a better position like a department manager? Michael is the CEO of thepany. He can surely do that if he wants to. Anna, don''t you think that you''ll get humiliated if the outsiders know that your brother is working as a security guard in your husband''spany?¡± ¡°I won''t be bothered by that. After all, I''m well aware of your capabilities. You know what? I think the company has wasted a position by giving you a role. If you insist on behaving like this, you should go home now.¡± I stood up after letting him have a piece of my mind. Then, I turned around and walked toward the door. Steven did not try to stop me. He stood still in the living room with a grim expression. Suddenly, I recalled something important before leaving. I turned around and said, ¡°I understand that you have your desires, but you''re old enough to get a girlfriend now. Regardless, I hope that you can stay away from those indecent women.¡± After saying that, I opened the door and left. I said that because I did not wish to see him date any promiscuous woman. Besides, he had reached the age to settle down and start a family. I hope he''ll find a good woman. He''ll definitely be more responsible once he starts building a family. I could not stop thinking about Steven''s problem along the way home. I was feeling a little frustrated, as Steven would never take my words seriously no matter what I said. When will he understand my intentions? When will he stop making me worry? Michael was sitting in the living room when I got home. I was shocked to see him because it was not the time for him to be home yet. I froze for a moment before approaching him with a smile. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why did you get off work so early today?¡± I wrapped my arms around him as I leaned my head on his shoulder. Being close to him whenever he returned from work was enjoyable. ¡°Where have you been?¡± A slight smile appeared on Michael''s face. ¡°I... I went to visit Steven.¡± Initially, I wanted to hide everything from him. However, I felt that I should tell Michael the truth since Steven was currently working in hispany. Hearing that, Michael frowned as a sh ofplex emotions appeared in his eyes. ¡°What''s wrong? Why aren''t you saying anything?¡± I frowned in confusion upon seeing his reaction. After a moment of silence, he turned around and looked at me solemnly. ¡°Are you unsatisfied with the job I gave to Steven?¡± His voice was impassive. I could not tell what was on his mind, and I did not understand his intention of saying that. Chapter 332 Chapter 332 ¡°In my opinion, I think you''re already overestimating Steven by giving him a position as a security guard in Joyful Sess. Judging by his personality and ability, I know you don''t even want to hire him as a cleaner. That is why I think you''re already showing a lot ofpassion by giving him that position.¡± No one knew Steven better than me. Knowing Michael''s personality, he was already kind enough to let such a parasite work in thepany. Michael''s expression didn''t change drastically, as if he had already expected such a reply from me. Just when I thought he wouldn''t dwell on the topic anymore, he suddenly said, ¡°Ever since Steven started working here, he had been bullying other employees by using his connection with me. What do you think? How should I solve this?¡± Michael''s sudden question caught mepletely off guard. Never would I expect Steven to dare to pick on other people in thepany. To make it worse, he even used Michael''s name to do so. Michael said all those somewhat casually, yet I could feel that he was on the verge of losing his patience with Steven. Thus, I lowered my head in guilt, not having the courage to meet his gaze. ¡°I''m sorry that Steven''s employment has caused you so much trouble.¡± I should have known better than to let that troublemaker get hired into thepany. This isn''t good. I should have rejected Mom when she asked Michael to arrange a job for Steven in thepany. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. I''m telling you this because I don''t want you to misunderstand if I punish Steventer,¡± he exined gently. As he said so, he brushed my hair with his slender fingers lightly. His eyes shone with affection when he looked at me. Upon meeting his dark eyes, I felt myself falling into his deep gaze. All my foul mood dissipated at once. ¡°I know that you''re a fair person when ites to work-rted matters. So, I won''t say anything regardless of how you n to deal with Steven. After all, he''s the one at fault.¡± Previously, when I worked in Joyful Sess, Michael would put on a cold expression whenever I failed toplete a task. Now that Steven had done something wrong, there was no excuse for him to escape punishment. I knew that Michael wouldn''t punish Steven harshly for my sake. However, it was necessary to teach Steven a lesson. After all, it wouldn''t be good for Michael''s reputation if Steven kept getting full of himself in thepany by using his name. After hearing my response, Michael said nothing and shed me a smile. Seeing that, I knew that my words had eased his self-conflict. ¡°Michael, thank you for everything you''ve done for me. You could have refused to hire Steven back then, but why didn''t you?¡± I felt touched by his kindness as I leaned my head against his shoulder. He surprised me when he calmly said, ¡°I know that you want Steven to change and be a better person.¡± At that, I quickly regarded him in disbelief. That''s what my heart truly desires. I can''t believe he knows! Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I seldom mentioned my family in front of him all this while, as I knew they had only ever given him headaches. Therefore, I had never told him how much I wanted Steven to change. ¡°You know my thoughts?¡± I stared dumbly at Michael. Only after a while did I snap out of my daze and ask. ¡°You''re my woman, so how can I not know? However, have you heard of the saying, a leopard can''t change its spots? You should be ready that your wish could be unfulfilled in the end.¡± His voice was deep and beguiling while he hugged me tightly. So, he knows my thoughts but doesn''t think they can be achieved. He doubts that Steve can change. Upon hearing his words, I couldn''t help but feel disappointed. After all, Michael had always had an urate intuition when he judged a person. In the end, I sighed and didn''t say anything anymore. Anyway, I''ve given Steven a chance. Let''s hope that he won''t disappoint me again. After dinner and a love-making session on the bed, Michael went to the study to continue dealing with his work. Only after did I realize that he was back early that day because he missed me, not because he had finished his work. That realization made my heart flutter uncontrobly. Even though I felt extremely exhausted and drained every single time after an intimate session, I felt blissful at the same time, as I knew he would want to do it only because he liked me. Contrarily, if he had no feelings for me at all, he wouldn''t even bother to spare me a nce. I was resting alone in the room after Michael went to the study. The moment I thought of how he treated me now, a smile crawled onto my face as happiness filled my heart. In the following days, life went on peacefully as everything returned to the way they were supposed to be. Emma was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping me. Meanwhile, thepany that belonged to the Jones family had to announce bankruptcy under Michael''s heavy pressure. As time passed, my baby bump finally became visible. At the thought of how our child was growing in my belly, I couldn''t help but anticipate the day I got to see the baby''s face. During this period, Michael had finished dealing with almost all his work in thepany. He promised to give me another wedding to make me the happiest woman in the world, and I believed whatever he said. As long as he stayed by my side, I would be the most blessed woman in the world. After all, he was the best thing that had ever happened to me. It was a Monday when Michael urged me to get up from bed early in the morning. Surprisingly, he didn''t go to thepany as usual. What has gotten into him today? He had never disturbed my rest before. As I got eaten up by curiosity, I opened my eyes hazily to find him finished dressing up. My heart trembled at the sight of his handsome face that was inches from mine. ¡°It''s alreadyte. Shouldn''t you go to work now?¡± I tried my best to keep my eyes open, yet there was still a hint of exhaustion in my voice. Ever since I got pregnant, I would get sleepy easily and spend most of my time in my dreams. ¡°We need to do something important today. Quick. Get out of bed and freshen up.¡± Michael then curved his lips into a mysterious smile and stood up without exining further. Seeing that, I furrowed my brows in puzzlement. What? What is this mysterious important thing? And why do I need to go as well? How weird! Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Despite that, I still did as he said. Now that Michael had be much more daring after I got through the first three months of pregnancy safely, he would have his way with me once almost every night. At some point, I even started to suspect if his body was made out of steel. It was truly unbelievable how he could still look so energetic in the morning after going at it until midnight every day. On the other hand, I looked wrecked and tired whenever I woke up. After washing up, I headed to the living room. There, Michael had long waiting for me. My eyes flickered at the rare sight of him in apletely grey casual outfit. Instead of looking cold and collected like he always did in his usual ck and white suit, he appeared gentler and more approachable that moment. ¡°So, what is it? Why are you so secretive?¡± I came over to his side and looked at him in utter curiosity. Hmm, he looks exceptionally handsome today! ¡°It''s a secret. You''ll know when we get there.¡± Michael just curved his lips and gave me a seductive smile. In the next second, he strode toward me, held my hand, and interlocked our fingers together, causing my heart to involuntarily skip a beat. The car moved toward a destination I was clueless about at a steady but quick pace. Despite that, I remained silent the entire journey, as I knew he wouldn''t tell me even if I asked him. Approximately half an hourter, he finally stopped the car. As I took in our surroundings, I was even more confused upon realizing that we were on an unfamiliar street. Out of curiosity, I swiveled my head around to look at him and asked, ¡°Where are we? Why are we here?¡± ¡°Take a look at your left.¡± Instead of revealing the answer directly, he raised his brows before smiling again. Following his gaze, a building with tworge words instantly came into my sight: City Hall. My heart started to pound wildly. Could it be that... ¡°We''re here to get our marriage certificate?¡± I shifted my gaze back to Michael a momentter, looking a bit unsure as I wondered whether I had guessed it wrongly. Even though we had a wedding ceremony, I didn''t want to assume anything as he hadn''t mentioned getting the marriage certificate at all. After all, it was amon practice among the wealthy to prevent their wife from sharing their family possessions after a divorce. Previously, I would still feel bothered by that. However, the more I thought of it, the more I realized that I should be grateful for Michael''s willingness to give me a wedding. I had never hoped for him to agree to get a marriage certificate with me because I knew it was a wishful thought. Yet, it would be a lie to say I wasn''t excited when he suddenly brought me here. ¡°What else can we do in City Hall if it isn''t to register our marriage?¡± Upon taking in my shocked expression, a grin crawled onto his face, and adoration filled his dark eyes. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Once again, my heart trembled at his firm reply. As I gazed at his smiling face, I opened my mouth, trying to say something but found myself at a loss for words. In reality, I could barely conceal my excitement at that point. It took me a while before I could finallypose myself and look into his eyes. In the next second, I threw myself into his embrace emotionally. I was already touched by what he did for me before, yet it was at that very moment when he took me here that I truly felt his sincerity. Soon after, Michael patted my shoulder and urged gently, ¡°It''s gettingte. Let''s go in.¡± Only then did I snap out of my senses. By the time I wiggled out of Michael''s arms, my eyes were already shining with unshed tears. Women were always so emotional, so of course, I was no exception. I guessed all women would feel the same happiness when they could marry their beloved officially. Just as I nned to open the door to get out of the car with Michael, I halted in my action when something suddenly came to my mind. Seeing that, Michael sat back before giving me a curious look. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± His voice was calm but gentle. ¡°I didn''t bring my ID card and household registry, so we can''t get the certificate today.¡± With that said, I lowered my head in utter disappointment. How can I not bring those? He specifically brought me here today, yet how can I waste his effort? Who knows when he would recall this again if we missed the chance today? Michael couldn''t help but chuckle when he saw me sulking. In the next instant, he brushed my nose lovingly and said gently, ¡°Rest assured. I''ve brought along your ID card and household registry. I n to get the certificate with you today, so of course, I had prepared everything beforehand.¡± To my astonishment, my ID card and household registry appeared magically in his hands in the next moment. I could no longer hold myself back at the sight of my ID card and household registry. My heart skipped a beat as the realization dawned on me. He''d prepared everything. Instantly, my mood was elevated. An unprecedented excitement surged in me as I took my ID card and household registry. Michael then said with an affectionate smile, ¡°We better head in before the staff gets off work.¡± Thus, both of us went into City Hall together. At first, I thought we had to spend a long time waiting for our turns, but apparently, time was money for him. The moment we stepped into the building, someone weed us instantly and led us in, saving us from the fate of queueing up. My heart was pounding the entire time when the staff stamped the certificate after we signed it. By the time he handed us the certificate respectfully, I was still doubting myself, thinking that everything that happened that day was a dream. Did I marry Michael for real? How can this be? I must be dreaming! Yes, it has to be a dream! I couldn''t snap myself out of my daze for quite some time as I sped the marriage certificate tightly in my hands. I didn''t even realize that we had arrived home. Michael then parked the car and leaned closer to me. His eyes traced my line of sight before falling on the certificate as well. With a smile, he asked, ¡°Are you done staring? What is so interesting about the marriage certificate that you have to glue your eyes on it throughout the journey?¡± I must have looked very disoriented in his eyes at that moment, and he couldn''t help but chuckle. Only when his voice rang in my ears did Ie to my senses. I jolted awake and turned my head, only to meet his dark eyes instantly. ¡°Well, can''t I bask in the excitement for a while?¡± His tease made me blush in embarrassment. Indeed, it was merely a marriage certificate that every married couple would own, but I just couldn''t help grinning like a dummy when I finally got one. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 ¡°Of course! You can stare at it as long as you want once we get home.¡± Michael''s grin grew wider as he razzed me. Gazing into his eyes, I instantly knew that he was teasing me. It was embarrassing, but the moment I recalled the fact that we had gotten ourselves the marriage certificate, I found myself not minding the teasing at all. ¡°Enough. Let''s go in.¡± When he saw me rolling my eyes, he decided to shut his mouth and said no more. Yet, the sly grin on his face never left. As soon as we entered the living room, we were greeted by the sight of Josephine sitting on the couch with a grim expression. For some reason, the moment her eyes fell on the certificate in my hands, I panicked, knowing that she wouldn''t be fond of finding out what we did a few moments ago. After all, for her, I was with Michael for his fortune all this time. Josephine then shifted her gaze to my face and asked coldly, ¡°What are you holding?¡± My heart raced at her question. Out of reflex, I hid the marriage certificate behind my back, not wanting her to see it. Unfortunately, my attempt was to no avail, and instead, it had sessfully angered her. ¡°What is it? Take it out, now!¡± Her eyes were boiling with rage at that moment. ¡°I...¡± I was hesitant to obey her instruction, knowing that she would be more dissatisfied with me if she knew about the truth. Noticing that I was taking a long time hesitating, her temper rose. She rose to her feet abruptly and snapped, ¡°Don''t you have any respect for your elders? Didn''t you hear me? Show me now!¡± Hearing that, Michael frowned and decided to interrupt with a tinge of fury in his tone, ¡°Mom, enough! Anna''s pregnant. Why are you yelling at her?¡± Josephine was taken aback, never expecting Michael to stand up for me at such a moment. When she regained her senses, she red at him. ¡°Michael, is this how you should speak to me? All because of this woman, you are now arguing with me almost every day. Do you still see me as your mother? Could it be that she is more important than me in your heart?¡± Whenever Michael took my side, Josephine would grow angrier, and in the end, despise me further. I had discussed this topic with Michael multiple times before, yet he would always brush it off and ignore me, even telling me that no one could bully me in front of him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Mom, if you want me to be nice to you, you should rectify your way of treating Anna first. She''s my woman, not a servant in our house.¡± Michael remained unfazed and kept looking at Josephine coldly. Being as assertive as Michael, no one could threaten him. ¡°You''re getting more headstrong by the day! Are you sure that you want to keep defying me for this woman? I''m your mother!¡± She got even more worked up as she went on. By the time she finished her remarks, she instantly turned toward me and stared daggers at me. At that, I couldn''t help but fidget in nervousness. Before Michael could say something, I signaled for him to stop by pulling his hand. I knew that he was trying to protect me, but the more he spoke up for me, the more hatred Josephine would have for me. ¡°Mom, I didn''t mean to hide it from you. It''s just that I haven''t thought of a proper way to tell you about it.¡± After taking two steps forward, I stopped in front of her. I decided to call her ¡°Mom¡± after hesitating for a while, as Michael and I were legally married now. Josephine frowned upon hearing how I addressed her. Her gaze radiated disgust as she looked at me. ¡°I have told you before that I''ll never acknowledge you as my daughter-inw, so don''t call me that!¡± It would be a lie to say I wasn''t upset nor livid at her contemptuous remarks. However, I chose to suppress my anger, not wanting to cause any more arguments. ¡°I know you don''t like me, but we had gotten our marriage certificate. Now that we''re a legally married couple, there''s nothing wrong with me calling you that. In fact, it''s the way it should be.¡± I stared into her eyes and enunciated every single word calmly. ¡°What? You''ve registered your marriage?¡± At the mention of the certificate, Josephine widened her eyes in disbelief. As expected, anger and shock instantly shed across her eyes. I decided to confess to her despite foreseeing the oue. After all, sooner orter, she would find out the truth. Thus, I showed her the certificate and looked at her expressionlessly. Regardless of how she was displeased with our marriage, she had no choice but to ept it then. I would be her daughter-inw byw unless she chose to disown her son. She snatched it over hurriedly and started examining it thoroughly. Nheless, she could immediately tell with a nce that it was real. ¡°Anna Garcia, what did you do to get Michael to agree to this? What do you want from us?¡± Josephine held on tight to the marriage certificate while spitting out her words. Her face twisted with anger as she red at me viciously. Her harsh questions made me frown ufortably. Indeed, anyone would feel insulted when someone spoke ill of themselves. Not to mention all those words were also unpleasant and awful. Hence, I replied calmly, ¡°Mom, I want to be with Michael sincerely, so I hope you can give us your blessing. Furthermore, don''t you realize that the more you target me, the more likely Michael would quarrel with you?¡± Her anger swelled further at my remarks. She then pointed her trembling finger at me and barked, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Mom, you''ve misunderstood. I''ve no intention to do so, as I only want you to stop targeting me. From now on, I am Michael''s legal wife, and it won''t change unless he divorces me. Thus, I hope that we can get along well. Otherwise, it will only put Michael in a tight spot.¡± Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Furrowing my eyebrows, I felt aggrieved after being misunderstood by Josephine. However, I was more inclined to set things right with her than get mad. After all, even though Michael neverined and always stood by my side, Josephine was still his mother. Therefore, it would pain him to denounce his mother continuously. I did not want Michael to be sandwiched in the middle between Josephine and me due to our issue. ¡°Do you think I will ept you by doing this? Let me tell you that no matter what you do or say, I will never acknowledge you as my daughter-inw. Besides, Michael is my son. I don''t believe that he would go against me forever!¡± While saying that, Josephine looked toward his son, trying to see if there were any signs of wavering. However, Michael''s face remained indifferent and showed no intention of stopping me. Thus, Josephine was even angrier after seeing how he supported me. ¡°All right, then! It looks like the both of you don''t respect me since you''re ganging up on me like this¡ª especially you, Michael. I''m so disappointed in you. How could you treat me this way for a mere woman?¡± Josephine spat out furiously while pointing at Michael. Then, she stormed out of the house. It seems like things will always go wrong whenever I meet with Mrs. Shaw. Upon thinking that, I felt frustrated. Although I tried my best to be the ideal daughter-inw Josephine wanted, my family background was not something I could control. As I was born and raised in a vige, there was no way I could provide any substantial benefit to the Shaw family. Standing in the same spot, I hung my head in exasperation. At that moment, Michael came up to me and put his hand around my shoulders. ¡°All right. Stop overthinking things. You don''t need to be bothered by my mom. It''s not like you''ll meet with her every day.¡± He spoke in a gentle tone. I knew that Michael was trying tofort me. Thus, I looked up and shed him a weak smile. However, I could not seem to get rid of the disappointment in my heart. It was meant to be a joyous day to receive our marriage certificate, but it had all gone down the drain. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m fine. I believe that Mom will ept me one day, for I will try to live up to the expectation of the daughter-inw she wants.¡± In all honesty, I could ignore the way Josephine treated me just fine. I was married to Michael and not to his mother anyway. However, it pained me to see him frustrated over that. Even though he did not show it, I could tell that he secretly minded over that issue. After all, no man in this world hoped to see their mom and wife on bad terms. ¡°Don''t be so hard on yourself.¡± Michael caressed my face and curled his lips into a thin smile, his eyes filled with gentleness. As I knew how Michael doted on me, I could not stand by and watch him being in a bind. Thus, I hoped to get along with Josephine. A good rtionship between mother and daughter-inw was important, after all. After sending me back to my room andforting me for a while, Michael went back to thepany to attend to some work. Meanwhile, I was lying in bed while thinking of various ways of making Josephine satisfied with me. While being deep in thought, I somehow fell asleep. A phone call then woke me up. After seeing that it was from my mother, I did not feel anything in particr. Evidently, she was calling to ask about Steven as it had been about a month since he stayed here. Although he constantly skipped work, he did not cause too much trouble at the very least. ¡°Mom,¡± I greeted after picking up the call. ¡°Anna, I can''t seem to reach Steven. I''m a bit worried.¡± Her voice sounded from the other end of the line. As expected, she was phoning to ask about Steven. ¡°Mom, don''t get too worried over it. Maybe his phone ran out of battery, or that he forgot to bring it with him.¡± Mom always treated Steven as the apple of her eye and would call him several times a day. Seeing how worried she was over a missed call, I felt jealous. I really wish she could worry about me the same way she does for Steven. ¡°Since you don''t have anything important going on, why don''t you go and check on your brother? He might be in danger!¡± Her voice once again boomed from the phone. However, I was displeased with her words. Isn''t she too much of a worrywart? Steven is a grown man¡ªhe can take care of himself. Why is she so worried over one missed call? ¡°Don''t worry. He''s definitely fine. You can try to phone himter on. I''m a bit tired today, so I want to get some rest.¡± After getting pregnant, I felt more easily tired than usual. Thus, just the thought of visiting Steven made me feel exhausted. ¡°How can you be like this? I''m just asking you to check up on your younger brother, yet you rejected me right away. Do you perhaps not feel worried for your brother? What if something terrible happened?¡± Mom''s angry voice spewed out of the phone as soon as I dismissed her thought. It was expected, for she would usually let out her anger on me regarding Steven''s matters. ¡°I really don''t think it''s necessary to do so. Steven is a grown-up, not some three-year-old. What could happen to him? Like I said before, maybe his phone ran out of battery. Don''t be so anxious over it.¡± I then sighed in frustration. Why is she like this? ¡°I don''t care! Head to your brother''s ce immediately. I can''t sleep without confirming that he''s all right. Do you hear me? Go there right now!¡± Initially, there was still room for discussion in my mother''s tone. However, it soon turned into an order. As I furrowed my eyebrows, the irritation in my heart grew stronger and stronger. Despite wanting to reject her again, I knew she would only rebuke me with even harsher words. Therefore, I could only choose topromise. ¡°I understand. I''ll go there right now. Once I''m there, I''ll give you a call.¡± After saying that, I hung up the phone before she could respond. Sitting up, I rubbed my head in dismay. Although I was in a terrible mood, I could not break my promise. After getting dressed, I hailed a taxi and headed to Steven''s ce. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Actually, Michael had specially prepared a car and a driver for me. If I wanted to use the service, the driver would arrive in less than ten minutes. However, I was unustomed to the living habits of high society. Thus, I felt more at ease to go about as I liked. When I arrived at Steven''s house, I realized that his door had been left ajar, signifying that he was home. As it was currently working hours, I felt displeased seeing that he was at home and not at work. Was the advice I gave himst time all for naught? He didn''t change at all! When I walked inside, I was met with a pungent stench of alcohol. Immediately, I furrowed as I could not stand strong scents due to my pregnancy. Walking into the living room, I saw a few men sitting on the floor with empty bottles of beer surrounding them. With their dyed hair and freakish hairstyle, they seemed to be the usual hooligans that could be found on the streets, and Steven was sitting in the center of them. ¡°Let''s continue drinking until we get drunk!¡± A man with unnaturally red hair raised his beer bottle. ¡°Quentin! Here''s a toast to you!¡± At that moment, Steven spoke to the man with red hair while raising his beer bottle groggily. By the respectful tone he had, it was evident that he was trying to butter him up. ¡°Okay! Cheers!¡± the man answered and gulped down the beer. Steven quickly followed suit and chugged the beer down. I locked my gaze on Steven angrily, unable to believe that he was drinking with hooligans. Initially, I wanted to rush up to him immediately. However, I feared for my safety as the men did not appear decent. In the end, I decided against it and sent a message to Michael to ask him to pick me up. ¡°Steven, why is there a woman here? Who is she?¡± After I finished sending the text message, a yellow- haired man noticed me and sized me up lustfully. When Steven noticed me, his expression turned serious, and he asked in a displeased tone, ¡°Sis, why are you here?¡± It was evident that he did not want me to be there. ¡°Steven, is this your sister? Your biological sister?¡± The yellow-haired man stood up and walked up to me unsteadily upon hearing that. ¡°Xavier...¡± Steven called with a hint of worry in his tone. ¡°I didn''t know that you have such a beautiful sister. She''s absolutely stunning! Does she have a boyfriend?¡± The man called Xavier had already walked up to me and was staring at my chest. By the looks of it, saliva was about to ooze out of his mouth any moment now. Upon hearing that, Steven shot a worried look at me and walked toward me wobbly. ¡°Xavier, she''s already married. Besides, her husband is¡ª¡± ¡°So she''s already married? That''s such a shame! She''s still so young, too.¡± Although Xavier said that, he still tried to caress my face. Steven shot forward and shielded me as I was about to avoid the man''s touch. ¡°I don''t think this is appropriate. She''s already married, so don''t do anything stupid.¡± Steven tried to defend me, understanding Xavier''s intention toward me. As I could hear the worry in his voice, I knew that he was concerned for me. So he still has the conscience not to ignore me in this situation. Then, Steven gestured for me to leave quickly behind his back. Although I was furious at him, I knew it was better for me to go in that situation. I would have to find another chance to teach him a lesson. When I turned to leave, Xavier spoke up. ¡°Don''t go! Since you''re Steven''s sister, you''re also our friend. How about you stay and drink with us?¡± After that, Xavier yanked Steven aside and walked toward me. At that moment, I was frozen at the same spot and could not even move. ¡°It''s okay. I still have some things to attend to, so I''ll be leaving,¡± I replied calmly and wanted to leave quickly. However, Xavier grabbed my arm and pulled me back in ce. Instantly, I was repulsed by his touch and pushed him away hard. Hooligans like him were the people I looked down upon the most, so I hated being near him. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, Steven! It seems that your sister is a feisty one. Despite that, I like her. If you can let her apany me for a night, I''ll allow you to join us. How about it?¡± Although Xavier was talking to Steven, he kept his gaze on me. After hearing his arrogant words, my displeasure intensified as I wore a look of disgust while looking at him. Steven was at a loss. ¡°I don''t think this is a good idea. She''s my sister, after all. Besides, if my brother- inw gets wind about this, he''ll kill me.¡± At least Steven was not horrible enough to agree to his deal. If he did, I would be utterly disappointed in him. ¡°What are you worried about? If hees and finds you, you have me! I''m the boss of this entire area, so he won''t dare to say anything.¡± Although Steven helped me out, Xavier paid no heed and stretched out his hand again. Meanwhile, anger flooded my veins. How dare a hooligan like him insult me! Once again, my brother hid me behind his back and begged, ¡°Xavier, please let my sister go. She''s extremely straightforward and definitely different from the usual woman you have encountered. She''ll no doubt cause you anger!¡± I could hear how scared Steven was while saying that. It might be because he was afraid that the man would deal with him instead. ¡°Who do you think you are? You should know that nobody has dared to stop me from getting the woman I wanted. Plus, I only allowed you to be one of my men because you''re a fast learner. So if you dare to get in my way again, I won''t go easy on you!¡± Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Losing his patience, Xavier was smoldering with resentment as he red at Steven. ¡°What a bunch of gangsters. Aren''t you scared of the police locking all of you up?¡± After seeing how terrified Steven was of Xavier, anger stirred within me. Is Steven even a man? How could he not fight back when seeing others touching me? Why do I have such a useless brother? ¡°What did you just say? I dare you to repeat that!¡± The man with red hair shouted while walking over to me. He pointed a beer bottle at me, seemingly ready to hit me with it at any time. Although I was scared, I was not as cowardly as my brother. Anyone could tell that those men were an insult to society, and I was not one to stand back and try to please them. ¡°I''m saying that you''re a bunch of scoundrels! If I were you, I would leave right now. Otherwise, once my husband arrives, he won''t let you off the hook so easily!¡± Albeit scared, I felt myself at ease when I was reminded of Michael. After all, he would not forgive them if any of them dared toy a hand on me. Besides, hooligans like them were a piece of cake for Michael to take care of. ¡°Anna! Can you stop talking to them? If you continue, you might be in trouble before Michael can get here!¡± Steven muttered while looking at me worriedly. As he spoke in a soft tone, his words were unheard by the others. After hearing Steven''s words, I did not say anything else despite still being angry. After all, I could not confirm that Michael was on his way or if he had seen the message at all. ¡°You''re saying that your husband won''t forgive us? No one has ever had the guts to be so arrogant to me before. Since you''re being so disobedient, I''ll make sure you get a good punishment. How about this? You can be my woman from today onward, and I''ll be your husband instead of him.¡± Xavier burst out inughter, thinking that I was just joking around. ¡°Anna, run! I''ll hold them off.¡± Knowing that they would not let me off easily, Steven looked like he was ready for death when he turned around and whispered. When I heard that, my heart clenched tightly. I can''t believe Steven just said that! After all, Steven had always been a selfish person in my mind, and I always thought he would leave me to fend for myself in a dangerous situation. Thus, I did not expect him to protect me when the situation called for it. Without answering him, I looked at Steven with mixed emotions. Although I knew it was best for me to run away at that moment, I could not leave my younger brother behind. ¡°What are you still waiting around for? Go!¡± Seeing that I was frozen in ce, Steven could not help but urge me. Meanwhile, Xavier had already walked over and trapped me in his arms. I furrowed deeply and felt my disgust for Xavier growing deeper. Although I tried hard to break free from his grasp, a woman''s strength could not bepared to a man''s. Consequently, I could not move and could only watch helplessly as he touched my face. When Steven saw that, he steeled his heart and rushed up to us, pushing Xavier off of me. Upon seeing that, the other men in the living room naturally sided with Xavier. Thus, they shoved Steven down onto the floor. At that moment, Steven''s nose was already bleeding from the impact. ¡°Steven! Are you okay?¡± After seeing how he did that to Xavier to protect me, I felt genuinely moved. I did not expect my younger brother would choose to save me in such a dangerous situation. It was also the first time I felt something other than anger toward him. ¡°Why didn''t you run when I told you to?¡± Steven shouted while being pressed down, displeasure flickering in his eyes. ¡°You''re my brother! How can I leave you behind?¡± No matter how displeased I was with him, he was still my brother. Therefore, there was no way I would run off without him. At that moment, Xavier had walked over to me. Then, he stretched out his hand with a smile and remarked, ¡°Since you don''t want to leave, you should stay behind and apany me. Ist quite long in bed, just so you know.¡± When I saw the look in his eyes when he was ogling me, I resisted the urge to p him. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. As I was used to Michael''s handsome looks, I felt disgusted looking at his ugly and fat face. ¡°Get lost! You''d better not touch me!¡± I warned while pping his hand away. Although I knew I could not get away, it did not stop me from resisting. ¡°Hah! Feisty, aren''t you? But it''s fine since I like women like you. When we''re in bedter, the feeling of conquering you will be sweet.¡± Rubbing his palms in anticipation, Xavier reached out to me. Meanwhile, I could not escape as I was cornered. When his hands were about to touch my breasts, the door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang. Everyone in the room was taken aback by the loud noise, immediately looking toward the direction of the door. When Michael appeared in the doorway, I heaved a sigh of relief. Michael''s here! I''m saved. ¡°Michael!¡± The anxiety in my heart slowly faded upon seeing him, for I knew he would undoubtedly protect me. ¡°What is this?¡± When he saw me being cornered, he furrowed coldly. However, when I wanted to answer him, Xavier walked over to Michael while ring at him in vexation. ¡°Who are you?¡± Angered by Michael''s interruption, Xavier had a questioning tone in his voice as he scowled. ¡°Her husband,¡± Michael answered coldly while shooting him a look. With his curt reply and cold tone, he clearly did not think highly of the hooligans. After all, it was normal for someone as influential as Michael to look down on those thugs, not to mention his personality had always been so arrogant. ¡°So you''re the husband she kept raving about? I don''t think you can withstand one punch of mine with that skinny figure of yours! I''d advise you to leave right now. Or else, don''t me us for being merciless!¡± Xavier snorted,pletely disregarding Michael as a threat. Plus, he was convinced that thetter could never defeat that many people at once. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 ¡°You guys have to pay the price for touching my wife!¡± Michael clenched his fists as he exuded a murderous chill. He was a possessive person. Since gangsters were harassing his woman, he was undoubtedly enraged. ¡°You sure have guts, punk! Are you aware of who Xavier Woodwork is? How dare you speak to me like this? You must be tired of living!¡± Michael was not even a tad bit afraid in front of those people, which infuriated Xavier. Thinking that people in the area feared his own name, Xavier was displeased by Michael''s nonchnce. ¡°Never heard of it.¡± Michael''s cold gaze was locked on Xavier, who was walking toward him as the former said those words. Listening to what Michael said, Xavier''s body trembled in rage. ¡°You brat! It looks like you''re trying to mess with me. I''ll let you know what I am capable of! That way, you will learn your lesson not to mess with me anymore!¡± Once Xavier finished his sentence, Steven, who was being pressed on the ground, was let go by Xavier''s underlings. The men then walked toward the direction of Michael. Although I had witnessed Michael''s capability previously, I was still worried about the injury on his arm. Even though he had rested for almost two weeks, he couldn''t have fully recovered from his injury. ¡°Do you guys have a death wish?¡± There was a me of fury roaring within Michael as he locked his gaze on the hooligans when he spoke with his low and cold voice. The next second, he gave the frontmost person a strong kick. His kick was so powerful that it sent the person flying into the other hooligans behind, causing all of them to fall to the ground. ¡°You are a brave guy! How dare you make a move before I do!¡± Seeing his underlings on the ground, Xavier was stunned for a second before he snapped back to his senses. He then red at Michael. It was probably because he had never met someone as arrogant as Michael before. Michael remained expressionless as he stared at the hooligans in front of him. I knew Michael was a person who wouldn''t be afraid no matter what problems he encountered. Ever since Michael saved me that time, my perception of him changed again. He looked cool when he fought for me, but I knew that this was not the time for admiring Michael as there were quite a few hooligans that he had to handle. If Michael was injured, I am the one who would be heartbroken. Hiding behind his back, I whispered, ¡°Michael, please be careful.¡± I was a little heartbroken as my gaze shifted to his injured arm. He wouldn''t have been injured if he hadn''t saved me previously. If he gets injured again this time, I will feel even more guilty. ¡°Go and hide at somewhere safe.¡± Michael nodded as he spoke. I knew if I stayed beside him, I would only be a burden to him. This situation made me recall the time when I was kidnapped. If I wasn''t held as a hostage that time, Michael would''ve dealt with them easily. I retreated to Steven''s side obediently as I looked at Michael with a face full of worry. ¡°Anna, there are so many of them. Can Michael handle them by himself?¡± At that moment, Steven put himself in front of me, a picture of concern. Although Steven was much more mature that day, I was still infuriated as everything would not have happened if it wasn''t for him. ¡°Don''t you feel bad for saying that? You kept skipping work to hang out with this bunch of hooligans. Now that things turned out this way, it''s all on you!¡± Once I heard his remark, I was so mad at that moment as Michael had to fight with so many hooligans because of my unreliable brother. He only knows how to create trouble for me. I really have no idea what else he is capable of doing. I really have the urge to give up on him now. ¡°Why are you ming me again? If you didn''te to my ce so frequently, would any of this have happened? If you had note, none of this would have happened.¡± Steven looked at me with a face of indignant. He thought that it was me who caused this mess to happen and was not remorseful at all. ¡°If Mom didn''t tell me she couldn''t contact you and made mee to check on you, do you think I would be here right now? Listen to me, Steven. If anything happens to Michael today, I will never forgive you!¡± I frowned from irritation as I red at Steven. If Michael weren''t fighting with the hooligans, I would really teach Steven a lesson right then and there. Seeing I might be infuriated, Steven pursed his lips and said no more. However, my worry was unnecessary. The hooligans were unarmed and were no match against Michael. He subdued the hooligans easily without much effort. Seeing his underlings beaten up by Michael one after another, Xavier was shocked with his eyes widened. ¡°Who the hell are you? So incredible!¡± He looked horrified as he gawked at Michael. The man knew that he had no chance to beat Michael once his underlings were down. ¡°Michael!¡± Michael stood in front of him and glowered at him with a cold gaze. ¡°You... Are you Michael Shaw?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Xavier trembled once he heard Michael''s name as if it was something unbelievable. Judging from his reaction, he should have heard of Michael''s name. However, he would have never thought that Michael would appear in such an old and shabby house, and he even started a fight with Michael. ¡°What do you think?¡± Michael answered his question with another question as he stared at Xavier with his icy gaze. ¡°I-I...¡± After confirming Michael''s identity, Xavier''s body trembled even more. He was even stuttering as he spoke. I frowned in puzzlement and looked at Michael. Is his name that powerful? Why would Xavier be so scared after hearing his name? ¡°Get lost!¡± Michael demanded coldly without saying anything unnecessary. Xavier''s attitude at that instant was different from his arrogant attitude previously. He was so afraid of Michael that he left the ce instantly. His underlings also followed him and left swiftly. The room was only left with me, Steven and Michael. Michael only came to my side to check on me after those hooligans left the room. ¡°What happened? Why was there a bunch of hooligans here?¡± After scrutinizing me, Michael questioned with a worried expression. Hence, I told him about my mom asking me to check on Steven. After I arrived, I saw Steven drinking with them, and they tried to harass me after they saw me. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Michael''s expression darkened as he took in what had been said to him. His zing gaze shifted to Steven in the blink of an eye. ¡°Did I let you stay here just to endanger your sister?¡± Michael''s voice was ice cold. As he approached Steven, thetter panicked when he sensed Michael''s presence emitting a powerful aura. In his fear, Steven looked at me after ncing at Michael as he approached. After that, he nced back toward Michael many times in a row. ¡°Michael, I''m sorry. It''s my fault. I didn''t mean to do it.¡± Steven gave Michael a cheeky grin as he stared at him. However, his uneasiness was still clearly visible on his face. ¡°You have no idea how much Anna has given up for your sake. Every day, you''ve been cking off at work and not showing up to the office. Even more so now that you''ve started to offend these gangsters.¡± Steven''s apologies did not go over well with Michael as thetter''s face remained expressionless. He was also aware that Steven''s repentance was not sincere. ¡°I''m truly sorry, Michael. I promise not to contact them again. Please forgive me just once. Not to mention, I just protected my sister from harm. You can ask her if you don''t believe me.¡± My advice to Steven was never taken to heart. He didn''t act like that in front of Michael, though. Yes, he did protect me earlier, but that couldn''t erase the fact that he incited the gangsters in the first ce. ¡°Tomorrow, these gangsters will be sent to jail. I was debating whether or not to send you over so that you might learn from your mistakes.¡± Michael''s fury dissipated almost immediately. As he talked, he looked into Steven''s frenzied eyes. After hearing what Michael had to say, even I was in fear. The instant Steven heard that he would be going to jail, he was terrified and knelt in front of Michael. ¡°Michael, I''ve definitely learned my lesson. Please ept my apologies for this one time. In the future, I swear to arrive on time for work each and every day.¡± Although Steven was a jerk, he had a small amount of courage. When he heard he was going to jail, he was immediately terrified and kept promising to behave. On the other hand, Michael was not as empathetic as I was. He wasn''t persuaded in the least. His expression remained icy the entire time. Hearing Steven''s apologies would have already convinced me if it were me. Michael nced at Steven coldly. He stepped right up to me, grabbed my hands, and marched out of the ce before he could finish his sentence. Riding in Michael''s car gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. Would Michael really have sent Steven to jail as he had imed? Michael started the car''s engine. He acted as if he didn''t want to go into detail about Steven''s situation with me. This made my heart race even faster, as I was already anxious. ¡°You''re not going to put Steven in jail, are you?¡± Ufortable, I asked Michael, with my face turned to him. ¡°Are you reluctant to let him go?¡± Michael continued driving his car. He didn''t even bother looking at me. His voice sounded soft. Hence, I wasn''t sure if he was delighted or upset. I couldn''t always see through Michael''s thoughts. Even at this point, I couldn''t figure out what he was thinking. ¡°Steven will always be my brother. I cannot bear the thought of him going to jail. Surely you''re frightening Steven, then? You wouldn''t put him in jail, would you?¡± Steven was still my brother, no matter what he had done. Of course, I hoped that he wouldn''t wind up in prison. ¡°Yeah, I''m just trying to scare him a little bit. However, Xavier''s gangsters will be locked up tomorrow. I promised you that no one would ever be able to hurt you, and I will have to keep my word.¡± My tense muscles were eased by Michael''s reassuring responses. Thankfully, Michael was simply frightening Steven. My parents would kill me if Steven were ever imprisoned. ¡°I hope Steven has learned his lesson this time around and will improve from here on. I truly hope he doesn''t go on living like this anymore.¡± I let out a sigh of despair. Thinking back on Steven''s deeds, I was deeply frustrated. How long would it take for Steven to mature and stop causing me so much stress? ¡°Don''t overestimate your brother. I told you that people are resistant to change. Sometimes, I wonder why you and your family members have such different personalities. You don''t feel like family at all.¡± Every time I had a glimmer of hope for Steven, Michael was there to remind me of the reality. However, what he said at the end made me quite upset. ¡°What are you talking about? Obviously, we''re rted. Besides, having different personalities in a family is very normal.¡± At times, I felt like I wasn''t truly a part of the family. Mom and Dad were always hot and cold to me. I felt as if I were an outsider. Because of that, I made a considerable effort to improve my rtionship with them. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t obtain the desired results. ¡°I guess so.¡± Michael lightly blurted out those three words and remained silent for the rest of the journey. However, his words made me feel uneasy. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. After returning to the mansion, I called my mother. I did not tell her that Steven had been hanging out with gangsters. To ease her heart, I simply told her that he didn''t answer her calls because he had been drinking too much. What happened today was a close shave. Despite the fact that there had been no harm done, I was nevertheless terrified. There were far too many evil people in our society. Anyone and everyone could run into them at any time. After a quick power nap, it was already afternoon. In the meantime, Michael had already returned to work. As I remembered, it was the day of my prenatal checkup. In order to avoid wasting Michael''s time, I decided to go on my own and not tell him about it. Joy filled my heart as I walked alone on the sidewalk, thinking about how the baby in my womb was growing day by day. At that very instant, a beep came from behind me. As I frowned and turned around, I saw a silver Maserati. I squinted a little bit. I had no idea who this car belonged to as I had never seen it before. I turned around and kept going, ignoring the car as I went. At that exact moment, a familiar voice called out to me from behind. ¡°Anna.¡± It was Ronan''s voice. I felt a slight shiver run down my spine. I turned around once more. This time, Ronan had already pulled up in front of me with his head popping out the window. When I realized it was really Ronan, I was taken aback. This man had been driving a shy red Ferrari for as long as I knew. I felt a little out of ce when I saw him driving a more toned-down sports car today. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I halted my steps and greeted Ronan softly as I looked at him. ¡°I was just passing by. How about you? Where are you heading to?¡± In Ronan''s eyes, there was tenderness. The faintest smile appeared on his handsome face. It was a lovely sight to see. ¡°I... am going to the hospital for a checkup.¡± Chapter 340 Chapter 340 After a moment of silence, I decided to tell him the truth. When I mentioned a checkup, Ronan immediately understood what I was referring to. The light in his eyes dimmed as soon as the words came out of my mouth. After a long pause, he finally smiled at me again. ¡°I was just about to go to the hospital. Hop on. I''ll drive you there.¡± As Ronan was speaking, he had already gotten down from his car. He went over to the passenger seat and opened the door for me. ¡°It''s okay. I can get there by myself.¡± It was clear to me by the look of sadness in Ronan''s eyes that he hadn''t totally moved on. That was one of the reasons I avoided getting too close to him. The door had been opened for me by Ronan when I turned down his offer. He frowned and nced at me as if he was a little let down. ¡°What''s the problem? I''m only offering you a ride since I''m also on my way. Do you have to avoid me like that? Are you really so afraid of me?¡± Ronan spoke softly. Even so, it was loud enough to sense his disappointment. I sighed in exasperation. I didn''t know what to say. I wasn''t afraid of Ronan. I just didn''t want him to feel upset because of me. Every time I looked at his sad eyes, I felt terrible. ¡°I didn''t mean that. I was just...¡± Ronan kept staring into my eyes as I opened my mouth and tried to think of something to say. ¡°All right, I know what you''re trying to say. You don''t need to say it. I was just kidding.¡± Ronan unknowingly let out a cynical smile. Seeing him in this manner brought up memories from the past. I was stunned. Ronan remained patiently at the door, waiting for me to get into the car. Eventually, I made my way over to him. While I was in Ronan''s car, I felt ufortable being in an enclosed space with him. Ever since I got together with Michael, my feelings for Ronan have changed. We didn''t argue at all during this time. It was as if we were trying to keep the atmosphere down on purpose. However, by doing it purposefully, the awkwardness was made worse. ¡°Why did you drive a different car today? What happened to your shy Ferrari?¡± For the whole trip, neither of us spoke a word. As a result of my desire to avoid further awkwardness, I spoke up. ¡°I just thought switching my car would switch my mood.¡± Ronan spoke faintly. Although he didn''t say anything specific, it felt to me that he was talking about our situation. ¡°Don''t you think this silver sports car suits me better since it looks more depressing?¡± Ronan looked at me after I stopped talking. I could tell from his eyes that he was smiling, but he didn''t truly mean it. To the people around him, Ronan appeared to be depressed. The once-vibrant young man had long vanished. Whenparing him today to before, he had undergone a major transformation. He matured a lot more, but his smile lost a lot of its radiance. And it was because of me that he turned into someone like that. ¡°Do you still mind me being together with Michael?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Before I turned to face Ronan, I had been silent for quite some time. I couldn''t help myself but ask him this question over and over again. All I ever wanted for Ronan was to return to the way he used to be. ¡°I''d be lying if I said I didn''t mind. However, as long as you''re happy and Michael is able to give you the happiness you desire, I won''t mind.¡± As far as I knew, Ronan was the one who had been looking out for me this whole time. I had found my other half. My only hope was for him to do the same soon. Ronan opened the back door for me as soon as we arrived at the hospital so that I could skip the line and head straight to my checkup. Before he bumped into me, I had no idea if Ronan wanted toe to the hospital. However, he was right outside the door when I went in for my appointment, doing nothing but waiting. There were a few pregnant women waiting outsidest night when I got out of the ultrasound room. I overheard them whispering about how handsome my husband was. Ronan was, of course, the husband they were referring to. For a moment, I was a little embarrassed as we had already developed an ufortable rtionship between us. I felt even more twisted in my heart when people misunderstood the situation. On the contrary, Ronan''s mood improved as a result of their conversation. Ronan was following right behind me as I made my way to the elevator. I had to stop and stare at him because I couldn''t hold my emotions in any longer. ¡°I''m done with my checkup. I appreciate you taking me to the hospital today. If there isn''t anything else, I shall make a move.¡± Despite the fact that I was thanking Ronan with my words, I wanted him to quit following me. We didn''t have a good rtionship. Hence, I''d feel even more awkward if he kept following me. ¡°Since I''m here and I have nothing else to do, let me take you home.¡± Ronan decided to join me in the elevator as soon as I entered it. There was a devilish grin on his face. I sighed exasperatedly as I stared at his face. I was confident he did it on purpose. He only wanted the opportunity to spend more time with me. ¡°It''s fine. I''ll leave on my own. It''ll be difficult for you to send me home.¡± I insisted on declining Ronan''s offer since it was inappropriate for us to be so close, given our current rtionship. ¡°I''m just offering you a ride home. You don''t have to be so adamant about rejecting my offer. We are, after all, friends. Simply think of it as a friend helping a friend.¡± Ronan''s eyes began to lose their sparkle. He was clearly hurt by my decision to reject him. Despite this, he refused to let me go and insisted on sending me home. ¡°Ronan¡ª¡± ¡°Please don''t constantly turn me down. I''m aware of your concerns. Don''t worry. I will not ruin your rtionship with Michael. All I want to do is to keep an eye out for you.¡± My words were interrupted by Ronan before I had a chance to finish. A sad gaze shed across his pair of sparkling eyes. As far as I could tell, I was supposed to say no. However, my heart broke every time I saw his sorrowful eyes. Ronan''s sadness seemed to stem only from my actions. Ronan had always treated me well. It was just unfortunate that he had feelings for the wrong person. He shouldn''t have liked me from the start because I was already in aplicated rtionship with Michael at the time. ¡°Let''s go then.¡± I was convinced in the end. I spoke with a dropped head as if I didn''t want to. I couldn''t help but sigh in frustration once more. In the end, Ronan had toe up with the solution on his own. Any effort I made to convince him would be in vain otherwise. Besides that, my rejection would just intensify his heartbreak. I then entered Ronan''s car. He might have felt the same way about the awkwardness of the situation, so he turned up the music to make it more bearable. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 I felt even more upset as I listened to the sad, depressing love songs. Since when did Ronan listen to those songs too? A man like him should listen to more catchy songs. Ronan had changed a lot. He started to feel like a stranger to me. Moreover, that was not a good thing to see. Ronan''s expression turned a little awkward as soon as he sensed the change in atmosphere. He turned off the music immediately. I turned around to look at him with a serious expression. ¡°Ronan, I hope that you''re still the same as in the past. I don''t like the way you''re behaving right now.¡± I liked Ronan better back when he was carefree. Although he was more steady and mature now, he did not look as cheerful as before. Caught by surprise, Ronan froze momentarily before turning around to look at me. His eyes were brimming withplicated emotions. After some time, Ronan asked frankly, ¡°Anna, will you fall in love with me if Michael doesn''t exist?¡± He slowed down his car as he waited for my response. In fact, he had asked me the same question back then. However, I managed to avoid answering him. I had never thought that he was still curious about the answer. Ronan was a good man. I enjoyed having him around because he could make me feel younger and happier. Although he looked like an irresponsible man, he was wise and rational. Otherwise, he would not be able to manage such a grand hospital on his own. In fact, if Michael was not here, I might really be attracted by Ronan. I liked his young and lively aura, and I was rxed when I was with him. When he was around, I would forget about the hustles of life. Ronan and I looked at each other for a moment without saying anything. Finally, I gave him the answer he wished to hear. ¡°If Michael doesn''t exist, I might fall for you.¡± I was serious about my response. Perhaps, that''s also a way to make him give up on me. Ronan did not expect me to say that. He froze with his eyes widened, not gaining his senses for some time. A momentter, a smile appeared on his handsome-looking face. But then, I also noticed the tears in his eyes. Although he managed to stop his tears from falling, his eyes turned red at that moment. I stared at his eyes for a long time. I could not bring myself to see how sad he was, so I really wished that he could fall in love with someone else right then. Perhaps in that way, he would stop feeling so heartbroken. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t cling to you after hearing your answer. I treat you as a friend and nothing more. I''ll make sure not to trouble you by protecting you silently.¡± Ronan shifted his attention back onto the car as if nothing had happened. I got even more upset upon hearing that. Ronan says that he''ll protect me silently, but I''ll never get to return anything to him. I nced at his face quietly, feeling overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Just as we arrived at Michael''s mansion, I received a call from Michael. He had called me because he could not find me at home. Michael was very attached to me recently. He could almost tell my whereabouts throughout the day. I told Michael that I had gone to the hospital for a checkup in the call. After informing him that I was almost home, he finally rxed. Not long after, we arrived at the entrance of the mansion. As soon as Ronan stopped his car, I saw Michael in front of the house. He was wearing a ck suit, which made him look even taller. He strode over and pulled the front passenger door open for me. Then, he gave me a hand to support me as I got out of the car. ¡°Why didn''t you inform me of your schedule earlier? You''re now pregnant, but you still don''t know how to take good care of yourself!¡± Michael said with a reprimanding tone. Although he was angry, I could sense the concern in his words. However, he had been ignoring Ronan throughout the process. Meanwhile, Ronan''s expression had turned grim. ¡°Why are you so worried? Didn''t you see that Ronan had sent me home personally? That''s his hospital. He''ll treat me like a VIP there, so there''s nothing to be worried about.¡± Although Michael and Ronan had very different personalities, they had a close rtionship. However, the atmosphere between them had changed recently, and I felt that I might be the reason. Michael nced at Ronan upon hearing that. Aplicated look shed across his dark eyes. A momentter, he said calmly, ¡°You''re my wife. Although Ronan is my cousin, don''t you think it''s rather inappropriate for him to apany you during your pregnancy checkup?¡± I could not discern any emotions from his voice, but I understood the intention in his words. Of course, Ronan understood what he was trying to say too. I turned to look at Ronan with an unnatural expression. How can Michael say something like that in front of Ronan? ¡°Michael, you''ve misunderstood. I bumped into Ronan earlier.¡± It was evident Michael was targeting Ronan. I felt a little angry upon hearing what he said. After all, I was already feeling guilty toward Ronan. Michael was unhappy because I had defended Ronan. He shot me a nce as a hint of anger appeared in his eyes. However, he did not say anything in return. His grip on my hand tightened. ¡°Well. It''s gettingte. We should go back and rest.¡± Then, he turned around and walked into the mansion while grabbing my hand. Ronan had remained silent all along. However, I could tell he was displeased by looking at his furrowed brows. Suddenly, Michael stopped in his track and said, ¡°By the way, you should join us for dinner, Ronan.¡± I was surprised by that, as I thought he would ignore Ronan. ¡°Sure,¡± Ronan answered after a moment of silence. I sat beside Michael around the dining table while Ronan sat opposite him. The housekeeper started to prepare a lot of scrumptious and nutritious food since I was pregnant. Michael had been feeding me well throughout the period. The atmosphere in the dining room was a little strange. For some reason, I felt a little ufortable. I lowered my head and ate silently. Suddenly, Ronan picked up a piece of meat and put it on my te. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 My heart dropped as I looked at Ronan in shock. Is he trying to serve me food in front of Michael? Isn''t he aware that I''m Michael''s wife now? ¡°Have some ribs. You''re too skinny for a pregnant woman.¡± However, Michael smiled as he dropped a slice of meat on my te before Ronan managed to do so. Ronan''s hand froze. Then, he put that piece of meat back on his te. He must be upset to see that. Suddenly, I realized that Michael did that on purpose. It seemed like he was bothered by the fact that Ronan had sent me home. I nced at Ronan and Michael without saying anything. Then, I continued eating my food. The atmosphere was tense throughout the dinner. As soon as Ronan finished his food, he found an excuse and left. He knew that Michael was trying to assert dominance in front of him. Michael sat down on the couch with a satisfied smirk after Ronan left. I got a little furious upon seeing his expression. ¡°Why did you do that during the dinner?¡± I asked him with a re. I was aware that I had hurt Ronan. Therefore, I got even more displeased upon seeing how Michael targeted him. ¡°I want to show him that you''re my woman so that he won''t get confused.¡± Michael snorted as his face darkened. ¡°Isn''t it obvious that I''m with you? Do you think Ronan doesn''t know that?¡± I looked at Michael helplessly. Although I was not pleased to see him do that, I was not mad at him. I knew he cared about me. Otherwise, he would never have acted so childishly. ¡°Are you feeling sad because of him?¡± After a brief moment of silence, Michael turned and red at me, sounding interrogative as he said that. ¡°No. I just think that you might ruin the rtionship between both of you.¡± I was at a loss for words. Since when did I ever feel sad because of Ronan? I just don''t want to be the reason that destroys their rtionship. ¡°No one is more important than you.¡± Michael''s expression softened upon hearing that. However, there was still a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. I stared at him, feeling moved. Michael would often say something that moved me after we were together. I was rather happy to hear that, as he was never a sweet-talker. I shed a smile in response. My foul mood earlier lightened up several notches upon hearing Michael''s words. ¡°How was the check-up today? Is the baby okay?¡± Michael shifted his gaze onto my belly. I was already almost three months pregnant, and my baby bump became more visible than before. I could not help but feel excited as I thought of meeting my baby soon. ¡°Everything''s good. The baby''s growing well.¡± ¡°Go take a bath now. We haven''t been doing that in a while. We should rx ourselves today.¡± I thought Michael was going to ask more about the baby. However, he had changed the topic fast, and his words had rendered me speechless. I was stunned for a moment. As soon as I regained my senses, I finally realized what Michael was trying to say. Is that the only thing in his mind? ¡°Although the baby is healthy, I should still avoid intense activities. So, I think we should control ourselves until the baby is born.¡± I forced a smile. Although I did not hate making out with Michael, I was worried that we might injure the baby during the process. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I remember the doctor said that we''re allowed to do that when the pregnancy is between three to six months. That means the baby will be fine, right? These three months are going to be precious. We shouldn''t waste them.¡± Michael did not take my words seriously. The corners of his lips curled into a seductive smile as he walked toward me. My heart tightened as I saw him approach. I knew what he was going to do. Oh my God! He''s acting up again. ¡°S-Stay away from me. We really can''t do that tonight.¡± I looked at Michael warily. However, he continued to ignore everything I said. The next second, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms. My heart dropped as I smelled the faint scent of cologne that lingered in his chest. It was clean and refreshing. ¡°You can''t say no. You''re my wife, so you should satisfy my desires. Do you really want to sit and watch me suffer?¡± Michael leaned closer to whisper. His low and sexy voice sounded in my ears. It was so seductive that I felt a tickle. I could not express what I was feeling right then. ¡°Didn''t we just do that two days ago?¡± I looked at him reluctantly. How is his sex drive so high? It has only been two days! ¡°How about we leave that in the past and focus on what we should be doing tonight?¡± Michael smirked before pinning me onto the bed. His buff, solid body pressed above mine, and I could not even struggle. However, he tried to avoid his stomach from my belly since he was afraid to harm the baby too. I knew he would never give up until he got what he wanted tonight. Feeling helpless, I let out a sigh. Before knowing Michael, I thought he was a decent man who showed no interest in sex. However, I knew that he was nothing like that after we were together. ¡°Hurry up.¡± I had to admit that I enjoyed doing that with him. However, I would always feel exhausted the next day. Therefore, I was worried that it might affect my baby. ¡°Are you that eager?¡± Michael sneered as he said that with a teasing tone. A hint of satisfaction shed across his eyes. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 I felt speechless as I stared at him. Wow, what a narcissistic man. I don''t think I was praising him, though. I''m also helpless with his longsting duration. ¡°Feel free to think this way.¡± Twitching my lips, I wanted to deny it initially. However, when Michael''s personality crossed my mind, I knew he would give me a taste of it should I deny him. After some inner struggle, I decided not to refute. ¡°Okay, I''ll try,¡± Michael said next to my ears in a seductive voice. Then, he lifted my dress with hisrge hand. Feeling shy, I turned my head aside because my heart would beat uncontrobly quickly each time I faced Michael''s intense gaze. Despite having been together with Michael for such a long time, I still felt shy every time. I had no idea what happened to my past thick-skinned self. It was another night of passion. Although Michael promised verbally to end it quickly, there wasn''t much differencepared to before. I suspected that he had just been appeasing me. Feeling contented when it ended, Michael hugged me in his arms while caressing my face. While I enjoyed the pleasure earlier, I still red at him in annoyance. ¡°Didn''t you say you will end quickly? Why did it still take such a long time?¡± I looked at Michael miserably and full of dissatisfaction. I wouldn''t believe any word said by him from now onward. ¡°The feeling is tremendously incredible when we''re having sex. How would I be willing to end our experience promptly? I even wanted it to be longer.¡± Michael removed a few strands of hair from my forehead as he looked at me with his eyes full of affection, but the things he said were brazen. ¡°Michael, can you be less shameless? You did not keep your word!¡± I scowled at Michael while pretending to be angry and ignored him. His face was thicker than the wall. ¡°Unfortunately, no. If you want to, we can do it once more. Anyhow, I feel that I''m full of energy. Maybe I canst longerpared to earlier.¡± With a teasing look, he fixed his gaze on my breasts. His eyes were burning with desire yet again. I didn''t know if Michael was then joking or if he was serious. Panicked by his words, I immediately pulled up the nket and wrapped my body tightly with it. Once was enough, but he wanted a second time. I wouldn''t let him get his way. Moreover, I was exhausted. Seeing my response, Michael did not continue forcing me. He hugged me and closed his eyes. I felt relieved and fell asleep soon enough. My rtionship with Michael had been rtively stable all this while. I felt like I was the world''s happiest woman to be pampered by him. I had no idea how Michael managed to cause Emma a five year jail sentence. She was the daughter of the Jones family. So, her oue as a criminal was totally out of my expectations. Furthermore, the Jones family''spany reputation got tarnished due to Emma''s jail sentence, and soon after, they dered bankruptcy. Michael made all these happen. Once Michael intervened, the opposite party would have no chance of overturning the situation. I felt lucky yet terrified at the same time by his capabilities. The reason was due to knowing that the Michael that I knew was only on the surface. There were still loads of areas that I did not understand about him. Sometimes, I would also be frightened by his mercilessness toward his rivals. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The days passed by, and my stomach grew graduallyrger. Finally, we were holding our wedding ceremony once again. Learning from the previous experience, he came to pick me up personally. There were also bodyguards everywhere at the wedding venue so that no idents would happen. My pregnancy bump was then noticeable, and although it affected the beauty of wearing the wedding dress, I did not mind any of that. What I cared about was, from that day onward, everyone would know that I was Michael''s wife. Both of us had not only gotten our marriage certificate, but we were also husband and wife byw who were carrying out our wedding ceremony. The moment Michael and I exchanged rings, I felt like he had bound me to him, and it was not only me as a person but also my heart. Michael''s slim body looked even taller and suaver in the white coat he wore. Moreover, the faint smile never left his handsome face. I was the only person in his eyes since we met. Michael sent someone to bring my parents to our wedding. They had always been indifferent toward me unless it was rted to Steven. As long as I was not doing anything against Steven, they would still show me some care. As my parents witnessed my marriage, Mom''s face held a smile of blessing. On the other hand, Josephine had always disapproved of Michael''s rtionship with me. However, since we had taken our marriage certificate, it was pointless for her to object anymore. Hence, she could only choose to attend the wedding. Otherwise, no one could imagine what kind of rumors and gossip the public might spread. After exchanging our rings, the emcee requested us to kiss affectionately. I looked at Michael''s attractive face. Even though we had kissed countless times, I still felt awkward to kiss in front of a crowd. I stared at Michael''s handsome face as he walked and stood in front of me. Looking into my eyes, he said with an earnest expression on his face, ¡°I told you that we will be having a wedding ceremony, and I made it happen.¡± My heart fluttered. I knew how much effort he had put in for our wedding. While I did not mention it, it did not mean that I was oblivious to everything and anything. The pressure he had to bear was far more than me. ¡°My greatest happiness in this lifetime is to be able to get married to you. I have no other wish but to be with you forever.¡± My eyes bore into his as I uttered my deepest and most sincere thought one word at a time. I was not melodramatic because my only genuine hope was to be with him as we grew old together and lived happily with our children. ¡°We will.¡± Something in his eyes flickered when he heard what I said. Although he only gave me a two-word reply, it was as if he had made a solemn promise to me. With his definite answer, my heart skipped a beat. At that moment, my heart was filled with blissfulness. Being with the man who loved me with all his heart was the happiest thing that had happened to me that lifetime. Staring into his eyes, I remained silent. I knew I could trust his words. The next second, Michael lifted my face and kissed me tenderly. I closed my eyes to enjoy his kiss at our wedding. When I reminisced about this many yearster, I hoped it would still be lovely and memorable. Chapter 344 Chapter 344 The kisssted for an extended amount of time. Michael opened his eyes and released me when a round of apuse thundered from the audience. We were the male and female lead of our wedding, and everyone was staring at us. Being under the spotlight then made me feel slightly awkward. When the ceremony ended, we went to toast with our guests. Most of them were Michael''s business partners. The Shaw family had hardly any rtives. However, they were all from the upper-ss society. Among the rtives were Ronan and Elisabeth. Ronan''s gaze did not leave my face when I was at their table. I expected that he wouldn''t feelfortable when he saw Michael and I enter the wedding hall, but nothing would change now. Moreover, I knew Michael was my fate. ¡°Aunt Elisabeth, may I offer you a toast?¡± Michael walked to Elisabeth''s side while his gaze nced toward Ronan seemingly unintentionally. Then, he raised his wine ss, and they clinked their sses. ¡°I''m so delighted to be able to attend your wedding finally. I wish you a happy marriage and forever blissfulness.¡± Elisabeth did not notice the unusual vibe among us. She was full of smiles and congratted us genuinely. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Elisabeth.¡± After receiving Elisabeth''s blessing, Michael grinned and downed his wine while I could only drink juice as a recement since I was pregnant. ¡°Ronan, it''s Michael''s wedding today. Why are you still sitting down and not giving him your blessings?¡± Elisabeth frowned and reminded Ronan when she saw that he remained seated. Hearing what Elisabeth said, I looked at Ronan and saw the loneliness in his eyes as he stared right into mine. He did not utter a single word which made the situation awkward. ¡°Ronan, what''s going on. I''m talking to you.¡± Feeling slightly unhappy with his attitude, Elisabeth nudged and prompted him again. ¡°Aunt Elisabeth, Ronan doesn''t seem to be in a good mood today. Don''t worry about the blessings. He is probably feeling upset seeing me getting married already. Once you get home today, you''d need to make some arrangements for him since he''s not young anymore.¡± Michael spoke to save Elisabeth from the embarrassment. Although what he said sounded as if he was trying to ease the tension, I felt that his purpose was to get Elisabeth to arrange blind dates for Ronan. Is he still angry about my rtionship with Ronan? I nced at Michael and noticed that he was arching his eyebrows as he looked at me. His intention was apparent. He did not want me to take an extra look at Ronan. Even though the atmosphere got slightly awkward, I couldn''t help but feel amused. It seems that Michael would also feel jealous. ¡°You''re right. It seems like I need to think about this matter.¡± Elisabeth had not noticed anything abnormal. When she heard Michael''s suggestion, it was as if she got enlightened and responded immediately. Hearing Elisabeth''s response, Michael lifted his lips into a smirk then nced at Ronan. I knew Michael''s purpose was to divert Ronan''s attention from putting his heart and mind on me. ¡°I don''t need any blind dating. The girl I like is now married to another guy. So, you don''t need to carry out this useless stuff.¡± Michael knew Ronan liked me, but he purposedly mentioned blind dating to Elisabeth. Moreover, Michael was a petty man who was very possessive, and Ronan had known him since they were young. So, he would be clearer than me about Michael''s purpose in doing so. Ronan stood up abruptly. The things he said stunned everyone attending the wedding. I felt worried as Ronan was looking at me. Based on his brash personality, would he announce that I''m the person he likes at Michael and my wedding? As I looked back at him nervously, I wanted to remind him badly that it was Michael and my wedding at that instant. I knew that my mindset was selfish, but I would still choose to be with Michael even if it meant hurting Ronan. Moreover, Michael''s face had darkened, and I could tell that anger was zing in his eyes. If Ronan divulged that he liked me at my wedding with Michael, he would definitely lose his temper. ¡°Ronan, what nonsense is this? Why haven''t I heard about this from you? There''s a girl that you like?¡± Elisabeth sensed that something wasn''t right with the situation. Hence, her face fell. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Ronan ignored Elisabeth and continued to fix his gaze on me. Feeling guilty, I looked down. My heart was pounding against my chest rapidly as I did not know how to face him. His mother was a smart woman. When she saw Ronan''s gaze not leaving mine, she came to a sudden realization. After looking at me with aplicated look, she turned to Ronan. ¡°Ronan, this is Michael''s wedding. You can''t mess around here when you''re drunk,¡± Elisabeth warned Ronan. By then, her gaze was shing with anger. Ronan turned to look at Elisabeth, then strode off after giving me another nce. ¡°Ronan...¡± Elisabeth shouted his name, but he stormed off without stopping or turning his head back. I knew he would be in a foul mood. However, I felt rxed as soon as he left. ¡°Michael, don''t be angry. Ronan drank a little too much. I apologize on his behalf.¡± She masked her emotion well and filled her face with smiles once again. However, this time, it was more of a forceful smile. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m well aware of Ronan''s temper. So, I won''t be mad at him. Aunt Elisabeth, enjoy your meal slowly. I''ll go and toast with other guests.¡± Michael simply smiled as he knew very well the reason Ronan left. After that, I apanied Michael to toast with the other guests for a long time before having the opportunity to rest. Hence, I headed straight to the dressing room after that, feeling exhausted. My legs were all weak and shaky as I was pregnant, yet I needed to toast with therge number of guests who attended the wedding. After the make-up artist touched up my make-up, she left for a while because I had to change my dress. I was left all alone in the dressing room. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Looking in the mirror, I was wearing a white wedding dress and exquisite makeup at the moment. Having my wedding with Michael on that day was still pretty surreal for me. While I was immersing myself in blissfulness, someone knocked on the dressing room door. ¡°Come in!¡± I shouted toward the door in response. Due to the vast number of guests participating in my wedding, I had no idea who that person was. A few secondster, a middle-aged woman came into sight. It was Ronan''s mother, Elisabeth. Before my wedding with Michael, I had never met Elisabeth. Sure enough, that day was the first time I met her. Her elegant attire was a sure sign that she was from the upper echelon. Nevertheless, that was not my matter of concern. What I cared about was why Elisabeth had to appear before me all of a sudden. Based on my intuition, it must be rted to Ronan. ¡°What brings you here, Aunt Elisabeth?¡± Since I was already married to Michael, I called her Aunt Elisabeth as Michael did earlier as an act of courtesy, regardless of her reason foring to me. ¡°I was bored out there, so I decided to have a chat with you. I hope I''m not disturbing you, Anna.¡± Elisabeth walked toward me while uttering those words. Even though she looked cordial on the surface, I knew she must have a specific thing she wanted to talk about with me. ¡°What are you saying, Aunt Elisabeth? You''re my aunt now! If anything, I''m happy that you''re here to visit me. Please, have a seat.¡± Despite feeling anxious in my heart, I still demonstrated politeness toward Elisabeth. After all, not only did I already start calling her Aunt Elisabeth, but she was also Ronan''s mother. Upon hearing my words, Elisabeth threw me a smile and sat on the couch opposite me while scrutinizing me. In all honesty, I was not too fond of her looking at me in such a manner, but I could not say anything in response. Therefore, the only thing I did was lower my head slightly to avoid her gaze. ¡°You and Ronan know each other. Am I right, Anna? I noticed him staring at you earlier.¡± Elisabeth took the initiative to break the momentary silence. Although I had spected that she came to see me because of Ronan, her words still caused my heart to churn. Thest thing I wanted was for any unpleasant surprises to happen again on my wedding day. ¡°Yeah. We met a few months ago. We''re friends.¡± I had to state the rtionship between Ronan and me to Elisabeth clearly to prevent misunderstandings from happening. Having a rtionship other than being ordinary friends was utterly impossible with Ronan. ¡°Friends? Are you both merely friends?¡± It seemed like Elisabeth had expected me to give such an answer as she had a calm countenance instead of being surprised. That reply she gave was to test me without question. I could discern what she was indicating as I was not a fool. Anyhow, I still had to give her a serious answer, even though I was unhappy with her suspicion. ¡°Apart from being friends, he should be my rtive since I''m married to Michael,¡± I answered Elisabeth while shing her a faint smile. There was nothing for me to be guilty about as I knew she was only there to see me because of Ronan''s reaction earlier. ¡°Hmm, but why do I feel like Ronan has a peculiar affection toward you? Can you tell me what type of friendship you have with him, Anna?¡± Elisabeth looked courteous to the casual eye, but as before, I knew she was testing me. Being suspected was an awful feeling. More significantly, it was my wedding day with Michael. I thought the subject of every conversation should only go back and forth between Michael and myself, not other unrted persons. ¡°Today is my wedding day with Michael, Aunt Elisabeth. Besides, we''re madly in love with each other, as you may have noticed. You will give us your blessing sincerely, right?¡± I tried my best to smile at Elisabeth while looking into her eyes. If she were not Ronan''s mother, I would not have been patient for so long. Still, that did not mean I could continue to bear with her constant testing. Albeit recognizing that I was responsible for Ronan''s current state, I had already made things unambiguous to him a while back. It was his problem that he could not recover from his broken heart. Regardless of what others might say, I did not think it was my fault at all. One must realize that love is selfish. As an astute woman, Elisabeth must have detected the anger in my tone. She stiffened her face for a moment before putting on a smile straight away. ¡°Of course. For me, Michael is like my son. My only wish is for him to have a blissful life during his marriage. I also recognize that you''re both genuinely in love with each other. I hope both of you will live happily ever after.¡± Those polite remarks from Elisabeth were pretty brilliant. I did feel a hint of hostility from her tone, but she was acting mannerly on the outside. It would be improper to say something disrespectful to an elder too. ¡°Thank you for your blessing, Aunt Elisabeth. I''m confident that being together with Michael will bring me nothing but joy,¡± I responded to her amicably and curled my lips into a smile. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Given that I had already produced an unequivocal exnation, it was up to Elisabeth herself to determine the legitimacy of my words. In response, Elisabeth gazed at my face as though she was trying to figure something out. Consequently, I furrowed my brows as I was not used to being looked at in such a manner. Nheless, I refrained from saying anything. The second she was about to make an utterance, the dressing room door opened. To my delight, it was the charming Michael. His eyes flickered when he saw Elisabeth. ¡°Why are you here, Aunt Elisabeth?¡± Michael promptly concealed his true expression from his face and strode toward us while putting on a half-smile. ¡°I''m here to see your bride. Since I''ve never met her before, this is the perfect opportunity to get to know her.¡± Once again, Elisabeth spoke civilly. I felt a little speechless by her response because I knew her purpose for seeing me very well. ¡°What do you think about my bride then, Aunt Elisabeth? Isn''t she beautiful?¡± replied Michael. He had probablyprehended the reason for Elisabeth''s appearance as he was an intelligent man. ¡°She is, Michael. You have keen eyes indeed.¡± Elisabeth shot me a nce before answering Michael. ¡°Ronan might bring a gorgeous-looking daughter-inw to meet you in the future as well.¡± Chapter 346 Chapter 346 It seemed like Michael had no ulterior motive in uttering those words on the surface. In truth, he was telling Elisabeth that I was his woman. I was pretty astonished when Michael only needed one sentence to deal with Elisabeth while I had to say so much to her. That was also a demonstration of the stark difference between Michael and myself. Every word that came out from him was with intent. ¡°There''s no telling when that kid will have a girlfriend. He''s not attending the matchmaking sessions I prepared for him right now. I wonder why.¡± Elisabeth cast a nce toward me nonchntly when she said those words. She probably thought I was the culprit for Ronan to behave in such a manner. Again, I would not deny that I had something to do with Ronan''s current state, but I had rejected his confession incontrovertibly. It would be uneptable to me if I were still the one getting med. ¡°I believe it''s only a matter of time. Everything will be fine after Ronan thinks it through,¡± Michael responded to Elisabeth emotionlessly while looking at her. Upon listening to his words, Elisabeth''s expression changed. Her gaze at Michael had be a little indecipherable. However, I was unsure what was in her mind as one of the best traits of a socialite was hiding one''s authentic emotion. ¡°Hope that will happen soon. Anyway, I''m leaving now as I don''t want to bother you guys any longer on your wedding day. We''ll chat some other time when we''re both free, Anna. Goodbye.¡± Elisabeth left the dressing room straight after finishing those words, perhaps because of the awkward atmosphere. As soon as Michael and I were the only people left in the dressing room, I lowered my head in frustration. ¡°Did Aunt Elisabeth bring up Ronan just now?¡± Michael turned and looked at me with an imperturbable expression. It was as if he had already figured it out early on. Without saying a word, I nodded as an admission. Encountering such an incident during my wedding was still an unpleasant experience. After all, anyone would desire to go through the best moment of one''s lifetime on that big day. ¡°Don''t take it to heart. It''s Ronan''s problem, not yours. Still, you should keep your distance from him in the future.¡± Michael looked toward me with a warm smile on his face. Yet, hisst sentence had dumbfounded me. I would appreciate it if he could admit to being petty instead of using Elisabeth as a cover. Regardless, I was still pretty happy since Michael''s words indicated that he cared for me. It was already evening when the wedding ended. At the moment, I was dead-tired, possibly because of my pregnancy. After returning to the mansion, I sat on the couch without doing anything. The only thing I wanted at present was to have a good night''s sleep. As for Michael, he was sitting right by my side. His eyes were full of anguish when he looked at my exhausted look. ¡°I''m sorry for what you have gone through today,¡± Michael uttered in a tender voice while holding me in his arms. His gaze toward me was overflowing with affection. ¡°Stop it, Michael. Today''s our wedding. My weariness pales inparison with that. Ah, I feel like the most blissful woman in the world today.¡± Michael and I had officially be one flesh. That was a terrific feeling beyond a shadow of a doubt. I believed my greatest happiness would be to spend the rest of my life with him. Hearing that, Michael curved his lips into a grin cheerfully. It was apparent that my words had delighted him. He then ced his hands on my shoulder and began to massage it. I felt a little uneasy as he had never been that meticulous before. However, the perfect amount of strength he applied made me feel veryfortable. While he massaged my shoulder, astonishment surged in my heart as I never thought a dignified man like Michael would know how to massage. ¡°It feels so good...¡± I could not help but express my feeling while indulging in the massage with closed eyes. ¡°You feel good, huh? Do you realize how seductive your expression is? You''re arousing me to make love with you right now,¡± Michael whispered into my ear after listening to my utterance. The sensation of his warm breath grazing my ear caused my heart to palpitate uncontrobly. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. When I became conscious of Michael''s words, I widened my eyes and would not dare to look into his eyes. Does he want to have sex again tonight? My heart sank in an instant when I thought about that possibility. Not a chance! I repeated that thought in my heart probably up to hundreds of times. If Michael tortures me in my weary state, I may die! Hence, I stared at Michael pitifully without speaking a word, hoping that he could grow a conscience by letting me off. ¡°Are you unaware that your gaze will only further inme a man''s desire to dominate? Aha! You''re seducing me. Isn''t that right, Anna?¡± Instead of showing sympathy, Michael used me of seducing him. I felt an urge to pull out my hair in frustration by his words. Unbelievable! I was pleading with him not to have sex tonight, for heaven''s sake! ¡°What? No! I''m tired, Michael. Could you bear to torture me in my current state?¡± I looked at Michael in displeasure. If he still insisted on tormenting meter at night, I could guarantee that I would throw a tantrum at him. Before giving a response, Michael looked into my eyes for quite some time and sighed in disappointment. ¡°When is the babying out from your womb? I have endured for months!¡± Helplessness saturated his countenance as he gazed at my baby bump. ¡°There''s still a couple of months left. Keep it up.¡± I felt a little ecstatic when Michael implied that he would not do anything to meter. I can finally have a good night''s sleep tonight without his disturbance! Hooray! ¡°The baby is at fault for depriving my benefits every night! I can''t wait to teach our kid a lesson after birth for that!¡± Michael spoke those words in a pretty loud voice deliberately as a jab toward me. His aggrieved expression made me wonder if I was too cruel. That said, I changed my mind instantly on second thought. Michael has tortured me every night thus far despite my pregnancy. Is it that difficult for him to have self-control for only one night? Inconceivable! With that thought, the heartache I felt for him only seconds ago faded away. I decided to ignore him and continue to enjoy his massage. Unbeknownst to me, I drifted off to sleep a whileter. How I got upstairs was unknown to me as well. The only thing I knew when I woke up the next day was that I was on the bed in the bedroom. Concerning Michael, he was lying beside me and had not awakened yet. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Michael would have gone to the office at this hour. Is it because of the weddingst night that he is too tired to follow his routine today? I was still lying in Michael''s arms at the moment. My clothes had long been stripped off. I felt speechless when I looked at my naked body and Michael, who was also in the nude. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. I wondered why he took off my clothes despite the fact that we couldn''t have sex. Wouldn''t it be more unbearable? I shifted slightly. It seemed that I had slept in the same position for the whole night. My body felt unusually heavy and sluggish. Michael was a light sleeper. Following my single movement, he opened his eyes and looked at me. There were traces of fatigue in his gaze. ¡°Why are you up so early? Don''t you usually sleep until noon?¡± His voice was hoarse with morning tiredness. ¡°Why are you still sleeping? Isn''t it time to wake up and head to the office?¡± I looked at the time. It was already ten in the morning. Michael would already be at the office around this time in the past. Strangely enough, he was still here with me. Has he decided to skip work? ¡°Office? We just had our wedding yesterday, and now you force me to head to work? Don''t tell me you want to give up our honeymoon?¡± Michael raised his brows. A trace of dissatisfaction shed through his eyes as he looked at me. ¡°Honeymoon? Are we going to have a honeymoon?¡± I looked straight into his eyes and threw the question at him in surprise. I thought he would get busy with his work after the wedding. Unexpectedly, he actually wanted to go on a honeymoon. ¡°Do you think I would want to end my wedding hastily like that? My woman deserves the best. Where would you like to go on our honeymoon? I will spend a month together with you.¡± Michael stared at me with a grin. The tiredness had already disappeared from his face. ¡°I want to visit Pillere. What do you think?¡± Without a second thought, I spoke up and looked at Michael excitedly. The thought of going on a honeymoon with him was exhrating. He had always been upied with work. So when he suggested that we go on a honeymoon, I felt like I was in a dream. ¡°Okay, we will go wherever you want.¡± An affectionate smile yed around his lips as he spoke. The next second, he pulled me into his arms. ¡°Michael, it''s great to have you around.¡± Lying in his arms, I somehow felt that the happiness came to me too quickly and unexpectedly. I had never thought that I would have such a happy life. ¡°Since you''re happy with me, don''t you think it''s your turn to satisfy me? I''ve been suppressing my desire sincest night. And you''ve had enough sleep now.¡± I expected to hear some romantic words from him. However, his whole mind still revolved around the fact that I hadn''t satisfied himst night. I was at a loss for words as I looked at him. After all, I failed to gain the upper hand each time we discussed this kind of topic. Closing my eyes, I pretended that I didn''t hear him. ¡°Since you''re not saying anything, I will take it as a ''yes.''¡° He wasn''t mad at my silent treatment. Instead, he broke into a smile. The next second, he leaned close to me. My heart skipped a beat as I felt his breath. I immediately opened my eyes, only to find that his face was inches away from mine. Distancing myself from him, I stared at him warily. My silence didn''t constitute a ¡°yes.¡± I just didn''t feel like talking to him. ¡°Michael, could you please think of something else other than filling your head with sex? Are you addicted to it?¡± I was lost for words as I looked at him. To be frank, I can barely stand his lust for me. ¡°Do you want me to lose interest in you? You should be happy now that I can please you every night. What do you hope to see from your husband then? Do you want me to act like trash? Will that make you happy?¡± Michael raised his brows with a smug look on his face. Funnily enough, he regarded my criticization as apliment. Again, I was left speechless. Technically, women are not into men with sexual dysfunctions. Despite that, being with a person who has a strong sexual desire is, in fact, stressful. Besides, I''m pregnant now. ¡°What? Cat got your tongue? Or are you just waiting for it?¡± Seeing that I remained silent, Michael broke into a suggestive smile and threw the shameless remarks at me. As always, he liked teasing, especially when he was in bed. ¡°Can''t you restrain yourself? Don''t you know that overindulgence is bad for your body? What if you be impotent several yearster because you have too much of it now? It''s not worth it, right?¡± All men were concerned about this aspect. Of course, Michael was no exception. At this moment, I could only make him aware that it was all for the sake of our harmonious future. Otherwise, I would definitely be ravaged by himter. ¡°Are you really worried that I would lose my ability to enjoy my sex life? Don''t fret! It''s all about your future happiness so I will take good care of it. Moreover, I have been restraining myself for two months now. Can''t you tell?¡± I thought my words would raise his concern. It seemed that I had underestimated him. He met my gaze and smiled devilishly. It was clear that he couldn''t care less about what I said. ¡°Michael...¡± Looking at his handsome face, I expected him to say something. However, he locked his lips with mine the next second. My heart was racing. What''s wrong with this guy? Despite everything I told him, he still didn''t let me go. I should decide whether to sleep in separate rooms in the future. His kiss was gentle. A long time passed before he pulled his lips away from mine. I opened my mouth, gasping for air. More often than not, he would take the next step in this situation. I sighed helplessly. If he really wanted to go all the way, it would be impossible for me to stop him. Thus, I closed my eyes and was ready for what wasing to me next. However, I didn''t feel his next movement after waiting for some time. Opening my eyes, I looked at him in puzzlement. He stared at me suggestively with a smile on his face. His expression made me confused. I couldn''t seem to find the usual desire he had in the past. ¡°You...¡± I wanted to ask him why he ceased to continue. On second thought, it might make me seem to have longed for it if I threw such a question at him. In the end, I decided not to ask. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 ¡°I''ll let you go this time because you look tired. After giving birth, you have to make it up to me.¡± Upon hearing his words, I heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. Well, at least he still has some conscience and didn''t throw himself on me by force. ¡°I got it. After giving birth, I promise I won''t turn you down. Just try your best to restrain yourself during my pregnancy.¡± Since he said so, it was best to call it quits, and I even made a promise to him. Despite that, it was not what I had in my mind. After all, there were a few months left until the baby arrived. At least, he would have to abstain from doing it for the following months. By the time I gave birth, he might have already forgotten what I had said. By then, I would just ask him to control himself a little. Michael seemed to have guessed my idea. Pursing his lips, he clearly didn''t believe what I said. ¡°Okay, it''s time to get up now, or I will not be able to control myself. Do you know that you are lying naked now? If I don''t do anything to you now, I will feel sorry for myself.¡± As he spoke, he lifted the nket. Gazing at my body, he yfully squeezed my buttocks. With that, my face turned bright red instantly. Did he just grab my butt? I was worried that he might no longer be able to control himself, so I immediately sat up and put on my clothes while ignoring his gaze. It was already amazing that I was able to make him abstain from doing it for the whole night. Thus, I had to be fast, or I would definitely be at his mercy again. He couldn''t help smiling as he looked at me. A cheeky glint could be seen in his eyes. I somehow felt that he had deliberately thrown such words at me. ¡°Michael, are you pulling my leg?¡± Realizing that he was fooling me, I shot him an indignant re. ¡°Does pregnancy make your brain slower? Howe it took you such a long time toe to the realization?¡± I couldn''t see a trace of guilt in his expression even after hearing my words, and his eyes were telling me that he wanted tough. ¡°Michael, how dare you!¡± I was even angrier seeing that he admitted it. Since when did he start to behave mischievously? Why do I get the feeling that he takes after Ronan now? Sure enough, people bear a resemnce to those who are blood-rted. To vent my anger, I picked up the pillow and threw it at him. Before the pillow got to him, he had already reached out to catch it. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I had expected it anyway, so it didn''t irritate me. I merely stared at him with a look of annoyance coupled with a hint of disappointment. Has he been acting like he was interested in me all this while? I couldn''t help feeling disappointed at the thought of that. I guess no woman will embrace the fact that the man she loves is not interested in her. Seeing that the smile faded from my face, Michael raised his brows and beamed an imperceptible smile. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± His tone was gentle as he tried to please me. I should have felt happy when a nobleman like Michael tried to make me feel loved. However, the thought of everything he said was nothing but sweet talk left me in a loop of feeling let down. ¡°Have you lost interest in me? Do you feel nothing even if I''m naked in front of you?¡± Feeling depressed, I looked into his eyes and spoke my mind. I don''t know what''s wrong with me. I just want to tell him how I really feel. If I don''t, it will keep bothering me. After all, we were a married couple. I could just tell him directly instead of beating around the bush. My questions caught Michael off guard. The next second, he looked into my eyes as if trying to read my mind. ¡°Why would you ask me such a stupid question all of a sudden? Is my affection for you not strong enough? Can''t you feel my love?¡± He raised his brows as he spoke. His tone sounded easy and rxed. Besides, he seemed to be greatly interested in me. ¡°Did you put on an act just now?¡± I was worried that he had just pretended to be interested in me. ¡°Who told you that I was acting?¡± Michael seemed at a loss for words at the moment. A look of despair was on his face as he stared at me. ¡°It''s clear that you are just acting all this while.¡± I ended up losing my temper. This whole thing got on my nerves. Perhaps it was the pregnancy that changed the way I thought. If it had happened in the past, I wouldn''t have thrown a tantrum because of such a trivial matter. ¡°Okay then. Let me show you my interest in you,¡± he replied helplessly. His eyes never left me as he spoke. I looked at him quizzically. For an instant, I couldn''t make sense of what he said until he lifted the nket and revealed his erged private part. My face instantly flushed bright red. It then dawned on me that this showed the ¡°interest¡± in me that he was talking about earlier. Right at this moment, his private part stood away from his body. It was clear that he had been suppressing his lust for a long time. I finally came to the realization that he did take an interest in me. Nevertheless, he had done a great job suppressing his sexual desire. I was even under the impression that he was just faking. ¡°W-What''re you doing? Quickly cover yourself,¡± I uttered those words while blushing. It was indeed embarrassing, but I couldn''t help looking at it. ¡°Aren''t you desperate to know if I''m interested in you? You can see it to your heart''s content. Of course, it would be great if you could also satisfy me.¡± Ignoring what I told him, he even inched his body toward me. I knew he was just mad at my words earlier, and he deliberately wanted me to have a good look at it. I felt like an idiot when I thought about how I lost my temper earlier. Damn it! It''s indeed hundreds of times more embarrassing now that he reveals his thing in front of me. What should I do now? ¡°All right. I got it. I''m sorry for using you just now. Please cover yourself.¡± My face turned redder. I let out an awkward smile, not daring to meet his gaze just yet. I must have been out of my mind. How could I even doubt that he is not interested in me? Chapter 349 Chapter 349 ¡°Now that you see it, you know how hard I''ve been holding back. Don''t you think you should satisfy me a little?¡± Michael saw an opening, and he sat up with a grin on his face as he grabbed my hand. Instantly, I knew what he was thinking. I quickly withdrew my hand as I felt a spark upon his touch. Blushing, I stared into Michael''s eyes and felt as though I had just dug my own grave. ¡°It''s gettingte. Hurry up and get up. Aren''t we going to Pillere for our honeymoon? We''re going to be late.¡± Even though I wanted Michael''s attention, I did not want to give in to him at that time. After all, I was still tired after the wedding from the day before. Thus, I had no ns to spend my energy in bed with him. ¡°You won''t leave me in such a state, right? Do you really think it''s going to be that easy to stop this?¡± said Michael as he grabbed onto my hand again. Clearly, he had no intention of getting out of bed. Looking at the bulge at his crotch, I knew then that he would not let me off that easily. I tried to get my hand out of his, but it was futile. In the blink of an eye, Michael pulled me into his arms and kissed me. The kiss went on for a while, and I could feel his hands running all over my body. At that moment, I felt as though there was a jolt of electricity coursing through my veins, and my whole body tingled. By the time Michael let go of me, I could barely pull myself together. I stared at his face and had completely forgotten that I was trying to get rid of him just a moment ago. Extending my hands, I wrapped them around his shoulders and leaned into him. All I could think of at that moment was how good it felt when he kissed me. Michael grinned when he saw my actions and quickly imed my lips again. With our lips against each other, Michael carried me onto the bed. Feeling his lips on my skin, I felt a desire for him to take me. Moans slipped out of my mouth under Michael''s touch. Meanwhile, I realized how difficult it must have been for Michael as I noticed how hard he was down there. ¡°Michael, take me...¡± I whispered into his ear as I tightened my arms around his neck. At that moment, not only was I aching for him, but I also felt bad to see him suffer. I knew that Michael was always very gentle with me so that the experience would be pleasurable for me. Likewise, I felt awful to see him restrain himself so badly. At the same time, a grin came across Michael''s face. In a sh, he already had me pinned under him with my legs apart, and he slid into me. He kept his gaze on my face as he drove himself into me, and I felt a little awkward by that. I turned my face to the side to avoid his gaze. Yet, he turned my face back and said, ¡°Face me. I like to watch you moan.¡± I stared back at him in a daze. Even though I felt awkward to be stared at by him, there was also a hint of excitement. I could tell from his face that as much as he was holding back, he was still enjoying himself a lot. Michael was always a person with great stamina. It was not until I hade several times and was completely exhausted that he finally released himself in me. He rested on me as he panted heavily. Since I was pregnant, Michael was making all the effort in bed. Thus, I could not help but think how tired he must be. ¡°How was it? Was it good?¡± Michael whispered in my ear, making me blush. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Yeah...¡± I replied softly as I turned my face away. Sex was one of the things that would make any man feel good about themselves when they get a woman''s recognition. Michael was no exception. As soon as I said that, a wide grin appeared on his face. ¡°I''ll make you feel the same way every time from now on,¡± he stated beside my ear. I felt my heart skip a beat when I heard that and shot a re at him without a word. After taking some time to recover, we took a shower and went downstairs. Starving at that point, all we had in our minds was to fill our stomachs and depart for our honeymoon. I was bubbling with excitement as I thought about the honeymoon. After all, I had never gone out of the country, so this was my chance to see the world. Meanwhile, I could smell the food as soon as I arrived downstairs. I was heading toward the dining room when I noticed Josephine sitting on the couch in the living room as I passed by. Immediately, I got nervous when I saw Josephine. I tidied my clothes and walked toward her. ¡°Mom, what are you doing here?¡± I asked as I stood across from her. Josephine looked up discontentedly at me when she heard my voice. However, I was unbothered as I had gotten used to her stare. ¡°What? Do you think I have no right toe now that you''re thedy of the house? Are you saying that I should get your permission before Ie in the future?¡± Josephine was clearly picking a fight with me. I frowned at her words, but I told myself that I should not get worked up over that. ¡°Mom, that''s not what I meant at all. This is your home as well, and you''re allowed toe whenever you like. I just feel sorry for making you wait since Michael and I weren''t up yet.¡± She was already sitting here when I got down, which means she has been here for quite a while. Why didn''t anyone inform us about this? I''m confused. Could it be that Michael had told the housekeepers not to disturb us? While I was wondering why no one told me of Josephine''s presence, Josephine went on and said, ¡°Ms. Garcia, you''ve just married into our family. Even if you''re pregnant with a member of the Shaw family, there are still rules you must follow. Have you ever heard of a new bride waking up thiste on the next day of the wedding? Shouldn''t you be off to see your inws? How can you be so ignorant that I had to come and tell you this?¡± Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Josephine had no care for my words at all as she red at me with fury in her eyes. At that moment, I could sense that Josephine was there to cause trouble. At the same time, I was unfamiliar with how married life was supposed to be, not to mention seeing my inws. Thus, I was at a loss for words when Josephine said that. ¡°Mom, I''m sorry. I had no idea.¡± Lowering my head, I apologized sincerely. She felt that I was at fault as I did not know my responsibilities beforehand. Thus, there was nothing I could say when Josephine scolded me. ¡°Mom, juste at me if you''re in a bad mood. There''s no need to pick on her. We didn''t visit because I didn''t tell her about it.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. While I was still trying to think of a way to apologize, Michael''s voice emerged from the stairs. He had already changed his clothes and such. Josephine and I turned toward Michael''s direction when we heard his voice. She was shocked when she saw him there. ¡°Why didn''t you go to the office today?¡± asked Josephine with a frown. ¡°I just got married yesterday. Do you think it''s right for me to go back to work so soon?¡± Michael replied calmly as he walked toward us. ¡°There''s so much to deal with over at the office. As the CEO, are you leaving work just because you got married?¡± questioned Josephine. At first, she was a little taken aback, and she nced at me before speaking. I knew that even though Josephine seemed as though she was mad at Michael, she was just upset with me. She must be thinking that I''m the one who asked Michael not to go to the office. ¡°I''m going out of the country with Anna today for our honeymoon. We''ll be back in a month. Mom, take good care of yourself in the meantime. I''ve already made arrangements for the things at work. You don''t have to worry at all.¡± By the time he finished his sentence, Michael had already arrived beside me. He held me in his arms and looked at me dotingly. Michael gave such a perfect exnation that even Josephine was rendered speechless. ¡°Michael, I''ve barely agreed to let a woman like her marry into the Shaw family, yet you''re bringing her on a honeymoon? Are you trying to anger me?¡± Josephine looked at Michael begrudgingly as she pointed her finger at me. At the sight of that, I recalled how Michael had been going against his mother for my sake ever since we got together. Because of that, I knew that Josephine''s grudge against me had only gotten worse over time. ¡°Mom, you said it yourself that you''ve agreed to let me marry into the Shaw family. Now that I''m Michael''s wife, can''t the two of us go on a trip as husband and wife? You''ve already epted our marriage. You''re not going to step in on such a small matter now, are you?¡± I stated before Michael had the chance to say anything. I knew that Josephine was targeting me, and there was only so much I could tolerate. Considering that she was Michael''s mother, I needed to respect her. However, I did nothing wrong, and I was all out of patience. Meanwhile, Josephine was stunned by my words as I had always behaved meekly in front of her. It took her a moment before she snapped back to her senses. Realizing what I had said, her eyes zed with anger as sheined, ¡°Anna, what is that attitude? Are you talking back to me?¡± At that moment, Josephine directed her finger at me and glowered. ¡°I''m not. I''m just asking for your permission. Then again, your opinion doesn''t matter. Michael and I had already decided to go to the airport in just a bit,¡± I replied calmly. I was not the slightest bit scared of Josephine at all. Although I had never imagined that I would be able to go on a honeymoon with Michael, I thought it was only right for me to fight for it now that it was coming true. At the same time, Michael was surprised when I stood up for myself. Not only was he cool with how I spoke to his mother, he even seemed pleased to see me behaving that way. ¡°Anna Garcia, do you think you have thest say in this house?¡± Outraged, Josephine grimaced, and the fury raging in her eyes seemed as though she was about to reduce me to ashes. ¡°Mom, you''re our elder. Of course, you get thest say. Still, I hope you can stay out of our rtionship as much as you can. We have our way of living. However, I can promise you that we will be filial. I only ask that you could treat me with kindness.¡± I had no intention of fighting with Josephine at all. Regardless, Josephine''s attitude toward me had gone on for far too long, and I could not bear with it anymore. Josephine trembled with rage at my words, but all of it was the truth. ¡°Very well. You have the nerve to talk to me like that now that you think you got my son wrapped around your little finger. I will show you who exactly has thest say in the Shaw family!¡± Josephine spat out those words angrily. As soon as she finished her statement, she turned and stormed out of the ce. I felt a sense of relief when Josephine left. I then held onto Michael''s hand and went to the dining room together. Michael kept his gaze on me the entire time we ate, and he seemed amused. By the time we got on the ne, I still felt surreal about the whole situation. It was as though I was in a dream. Meanwhile, I noticed that Michael had been quiet since I said those things to Josephine. Feeling unsettled, I squirmed in my seat as I said his name while studying his expression. ¡°Michael...¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Michael answered softly. Unable to tell what was on his mind, I got more flustered. Despite the awesome feeling I had after saying those things to Josephine, I was worried that Michael would be upset at me for speaking to his mother like that. I might not care about what others thought of me, but Michael was different. ¡°Are you angry at me? I said those things to Mom¡ª¡± ¡°Do you think I am? I think you were awesome when you fought back,¡± Michael interjected before I could finish my sentence. Clearly, my worries were unfounded as Michael smiled at me when he spoke. I was relieved to hear those words. ¡°Anna, you don''t have to act meekly in front of others from here on out. You''re my woman¡ªnot the Shaw family''s servant. No matter what, you should speak up confidently. You hear me?¡± Michael dered with no room for rebuttal when he noticed that I was quiet. Meanwhile, I was taken aback by his words. Is he telling me that I should stand up to his mother in the future? Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Generally speaking, most men would hope that their wives would endure such things till the end. Yet, Michael was nothing like that. ¡°Wouldn''t you be mad if I always talk back to your mother?¡± I asked hesitantly. Although Michael told me that I did not have to endure everything, I could not help but think that he would switch to his mother''s side instead if I were to constantly talk back to Josephine. ¡°Do you think I''ll get mad? You''re my woman. It''s only right for me to want you to live happily. As for my mother, she''s used to being bossy because she is the only woman in the Shaw family all this time. Not to mention that no one has ever bothered to argue with her. Hence, it might be a good thing to let you teach her to mind her own business.¡± My eyes widened at Michael''s words. At that moment, I could not help but wonder if he was actually Josephine''s biological son. I could not believe my ears when he described Josephine as bossy and even said I could teach her how to mind her own business. I swear this is the first time in my life to ever see a man telling his wife to go against his mother. Despite that, I was relieved as I would not have to worry anymore if Josephine ever messed with me again. Even though I had no intentions to be on bad terms with Josephine, I also had no ns to endure it as I had in the past anymore. It was a few hourster when we reached Pillere. It was then that I realized that Michael''spany had a branch over there. After all, I never figured out how huge Michael''s business was. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. When we arrived at the chain hotel, the managers and senior administrators from the hotel were out to wee us. I had never experienced anything like that before, and I found outter in our room that the chain hotel was one of Michael''s assets. Inside the presidential suite, I stood in awe at the sight of the room. This is practically a small house of its own, and the decorations are incredible. ¡°Michael, how many assets do you have, to be exact? I can''t believe that you even have a hotel out of the country,¡± I asked as I looked over at Michael. Meanwhile, Michael was sitting on the couch with a business magazine in his hand. Then again, I did not care how rich Michael was. It just got me to think how little I knew about him even though we had been together for so long. ¡°Do you want to know?¡± Michael replied after a short pause as he turned around with his brows raised. ¡°You don''t have to if you don''t want to. Just pretend I never asked that question.¡± I thought that Michael was reluctant to answer me based on the way he replied. Consequently, I lost interest in it as I was afraid that he would think I got together with him only for his money. ¡°If you''re talking about hotels, I have a little over a hundred around the world. There are also dozens of branches for my advertisingpany and a couple more in logistics and properties,¡± Michael answered after giving it some thought. Meanwhile, I almost spat out the water I was drinking when I heard that. That means he owns at least two hundredpanies with all of that added up. He''s crazy rich. No wonder there are so many women fighting to be with him. Am I lucky or what? ¡°Why are you suddenly interested in my assets? Are you worried that I won''t be able to take care of you?¡± Michael walked over to me when he saw how I choked on the water. He patted my back and looked at me, evidently amused. ¡°It''s just a little too much to take in. I never knew you owned so manypanies. How rich are you, really?¡± Even so, I knew without asking that Michael''s worth was beyond my wildest imagination. ¡°All I''m saying is that I can take care of you without a problem. Actually, once the baby is born, I can still afford to raise a few more. What do you say?¡± Michael did not answer my question, yet I knew he did not hide it from me intentionally. Instead, he knew it was just an impromptu question. Plus, he probably had no idea how much he was worth anyway. Since we had justnded, we rested in the hotel on the first day of our honeymoon. However, every day after that, Michael would drive around to all the famous destinations in Pillere. He only took me to ces that were rtively safe and less crowded. After all, he was concerned that the baby and I would get hurt if we were not careful since I was pregnant. It was a shame that there were ces we did not get to see, but Michael promised me that he would bring me here again after the baby was born. Because of that, I cheered up almost instantaneously. Time flies when you are having fun. Soon, our honeymoon was almost over, and my belly seemed to have grown quite a bit over the month. Sometimes, I could even feel the baby moving. Both of us were thrilled and grateful as we wondered who the baby would resemble more. Back at the hotel, I was packing as we were leaving soon. I felt a little reluctant as I had the best time with Michael at that ce. Moreover, it was just the two of us without any worry in the world there. ¡°Once we''re back, I''ll be going back to work tomorrow. I won''t be able to spend every day with you anymore,¡± said Michael reluctantly as he held my waist from behind. ¡°I know. You''ve already spent a month with me, and that''s more than enough for me. Plus, there must be tons of work waiting for you in the office. So, don''t worry about me. I''ll stay at home and maybe do some reading, and I''ll find myself something else to do when we''re back.¡± I knew that Michael was afraid that I would be upset since being pregnant meant that I needed the extra attention. Meanwhile, Michael tightened his arms around me and looked at me tenderly. Later, we took the flight back home. The chauffeur was already waiting for us by the time we walked out of the airport. Then, we went straight back to the mansion. Since I felt a little sick from the flight, I went to bed as soon as we got home. At the same time, Michael left for the office after telling me that he was going to go and take a look. I was fast asleep after that. By the time I woke up, the sky was dark, and Michael was already back. ¡°When did youe back?¡± I asked softly. ¡°It''s been a while. You look tired. Do you want to sleep some more?¡± He caressed my hair. ¡°No. I''m hungry. I want to eat,¡± I replied while my stomach growled. Even though I wanted to sleep, my urge to eat was stronger. Over the next few days, Michael would go to the office every day to deal with the work that had piled up in the past month. Meanwhile, I would stay at home all day. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Josephine came to the mansion again that day. When I saw her, an uneasy feeling filled my chest. The last time we met was more than a month ago. It''s unlikely that she will try settling the score for the previous incident now, right? As I thought of this, worry grew in me. ¡°You''re here, Mom. Would you like something to drink?¡± I greeted politely while walking up to her. ¡°That won''t be necessary. I''m not here for coffee.¡± Josephine merely shot me a re. Though she was not as hostile as before, her expression was still unfriendly. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, Mom? By the way, Michael''s in the office right now. Why don''t you give him a call?¡± Wow, the change in Mom''s attitude is rather drastic. Every time she was here, she would teach me a lesson, yet she''s rather polite today. ¡°I''m here for you, not Michael.¡± Josephine then turned to face me. Though her gaze was unfriendly, her tone was better than before. Did she change because I retorted herst time? If so, it''s a blessing in disguise. ¡°Why are you here today, Mom?¡± I couldn''t wrap my head around the reason for her visit. But it seemed that she wasn''t here to lecture me. ¡°You''re pregnant for more than four months now, correct?¡± Josephine asked in a t tone without the usual hostility. I was startled when I heard her question. When I regained my senses, I couldn''t help but smile inwardly. It seems that Mom changed her attitude toward me because of the baby. ¡°Yes, almost five months now,¡± I replied with a faint smile. At the same time, my eyes were filled with delight, and my hands were caressing my belly. ¡°Five months means the baby is fully formed. I want you to go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow.¡± Josephine spoke in the same t voice, but her words thrilled me. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Okay. I''ll go for a check-up tomorrow.¡± I couldn''t hide my feelings as I spoke. Though Josephine was still expressionless, the fact that she came to visit my child made me happy. ¡°Oh, do give this to the doctor tomorrow as well.¡± Josephine then took out a thick envelope from her bag and ced it on the coffee table. Even though I did not check the envelope''s contents, I was sure that it contained money, and judging by the thickness, I estimated that there were at least twenty thousand inside. As such, I was confused with Josephine''s intention. I''d then guessed that Josephine wanted to give the doctor a mary gift to ensure he took better care of me. If this was her intention, then Josephine truly cared for my baby. ¡°Mom, doctors these days are quite responsible and serious. You don''t have to give them this.¡± I pushed the envelope back to her with a troubled look. In my opinion, the mary gift was unnecessary. Additionally, the hospital prohibited its doctors from receiving mary gifts. Moreover, even though I was aware of Josephine''s good intention, I was ashamed to do things like this. ¡°No, you have to give the doctor this. Nowadays, the doctors won''t tell you the gender of the child if you don''t give them mary gifts,¡± Josephine shot back with a frown, and her eyes were full of contempt. In that instant, I finally understood the purpose of her visit. Josephine didn''t care about the baby''s health. Instead, she merely wanted to know the baby''s gender. My heart was immediately flooded with disappointment. I was genuinely irritated that Josephine wanted me to check the baby''s gender. In my heart, I would cherish the child I had with Michael regardless of gender. ¡°Mom, we will find out about the gender eventually when the baby is born. There''s no need to know it now.¡± Though I was offended by her request to check the baby''s gender and felt that she didn''t respect my child, I tried my utmost best to contain my anger toward Josephine and spoke in a calm tone. ¡°Are you telling me that you don''t want to go?¡± Josephine sensed the refusal in my reply, and her gaze instantly darkened. ¡°I don''t think it''s necessary to check for the baby''s gender. The baby will be Michael and my child, whether it''s a boy or a girl. I believe that Michael will agree with me and love our child no matter what.¡± Regardless of whether she really wanted to know, I would stand my ground on this no matter what. Though the child was yet to be born, it still deserved to be respected. ¡°Are you trying to threaten me with Michael? Anna, do you think that just because you have Michael''s support, you can be rude to me?¡± Josephine was angry that I brought Michael into the conversation. It was clear from her gaze that she was infuriated. ¡°Mom, that''s not what I meant. I don''t feel it''s necessary to check its gender. After all, regardless of the gender, the child is your grandchild.¡± Following her gender check demand, I was certain she wanted a grandson. After all, having a baby boy was of utmost importance for aristocratic families. Hence, it was understandable that Josephine wanted a grandson. Though I expected that, it worried me that she would hate the baby if it was a girl. ¡°The Shaw family needs an heir, Anna. You might be married to Michael, but don''t expect that you will be Mrs. Shaw forever. If you give birth to a girl, I have ways to force you out of the family.¡± Josephine immediately jumped to her feet and stared down at me coldly. From her words, I could sense her eagerness to kick me out of the Shaw family. Despite being aggrieved because of her words, I didn''t show it on my face. At the end of the day, I was used to all the troubles she brought to me. I waszy to exin myself too. Also, even though she was Michael''s mother, I couldn''t stand her anymore. My patience was wearing thin. I raised my head to return her furious stare and stated calmly, ¡°Mom, no matter what you say, I will not go for a gender check. The baby''s health is the only thing I care about now, and I believe that Michael will love the baby as to how I love it regardless of its gender. I also believe that Michael and I will be happy forever, and my happiness will have nothing to do with the baby''s gender.¡± My tone was steady and firm. Ever since I got pregnant, Michael had never shown that he wanted a boy. So, this gave me confidence that he would love us regardless of the child''s gender. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 My long speech rendered Josephine speechless. She could only widen her eyes and tremble in rage. ¡°Anna Garcia! How could you not listen to your mother-inw? The Shaw family shouldn''t have epted you in!¡± Josephine pointed at me and used me. Her eyes were burning with mes as she red at me. ¡°Mom, it''s not that I don''t want to listen to you. Don''t you think that you have crossed the line with your request? This child belongs to Michael and me, and you have no right to ask for it to be checked. I know you want a grandson, but what if it''s a baby girl? Are you nning to force me to abort it?¡± Naturally, I feared for my baby as I did not know the rich families way of thinking. I was scared that if the baby was a girl, she might not be able toe to this world safely. ¡°If it''s a girl, she will not be the heir to the Shaw family''s asset. Anna, if you want to stay in the Shaw family, you have to give birth to a son. If it''s a girl, I want you to leave the Shaw family!¡± Josephine fumed. Her attitude was firm. She wanted a grandson no matter what. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°I will not leave Michael. Even if the baby is a girl, Michael will love her dearly too.¡± I stood up and fearlessly returned her stare as I was determined to stand my ground. No matter what Josephine said or did, I would protect my child with all I had. I swore not to let others bully my child. ¡°Then let''s wait and see!¡± After throwing those words at me angrily, Josephine turned and left without giving me another look. The living room became quiet without Josephine''s voice, and the silence irritated me. Josephine was getting outrageous. I couldn''t believe that she tried to dictate the gender of my baby. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, you shouldn''t challenge Madam Josephine. She won''t let this down easily.¡± Suddenly, a housekeeper, who was standing behind me, spoke in a timid voice. I frowned slightly and turned to face her. My tone was unfriendly as I shot back at her, ¡°I''m not challenging her. I''m just trying to protect my child. Moreover, based on what she had said, does that mean that if I give birth to a girl, then the child will have no right to be part of the Shaw family?¡± Until now, my heart was still heavy from Josephine''s outrageous demand. Whenever I thought about it, I tried to convince myself that Michael would disagree with his mother. After a quick sigh, the housekeeper looked at me and responded, ¡°I know what you mean, but all rich families want an heir. Mrs. Shaw, you should be careful of what you say. Aristocratic families have a different way of thinking. Don''t get yourself hurt.¡± Though I understood her words, I didn''t understand the meaning behind those words. When I saw the worried expression on the housekeeper''s face, I replied unconcernedly, ¡°Don''t worry. I believe that the love Michael and I share can help us through everything.¡± I no longer cared what others thought of me or how they looked at me. My only concern was being with Michael. Currently, my baby and Michael were the only things that mattered most to me. After hearing my deration, the housekeeper merely shook her head and left to do her work. Later that day, when Michael returned home, I had all his favorite dishes ready. I didn''t tell him about Josephine''s visit because I didn''t want to ruin his good mood or trouble him with more problems. After all, he was tired after a whole day of work. The next day was a Saturday, and Michael informed me that he would apany me for the check-up. Deep inside my heart, I knew that he was worried about my safety, and he wanted to guard me against Ronan. After a series of examinations, the doctor informed us that the baby was healthy and fully developed. On the way home, as I stared at the ultrasound image, I couldn''t help but think of Josephine''s demand from the day before. Though I knew well that Michael didn''t have a preference over the gender of the child, I couldn''t help but want to ask him about it. I was determined to hear the answer from his mouth. I lifted my head so I could stare into Michael''s eyes and asked, ¡°Michael, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Michael replied. His gaze was locked on the road as he was driving. ¡°D-Do you want a baby boy or a baby girl?¡± My eyes were still glued on Michael as I asked the question. While waiting for his answer, my heart raced from my nerves. I feared that he would give the same answer as his mother, and I doubted that I could take such an answer with ease. ¡°Why would you ask me such a question out of the blue?¡± Michael was briefly stunned when he heard my question. He then curved the corners of his mouth and formed a faint smile. ¡°Just answer my question!¡± I pressed on unhappily when I didn''t get the answer I was hoping for. Michael slowed the car down, turned to look at me, and announced seriously, ¡°As long as the baby is yours, I don''t mind if it''s a boy or a girl.¡± After getting the answer I was hoping for, I instantly felt the weight lift off of me. I was d that Michael didn''t share the same sentiment as his mother. ¡°You haven''t answered me why you asked such a question. Did something happen?¡± Michael asked after answering. As I stared into Michael''s questioning eyes, I didn''t know how to reply to him. I didn''t have the heart to tell him that his mother hade looking for me and demanded a gender check. I was afraid that it would seem like I was criticizing his mother if I were to tell him. ¡°Nothing happened. I''m just curious. The doctor said the baby is fully developed, so I wanted to know what you think about it.¡± My reply was not a lie. I, indeed, wanted to know about his thought on the baby''s gender. Michael didn''t question my answer. He merely smiled at me softly and reassured me in a gentle voice, ¡°The gender is not important. The most important thing is that this child is ours.¡± Michael kept one of his hands on the steering wheel and reached out to grab my hand with the other. As I felt the warmth of his hand, my heart trembled, and instantly, happiness filled me. I only cared about Michael''s feelings. As long as he paid no attention to the gender of our child, others'' thoughts would not be an issue. However, if he shared the same belief as his mother, it was a guarantee that I would be disappointed. Unfortunately, the happiness didn''tst. Josephine called two dayster to invite us to dinner at the Shaw residence. Though I was reluctant to see her, I missed Lincoln and Andy as the two of them were nice to me. Since I had not seen them in a while, I felt obliged to attend the dinner. Hence, when Michael asked for permission, I nodded in agreement after a moment of silence. Later that night, when I arrived at the Shaw residence with Michael, it was alreadyte and almost dinner time. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 As I entered, I could smell the aroma of the dishes wafting in the air. Ever since I got pregnant, I noticed that I had be sensitive to such smells, and I would also eat a lot after my morning sickness. We then sat in the living room and chatted with Lincoln and Andy. Though Andy was a man of old age, he was forward-thinking. Hence, I felt no burden when I talked to him. Michael, while we were chatting away, sat next to me. His gaze was always on me too. Whenever I laughed at Andy''s jokes, he would smile along, and whenever he looked at me, his eyes were full of affection. Just when I was indulging in my conversation with Andy, Josephine descended from upstairs, and the smile on my face disappeared instantly. From the bottom of my heart, I really didn''t like her. ¡°Anna, you''re here.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Josephine''s gaze was different today. There was no hostility. Oddly enough, she looked hospitable. I was shocked when I noticed it. What happened to her? Can pigs fly all of a sudden? ¡°Anna, I''m sorry for being rude to you the other day. I''ll make sure that doesn''t happen again,¡± Josephine apologized after taking a seat next to me and grabbing my hand. A faint smile was on her face too. Seeing such, I turned to Michael confusingly. What''s wrong with her? She was so angry at me the other day! Why would her attitude change so drastically? I was ufortable with Josephine''s strangeness that day. Despite that, I tried to be as polite as I could. After all, she didn''t say anything inappropriate to me. I then turned to Josephine and smiled at her before saying, ¡°Mom, what''s past is past. I was rude too. Please forgive me for that.¡± ¡°It''s okay. I don''t me you. We are family, after all. Plus, you''re pregnant. I should have paid attention to my attitude. It''s my fault for not being nice to you.¡± Josephine would surely be full of rage in the past if I dared to mention the gender check incident. However, her attitude that day left me confused as I couldn''t wrap my head around her intention. It was undeniable that she was polite to me, but I just wasn''t used to it. She was cold and distant to me previously, yet, just after one day, she became warm and weing. I highly doubted that anyone could adapt to such drastic change. Is it because she doesn''t want to be rude to me in front of others? I looked at her confusingly. That doesn''t make sense. She was rather outspoken about wanting me to leave Michael previously. I doubted that she would change so drastically just because of shame. Michael frowned when he noticed the change in his mother''s attitude. It seemed that he couldn''t wrap his head around Josephine''s change too. But when I turned and met his gaze, he said nothing. Just then, Andy, who had been chatting with me, spoke to Michael. ¡°Michael, I need you toe upstairs with me. There is a new developing project that I want you to take a look at.¡± With that, he stood up and headed upstairs. Michael took a nce at me and followed behind. At that moment, I was alone with Josephine in the living room. Lincoln, on the other hand, was in his study practicing calligraphy. When they left me alone with Josephine, I was ufortable. I couldn''t get over the fact that she had been cruel to me. ¡°Anna, you''re too skinny. Before you leave, remember to bring some supplements with you. Since you''re pregnant now, you have to remember to take enough supplements.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Josephine grabbed my hand again and spoke to me with concern. When her gaze fell on my baby bump, her eyes were full of smiles. ¡°Okay,¡± I responded with an unnatural smile on my face. Seeing how things went, I was honestly confused. Josephine had insisted on forcing me to check the baby''s gender the other day, and I explicitly refused. With that, she was supposed to be angry with me now. It puzzled me why she was so happy to see me. Could she have changed her mind? But that''s almost impossible. Her determination to have a grandson was so strong before. I can''t imagine she would change her mind within a few days. In the ten minutes that followed, Josephine chatted with me excitedly while holding my hand. Our conversation mainly revolved around the things to pay attention to during pregnancy. She even reminded me to make sure I had a good rest and avoid being too tired. Despite the confusion in my heart, I tried my best to answer her gracefully. After all, her advice was beneficial to me. Luckily, the housekeeper announced that it was time for dinner soon after. At the same, Michael and Andy came down the stairs. I sighed in relief when I saw Michael as I was d that I didn''t have to be alone with Josephine anymore. The entire family then gathered around the dining table. As I was concentrating on my food, Josephine kept serving me dishes. She even asked me to eat as much as I could so that the baby could get enough nutrients. I could only smile in response. Though I was sick with the greasy meat, I could only try my best to swallow it. Since it was rare for Josephine to be nice to me, I tried toply as I didn''t want to offend her. ¡°Anna, after the baby is born, why don''t you move back here with Michael? I can help you two with the baby then. After all, I''m bored. With my grandson around, I would have things to do.¡± Midway through dinner, Josephine dropped that bomb on us. I was rmed by her words. Did she just say the word grandson? How could she be so sure that I''m conceiving a boy? If it''s a girl, won''t she be even more disappointed? I could only stare at Josephine''s eyes as I had no idea how to respond to her. I didn''t want to move back here, but I couldn''t reject her offer tantly. If I did so, Josephine might be offended and get infuriated. ¡°Mom, I prefer to stay with just the two of us. Plus, I''ll hire someone to take care of the child,¡± Michael replied while I was still thinking of a way to decline the offer. Though Michael''s tone was t, his rejection was firm and clear. ¡°Why? Do you think that I''m incapable of taking good care of your child? The child is my grandson. I will do my best as a grandmother.¡± Josephine was displeased with Michael''s rejection. Though she was talking about who would take care of the child, my focus was elsewhere. Chapter 355 Chapter 355 I was upset upon hearing Josephine''s words. She has assumed that my child will be a boy, but what if the baby turns out to be a girl instead? Will Mom be disappointed? ¡°We''ll talk about that again some other time. There''s still time before the baby is born.¡± Michael nced at Josephine before changing the subject. ¡°Mom, the baby might be a girl too.¡± Suddenly, I lifted my head to look at Josephine after a moment of silence. My voice was softer than usual. ¡°That won''t happen. Your baby is going to be a boy, and he''ll be the heir of the Shaw family in the future,¡± Josephine responded swiftly. Her eyes were glimmering with excitement. For some reason, I had a bad feeling about that upon hearing what Josephine said. My heart sank for a little, but I tried my best to look calm. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± I asked carefully while looking into Josephine''s eyes. How is she so confident with her answer? We haven''t even found out about the baby''s gender yet. ¡°Didn''t you go for your check-up? One of the staff in the hospital called me and told me that your baby is a boy.¡± Josephine did not try to hide the truth from me. However, I got infuriated upon hearing that. I tried to suppress the anger in my heart. Meanwhile, Andy and Lincoln were listening to our conversation happily. It seemed like they already knew about it. I was not surprised to know that they wanted my child to be a boy. After all, most families in upper-ss society wanted a male heir to take over everything. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. I turned to look at Michael. He was looking at me with an impassive expression. The man was not surprised or angry with Josephine''s response, so I thought he had known about it too. Suddenly, he shed a smile at me. Seeing that, I was even more certain that my assumption was right. No wonder Michael brought me to the hospital. He just wanted to know the gender of our baby. I felt aggrieved and furious after knowing that Michael had tried to hide the truth from me. However, I did not show it on my face in front of everyone. I lowered my head and continued to eat, but anger began to boil in my chest. I felt like a fool who had been kept in the dark. Everyone is eager to know the gender of my baby, and that''s why Michael brought me to the hospital. I was in the dark about everything this whole time. We finished our dinner under the suffocating atmosphere. Then, Michael and I left soon after that. I remained silent when we were on the way back as I was still angry at Michael for hiding things from me. ¡°I noticed that there''s a change in my mom''s attitude today. Perhaps you guys can be closer in the future.¡± A faint smile appeared on Michael''s face while he was driving. I sneered internally upon hearing that and did not answer him since I was not in the mood to talk. Michael frowned after a moment of silence. He turned to look at me and asked, ¡°What''s wrong with you? You haven''t been saying anything since just now. Are you not feeling well?¡± Usually, I would feel touched by Michael''s concerns. However, I did not feel anything right at the moment. I did not even understand the reason he was nice to me. Is it because our baby is a boy? ¡°Did you know about this?¡± I asked with a solemn expression. I had been persuading myself that Josephine was the only one behind this. However, based on Michael''s reaction, I could not help but suspect that he was involved in that too. ¡°What?¡± Michael raised a brow, looking puzzled. ¡°About the baby''s gender,¡± I said, trying hard to restrain my anger. Michael did not say anything upon hearing that. Looking at his calm expression, I could tell that he had known about it. Suddenly, I felt like I had fallen into a trap. I did not believe that Michael would allow his mother to do that. Could it be that he shares the same sentiment with the rest of the Shaws? ¡°Why? Why didn''t you stop your mother when you knew about her n? Is the baby''s gender that important?¡± I took a deep breath as I tried my best to control my sadness. I did not care about what the others thought. Nheless, I could not ept the fact that Michael did not do anything in that situation. ¡°Is there any problem with that? My mom is beyond happy to find out that your baby is a boy. Hence, she''ll never pick on you again,¡± Michael replied after a brief pause. I thought he would at least feel guilty upon hearing my words. Regardless, his reaction made me feel even more upset. So he doesn''t think that his mother is wrong, huh? ¡°Michael, I don''t understand what''s on your mind. You said your mother is happy to know that our baby is a boy, but have you thought about how she would feel if the baby was a girl? What if she didn''t want us to keep our child?¡± Although the doctor had confirmed that my baby was a boy, I was not happy to hear that in the slightest. If our first baby turned out to be a girl, would the Shaw family be disappointed? How would they react? Would they be this happy too? I was upset with what had happened that day. Perhaps it was because I had grown up in a patriarchal family. ¡°Didn''t I tell you before? I don''t care about that baby''s gender. As long as the child is yours, I''ll love it with all my heart.¡± Michael pulled the car over to exin. His expression was serious, and his tone was resolute. Usually, I would surely be happy to hear that. Unfortunately, anger and disappointment were the only emotions I could feel right then. ¡°Is that so? If that''s what you were thinking, then you would have never allowed your mother to do such a thing in the first ce!¡± Molten anger poured through me. At that moment, I wished that my baby was a girl. That was the first time I felt resentment toward the Shaw family. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 ¡°Anna!¡± Michael shouted as he stared at me. His beautiful brows were frowning. He was furious upon seeing how emotional I was. As I stared into his eyes, I noticed a glint of dissatisfaction in his sharp gaze. I let out a sarcasticugh without saying anything. The next second, I opened the door and got out of the car. I did not want to spend another second around Michael. He had utterly disappointed me. As soon as I got out of the car, Michael caught up to me. He shouted my name along the way, but I ignored him and strode forward. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Suddenly, he reached out to grab my arm. His tone was full of rage and impatience. That was the first time Michael got angry with me. He had never spoken to me in that tone before. Upon hearing that, my heart grew heavier. ¡°I don''t want to see you now. I need some time alone.¡± I lowered my head, avoiding his eyes. Then, I struggled with all my might to break free from his grip. Before I managed to leave, Michael grabbed my arm hard again. It seemed like he did not n to let me go. ¡°Where do you want to go at such ate hour? You''re pregnant. What if something dangerous happens to you?¡± ¡°Are you worried about me because my baby is a boy? Would you still care about us if she happened to be a girl? If she were a girl, nothing would matter to you anymore, right?¡± I questioned with an icy tone. That was the only thing I could think about right then. ¡°Anna, you''re being unreasonable!¡± Michael''s face turned grim upon hearing my words. He was so mad that his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. If it were before, I would never have the audacity to retort him. However, I was not afraid at all now. Anger was the only emotion in my heart. ¡°Unreasonable? Well. I guess so!¡± I broke into a self-deprecatingugh and struggled to break free from him again. ¡°Stop following me. I want to be alone right now. Don''t worry. I''ll protect the heir of your family well.¡± I looked at him mockingly as I finished my sentence. Finally, I strode away without sparing him another nce. I felt like a swinging bachelorette without Michael by my side. My parents had gone back to their hometown, so I had nowhere to go then. Other than Michael, Natalie was the only person in town who could make me feel safe. She was my only sincere friend. No matter what happened to me, she would always be on my side. Finally, Michael gave up on stopping me. However, he followed me around slowly with his car. I knew that he was there, but I ignored his presence. I knocked on the door as soon as I arrived at Natalie''s house. After a long time, she finally opened the door. Her clothes were messy, and her face was blushing unnaturally. ¡°Anna, what brought you here at this hour?¡± Natalie widened her eyes in astonishment. There was panic in her eyes too. ¡°I''m just in a bad mood. Can I stay at your ce tonight?¡± I looked at Natalie with grief written all over my face. Then, I took a step forward to walk into her house. Surprisingly, Natalie looked a little reluctant. She stood still at the entrance, trying to stop me from entering. ¡°What''s wrong? Do you not wee me? Can''t you take me in tonight?¡± I felt strange as Natalie was always happy to let me stay over. Seeing her reaction, I felt even more depressed. ¡°N-No. It''s just that...¡± She chuckled awkwardly before continuing, ¡°It''s inappropriate for me to let you in right now. My house is a little messy.¡± Her gaze shifted unnaturally as she said that. ¡°Why should you worry about that? We''ve known each other for so many years. I''m sure I have seen worse. Well, I''m going in now. I''m so tired.¡± I pushed Natalie away and walked into her house without hesitance. As soon as I stepped into the living room, I was shocked. There was a man in her house. That man looked a little panicked when he got out of the bedroom. He was not wearing shoes, and there were wrinkles on his shirt. I was experienced enough to read such a situation, so I instantly realized what was going on. I widened my eyes in disbelief as I looked at Yuval. ¡°Y-You guys...¡± Natalie rushed over to the living room right then. I pointed at both of them with my mouth agape. I was so shocked that I could not say anything in that position. A secondter, I finally realized the reason why Natalie was reluctant to let me in just now. It turned out that Yuval was here. Moreover, it seemed like they were doing something intimate. Oh my. I''vee at the wrong time. I shouldn''t have disturbed them when things were getting steamy. Three of us exchanged nces without saying anything. There was an awkward silence in the living room, and Yuval did not even dare to lift his head after seeing me. I guessed I was the most awkward person in the room since I was the one ruining their intimate session. Suddenly, I began to hesitate. Should I leave now so they can continue what they were doing? ¡°Um, I guess I hade at the wrong time. How about I take my leave now? Natalie, I will visit you some other day,¡± I uttered awkwardly. Just when I was about to leave, Yuval stopped me. ¡°There''s no need for that. I just recalled that I still have some urgent cases on hand. I''ll take my leave now. Have fun.¡± He was too embarrassed to even nce at me. As soon as he finished his sentence, he walked out of the door in a miserable state. I turned to look at Natalie after Yuval left. She was still blushing. I did not expect to see Natalie dating Yuval. Moreover, I could not believe that they had already gone that far. ¡°Um, I guess I''ve shown up at a bad time.¡± I broke the silence after some time. ¡°It''s fine. There are still chances in the future,¡± Natalie responded without hesitation. I was utterly shocked to hear that. What? Did she just say that there are still chances? How can a girl say that? N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Seeing that Natalie was no longer feeling awkward, I walked to her side, took her arm, and sat down with her. I looked at her expectantly and said, ¡°Your rtionship with Yuval must be doing well since you guys are already making out. I don''t even know you guys have confirmed your rtionship.¡± Natalie was still unsure if she would be with Yuval thest time I asked her. It had only been two months since, and they were already making out with each other. Natalie ignored my protests and retorted, ¡°You''re always so busy. Do I have to report to you every little event in my daily life?¡± ¡°You are my best friend. Shouldn''t you tell me if you have found yourself a boyfriend?¡± I pursed my lips as I looked at Natalie in dissatisfaction. She''s quite good at keeping it secret too. I don''t even know how long they have been together. After hearing my words, Natalie lowered her head and looked troubled. ¡°I wanted to tell you about it, but I was afraid that you would be upset. So, that''s why I have been thinking about how to break the news to you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Why would I be upset when you found the love of your life? Didn''t I already tell you that I don''t have any feelings for Yuval? Now that I think about it, it was kind of funny. I was desperate to get married at that time, so I didn''t care if I was in love with him or not.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I admit that Yuval is a good man. He is mature, has a good temper, and has a respectable ie. In any case, he would be an ideal partner, but I didn''t have any feelings for him at that time. I only treated him as a friend. ¡°I''m relieved you said that. I was going to tell you in the beginning, but I was afraid you would get upset. That''s why I dyed the news until now.¡± After hearing my words, Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that the matter had made her feel very troubled. I shook my head resignedly. The rtionship between Yuval and me was ancient history. I can''t believe she still remembers it. Seemingly to recall something, Natalie turned to me and asked me with a puzzled expression, ¡°By the way, why are you not at your mansion and keeping Michaelpany thiste in the night? Why have youe to my ce?¡± My mood had improved a lot, and I had forgotten about what had happened that night after resolving the issue between Natalie and Yuval. After Natalie mentioned it, I recalled what had happened again. I lowered my gaze as I became a little disheartened. I remembered that Josephine had found out the baby''s gender without my consent, and Michael even knew about it. I was kept in the dark like a fool. Come to think of it; I have never felt this disappointed in Michael before. I never thought that he would do this to me. After seeing my disheartened expression, Natalie asked me in concern, ¡°What''s wrong, Anna? Why do you look upset? Did you have a fight with Michael?¡± I sighed and told her everything that had happened that day. Natalie is the only one I can confide in with these matters. She is my only friend who will think of me from my perspective. After she heard my words, Natalie became angry. ¡°That''s some mother-inw you got there! I can''t believe she went and found out about the baby''s gender. Hasn''t she heard of gender equality? So what if the baby is a girl? Is she not Michael''s child too? Do they want you to abort the child if she is a girl?¡± Natalie looked furious as she spoke about the treatment I had received. After hearing her words, I was touched because she understood what I was feeling. However, she didn''t know that I had grown up in a patriarchal household. Although I hid it well, I didn''t want these things to happen to my child. ¡°Natalie, I''m feeling really troubled right now.¡± Raising my head, I looked ahead with a disappointed look on my face. ¡°Anna, I understand how you feel. How could Michael just let his mother do this? This is disrespectful to you and your child!¡± said Natalie angrily. If she were me, she would have gone mad by now. I could understand if Michael didn''t know about the matter. However, if he did and still didn''t stop his mother, I really doubt he even cared about our child. ¡°Natalie, what should I do? Michael is downstairs now, but I don''t want to see him. I be upset whenever I think about how he and Josephine work together to deceive me. He is the person I trust the most!¡± I knew that Michael was still downstairs, and I didn''t know how I should face him. I didn''t like him when he was like this. After hearing that, Natalie walked to the balcony and peered down. ¡°Yeah, his car is still there. He''s probably waiting for you.¡± After taking a look, Natalie pulled the curtains close. She looked like she was even more upset than me. Natalie sat beside me, put her hand on my shoulder, and said, ¡°If you don''t want to see him, you can stay here. I have a spare room. You can stay for as long as you like.¡± After hearing Natalie''s words, I hesitated for a moment before nodding. Although I couldn''t bear to let Michael wait alone downstairs, I knew I had to make it clear to Michael that I would not tolerate Josephine''s behavior and his inaction. After Natalie gave me some words of advice, I went back to my previous room to rest. Even if I had been away for so long, the things on my bed were still there, so I didn''t have to spend time tidying up. As Iy on the bed, I was still thinking about the matter. When I thought about Michael''s face, I put on my slippers and walked to the window. I looked down at the spot that Michael had parked his car just now. His car was still there, but I didn''t know what was happening inside his vehicle. I couldn''t bear to let Michael wait there for the night, but I was still angry at him for asking me to compromise. I pulled the curtains close and stopped looking at Michael''s spot. If he is willing to wait, I''ll just let him be. He totally deserves this, and I will never forgive him easily. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Refusing to think about Michael, I climbed into the bed and tried my best to fall asleep. Suddenly, my phone rang. I was still awake, and my eyes opened the second my phone rang. It was a call from Michael. Frowning, I initially wanted to ept the call but ultimately decided to hang up. After I hung up and closed my eyes, I waited for a few minutes, but Michael still had not called back. I felt rather upset. Doesn''t he think he at least owes me an exnation for allowing his mother to do this to me? He only called me once! After I refused to pick up, he just stopped calling me? It looks like he doesn''t even take this matter seriously at all. Just when I was fuming in rage, I heard a message notification on my phone. Thinking that it would only be Michael who would be sending me a text at a time like this, I immediately picked up my phone and checked my messages. It was a simple message: Let''s talk. It is just a single sentence. Does he need to have this kind of domineering attitude when apologizing? I actually wanted him to give me an exnation, so I could forgive him. However, seeing his attitude, I decided not to reply or go downstairs. Knowing my personality, Michael only sent one text message and didn''t send any more. Feeling irritated, I tossed and turned in bed and had trouble falling asleep. I didn''t fall asleep until after midnight. When I woke up in the morning, Natalie was nowhere to be seen. I saw some prepared breakfast on the dining table along with a note: I have prepared some breakfast. Please warm it up in the microwave, ma''am. I was touched by Natalie''s simple message. She is probably the only one who treats me with such sincerity. Even Michael wasn''tpletely sincere with me. I looked at the breakfast on the table. Although it was a simple breakfast, Natalie must have tried her best to get up early and prepare it for me. If she were alone, she probably would have skipped breakfast and gone to work. After heating the sandwich, I sat at the dining table and started eating my breakfast. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and I stood up to answer the door. I thought it was someone who was looking for Natalie, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw who was at the door. Michael appeared at the door, looking at me. I noticed that he was still wearing clothes from the night before, and it seemed like he didn''t return homest night. I couldn''t help but feel bad for him when I saw that. I still refused topromise, so I asked him coldly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± After saying that, I walked back to the dining table. Michael had allowed Josephine to test the gender of the child in my womb. I refuse to let this matter go easily. I simply refuse to let the child in my womb be disrespected in any way. Michael frowned and followed me into Natalie''s home. ¡°Didn''t you see the text message I sent youst night?¡± ¡°I did,¡± I replied coldly with an empty expression on my face. ¡°If you saw the message, why did you note downstairs or reply to my text message?¡± Michael was speaking fast, and I could sense the anger in his tone. I didn''t even have the chance to get mad, and now he is the one who''s angry first? What right does he have to be angry? ¡°Why do I have to reply to your text? I don''t think there is anything to discuss between us.¡± Hearing Michael''s tone, my tone became hostile in return. He was obviously in the wrong. How dare he act so righteous in front of me? ¡°Are you still mad about yesterday? It''s just something minor. Do you have to throw such a huge tantrum and refuse to go home?¡± Michael walked up to me and looked at me angrily. Ever since I got pregnant, he had never lost his temper with me. Even if he was angry, he endured it by himself. ¡°Something minor? Do you really think this is just something minor? Michael, don''t you think you and your family have crossed the line? Who gave you all the right to do this without my consent?¡± Michael thought it was just a trivial matter. I was ready to forgive him, but I didn''t think I was able to do it now. Our opinions are entirely different. He can never understand what I''m thinking. My tone was getting louder as I became emotional. Michael froze when he saw my outburst. He seemed to regret losing his temper at me, and his tone became softer. Michael sighed as he didn''t wish to talk about the matter with me anymore. ¡°All right, let''s stop fighting over this. Let bygones be bygones. There is no use getting angry over it now.¡± I knew he didn''t want to make me angry. However, seeing how he didn''t think he did anything wrong made me even angrier. After waiting for a night downstairs, does he really think he didn''t do anything wrong? I pointed in the direction of the door, looked at Michael, and said coldly, ¡°I don''t want to see you right now. Please leave.¡± I was not in the mood to talk to Michael. No matter what I said, he would only think I was being unreasonable. Michael frowned as his eyes simmered with rage. ¡°Anna, are you asking me to leave?¡± Michael had always been a proud man. Even when he was pampering me, he never showed signs of weakness in front of me. However, I made it clear this time I wanted him to apologize to me, and he would never do that. ¡°Yes, I don''t want to see you! Get out now!¡± I used to be afraid of Michael, but we were married now. Michael red at me as his eyes burned with rage. Just when I thought he was going to lose his temper and yell at me, he stood up and left. Although I managed to get him to leave, I felt terribly upset. I didn''t want to fight with him, but I felt so disappointed when I saw his attitude and actions as he handled the issue. I rubbed the tears away from my face andughed self-deprecatingly. Having lost my appetite, I walked out to the balcony and saw Michael drive away in anger. His car quickly disappeared out of sight. He just left without saying a single word of apology. I have never felt this wronged ever since we got back together. I became so upset, and for the first time, I was starting to doubt if my child would be happy growing up in the Shaw family.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 I stayed at Natalie''s house alone. Michael stopped calling or texting me. It was like he had vanished for the following two days. Ever since he left, he never appeared around Natalie''s neighborhood. I sometimes caught myself thinking if he had already forgotten about me. Natalie kept mepany on the weekend, and we watched television on the couch together. Although we were watching aedy, I couldn''t bring myself tough out loud. Two days ago, I was still angry. However, I felt upset when there was radio silence from Michael in these two days. Maybe I''m not that important to Michael after all. Natalie seemed to know what I was thinking. Putting a potato chip into her mouth, she ced her hand on my shoulder, sighed, and said, ¡°All right, don''t be so gloomy. Come on, give me a smile.¡± Looking at Natalie''s eyes, I knew she wasforting me. However, I couldn''t bring myself to do that now. My head was filled with Michael, and I wanted to know what he was thinking. ¡°Michael didn''te and look for me these two days. He didn''t even call or text me. Do you think he has forgotten about me? Natalie, do you think I''m overestimating my importance to him?¡± Peering into Natalie''s eyes, I revealed my doubts to her as I began to panic. After hearing my words, Natalie paused for a moment. Maybe she was thinking about the same thing as me. The next moment, Natalie tapped on my shoulder and said nonchntly, ¡°What are you talking about? Michael loves you so much. Of course, you are important to him. He is probably just busy with his company. He is in charge of such argepany. Do you think he is able to call or text you every day?¡± Natalie''s words made sense, but I knew she was justing up with excuses for Michael. Even if he''s busy, does he not have time to rest or eat? Is he so busy that he can''t even spare a few minutes of his time to call me? I smiled bitterly at Natalie and responded, ¡°Stopforting me. You are making me uneasy.¡± ¡°If you are worried, you should be the one who calls Michael instead. Call him and ask him what he wants. You two can''t continue to bicker like this. You are still pregnant. Is he really not worried just leaving you here with me?¡± After Natalie said that, she grabbed my phone, put it in my hands, and asked me to give Michael a call. I frowned. I actually wanted to call Michael, but I couldn''t bring myself to do it. He is the one who is at fault here. Why should I be the one who calls him? If I call him, doesn''t it seem like I''m in the wrong here? I then threw my phone onto the couch. I have decided. I would never be the first to call Michael. Even if he never calls me again, I will not be the one who calls him first. I turned to Natalie and said in a determined tone, ¡°I won''t call him. I refuse topromise on this matter.¡± No matter what happens, Michael has to acknowledge his own mistake. Looking at my determined expression, Natalie sighed helplessly. ¡°All right. Don''t call him if you don''t want to. However, it can''t be good for your child if you get emotional. How about we go and take a walk outside?¡± Natalie had always respected my decisions. After seeing that I refused to call Michael, Natalie didn''t press the issue further. She took another approach and tried to cheer me up. I was not in the mood for shopping, but I still agreed when I thought about my child''s health. After getting out of the house, Natalie and I went to the shopping mall nearby. During these two days, Natalie told me that she insisted on being my child''s godmother, and I agreed. She must be taking me to shop for presents for my child. I was about to turn down her offer because since the child wasn''t even born yet, it might still be too early for presents. However, Natalie was a stubborn person. Once she decided on something, there was no changing her mind, so I went along with her n. After arriving at the shopping mall, Natalie and I wandered aimlessly as we had no idea what to buy. Natalie was especially troubled as we didn''t have any experience buying presents for children. Natalie grabbed my arm as she looked troubled. ¡°Anna, what do you think I should buy for my godchild? I have no idea ever after browsing for a whole day.¡± I gestured at Natalie, not knowing what to buy. ¡°I have no idea too. It''s my first time getting pregnant, and I have no experience regarding this too.¡± Just when we were browsing aimlessly and wondering what to buy, I noticed someone familiar nearby. I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but after taking a better look at the figure, my heart skipped a beat. It was Michael. He was at the shopping mall, and a young woman was apanying him. The woman was grabbing his arm intimately, and they were sharing augh. After seeing that, I panicked. I froze in my tracks as I stared at Michael and the woman. Natalie looked at me in surprise when I grabbed her. ¡°What''s wrong? Why did you suddenly stop moving?¡± I didn''t answer her. My eyes stared straight ahead and remained fixated on Michael. Natalie looked at me confusedly and followed my line of sight. When she saw Michael and the pretty woman next to him, she couldn''t help but gasp, ¡°What is happening? Who is the woman beside Michael?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. My hands balled up into fists when I heard Natalie''s words. My body was quivering as I watched my husband walking andughing with another woman. It was impossible for me not to let my imagination run wild. Moreover, Michael didn''t call or send me a text message these two days, and I was beginning to panic. Realizing that she had misspoken, Natalie immediately covered her mouth and looked at me worriedly. Looking at my pale face, Natalie asked me cautiously, ¡°Anna, are you all right?¡± ¡°I-I''m all right.¡± I tried my best to look calm to stop embarrassing myself. However, words were stuck in my throat, and I was speechless. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Natalie grabbed my hand as she tried toe up with an exnation desperately. She didn''t want to see me in this state. ¡°Don''t misunderstand. It''s probably not as it seems. Michael loves you so much, so I''m sure he will never have an affair.¡± She must have regretted taking me out to go shopping. If we didn''te out today, we wouldn''t have witnessed such a thing. ¡°Natalie, stopforting me. If that is Yuval right there, wouldn''t your imagination run wild too?¡± I knew that Natalie was trying tofort me, but I didn''t needforting now. There was no use in consoling me if the truth was really what I was specting. After my retort, Natalie''s face froze as she looked at me worriedly. ¡°How about this? We go up to Michael and demand to know who the woman is. What if this is just a misunderstanding?¡± After saying that, Natalie grabbed my arm and pulled me toward Michael. After following her for a few steps, I began to feel afraid as we got closer to Michael. I pulled on Natalie and refused to take another step further. Turning toward me, Natalie gave me a puzzled look, and her tone was anxious. ¡°What''s wrong? Why are you stopping?¡± At that moment, the woman beside Michael took his arm as they walked toward the entrance of the shopping mall. If we didn''t catch up now, we would lose them. ¡°Nat, I don''t want to go.¡± I endured the bitterness in my heart as I began to choke my words. I don''t want to meet with Michael now, and I don''t want to find out about Michael''s rtionship with the woman. I was afraid it was going to be like I thought. If It was true, I didn''t think my heart could take it. I never thought this would happen between Michael and me. I''d always thought we would live together happily, but I never expected to witness what I saw today. Natalie stopped and looked at me worriedly. ¡°Anna, are you sure you are content with not finding out the truth? It''s probably not what you think it is. Michael loves you, and he won''t do this to you.¡± ¡°Let''s just go home.¡± I lowered my gaze, and I couldn''t hear what Natalie was saying now. It was probably because I had already determined the rtionship between Michael and the woman. Looking at my eyes, Natalie hesitated and was about to speak, but she ultimately didn''t say anything. After returning to Natalie''s home, I went into my room without saying another word. My mind was filled with the imagery of Michael and the other beautiful woman. Michael wasughing,Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. and he seemed to be in a good mood. Was his love for me fake? Why would another woman appear by his side in just two days? What is happening? Taking out my phone, I scrolled down to Michael''s number. I wanted to call him, but I couldn''t bring myself to do it. I was afraid to hear Michael''s confession. Throwing my phone onto the bed in frustration, I buried my head into my nket and refused to think about the matter. After making it to nighttime, Natalie said she wanted to buy some food from the store nearby. I was in a terrible mood, so I didn''t follow her. After she left for a while, the doorbell rang. Did Natalie forget her keys? I shook my head helplessly and answered the door. After opening the door, it was Michael instead of Natalie who appeared before me. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at Michael''s handsome face. As I recalled the image at the shopping mall today, my expression darkened. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I looked at Michael coldly and had no intention of letting him in. He already had another woman by his side. Why is he here? Is it because of the child I''m carrying? ¡°Can you stop being so hostile when you are talking to me?¡± Michael frowned in frustration when he heard my tone, but he didn''t lose his temper. ¡°Then, what tone should I use when I''m talking to you?¡± I thought I was already being quite polite to him as I tried my best to control myself. If I didn''t control myself, I would have already asked him to leave immediately because I didn''t want to see him right now. Michael put both of his hands on my shoulder, smiled, and said softly, ¡°Are you still mad at me? I admit it was my fault for what happened that day. I just didn''t want you to have any conflicts with Mom. Now that she knew you''re carrying a boy, didn''t her attitude toward you change?¡± I had actually gotten less angry about the matter before. If I didn''t run into Michael and the other woman today at the shopping mall, I would have already forgiven him. However, it was impossible for me to forgive him now. I could forgive him for anything, but I would never forgive him for his betrayal. The things that I saw today had left me heartbroken. I had never found myself to be this disgusted by Michael. I took his hands off my shoulder, ignored his tender words, and responded coldly, ¡°Michael, please leave. I don''t want to see you right now.¡± ¡°I''ve already apologized to you, so why are you still mad at me? What do you want me to do so you''ll come home with me?¡± When he heard I was asking him to leave again, Michael''s smile disappeared. He looked at me angrily, and his tone was thinly veiled with anger. ¡°Do I have to follow you home? Michael, our rtionship is different from what it used to be. I used to believe we were going to live happily ever after. However, after these few months, things just got out of hand. Is it because I trusted you too much? Or is it because I overestimated my importance to you?¡± Michael brought me to register our marriage and organize our wedding. Everything he had done was to assure me that he would only ever love me. So, how could he be this close with another woman today? ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? It was just a small issue. Why are you making it into such a big deal?¡± Michael frowned as he clearly didn''t like what I just said. ¡°Small issue? Do you think betraying me is just a small issue? Michael, what kind of matter do you consider to be a serious issue then?¡± The mention of a small issue had broken my heart as tears rolled down my cheeks without warning. Michael froze when he saw me be emotional. He reached up to wipe my tears away without thinking, but I pushed him away because I didn''t want him to touch me. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 I really wanted to ask him. Why are you here? Why didn''t you spend time with your new lover? However, I did not want to be so straightforward. I was afraid that once I confronted him, things would turn ugly. I knew that my thoughts had put me in a lowly position, but my love for Michael was much deeper than I had expected. Initially, I thought that I could never ept betrayal. If Michael ever cheated on me, I would leave him non-hesitantly. However, I was still in a dilemma now. I did not want to be separated from him. ¡°Betrayed? Anna, what''s wrong with you today?¡± After I interrogated him agitatedly, Michael clearly became impatient. His beautiful eyebrows were knitted together as fury filled his eyes. ¡°Yes. Something is wrong with me. Michael, do you know what I regret the most? It''s falling in love with you!¡± I was betrayed once when I was with Justin back then. Even then, that scene remained vivid in my mind. The thing I was afraid of the most was enduring betrayal again. I thought that Michael would not do such cruel things to me. However, I realized that I was overestimating myself and also Michael. My words were uttered out of fury. That was because I felt aggrieved, and I wanted to vent my anger. Upon hearing my words, Michael''s face fell. His eyes were burning with rage as he stared at me. The next moment, he strode toward me in wide steps before he ced his hands on my shoulders and kissed me. Feeling the warmth on his lips, I was so shocked that my eyes widened. I did not expect him to kiss me so abruptly. Michael''s kiss had a magical effect on me. When I was in bad mood, all the bad emotions in me would disappear right after his lips touched mine. My consciousness almost deserted me. However, the scene of him chatting andughing with another woman flooded my mind again. After I returned to my senses, I pushed Michael away and wiped my lips violently, trying to remove his scent from them. He probably did not expect me to push him away like that. Michael was stunned for a moment before his eyes began to fill with more anger. ¡°Anna, what the hell is wrong with you today? I''ve apologized to you. What else do you want from me?¡± He was ring at me while his tone was filled with impatience. ¡°I don''t want anything. I just don''t want to see you. Please don''t show up in front of me!¡± I tried to suppress the sadness in me while looking into Michael''s eyes. I wished I could ask him if he truly loved me and if I was the only one he loved. However, the scene that I witnessed was still vivid in my mind. I would be humiliating myself if I asked him those questions right now. Michael seemed to havepletely lost his patience. He strode toward me while staring at my eyes and announced domineeringly, ¡°You don''t want to see me? Anna, you''re my woman!¡± ¡°Maybe I won''t be your woman anymore someday? It must be easy for a big shot like you to find another woman, right? If you get bored of me one day and want to dump me, please inform me in advance!¡± I took a deep breath to try to suppress the pain in me. I did not want to embarrass myself in front of Michael. He was clearly the one who was wrong, so I did not want to look sad. Michael looked at me as the fury in his eyes was burning. ¡°Anna, do you know what you''re talking about?¡± ¡°Of course, I do. You have a new lover, right? That''s why you didn''te to see me in the past two days, and you didn''t even call me on the phone. You''ve been with your new lover, right?¡± I questioned coldly while enduring the sense ofpulsion exuded by Michael. ¡°Is that what you''ve been thinking in the past two days?¡± Michael asked and raised his eyebrow. I initially thought that he would be mad at me, but he was not. Then, he added, ¡°Since you''re so worried about not being around me, you should go back with me. Stay by my side every day, so that I won''t have the time to see other women.¡± A wicked smile appeared on Michael''s face as he stretched his arm to stroke my hair. Yet, his words made me stunned, and I could not even react. Am I losing my mind? Or has he lost his mind? Shouldn''t he feel guilty now? Why is he reacting like this? I''ve certainly made myself clear. Is he pretending to not understand me now? With those thoughts, I became even more unhappy because I could not understand what he was thinking. Suppressing the dissatisfaction in me, I looked at Michael and asked calmly, ¡°Michael, do you think I''m joking with you?¡± ¡°Anna, what do you want? I asked you toe with me, but you refused to. However, staying here made you worry that I might see other women. What do you actually want?¡± Now that he hadpletely lost his patience, his tone was filled with coldness as he frowned. ¡°I don''t want to see you. Don''te to see me again. You should just let your new lover keep you companied.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. My heart sank as I looked at Michael''s eyes. He had never treated me so impatiently in the past. Is it because he has a new lover now? Does he think that he''s wasting his time talking to me now?¡± ¡°Fine. As you wish, then!¡± Since I had made him leave once again, Michael agreed coldly and turned around to leave. Looking at his figure as he walked toward the elevator, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I did not understand how things had turned out like this. A few days ago, both of us were still deeply in love. Within several days, our happiness had shattered just like that. ¡°Michael, why are you-¡± Natalie saw Michael right after she got out of the elevator. However, before she could finish her sentence, Michael got into the elevator and instantly pressed the button to shut the door. With a frown, Natalie looked at the floor number which was changing. Later, when she walked toward me and saw the tears on my face, her eyebrows were clenched together tighter. ¡°Did Michael talk to you? How did the conversation turn out?¡± Natalie pulled me inside and shut the door behind us. ¡°Nothing much. You saw that Michael left in anger. Natalie, I really think I''ve overestimated myself. Michael doesn''t love me as much as I thought.¡± Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Sitting on the couch, I kept my head low because I knew that I looked hideous now with my reddened eyes. After Natalie put the grocery that she bought in the kitchen, she walked toward me and asked with concern, ¡°Did you ask Michael what happened this afternoon? What is going on?¡± ¡°I didn''t dare to ask him. I was so afraid that I couldn''t ept the answer.¡± I had to admit that I was a coward, and I loved Michael so deeply that I was afraid to lose him. I was even more afraid that our rtionship mighte to an end because of another woman. ¡°Why are you so stupid? You have to talk through it. What if you actually misunderstood Michael? Trust me. You can''t dy this matter any further. You have to get this clear as soon as possible. I believe Michael is not the type of man who messes around with other women.¡± Natalie became anxious knowing that I had not asked Michael about the issue yet. I knew that she was holding hope, just like me. Yet, I was afraid that my hope would be shattered. I lowered my head and said nothing. Natalie knew that I did not want to talk about the topic, so she did not press on the matter. Putting her arm around my shoulders, then she continued to sit on the couch with me in a daze. Throughout the rest of the week, Michael did note to see me. He had disappeared sopletely that it seemed like the both of us had never met. After staying at Natalie''s house for a week, I felt extremely bored. Hence, I decided to head out alone for a stroll. Although I still had bad emotions, my mood had greatly improved over the days. Clearly, time was the cure to everything. When I was crossing a road, a honk sounded behind me. It was a silver car, and I remembered that Ronan driving that car before. Halting my steps, I was nning to greet him. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Anna, what a coincidence. Why are you here?¡± Ronan stuck his head out to look at me with a bright smile on his face. It had been over a month since Ist saw him. Ronan looked much happier, unlike thest time when I saw him. I felt relieved to see him happier now. Then, I smiled at him and answered, ¡°I came out for a walk.¡± Just when Ronan was about to say something, the window of the passenger''s seat was rolled down. I saw a young girl sitting inside the car, and she looked extremely beautiful with her watery and spiritual eyes. Looking at the girl, I was slightly stunned. She looked extremely familiar. While I was searching for a memory of her in my mind, I suddenly remembered that she looked like the girl who was with Michael the other day. With that thought, I felt my heart tremble. If she''s Ronan''s sister, isn''t she Michael''s cousin? Did I really misunderstand him? When Ronan noticed the change in my expression, he frowned as he stared at me in confusion. ¡°Anna, what''s going on? You look troubled.¡± Looking at me, Ronan was worried. It had almost been two months since Ist saw him. Even if he liked me back then, his feelings were long gone now. ¡°Huh? N-Nothing... Is she your sister? I thought she is your girlfriend.¡± After I returned to my senses, I tried to cover up my anxiousness. Knowing that the girl was actually Ronan''s sister, I felt inexplicably relieved. It turned out that Michael did not cheat on me. ¡°How''s that possible? I wouldn''t date a man like my brother. You must be my cousin''s wife right? Hello, I''m Gabrie. You can call me Gabby.¡± Gabrie rolled her eyes at Ronan before she looked at me affectionately. Since she was Ronan''s sister, there was no reason for me to be hostile toward her. Moreover, Gabrie looked adorable and lovely, just like her brother. It felt nice to have such people around me. ¡°Hi, Gabby. I''m Anna Garcia.¡± I smiled at Gabrie and introduced myself. ¡°I know, I know. I''ve heard a lot about you from my brother. You seem to be very close to him.¡± Gabrie''s eyes looked beautiful as she smiled. The next moment, she opened the car door and came to me before she hugged my arm intimately. Upon hearing her words, I looked at Ronan exasperatedly. This guy has a big mouth. How could he go around and talk about me? Did he tell his sister that he was going to court me when he didn''t know that I was dating Michael? If Gabby knows about this, it would be so awkward. ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± I asked in a low voice while Gabrie was still holding my arm. ¡°Me? I just returned from overseas, and Ronan is giving me a ride around. Anna, you''re just taking a stroll, right? Why don''t you join us?¡± Before I could even give a response, she pulled me toward the car. ¡°I shouldn''t go with you. You just returned from overseas, so you should spend some time with your brother.¡± I was trying to withdraw my arm from Gabrie''s hands as I rejected awkwardly. It looked like Gabrie was even friendlier than Ronan. ¡°Anna, it''s my first day back in the country. Since we''ve bumped into each other, don''t you want to get to know me better? I''m really an easy-going person!¡± Gabrie pouted and looked at me expectantly after I rejected her. She looked extremely aggrieved with that expression. I was rendered speechless when I saw her reaction. Now, I knew it was impossible for Ronan to have an aloof personality because he had a sister like that. ¡°Yes. Gabby just returned. She has lost contact with all her old friends. Since you both are girls, you definitely have more topics to talk about together. Although I''m her brother, there are still things that she doesn''t want to talk to me about, right?¡± I wanted to reject her again, but since Ronan had spoken, it would be rude of me to reject them. I felt helpless looking at the siblings. In actuality, I did not want to join them. However, since they had asked me to, it would be rude for me to insist on leaving. ¡°All right then,¡± I replied calmly and got into the back of the car. Gabrie was sitting on the passenger''s seat earlier. Seeing that I was sitting at the back, she got to the back and sat beside me. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Looking through the rearview mirror, I saw a faint smile on Ronan''s face. He was clearly in a good mood, probably because his sister had returned from overseas. Then, he started driving. I used to feel awkward when I was alone with Ronan. However, with the talkative Gabrie in the car, I did not feel that way. ¡°Anna, can you tell me how you actually make Michael fall for you? Michael is as cold as an iceberg! He keeps all the other women away from him.¡± Gabrie was staring at me with a nosy look as she asked about Michael and me. Looking at the expectant look on her face, I could not help butugh bitterly. They would probablyugh at me when they heard my story of meeting Michael. Moreover, I could not tell them the truth. It was impossible to tell Gabrie that I slept with Michael because I was taking revenge on my ex-boyfriend who cheated on me. The other reason I slept with Michael was for my father''s two hundred thousand medical fees. Obviously, I could not tell them any of these. Feeling embarrassed, I lowered my head as I did not know what to say. Through the rearview mirror, Ronan nced at me and chided, ¡°Gabby, you''re being such a busybody. Did you go abroad so many years to learn nothing but being gossipy?¡± Ronan sounded like he was reprimanding Gabrielle. He knew well that I could not talk about my story of meeting Michael. ¡°Ronan, can''t I just chat with Anna? I''m just interested in her. I thought Michael was going to spend the rest of his life alone since he''s such an aloof man. I didn''t expect him to get married so soon, and they even have a child now.¡± Since Ronan med her, Gabrie pouted with dissatisfaction. Caressing my stomach carefully, Gabrie looked extremely amazed. In fact, she also looked like a child herself. Although Ronan had a simr personality to her, I believed that he would feel annoyed at times while dealing with his sister. ¡°Anna, is it a boy or a girl?¡± Gabrie finally asked after she stared at my stomach for quite some time. Hearing the question, I suddenly recalled that Michael allowed his mother to discern the gender of my baby. I was infuriated by that thought. Touching my stomach, I did not answer her. Right at that moment, Ronan said calmly, ¡°I''ve fired the doctor who exposed your information. He has vited thew.¡± The smile on his face had disappeared, and he looked stern now. I knew exactly what he was talking about. I did not expect him to know about it, but I suddenly remembered that he owned the hospital, so it made sense that he had found out about it. ¡°Actually, it''s not just the doctor''s fault.¡± I did not make myself clear, but Ronan probably understood me. Deep down, I was not ming the doctor. I was just disappointed in Michael''s decision. ncing at me through the rearview mirror, Ronan remained silent for a moment before he replied, ¡°I know. You''re not happy with that. However, since the issue has passed, you shouldn''t dwell on it. It''s not good for the baby.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I said indifferently with my head hanging low. Yet, it was impossible for me to forget about the issue because I was utterly disappointed in Michael. ¡°I''ll tell Michael about this, and this won''t happen again in the future.¡± There was a hint of distress on Ronan''s face when he saw me being disappointed. ¡°Thank you.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. In fact, I did not want Ronan to interfere in the affairs between me and Michael, but I did not want to reject his good intentions. ¡°Ronan, what are you talking about? I don''t understand a word. Did something happen?¡± Gabrie was looking at me in bewilderment. When I was speaking to Ronan, both of us did not talk about the details, so Gabrie did not understand our conversation at all. ¡°Nothing. You''re still a child, so just mind your own business.¡± Ronan did not want Gabrie to know about my affair, so he ignored her after he rolled his eyes at her. When Ronan called Gabrie a child, thetter was so mad that she red at him and refuted, ¡°I''m not a child! I''m twenty-three years old now, and I even have a boyfriend!¡± However, she clearly regretted what she had just said the next moment. She identally gave herself away. Hearing that, Ronan looked gloatingly at her and replied, ¡°Wow! You''ve learned nothing overseas, but you got a boyfriend! I''ll tell Momter. Let''s see how she''ll deal with you!¡± ¡°Ronan, please don''t tell Mom about this! I haven''t thought of a way toe clean with her,¡± Gabrie instantly pleaded. She had a ttery smile on her face. ¡°Well. It depends on how you''ll behave yourself. If you don''t behave yourself, I can''t promise you anything. You know that I have a big mouth.¡± Ronan smirked while he was threatening Gabrie. The smile on Gabrie''s face was fading. She was furious, but she had to pretend that she was willing to butter him up. ¡°What about a big feast?¡± ¡°That''s it? Are you bribing me with just a meal?¡± Ronan pouted as he was clearly uninterested in Gabrie''s offer. Looking at his face, Gabrie''s face fell. ¡°What do you want?¡± A look of cunningness shed across Ronan''s eyes as he replied, ¡°How about ten meals?¡± ¡°Ten meals? You should go to hell!¡± Gabrie was so mad that she pounced on him. Ronan instantly yelled, ¡°Hey! I''m driving. Don''t touch me! There''s a pregnant woman in the car!¡± ¡°I don''t care! This is clearly an extortion!¡± Gabrie was so bold that she ignored Ronan and continued to re at him furiously. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 ¡°Fine. I''llpromise! Two meals, all right? Let go of me now! We''ll get into an ident soon!¡± For the sake of safety, Ronan finally gave in to his sister. Since he hadpromised, Gabrie then released him and got back to her seat. I was envious when I looked at how the siblings were interacting with each other. Although they were bickering, I could tell that they were very close. Ronan drove to the outskirts of the city. When we returned, it was already nighttime. From the moment I saw Gabrie, I wanted to call Michael since I knew I had misunderstood him. At the same time, I realized that my words were too outrageous the other day. Back in Natalie''s home, I told her that I had met Gabrie, and I also told her that she was Michael''s cousin. Hearing that, Natalie looked at me helplessly. ¡°I told you before that it might be a misunderstanding. Michael loves you so much, so how can he cheat on you? You always overthink things!¡± I lowered my head in silence as guilt shrouded me. If I talked to Michael about the matter that day, I would not have wronged him. He must be very angry after I uttered those outrageous words that day. We had not seen each other for a week, and he had neither called nore to see me. I felt uneasy thinking about that. I said all those words because I felt betrayed that day. Those were not my true feelings. For the first time, I felt a deep feeling of remorse. I was conflicted about how I should exin it to Michael. Seeing that I sat on the couch without doing anything, Natalie patted my shoulder and urged, ¡°Since you know that it was a misunderstanding now, why don''t you call Michael to talk through it? Do you want to keep giving him the cold shoulder?¡± I nced at her and saw her nodding at me. After taking a deep breath, I took out my phone and walked into my room. I searched for Michael''s number, and I finally called him after hesitating for a long while. While waiting for Michael to answer the call, I could feel my heart racing. I felt anxious knowing that I could finally hear his voice after not talking to him for so long. Soon, Michael''s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°So you''re finally willing to call me. Are you not mad at me anymore?¡± He sounded rxed from his tone. ¡°If I didn''t call you, are you not going to call me forever?¡± I instantly felt aggrieved when I heard his voice. When I thought of how I had stayed at Natalie''s house for so many days but Michael did not even call me ore to see me, I felt extremely dejected. ¡°I thought you didn''t want to see me? You chased me away that day.¡± Michael sounded so indifferent that I could not sense any emotions in his words. Since he did not sound happy that I had called him, I felt utterly disappointed. I initially thought that he would be excited to answer my call. ¡°Fine. I told you to leave that day. So, don''t appear in front of me again!¡± I was infuriated by his attitude. Clearly, he was the one who had done something wrong, but I had to apologize to him. Even if I had misunderstood him, it was still his fault to discern the gender of the baby. In a rage, I hung up the call because I regretted calling him. I felt like I was being shameless. He didn''t evene to see me, so why did I call him? As I got angrier, I threw the phone on the bed. Suddenly, I felt that Michael did not love me as much as I thought. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Then, Iy on the bed and covered my head with the nket. The more I thought about it, the more irritated I got. About twenty minutester, I heard the doorbell, followed by the sound of the door opening. ¡°Where''s Anna?¡± I instantly recognized Michael''s voice. Although I could not hear it clearly, I could easily recognize his voice because I was familiarized with it after being with him for so long. My heart pounded uncontrobly when I was resisting the urge to run out to see him. I was sitting on the bed while I tried hard to ignore his voice. ¡°She''s sulking in her room. Go and see her.¡± Natalie told Michael that I was inside my room. The sound of footsteps was getting louder, and I tried even harder to ignore it. Soon, the door of my room was opened. As the footsteps got clearer, I knew that he had walked toward me. I kept my eyes shut and did not look at him. I was still upset when I thought of his attitude on the phone just now. ¡°I haven''t seen you for a week. Do you miss me?¡± Michael looked at me as he sat on the edge of the bed. His lips curled into a smile. I opened my eyes and red at him. ¡°No! I thought you were not going to talk to me? Why are you here then?¡± ¡°When did I say I wasn''t going to talk to you? You''re my woman. Do you think I''m going to let you stay here forever?¡± I knew that I had a poor attitude; however, he did not get mad at me. His tone was gentle as he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then, what was that attitude on the phone? You sounded like you didn''t want to talk to me. If you really think so, you should go now.¡± I was a really stubborn person. Since he had a bad attitude earlier, I would not let it go so easily. ¡°All right. I admit that I had a bad attitude, but you were the one who chased me away that day. Don''t be mad at me now. Let''s go home.¡± Michael pulled me up from the bed and hugged me tightly. His voice sounded soft and gentle. Actually, I was no longer mad at him after I found out that the girl was Ronan''s sister. After all, it was my fault for not trusting him, so both of us were at fault. His ttery lifted my bad mood right away. I sat up straight and warned, ¡°If you dare speak to me like that again, I will not talk to you again!¡± ¡°All right. Everything''s my fault. I promise I won''t make you angry again in the future, and I won''t let anything like that happen to the baby again. I made the mistake of not thinking about your feelings. Well, don''t worry. I''ll take care of the matter.¡± Michael pulled me into his arms again as he addressed my concerns one by one. He looked at me dotingly, and his usual aloofness hadpletely disappeared. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 When Michael mentioned the child''s issue, I let out a sigh. I was still upset about it, but he had promised me that it would not happen again. If I did not move on from it, the issue would certainly ruin our rtionship. Hence, I decide to let it pass. However, I was also determined to not let such a thing happen again in the future. Looking into his eyes, I said in a serious manner, ¡°Michael, I just hope that our child will live a happy life. I don''t care about anything else.¡± ¡°It won''t happen again,¡± Michael replied firmly and held my hand tightly. Since I had decided to forgive him, I had no reason to stay at Natalie''s ce. Recently, she did not have the time to go out to see Yuval because of me. I had even ruined their date the other day, and that made me feel extremely guilty. After all, both of them were in their honeymoon phase, so they would certainly feel ufortable with me disturbing them for so long. ¡°All right. The misunderstanding between you two is finally resolved!¡± Natalie let a sigh of relief when she saw me in Michael''s arm. ¡°I think you''ve been waiting for me to leave. Your darling hasn''te for a few days ever since I stayed here. Did I disturb both of you?¡± Although Natalie did not say anything, I could sense it myself. She had been on the phone with Yuval every night these past few days. They were clearly madly in love now. However, thinking about it, I realized that Michael and I always had short phone calls. He would always hang up on me before I could even finish speaking. I felt aggrieved by that thought. Upon hearing my usation, Natalie refuted, ¡°When did I do that? You have stayed here for so many days, but when did I urge you to leave? You''re so heartless!¡± However, I knew that she could not wait to see Yuval, after not being able to see him for some time. Then, I pouted and joked, ¡°I know that someone has been hiding in the nket to talk on the phone.¡± Natalie was just too shy to admit that she wanted to see Yuval. ¡°All right! Since you both have reconciled, hurry up and go home with Michael. Since you haven''t seen him for so many days, I think you''ll need your hubby''s constion.¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow, and I certainly understood what she meant. I could not believe she had said that in front of Michael so shamelessly. How does Yuval who is such a mature man deal with her? ¡°Fine. We''ll go now. After I leave, you should go on a date with your darling.¡± Deep down, I felt guilty because Natalie had canceled her dates with Yuval just to console me. Sitting in Michael''s car, we did not know what to say even though we had reconciled. Michael then broke the silence. ¡°Why? It has only been a few days. Are you feeling distant from me now?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. His voice sounded calm, but I could tell that he was in a good mood. ¡°I don''t know what I should say. Also, I don''t want to talk to you now.¡± While pondering with a frown, I decided to keep quiet because I could not find anything to say. Right at that moment, Michael mmed on the brakes and turned to look at me. ¡°You don''t know what to say, or you don''t want to talk to me?¡± Staring at his dark eyes, I could feel my heart pounding. I did not know what he wanted to do. Then, he added, ¡°Since you have nothing to say, let''s do something.¡± There was a devious smile on his face. Before I could respond, he leaned forward to kiss me. Feeling his warmth on my lips, I could smell his scent and feel my heart trembling. I shut my eyes to enjoy the passionate kiss. After not seeing him for so long, I desired to be intimate with him. The kisssted for a long time. When he released me, I could sense that he was breathing heavily. His dark eyes were filled with lust, and he looked like he was about to pounce at me. Also, I felt that my body was softened and I had no strength at all. My mouth smelled like his breath now. ¡°Let''s go home!¡± Michael took several deep breaths to suppress his desire. Then, he turned his head and mmed on the gas pedal. Although he was driving fast, it was still a steady ride. After the kiss, he looked extremely constrained. I knew exactly what he was thinking. With that thought, I felt a tickling sensation in my heart. As my face turned red, I looked at Michael shyly. Even though we were married, I felt awkward knowing that he wanted to do it with me during the day. Michael drove so fast that we arrived at the mansion in just over ten minutes. After the car came to a halt, I was about to get out before Michael walked to my side and opened the car door to carry me out. Being held in his arms, a strange feeling shrouded me. I gently hugged his neck and did not resist him. Michael carried me to the second floor and put me on the bed in the bedroom. Before I could even catch my breath, he pressed himself against me. I widened my eyes in shock when I saw how wild he was. How desperate is he? It has only been a few days, and he''s throwing himself at me so crazily. I felt a little scared when I saw how impatient he was. What if he hurt the baby? ¡°Michael, wait!¡± I quickly stopped Michael. Although I did not want him to hold back, I knew that nothing was more important than the baby now. ¡°What is it?¡± Michael paused when he heard me. His eyes were filled with lust as he looked at me. ¡°I-I''m worried that we''ll hurt the child. I think we shouldn''t do it...¡± I suggested guiltily. I knew that Michael would be upset, but I had to stop him for the baby. As expected, Michael frowned and looked at me in dissatisfaction after hearing what I said. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 However, Michael did not want to give up. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°I''ll be careful!¡± He did not give me a chance to speak before he instantly lowered his head to kiss me. Ten minutester, he said, ¡°I can''t do it like this. You''ll need to help me!¡± Michael turned to look at me with a tensed look. I was stunned when I heard him, and I did not understand what he meant. ¡°Help you? How?¡± ¡°Use your hands. If you''re willing to use your mouth, I''ll be more than happy.¡± Michael''s eyes were locked on my lips, and his voice sounded low. Clearly, his desire for me was getting stronger as he spoke. I looked at him speechlessly. How can he be so shameless? He wants me to... The atmosphere was filled with awkwardness. Although I had tried it once before, I did not enjoy it at all. Looking at his dark eyes, I asked, ¡°Can I not do it?¡± ¡°Do you want to see me suffering? If something bad happens to me, you won''t get to enjoy in bed for the rest of your life.¡± Michael raised an eyebrow as he uttered those shameless words. He was making himself clear that I had no choice but to do it for him. In the end, after much effort, I finally let out a sigh of relief. Ever since I was pregnant, Michael could not find a chance to do it. I felt guilty every time I saw him holding back. ¡°Not bad. You''ve improved so much under my training.¡± He was looking at me with a mischievous look. Knowing exactly what he meant, I blushed and looked away. This man is being so bold with his words. ¡°So, should I thank you for training me?¡± Michael loved messing around with me when I felt shy. Looking at him, I pouted. He made it sound like it was all his effort after I did a favor for him. ¡°How are you going to thank me? I won''t mind it if you want to.¡± Michael smirked before he rolled over and pinned me under him. Looking at his devious smile, I could feel my heart trembling. Although we had been together for very long, my heart would still pound furiously whenever I looked at him so closely. As expected, attractive looks had given him an edge. I was just joking. Did he take it seriously? Speechlessly, I looked at Michael and noticed that he was in a good mood. ¡°I was just being polite. You shouldn''t take it seriously.¡± I let out a chuckle to bail out on it. My hands felt exhausted after helping him, so I was not in the mood to do anything with him now. Michael pouted as he looked at me. Then, hey back on the bed. Right at that moment, I could feel his body part turning hard again. ¡°Nothing is better than your body. I''ve been holding back because of this little guy in your stomach.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Michael lowered his head to nce at his lower body exasperatedly. I could not believe it had turned hard again in such a short time. Hence, I quickly shut my eyes to pretend that I did not see it. What if he''s not satisfied and asks me for help again? Although I only used my hands, it''s still exhausting. I''m not doing it again. Michael knew that I was faking sleep, but he did not expose me. He turned around and put his arm around my waist before he shut his eyes to sleep. Since the Shaw family knew that I had an argument with Michael, I went back to the Shaw residence with him so that Andy would not be worried about us. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 I was upset over the previous incident, but Michael''s family was involved; hence, I knew I would have to forgive them. Otherwise, I would seem like a petty woman who refused to let the matter slip. In the living room, everyone was waiting. Josephine epted a piece of fruit from the housekeeper and bit into it. When she spotted Michael and me, she shot me a frosty look and said nothing. Previously, she did a one-eighty after finding out that I was pregnant with a baby boy. Right now, she had returned to her usual aloof self. I was displeased by the change in her attitude. Nheless, it was a blessing in disguise. I''d rather have her treating me this way every day instead of treating me kindly for the sake of my child. Michael''s grandfather, Andy, was reading the papers on the couch. I went over to greet him politely. ¡°Hello, Grandpa.¡± Andy lifted his head and nodded. ¡°You''re back.¡± ¡°Yes. I''m sorry, Grandpa.¡± I knew what Andy meant and immediately offered a shy apology. ¡°There''s no need to apologize, youngdy. It''s normal for a young couple to fight; moreover, I''m not that traditional,¡± Andy said with a smile. He didn''t seem to mind what happened. In the Shaw family, Andy was the only one who treated me kindly, and I was thankful for that. Hearing his words, I felt warmth spreading all over my heart. ¡°Dad, you''re too generous. If you don''t interfere in their matter, others will talk behind our back. They''ll say Mrs. Shaw left home, for there is discord in the Shaw family!¡± Josephine dered. Clearly, Andy''s forgiving words had made her upset. She whipped her head around and gave me a dirty look. I knew Josephine despised me since our first meeting. Hearing her words, I lowered my head silently. ¡°All right. It''s normal for youngdies to be feisty. You should be a considerate mother-inw,¡± Andy retorted. He frowned and sent Josephine a withering nce that spoke volumes. Even though I was new in the family, Andy would always defend me every time Josephine admonished me. I was rather touched by his actions. After all, I was an ordinary girl from the countryside. I was grateful that Andy could ept me despite my background. ¡°Mom, stop it. I was responsible for the DNA results, too. I promised Anna that it wouldn''t happen again,¡± Michael said, and there was a finality to his tone that warned Josephine to stop kicking up a fuss. Michael walked towards me and ced himself in the eye of the storm. He then reached out to hold me tightly in his embrace. Sensing his protective manner, I lifted my head and nced at him. As Michael had made that announcement, it meant that he knew his mistake. The realization brought me a ray of happiness. Relief filled me so instantly that I felt about ten pounds lighter. ¡°Michael, are you saying it was my fault? I just want to know if she is pregnant with a baby boy. How is that wrong?¡± Josephine snapped. Clearly, she didn''t expect Michael to rebuke her for her actions. An ominous ck thundercloud of temper had settled over her after learning her son''s stance. ¡°That''s enough. From today onward, I don''t want to hear anyone discussing the child''s gender!¡± Michael dered. As Josephine staunchly pursued the matter, Michael''s frown deepened, and a spark of anger stained his gaze. Josephine jolted up from her seat on the couch and quivered in anger. A wave of fury crashed through her as she demanded, ¡°Michael, I''m utterly disappointed in you. You''ve changed after marrying this woman! How dare you go against metely? Did you forget that I''m your mother?¡± Michael''s brows knitted as he gazed at her without a word. He had made himself clear that he was siding with me. The silence was so palpable that it seemed to solidify in the air. Suddenly, Andy broke the silence. ¡°Enough! This isn''t a serious matter. I can''t believe you have to argue every time you meet! We''re a family, so why can''t you get along with each other? Stop pushing my buttons!¡± He got to his feet and sent both Josephine and Michael a withering nce. It was obvious that Andy was frustrated at Josephine and Michael''s frequent arguments after I came into their life. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Grandpa, it was all my fault,¡± I offered apologetically and hung my head low. It might not be my fault, but I was the reason every time Michael and Josephine fought. I would be lying if I said I didn''t feel anything about it. Hearing my apology, Andy came over to me and gave me aforting pat on the shoulder. ¡°Anna, it isn''t your fault. I adore you. Michael''s lucky to have you as his wife, and I get a filial granddaughter-in- law!¡± he said kindly. In response, I shed a smile. I knew he had a heart of gold. Andy was the nicest person in the world after Michael. Josephine might be hot-tempered, but she was afraid of Andy. After Andy said that, she dared not utter a word despite her fury. I watched as Michael close the distance with quick strides and announced, ¡°Grandpa, I brought Anna here to visit you today. If there''s nothing else, we shall take our leave now.¡± He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and led me out of the house. After getting into the car, I turned to Michael and asked, ¡°Are we leaving just like that? Isn''t that rude?¡± I couldn''t hide the disappointment in my voice. I would experience a qualm of unease without fail every time we paid a visit to the Shaw residence. Josephine would always utter harsh words, and Michael would respond by defending me. Every visit would end on a bad note, and our rtionship would deteriorate further. Back then, I was na?ve enough to assume that Josephine would change her attitude as time passed. By then, Michael and I would''ve been together for some time, and she would probably cave in. s, I was wrong. Josephine would do anything to kick me out of the Shaw family. ¡°Do you want to stay behind to get yelled at? That might be your wish, but I won''t let that happen.¡± Michael''s brows were furrowed together. I could tell he was in a bad mood, no thanks to Josephine''s previous attitude. ¡°Michael, what do you suggest I do to get on your mother''s good side? I don''t want her to get mad at the sight of me.¡± I turned to look at Michael and posed a serious question. Despite not liking Josephine, I hoped to strike up a good rtionship with her. After all, Michael was an influential figure, and the public kept an eye on his private life. If the news of Josephine and I being at odds were sshed over the papers, Michael would definitely be affected. I didn''t mind that, but I had to consider his reputation. Chapter 368 Chapter 368 ¡°Just be yourself and ignore everyone else. You don''t have to change to please anyone else. You''ll only have to focus on being my wife.¡± An affectionate smile yed around his lips as he spoke. The next second, he reached out to take my hand. His tone was both gentle but firm. I met his raven ck eyes and bobbed my head slightly. I would only have to focus on being Michael''s wife. Nothing else mattered as long as we were both blissful together. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°There is a charity g a few dayster. Let''s attend it together. You hadn''t shown yourself in public after our marriage,¡± Michael suggested as he started the engine and drove away. ¡°Charity g? I don''t think that''s appropriate. I''ve never attended anything like that...¡± After learning that Michael wanted to take me to a g, I couldn''t stop panic from ring in my heart. Only those from the upper echelons of society would get to attend gs, and I had never got the chance to attend one. A bolt of panic hit me, and I instinctively rejected his invitation. ¡°You''re my wife, Michael Shaw''s wife. Why is it inappropriate? My wife has the right to attend any g she wants.¡± Sensing my fear, Michael turned to meet my gaze solemnly. Hismanding voice was overwhelming. He was right. After marrying Michael, my status increased greatly. However, that was what the outside world thought. I might be married to Michael, but some things would never change. I knew nothing about the upper- ss society''s events. In fact, I wasn''t even interested. ¡°I''m afraid of embarrassing you,¡± I admitted. Those events were meant for wealthydies to unt their wealth and connections, so I would pale in comparison. Michael was a prominent figure, and I might embarrass him with my bad social skills. ¡°No.¡± Michael gave me a reassuring smile. I knew he had made up his mind. Although my difort remained, I couldn''t say no after Michael said that. ¡°I''ll get back and prepare myself for the event.¡± I cast him an anxious look and agreed to his request. ¡°There''s no need to prepare anything. My secretary will deliver the gown back home. You''ll only have to change into it. Remember, don''t put on makeup,¡± Michael stated calmly as the corners of his mouth turned up. ¡°No makeup? Do you want me to show myself without any makeup?¡± At that, I gaped at him incredulously as I wondered whether I had misheard him. It''s normal if he told me to dress up, but did he actually ask me to not put on any makeup? ¡°Makeup isn''t good for your skin and our baby,¡± came his answer. I was touched by his concern but had the niggling feeling that something was not right. If I were to attend the charity g, barefaced, I would obviously be the center of attraction. I tamped my irritation down for the sake of my baby. After all, my child was of utmost importance now. Besides, Michael didn''t mind me embarrassing him in public. There was no need for me to fear anything. It was a known fact that men cared for their reputation more than women. Back in the mansion, Michael told me to rest before he left for work. I had justy down when my mom''s call arrived. After answering the call, she told me Steven had gotten himself a new girlfriend. He had brought his girlfriend home, and she was very pleased with his choice. I was surprised to learn that Steven had found a girlfriend shortly after his previous scandal. However, I was delighted to hear my mom praising his girlfriend. I was d to learn that Steven had a new girlfriend. That meant he wouldn''t fool around anymore. Many women resorted to prostituting themselves in society and slept with countless men. If Steven fooled around and got infected, that would be horrible. After ending the call, my mood had lifted. Now that Steven had a girlfriend, he wouldn''t act foolishly anymore. If he were to get married, my parents wouldn''t have to worry about him. They could help to take care of his children, too. The charity g was held at Imperial Hotel at eight o''clock the following night. On the day itself, Michael''s secretary delivered the gown at four in the afternoon. It was a pink strapless gown that reached my ankles. Michael was thoughtful enough to get me a matching pair of ivory white ts. Sometimes, he was more thoughtful than I was. The strapless gown draped out under the bustline, rather than at the natural waistline. Thus, it was perfect for me. My tummy would still bulge out, but it wasn''t that obvious or strange-looking. After getting off work, Michael came back home to pick me up. He was afraid someone would kidnap me on the way to the venue. When I heard him saying that over the phone, I held back the urge to roll my eyes. No one will dare to kidnap Michael''s wife. Besides, I''m pregnant! Despite thinking that way, I found his behavior endearing. I knew he was concerned about me. When we arrived at Imperial Hotel, the entrance was full of luxurious cars. I clutched Michael''s arm anxiously after getting down from the car. After all, it was my first time attending such a grand event. ¡°Don''t be nervous. Just be yourself,¡± Michael told me. He grinned and gave my hand aforting pat before leading me into the hotel. Once we entered the venue, I was stunned by how luxurious the decoration was. The chandelier on the ceiling in the hall was dazzling and illuminated the entire space. The guests were big shots in high society. They were d in extravagant and morous outfits. The wealthydies had gathered in circles and were chatting elegantly. As someone who grew up in a vige, I had never seen such a scene in my life. I felt extremely out of ce. Perhaps it was because I didn''t belong here. ¡°Michael, should I head home instead?¡± I whipped my head around to stare at Michael anxiously. He was right beside me, but I couldn''t get used to the environment. ¡°We''re already here. Why do you want to leave? If you need time to get used to the event, just take a seat somewhere.¡± As expected, Michael grabbed my hand and refused to let me leave. Left with no choice, I entered the hall with him. Michael''s appearance immediately attracted the guests'' attention. I felt as if every gaze in the hall was boring into me. Those who came to talk to him were mostly business people. Michael stered a perfunctory smile and greeted them, but I could sense the impatience in his voice. Michael was the most powerful man in Avenport. Plenty of people would die to strike a connection with him, but he was a picky person, especially when it concerned his business partners. Thus, he wouldn''t bother to talk to ordinary people. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 ¡°Mr. Shaw, long time no see! You''ve gotten more good-looking after getting married!¡± Right then, a man decked in a crisp suit came to Michael and greeted him warmly. He was evidently trying to suck up to Michael. ¡°Not at all, Mr. Lobston.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Michael''s reply to Chris Lobston was cid as he raised his ss to clink sses with thetter. After Chris talked to Michael, some guests started to form a circle around us. I wasn''t used to being surrounded by a crowd. ¡°Mr. Shaw, this must be Mrs. Shaw. I didn''t get to see her face clearly during the wedding as my seat was too far away. She''s such a beauty!¡± As Michael''s gaze constantly flitted to me, the crafty guests realized I was important to him and began lavishing praises on me. I pursed my lips at thement. I didn''t put on any makeup today, not even any lipstick. Look at how he managed toe up with that awestruck expression. I have to admit that they are good at lying through their teeth to butter someone up. I wasn''t bothered, but Michael thought otherwise. His lips curved up upon hearing the praise as though he was delighted to hear it. Realizing that Michael liked hearing others praising me, those who wanted to butter Michael up immediately startedplimenting me. I got goosebumps from getting praised by so many people. Women loved it when others praised their gorgeous appearances, and I was no exception, but these people''s praises had gone overboard. Hypocrites! I rolled my eyes inwardly. Yet, the grin on Michael''s lips remained. He turned to regard me, the adoration in his gaze evident. He seemed rxed as though they weren''t lying through their teeth. ¡°I''m tired. I''ll wait for you over there.¡± Refusing to stay to listen to the fakepliments, I got to my feet and strode toward an empty seat not far away. It was clear by now that someone as straightforward as me shouldn''t attend simr events. The previouspliments got me shuddering in disgust. Indeed, business people had to be shameless in order to strike business deals. I plopped onto a couch in a corner and sipped on a ss of juice. My gaze never left Michael''s figure. I knew no one here, and there was nothing inmon between me and the socialites, so I had no choice but to sit here and hope that the g would end soon. Bored out of my wits, I sipped on my juice. Soon, a prettydy in her thirties approached me and took a seat beside me. I didn''t know who she was, but I shed a polite smile anyhow. She could be the wife of Michael''s business partner. ¡°You must be Mrs. Shaw,¡± thedy greeted me with a smile. ¡°Yes, I am. May I know who you are?¡± I didn''t know she would greet me out of the blue and blinked in surprise. ¡°My husband is Chris Lobston. He''s the owner of a small real estatepany. I am Fiona. You can call me Mrs. Lobston.¡± Hearing my reply, thedy''s smile widened. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Lobston.¡± I responded with a smile. I wasn''t too fond of talking to strangers, but the guests might be Michael''s business partners, so I couldn''t risk offending them. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, you''re young and beautiful. Look at how fair your skin is.¡± As I fell silent, Fiona proceeded to break the silence. ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied cordially. After hearing variouspliments previously when I was with Michael, I was unbothered by her comment. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I bought a diamond ne today. Isn''t it pretty?¡± Fiona whipped out a jewelry box from her LV bag and ced it on the desk before us. She then opened the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ne that sparkled magnificently under the incandescent lights of the chandelier. I wasn''t a diamond expert, but I assumed it was expensive, as she had deliberately shown it to me. Otherwise, it would be humiliating to show a cheap ne at such a grand event. ¡°It looks pretty nice,¡± I responded half-heartedly with a tiny smile. I didn''t know her previously, so it felt awkward for her to show me her diamond ne as though we were friends. ¡°Really? I think it''s nice, too. It''s a perfect fit for you, Mrs. Shaw.¡± Fiona was beaming with joy. However, I got confused to hear her response. Why is she saying that her ne is a perfect fit for me? Shouldn''t be saying that it suits her instead? I couldn''t really find fault with her here, so I shed an awkward smile. Silence surrounded us while I waited for her to borate, and she did. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, since you like the ne, I shall give it to you. It suits you better than me anyway,¡± Fiona told me. I nearly spat out the juice in my mouth at her words. ¡°You''re giving the ne to me? But why?¡± Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Fiona to gift the newly bought diamond ne to me. I gazed at her in shock. We don''t even know each other. Why would she give me something out of the blue? ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I shall be honest with you. My husband had been wanting to work with Mr. Shaw, but we couldn''t meet a big shot like him even if we wanted to. After finding out that he''ll be attending the g tonight, we came to try our luck out.¡± Fiona''s expression turned grim after hearing my question, and she seemed nervous as she offered an exnation. Finally, I understood her intention. She wanted to coborate with Michael''spany. ¡°Michael is right there. If you want to coborate with him, you can talk to him now. I don''t interfere in thepany''s business, so I can''t make any decisions,¡± My answer was firm. Only then did I realize Fiona''s motive for giving me the diamond ne was to push for coboration with Michael. I btedly realized that this was how things worked in the upper-ss society. It was normal to give and receive gifts. However, as someone who grew up in the countryside, I couldn''t ept an expensive diamond ne as a gift. As I didn''t take the ne from her, Fiona grew flustered. She met my gaze and parted her lips hastily. Chapter 370 Chapter 370 ¡°My husband had talked to Mr. Shaw previously, but he didn''t seem to have the n to coborate with us. I have no choice but to ask for your help, Mrs. Shaw. It''s obvious that Mr. Shaw adores you. If you help us out, we might get a chance,¡± she pleaded. She was gazing at me earnestly, but I rolled my eyes inwardly after hearing what she had to say. I knew nothing about her, let alone herpany. There was no way I could intercede for her sake. Besides, Michael had run thepany for years, and the business had flourished under his management. I knew he had high standards for his business partners. As he didn''t want to work with them, it was obvious theirpany didn''t meet his standards. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Since theirpany wasn''t on Michael''s coboration list, so I wouldn''t be a fool to persuade him to change his mind. I shed a smile and rejected her request politely. ¡°Mrs. Lobston, I''m afraid I can''t do that. I never intervened in thepany''s business. Thus, it is impossible to talk to Michael about the coboration.¡± I loved money, but I wasn''t a gold digger. There was no way I would ept someone else''s gift, especially when the gift came with an ulterior motive. Michael had bought plenty of nes which I kept in the mansion''s dressing room. However, I never liked such tacky stuff, so the ne couldn''t tempt me to do as told. As I was unfazed, Fiona grew increasingly agitated. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, is this ne too cheap for your taste? Never mind. You can let me know what you want. As long as we get to coborate with Mrs. Shaw, I''ll satisfy all your demands.¡± Initially, I had a good impression of her as she took the initiative to greet me. Now that I knew what she came for, my impatience grew. Is it a trend to bother other people nowadays in order to achieve one''s goal? As Fiona seemed insistent, I decided to exin once again. ¡°You''ve misunderstood my words. I wasn''t asking for more expensive stuff. I was just telling the truth. Thepany''s affairs have nothing to do with me, and I believe Michael has his own judgments,¡± I answered solemnly. Hearing my exnation, she slumped down in disappointment. ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Afraid that Fiona would continue harassing me, I bade goodbye to her calmly and headed to the restroom without looking back. After exiting the restroom, I stood before the mirror and exhaled sharply. It was normal for small companies to seek coboration with hugepanies at such events. I was bored out of my wits and wanted to leave right away. Walking out of the restroom, I returned to the hall to see Michael striding toward me. He had a pleasant smile ying on his lips. ¡°Why do you look like you''re in a foul mood?¡± Michael''s voice was gentle as he pulled me into his arms. I told him how Fiona tried to bribe me with a gift and shot him a conflicted look. ¡°It''s normal for them to bribe you with gifts. No matter what they offer, don''t ept it. If they happened to offer you something you like, let me know and I''ll get it for you.¡± Perhaps Michael had expected I''d encounter such matter, for he didn''t seem astonished and only shed an affectionate grin. Clearing my throat, I asked, ¡°This event is boring. When will it end?¡± I gave Michael a helpless look as I didn''t want to remain here. I wasn''t about to ept any gifts from the guests, but Michael had no idea how difficult it was to reject them. My rejection mighte off as arrogance, and they were probably thinking I was turning up my nose at them. ¡°It will end soon. Ronan and Gabby will being here too. You can talk to Gabbyter.¡± Michael patted my shoulder in aforting manner and led me to a secluded spot. Ronan''s adorable sister popped up in my mind. I was certain she''d make the time less unbearable with her presence. Michael and I had just taken our seats when Ronan and his sister, Gabrie, stepped into the venue. Gabrie''s gaze swept over the hall until she spotted Ronan and I. Without hesitation, she scurried over to us. Ronan followed behind her, looking resigned. ¡°Anna!¡± Gabrie greeted me sweetly aftering to a stop before us. I was rather happy to see her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked warmly. After all, Ronan wasn''t someone who would bother to show up at such events. Shaking his head resignedly, Ronan pushed the me onto his sister. ¡°She insisted oning, so I had to keep herpany.¡± His voice seemed a little exasperated. ¡°I have just returned to the country and had nowhere else to go. This is the only ce where I can have some fun!¡± Gabrie flopped into the seat next to me and exined. My lips quirked up at her words, for she had always been the type to speak her mind loudly and boldly. Michael spoke up. ¡°All you do is roam about aftering home. Have you thought about getting a job?¡± He then met Gabrie''s gaze calmly. ¡°Michael, can you stop talking about work? I''ve just returned and haven''t had enough fun yet. Why are you already asking me to get a job?¡± Gabrie red at him in displeasure. It was obvious that work was a topic that she did not wish to discuss. Michael snorted. ¡°I think it will take a few years for you to have enough fun.¡± His voice held a hint of humor. A resigned smile tugged at his lips, and it was obvious that he adored his little cousin. ¡°Then I shall wait till then. My parents will take care of me even if I am unemployed. My brother is also capable of supporting me!¡± Gabrie tapped on Ronan''s shoulder with a smug expression on her face. ¡°I don''t want to take care of you. You should ask your boyfriend to do that.¡± Calmly, Ronan shoved Gabrie''s hand away. He had no intention of ying along with her despite the fact that Michael and I were right before them. ¡°Ronan, how could you say that? Isn''t it normal for a brother to take care of his younger sister?¡± Gabrie whipped her head around and stared at Ronan furiously with her hands on her hips. Gabrie''s voice was quite loud and attracted the guests'' attention. Sensing the stares, Ronan sighed helplessly and caved in. ¡°All right, it is normal. We''re in public, so please mind your manners,¡± he reminded her. Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Not far away, some people wereing toward us. Clearly, they wanted to talk to Michael. Knowing how I hated socializing, Michael got to his feet and whispered in my ear, ¡°Wait for me. I''ll deal with them and get back soon.¡± He then strode away without waiting for a reply. Gabrie gaped in disbelief as she stared at his departing figure. She tutted andmented in a teasing manner, ¡°Anna, what did you do to Michael? I can''t believe he''s this affectionate. He used to be an aloof man!¡± Knowing it was a joke, I grinned and said nothing else as quiet contentment spread through my entire being. Michael would only direct his indifference to those who he despised. I was his wife, so he wouldn''t give me the cold treatment. Ronan remained expressionless after hearing Gabrie''s words. He nced at me but stayed silent. Right then, a youngdy made her way to Ronan. She was dressed in a fashionable and expensive outfit. It was obvious she was a socialite born into a wealthy family. ¡°Mr. Moore,¡± she greeted Ronan shyly as her cheeks turned rosy. Gabrie and I shared a knowing look. I can''t believe Ronan''s charming enough to attract a youngdy to strike up a conversation with him! ¡°Who are you?¡± Ronan asked with a frown. ¡°My name is Alexis Lobston. You probably don''t know me before this. My family is involved in the real estate business,¡± Alexis exined. As her smile was bashful, it was obvious that she had romantic feelings for Ronan. ¡°Hello,¡± Ronan responded with a grin. Alexis hung her head low and mumbled shyly, ¡°Can we be friends?¡± I could tell Alexis had set her eyes on Ronan. My lips curled into a smirk as I thought, Wow, Ronan''s charm has attracted a beautifuldy to flirt with him at this event. ¡°Of course, here is my name card.¡± Realizing the youngdy''s intention, Ronan maintained his smile and fished out his name card before handing it to her. Alexis epted the card and almost jumped for joy. She wasn''t expecting to get his contact that easily. After ncing at the name card, she lifted her head and cast Ronan a hesitant look. Her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment. Standing beside them, I couldn''t help but look forward to what would happen next. Deep down, I wanted Ronan to get a girlfriend soon. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± Ronan gazed at the youngdy and urged. After a long pause, Alexis mustered her courage to ask, ¡°I have a question for you. Do you have a girlfriend?¡± Gabrie and I exchanged nces yet again. Finally, she''s getting to the point. ¡°No,¡± Ronan responded in a calm manner. He was still smiling, but it didn''t reach his eyes. I could tell that was a perfunctory answer. Alexis could hardly contain her happiness as she queried, ¡°C-Can I treat you to a meal sometime?¡± After confirming that Ronan didn''t have a girlfriend, her gaze had lit up. She gazed at him and waited for his answer earnestly. To her dismay, Ronan answered politely, ¡°I''m sorry, but I am a little tied up now. We''ll talk about that later.¡± It was a clear rejection from him despite the smile ying on his lips. Hearing that, I exhaled in exasperation. I was wrong to think that Ronan had met his future partner tonight. Why did he reject her? Alexis seems like a nice girl. Why didn''t he try to get to know her? The youngdy was smart enough to understand the underlying meaning of Ronan''s words. Her face stiffened in dismay before she slumped in disappointment. ¡°All right. I understand.¡± She lowered her head in dejection. Ronan looked like a yboy who loved flirting with women, so she hadn''t expected his rejection. I let out a sigh, for it was game over for Alexis. ¡°Let''s keep in touch,¡± Alexis said softly. As Ronan didn''t look like he wanted to continue the conversation, she trudged away sadly. After she left, Gabrie ran over to him and shed a cheeky smile. ¡°Ronan, you have an admirer!¡± She put one arm on his shoulder and nced at Alexis'' retreating figure. ¡°Scram, brat. You know nothing. I have plenty of admirers.¡± Ronan pped her hand away mercilessly, and his voice was dripping with disdain. ¡°Tsk!¡± Gabrie rolled her eyes at him beforeing back to me. ¡°Anna, has Ronan changed? He used to be a womanizer. I can''t believe he didn''t flirt with her today! Before I left the country, he would never let any pretty woman leave!¡± she mocked. Gabrie pretended to be surprised at her brother''s change. I knew she had said those words on purpose, but that didn''t stop me from giggling out loud. It felt like Gabrie loved embarrassing her brother on purpose, for she had revealed all his weaknesses. ¡°Gabrielle, if you continue to talk nonsense, I swear I will pluck your head off and kick it like a ball!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth as a fresh swell of rage rose in him. As his expression had darkened ominously, I knew he meant what he said. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°You wouldn''t dare to do so!¡± Gabrie retorted. She met his gaze smugly and even stuck her tongue out in a provoking manner. She wasn''t at all bothered by his threat. Breathless with anger, Ronan marched over to Gabrie to teach her a lesson. Gabrie seemed bold, but she immediately hid behind me when Ronan came for her. ¡°Ronan, if you dare toy a finger on me, I''llin to Dad back at home. You''ll get punished for sure!¡± she warned. Her hands were clutching my shoulders tightly. She refused to give in despite being afraid of him. I could sense her figure trembling and was certain that she was frightened down to the soles of her shoes. ¡°Gabrie Moore,e out this instance! I shall teach you a lesson!¡± Ronan roared. He looked like he was about to explode with rage. He paid no heed to her warning and reached out to grab Gabrie, but thetter was clinging onto my shoulders. As I was standing between them, Ronan couldn''t touch her at all. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 I''m trapped in the middle of the two siblings and my head was spinning. ¡°All right. Can you two talk to each other nicely? Others who do not know you might think that you two are enemies. I''m going to puke if you continue this.¡± On top of my morning sickness, now I had to deal with the uneasiness caused by the siblings. Upon hearing what I said, Ronan gazed at me worriedly and stopped the tussle with Gabrie. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Ronan asked in a gentle voice. ¡°I''m fine. But please, stop fighting. If this continues, I''m afraid something bad might happen to me.¡± Although the constant fighting between the siblings could be amusing at times, it was definitely vexing if I was dragged into the fight. ¡°We''ll stop. Drink some water and take a rest.¡± Ronan''s gaze was gentle and loving. She took a ss of water and passed it to me. I took a few sips of the water and instantly felt better. ¡°It''s all on you, Ronan. Anna is not feeling well now!¡± As Ronan was checking up on me, she conveniently put all the me on Ronan. I must admit that Ronan looked all worried and concerned. ¡°Gabrie, shut up. I''ll teach you a lesson when we get home!¡± Ronan was infuriated as he stared angrily at Gabrie, obviously offended by her statement. Interestingly, Gabrie seemed to be terrified of Ronan and his threat. Although unwillingly, Gabrie eventually kept quiet and did not utter a single word. Meanwhile, Michael was done with socializing around and walked toward us. Although we were here for around an hour, it felt forever, and I didn''t want to stay any longer. ¡°What did I say? It''s boring, right?¡± Michael came by my side and wrapped his arm against my shoulder in a loving manner. ¡°Right, it''s boring. It''s more like a socializing club instead of a G Night.¡± Initially, I thought that the people attending the event were genuinely doing it for charity. However, I soon realized that it was all but a show by the rich and wealthy. In the name of charity, their true intention was to search for business partners. ¡°You''ll get used to it.¡± Michael smiled and did notment anything about my statement. ¡°Tsk... Michael, you make me feel like a blind bimbo today. Is there something wrong with my eyes? Is this really you? You''re speaking in such a gentle manner!¡± Gabrie who finally kept quiet for a short while started speaking again. With a bewildered look, she walked toward Michael and tapped on his shoulder. ¡°A blind bimbo? Why are you describing yourself in such a way?¡± Michael however was not a short-tempered person like Ronan. Knowing very well that Gabrie was trying to rile him up, he showed no signs of agitation. On the flip side, he was able to turn the situation around and mock Gabrie. Truth be told, Michael''s knowledge and maturity far exceeded Ronan''s. ¡°Michael, how can you say something like that? I''m just trying to express my shock, you know? What a bummer!¡± Gabrie blushed and her eyes widened while she tried to exin herself. ¡°I''m taking my wife back home. Please excuse us!¡± Michael couldn''t care less about Gabrie''s exnation. He grabbed my hand and pushed Gabrie to the side gently, before leaving together with me. ¡°Michael, I''m not finished!¡± Gabrie called out to Michael, but he acted like he did not hear anything. I turned my head around at saw Gabrie stomping his feet on the ground furiously. Obviously, Gabrie was triggered by how Michael ignored her. Beside her, Ronan appeared to be enjoying the fiasco, gloating at his sister in amusement. They''re really interesting... ¡°Your cousin sure is something, and she''s very cute.¡± Michael and I were seated in the backseat of the car. Because Michael had to socialize tonight, he asked the driver toe with us. ¡°She''s been like that ever since she was young, a spoiled brat,¡± answered Michael. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It looks like you two are quite close. I have always thought of you as a cold and distant person.¡± Although Michael did not interact much with Gabrie just now, I was able to tell that Michael pampered Gabrie a lot. ¡°Do you think I''m a person that''s hard to deal with?¡± Michael raised his brows and looked at me coldly. ¡°Uh...¡± Immediately, I started to doubt if what I said was appropriate. ¡°That''s not what I mean.¡± I waived my hands in protest while my mind was racing to find a way to get myself out of the situation. The corner of his lips raised and he started inching closer to me. My heart was pounding rapidly. Before I could react, he kissed me on the lips. I could vaguely smell the faint alcohol scent in his breath, and it was not too overwhelming. Then, I closed my eyes and kissed him back. Nowadays, I was starting to get used to the moments when Michael would kiss me randomly. The driver looked at both of us from the rear mirror before shifting his gaze to the front awkwardly. Perhaps this was his first encounter in his years of experience as a driver. The kisssted for a long time, and I could tell that he was getting into the mood. Realizing that we were in the car, I forcefully pushed Michael away, worried that he would lose control. I was not prepared to put on a show before the driver. ¡°Anna!¡± Michael stared at me furiously. ¡°We''re in the car. Stop fooling around!¡± I gazed at the driver before reminding Michael. Michael quickly came back to his senses, but his gaze radiated displeasure as he stared at the driver. ¡°Find a quiet spot in front, park the car, and leave us alone after that.¡± Michael put up a straight face and instructed the driver. The driver was stupefied and did not go against Michael''s instruction. However, I bet he understood what was Michael''s intention. Knowing what Michael wanted to do, my face immediately turned bright red. We were only ten minutes from reaching home, why couldn''t he just wait? ¡°Michael, can''t you wait for a little longer?¡± I looked at him and reprimanded him softly. The driver was not stupid. He would definitely know what was going on. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 ¡°Not even a minute.¡± Michael did not feel awkward at all, and he spoke normally like his usual self. I was rendered speechless as I warily looked in the direction of the driver, my face blushed with embarrassment. There was someone in the car and Michael had the audacity to utter those words. Is he not ashamed? The driver managed to disguise his facial expression well. He said nothing and continued driving the car. When we passed by a junction, he swerved the car into a secluded spot far from the main road before stopping the car. Without uttering a single word, the driver left the car and walked far away. Looking at how the driver acted with familiarity, I was starting to guess the frequency in which Michael pulled off the same stunt. ¡°Now that there''s no one here, we can start.¡± Michael smirked and started inching closer toward me. I didn''t notice that he had already taken off his coat. ¡°Before we start, let me ask you a question.¡± I crossed my hands against my chest to prevent him froming closer. My eyes were fixated on his eyes. ¡°What question?¡± Michael was displeased by the interruption. However, to ensure that he got what he wanted, he tried to hold off his temper and eventually entertained my question. ¡°Do you often do this with other girls in the car?¡± I knew that the question would definitely spoil the mood. But looking at how things transpired just now, I couldn''t help but harbor such thoughts. Michael''s expression fell and he nced at me unhappily. ¡°This is the question that you wanted to ask?¡± Michael''s facial expression and voice turned cial, obviously displeased by my question. ¡°Yes, this is the question. Answer me quickly.¡± As he was silent and did not answer my question, I asked him again. Actually, I did not care if Michael had other women before me. After all, he was a man and had his sexual urges. However, looking at how the driver behaved like he was used to Michael''s request, I couldn''t help but feel troubled. ¡°Do you really want to know? Are you not afraid that the truth will make you feel even worse?¡± Michael did not answer my question directly. Instead, he looked me in the eyes and asked me in return. My heart sank and my expression fell. It appeared that he was giving a hint that the answer would not be pleasant. I started to regret asking the question. Although I had hooked up with other men before him, the fact that he slept with other women before still made me feel disappointed. ¡°You don''t have to answer the question. I can understand.¡± I lowered my head and said in a disappointing voice. ¡°You should know that the answer to the question will make you unhappy. Why do you find the need to ask me? Isn''t the displeasure self-inflicted?¡± The way Michael looked at me showed that he was starting to lose interest in having sex. I pursed my lips and kept quiet. ¡°Besides you, I had never slept with other women,¡± said Michael. His answer came when I was just about to ignore him. After that, he sighed and looked at me in frustration. My heart bloomed upon hearing the answer and my eyes widened in shock. However, I was still doubtful of his answer. ¡°Are you telling the truth? You really did not sleep with any other women before?¡± I frowned and looked at Michael in doubt. ¡°Since when did I ever lie to you? Why do you not trust me?¡± Michael did not like being doubted, especially if it was me. The moment I sounded like I did not trust him, his face immediately turned sour and he nced at me unhappily. The doubt that I had vanished. Indeed, Michael had never lied to me before in our rtionship. He was a person that would never lie. ¡°How about sleeping with other women in the bed? This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. My heart felt relieved. Despite feeling better already, I continued asking him such stupid questions. ¡°Anna, are you really trying to spoil the mood tonight? Why do you want to find out if I slept with other women? Do you really want me to look for a woman and demonstrate it in front of you?¡± Michael stared at me furiously. Obviously, he wanted me to stop asking stupid questions. I pursed my lips and stopped talking. If I were to continue, he would definitelysh out in anger. ¡°All right, I''ll stop asking. Why are you so mad? Are you feeling guilty?¡± I lowered my head and ranted softly. I only wanted to know the women in his life before me. Why was he so angry? ¡°If you ask this kind of question again, I''ll make sure you can''t get out of bed. I''ll do it every time you ask such a question.¡± Michael stared at me while making the threat. However, I must admit that his threat was rather peculiar. It was the first that I had heard. Be that as it may, the threat was effective against me. Knowing that I had asked him to resist his urges to protect our baby, he used it as a weakness to threaten me. That''s preposterous! ¡°Ok. I got it, I got it. I won''t ask again,¡± I unwillingly replied. Truth be told, the bigger his reaction, the more I wanted to know about it. ¡°That''s good. Now, can we start?¡± Michael smirked and inched closer to me again. His body reeked of alcohol. However, the captivating scent had the effect of dazing me, and I quickly fell prey to his seductive moves. Luckily Michael''s car was spacious enough for the two of us, or else it would be impossible for a pregnantdy like me to have sex with him. A luxurious car had its benefits after all. I had no idea how much time had passed, but I was exhausted after the rendezvous and wanted to take a nap. Michael finally got to unleash his sexual urges. I heaved a sigh of relief after he was done. If we did not stop anytime soon, the driver would be baffled by how wild and crazy we were. Iy down in the backseat and did not even want to move. Meanwhile, Michael put on his clothes after resting for a while. Chapter 374 Chapter 374 I wanted to sit up and straighten out my clothes. Just then, Michael removed his coat and ced it over me. He then gently coaxed me to recline and rest. After that, he got into the driver''s seat and drove us home, leaving the chauffeur behind. Confused, I asked, ¡°Michael, what about the chauffeur?¡± The chauffeur had been waiting for half a day. Michael didn''t forget about him, right? ¡°He''ll be fine. He can get himself home,¡± Michael replied curtly. He continued driving steadily, seemingly unconcerned over ditching the chauffeur. I sighed in resignation as I stared at his profile. ¡°Still, that can''t be nice of us; he waited for half a day.¡± Unlike Michael, I was a softie through and through, and I was ufortable about leaving the chauffeur behind to fend for himself. Michael''s tone left no room for argument as he gritted out, ¡°How can I let someone else in the car with my wife looking like this?¡± He stared at me briefly, and I read the determination in his gaze. I returned his gaze wordlessly, only realizing that Michael''s possessiveness had fueled his earlier decision to leave the chauffeur behind. I swear, his jealousy borders on irrationality. Still, I could not help but find his behavior endearing. I was pleasantly surprised to have underestimated his concern for me. Once we got back to the mansion, Michael carried me all the way into the house. After ourst argument, Michael showered me with more love than before. He was sweet, considerate, and the picture of an absolute gentleman. I counted my lucky stars to consider him my partner. As time passed, my belly swelled, increasing my anticipation for the birth of our child. Josephine still disliked me, but for the sake of my unborn child, she seemed to have called a ceasefire of sorts. s, the peaceful days were too good tost. My mom called as I was eating breakfast alone in the mansion one day. Our recent phone conversations revolved around Steven''s blossoming rtionship and some trivial household updates. Thus, I answered her call with little thought to the presence of any ulterior motives. I greeted her, ¡°Mom, why are you calling so early today? Have you had your breakfast?¡± ¡°I have, I have,¡± came my mom''s reply. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Anna, your brother is getting married.¡± ¡°Really? That''s great news!¡± I was pleased for him. He was my only sibling, after all. ¡°Of course. We''ve fixed the wedding date, by the way. We''re nning to have it on the tenth of next month. You must attend with Michael.¡± I barely thought twice of her invitation as I replied, ¡°Of course, we''ll be there. Steven''s marriage is an important family asion.¡± Mom fell into silence once more, sounding like she had more to say. I prodded, ¡°Mom, what''s wrong? Why are you quiet all of a sudden?¡± My mom should have been bubbling with joy over Steven''s impending nuptials. Instead of being ted, she sounded like something was troubling her. Finally, shemented, ¡°Anna, I''m worrying over our finances. Holding a nice wedding isn''t cheap, you know, and it''s not like your father and I have much savings.¡± It was impossible not to catch on to her not-so-subtle attempts at wangling money from Michael. Fearing her wrath, I replied cautiously, ¡°Mom, what about Michael''s betrothal gift? Two hundred thousand is more than enough to hold avish wedding.¡± After what seemed like an eternity, my mom replied sheepishly, ¡°Well, we''ve almost spent every dime of that. Your father and I have fifty thousand left.¡± ¡°What? It has barely been a few months! How did you and Dad spend everything so quickly?¡± I eximed in horror, my eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°Steven''s girlfriend has a taste for branded goods, you know. They cost a pretty penny.¡± My rage ballooned after hearing her exnation. I sputtered, ¡°Mom, that''s a lot of money!. They were only dating when you showered her with such expensive gifts. What will happen after they''re married?¡± My impression of Steven''s girlfriend took a sharp nosedive as I immediately pegged her for a gold- digger. She must have known about my family''s poor roots. Her audacity in demandingvish gifts irked me, and I suspected that she loved the money more than she did Steven. ¡°She''s dating your brother, and we can hardly be stingy toward his girlfriend. What if she dumps him? He finally brought a girl home after so long. Of course, I want them to get married as soon as possible.¡± My mom''s indifference toward my concerns exasperated me. Can''t she see that Steven''s girlfriend only wants his money? I summoned all the patience I could muster and said, ¡°I want Steven to get married too, but I don''t think he''s marrying the right person. I haven''t met his girlfriend before, but judging by your description, I don''t believe she truly loves him.¡± How will Steven ever manage to support her lifestyle if she can squander more than a hundred thousand in a few months? Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Mom barreled on, ¡°Anna, I''m calling you today to see if Michael would be kind enough to fork out some money for the wedding. We''ve already fixed the date, you see, and we can''t possibly cancel the wedding now.¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 I started to get worked up. Surprisingly, my mother was not infuriated and sounded unusually patient. Even so, I had foreseen something simr would blurt out from her mouth before that. ¡°How much do you think I need to top up?¡± I cut to the chase. Even though I could not resist disliking Steven''s girlfriend, it was pointless to say anything as the wedding date had already been fixed. Thus, I made up my mind to give him a hand. After all, I presumed they would not have to spend a lot since the wedding would be held back home. I believe it would be more than enough if I topped up with the money in my ount. ¡°I think around seven hundred thousand,¡± my mother answered from the other side of the line. The moment I heard the figure, I thought I was hearing things! Dumbstruck, I raised my voice uncontrobly. ¡°Seven hundred thousand? Mom, are you pulling my leg? What kind of luxurious wedding are you nning to hold for Steven? How is it possible for a simple wedding to cost around seven hundred thousand?¡± By right, two hundred thousand was already more than enough to cover the expenses for a wedding in the vige. It never came to my mind that my mother would request such arge sum. ¡°It''s not only for the expenses of the wedding. We need the money to buy a new car too,¡± she replied sheepishly. It seemed she felt she had requested a bit too much too. ¡°Money to buy a car? If the wedding costs one hundred thousand, do you need six hundred thousand just to buy a new car?¡± I questioned her right away. My frown creased into a scowl as a surge of fury started to well up from within me. Whenever my mother requested me to support them financially, it was always arge sum. No doubt, I should be filial to her; yet, her request was way beyond my ability. Oh my! How am I going to get her seven hundred thousand within such a short span of time? Should I seek help from Michael again? Does it make sense for him to bear all the expenses for my family after marrying me? ¡°Steven''s girlfriend likes a car that costs more than five hundred thousand, but how can we afford to buy it? Anyway, we''re already grateful as she doesn''t insist Steven on buying a house. But we fear that she''ll break up with him if we can''t buy her a car!¡± my mother whined. ¡°Pfft! A car that costs more than five hundred thousand? Who does she think she is? How dare she requests to have such a costly car! How about her family? Are they giving her anything as dowry?¡± I snorted. Temper ring, I could barely wait to meet Steven''s girlfriend. My goodness! What type of woman is she? How could she have the audacity to request a car that costs more than five hundred thousand? ¡°Anna, I understand that we''re requesting a bit too much this round. But if she breaks up with Steven just because of a money issue, don''t you think it is not worth it?¡± Sensing my reluctance, my mother was obviously trying to talk me into helping them. ¡°I don''t have so much money. Where can I obtain seven hundred thousand? Mom, why are you putting me in a tight spot?¡± I could not help but let out a deep sigh. Deep down, I knew she hoped I could help obtain money from Michael. However, I did not wish to request money from him again for the sake of my family. ¡°Anna, can''t you help your brother again this round? After all, the wedding is one of the most important moments in his life. Do you have the heart to see him break up with her girlfriend?¡± my mother started to persuade me. Needless to say, I also wished that Steven would have an ideal girlfriend andter embark on his new journey via marriage. As his sister, I would surely lend him a hand if he was short of money for his wedding. But how could I help him for such an absurd reason? ¡°Mom, since there''s still one month to go before the wedding, let''s talk about this again a few dayster. If there''s time, I wish to meet Steven''s girlfriend first. They''re already in a rtionship for quite a few months, but I haven''t even met her before!¡± I said wittingly. I did not make my promise or reject it right away. At the moment, I was curious to find out what type of a person Steven''s girlfriend was. ¡°All right! I''ll ask Steven to make time to meet you with his girlfriend. Please serve her well, okay?¡± my mother reminded me eagerly. Since I did not turn her down, I presumed she must have seen a ray of hope. Even so, I only responded cidly before hanging up. Even though I had not yet met Steven''s girlfriend, my gut instinct told me that she might be the type of woman good at ying mind games. As a result, I could not resist sinking into deep thought after the phone conversation with my mother. I could not fathom why they did not sense anything awry about Steven''s girlfriend. Don''t they feel that she doesn''t suit him? My parents were not irrational people who acted impulsively. However, they tended to be swayed by emotions whenever it was anything rted to Steven. That was exactly what happened again this round. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. When Michael came back at night, he was astounded to see me low in spirits while seated on the couch. Sensing something amiss, he walked toward me and sat next to me. Wrapping his arms around me, he gazed at me and asked gently, ¡°What''s wrong? Is anything bothering you?¡± I threw him a nce and remained silent. After quite a while, I finally broke the silence by pouring out to him about my mother''s words earlier. Nheless, I kept mum from him about her request to borrow money. Even though we were husband and wife, I felt bad to keep on asking for money from him. Michael knitted his brows after hearing what I said. There was an instant flicker of frigidness in his eyes. Momentster, he seemed to have regained hisposure. He looked at me again and asked cidly, ¡°What do you n to do?¡± I shook my head. ¡°For the time being, I have no idea. I feel like meeting the girl first.¡± It''s inappropriate for me to jump to a hasty conclusion without meeting Steven''s girlfriend. Thus, I decided to meet her first. ¡°I''ll apany you then,¡± Michael uttered gently as he tightened his arms around me. ¡°Okay!¡± I dly replied. Undoubtedly, Michael had a clearer insight into everything. I was convinced that he would be able to judge whether the girl suited Steven if he apanied me to meet her. A few dayster, Steven called me and mentioned that he had made time for her girlfriend to meet me. As it was my first meet-up with her, I told myself to put up a good show regardless of anything. Initially, I nned to choose a nice hotel. Somehow, Michael made a reservation at a five-star restaurant. I disagreed with him for making such a decision. In my opinion, it was not worth it to spend on that as though we were showing off that we were filthy rich. Not to mention, we were still clueless about what type of person Steven''s girlfriend was. Nevertheless, Michael tried to convince me that there was a reason for him to do so. Even though I could not wrap my head around his stance, I had no choice but to give in to him. On the day, we reached the restaurant almost twenty minutes earlier. Steven was quite punctual as well. Shortly after, he showed up with his girlfriend. Tall and slender, she was decked out in designer brands from top to toe. As she was wearing exceptionally heavy makeup, I could not even make out how she actually looked. ¡°Yvette, this is Anna, my sister. He''s Michael, my brother-inw,¡± Steven introduced us to her blissfully. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 ¡°Anna, Michael, nice to meet you,¡± Yvette greeted us like how Steven addressed us. I shed her a polite smile. Meanwhile, Michael only nodded slightly at her, devoid of expression. When Yvette looked at Michael, I caught a glimpse of unmistakable admiration that shed across her eyes. As I observed her discreetly, I noticed that she had been scanning the whole restaurant excitedly ever since she stepped into the ce. It seemed she was over the moon to have the chance for a meal in a five-star restaurant. Apart from that, she could barely take her eyes off Michael. ¡°Yvette, please take a seat first,¡± I uttered cidly, breaking her reverie. Wearing a look of sheer blissfulness, Yvette seemed oblivious to my presence. In an instant, I could not help but dislike her even more. ¡°Yvette, how old are you? What do your parents do?¡± I cut the crap right after Steven sat down with her. I put on my brightest smile and tried to look as sincere as possible. ¡°Anna, aren''t we here for a meal? But why do you sound like an officer probing for information?¡± Steven responded preemptively with a hint of displeasure written all over his face. He was seemingly trying to stop me from asking Yvette all those questions. I refuted casually, ¡°Take it easy. I''m just chatting with Yvette. After all, it will take quite a while before the dishes are served. Yvette, you don''t mind that, do you?¡± Shooting Steven a nce, I felt a prickle of annoyance. Hmph! Does he know that I''m sounding her out for his sake? I need to ensure she does not have an ulterior motive to be with him! ¡°Anna, no issue at all. I''m twenty-one years old, and my parents are just general workers,¡± Yvette replied briefly. I could sense shecked confidence when mentioning that her parents were general workers. ¡°Oh! That sounds great! We''re from the vige too.¡± I sounded casual. So her parents are just general workers? But how could the daughter of the general workers afford all these branded outfits? I had a feeling that she was a good-for-nothing spendthrift. Since she''s not from a well-to-do family, doesn''t she know the importance of leading a simple and practical life? How could she spend extravagantly instead? I bet she must be telling lies or having some personality issues. ¡°Anna, I heard from Steven that you used to work in this city before marrying Michael?¡± Yvette switched the topic at once. After shing a nce at me, she turned to cast a look at Michael. There was not even the slightest bit of change in Michael''s countenance. He lifted the ss of water and took a sip without sparing Yvette a nce. ¡°Oh yeah! Yvette, I have told you that Michael is a millionaire and possesses a lot of properties before. Joyful Sess Advertisements, which is deemed thergest in the city, is one of his businesses. Other than that, he has shares in hotel franchises and real estate too!¡± Steven cut me off by changing the topic and babbling about Michael instead. I furrowed my brows at Steven''s impulsiveness. Undeniably, I was displeased when he bbered about Michael''s wealth. No doubt, anyone could get to know more about him by searching online. However, I felt it was unwise to reveal so much to Yvette before we could get to know her better. ¡°Wow! Michael, you are already so capable at such a young age!¡± Yvette''s eyes lit up in an instant with gleams of wonder. ¡°Please excuse me. I need to use the washroom.¡± I red at Steven and picked up my bag to head for the washroom. The moment I got to my feet, Yvette gasped, ¡°Ah! Anna, the bag you''re holding is thetest design from LV, am I right? It costs almost two hundred thousand! My goodness! You''re really rich!¡± Her eyes widened in sheer disbelief as she fastened her gaze on the bag in my hand. Sensing her prative gaze, I lowered my head to look at my bag instinctively. However, I had never really been into all the so-called designer brands. Thus, I was unaware that it actually cost almost two hundred thousand! Good gracious! How could such an ordinary-looking bag cost so much! Undoubtedly, she was a materialistic girl who was a freeloader. If not, how could someone from an ordinary family know that my bag is thetest design of the year with only one glimpse? ¡°She can easily grab handfuls of bags like this and doesn''t even realize how much they cost!¡± Michael, who had remained silent for quite a while, piped out exaggeratively. I was startled by his unusual brags. As far as I knew, he had never sounded insolent like someone filthy rich before. It seemed he was doing so deliberately in the face of Yvette. ¡°Ah! You can easily grab handfuls of these bags! Anna, you and Michael are really rich! I''m envious of you for owning such eye-catching bags!¡± Yvette heaved a sigh admiringly. Apparently, Michael''s words had whipped her up. When she turned to look at me again, there were inexplicit glitters in her eyes. I could not help but grimace at her repulsive reaction. It was as though she was trying to get closer to me in a way. ¡°Haha, I''m not really particr with these items. Any brand is fine for me, as long as I like the design.¡± I chuckled, not knowing what else to say. ¡°It''s really a blessing for Steven to have such a well-off sister like you! If we happen to be in a situation after getting married, you and Michael will surely lend us a hand, won''t you?¡± Yvette asked tactfully. At the same time, she continued to scan me from head to toe gleefully as she did not sense my displeasure. Her eyes sparkled with excitement again the moment she caught a glimpse of my dress, but she did notment anything on that. At that moment, I did not expect that I was wearing a dress that cost a few hundred thousand! ¡°Of course. Since Steven is my brother, I''ll surely lend him a hand if he''s in deep water,¡± I replied matter-of-factly. Even though Yvette seemed to have a point, I could sense that she was hinting at something. Could it be she''s hinting at me to support them financially? Momentster, she turned to look at Steven and yelled out, ¡°Steven, you mentioned that it''s hard as h*ll to buy a car that costs five hundred thousand, didn''t you? But look at your sister! Even her bag costs almost two hundred thousand! I bet it must be easy as pie for her to buy us a car!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. I was utterly speechless. It never came to my mind that she had the audacity to say so in our faces. In an instant, I was even repulsed by her greed. How ridiculous! Why should Michael spend five hundred thousand to buy a car for her? ¡°Yvette, don''t you think that a car that costs five hundred thousand is a bit too costly for vigers like us? I''m sure you know that we can''t afford it,¡± I mocked as I was seated again. As I looked intently at her, there was a flicker of sheer coldness in my eyes. Hearing that, Yvette was dumbfounded. I bet it never urred to her that I would throw a wet nket over her on the spot. Nheless, she shed me a sweet smile and retorted eloquently, ¡°Anna, you''re Steven''s sister. Not to mention, your husband is the wealthiest man in Avenport. Now that your brother is getting married, won''t we be theughing stock if we don''t even have a car? By then, we''ll only bring shame to you, and Michael too, isn''t it?¡± Unable to stifle my simmering fury, I fumed, ¡°Yvette, don''t you feel that this is too much? Why should Michael and I give you five hundred thousand to buy a car? In my opinion, you seem to be taking full advantage of us! Do you think you have the right to make us foot the bills for all your expenses just because you''re married to Steven?¡± Right that instant, I could not resist feeling that her mind was prevailed by her repulsive greed. I even doubted if she entered a rtionship with Steven because of Michael and me. Does she have something up her sleeve all this while? Chapter 377 Chapter 377 ¡°I... That''s not what I meant. Did you misunderstand something, Anna?¡± Yvette looked at me with panic in her eyes when she noticed the sudden change in my expression. ¡°Yvette, if you genuinely want to be with Steven, the family and I will definitely wee you with open arms. However, I think you should forget about it if you''re doing this with ulterior motives in mind. My husband''s quite wealthy, but money doesn''t grow on trees. We''ll do whatever we can to help Steven if he''s ever in any trouble, but we''ll notply with any absurd requests. Do you understand?¡± I looked at her and spoke calmly. I wanted to make it clear that Michael and I wanted no part in the car. To me, Yvette was a materialistic woman. There was no telling what would happen if women like her did not get what they wanted. ¡°What are you talking about, Anna? Why are you talking to Yvette like that!¡± Yvette''s face paled while Steven stared at me, upset. His voice was filled with reproach, clearly ming me for my terrible attitude toward Yvette. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don''t be mad, Yvette. My sister''s like this sometimes. Rest assured that she definitely won''t turn a deaf ear to me. She''d listen to whatever my parents said back then,¡± Stevenforted Yvette seeing that she was not looking so good. That said, what he said annoyed me even more. ¡°Steven, let''s make one thing clear, I''m not buying a car for you, and neither is Michael. If you want the car, buy it yourself. Why do you want us to buy it for you?¡± Does he not know that Yvette''s dating him just because he has a wealthy brother-inw and that she merely wants to live a carefree life off him? Why is he still defending her? ¡°Anna!¡± Steven stared at me angrily. ¡°Steven, since your sister put it that way, I don''t think there''s a need for us to go on. I want to marry you, but if you can''t promise me a good life, I have no reason to do that!¡± Then, Yvette stood up and turned around before leaving. ¡°Don''t go, Yvette! I can exin!¡± Steven chased after her, trying to keep her there, but Yvette never gave him the chance to talk and ran away. To be frank, it was not unexpected. What Yvette wanted was money. So it was only natural for her to leave Steven if he could not give her what she wanted. At that moment, Steven looked a bit down after Yvette left, but it did not take long before he stood in front of me once again and red at me with his faintly red eyes. ¡°You''ve crossed the line this time, Anna Garcia! Why did you have to talk to Yvette like that? She''s my girlfriend and your future sister-inw!¡± Steven roared at me in a condemning tone. I was not in the best mood myself, seeing that my brother was arguing with me over a woman he had just met months ago. I''m doing this for your own good! She''s not someone you can handle! You''ll only get hurt! ¡°Steven Garcia, can''t you see she''s just using you? She doesn''t love you but money!¡± I looked him in the eyes and held my anger at bay when I spoke. ¡°I don''t care. I''m marrying Yvette no matter what. She''s my girlfriend, and I love her. You''re the one that caused this rift between us, so it''s your responsibility to fix it!¡± At that point, I doubted that he would listen to anything I had to say as his eyes werepletely bloodshot. It looked like he was going to murder me, and I was actually afraid that I was at a loss for words. ¡°Try shouting at her one more time, Steven! I dare you!¡± It was Michael with his chilly voice. He was staring straight at Steven with his cold and piercing gaze. Anyone could tell that Michael was mad from just the intensity of the pressure he was exuding by merely sitting there. When Steven heard him, his expressionpletely shifted as he turned to look at Michael with a hint of fear in his eyes. ¡°I don''t care! You two are the reason why Yvette and I turned out like this. You need to bring her back to me!¡± Steven had ced all the me for Yvette''s departure on Michael and me. There was not the slightest sign that he had thought there might just be something wrong with Yvette''s mindset. At the same time, I looked at Steven in silence. I was furious but speechless at the same time. Besides, I figured he would not be able to listen to anything I said since he was deadset on me being the one who had ruined their rtionship. ¡°That''s your problem. If you want a car, buy it with your own money. I''m not giving you even a single dime!¡± Michael eximed before he got up and walked straight to Steven. He stood in front of Steven and looked down at him with an intense air about him. His dark pupils gradually turned cruel as he watched Steven while his cold voice was rather imposing. Under Michael''s strong presence, Steven could not help but start to panic. He did not even dare look Michael in the eyes. Even though he was angry, he dared not make a sound in front of Michael. ¡°Listen carefully. If you ever shout at your sister again, there will be consequences. You''re wee to try if you don''t believe me,¡± Michael threatened before he came over and pulled me away. He did not give Steven any time to react and merely left him standing there, dumbfounded. Truth be told, I still wanted to say something to Steven but quickly gave up on the notion because I figured he would not listen and would only ce more me on me. Inside Michael''s car, I felt frustrated, at a loss for how I was going to settle that predicament. ¡°Are you still mad?¡± Michael held my hand and looked at me adoringly, seeing that I was quiet. It was aplete shift from how he spoke to Steven just moments ago. It was a gentler side of Michael that only I got to see. ¡°Even I could see that Yvette''s in it for the money. Surely you saw through it too, right?¡± I was not sure what was on Michael''s mind since he did not say anything back there. ¡°Yeah, I knew. That woman''s not fit to be married into your family.¡± Michael looked rxed, clearly unperturbed about Yvette. ¡°But you saw Steven''s stance. I don''t really know what I should do here. What do I do if Steven insists on marrying that woman?¡± It was the first time I had seen Steven hold on to something like that. Has she cast a spell on him? Chapter 378 Chapter 378 ¡°Just do what you think is right. If youpromise now, things will be more difficult in the future. Do you think you''ll get any peace with a sister-inw that''s just like your other family members?¡± Michael looked at me with knitted brows. It was clear that he knew what I was thinking, and he did not agree with it. ¡°But...¡± I looked at him, still wanting to say something. ¡°No buts.¡± Michael interrupted. ¡°You need to stand your ground, Anna Garcia. When will you stop being so indecisive!¡± He spoke assertively and looked at me with eyes that would not ept no for an answer. I gulped while I stared at his handsome face. I knew he was right, that I needed to be more decisive. When the car stopped, my phone rang before we got out. It was my mother, which only meant that Steven had told her about what had happened. I took a nce at Michael before swiping to pick up. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± ¡°What have you done, Anna Garcia! You said you wanted to meet Steven''s girlfriend, but how could you say those things to her! Are you trying to ruin your brother''s life!¡± My mother''s voice sted out of the phone before I could say anything, almost deafening me through it. So, I pulled my phone away from my ear with a frown. I knew my mother would be infuriated when she found out about what happened. ¡°I''m doing this for Steven''s sake, Mom. That woman, Yvette, is not the girl for him. It''s a good thing if they were to break up.¡± I did not apologize to my mother like how I used to but instead told her what was on my mind in a calm manner. ¡°Good thing? You ruined your brother''s rtionship, and you call that a good thing? What were you thinking, Anna? Are you trying to drive me crazy?¡± My mother became even more enraged, seeing that I did not apologize. ¡°Steven''s still young, Mom. He can find someone way better than Yvette. What she wants is not something we can afford. This time, it''s a car. Next time, it might be a house for all I know. Are you going to buy that for her?¡± Yvette''s a greedy girl, so the chance of her asking for a house after they got married isn''t actually zero. Our family could never satiate someone like that! ¡°I don''t care! Your brother likes her, so you have to get them back together no matter what! I''ll never forgive you if you don''t! And don''te back until you do that!¡± My mother was practically roaring by then as she chastised me in her high-pitched voice. I knew what I did was hard to ept, but I also knew what I did was the right thing to do. So, my heart ached a little after hearing what my mother said. However, before I could reject her, Michael took the phone from me. ¡°This is Michael.¡± My mother immediately quieted down even though Michael spoke to her very casually. ¡°Michael, you two are married now, so Steven''s your brother too. I doubt you''ll turn a blind eye to the situation, right? five hundred thousand is nothing to you. But to Steven, his happiness is at stake. Can''t you just help your brother out?¡± My mother spoke as though she had found a lifeline to cling to after she heard Michael''s voice. As I said, my mother had a high-pitched voice, so I could hear everything. What she said got me feeling even more frustrated. Did she just ask Michael for five hundred thousand? Is she really doing anything for Steven now? ¡°I''m not giving him a single dime! That woman is not suitable for Steven. Breaking up is the best option. On the other hand, I know you''re Anna''s mother, but she''s my wife and is now pregnant with my child. I don''t want anything to affect her mood, so please speak to her more politely from now on.¡± Michael said that calmly, without a hint of emotion on his face. I knew he was doing that to protect me because he knew I was upset. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. When he finished, my mother stayed quiet. I figured it was because she did not expect that from Michael since he was still her son-inw. Even though Michael was of high social standing, it was still rude of him to treat her like that. At that moment, I tugged on Michael''s shirt and shook my head. I did not want him to speak to my mother like that. Although my mother was being unreasonable, she was still my mother. Things would get awkward if Michael continued the next time they met Michael looked at me with confusion in his eyes. ¡°Michael, why would you say that? Anna is my daughter, and I raised her. Does she not need to repay her family in times of need?¡± My mother sounded a little angry after the moment of silence. ¡°Repay the family? How selfish of you to think like that. Steven''s just Anna''s brother. Legally speaking, she''s not obligated to do anything for him, so you should forget about it!¡± Michael responded more coldly this time. He was actually angry now. And even though I was worried about how he and my mother would get along after this, hearing what he said made me steel my determination even more. I should not involve myself with this issue. I need to hold on to my principles. If I do things like how I did back then, it would only get worse. ¡°You''re merely my son-inw, Michael Shaw. What gives you the right to say that? I raised her. Is it too much to ask her to buy a car for her brother?¡± My mother sounded angrier the more she spoke. It seemed like Michael was really getting on her nerves. That said, even though Michael was her son-inw, my mother knew he was not someone she could easily control. ¡°It''s just emotional ckmail at this point! So enough is enough! My wife and I have other things to attend to, so please refrain from calling us anymore. If you don''t, I can''t guarantee I won''t do something about it!¡± Michael furrowed his brows and ended the call as soon as he finished. After that, he ced the phone in my hand. He looked cold and emotionless, so I figured he was annoyed by what my mother said. It was unlikely for him to ever experience something like that before he met me. But after we met, it felt like an everyday urrence somehow. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Despite feeling concerned, I could not help heaving a sigh of relief. Since Michael spoke so bluntly, Mom will probably understand how I feel now. Seemingly sensing my disquiet, Michael held my hand and shot me a reassuring nce. Mom really did not call me for the next few days. It left me wondering whether the matter would blow over just like that. Meanwhile, it was as if Steven had vanished into thin air. Although many things still felt up in the air, I could not deny that those few days were much more peaceful. I contemted calling to ask how Steven and Yvette were doing butter dismissed the idea. In truth, I thought it would be a good thing if they broke up. It was not because I was against Steven having a family of his own, but because I hoped he could find someone who truly loved him. It was clear to me that Yvette was not that person. I had hoped we could put everything that had happened behind us, but as it turned out, it would not be that easy. Since I was pregnant and needed to get some moderate exercise, I went out on walks every day. That day, the housekeeper had something to attend to back home. Hence, I gave her the day off. I was out taking a walk at a park close by the mansion when my phone rang. It was Josephine. Her calls were usually a sign of bad news, so I was genuinely a little reluctant to answer my phone. If it were not for the fact that she was Michael''s mother, I would have rejected her call. Nheless, I answered it in the end. ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± I no longer hoped to have a good rtionship with Josephine. As long as she did not deliberately try to cause me trouble, that was enough for me. ¡°Where are you? Why is nobody at home? You have such a big house, yet you don''t have the means to hire a housekeeper?¡± Josephine asked in an usatory tone. I frowned when I heard that. Don''t tell me she''s at the mansion! ¡°Mom, are you at the mansion?¡± I enquired, puzzled. ¡°What''s the matter? It sounds as if I''m not wee here. Anna Garcia, you''d do well to remember that the mansion you live in belongs to the Shaw family!¡± I merely wanted to confirm that she was at the mansion, but it''s like she''s purposely twisting the meaning of my words. I felt vexed, but I did my best to suppress my emotions. ¡°Mom, I didn''t mean that. I was-¡± Naturally, I tried to exin myself. But before I could finish my sentence, Josephine interrupted me impatiently. ¡°Get back here right now!¡± Her tone wasmanding, and it irked me. However, she hung up immediately without giving me the chance to say anything. My brows furrowed as I listened to the dial tone. That attitude of hers really drives me up the wall! I''m Michael''s wife now, not one of the Shaw family''s helpers. But she always uses that tone when she speaks to me. How irritating! And there''s nothing I can do about it. The moment I disy any sign of resistance, she''ll surely kick up a fuss and blow the incident out of proportion. I''m not afraid of falling out with her. It''s just that I don''t want the Shaw family to be like mine. I turned to leave the park and hurried back to the mansion at once. Even so, it took me more than twenty minutes to get home. I walked into the living room, expecting Josephine to be sitting on the couch like she usually did and ring at me frostily. But I was wrong. Josephine was not sitting there. My gaze traveled over the couch until it fell upon something next to it. There was someone sprawled on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. It was Josephine! ¡°Mom! Are you okay? What happened?¡± I could see she was still bleeding from her forehead, and I started panicking because I had never encountered such a situation. She red at me and opened her mouth, but no words came out. Finally, her eyes closed. ¡°Mom! Don''t scare me! What''s going on?¡± I shook Josephine''s shoulder, but she gave no response. The bloodstains on my hands finally jolted to my senses, and I realized that I should be calling for an ambnce. I took out my phone and made the call. After that, I sat next to Josephine nkly, dazed and pale. In all honesty, I was terrified at finding Josephine in that state. I could not help fearing for her life. Whatever it is, she''s still Michael''s mother! What if something happens to her? At that moment, I inadvertently noticed that Josephine seemed to be gripping something in her hand. I pried it out and saw that it was a ck button. It looks familiar. I must''ve seen it somewhere before. Could this button''s owner have something to do with what happened to her? With that thought in mind, I slipped the button into my bag. Just then, the ambnce arrived. I got in as well, then called Michael to tell him Josephine had gotten into an ident and that we were on the way to the hospital. I stood outside the hospital''s operating theater, staring at the lit-up sign that indicated the operating theater was in use. I was fraught with anxiety, worried about what would happen to Josephine. She got hurt while at the mansion. If she doesn''t make it, I''ll never be able to exin what happened, no matter how hard I try. Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried footsteps. I turned to look toward the elevator and saw Michael, Lincoln, and Andy rushing over. ¡°Anna, how''s Mom?¡± Michael was the first to reach me, and I could see the panic in his eyes. I had never seen him like that before. The Michael I knew was always steady and mature. Nothing could ever ruffle his calm demeanor. However, with his mother in the operating theater and her fate unknown, he was as rmed as anyone else. ¡°I don''t know either. Before the doctor wheeled her in, he said it doesn''t look too good and asked us to prepare for the worst.¡± As I spoke, I gazed at Michael, my face as pale as a sheet. I could not imagine how he would take it if the worst did happen. ¡°How can this be? What on earth happened? Why did she end up like this?¡± Michael responded agitatedly, raising his voice as he stared into my eyes, searching for an answer. Seeing the worry etched across his face, I opened my mouth. However, I did not know what to say because I had no clue what had happened either. ¡°I don''t know...¡± I wish I could shed some light on what happened, but what can I say? By the time I got back to the mansion, she was already lying in a pool of blood! Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Michael frowned and nced at me when he heard my reply, but he did not press further. Instead, he hurried to the operating theater''s doors and stood there, his distress evident. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 ¡°All right. There''s no use worrying now. Let''s wait and see what the doctor says.¡± Inparison to Michael, Lincoln was much more anxious. He began pacing in front of the operating theater as soon as he arrived. After a long time, the light indicating that an operation was in progress turned off, and the doors to the operating theater swung open. All of us gathered around at once. ¡°Doctor, how''s my wife?¡± Lincoln asked worriedly. The doctor gave a long, heavy sigh. He looked at Lincoln with a helpless expression and said, ¡°It''s not looking good. She''s still in critical condition. Even if she does pull through, she might be unconscious for a long time.¡± ¡°How can that be? Doctor, you have to save my wife! Nothing must happen to her!¡± Overwhelmed with panic, Lincoln grasped the doctor''s hand and pleaded frantically. Michael was also frowning heavily, looking anxious. They were all so worried about Josephine. Well, even I don''t hope for anything bad to happen to her. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll do everything I can. We''vepleted the patient''s operation and will be transferring her to the ward.¡± Faced with Lincoln''s pleas, the doctor could only promise to do everything he could since he was not absolutely confident of saving Josephine. Lincoln looked like he wanted to say something, but he forgot all about it as soon he saw the nurses wheeling Josephine out of the operating theater with her forehead heavily bandaged. Everyone rushed forward, including me. As I gazed down at Josephine''s tightly-shut eyes and deathly pale face, uneasiness crept through me. Once Josephine was in the ward, Lincoln stayed next to her while holding her hand. Everyone was silent. No one pressed me for further details about the incident. Perhaps it was because they were all too worried about Josephine''s condition at the moment. Nheless, I kept puzzling over the matter. I wanted to get to the bottom of what happened. The following day, news of Josephine''s critical condition was sshed in headlines across the globe. Everyone was busy specting the reason she got hurt. When I went to visit her with Michael, she was still unconscious. Suddenly, my phone rang. I took it out and saw that the call was from Steven. Not wanting to disturb those in the ward, I went into the corridor to answer the call. ¡°Hello?¡± From the other end of the line came Steven''s voice. As he spoke, he stammered a little. ¡°Hello, Anna... Is... Is Michael''s mother really in such serious condition as reported on television?¡± I felt it odd that Steven would suddenly show concern for Josephine, but I replied, ¡°Yes. It''s not looking good. The doctor said she''s still in critical condition and told us to prepare for the worst.¡± Once again, uneasiness washed over me as I recalled how Josephine was still not yet out of danger. ¡°Is... Is it really that serious? Then... Then have you found out how she got hurt? Has the culprit been identified?¡± I did not know why, but I sensed that Steven seemed extremely nervous. I could not help feeling suspicious of his peculiar behavior. ¡°Not yet. But with Michael''s capabilities, it''s only a matter of time before we find out everything. The police have also started investigating the matter. As soon as we find out who was behind this, Michael will make sure he gets punished severely.¡± Although I had no idea who the culprit was, I was sure that Michael would not spare that person once he discovered the person''s identity! Steven fell silent after hearing my response, which aroused my suspicions even further. In all the time I was with Michael, Steven had never bothered himself about what happened with us. But now, he was suddenly calling to enquire about Josephine''s condition. Hence, I could not help but find it surprising. Seeing that he did not say anything for a long time, I broke the silence by asking, ¡°Did you call me today just to ask me that?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I just... I just saw it on the news, so... so I thought I''d call and check in on you,¡± Steven answered, stuttering even harder. I know him well. He wouldn''t waste his time calling me about something that didn''t concern him. For some reason, a thought suddenly surfaced in my mind. What if what happened has something to do with Steven? ¡°Steven, I have something to ask you. Did you have anything to do with what happened to Michael''s mother?¡± I asked nervously. Despite my suspicions, I could not bring myself to believe them. Steven was no honorable gentleman, but I did not think he had it in him to be capable of something like that. ¡°Anna, what... what nonsense is this? How could it have anything to do with me? I... I''m busy. I have to go now.¡± As soon as Steven heard my question, he became rattled and gave a flustered answer. Without giving me the chance to respond, he hung up immediately. I did not know why, but my instincts told me Steven was somehow involved. Even if he was not the culprit, he had to know something about it. I put away my phone, unable topose myself for a long time. What should I do if Steven is really involved in this whole thing? Standing rooted to the spot, a myriad of countermeasures began formting in my mind, and I became increasingly suspicious of Steven. ¡°Who was that? You were on the phone for quite a while.¡± Lost in my panicked thoughts, I was startled when Michael''s voice rang out behind me. I spun around and found myself staring straight into his eyes. His piercing gaze seemed like it could see right through me. I did not dare to meet his eyes as I replied, ¡°Nothing... It was just something at home. I''ve got something to do. I''ll be back soon.¡± The mere thought of Steven''s phone call is enough to make me jittery again. Regardless of whether it has anything to do with him, I have to get to the bottom of this. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Michael called out behind me. However, I ignored him and hurried away. After hailing a cab, I went to Steven''s rented house and found that all the doors and windows had been locked. I knew he had not been to work after what happened with Yvette, so I felt sure he was inside the house. Original from N?velDrama.Org. I rang the doorbell and waited for a long time, but no one answered the door. I had even begun to think there was no one home. Nheless, I took out my spare key to unlock the door and entered the house. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 There was no one in the living room when I opened the door. Could it be that Steven really isn''t at home? I couldn''t help but frown in bewilderment. When I was about to leave, I suddenly noticed that Steven''s bedroom wasn''t closed properly. It turned out that Steven was hiding in his bedroom. Feeling a bit angry, I strode toward the bedroom and pushed the door open. Apart from Steven, I was shocked to see Dad and Mom inside. ¡°Dad, Mom, why are you here? I knocked on the door many times just now. Why didn''t you open the door?¡± At that moment, I was overwhelmed by confusion. After all, everyone was at home, yet no one opened the door for me. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Anna, why have youe here?¡± Steven was seemingly afraid of something and did not look into my eyes as he spoke. I didn''t have to be a genius to know that he acted strangely. ¡°Exactly. Why have youe here all of a sudden? Aren''t you supposed to be staying in the hospital to take care of your mother-inw?¡± Mom came up to me and asked carefully. In the meantime, Dad merely frowned and didn''t utter a word. Since everyone acted bizarrely, I couldn''t help but recall Steven''s conversation with me over the phone. Earlier, he suddenly called and asked me about Josephine''s condition. As such, I had a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong. ¡°Steven, I''m here to ask whether what happened to Mrs. Shaw is rted to you. Did you go to the mansion?¡± I looked into Steven''s eyes and asked in a serious tone. Surprisingly, Steven''s body shivered, and a hint of guilt shed across his eyes. ¡°Anna, what did you say? How could it be rted to me? I didn''t go to your house yesterday morning,¡± Steven replied nervously and continued to avoid my gaze. ¡°I didn''t tell you that Mrs. Shaw was injured yesterday morning. How did you know it?¡± I questioned Steven coldly once I noticed that he had a slip of the tongue. I had never told anyone that Josephine was injured yesterday morning. Besides, the exact time when Josephine was hurt was not reported in the news. Therefore, Steven''s knowledge about it confirmed my suspicion that he was involved. ¡°I... I merely made a guess. Anna, I''m your brother. How can you suspect me for no reason?¡± Steven gave me an unconvincing reason and stared at me in anger. Without responding to Steven, I continued to stare at him in the hope of getting more clues from his expression. Once I noticed that a button on Steven''s shirt was missing, my heart skipped a beat. The other buttons looked the same as the one Josephine held in her hand. ¡°Steven, you''re lying. Was Mrs. Shaw injured because of you?¡± Staring at Steven, I suppressed the anger within me and asked coldly. ¡°Anna, I''ll be angry if you keep talking nonsense. Besides, I''m your brother. How can you hurl some random usations against me?¡± Steven questioned me furiously. Although he was loud, I could still sense the hint of guilt in his voice. Since I had confirmed that Steven did it, what he said couldn''t move me. Nheless, I found it difficult to believe that the incident was rted to him. Moreover, I didn''t know how I could face Michael after he learned that Steven was involved. ¡°Steven, how dare you continue to lie? Look at this!¡± I shouted furiously. The next moment, I took out a button that looked the same as the other buttons on Steven''s shirt. At that moment, I was infuriated and almost felt like killing Steven. Steven was stunned once he saw the button in my hand. Then, he nervously checked the buttons on his shirt. His confidence shattered when he realized that one of the buttons had fallen off. As Steven remained silent, my heart was filled with rage. In the meantime, Dad and Mom''s expressions also changed. ¡°Steven, what do you have to say now? This buttones from your shirt!¡± I threw the button on Steven and bellowed at him. At that moment, I finally couldn''t suppress my anger and disappointment. Even more so, I couldn''t imagine how I could face Michael and the Shaw family if they knew that Steven was the one who did it. Steven lowered his head and didn''t utter a word. Deep down, I hoped he could continue to deny it instead of admitting it. ¡°Steven, say something! Tell me that the button doesn''t belong to you!¡± I came up to Steven and shook his shoulder with all my might. Steven took a few steps back because I unknowingly pushed him. ¡°That''s enough, Anna. Don''t force Steven anymore. It was an ident, and Steven didn''t do it on purpose!¡± Mom pulled me away from Steven and said with dissatisfaction. In fact, she rebuked me. ¡°An ident? Mom, do you have any idea about how big a trouble he has caused? How can you not scold him but protect him instead?¡± Mom''s attitude irritated me. Even though Steven had done something wrong, she didn''t advise him to make amends but helped him cover the truth. ¡°I understand that Steven made a mess, but he didn''t do it on purpose. Besides, he knows that he did something wrong. Anna, although Steven did it, you cannot reveal it to anyone else. Otherwise, Steven will be in trouble.¡± Knowing that Steven got in trouble, Mom didn''t shout at me like how she used to. However, she still wanted to protect Steven at all costs. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Do you think we can keep it secret after Steven caused such trouble? Michael is so powerful that he will certainly figure out the truth sooner orter. What makes you think you can keep it a secret forever?¡± Given the gravity of the situation, the Shaw family wouldn''t let go of the culprit. Hence, I felt like reprimanding Mom altogether when she still intended to protect Steven. ¡°Anna, I understand that it isn''t easy to keep it a secret. However, the Shaw family must never know that Steven did it. Moreover, isn''t Michael''s mom safe now?¡± When Mom pulled my hand, I could feel that she was a bundle of nerves. However, my heart was still filled with rage when I gazed at Mom and Steven. Chapter 382 Chapter 382 ¡°Anna, I have made a grave mistake. I didn''t expect that something like this could happen. Initially, I went to your house, hoping to ask you to apologize to Yvette. Then, I nned to discuss buying a car with you. However, you weren''t there, and Michael''s mom ridiculed and picked on me the moment she saw me. I was too furious and identally...¡± Steven began to exin it to me, his face filled with regrets. Although I understood that he was afraid, it couldn''t justify his attempt to hide the truth. ¡°Steven, no matter what Mrs. Shaw said to you, you are in the wrong. Do you know you''vemitted a crime and can go to prison? Michael will do everything to search and punish the culprit once he nails the culprit!¡± Michael could be cold and heartless toward any outsider. Even though Steven was my brother, Michael didn''t have a good impression of him. Hence, I didn''t know what Michael would do to Steven once he found out. At that time, my mind was a mess. Apart from Steven, I was also affected by the incident. After all, he was my brother, and everything happened because of me. ¡°Anna, please... I beg you. Please don''t tell Michael about it. I know that it''s my fault. I didn''t mean to do it. It was really an ident.¡± Upon hearing my warning, Steven was terrified. He immediately pulled my hands to beg me. ¡°I can''t help you on this. I have to tell Michael the truth. Steven, I have helped you a lot in the past, and I''m sorry that I can''t help you this time. Besides, I don''t even know how I can face Michael now. How can I stay in the Shaw residence since you made such a terrible mistake?¡± I could barely save myself now and had no idea how to face the Shaw family. Apart from my anger toward Steven, I suffered such feelings of guilt toward Michael. I didn''t know if Michael would me me for the incident and regret choosing to be with me. As I was flustered, I even thought about dragging Steven to see Michael and letting Michael kill him. ¡°Anna, Steven can''t go to prison. He is the only son in our family. What should your dad and I do if he is jailed?¡± At that time, Mom also came up to me and begged me. Beforeing here, I had foreseen that Mom would say so and protect Steven. However, I really couldn''t do much about it. ¡°Mom, it''s not that I refuse to deal with the situation. Do you realize I can''t do anything about it because we can never hide the truth!¡± Once the Shaw family knew the truth, Steven would go to prison. Although I couldn''t bear to see my brother suffering, there was nothing I could do to salvage the situation. ¡°Anna, I beg you. You can''t sit idly and watch as your brother goes to jail.¡± Mom got emotional after I said that I couldn''t do anything. Besides, her grip on my arms became tighter. I remained silent, yet my mind didn''t change because of what she said. ¡°Anna, I beg you!¡± With that, Mom kneeled before me to plead subserviently. ¡°Mom, what are you doing? Please get up!¡± Initially, I had told myself not to change my mind regardless of what Mom said. Nevertheless, I felt nervous once she kneeled before me. When I pulled Mom up, she said, ¡°Anna, please promise me that you''ll not expose Steven. If you don''t agree to help him, I''ll not get up.¡± Mom was determined to protect Steven and refused to stand up as long as I didn''t agree to her request. ¡°Mom, please get up. I can''t do anything even if you kneel. You have to understand this. Whether I say it or not, the Shaw family will figure it out sooner orter.¡± Gazing at Mom, I was surprised and sad about how much she was willing to sacrifice for Steven. ¡°Anna, there must be a way to solve it. Since Michael loves you so much, you can surely find a perfect solution.¡± Mom grabbed my hand nervously and gazed at me in anticipation. ¡°Mom, what do you mean by that?¡± At that time, I couldn''t help but feel a bad premonition. ¡°Anna, Michael loves you so much, and you''re carrying his baby. If you say that you identally pushed Mrs. Shaw, I believe the Shaw family won''t make things difficult for you. Besides, they surely won''t bring you to the police station. Am I right?¡± When Mom finally spoke her mind, I felt that my heart wrenched as if a knife had plunged into my heart. Does Mom want me to take the me by admitting that I was the one who did it? ¡°Mom, what did you say?¡± I stared at Mom in disbelief. Although what she said was clear, I couldn''t believe my ears that Mom chose to sacrifice me for the sake of Steven. Although I knew my parents always favored Steven over me, I didn''t expect that Mom would ask me to be his scapegoat. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Since I''m her daughter, how could she do this to me? Both Steven and I are her children. Doesn''t she feel guilty at all? Besides, this ident has nothing to do with me. Why must I take the me? ¡°Anna, I understand that this is unfair to you, but there are no other options. I''ll never let you do it if I can find another way. Besides, Steven is your brother. I think you can''t bear to see him go to jail, can you?¡± ¡°What about me? Have you thought about the consequences that can happen to me if I admit to it? How can I live with Michael if he knew that I was the one who hurt Mrs. Shaw?¡± Heart-wrenching despair surged from the depth of my heart, for I felt my closest and beloved family wanted to throw me to the wolves. ¡°You''re carrying the baby of the Shaw family. Hence, the Shaw family won''t make things difficult for you because of that. Anna, can you help your brother for onest time?¡± ¡°No, I won''t agree to it. I''ll never do it!¡± As my body shivered, I took a few steps back. I stared at Mom with my pale face. At that moment, I felt that every word she said was like a needle that pricked my heart. ¡°Anna, please help Steven. I beg you too!¡± my father chimed in. Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Dad, who had been silent the entire time, came to my side and knelt beside Mom. Thest perseverance in my heart crumbled at that moment. I felt as though I had fallen into a dark abyss, forever trapped in the dark, never able to see the bright sun again. ¡°Dad, do you want me to take the me too for something that I did not do, just like Mom?¡± My face was as white as a sheet. My entire body was trembling. Even though I already knew the answer to my question, I refused to believe it. Am I not important to them at all? ¡°Anna, we''re begging you. We''ve raised you to be who you are today. It wasn''t easy for us. Consider this thest thing you''re doing for us. I promise you that this will be thest time.¡± Mom squeezed my hand tightly. My entire body was shivering from the coldness surrounding my heart. I felt as though I was drowning in icy waters. I inhaled deeply to stop the tears from falling. I didn''t want to take the me, but my heart gave in to their pleas. Their actions that day had disappointed me greatly. ¡°All right. I''ll promise you, but you will no longer be my parents after this incident. I don''t have heartless parents like both of you,¡± I screamed at them, then spun around and left. Unable to hold it back any longer, I let the tears of despair flow down my face once I turned around. I had never expected my family to be so cruel. I never thought they would sacrifice me to protect Steven regardless of how I felt. Why? Why are they doing this to me? I was unwilling to ept the truth. I wanted to turn back and scream at them and let them know that I was their daughter. How could they be so unsympathetic toward me? Wouldn''t their conscience hurt when they treated me like this? No matter how furious I was, I suppressed all of them down. I had known from the beginning that the oue would have been the same no matter how much I struggle or what I ask them. Their intention to protect Steven would never change. I walked mindlessly on the sidewalk, feeling so helpless, feeling as though I was forsaken by the entire world. Why didn''t anyone think about my feelings? About how I would feel? I wanted to know if they had ever loved me even a little. The minutes ticked by. My phone had been ringing the entire time, but I didn''t pick it up. I pretended to be deaf, not wanting to talk to anyone. All I wanted was to be alone. The phone rang and stopped, then rang again in an endless cycle. It went on for a long while. I finally reached for my phone and saw Michael''s name on the screen. My heart clenched when I saw that familiar name. Perhaps Michael was the only person who truly cared about and loved me. However, his love for me would be gone soon. I wasn''t sure how he would react after hearing me admit to hurting his mother. Would he hate me? I didn''t even dare to think about what would happen to my rtionship with Michael. The happiness that I had tried so hard to attain... Would it disappear like smoke? I clicked on a button to take the call, trembling. I didn''t want to face it, but I knew the problem wouldn''t go away with me running away. There was no escaping the inevitable. ¡°Hello,¡± I said once the call connected, my voice choking with sobs, but I tried to endure it. I didn''t want Michael to hear that there was something wrong with me. ¡°Where are you? Why didn''t you pick up my calls? I called you so many times?¡± Michael''s worried voice came from the other end. His tone was full of concern for me. I was in a dejected state, having faced the relentlessness of my family. Hearing his concern for me, I couldn''t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. I covered my mouth, trying to hide my sobs. I didn''t want him to hear my cries, but he was smart and knew me so well. I couldn''t hide my emotion from him. ¡°You''re crying? Where are you? I''lle and pick you up,¡± Michael asked anxiously. I could hear the panic in his voice. ¡°I-I''m near Steven''s house.¡± I had intended to tell him that his mother got hurt because of me when I picked up his call, but I had cold feet and chickened out at thest minute. I didn''t want to spoil my rtionship with him. It was not easy for us to be together. I was the only one who knew that. I couldn''t bear to watch the happiness I strived so hard for slip away from my grasp. ¡°Wait for me. I''lle and pick you up right away.¡± Michael hung up, shortening a thirty-minute drive to fifteen minutes. I was squatting down on the sidewalk with tears streaming down my face. Michael got out of the car and rushed to my side, wrapping his arms around me and looking worried. ¡°What''s wrong? Tell me what happened.¡± Michael''s voice was gentle. I could feel the warmth from his body and breath as he held me. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Michael...¡± I circled my arms around his waist. I couldn''t get any words out other than his name. There were too many things I wanted to tell him that I didn''t even know where to start. ¡°What''s wrong? Did your family bully you?¡± Michael patted my back. I could hear his heart breaking for me in his voice. ¡°No, they didn''t.¡± When I recalled how my parents had dropped to their knees to beg me to take the me on behalf of Steven, ice froze over my heart. I held no hope for that family anymore. This is thest time I''m helping them. They will no longer be my parents after this. I''m disowning them. From now on, they are strangers to me. They''ve smothered any remaining affection I had for them. ¡°If nobody bullies you, then why are you crying? Tell me what happened. I''ll take care of it no matter what it is.¡± Michael tightened his arms around me. I could feel the determination in his tone. Every word he told me and every action he did made my heart ache even more. I missed his hugs and gentleness. I truly hoped we could be together like this forever. ¡°Michael, bring me home. I have something to tell you,¡± I said softly, looking into his eyes. I didn''t want to tell him about my family affair. I have to tell him about his mother as soon as possible before I chicken out and change my mind. ¡°All right. Let''s go home.¡± He didn''t continue pursuing the matter after hearing that I wanted to go home. He carried me bridal- style into the passenger seat of his car. After we both got in the car, he focused on driving while I turned my head toward the window, not wanting him to see the tears that kept dropping. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 ¡°Didn''t you say you have something to tell me? You can tell me now.¡± Michael took his eyes off the road and cast me a nce. His voice was soft as though he was afraid of scaring me. Hearing his gentle voice, I looked at him. But when I saw the concern in his eyes, I didn''t know how to start. ¡°Michael, will you forgive me if I make a huge mistake?¡± I was wringing my hands as I asked him. I couldn''t look into his eyes as I waited for his answer. ¡°No matter how huge the mistake my girl hasmitted, it''s not a mistake in my eyes. You have me by your side. I don''t care what you''ve done.¡± He reached his hand out to grab mine. Determination and affection wereced in his words. My heart lurched at the warmth I felt from his hand. I''m touched by his words, but he doesn''t know the severity of my mistake this time. I know he won''t get mad no matter the mistakes or trouble I''ve caused, but this is an exception. Will he still tell me such kind, loving words if I tell him that I hurt his mother? I lowered my head in silence. I still haven''t figured out how to tell him. I was reluctant to spoil the happiness between us. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The car continued smoothly, and soon we arrived at the mansion. He steadily pulled the car to a stop and turned to me with a small smile. I merely sat there like a statue, still hesitant to tell him. ¡°What''s wrong? You''re acting very different today.¡± I could see the concern in his eyes. ¡°Michael, I have something to tell you. But I''m scared we wouldn''t be as how we are right now once I told you.¡± I glimpsed at him nervously. Since I''ve already decided to take the me for Steven, I have to do it. ¡°What do you want to tell me? I''m worried about the way you''re acting right now.¡± He furrowed his brows. I know he''ll freak out over the way I''m acting right now. ¡°It''s about Mom. In truth, I was the one who hurt her.¡± My words came out in a whisper. I lowered my head, unwilling to see his reaction. My heart was racing as I waited for him to blow up. He stayed silent, but I could feel his gaze on me. My palms began to sweat. I was worried about what he would say. ¡°What are you saying? What do my mom''s injuries have to do with you? Even though she got hurt at our house, it has nothing to do with you. You don''t have to feel guilty about it.¡± He pulled me into his arms and let out a sigh instead of getting angry at what I said. I knew he had misunderstood my words. He didn''t understand what I was trying to tell him. Anxiety filled me once again. I screwed my eyes shut and inhaled a deep breath, pulling my courage from deep within me as I said, ¡°No, Michael. You don''t understand. I''m trying to tell you that I was the one who caused the injury to your mom''s head.¡± ¡°W-What did you say?¡± He stared at me with wide, dark eyes. They were so sharp and keen as though they could see through my lies. I forced myself to meet his gaze and kept telling myself to be strong. ¡°Michael, I''m sorry. It''s my fault.¡± I hung my head, hiding the tears that were falling. ¡°Anna, do you know what you''re saying?¡± His face froze. He gripped my shoulder with both hands as he yelled at me. It was a first for me to see him losing his temper like this. I knew he couldn''t ept what I had told him since it was too sudden. I knew he would be mad and hate me for it. ¡°Michael, I''m sorry. I''m truly sorry. I didn''t mean to.¡± I didn''t dare to lift my head as I let my tears continue to fall. Pain and despair filled me. I had never felt so upset before, feeling as though someone was tightly squeezing my heart. ¡°Anna, do you think I''ll believe what you''ve just said? I know who you are. I know, for sure, that you won''t do something like that. Tell me, why did you say that?¡± He shook me as rage filled him. I let him shake me in silence. That was all I could tell him. I couldn''t force myself to say anything else, worried I would blurt the truth. ¡°Michael, please don''t force me anymore. I''ve told you that it''s all my fault. Please don''t force me to say anything else. I don''t want to say it.¡± I freed myself from his grip and used my screams to cover up my guilt and anxiety. He breathed heavily and took a few deep breaths. After a long silence, he finally calmed himself down. ¡°Have you ever thought about how I would deal with you if you were the culprit? Anna, you''re challenging my limits.¡± His voice turned cold. I could sense that there was a volcano in him that would erupt at any time. Josephine had an important ce in his heart. With her lying hurt and unconscious in the hospital, he couldn''t pretend that nothing had happened, knowing I was the culprit. ¡°I don''t know what you will do to me, but I hope this doesn''t affect our rtionship and feelings for each other. Michael, I love you. I didn''t want to tell you this. I''m scared you''ll break up with me over this.¡± I looked up at him in a fluster. I had never seen him like this before. ¡°If you don''t want to break up with me and want to stay by my side, then tell me the truth. Tell me who did it.¡± He focused his cold gaze on me, trying to read my expression. My stomach dropped. He didn''t buy it. I don''t know if I should be d or afraid of that. Should I be d for his trust in me? Or should I be worried about him finding out about Steven? ¡°I told you I was the one who did it. Michael, I''m touched that you trust me, but I''m the culprit.¡± I lowered my head again, not daring to meet his sharp gaze. I was afraid that he would still refuse to believe me. ¡°Anna, your joke is not funny,¡± he yelled, then alighted from the car and walked into the house. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 The car door mmed shut. The loud bang was like a blow to my heart. ¡°I''m sorry, Michael. I''m really sorry.¡± My fingers were digging into my head. I hated myself for giving in to them and doing what they told me all the time. I sobbed as I sat alone in the car. That was the day I had cried the most in my entire life. Suddenly, my phone rang. I felt the irony as I stared at the word ¡°Mom¡± on the screen. No mother in the world would force their children to take the me. I wanted to know how heartless they were. ¡°Hello.¡± I sucked in a deep breath, trying to sound as cold as possible. ¡°Anna, I''m just calling to ask if you have told Michael. You didn''t sell your brother out, right?¡± An urgent voice came from the other end. She didn''t even ask about me. Steven is all she cares about. ¡°You don''t have to call me to remind me. I''ll do as I promised. But don''t call me again after today. You''re no longer my family. All of you.¡± I hung up, not giving her the chance to say anything else. This is thest time. I will ignore whatever happens to them after today. I''ll consider this as a parting gift to them. I don''t have parents or a brother after this. I want to live my life. I want to be selfish and live the way I want. Wiping away the tears on my face, I entered the mansion and saw Michael sitting in the living room with a cold expression on his handsome face. I knew he was still mad about earlier. ¡°It''ste. Go up and rest,¡± I softly reminded as I walked up to him. ¡°You don''t n to tell me the truth?¡± He didn''t answer me. Instead, he looked up at me with cold eyes simmering with anger. My body stiffened. I knew what he was asking. Does he still not believe? What do I have to say to make him believe me? ¡°I''ve told you the truth. Why don''t you believe me? Do you think I''ll lie to you about something like this?¡± I asked somberly, looking into his eyes. His face darkened, and rage burned in his eyes. I could see that he was about to explode. Fear gripped me whenever he was angry, but this time, it was within my expectations. ¡°I will make that person who hurt my mother pay, Anna. Don''t you know that I will hate you if you insist on admitting to it?¡± He shot to his feet and strode to me, looking down at me with a mix of anxiety, anger, and panic in his eyes. Something shed across my eyes. I averted my gaze hurriedly. ¡°I know. My answer is still the same. I was the one who hurt Mom. And I know you''ll hate me for it.¡± I shut my eyes to stop the tears. With his character, I knew he wouldn''t let the person who hurt his mother off. ¡°Fine. If you insist, I''ll ept it as you want me to. Anna, you better not regret the choice you make today.¡± He shot me onest nce before turning around and climbing up the stairs. I was confused by his words. Did he finally believe me? Did he believe that I was the one who had hurt Josephine? I sat on the couch the entire night, and not once did hee down to look for me. Perhaps he was really furious this time. I woke up the next morning, unsure when I had fallen asleep. I climbed to the second floor to check on Michael, but he wasn''t in the bedroom or study. Soon I received a text asking me to head over to the Shaw residence to exin myself to Lincoln and Andy. I can''t run from this. I took a cab to the Shaw residence. When I reached the living room, I saw that Andy and Lincoln were already sitting on the couch. There was a scowl on their faces and they didn''t say anything when they saw me. The affection they had had for me was gone from their eyes. I stood in front of them and greeted, ¡°Grandpa, Dad.¡± Michael was there too. His gaze was fixed on me, but I couldn''t find any gentleness there. ¡°Anna, Michael said that Josephine''s injury has something to do with you. Is that true?¡± Lincoln piped up. The usual amiable look on his face had long since been reced by ayer of frost. I had seen thating. Even though I had prepared myself, I still felt uneasy. I raised my head and looked into Lincoln''s eyes. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Dad, I''m sorry. It was an ident. I identally pushed her and caused her to hit the coffee table.¡± I lowered my head. I wasn''t sad about taking the me; I was sad knowing that I couldn''t take my words back after admitting it in front of the Shaw family. Michael had called me here today to test me. He wanted to force me to tell the truth. However, I couldn''t change my mind, not when I had made the decision to take the me. If I told him the truth, Steven would be going to prison. ¡°Anna!¡± Michael shouted. He wasn''t happy with my answer. I knew what he was doing, and I knew he refused to believe that I was the one who did it. However, all I could do at that moment was to feign a calm look and not let my heart waver at his words. ¡°So it''s really you!¡± Lincoln pounded the table and shot to his feet. His voice rose an octave from the anger. ¡°Dad, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean for it to happen. I didn''t expect that she would suffer such a serious injury either.¡± Josephine was important to Lincoln. I could feel it from the day when she had surgery. She was still in a critical condition at that moment, so it was only natural for him to be furious. Hearing my confession, Lincoln waspletely convinced that I was the one who had hurt his beloved wife. He stomped toward me and pped me across my cheek. My face turned to the side from the impact, and I could feel a burning sensation on my cheek. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Michael was going to stop his father from hitting me, but he was toote. Before he could utter a single word, I felt the pain from the p on my cheek. Lincoln used to treat me like his own, precious daughter in the past. I thought of him as someone who was easy to get along with. However, the thoughtpletely disappeared with that p of his. Not only did I feel the pain in my cheek, but my heart ached too. ¡°Didn''t we treat you well after you got together with Michael? I know Josephine has her temper and nags at you a lot, but you didn''t have to do that! No matter what, she''s still your elder! How could you hit her? I can''t believe how wrong I was to even think that you were a sensible daughter-inw!¡± my father-inw shouted while looking at me. His gentle and doting eyes were reced with disappointment. In the Shaw family, he was always the one to support my rtionship with Michael. Therefore, I would be lying if I said I wasn''t sad. ¡°That''s enough! Anna''s still pregnant! How could you hit her? If anything happens to my great- grandchild, it''ll be your fault!¡± Andy shouted angrily at Lincoln after he saw his son hit me. I knew Andy was disappointed in me too. If I weren''t mistaken, the reason he was mad at Lincoln was because of the child inside me. If I''m not pregnant, will you still defend me? ¡°Dad, my wife is still in a critical state in the hospital! I don''t have time to bother with this woman! If anything happens to Josephine, I won''t let her off!¡± Lincoln was really furious this time. He used to a gentle and kind man. However, all traces of kindness were gone. I couldn''t do anything but suppress my feelings and stay quiet. ¡°Anna, you did this. The Shaw family will not forgive you easily. But we''ll decide what do to with you after Josephine''s out of immediate danger,¡± Andy said as he looked at me with cold eyes. Although he wasn''t as harsh as Lincoln, his fondness toward me was gone. I kept quiet with my head down the entire time because I had expected their reactions. However, it hurt more than I thought it would be. Even after Lincoln and Andy went upstairs, I was still rooted in the spot. At that time, Michael was ring at me with pure fury while suppressing his anger. ¡°Anna, you will regret this!¡± he spat coldly as he took a few strides toward me. Right after saying that, he turned and walked away without looking at me. Over the next few days, I tried to visit Josephine in the hospital to see how she was doing. However, I was chased out by Lincoln every time I went. The way he treated me hadpletely changed. Right at that moment, I recalled the time of how my own family treated me when Steven was hospitalized in the past. Fortunately, the doctor said my mother-inw was out of danger on the fifth day. However, no one knew when she would regain consciousness. There was also a possibility that she would be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. Everyone in the Shaw family let out a breath in relief while feeling saddened by the news. It was devastating to them that a person they loved, who was still alive and kicking a few days ago, was lying motionless on a hospital bed. Besides her beating heart and other signs of life, she was no different than a lifeless body. As for Michael, he hadn''t spoken to me ever since that day. It was as if our love hade to an end. Every passing second of seeing him but not being able to talk to him, as if we were enemies, was pure torture. There were a few times I wanted to tell Michael the truth. But I couldn''t bring myself to it. What about Steven? As months passed, my tummy grew bigger. There were only a few days left before the estimated date of delivery. Because of that, I needed to go to the hospital for routine check-ups more frequently. In the months following the incident, Michael never apanied me for any check-ups in the hospital. It was as if he had forgotten my existence. There were countless times when I resented him for it. However, I kept telling myself that it was my decision. All of this is because I decided to take up the responsibility. That''s why I should ept the consequences. I thought Michael loathed me and didn''t care about our baby anymore, but it was until a long time after that I found out he was always following me in secret whenever I went to the hospital. He was afraid that I would get into any ident. However, I didn''t know about this then. On one of my trips for a check-up, I bumped into Ronan. He became a lot more mature after I got married to Michael. He wasn''t thenguid and irresponsible man anymore. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. After my check-up, we went to a nearby caf¨¦ and chatted. We sat facing each other. I tried to force a smile, but I forgot how it felt to curve my lips up for a smile after not smiling for two months. In the end, I could only look at him without any expression. ¡°Anna, I heard about what happened with Aunt Josephine some time ago. Did you really do it?¡± Ronan asked while looking straight into my eyes. His question broke the silence. I knew he would ask me about this. However, I couldn''t help but feel nervous about it when he really did. Since things had already happened, there was no need for me to deny anything. ¡°Yeah. It''s true,¡± I replied inly and sipped my drink to hide my true feelings. ¡°I know you''re lying to me by just looking at your eyes. I''ve known you for a long time, Anna. You''re not that kind of person,¡± he said seriously while staring into my eyes. There wasn''t a hint of surprise in him. My heart raced a little by his response. It was probably because of the fuzzy feeling that someone trusted me, but I didn''t have any other choice. ¡°It''s true that I did it. Thank you for trusting me,¡± I replied. I didn''t have the courage to look at him because I knew my eyes would give me away. At that time, I was focused on calming myself down so that he wouldn''t see through me. ¡°You can''t deceive me, Anna. I''m sure it has nothing to do with you! What made you shoulder the me? Don''t you know what will happen to you after you admit it was you?¡± Anxiety and worry filled his eyes. It was obvious that he cared a lot about this. Ronan and Michael werepletely different. Michael was calm andposed who preferred to keep things to himself. On the contrary, Ronan wasn''t afraid to show his emotions. At that time, he didn''t even try to hide his concern for me. ¡°Ronan, I''m really grateful for your trust, but it is the truth. I have nothing else to say.¡± Chapter 387 Chapter 387 I had my head down and spoke calmly. I didn''t want to continue this conversation anymore. ¡°Anna Garcia, are we best friends? Can''t you tell me the truth? Why don''t you tell me what really happened?¡± he asked me with hurt and worry in his eyes as he grabbed my hand abruptly. Ronan''s hands felt so warm that his faith momentarily cheered me. However, I managed to pull my hand back and look at him nonchntly. I didn''t want to be caught in the situation of such intimacy with him because it wasn''t appropriate. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about. I did it. If I didn''t, then why would I admit it? I''m not that stupid.¡± Iughed bitterly. Although I wasposed, I felt I might burst into tears at any second. ¡°No matter what you say, I will never believe it was you! I know you, and I trust you. There''s no way you''ll assault Aunt Josephine,¡± he said determinedly as I pulled my hand away. No matter how I tried to lie, he still believed in me. To be honest, I was pretty touched by his trust. ¡°I have something I need to do, so if you''ll excuse me.¡± I stood up and turned to leave. I was afraid that he would expose my lie if I continued to stay. ¡°I''ll send you back. It''s not safe for you to be alone when your tummy''s so big,¡± he said casually behind me. Despite the casualness in his voice, he was persistent. That was why I hesitated for a while knowing he would bring up the matter again on my way back. I allowed him to apany me to avoid arousing his suspicions. Throughout the entire journey in his car, I stared wordlessly at the passing view. It was obvious I didn''t want to talk. ¡°How are things between you and Michael? I heard from the nurse that you''ve been going for check- ups alone,¡± Ronan said after a long silence. I lowered my head in response to that question. I didn''t know how to answer that. I thought about the way Michael had been treating me since the incident with Josephine, and my heart ached. Before the incident, we were so lovey-dovey that others envied us. Now, only the two of us knew how hard and forced things were between us. Judging from my silence, Ronan frowned and looked at me as he sensed something was wrong between us. It pained him to see me like this. ¡°Why do you have to do that? I really don''t understand. But,e to think of it, I can''t help feeling it has something to do with your family. Am I right?¡± He tried again. My heart lurched violently this time at Ronan''s words, and I turned to look at him immediately with panic in my eyes. How did he know it has something to do with my family? Could it be that he has already found out Steven was the culprit? Does it mean the Shaw family knows about this as well? Would Steven be sent to jail, then? ¡°W-Why do you say so?¡± I asked as I looked into his eyes while trying to keep myposure. My voice was so soft that it was barely audible. ¡°The look in your eyes tells me I''m right. So, the whole thing is really rted to your family?¡± he asked with a poker face instead of answering my question. It was my attitude that gave me away. Although he looked expressionless, the pain in his eyes became more obvious. ¡°No. It has nothing to do with my family. How do these two things rte to one another, anyway?¡± I replied while lowering my head. Stay calm, Anna! He''s only making guesses. There''s no concrete evidence. As long as I don''t admit it, he''ll never know! Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. I tried to convince myself, but I was still worried. He didn''t care if I denied it. The next moment, he pulled his car over and turned in my direction as he looked at me seriously. Although he was asking me questions, he knew his guesses were correct. ¡°Who else in the world can make you do such things other than your family? You''ve always been a person who sticks to your principles, but whenever your family members are involved, you''ll choose to compromise. I''m sure that''s how things are this time too. Am I right?¡± I looked at him nervously. ¡°Ronan, don''t be ridiculous! My mother-inw is in the hospital because of me! It has nothing to do with my family, so stop making strange assumptions. And don''t even think about saying any of these to the Shaw family!¡± I said angrily as I tried to hide my real emotions. I had never expected Ronan to think of it when Michael couldn''t. Have I underestimated him all this while? I thought I hid it well enough. I can''t believe he can still guess it. ¡°You know, the more worked up you get, the more I feel everything is rted to Steven.¡± I didn''t know my reactions had betrayed me until he told me. When I heard what he said, Ipletely panicked, and my entire body felt cold. Could it be that he has already found out? ¡°W-What do you know? Ronan, just finish what you want to say!¡± It dumbfounded me that Ronan had somehow figured out the culprit''s identity. How can it be? Steven didn''t leave any evidence at the scene! ¡°Do I hear a confession?¡± he asked in a serious tone. I lowered my gaze without saying anything. Since he already knew, there was no point in denying further. A sense of unease welled within me. ¡°How did you find out? Why do you think it has to go with Steven?¡± I asked nervously when Ronan kept staring at me in silence. ¡°I saw the surveince footage from that day. Steven appeared at the same location. To be honest, I wasn''t sure that he was involved, but I know you. I''m sure you will never do such a thing. So, the only possibility I can think of is you did it for your family again.¡± Chapter 388 Chapter 388 I was still frustrated by Ronan''s answer because he didn''t have concrete evidence. If I didn''t admit it, he would never find out the truth for sure. I was at a loss for words as my mind kept thinking about what I should do. A few minutester, I raised my head and looked at him. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you. Since you''ve already found out, please keep this a secret. Don''t let anyone from the Shaw family know.¡± I was afraid Ronan would reveal the truth to the Shaw family, and Steven would be imprisoned. Although I hated everyone in my family, this was thest time I would sacrifice myself for them. Besides, I hoped Steven could live a normal life. Ronan widened his eyes and stared at me. There was shock and worry in his eyes. ¡°What? Keep it a secret? Anna, do you know how stupid you are right now? Steven attacked Josephine on purpose! He deserves to be imprisoned for his action! The Shaw family won''t send you off to jail, but it''ll make your life in the family a living hell!¡± ¡°I know. Besides, you said so yourself. They won''t send me to jail. However, if they find out it''s Steven, they won''t hesitate to punish him! That''s why I took the me. It''s for the best.¡± I had already considered everything Ronan said before I made up my mind. The main reason I took the me was because I didn''t want Steven to be imprisoned. The moment he heard my words, Ronan went stiff. His eyes were full of anger. ¡°You may be able to protect Steven this time. But what about next time? What if he kills someone? Will you take the me for him then too?¡± It was the first time Ronan had raised his voice at me. ¡°No. This is thest time. After this, I''ll cut ties with that family. Ronan, please. Pretend you know nothing about this. Can you do that?¡± I begged while looking into his eyes. If he tells the Shaw family the truth, Steven will be imprisoned! ¡°No. I must tell Michael! He needs to know you''re innocent! The Shaw family shouldn''t beshing everything on you!¡± he shouted as he took out his phone to dial Michael''s number. My pleads were ignored. I panicked and snatched his phone away. ¡°Ronan, please. I''m begging you. Please don''t tell the Shaw family about this. I don''t need you to lie. You only need to pretend not to know anything,¡± I pleaded while looking into his eyes again. He stared at me intently for a long time. There was disappointment written all over his face. ¡°Are they really worth it? If the Shaws don''t know the truth, they''ll give you a hard time.¡± ¡°I''ve already made my decision. No matter what you say, I won''t change my mind. The only thing I want right now is your sworn secrecy,¡± I replied in a determined tone and looked calmly at him. Ronan took a long time to consider it. Finally, he spoke in a disappointed tone as he looked at me with pain in his eyes. ¡°Fine. I promise. But I still hope that you can really think it through.¡± I lowered my head. I knew he was only giving me a kind reminder, so I didn''t repeat what was on my mind. I''ve already decided, so there''s no way I''ll easily change it. Later, Ronan dropped me off outside the mansion and left saying nothing else. I was afraid that we would talk about things that I wanted to avoid. The moment I entered the living room, I saw Michael sitting on the couch with a gloomy expression. I hadn''t seen him much in the past two months. Even if I did, it was very brief, and he never looked at me. My heart throbbed at the sight. ¡°Don''t you need to go to the office today?¡± I asked softly from a few feet away. ¡°Ronan sent you back?¡± He looked at me with calm eyes. However, there was an inexplicable hostility about him. ¡°Yeah.¡± Michael was bothered that Ronan still had feelings for me. I thought my husband would say something else, but he didn''t. Nor did he look at me again. The atmosphere turned tense. ¡°Well... I''m going back to my room then,¡± I said. There were so many things I wanted to tell him. However, I knew he didn''t want to see me, so I suppressed it and made my way toward the stairs. ¡°Wait,¡± he said coldly as soon as I was about to leave. ¡°Yeah?¡± I whispered as I stopped in my tracks. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Since our baby''s due next week, I''ll be home from now on,¡± he said nonchntly without looking at me. Although it sounded casual, my heart felt warm, and my tears flowed like a river. Despite his indifference toward me for the past few months, at this moment, I could feel his concern for me. If it isn''t because of the baby, there''s no way he''ll choose to apany me now. ¡°Okay.¡± I hurriedly wiped my tears away and smiled. I don''t care if he''s cold towards me. If he''s concerned about me, I''m already satisfied. Michael looked at me with an indescribable expression as though he had more to say. In the end, he simply walked upstairs to the study without another word. For the past two months, he had been staying in the office, so we hadn''t seen each other much. I was happy when I thought about how I would see him every day in theing week. I knew it wouldn''t be easy for him to forgive me, but I was willing to wait. Michael, I know your love for me is real. I''m sure this will pass. Because of that, my mood became better. In the evening, I went to the kitchen to make his favorite dish for dinner. It had been too long since the two of us ate together. Feeling clumsy with my enormous tummy, I could only make some simple dishes Chapter 389 Chapter 389 After dinner was ready, I went to the study and stood outside the room for a long time in a state of exhration. Finally, I knocked. ¡°Come in,¡± Michael said right after. When I entered and saw him reading some documents, I didn''t know what to say. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked emotionlessly while looking at me after I said nothing. ¡°I-I just wanted to ask you to go downstairs to have dinner together,¡± I whispered. ¡°Okay. I got it.¡± I was a little disappointed by his response. I missed the time when he would treat me with affection before the incident with Josephine. ¡°Then, I''ll go down first.¡± I left the room. Right then, I didn''t know what else to say to him anymore. To him, I was a stranger living under his roof. At the dining table, the two of us sat across from each other and ate. However, it wasn''t the same as last time. We were happy then. All that was left between us was emptiness. ¡°How are things at thepanytely? Have you been busy?¡± I asked to break the ice. I didn''t want things to continue like this between us. ¡°Yeah.¡± One word. It was as if he felt it was a waste of his time to talk to me. I looked at his handsome face briefly before I lowered my head and continued eating. ¡°Are we going to stay like this forever? Have you thought about how we should get along in the future?¡± Finally, I mustered the courage to ask him. I couldn''t take it anymore. Michael raised his head to look at me, frowning. A secondter, he said, ¡°We''ll talk about us next time. I don''t have the time or mood to think about that now.¡± There was a hint of impatience in his voice. He knew what I wanted. Maybe he still can''t bring himself to forgive me for what happened. I would be lying if I said I wasn''t devastated by his words. We were once happy and loved each other very much. ¡°Okay. I''ll talk to you when you''re feeling better.¡± I forced a smile as I tried to stop my tears from flowing. After dinner, I cleaned things up and went into my room. Meanwhile, Michael went back to the study. I didn''t know if he woulde into my room, but I hoped he would. Time passed. It was almost eleven o''clock, but there was still no sign of Michael. I was disappointed. Are we going to be like this forever? Iy in bed and dozed off. In my sleep, I thought I heard the door opening and the familiar footsteps. It''s Michael! He''s here! I opened my eyes excitedly in hopes of seeing him, but the room remained empty. Did I imagine it? I let out a bitter chuckle. That''s expected. He was still treating me coldly earlier. There''s no way he''ll want to sleep with me in the same bed now. As expected, he didn''te into the bedroom that night. The next morning, I went downstairs after I washed up. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Shaw. Your breakfast is ready. Please go and eat something,¡± the two housekeepers greeted me. ¡°Thank you. Where''s Michael? Didn''t you inform him breakfast is ready?¡± I asked softly as I nced at the study. ¡°Mr. Shaw isn''t home. He left early in the morning.¡± My heart sank when I heard that. The food was tasteless when I ate alone. Every passing second was torture. Before I knew it, four or five days had gone by in a sh. I looked out the window. The wind howled as the downpour beat against the window panels. shes of lightning apanied the roars of thunder. The sight of rain made me feel depressed. Meanwhile, Michael was still sleeping in the study. Although it was only a few steps away from my room, the distance between us grew. Iy on my bed and tried to sleep so that I''ll forget everything. It was the best time to sleep during the rain. Soon, I dozed off. However, around midnight, my tummy started to hurt. The pain woke me up. At that time, I was already covered in sweat. I had a feeling the baby was coming. The contraction worsened. To be honest, I was terrified. Although every woman experienced childbirth, the pain still terrified me. I tried to endure the pain as I stood up to get a ss of water in the room to calm myself down. Fortunately, the contraction subsided for a bit. Before my mouth came into contact with the ss, the pain returned. In an instant, it slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor. I ced my hand over my bump and squatted down. Blood drained from my face because of the pain. I had never felt this agony before in my entire life. I slowly got up as I breathed through the pain and walked toward the bed. All this while, my hand was still ced over my bump. Suddenly, I remembered Michael was in the study. Before I got to the bed, he had rushed into the room. When I saw him, I let out a relieved breath and sat on the floor. The pain was too overwhelming. ¡°What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± he asked and walked toward me in big strides while looking at me worriedly. ¡°My stomach hurts. I think it''s time,¡± I said through the pain as I grabbed his hand. I instantly felt aggrieved when I saw his worried expression. Michael, I thought you'' don''t love me anymore! ¡°We''re going to the hospital now!¡± he said and carried me. After putting me in the back seat, he sped toward the hospital. It was still raining heavily when we left. Judging by how fast he was driving, it was obvious he was nervous. The pain became unbearable as it intensified. I couldn''t stop myself from moaning in agony. It was excruciating. I finally understood how every mother felt when they were about to give birth. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 ¡°Bear with it a little more. We''re reaching the hospital soon!¡± Michael said hastily as he nced at me. Two days ago, he was still treating me indifferently. However, all that vanished. I didn''t reply because the pain was overwhelming. Although I had expected the pain of having a baby, I wasn''t prepared for the intensity. No one should go through this agony. I grabbed the fabric of my clothes tightly as I tried to distract myself from the pain, but it only made things worse. Michael suddenly slowed down. It turned out an ident at the traffic light was obstructing the flow. ¡°D*mn it!¡± he cursed and continued to honk. He was panicking. It was the first time he saw me in that much pain. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as I moaned. ¡°What''s going on there?¡± I asked. I was already terrified by childbirth, but now that his car had stopped, my anxiety grew stronger. ¡°It''s nothing. We''ll reach the hospital soon!¡± Seeing me in such agony broke his heart. After that, he stepped on the elerator and sped off. In the uing traffic lights, Michaelpletely ignored the red light. He continued driving without stopping. Within minutes, we reached the hospital. It felt like an eternity to me. The contractions were driving me crazy. On our way to the hospital, Michael had called Ronan and asked him to prepare for my delivery. The latter agreed immediately. The moment Michael got me out of the car, he put me down on the bed and I was wheeled into the delivery suite. A few nurses stopped him from entering. ¡°I want to go in!¡± he said unhappily to the nurses while furrowing his brows. ¡°Are you sure?¡± one nurse asked. ¡°Of course!¡± he said and walked toward me before the nurse could say anything else. I was happy that he wanted to be there for me during my hardest time, but at the same time, I didn''t want him to see me in a mess. Michael held my hand as he stood beside my hospital bed. Although he said nothing, I could feel his heartache and anxiety. A male doctor entered the room. Michael''s face darkened instantly when he saw the man. ¡°Get out! I want a female doctor!¡± he half-shouted at the doctor before thetter even got to my bed. The doctor was stunned, probably because he didn''t expect Michael to say that. ¡°Sir, I''m a gynecologist. To me, your wife is only a woman who is about to deliver a baby. Please don''t think too much about it.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Michael continued to look angry. I knew he wouldn''t allow a male doctor to deliver our baby. He''s always been possessive. There''s no way he''ll let another man see my body, especially my vagina. Although what the doctor said made sense, and I didn''t have any discrimination about that, it felt weird to have a man deliver my baby. ¡°Are there any other female doctors around? I prefer a woman,¡± I whispered through the pain with gritted teeth. ¡°Hurry up! If you continue to waste my time, I''ll tear the whole hospital apart!¡± Michael yelled at the doctor who was standing at the side. I was sure Michael was worried about me when he saw how painful I looked. It was also obvious he couldn''t bear to let another man see my private part. The doctor scurried away after Michael yelled at him. In minutes, a female doctor rushed into the delivery room. The nurses had alreadypleted the disinfection procedures. The doctor asked me to spread my legs wide right after she got here. I was quite conservative, so I felt ufortable letting others see my private part. However, when I thought about my child, none of this mattered. The pain intensified. With the guidance of the female doctor, I continued to take deep breaths and pushed. Michael was staring at me with furrowed brows the entire time. I couldn''t help but moan when the pain was at its peak. It was all that I could remember. My child was finally born after what seemed like an eternity. When I heard my baby''s cries, my motherly instinct was activated. Although I waspletely exhausted, I still wanted to see my baby. ¡°Congrattions! You gave birth to a healthy boy,¡± the nurse announced as she brought my baby to my side. Everything felt so surreal when I wrapped my arms around my son, and I couldn''t deny how happy I felt. Our baby is finally here! Our son! Michael looked at the baby and finally rxed. ¡°You''ve done well,¡± he said as he kissed my forehead. Mybor broke him. He hadpletely changed from the cold person he was a few days ago. I looked at him while smiling in silence. If our baby can mend things between us, it will be the happiest thing in the entire world! The moment I was sent to the normal ward, the Shaws, including Lincoln and Andy, got there too. However, they came to see the baby instead of me. Lincoln didn''t even look at me. When he got into the room, he walked straight to the baby''s cot and continued topliment the baby. It was the same for Andy. No one was happier than him at that moment when he looked at his great-grandson. Michael asked the housekeeper to prepare some nutritious meals for me, and he fed me. I couldn''t remember when hest treated me with such kindness and care. My tears flowed as I ate. I looked into his eyes and hoped this moment would freeze. I don''t care what others think about me. I only wish for us to stay this happy forever, Michael! ¡°Why are you crying? Our son is finally born. Shouldn''t you be happy about it?¡± Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Michael''s tone softened, and he had a gentle look in his eyes as he wiped my tears with the back of his hand. ¡°Can we still go back to the way we were before? Do you really not love me anymore?¡± I sobbed with my vision all blurry from the crying. The pain I felt in the delivery room earlier was so excruciating that I really thought I wouldn''t survive it, but Michael was all that I thought about at the time. Michael frowned slightly after hearing that, and I felt the disappointment building up in my heart again. ¡°Don''t stress yourself out over this. You''ve just finished giving birth, so you should rest well for now. We''ll talk about this when you''re all better,¡± Michael said calmly while feeding me a spoonful of soup. I was disappointed that he avoided answering my question, but I could also feel that he hadn''t gotten over what happened to Josephine. I gazed into his eyes as I drank the soup he was feeding me. Maybe I''m demanding too much from him. His attitude toward me has changed significantly, so it''d be greedy of me to ask for anything further. Michael continued to look after me meticulously throughout the next couple of days. Had it not been for the questions in my heart, I would''ve thought that things were back to normal between us. However, we both knew full well that wasn''t the case. After all, not everything could be fixed once broken. On my third day of recovering from delivery, Michael headed off to take care of something at work after getting a phone call. He had hired a caretaker to help look after me and my baby right after he was born. I had been imagining what my baby would look like even before he was born, so seeing him in my arms filled my heart with joy. Whatever pain I endured while giving birth to him was all worth it. Right then, the door to the ward was opened, and Ronan came walking in secondster. He was dressed in light-colored casual attire, which added a bright and cheerful vibe to his handsome face. ¡°I came to see if my nephew is handsome!¡± he said with a smile as he made his way toward me. His gaze then fell upon my baby as he continued, ¡°Hmm... He looks a lot like you. I''m sure he''ll grow up to be a handsome guy someday!¡± Judging by what he had just said, it would seem that he had taken a liking to my newborn son. ¡°What brings you here today?¡± I asked with a chuckle in order to change the topic. Ronan arched an eyebrow at me as he replied with a concerned expression, ¡°As I said, I came to see you and your baby. How can I not visit you after you''ve given birth?¡± Jeez... Why is he caring so much about my child? It''s not like he''s the father or anything! I pouted. Suddenly, the look in Ronan''s eyes grew serious as he turned to look at me. ¡°By the way, how are things between you and Michael?¡± Naturally, I knew what he was asking about. Although I still felt a little disappointed by Michael''s response, I was satisfied with how well he had looked after me over the past few days. It was indeed undeniable that things had gotten a lot better between uspared to how they had been before. ¡°Quite well, actually. Michael has been really nice to me. He''s looking after me in the hospital every day.¡± Fearing he would tell me the truth after knowing how I actually felt, I shed Ronan a smile and tried my best to y it off casually. The look on Ronan''s face eased up significantly. ¡°That''s good to hear. I was worried you''d be feeling down or something. Your body is still weak after delivery, so you need to take good care of yourself or you''ll get sick very easily.¡± I shed him a smile and reassured him confidently, ¡°Don''t worry, things between Michael and I are going to be fine. It''ll be like nothing ever changed!¡± Seeing as Michael''s attitude toward me had changed so much, I believed we would return to the lovey- dovey state we used to be in after a while. ¡°All right, then. Just give me a call if you run into any trouble, and I''ll help you out.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ronan!¡± For some reason, I was in a much better mood after giving birth to my baby. Ironically, Ronan was the only one who had always stayed by my side and supported me during my times of need. ¡°Oh, please! Is there a need for thanks between us? I''m just trying to protect the woman I like!¡± Ronan''s words caught mepletely off guard, and the atmosphere became awkward after I realized what he said. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Damn it, Ronan! Why say something like this now that Michael and I have a child of our own? I did not expect Ronan to pull such a sudden move out of nowhere, and my eyes were darting about the ward as I anxiously tried to find the right words. Ronan was about to say something further, but he held himself back when he noticed the awkward tension in the room. The door to the ward was opened once again, and Michael came in wearing a ck suit. A frown formed on his face when he saw Ronan inside the ward. He then began taking his coat off as he made his way toward me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His indifferent tone made it impossible to read his emotions at the time. ¡°Why can''t I be here? Is there a problem with meing over to visit Anna and my newborn nephew?¡± Ronan snapped back at him with displeasure written all over his face. ¡°Well, you''ve already seen them, so you can leave now. Anna needs to rest. Don''t disturb her by sticking around here unnecessarily,¡± Michael said coldly without even looking at Ronan. He then sat down beside me and began ying with our baby. Angered by his cold attitude, Ronan leaped to his feet and shouted angrily at Michael, ¡°What''s with that attitude of yours, Michael? I came here to visit your wife and child! How could you just kick me out like this?¡± Ever since Michael found out about Ronan''s feelings for me, the two of them had been butting heads whenever they saw each other. Although they imed to treat each other like brothers, it still pained me to see them fight like this. Michael stood up and stared at Ronan''s fuming face as he replied calmly, ¡°As you said, she''s my wife, and this is my child.¡± Ronan usually had a way with words, but he always found himself speechless when arguing with Michael. He red daggers at Michael, unable to say anything in response. Eventually, he shifted his gaze back toward me and said, ¡°Rest well, Anna. I''lle to visit you some other time.¡± Chapter 392 Chapter 392 I noticed a conflicted look in his eyes, but I simply nodded at him without saying anything, as I was still feeling ufortable about his statement earlier. After Ronan left, Michael maintained that indifferent look in his eyes and continued ying with the baby in my arms. As the tension in the ward grew increasingly tense, Michael broke the silence by asking, ¡°What did he say to you?¡± His tone was neutral. I couldn''t read his emotions at all. I began panicking a little when I recalled what Ronan had said about protecting the woman he liked. There''s no way I could ever tell Michael that! Things are already tense between us, so he''d definitely get mad if he knew what Ronan had said to me! ¡°Nothing much, really. He just came by to check on me and the baby. Told me to take care and rest well, that''s all,¡± I replied with my head held low and a faint smile on my face. Even so, I felt really nervous, as Michael had always been able to see through all of my lies. Michael arched his eyebrow and raised his voice slightly as he asked, ¡°Is that really all?¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s all. What else is there for us to talk about?¡± I continued to avoid his gaze for fear of him seeing through my lie. ¡°Remember, you can only be mine no matter what. Ronan will only be your cousin-inw at best,¡± Michael said sternly while staring straight into my eyes. Although he was obviously giving me a warning, I found myself getting a little excited when I heard that. Is Michael trying to tell me that he doesn''t n on leaving me? With that in mind, I shed him a smile and said, ¡°I know. I will be yours alone for the rest of my life.¡± Resting my head against his shoulder, I tried my best to enjoy the moment we were having. Even if Michael hadn''t reminded me, I would''ve known to carry myself appropriately anyway. Being his woman, I wanted nothing more than to stay by his side for the rest of my life. Michael barely returned to the office after I got discharged from the hospital. He had his secretary deliver most of his documents to the mansion and would spend all of his time outside of work keeping me and our childpany. As long as Michael could stay by our side, all the pain and suffering I had gone through was worth it. I got so carried away by the happiness of having my husband and child by my side that I never considered the possibility of us being separated in the future. It had almost been a month since my baby was born, and Michael had been meticulously looking after us both the whole time. After getting my baby to fall asleep, I carefully ced him in the crib before climbing into bed with Michael. Ever since our baby was born, Michael had moved back into our bedroom and no longer went to his study, much to my delight. ¡°I''ll be leaving for a business trip tomorrow.¡± Michael''s deep and sexy voice rang out. I turned around and stared longingly at his handsome face as I asked, ¡°Where will you be going?¡± ¡°Anndur. I might be gone for quite a while. As for that question you asked after delivery that day, I will provide you with an answer,¡± Michael replied while looking straight into my eyes. Obviously, he was referring to my question about us going back to how we were in the past. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. So, he still remembers my question? And here I thought he''s been actually proving himself through his actions during this one month, but it looks like I was wrong... With that in mind, I asked nervously, ¡°Okay. How long will you be staying there? A week? Two weeks?¡± As I had grown dependent on him, the mere thought of not being able to see him for a long time made me incredibly uneasy. ¡°It depends. I''ll let you know the details when I get there,¡± Michael said and closed his eyes after that. Tons of conflicting thoughts kept racing through my head as I stared at him in silence. Why would he suddenly say he wants to give me an answer? Hasn''t he done enough in the past few weeks to prove his point? I ended up being barely able to sleep that night. Michael got up really early the next morning to pack his suitcase. Knowing that he would be leaving that day, I decided to get out of bed and help him pack. That was when I realized I couldn''t stand being away from him for even just a minute. ¡°Give me a call once you get there, okay?¡± I reminded him softly while packing his clothes into the suitcase. ¡°Okay,¡± he mumbled. The entire mansion felt incredibly empty after Michael left. The housekeeper and the caregiver were the only people I had left to keep mepany. For some reason, I couldn''t shake the feeling that something was about to happen during his absence. Fortunately, the next two days went by rather peacefully. The caregiver had taught me a lot of useful information about looking after my baby. However, that brief moment of peace was soon interrupted when Lincoln dropped by at the mansion. I knew full well that his attitude toward me had changedpletely. He was no longer gentle and nice to me like before, thinking I was the one who had put Josephine in a vegetative state. An intense hatred was all that he felt whenever he saw me. Had it not been for me, Josephine would have still been perfectly fine by his side instead of lying in a hospital bed. Even so, I naively assumed he had simplye over to have a look at my baby. ¡°Hello, Dad,¡± I greeted him softly. Lincoln simply sat down in the living room and didn''t seem like he would be leaving soon. ¡°I came here today to see your child and to inform you of something.¡± The look in his eyes was just as cold as the tone of his voice. ¡°What is it, Dad? I''m listening,¡± I asked respectfully when I heard he had something to tell me. Lincoln shot me a nce before retrieving a document from the man standing behind him. He ced the document on the coffee table nearby and motioned at me to have a look at it. I wasn''t really sure why, but I had a terrible feeling about everything. With a confused frown on my face, I walked up to the coffee table and picked up the document. A sharp pain tore through my heart the moment I saw the words ¡°Divorce Agreement¡± written on the first page, and my body began trembling uncontrobly. ¡°W-What is this, Dad?¡± I asked, looking up at Lincoln in disbelief. Despite already having an idea of what this was about, I desperately held on to what little glimmer of hope I had left. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 ¡°A divorce agreement,¡± Lincoln replied coldly, looking back at me. Hearing it directly from him sent waves of terror through my body. I fought back the feelings of panic and anxiety in my heart and asked anxiously, ¡°A divorce agreement for me and Michael? Why would you bring this here all of a sudden, Dad?¡± ¡°I actually liked you when you first married into our family, Anna. I thought of you as a very kind person, but what you did was simply uneptable. Because of you, my wife is now lying in the hospital and might remain bedridden for the rest of her life!¡± Lincoln got a little emotional as he said that, and I finally understood the reason behind this divorce agreement. So, he''s doing this because of Josephine... Since I have imed responsibility for Josephine''s condition, I am willing to ept Lincoln''s hatred toward me. However, I will not divorce Michael because of this! They can hate me all they want, but I won''t leave Michael! Our child has just been born! He needs the love of both his parents! My voice trembled along with my body as I said, ¡°I know you still me me for what happened to Mom. I know this is all my fault, so you can hate me, scold me, and even hit me all you like. But I will never agree to divorce Michael! I won''t leave him!¡± This was something I had to stand very firm on. I was determined not to leave Michael regardless of what Lincoln said to me. Seeing as my rtionship with Michael had improved a lottely, I believed that he would never agree to divorce me either. ¡°I will not allow you to remain in the Shaw family, so you will sign this divorce agreement today. I have even brought awyer with me today. Let''s get this all over with right here and now.¡± Lincolnpletely disregarded everything I had just told him. I looked at him in utter shock, as I didn''t expect the gentle and supportive father-inw to be so heartless. Given the fact that the man behind him was awyer, it became obvious that he didn''te here to negotiate at all. Lincoln hade here with the sole purpose of getting me to sign that divorce agreement. ¡°I won''t divorce Michael, and I''m sure he won''t agree to it either! Besides, whether we divorce or not is our decision to make, not yours! You have no say in this matter!¡± I shouted while staring at him with a determined look in my eyes. Although my mind was all over the ce, I knew I had to stand my ground and refuse the divorce. I would never leave Michael unless he told me he wanted to divorce me. Lincoln''s tone grew a lot colder as he asked with a frown, ¡°What will it take for you to sign this, then?¡± ¡°I''m going to give Michael a call and tell him about this. Michael will never agree to divorce me! He loves me!¡± In my state of panic, I whipped out my phone and punched in Michael''s number. I''m going to tell Michael about this and have him stop his father! However, I couldn''t get through to him no matter how many times I tried. Every call ended with an automated voice message stating that his phone was outside of the coverage area. That made me panic even more, as Michael was my only source of hope left. If I gave in to Lincoln''s pressure and signed the divorce agreement, then my rtionship with Michael would truly be over. ¡°Your call won''t get through, so don''t bother wasting your time and energy. Michael won''t answer your call even if you manage to get through. Hasn''t it urred to you that his business trip to Anndur was just to avoid you?¡± Lincoln said calmly when he saw how anxious I was, but his words only worsened things for me. What is he talking about? Is he saying that Michael knew he would have me sign this divorce agreement? Did Michael really choose to go on a business trip just to avoid me? Did Michael know what was going to happen today? Did he know that his family would bring this divorce agreement over? All sorts of questions filled my head. I didn''t want to doubt Michael because I believed in his love for me, but Lincoln''s words were making me feel extremely uneasy. I couldn''t bring myself to believe that Michael knew about this, as he had taken such good care of me over the past month. I saw no sign of him wanting a divorce at all. ¡°No, I don''t believe you! Michael wouldn''t do this to me!¡± I shouted at Lincoln out of agitation. Instead of getting mad at my rude behavior, Lincoln simply maintained a firm attitude as he said, ¡°There are things in life that you are better off not knowing too much about. Hurts a lot less that way. Do you really think I''d bring this divorce agreement over if Michael wasn''t aware?¡± I could clearly tell from the tone of his voice that he was dead-set on having me sign those papers that day. ¡°Michael and I have gone through a lot before we ended up together, so I don''t believe he would agree to divorce me like this. I know you''re still mad at me, Dad. I feel really bad about what happened to Mom too, and I really do want to make it up to you. But please don''t make me leave Michael. We have a child now! What would happen to the child if we ended up getting divorced?¡± My voice was still trembling as I pleaded with Lincoln. I couldn''t bring myself to imagine what life would be like for both me and my child if we got divorced. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°The child is a descendant of the Shaw family, so we will raise him and provide him with the best education possible. When he grows up, we will hand the family business over to him as well.¡± What Lincoln meant was that my child would belong to the Shaw family entirely. Naturally, I wasn''t about to just hand over my child. I had gone through great pains to bring him into this world. ¡°I don''t agree with this arrangement. That''s my child, and I''m not going to let anyone take him away from me!¡± I red at Lincoln. I can''t believe Lincoln would be so heartless! Not only does he want me to divorce Michael, but he won''t let me keep my child either! I carried my child in my womb for ten months! Lincoln has no right to take him away from me! Lincoln let out a sigh and said calmly, ¡°Anna, our family is simply trying to resolve this matter peacefully. If you insist on being so stubborn, then we will have no choice but to take this to court. The police will then investigate how Josephine got injured, and you might end up going to prison. It''d be impossible for you to see your child then.¡± Although it seemed like he was doing this out of sympathy for me, I knew that sympathy was definitely thest thing he felt toward me. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Lincoln is tantly threatening me with the possibility of prison time if I refuse topromise! He knows it would be near impossible for me to see my child if I ended up in prison! As such, signing the divorce agreement would be the only option avable to me. With that in mind, I tightened my grip on the divorce agreement. Although it was incredibly tempting to just tear it to pieces, I managed to fight the urge and maintain myposure. ¡°Don''t worry. The Shaw family will be sure to repay you in kind for bringing us a son. I will pay you five million aspensation, so you should have an easy life ahead of you.¡± The cold look on Lincoln''s face eased up significantly when he saw me hesitating, and his attitude became a lot better as he tried to persuade me to sign the papers. I don''t need their money! I just want to keep my child by my side! Having to leave Michael is painful enough as it is, so I''m going to make damn sure I at least get to keep my child! Having made up my mind, I clenched my fists and stared into Lincoln''s eyes as I replied, ¡°All I want is my child. I don''t want your money, so you can keep the five million. If I am to get divorced, then I demand custody of my child!¡± The look in Lincoln''s eyes went back to being icy-cold instantly when he heard that. He then leaped to his feet and yelled angrily, ¡°The child is a Shaw! We will not let you have him, so you can forget about it! If you sign these papers, you will be allowed to visit your child whenever you feel like it. If you end up in prison, you will never get to see him again! It would be a great dishonor for us to have a convict as a part of our family, after all!¡± Each and every one of his words stabbed at my heart like knives as he continued pushing me into a corner. I took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed my burning anger as I pleaded with him, ¡°I can''t reach Michael right now, Dad. Can we at least wait till hees back before we discuss this further?¡± ¡°You still don''t believe that this is Michael''s decision, do you? In that case, why don''t you take a closer look at the divorce agreement? Michael has already signed his name on it. Surely, you can recognize his signature?¡± Lincoln was really well-prepared before he came over. Perhaps he already knew that I wouldn''t agree to the divorce. I didn''t read the rest of the divorce agreement earlier, but hearing Lincoln''s words prompted me to check it again. I quickly flipped to thest page, and sure enough, Michael''s signature was there. The sight of Michael''s name and signature stabbed at my heart once again, and whatever remaining mes of hope I had left were extinguishedpletely. So, this really is Michael''s idea... He actually wants to divorce me... Is this the answer he said he''d give me? Heh... I thought we would go back to being the lovey-dovey couple we used to be, but I suppose that''s just wishful thinking on my part. I''ve overestimated the ce I hold in Michael''s heart, after all. ¡°Now that you''ve seen it and confirmed it, you should hurry up and sign the papers!¡± Lincoln urged me impatiently while hiswyer handed me a pen. With trembling hands, I took the pen over from him. At first, I was determined to stand my ground no matter what. However, seeing Michael''s signature caused my resolve to disappear instantly. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I wouldn''t shamelessly cling to Michael if he didn''t want to be with me anymore. As much as it hurt me to divorce him, I would go through with it because I knew Michael all too well. Not a single person in the world could change his mind once he had made his decision. However, I really didn''t want to be separated from my child, who was just a little over a month old. As if he had read my mind, Lincoln said in a gentle voice, ¡°Don''t worry. You may drop by to visit your child anytime.¡± After taking into consideration that it was better than not being able to see my child at all while in prison, I decided to proceed with the divorce. My tears fell uncontrobly when I nced at Michael''s signature once again, and my hands were shaking like crazy when I signed my name. I hate you, Michael! My heart was filled with hatred for the Shaw family, Michael, as well as his decision to divorce me, which prevented me from living with my child. A satisfied smile formed on Lincoln''s face when he saw me sign the papers. He then ced a check worth five million on the table before telling the caregiver she would be working in the Shaw residence from then on. Seeing her carry my child out of the room hurt me like a sledgehammer to the chest, and the pain snapped me out of my daze. ¡°Don''t take my child away! I just want to have him by my side! I don''t want anything else!¡± I screamed as I ran toward her and snatched my child out of her arms. My child was all I had left after divorcing Michael, so I couldn''t afford to lose him. ¡°Please let go, Mrs. Shaw. You''ll hurt the baby! He''s too young to withstand such rough handling!¡± the caregiver shouted anxiously when she saw how agitated I was. ¡°No! Give my child back to me! This is my child! I won''t let anyone take him away from me!¡± My child began crying, and hearing him cry hurt my heart even more. Although I didn''t want to cause him any pain, the fear of losing him was a lot stronger than my ability to think rationally at that time. He is only a little over a month old! He still needs me to keep himpany as he grows up! ¡°Look, the baby is crying, Mrs. Shaw! He''ll get hurt if you don''t let go of him!¡± The caregiver''s tone grew increasingly anxious when she saw my child crying non-stop. ¡°Then let go of him! Let go of him right now!¡± I shouted back at her. It hurt me the most to fight over my child like this, but I didn''t dare to let go as I feared I would lose him forever. Unable to watch this any longer, Lincoln called out to his subordinates, ¡°Hey, you two! Subdue Mrs. Shaw!¡± Two strong men then came over and grabbed both of my arms before yanking me aside. I kept screaming at the top of my lungs as I watched my child get taken away from me, but no one cared about my feelings at all. No one knew how much pain I was in at the time. My heart felt as if it had been hollowed out when I saw the caregiver walk out of the house with my child. The two men only let go of me after she got into the car. Desperate to get my child back, I ran straight out the front door as quickly as I could. However, the car sped off before I could even get close to it. I tried to chase after it on foot, but that was obviously not going to work. In the end, I simply stood there and watched as the car slowly disappeared from my sight. Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Balling my fists, I watched as the car disappeared into the horizon. I had never panicked as badly as I was at that moment, and never had I ever been so furious as well. While I despised the Shaw family, I despised Michael even more. What happened in the past month was only a temporary blissful moment before our rtionship came to an end. He told me he was going on a business trip, but I guessed that he was trying to end things with me. I had underestimated how ruthless the man could be. We had been together for such a long time, and I had never thought that he would do such a cruel thing to me. Without missing a beat, I hailed a cab and handed the driver all the money I had on me to have him drive me to the Shaw residence as quickly as he could. After reaching the Shaw residence, a security guard stopped me before I could even enter the premise. ¡°Let me in! I''m Michael''s wife!¡± was what I roared at the security guard when he stood in my way. ¡°I''m sorry, but I''ve received instructions from Mr. Andy not to let you into the ce from now on,¡± the security guard said impassively, ignoring the fact that I was looking daggers at him. He did not let me in despite my rtionship with Michael. I had been to the Shaw residence many times before, so I was sure that the security guard knew who I was. Hence, the Shaws were definitely the ones who instructed the guard to stop me outside. They had just forcibly taken my child away, and yet, they were forbidding me from entering their residence. They had told me that I could see my child any time I wanted, but those words from them were nothing but a lie! ¡°Let me in! I''m going to bring my child home!¡± The Shaws did not keep their promise. I had just signed the paper, and almost immediately, they refused to let me see my child. There was no way I was going to let him stay in their residence anymore. It was at that moment I was filled with remorse. At the same time, I suddenly realized how big of a fool I was. The Shaws were already treating me mercilessly, so I should have known they would not possibly give me the chance to see my child again. ¡°Ms. Garcia, if you insist on barging in, please don''t me us if we''re rough with you. I hope you won''t put us in a difficult spot,¡± said the other security guard in a cold tone. It seemed like they were not nning to let me into the ce at all. ¡°Please let me in. I want to bring my child away from here. I just want to see my child, and I''ll leave right after that, please?¡± I pleaded while looking at them. At that very second, the only thing I wanted was to see my child. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I''d advise you to leave quickly. You won''t be able to enter this ce. If we let you in, I''m afraid we''ll be fired.¡± One of the security guards was looking at me with sympathy, but at the end of the day, that was all they could offer to me. They were only employees of the Shaw family. If I were to enter, they would be fired from their post. ¡°I won''t leave! If I don''t see my child, I won''t leave!¡± I cried out determinedly. As I stared at the Shaw residence, the urge to murder the Shaws emerged in my heart. Nevertheless, the two security guards never let me in, no matter what I did. Knowing that they were only following orders, I did not me them for it. Still, the abhorrence I had for the Shaws grew more intense. At the start, there was a hint of guilt in me. Yet, after getting stopped outside the Shaw residence, the only feeling left in me was nothing but pure hatred. I then took out my phone to call Michael again, but like before, the call did not go through. Lincoln had already told me clearly that Michael was aware of it, yet I refused to give up. However, upon hearing the automated voiceing out of the speakers, I could not help but wonder if Michael did have a part in this. I wanted to know why he was treating me in such a way and why he had to be so cruel to me. Even if he thought I hurt his mother, there was no need for him to be so heartless toward me. I refused to believe that he would not be the least bit affected to watch our child lose his mother. My hand that was holding the phone lowered. At that moment, all of my hopes were shattered. Since they refused to let me into the premise, I decided to sit right by the gate. I was going to wait there because I refused to believe that they could stay in the house forever. As long as I remained there, I would surely be able to see my child. Time ticked away, and soon, it was nighttime. The sky was dark, while the Shaw residence was brightly lit. However, no one from the Shaw family came out. Having not seen my child for hours, I grew restless. Anxiety bloomed in my chest; I wanted to know if he was crying and if he had eaten. Right then, the two security guards by the entrance nced at me and sighed. Perhaps it was because they never expected me to be that stubborn. Wearing a sympathetic expression, one of the guards walked over to me and said, ¡°Ms. Garcia, you''ve been waiting here for such a long time, but the Shaws haven''t let you in. You should go back. They won''t let you see your child.¡± ¡°I won''t go until they give me back my child.¡± I spoke with a determined voice as I stared at the brightly lit mansion. Regardless of what would happen, I was going to take my child away. I would not leave until I saw him. To be honest, I was still consoling myself that the Shaws were only treating me in that way because they were still in a temper. I told myself it was because they wanted to teach me a lesson after hurting Josephine. Deep down, I still believed that they would not be that callous toward me. However, as time passed, I realized how na?ve I was. A night had gone by, and the sun had risen to the sky again. Yet, there were still no signs of the Shaws. I had not eaten nor drunk for an entire day, so the hunger and thirst were starting to sap me of energy. In fact, I could not summon any strength to my limbs at all. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Honestly, I knew that I could notst long waiting outside the Shaw residence like that, but I did not want to give up. I was scared that, once I left, I would miss the opportunity to see my child. That was why I repeatedly told myself that I could not go and had to remain there to see my child. The sky was gray, and it looked like it was about to rain. Since I did not wear manyyers when I came out the day before, I was shivering from the chilliness in the morning of fall. When the cold breeze blew onto me, I shook like a leaf. Turning to look at the Shaw residence, I still saw no signs of the Shaws. By then, I was convinced that they knew I was right outside and that they were deliberately avoiding me. Thus, I took out my phone to dial Lincoln''s number. Just as the call went through, he hung up. Refusing to admit defeat so easily, I called him a few more times, but it all ended the same way as the first. It was then my suspicions were confirmed. When Lincoln dered that I could see my child at any time, he was only saying it so that he could trick me into signing the paper. At that thought, I found Michael''s seemingly kind and caring father to be vile. The sky darkened even more. Soon, the sounds of thunder began filling the air. I knew it was going to rain, but I had no ns to leave. ¡°Ms. Garcia, you should really leave now. It''s going to rain soon, and you''ve been here for almost twenty-four hours.¡± Chapter 396 Chapter 396 The security guard came to my side and offered me another reminder out of goodwill, but the only thought I had the entire time was to see my child. Nothing else mattered to me. Even if the sky began raining knives down, I was going to stay where I was until I saw my child, let alone mere water droplets. ¡°Ms. Garcia, why do you have to do this to yourself? You''re powerless, so how are you going to fight against the Shaw family? Aren''t you just making things difficult for yourself?¡± The guard then looked at me with pity in his eyes. At the same time, his voice carried a touch of resignation. ¡°My child is still inside. That''s my son. He''s just there, but they won''t let me see him. What right do they have to do this?¡± When I thought about how I had not seen my child for one whole day, I could not help but feel agitated. Tears began rolling down my cheeks uncontrobly as I screamed at the guard. Never had I ever lost control over my emotions like that moment. ¡°I know where you''reing from, and we feel bad for you too, but it''s pointless even if you stay here. Moreover, it''s about to rain soon. It''s best if you find a ce to shelter yourself from the rain first.¡± The guard was nice, in a way. I know that he was only saying that for my sake, but I was inundated with the thoughts of wanting to see my child. There was no way I was going to just leave like that. Hence, I ignored him and continued to stand by the gate. Right then, rain droplets began falling from the sky. The cold water poured on me, and soon, shivers racked my body. However, the rain did not seem like it would stop any time soon, for it only became heavier and heavier. After some time, the world around me began spinning, and I was starting to feel weak. It was then I had the urge to lie down on the ground. However, I could not copse yet, not when I had yet to see my child. His well-being was still unknown, so there was no way I would allow myself to ck out. Hence, I balled my fists and let my nails dig into the flesh of my palm. The resulting pain was what kept me awake, preventing me from passing out until I saw my child. Nevertheless, my body began swaying, and my vision started to blur. At that, I shook my head, forcing myself to stay awake. Right then, I spotted the butler holding up an umbre for Lincoln and escorting thetter to the car. At the sight of Lincoln, my eyes lit up, and I regained my strength. Then, I watched as his car slowly drove toward the gate. As it was raining cats and dogs, the car was driving extremely slowly. The moment it drove past the gate, I rushed over and blocked it fearlessly. Instantly, the driver mmed on the brakes and started honking at me. Unfazed, I darted to the window of the car''s back seat and repeatedly smacked it. I knew Lincoln was in there, and I knew he was the one who took my child away. The only one I could go to and request to have my child back was him. Therefore, I continued rapping on the car window despite being unable to see what was going on inside. After a long time, the window was finally rolled down, and Lincoln''s face appeared in my sight. Immediately, I was beside myself with fury. ¡°Give my child back to me! Give my child back to me now!¡± In the past, I treated him with nothing but respect, but all I could feel at that moment was pure, unadulterated hatred. ¡°You''ve already signed the divorce agreement. It''s stated clearly in ck and white that Michael has full custody of the child. Therefore, from now on, the child has nothing to do with you anymore.¡± Unlike me, Lincoln was the epitome of calmness. The way he was looking at me was cold and unfeeling. ¡°You lied to me. You said I could see my child any time I wanted after signing the paper. How could you go back on your words?¡± Lincoln''s nonchnt attitude only made me even angrier, and I could not help but yell at him. I was utterly disappointed with him. ¡°You''ve hurt my wife, and I''m already being very merciful toward you. Don''t ever think of seeing the child anymore because I won''t be giving you any more chances,¡± Lincoln said while staring at me expressionlessly. He did not care how upset I was. My hands clenched into fists, and I wanted to kill him then and there. Trying to open the car door, I tugged at the door handle forcefully, but it was locked. My efforts were fruitless. As though he had expected me to do so, Lincoln merely shot me an indifferent look before ordering the driver, ¡°Drive.¡± At hismand, the driver stepped on the elerator without hesitation and sped off. I had been waiting for one of the Shaws to show up for such a long time. Since Lincoln was out, it would be my only shot to see my child, so I could not give up so easily. Hence, I summoned all the strength I could to run after the car. The rain continued to pour, and the raindrops obstructed my vision. Still, I ran with all my might. As the car went further and further, my legs gradually weakened. I was already feeling ufortable, and after the vigorous activity, all I could think of was to fall to the ground. However, that was the one thing I could not do. If I did, I would not be able to get back my child. I did not stop running despite knowing that it was impossible for me to catch up with the car and for Lincoln to return my son to me. Even if the chance to have my child back were as slim as one out of ten thousand, I would never give up. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side. Just as I was running after Lincoln''s car on the road, a car sped toward me from behind. The driver kept honking at me, but I could not be bothered to pay attention to it. At that moment, fear did not exist in my world. It was only when my entire body was wracked with pain did I realize what kind of situation I was in. My head felt like it was going to explode as Iy in the pool of rainwater. All strength had fled me by then, and I was sure that even my soul was leaving my body. My vision became blurrier and blurrier with each passing second, and my body felt lighter and lighter. When I closed my eyes, all I could see was my child. The hatred toward the Shaw family zed within me, and I swore I would take my revenge on them one day. At the same time, I abominated Michael with every fiber of my body. I detested his heartlessness and vowed to make him pay for the pain I had gone through in folds. Amid my muddled state, I felt as though I had a long dream. The throbbing pain in my head was what made me stir. When I regained my consciousness fully, I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling dazedly. Then, I looked around to scan my surroundings, only to realize I was in a ce that looked a lot like a hospital ward. At that, I frowned in puzzlement, bewildered by the change in location when thest thing I remembered doing was chasing Lincoln''s car. ¡°You''re awake?¡± Just as I struggled to recall the earlier events, an unfamiliar voice of a man sounded beside my ear. His voice was low, carrying a hint of concern. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Puzzled, I turned in the direction of the voice to see a man with attractive features. He had a slight smile on his face, and his gaze was lingering on my face. ¡°Where is this ce? Why am I here?¡± My frown deepened as I looked at him in confusion. I had no impression of the man beside my bed at all. Chapter 397 Chapter 397 ¡°I''m Nichs Cadman. I identally hit you with my car the morning before yesterday, so I sent you to the hospital. How do you feel now? Do you feel better?¡± the man asked in a soft, worried voice. Upon hearing his words, I abruptly recalled getting hit by a car before losing consciousness. Since he said he hit me the morning before yesterday, it meant that I had been in the hospital for two days. The moment I came to that realization, I flew into a state of panic and struggled to sit up. Then, I pulled away the covers to get out of bed. After all, it had been three days since Ist saw my child. Seeing my actions, Nichs swiftly stood up to push me back onto the bed. At the same time, he hastily exhorted, ¡°Don''t move! Your head''s injured, and the doctor said you have to recuperate.¡± ¡°No, I have to leave this ce. I have to find my child. I have to go to the Shaw residence right away.¡± I was in no mood to recover from my injuries at all. It had been three days since Ist saw my son. I could not rest in the hospital when I had no idea how he was doing at that moment. ¡°Stay here and recover first. I''m sure your family will take good care of your child. By the way, please give me your husband''s number so that I can call him and inform him toe over,¡± Nichs said, forcing me to lie in bed. His actions andmanding voice somehow reminded me of Michael. I froze. For a moment there, I nearly blurted out Michael''s number, but in the next second, I recalled that we were divorced. My world had turned upside down in a mere span of a few days. I still found it unbelievable that my rtionship with Michael hade to an end. ¡°I don''t have any family; I only have my child. I''m going to look for my child now, so let me go!¡± I repressed the urge to cry as I struggled to get out of Nichs'' grasp. The words I said were the truth. The only family I had left in the world was my son, and I had to bring him to my side. Nichs then frowned and looked at me dubiously. ¡°What about your husband? If you have a child, shouldn''t you have a husband?¡± ¡°We just signed the divorce agreement a few days ago,¡± was what I replied to him tly. I seemed calm on the surface, but only I knew my heart was in pieces. Despite that, I told myself that it was not worth it to be upset because of Michael, for he was ruthless toward me. Nichs'' frown deepened, and he fell silent. The whole time, I kept struggling, wanting to leave the ce and find my child. Left without a choice, Nichs then asked the doctor to give me a sedative. Afterward, the doctor informed him that I was in an emotionally unstable state and might develop psychological issues if I continued to stay in that state for long. After the sedative, I was in a daze. Although I could not move, my mind was still working. Hence, I could not help but depreciate myself. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Inwardly, I deliberated the Shaws'' intentions, wondering if they were determined to drive me mad and why they had to be so cruel to me. As I dozed off, I swore I would find a way to get my child back for as long as I was still alive. When I awoke again, Nichs spoke before I could even start struggling to look for my child. ¡°I''ve had someone to look into your matter. Kicking up a fuss at their residence won''t make them give back your child to you. Not only is it useless, but you also won''t even get to see your child at all.¡± When I heard his words, my struggle came to a halt. Of course, I knew my efforts were fruitless, but there was nothing else I could do except go to the Shaw residence and beg them to let me see my child. The Shaw family was influential in Avenport, while I had nothing. ¡°Are you telling me to yield and give up on seeing my child for the rest of my life? Why do they have to be so cruel to me? Why?¡± Tears rushed out of my eyes uncontrobly as I looked at Nichs. I had never felt as helpless as I was at that moment. Even though I knew where my child was, I could not see him. No matter what I did, the Shaw family refused to let me in. I was at my wits'' end. ¡°If you want to see your child again, you''ll have to make yourself stronger. There''s no way you''ll be able to get your child back with your current state,¡± came Nichs'' voice. He said those words in a soft tone, but they carried a sense of calmness and confidence. From the moment I saw him, I could tell that he was no ordinary person. One could figure out another person''s character through their eyes. ¡°Do you think it''s possible for me to be stronger? Do you really think I can be stronger than the Shaw family?¡± I then let out a self-deprecatingugh. I knew the theory, but what he said was an impossible feat. No matter how strong I became, I could never be a match against the Shaw family. ¡°If I help you, then it''s possible.¡± Nichs'' lips quirked into a smile as he gave me a confident look. ¡°You''re going to help me? Why?¡± I could not help but stare at him in shock. We were but strangers, yet the man in front of me was offering to help me. After all, to be on my side meant going against the Shaw family. I did not believe in the existence of free lunch in the world. ¡°I''m sure you despise the Shaw family now, right? My terms are simple¡ªI want to take over the Shaw family''spany. As long as you assist me, I''ll help you get back your child.¡± When Nichs articted those words, there were barely any emotions on his face. Instead, he wore a confident smile on his face as though he was certain I would agree to his condition. Shock washed over me as I stared at him. I never thought that the man would be so ambitious as to want to gobble up Michael''spany. After all, the Shaw family''s business was the leadingpany in Avenport. At that moment, I wondered if the man in front of me was delusional. I almost wanted to ask if he was even aware of Michael''s personality and how he had the guts to try to outsmart a man as shrewd as Michael. ¡°Do you think it''s possible for you to take over the Shaw family''spany? I think your goal is even tougher than mine to achieve,¡± I said and gave a mockingugh. At that moment, I regarded Nichs as a lunatic. He was nothing but a delusional man with the wishful thinking of taking over the Shaw family''spany. ¡°Of course, I know that this is an extremely difficult matter. That''s why I''m hoping you will help me. Even if my n doesn''t seed, I''ll still help you get your child back. Sounds good? You won''t be losing out on anything for this deal,¡± Nichs patiently continued despite my mocking tone. When I saw the serious look in his eyes, I began to have doubts. I wondered if he could really help me and if he had the capabilities to do so. ¡°Give me a reason to believe you,¡± I stated in a cold tone while looking him in the eye. Although that was what I said, I had actually made up my mind. As long as Nichs had the capability of going up against the Shaw family, I would agree to work with him. After all, I had no other options left. Chapter 398 Chapter 398 As if he had expected those words from me, Nichs smiled and took out a name card from his pocket. I took it over and saw that the text on it was: Nichs Cadman. General Manager of Nifty Group, Anndur. Once I registered the information on the card, my eyes widened in shock. I hade across the name Nifty Group on the news before. They were a powerfulpany, almost on par with the Shaw family. ¡°You''re from Nifty Group?¡± I questioned, looking at him in disbelief. Instead of answering my question, Nichs asked, ¡°Now, do you think that I have the capability of helping you out?¡± My eyes darted back to the card as my heart skipped a beat. Truthfully, I never thought of doing anything to Michael''spany, but since the Shaw family was treating me so heartlessly, I found no point in being nice to them. ¡°All right. Deal!¡± If I wanted my child, I had to agree to it. Only by working with Nichs then could I make myself stronger and be powerful enough to get my son back. ¡°I''ll be going to Anndur the day after tomorrow. Come with me.¡± The moment Nichs heard my agreement, a smile reappeared on his face. The confidence in that smile convinced me that he had the power to acquire Michael''spany. ¡°To Anndur? I''m not going to go there. If I go to Anndur, I''ll have even lesser chances to see my child.¡± My child was in the Shaw residence. If I were to leave the country, I would be further from him. By then, not only would I be unable to see my child, but I would also be unable to receive any news about him. Therefore, I could not and would not leave the country. Frowning, Nichs said in a solemn tone, ¡°Is there a point for you to stay here? Will the Shaws let you see your child if you stay here? If youe to Anndur with me, you''ll meet a professional training team there. I''m asking you to help me take over the Shaw family''spany, so you''ll have to learn the ropes of the corporate world. When you return to the country again, it''ll be the time for you to get your child back.¡± I then mulled over his words. I knew he was right, but I could not bear to leave the ce and part with my child. Hence, I hung my head in silence as the two conflicting thoughts fought in my head. Just as I was hesitating, Nichs added, ¡°At the end of the day, whether you stay or leave is up to you. However, you must know that your child will never return to you if you don''t leave for Anndur with me.¡± He spoke in a monotone, but his words still managed to catch my attention. I, too, was fully aware that it was meaningless for me to stick around. Lincoln''s actions had shown me how merciless the Shaw family could be to me. Thus, I took a deep breath and raised my head to meet Nichs'' amber eyes before nodding. To get my child back to my side, I had to harden my heart and leave the country. If I hemmed and hawed, I would never be able to achieve anything. ¡°Very well. You''re a smart woman.¡± In response to my decision, Nichs nodded in delight and satisfaction. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I felt a little uneasy. Perhaps it was because I had yet to steel myself fully. Two dayster, I went to Anndur with Nichs. On my second day there, I began studying everything as quickly as possible. Previously, I was only a normal employee in an advertising company''s design department. In order to grow stronger, I had to make myself look at the big picture and go for the long game. As it was my first time at Anndur, I had many difficulties understanding thenguage. During the day, I would learn from Nichs how to win a client''s heart and maximize the profits I could reap. At night, upon returning to a house that he bought for me, I would study as much Ustranasion as I could. In the past, I would not have put in so much effort. However, for the sake of getting my child toe back to my side, I had to do my best. Michael called me during my first few days in Anndur, but I did not pick up his call. In fact, I even changed my number, determined to cut ties with the Shaw family. Although I was in Anndur, I would still sometimes see Michael on finance channels since he also had businesses in Anndur. Every time I looked at his familiar handsome face, the scabbed wound in my heart would reopen and hurt again. That face used to be what I was most familiar with, but at that moment, all I could feel was unfamiliarity. I was filled with hatred toward him. He was the man I loved the most in my life, but he was also the man who hurt me the most. That was why I maintained a frosty look as I watched Michael on the television screen. Despite the throbbing pain in my chest, I did my best to convince myself not to be softhearted. I had to help Nichs acquire Michael''spany and get my child back. While I was in the middle of a trance, the screen abruptly turned ck. Nichs had appeared behind me. ¡°Don''t watch his news anymore. Time will make your pain and memories fade. I''m sure you don''t want your hard work to go to waste, right? No one will bear the pain you felt on your behalf. If you let your heart soften, your child will never return to your side,¡± he said indifferently. Although his words were not easy on the ear, I knew he was right. I still could not stop myself from bing softhearted whenever I saw Michael. ¡°Don''t worry. Only my child can make my heart soften,¡± I said to him in a frosty yet determined tone. ¡°Good to hear that. It''s gettingte, so rest early.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Nichs then patted my shoulders. He seemed like he had something else to say, but in the end, he left without another word. For the next six months, I spent my days studying hard. At the same time¡ªperhaps because of Nichs¡ªI slowly became an aloof and decisive person. Regardless of whether I was facing my subordinates or thepany''spetitors, I showed no mercy. Nichs told me that I was improving swiftly. At that, I let out a self-deprecatingugh. If I had a choice, I would not want to be an unfeeling woman. I only ended up in such a way because of my goal¡ª to have my child return to my side. It was because I knew if I were to remain the same person I used to be, I would never see him again. While I was in Anndur, the feelings Nichs had for me changed. He told me that witnessing my metamorphosis made him fall in love with me. In response to his confession, I merely smiled. I was unperturbed by it, but I did not reject him either. Sometimes, I even thought he could be the perfect partner for me after I got my child back. A few monthster, Nifty Group wanted to enter my home country''s market, so they made a temporary branch office. Nichs and I were assigned to take the helm there. He was the general manager, and I was the director of the operations department. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 When I returned to the country, I realized that everything seemed to have changed a lot. I had not stepped foot in the country for a year, and although it had not been a long time, every day of that one year was agonizing for me. There was not a single day that I did not look forward to returning to the country. That day had finally arrived. Soon, I would be able to see my child and the Shaws. That time around, I was not going to show them any mercy. When I arrived at Nifty Group''s branch office, I discovered that the employees had been recruited before we came. After getting down from the car, I followed behind Nichs. He was wearing a pure ck suit, and so was I. Ever since we left for Anndur, Nichs said I had developed a stronger character, but at the same time, I lost some of my feminine charms. I gave no response to hisment. Whether or not I had feminine charms was irrelevant to me. As a matter of fact, I even wished I was no longer a woman. When Nichs and I entered the office, the employees immediately greeted us. Upon entering Nichs'' office, he told me that our mission there was to dominate the local market. Simultaneously, if possible, we would be taking over the Shaw family''spany as well. I remained silent as I listened to Nichs go on about the details of the n. Truthfully, I still felt a little hesitant about it. Noticing my silence, he threw me a curious look and asked softly, ¡°What''s the matter? Why aren''t you saying anything?¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± I replied once I returned to my senses. At the same time, I quickly repressed my panic and did my best to sound as calm as possible. At that, Nichs drew his brows together and asked, ¡°It seems like you''re reluctant to do it. Have you forgotten how the Shaws treated you?¡± His tone was t, but I could tell he was trying to give me a reminder. ¡°I won''t. How can I possibly forget how they''ve treated me back then? Their cruelty is that one thing I will never forget even till thest day of my life!¡± After hearing Nichs'' words, I hardened my heart again. Gone was the slight hesitance I felt earlier. In comparison with how wicked they had been to me, I was very merciful. ¡°Good. You have to remember that your kindness toward them is cruelty to yourself. You have to do this if you want to get your child back,¡± Nichs reminded again, as though he was still worried that I would back down. ¡°I know what I should do. You don''t need to keep reminding me about it.¡± Of course, I knew his repetitive reminder was because he was afraid my hesitance would ruin his n. I was annoyed by that, but he was the only one who could help me. The two of us were in the same boat. ¡°Good. I was scared that you''d return to your past self aftering back and forget the agonizing days you''ve been through the past year.¡± Perhaps he had sensed my anger as he fell silent after that. All he did was sh me a smile. ¡°No one knows that better than me. I know what I should do. Please excuse me now. I have something to do.¡± Not wanting to continue the topic, I rose to my feet and walked out of his office before he could say anything else. An unfathomable look crossed Nichs'' frowning face as he watched me leave. After leaving the branch office, I went to the neighborhood that Michael used to let me live in. I did not know why I went there. My legs brought me to that area without me realizing it. Honestly, I knew that I had not let go of the matter yet. It was impossible to let go of someone I had loved so deeply. However, at the same time, he and his family were the reason for my change in personality. No matter how much I still loved him, I would not humble myself as I used to anymore. I would not let anyone manipte me, nor would I ever let myself feel that helpless again. After ncing at the house I used to live in, I turned and left. I did not return to be hesitant. By hook or by crook, I had to get my child back. The first task I received from Nichs sinceing back to the country was to head to Michael''s At the start, I was against it. However, Nichs managed to convince me by saying that I could not avoid meeting Michael after returning to the country. Hence, I ended up agreeing to it and went to Joyful Sess Advertisements. When I reached the office, many employees turned to look at me. As I had worked there before, they knew who I was. Perhaps my sudden appearance puzzled them. I then went to the reception, and when the receptionist saw me, she was baffled. ¡°My name is Anna Garcia, and I''m the director of Nifty Group. I''ve made an appointment with your CEO to meet at ten in the morning,¡± I said as she stared at me in shock. ¡°You''re Nifty Group''s director?¡± The receptionist gasped, seemingly still in disbelief. I frowned in displeasure at her continuous staring and said coldly, ¡°Is there any problems with that? My secretary has already made an appointment with your CEO.¡± If it were in the past, I would have exined it to her patiently, but as of then, I did not have the patience. ¡°N-No... I''ll inform the CEO''s secretary now...¡± Seemingly sensing my vexation, the receptionist uttered that sentence hastily before calling Michael''s secretary. Five minutester, I arrived at the meeting room. Once upon a time, I used to work in thatpany for a while. Being back at the building gave me a vague sense of familiarity. After I sat down on a chair in the meeting room, my heart lurched at the thought of meeting Michael again. It had been a year, and I wondered if he still remembered how heartless his family was to me. Just as I let my mind wander, someone opened the door to the meeting room. Then, a slender figure appeared in my line of sight. Michael was wearing a pure ck suit, and his handsome face was devoid of expressions. Compared to a year ago, he seemed to have be more mature and reliable. At the same time, something about the way he carried himself deterred others froming close to him. Even after entering the room, he did not spare a nce at me. It was as if I was nothing but air. He was as prideful as always. ¡°Mr. Shaw, it''s been a long time.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Although my heart raced at the sight of him, the most intense emotion I felt was resentment. It was especially so when I thought about how he had fled overseas to hide for the sake of getting a divorce from me. I wondered how he felt when he saw me again. Nevertheless, I kept a mocking smile on my lips as I stared at him frostily. Upon hearing my voice, Michael visibly jerked before turning around to look at me in surprise. ¡°Anna, it''s you!¡± He then strode toward me and put his hands on my shoulders. His voice was so excited that it seemed as though he was thrilled to see me. Still, I stared at him in utter indifference. The man before me appeared in my dreams every night for the past year, but I felt nothing but abhorrence for him. Chapter 400 Chapter 400 I pried Michael''s hands away from me and regarded him impassively. ¡°Why, are you disappointed to see me?¡± A slight smile remained on my lips, but the words out of my mouth were chilly. Probably sensing something amiss from my tone, Michael frowned slightly, and puzzlement showed in his gaze. ¡°What''s wrong, Anna? You''re finally back! Where have you been in the past year? Do you know I''d been searching for you almost every day?¡± He clutched my shoulders once more, his voice carrying a touch of urgency. At the sight of the delight and anxiety in his eyes, my heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I wobbled, but I soon remembered how I had been spending each day in torment during the past year and having daily nightmares about my child crying incessantly. At once, hatred surged within me once more. ¡°Searching for me? Hah! You''re the one who wished that I''d leave the most, no?¡± I looked at him with mockery written all over my face. Back then, he made up an excuse of going abroad just to have a divorce from me and had his father hand me the divorce agreement. Then, he forbade me from seeing my child after taking him away. Yet, he was brazen enough to tell me that he had been searching for me every day. I could not help but wonder why he did not find his own words ridiculous. ¡°What are you talking about? Do you know that I thought I was dreaming when I saw you earlier? Even in my dreams, I''d hoped that you would return to my side every single day. But now, you''re finally back! From now on, I''ll never allow you to leave me again!¡± Michael gushed emotionally. In the next second, he yanked on my hand and pulled me into his embrace. As the unique fragrance wafting off him entered my nostrils, my heart raced. He still smelled as good as before. In the next second, I pushed him away forcefully and stared at him without a shred of emotion on my face. ¡°That''s enough. You don''t need to put on a show here. I''m here to discuss business dealings with you today, Mr. Shaw.¡± Straightening my somewhat rumpled clothes, I sat down in a nearby seat and eyed him dispassionately. Having been shoved away, Michael stared at me in incredulity. His hands remained suspended in midair, and his eyes brimmed with disappointment. ¡°Where have you been in the past year? Why couldn''t I contact you? I want an exnation on all that,¡± he demanded usatorily in a thundering voice while looking down at me after striding over. I was stunned for a moment following his bellow. For a split second, I had an illusion that my departure had seemingly hurt him. However, I swiftly jolted back to reality, remembering that my hellish days in the past year were all thanks to him and his family. Refusing to back down, I lifted my head and stared impassively into his eyes. ¡°Is that any of your business? Please don''t forget that there''s nothing between us now. We''re just strangers!¡± He had no right to question me when he had hurt me so much. ¡°Your guts have grown considerably in the year you''ve been away, Anna! You left for a year without a single word. Now that we''ve met again, you don''t bother exining things and are even giving me attitude!¡± Michael leaned down and propped his hands on the table behind me, his ebony eyes aze with fury. When I saw his furious expression, my heart lurched. In the past, I was most afraid of his wrath. Surprisingly, I was still a tad intimidated to see the rage zing in his eyes even a yearter. However, he had no grounds to be angry at me. He was the one who hurt me, so even if one of us should flip our lid, it ought to be me. The nerve of him to get into a snit when I had not! ¡°Michael, it''s working hours now, so I don''t want to discuss personal matters with you. As I said earlier, I''m here for the business dealings!¡± I tried my best to ignore the trace of panic within me, locking eyes with him calmly and speaking in an even voice. ¡°Business dealings? What kind of business do you have to discuss with me?¡± Likely realizing that he had been too emotional, Michael inhaled deeply and suppressed the anger within him. He sat down across from me, his voice indifferent though the fury in his eyes as he looked at me zed all the hotter. ¡°This is my name card, Mr. Shaw.¡± Composing myself, I slid my name card over to him. Then, I continued regarding him coolly. His brows furrowing slightly, he threw me a chagrined look. Still, he took it. The moment he saw the details printed on it, the crease of his brows instantly deepened. ¡°Nifty Group? When did you start working for thispany?¡± Michael ced the name card on the table, his voice again colored by usation as he spoke. ¡°That has nothing to do with you. It''s my personal affair. My purpose ining today is actually to inform you that Nifty Group wants to get involved in the domestic market. As we heard that Joyful Sess has already monopolized the entire advertisement industry, naturally, we have to start with Joyful Sess if we want to gain a firm foothold.¡± It was all thanks to the Shaw family that I started working for Nifty Group. If I had not chased after Lincoln''s car that day, I would not have been hit by a car, much less leave my child for a whole year in order to get him back. ¡°What do you mean by that? I''ve already monopolized Avenport, so it''s clear as day that Nifty Group wants to go against me when it establishes a branch office within the country at such a time. Is that not so?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. After hearing that, Michael narrowed his eyes into slits, and his voice turned notably colder. ¡°You can look at it that way, Mr. Shaw. Of course, the establishment of Nifty Group in the country will cause many of your clients to switch sides.¡± Michael was astute, and as expected of someone who had been in the corporate world for many years, he grasped the stakes right away. Nheless, I had expected him to surmise all that. After all, he could not possibly lead such a massivepany if he failed to perceive such a trivial matter. ¡°How are you so confident that you can rece Joyful Sess when yourpany had just established an office locally? That''s a pipe dream.¡± Michael sneered. Nonchnce was etched on his face, making it abundantly clear that he was not taking Nifty Group seriously. Indeed, only a handful of people were his match in the corporate world, but I did not think Nichs was necessarily inferior to him. Instead, I felt that they were likely equally matched in terms of capability. If it were anyone else backing me up, I definitely would not have the confidence to make such a statement, but the person standing behind me was Nichs. He said he would help me get my son back, so I must trust him. ¡°You''ll know soon enough whether it''s a pipe dream, Mr. Shaw. Never underestimate Nifty Group or the resolution of someone determined to overthrow the Shaw family!¡± My hands that were on my sides clenched into fists. At the thought that my child was still with the Shaw family then, the detestation within me bubbled once more. Chapter 401 Chapter 401 In the past, I merely wanted my child back, but my hatred toward the Shaw family grew as time passed. I could not forget how I had been waking up crying amidst my yearning for my child every day in the past year. ¡°Anna, you''re my wife, yet you''re helping outsiders to oppress mypany?¡± Michael''s brows were creased slightly, and his eyes radiated faint fury as he stared at me. Upon hearing that, I could not help guffawing. I looked at him with a derisive expression on my face. ¡°Wife? Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten that we''re divorced? We''re no more than strangers at present!¡± The events of my meeting with him that day had been wholly contrary to my expectations. I initially thought he would be livid to see me, assuming that I would be thest person he wanted to see in his lifetime. From his reaction, however, I sensed that it was not the case. The instant I mentioned the word ¡°divorce,¡± his expression changed in a sh, rage zing in his eyes that were pinned on me. ¡°Are you that eager to be strangers with me? Anna, it''s just been a year, but I never expected you to have changed so much!¡± Michael''s countenance was cial, his wordsing out in a near bellow. I could sense that he was really enraged at that moment, but I was not bothered. We no longer had anything to do with each other anymore, so there was no need for me to soften my attitude toward him when he was ruthless to me back then. Speaking of changing, no one changed more than him. I initially thought that the two of us would be together forever, living happily ever after as a family of three, but he let me down. After signing the divorce agreement, he disappeared without a trace. How callous was his treatment of me back then! I could not help but wonder if he harbored even a shred of reluctance when we had been together for such a long time. ¡°I''m here today to inform you that Nifty Group has been officially established in the country. Starting today, I''m going to poach every single client of Joyful Sess! I want to witness Joyful Sess being gobbled up by ourpany!¡± As I loathed to dwell on memories long past, I stood up to leave after uttering those words cidly. Click-cking toward the door in my high heels, I was about to leave the room when a hand gripped my arm. In the next second, I was tugged backward, and Michael hugged me tightly. Startled, I wanted to push him away, but his lips captured mine before I could do anything. I sensed a warm sensation on my lips, followed by the familiar taste of him pervading my mouth. The second he touched me, my heart pounded wildly. I thought hatred was all I had left for him, but only then did I realize that I could not forget him. With all my might, I attempted to struggle out of his grasp. At that moment, I did not only hate him, but I detested myself even more. I hated myself for being so useless that my heart would still race because of him despite him having hurt me so deeply. You deserve to suffer, Anna Garcia! Despising my current self, I chastised myself inwardly. However, Michael had no intention of letting me go. His hold on me tightened, hugging me so forcefully that it was as though he wanted to meld me into him. I hated him with a vengeance. Even though I knew I still had him in my heart, I would never forget how he hurt me. As he forced a kiss on me, I could not break free with my puny strength. Left with no other choice, I could only bite his lip hard. As pain assailed Michael, he abruptly released his grip on me and brushed a long, slender finger across his lips. When he glimpsed the blood on his finger, his expression went cold. He was about to speak, but I did not give him that opportunity. Before he could utter a single word, I struck him hard across the face. I put a lot of strength into that p as though venting the loathing with me. ¡°You''re utterly shameless!¡± After spatting those words, I snagged my bag and stalked away, afraid that he would do something else to me. When I left Joyful Sess, many people fastened their gazes on me. While I was there in the past, a lot of things happened. Everyone knew about my marriage to Michael, but I had no idea how many of them knew about our divorce. As I walked past them, a lot of them started whispering among themselves, but I did not care a whit whatever they were saying. I was no longer the same person I was in the past, and I would not allow my mood to be affected by insignificant people. Having left Joyful Sess, I strolled along the street alone. For some inexplicable reason, I felt empty on the inside. At the same time, Michael''s handsome face lingered in my mind. During the year I had been abroad, I reminded myself every day that I hated him, yet a simple action of his shook my resolve. Verily, I was annoyed at myself for being so umitted. My phone rang out of the blue, interrupting my train of thought. I took out the phone, my brows knitting together when I saw that it was a call from Nichs. Nheless, I still answered it in the end. ¡°Hello.¡± I took a deep breath, doing my best to make myself sound calm and unruffled. ¡°How did you feel when you saw Michael? Has your resolve wavered, and you can no longer bring yourself to go up against Joyful Sess?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Nichs'' voice sounded from the other end of the line. His voice was still mild, but it carried a hint of warning. I knew what he was thinking, and I truly detested his seemingly unintentional reminders every so often. Even so, I actually had to thank him as well. If it were not for his constant reminders, I might not have been able to make it thus far. ¡°No, but the meeting today confounded my expectations.¡± My voice remained even, for I did not want him to notice anything off about me. ¡°I''m d to hear that. I thought all your painstaking effort to make yourself stronger in the past year would go to waste after you meet him again for the first time.¡± His tone seemed to have eased after he heard my reply, but I had not had the presence of mind to care about whatever he was thinking then. My emotions were a chaotic mess. I initially thought that my heart would be as hard as stone when I returned, but I then knew that I had overestimated myself. ¡°Where are you now? Let''s have dinner together tonight.¡± At that exact moment, Nichs'' voice drifted over once more, and it had turned tender. During the past year in Anndur, he had been my only friend and helped me a lot. Although we were using each other, we also encouraged one another. ¡°No, thanks. I''m a bit tired, so I''d like to rest earlier.¡± My emotions were all over the ce after I saw Michael. If I were to meet up with Nichs, I could not be sure that I could keep them under wraps. Honestly, I was afraid that he would realize that something was amiss. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 ¡°All right, then. In that case, go home and rest earlier. See you tomorrow.¡± Upon hearing my rejection, Nichs did not insist. His voice remained as gentle as ever. ¡°Bye!¡± Having said that, I hung up the phone. For some reason, I felt irritable. Then, I hailed a taxi and went back to my apartment. In the past, I probably could not even afford a house. However, after my hard work in the past year, I was no longer the same person. My ie alone was a few times better than it was back then. Iy sprawled on the couch in the living room, feeling so exhausted that I did not feel like moving at all. I remained there for a long time before getting up and going to the bathroom for a bath. As I soaked in the bathtub, it was still Michael''s face that popped up in my mind. Even at that very moment, the exhration in his eyes when he first saw me earlier remained vivid in my mind. I could not tell whether he faked that reaction or if he truly regretted his actions from a year ago. Anna Garcia, don''t forget what the Shaw family did to you a year ago! Do not be bound by your feelings again! Right then, a voice in my mind kept ring a reminder. Those were the words I said to myself whenever I felt my resolve faltering in the past year. Every time I thought of having to part with my child, never onceying eyes on him ever since he was a month old until then, the resentment within me snowballed. At that precise moment, the doorbell suddenly rang. I frowned in mystification, at a loss as to who would be at my door right then. It was my second day back in the country, so no one knew I lived there. Getting out of the bathtub, I put on my bathrobe and went to answer the door. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of Nichs standing outside. At his sudden appearance, my brows furrowed inexorably. As I had already declined his invitation to dinner on the phone back then, exasperation swamped me that he abruptly came over to look for me after his meal. I was not in the mood to deal with him then. ¡°Why did youe over? Didn''t I already tell you on the phone just now that I was a little tired and wanted to rest earlier?¡± I spun around and headed toward the living room, upset at his appearance. ¡°You went to meet Michael today, so I was worried that you''d be in a bad mood and came over to check on you. It seems that I''m not weed here?¡± At my grumpy tone, Nichs trailed along behind me with a sulky look on his face. ¡°I''m fine. It''s inevitable for me to meet with him upon returning, so I''ve long since braced myself for it.¡± At the mention of Michael, I still had mixed feelings, but I did not want to show it in front of Nichs. We were friends, but we also had a coboration between us. My rtionship with Michael would directly determine the sess or failure of his n, so he was naturally concerned about my attitude toward Michael. ¡°Despite having braced yourself for it, I can sense that you''re not in a good mood right now. After all, he''s a man you once loved deeply. Although you hadn''t seen him in a year, the feelings you used to have for him are still there.¡± I sat on the couch, and Nichs took a seat beside me. His voice was t, but the look in his eyes as he stared at me wasplicated. It was as though he wanted to sound me out yet seemingly jealous all at once. That perturbed me, for I could not fathom his thoughts. ¡°If you came at this time to caution me, you don''t need to worry about it. I know what I''m doing. I''ll never forget what the Shaw family did to me, let alone my purpose in returning this time,¡± I stated indifferently, my face devoid of emotion. Probably perceiving the ire in my voice, Nichs frowned slightly, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at me turned all the moreplicated. ¡°You think I came over at this hour to caution you? I''m concerned about you, okay?¡± ¡°I don''t need it!¡± I asserted coldly with my eyes pinned on him. I was currently very much frustrated. Never had I spoken to him in such a tone, but I was really in a foul mood then. ¡°We''ve known each other for a year, and I think you''re well aware of my feelings toward you all this while. Just because you saw Michael today, your attitude toward me changed this much?¡± Nichs'' brows were knitted together, and his voice carried a hint of anger. ¡°I''ve always regarded you as a friend and business partner. Besides, I don''t need a man right now. I only have one thought currently¡ªto get my child back.¡± Over a brief span of twenty years, I had been hurt deeply by two men. As such, I no longer believed in the so-called love at all. Everyone was selfish. Once upon a time, Michael loved me so much, but he still hurt me deeply in the end. Therefore, I could not possibly dare to trust men anymore. ¡°I''ll definitely get your child back for you, and I also believe that you''ll agree to be with me one day. I don''t know whether you''re acting in such a manner now because of Michael, but I want you to remember that I''m not like him,¡± Nichs asserted, holding my hands and staring right into my eyes. I frowned imperceptibly, but I did not shake his hands off. He gave me a glimmer of hope when I was at my lowest, so I was exceedingly grateful to him. That aside, I held a special feeling toward him, but I was well aware that it was not romantic love. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Let''s table the discussion about us first. All I want right now is to see my child and have him back with me.¡± I withdrew my hands, my tone notably gentler then. ¡°Then, we''ll talk about us when you get your child back. Trust me. I''ll fulfill my promise to you!¡± While saying that, Nichs stretched his hands out to hug me. Truth be told, I felt averse inwardly, but I remained seated on the couch without moving away. Not only had I learned to strategize in the corporate world, but I had also learned to mask my emotions. However, just when his hands were an inch away from me, the doorbell rang again. Even as I breathed a sigh of relief internally, frowns marred both of our countenances. Other than Nichs, no one else knew that I was living there, so I could not help wondering who the neer was. ¡°I''ll go and open the door.¡± After saying that cidly, I headed toward the door. When I opened the door and saw the person standing outside, my heart raced uncontrobly. At that moment, Michael was standing outside the door, his gaze fixated on me. I never expected him to appear there all of a sudden. After all, I did not tell them the ce of my residence. ¡°Why are you here? And how did you know that I''m living here?¡± After my initial panic, I promptlyposed myself and regarded him calmly. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 ¡°Since you''vee back, do you think it''s difficult for me to find out where you live?¡± Michael''s expression was aloof, but his gaze that lingered on my face was unfathomable. Only after hearing that answer did it dawn on me. It would be a piece of cake if he wanted to find out where someone lived. After a year of being away, I had even forgotten how powerful he was. ¡°Is something the matter that you sought me out? It''s past working hours now, so let''s just talk tomorrow if you''re here to discuss business.¡± His sudden appearance caught me off guard, and I did not quite know how to face him for a moment. When I saw him at the office earlier, my facade was already close to shattering. ¡°You don''t seem pleased to see me. Do you not have anything to say to me when we haven''t seen each other for a year?¡± When Michael heard I was ordering him to leave, his expression turned terrifyingly grim, and a faint glimmer of rage radiated from his eyes as he stared at me. ¡°I don''t think there''s anything to be said between us. It''ste, and I''d like to rest.¡± Not in the mood to yak with him, I moved to m the door shut right after saying that. However, before I could do so, he rested his hand on the door frame and stopped me from closing the door. ¡°What are you doing, Michael? I said I was tired and would like to rest. Did you not hear me?¡± His action had my temper ring. We were probably considered enemies then. As he hurt me so deeply in the past, hatred inevitably churned within me at the sight of him. ¡°Anna, are you so determined to go against me upon returning this time? What was the meaning of you leaving without a single word back then?¡± Michael''s gaze turned even chillier, and his voice was interrogative when he spoke. ¡°What did I mean by leaving back then? You''ve still got the cheek to ask me this now, huh? It was all thanks to your family that I ended up being the person I am today! Michael, do you know the greatest regret in my life? My greatest regret is making your acquaintance and marrying you!¡± His question amused me greatly. The Shaw family was the one who wanted me to leave. They desired me to be gone by prohibiting me from seeing my child. Yet, he was asking me what I meant by doing so. It was as though I was to be med for everything that transpired. I raised my voice to a near shout when I said that. As soon as my words rang out, Michael''s expression turned as ck as thunder, and his chest heaved as though he was suppressing unbridled fury. ¡°Anna Garcia!¡± he snarled, seemingly on the verge of going off the deep end in the next second. On the contrary, I merely faced his wrath calmly. If such a scenario were to ur in the past, I would have feared his outburst, but I was no longer the same person. He was my enemy then, and I would no longer be afraid of him. ¡°Who''s here at this hour, Anna?¡± I had just opened my mouth to say something when Nichs'' voice sounded from behind me. Before I could answer, he had alreadye up behind me. When he saw that the person in front of me was Michael, his eyes flickered, and he naturally ced a hand on my shoulder. As I sensed his touch, my brows furrowed slightly. Nheless, I did not shake him off. I knew that he was deliberately acting intimate with me before Michael so that thetter would misunderstand. ¡°Ah, it''s Mr. Shaw from Joyful Sess. Nice to meet you. Why are you here at this hour?¡± Looking at Michael, Nichs wore a slight smile on his face. Then, he courteously extended a hand. Michael stared intently at Nichs'' hand on my shoulder, the fury in his eyes zing all the hotter. ¡°Who are you, and why are you here?¡± he demanded frostily without taking Nichs'' hand, fixing him with a dark expression. My mood inexplicably took a turn for the better when I saw his hostility toward Nichs. ¡°I''m Nichs Cadman, and I''m also the general manager of Nifty Group. I''m looking forward to our coboration in the future, Mr. Shaw.¡± In contrast with Michael''s dour face, Nichs wore a half-smile all along. ¡°A coboration? I don''t think there''s any need for a coboration! It''s just a branch office from Anndur, so it''s of no significance to me!¡± Compared to Nichs'' amiable attitude, Michael appeared callous, and his voice grew increasingly colder. ¡°Michael! If you''re here tonight to pick trouble, then you''re not weed here. Please leave!¡± Not only did I refuse to see Michael right then, but the fact that two men were going head-to-head right before me was also making me exceedingly vexed. ¡°Anna, did you leave with him when you left a year ago?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Michael shifted his gaze to me, and I could still sense the anger radiating from him despite his inquiring tone. Frankly speaking, I knew what he meant. He was an extremely possessive man, so he would definitely assume that I betrayed him when another man was by my side. Although that was not the case, I could not be bothered to exin things to him. Besides, a rtionship between us was no longer possible, so there was no need to waste time speaking about it. ¡°Yes, I left with him a year ago and went to Anndur. Without him, I won''t be who I am today! Are you satisfied with that answer?¡± I replied fearlessly, looking into his eyes indifferently. No sooner had I finished speaking than I noticed that his hands by his sides had long since balled into fists. I presumed that he was probably incandescent to the point that he had the urge tomit murder. s, people were always so selfish. Back then, he was the one who forced me to leave, yet he felt that I betrayed him when there was another man by my side. Thinking about it, I found it ridiculously absurd. Michael stared into my eyes coldly. Just when I thought he was going to fly into a rage, he spun on his heels and left in a fit of pique. As I watched him disappear into the corridor, my heart abruptly felt as though it had been hollowed out. In all honesty, it was distressing for me when I uttered those words. I was rooted to the spot, dejected. Nichs closed the door before he turned around and looked at me. ¡°So, you haven''t forgotten him until now? This is just the beginning, yet you can''t control yourself. How are you going to get your child back?¡± With his eyes fastened on me, his brows knitted deeply together. A faint trace of anger could be sensed in his voice. ¡°No, you''ve underestimated me! I''ll rein back my emotions. Now that I''m back this time, no one can stop me!¡± I maintained dispassionately after taking a deep breath and suppressing the emotions within me. After Nichs had stared into my eyes for a long while, his expression finally eased considerably. ¡°This is the Anna I know. The Anna I know will never be softhearted.¡± In the past year, I did my best to disguise myself as a callous woman, regardless of whether it was at work or in my private life. Therefore, everyone felt that I was frigid and standoffish. ¡°You should leave. I want to rest now.¡± Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Not in the mood to hear such remarks from Nichs, I frostily told him to leave. After he left, Iy on the couch alone, my irritation mounting. Despite being dead on my feet after working for the entire day, I did not feel the least bit sleepy at that moment. As expected, I had dark circles under my eyes when I woke up the next day. Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I could not help but chuckle derisively at my haggard look. I quickly applied some light makeup to conceal the dark circles, after which I appeared much more rejuvenated. Then, I went out to buy breakfast. There was a street lined with stalls selling breakfast fare near my apartment, so it was very convenient for me. Since I was not particr about food, I simply bought something. Just as I was going to leave after paying, a familiar voice rang out behind me. ¡°Anna?¡± That voice was touched with uncertainty and a faint hint of delight. Hearing Natalie''s voice again after a year, I, too, became emotional. I turned around and cast my gaze in the direction of the voice. Sure enough, I caught sight of Natalie. At that moment, she was holding Yuval''s arm, her gaze fixed on my face. ¡°It''s been a long time, Natalie.¡± The instant I saw that it was indeed Natalie, a soft smile bloomed on my face. She was my best friend, so my eyes stung when I saw her once more. When I left back then, I was in such despair that I did not even tell her where I was going. ¡°It''s really you, Anna!¡± Having ascertained that it was me, Natalie hurried over and hugged me. I hugged her in return, my mood instantly perking up when I saw her there. ¡°Where have you been in the past year, Anna? Do you know how worried and scared I was when there was no news from you? I was afraid that you met with an ident. In the past year, I''d been praying every day that I''d see you as soon as possible!¡± Natalie gushed as she hugged me tightly. Right then, I felt a warm and wet sensation on my shoulder. I promptly realized that Natalie was crying. I was simrly touched to hear her words, and tears escaped the corners of my eyes. If I had to name one person who truly cared about me in Avenport, it would be Natalie. ¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have left without saying a single word to you. I''m so sorry...¡± I hugged her, my voice cracking. ¡°Where exactly have you been in the past year? Why didn''t you give me a call? Do you know many times I cried whenever I thought of you?¡± My apology had Natalie sobbing all the more. She thumped my back, her voice brimming with resentment. Nheless, I knew that her emotional outburst was only out of genuine worry for me. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± In the face of her tearfulint, I had no other words except sorry. I figured she must have been devastated when I disappeared without a word back then. Natalie had always been a carefree person, so she must have lost control of her emotions to be bawling at that moment. ¡°All right, Natalie. You''ve finally seen Anna now. It''s a joyful asion, so don''t cry anymore.¡± Just then, Yuval stepped forward. Looking at Natalie with all the distress in the world, he wiped her tears for her. Natalie released her hold on me. Only then did I see that her eyes had long since turned red. ¡°Exactly! Look, I''m back now, aren''t I? Why are you still crying?¡± I reached out and wiped her tears, my nose stinging as well. ¡°Oh, you still dare mention it, huh? It''s all because of you! Who told you to leave without a single word back then?¡± Natalie pouted at my words and red at me with chagrin written all over her face. Even her eyes glinted with resentment. ¡°Yes, it''s all my fault. This is all on me. I shouldn''t have left without informing you back then. I''m sorry I worried you.¡± ¡°It is your fault in the first ce. You''re not going to leave again after returning this time, right? If you dare leave without notifying me again, mark my words that I will sever all ties with you!¡± Since I sincerely owned up to my mistakes, the resentment in Natalie''s eyes faded. ¡°I''m not sure yet. I came back this time because of my child.¡± If it were not for the fact that my son was still with the Shaw family, I would probably never return to that city for the rest of my life. An unfathomable look appeared in Natalie''s eyes when she heard me. She stared right at me, seemingly having something to say yet hesitant to speak. She had always been a straightforward person who spoke her mind, so I felt a tad disconcerted to see her hemming and hawing then. ¡°Do you have something to say to me, Natalie?¡± I inquired in a whisper when I noticed her hesitance. ¡°Do you have time now, Anna? Why don''t we find a ce and have a chat? After all, we haven''t seen each other for such a long time.¡± Natalie did not answer my question, merely regarding me with a cid expression. In truth, I still had many tasks on hand that day, but I also had a lot to say to her after being away for a year. ¡°Sure. Let me make a call to take a half-day leave. Then, we''ll go to the caf¨¦ at the side.¡± I shed her a smile before I took out my phone and went to the side to make a call. I told Nichs that I ran into my best friend and would like to catch up with her, so I would only be going into the officeter. He gave me his approval without saying much. Subsequently, Natalie and I went to the caf¨¦ a stone''s throw away, both ordering a cup of coffee. Then, we sat across from each other. Natalie''s gaze remained fixated on my face, and she seemed cautious to speak. ¡°Natalie, do you have something to say to me?¡± Even when Yuval was around, I could already tell that she had something to say to me. Since she wished to chat with me in private, I reckoned it must be an important matter. ¡°Actually, Anna, I have a question for you, but I''m worried that you''ll be upset after I verbalize it.¡± Natalie looked at me with a troubled expression, frowning with worry. ¡°Just ask away. Is there still any topic off-limits between the two of us?¡± Never had I seen her acting in such a manner, and the puzzlement within me grew stronger. Inwardly, I wondered what was going on with her that day. ¡°Anna, I actually want to ask why you callously abandoned your child and left back then. I know you attach great importance to rtionships, so I really can''t figure out why you would do such a thing,¡± Natalie said after a moment''s hesitation, looking me in the eye. When I heard her saying that I was the one who abandoned my child, I could not help but frown. There was no way I would possibly bear to abandon my child. Back then, I only chose to leave because the Shaw family backed me into a corner. Original from N?velDrama.Org. If Lincoln had not kept me from seeing my child, I would never have left. That was my son, and no one in the world loved him more than I did. It was because he was the most important person to me that I could not ept the fact of being unable to see him. Chapter 405 Chapter 405 ¡°I abandoned my child? Why would you say that?¡± I asked in a mild voice as I stared at Natalie calmly. ¡°The Shaw family said so when they revealed your disappearance back then. Anna, I don''t believe that you''re such a person. You''re my best friend, and I know you very well. You''d never do such a thing, right?¡± Natalie regarded me with anxiety in on her face. Although she said she believed me, I knew that she was actually very nervous right then. Meanwhile, my blood ran cold after I heard her words. I never thought that the Shaw family would be so despicable. Lincoln was the one who kicked me out of the family, yet they had the nerve to push all the responsibility onto meter on. Recalling that I had once lived with that family, I felt a shiver run down my spine. In the past, they were all kind and amiable to me, but I never expected them to be so ruthless. Or perhaps I had been thinking of them too kindly. ¡°Are you sure it was the Shaw family who said that?¡± I questioned once more, staring right into Natalie''s eyes. ¡°Of course. If it weren''t for the Shaw family announcing your disappearance, I wouldn''t have known about it. Anna, will you tell me why you did that? I''m sure you must have a reason for doing so.¡± Natalie eyed me apprehensively, her voice taking on a hint of urgency. Locking gazes with her, I inhaled deeply and suppressed the wrath within me. In a solemn voice, I queried, ¡°Natalie, will you believe me if I say I never did such a thing? That''s my child. Do you think I could bear leaving him?¡± She was my best friend. I did not care what others thought of me, but I did not want my best friend to misunderstand me. Hearing that, Natalie looked into my eyes intently. A long time passed before she nodded firmly. ¡°I trust you. I know you''re a person who cares a lot about rtionships, so you''d never abandon your child.¡± Her tone was unwavering when she spoke, brimming with conviction toward me. ¡°Anna, I still don''t understand why you left back then. Weren''t you and Michael a loving couple when I visited you at the hospital shortly after you''d given birth? But why did you leave just a monthter?¡± Natalie was silent for a while before she looked at me once more with bafflement in her eyes. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°You''re asking why I left back then? Do you really think Michael and I are a loving couple? That was just a fleeting blissful moment of our marriage. As for why I left, I think the Shaw family should know that better than anyone else.¡± I sneered. As I recalled Lincoln''s ruthlessness toward me once upon a time, the loathing within me surged again. ¡°It''s rted to the Shaw family?¡± Natalie seemingly understood something after hearing my response. Her brows furrowed, and bemusement showed in her eyes. ¡°I''ll tell you about it next time. You only need to know that the person I love the most in this world is my child. I came back this time because I want to take my child back.¡± I did not want to bring up those sad memories of the past anymore, nor did I want her to know about my past sufferings. If I were to tell her everything, she would undoubtedly be dismayed. Upon seeing that I had no ns to divulge anything, Natalie did not pursue it further. ¡°I trust you, Anna. No matter your decision, I''ll support you!¡± She looked at me with conviction as she gripped my hands tightly. After chatting with her for a while longer, I went to the office. Nichs was in my office, sitting at my desk. I eyed him in mystification, not quiteprehending why he was sitting in my spot. ¡°Are you waiting for me here? Is something the matter?¡± I asked evenly while taking in his expressionless face. ¡°Michael''s secretary just called and said that he''ll being to our office in half an hour.¡± Nichs'' voice was t, rendering his emotions indiscernible. However, I could sense from his gaze on me that he was not in a good mood. At the mention of Michael''s name, my gaze flickered. Nheless, I promptly masked my emotions. Looking at him, I inquired in the same even tone, ¡°Why is heing over?¡± ¡°Can you not guess why he''sing over? Naturally, it''s because of you.¡± While saying that, he let his gaze linger on me, observing my expression. He seemed exceedingly displeased over Michael''s visit, probably jealous. My movement halted, but I continued straightening the items on my desk the next second. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Anna, I hope you don''t waver no matter what he says to you. It''s not just because of thepany''s interests but also because of... me. You know my feelings toward you. I hope that I''ll be the person who keeps youpany by your side in the end.¡± Nichs stood up and came over to me, cing his hands on my shoulders. His tone had never sounded so serious. I had always been aware of his feelings toward me, but I always brushed it off every time he made it obvious. I never rejected him, nor had I ever epted him. An almost imperceptible wave of panic washed over me when he suddenly uttered such words to me in such a solemn voice. In reality, I did not want to ept anyone then and had no interest in dating any man. ¡°Don''t worry. Nothing will ever happen between us again. Only the past remains between us with no future to speak of.¡± I could not reciprocate his feelings, but I had made up my mind where Michael was concerned. Back when the Shaw family treated me in such a manner, it was already destined that we could never be able to get back together. Nichs stared into my eyes for a long while. It was not until after he had ascertained that my expression was guilt-free that relief suffused him. ¡°I''m d to hear that. Right now, I just hope that the matter between you two will be resolved as soon as possible. Then, you''ll be in the mood to take our rtionship seriously.¡± He patted me on the shoulder with a slight smile tugging at his lips. Hearing that he had again shifted the subject to the two of us, I averted my gaze guiltily, stumped for words. ¡°Go back to work first. I''ve still got some information on a few projects to go over.¡± I surreptitiously distanced myself from him, acting as though I had not heard his earlier utterances. ¡°All right, I''ll leave you to your work. I''ll excuse myself first, then,¡± Nichs replied cidly. Then, he withdrew his hands from my shoulders before leaving. After he had left, I stood still and stared at his retreating back, my brows creasing slightly. I was troubled as to how I should resolve my rtionship with him. In actual fact, I had an ulterior motive for not rejecting him outright¡ªI still needed to depend on him to get my child back. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Half an hourter, Michael arrived at my office. Even though I had already prepared myself mentally, I still couldn''t keep my heart steady when I saw him. He was wearing a ck suit and a cold expression, just like he did a year ago. The only difference was that he had an even colder aura around him. His icy re was making my skin crawl a little. ¡°Would you like some tea or coffee, Mr. Shaw?¡± I asked as I smiled at him. ¡°No need. I''m here today to tell you that you''re not going to get my partnership with Red Star. Don''t think that I didn''t know what you''re trying to do in the shadows.¡± He sounded cold in a professional manner. The warning he gave had a hint of confidence in it. My eyes flickered. I didn''t think that he would find out so quickly about the matter when we only had a meeting yesterday about taking Red Star away from Joyful Sess. It seems like I''ve underestimated him. Even though I was starting to panic a little, a in smile persisted on my face. I wasn''t the person from a year ago anymore, so I should be able to control my emotions in front of him. ¡°All is fair in love and war, Mr. Shaw. Those who are capable will be able to obtain what they want. It''s not unusual that our company wants to expand our business. Whether we can get Red Star''s partnership is ourpany''s matter. Don''t you think it''s inappropriate that you''re here to warn me?¡± I still stared into Michael''s eyes with a smile. There wasn''t a hint of panic in my voice. Shock and fury shed past his eyes. He stared back at me for a while before opening his mouth again and speaking in a in tone. ¡°You''ve changed a lot over the past year. Even your way of speaking is much more confident now. Are you still the Anna I knew?¡± While there wasn''t a hint of emotion in his voice, it still wasn''t something I wanted to hear. ¡°I told you.¡± A hint of mockery was added to my smile as my stare became colder. ¡°I''m no longer the Anna you knew from before. That person is already dead.¡± If I''m still the Anna you''re familiar with, I wouldn''t be sitting here, talking to you about business. While fury burned in his eyes, calmness was present in mine. I had no intention of showing him any sign of weakness. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. After a while, he stood up. I raised my head, thinking that he was finally going to leave out of anger. It seemed like I wasn''t capable of changing my habit of thinking things in an optimistic manner. Instead of leaving, he walked around my desk and red at me with increasing anger. ¡°What kind of rtionship do you have with Nichs? Why are the two of you staying with each other last night? Are you two living with each other?¡± Michael questioned with a deep voice. I could tell he was trying to suppress his fury. He was probably asking me that question because he saw Nichs at my cest night. Regardless, he didn''t have the right to question me. Does he think he still controls me? How childish. I calmly nced at him and sneered, ¡°I don''t need to exin anything that''s going on between Nichs and me to you, Mr. Shaw. This is my private matter, and we''re in a business discussion right now. Please mind what you say.¡± He used to warn me domineeringly like that, as though I belonged to him and only him in this life. That was what I thought in the past, too. I was truly foolish back then. If it wasn''t for Lincoln bringing me that signed divorce paper, perhaps I would''ve still thought the same way. However, when I saw him sign the paper with my own eyes, my love for him diedpletely. A man who abandoned me didn''t have the right to question me like that. ¡°Listen to me, Anna. You are my woman! If you sleep with Nichs, I promise you I''ll do anything to take him down!¡± Michael grabbed my shoulders emotionally. The me in his eyes looked as if it was going to burn me into cinders in a matter of seconds. My heart quivered a little as I stared into his deranged eyes. When he said I was his woman, my heart still moved. It had been a year since he abandoned me. That statement no longer meant anything. In fact, it sounded pitiful. ¡°You listen to me too, Michael. You said I''m your woman, but that''s in the past now. I''ve no rtionship with you whatsoever. At most, the two of us are just strangers to each other!¡± Hatred was spilling into my sight as I stared coldly at him. That''s right. I hated him with every fiber of my being. The amount of love I felt toward him was the same amount of hate I directed at him. He was the man whom I poured my heart out to, yet he was also the one who hurt me the most. His grip on my shoulders was bing stronger by the second. It was so strong that it was starting to hurt me. However, my eyebrows didn''t furrow, and I still calmly looked at him. I never wanted to show my weakness in front of him or the Shaw family ever again. As his anger reached its peak, he snapped and began to kiss me like a mad dog. I didn''t expect he would do that, which was why it stunned me. It was so sudden that my mind became nk. Even though it had been a year, his smell was still very familiar to me. Aside from the moment he touched me, everything I felt after that had changed. I tried to escape, but he still hugged me tightly. No matter how I struggled, he didn''t let go of me. That made me furious, but at the same time, deep in my heart, I didn''t want him to let go. If nothing had happened a year ago, if he hadn''t treated me that cruelly a year ago, everything would''ve been fine. However, it did happen, and the two of us no longer had the same rtionship as we did before. I didn''t want to see or treat him as an enemy, but I couldn''t forgive or forget how much he hurt me. Back then, he had let me know how little I mattered in his heart. Because of Josephine''s matter, he worked with the Shaw family to treat me cruelly. Michael continued to kiss me without my consent. It was getting more and more difficult for me to breathe. I used all my strength to push him away, but he didn''t stop. In fact, I was pretty sure he was venting out his anger on my lips. Just as I felt like I was going to pass out, he let go of me and stared at me with his ck eyes furiously. Chapter 407 Chapter 407 ¡°Listen to me, Anna! As long as you''re still alive, you are my woman! I won''t allow any other men to touch you!¡± Michael was staring at me with his malevolent eyes, and his voice sounded as though his arrogance had spiraled out of control. Hearing that infuriated me greatly. He abandoned me a year ago! He doesn''t have the right to talk to me like that! Why does he think he can still speak to me in this domineering way? We have no rtionship with each other anymore! ¡°You were the one who threw me away, Michael, and now you''re here telling me all this nonsense. Don''t you think you''re being pathetic right now? You didn''t say anything like this when you left me,¡± I sneered. Everything he said at that moment only made my impression of him even more pathetic. I had no idea what he was thinking, but I knew I wasn''t going to believe a single wording out of his mouth anymore. He was so angered by my words that heughed. Then, the temperature of his icy look dropped even further. He shook my shoulders forcefully and roared, ¡°I abandoned you? You left without saying a thing back then! How dare you tell me that I abandoned you! Why did you be like this, Anna?¡± It had been a long time since I saw him being that angry. I was stunned for a second, but I quickly snapped out of it. ¡°I don''t want to talk to you about what happened a year ago anymore. Do keep in mind that I don''t want to look at you at all. So, aside from official business, I hope we don''t talk at all.¡± What happened a year ago had already happened. There was no future for the two of us any longer, so there was no point trying to debate who was in the right and who was in the wrong. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and spoke again coldly. ¡°You don''t want to talk to me other than business? What about our son?¡± My heart began to race when he mentioned our son. I couldn''t control my emotions anymore as I questioned, ¡°How is my son? Has he been living well?¡± It had been a year since I saw my child. I had no idea what he looked like at the moment or how tall he had grown. I desperately wanted to see him right away. When I returned from overseas, the first thing I wanted to do was find my son. However, I knew that the Shaw family wasn''t going to let me meet him that easily as they spent a considerable amount of effort chasing me away. Because of that, I quickly dispelled the notion. That was why I couldn''t control my longing for my son any longer after Michael changed the topic. The fury in his eyes was greatly reduced when he saw how agitated I was. However, he still looked at me with annoyance because he was still pissed off by what I said. ¡°Do you really care about our child? Did you even think about him over the past year?¡± Instead of answering my question, he interrogated me. I couldn''t say anything. The only thing I could do was endure. Even though I med everything on the Shaw family, I still did leave for a year, and I did fail to fulfill my responsibility as a mother. That was why I couldn''t refute him. ¡°I only want to know how my son''s doing, and I want to meet him,¡± I said with urgency. He stared at me silently, as though he didn''t hear what I said at all. I was already pretty agitated, but that made me even more anxious. ¡°I said I want to meet my son! Do you hear me?¡± I eximed with fury. From how he looked at that moment, I had a feeling that he had no intention of letting me meet my child. That infuriated me even further. What the hell is he trying to say with his silence, huh? Does he really not want to let me see my child? As my train of thought continued in that direction, I became even more pissed off. It had been a year since I saw my child. Was he really going to continue to separate us? Hatred was swirling in my heart as I stared at his cold but handsome face. ¡°If you want to meet your child, then stop saying that we''re strangers! Don''t forget that we had a child together!¡± Michael still sounded as though he was stifling his wrath. I was pretty upset by his warning, but in order to meet my child again, I had to endure. ¡°If I promise you that, will you let me see my child?¡± I asked coldly. Regardless of what he would ask me to do, I would do it if it meant I could see my son again. If he refused, then there was no reason for me to do what he wanted.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sure. Juste by Birchwood to find me at ten in the night. I hope you didn''t forget which building it was.¡± The rage on his face had vanished as he uttered. Birchwood? The ce we lived with each other before? It''s been a long time since I''ve been there. Images of our life there began to surface back into my mind. ¡°All right! I''lle and find youter, but you better show me my child!¡± I didn''t really want to go there because I was afraid I wouldn''t be able to stop myself from being sad. However, none of that mattered if it meant I could see my child again. A smirk appeared on his face. ¡°I''ll meet you there.¡± Then he left. It felt as though the energy in my body had left me as I stared at his back. Before I returned from overseas, I thought I had be colder and more mercilesspared to him. It seemed like I was wrong. My heart would still race whenever we met. Am I fated to never be able to escape from him in this life? No matter how hard I tried, I still can''t forget about him. I stared in the direction he left for a long while before I snapped out of it. When I did, I noticed Nichs was standing in front of me. He gently knocked on my desk and waited for me to return to my sense. His eyes were filled with worry as he furrowed his brows. ¡°When did youe in?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows slightly, too, as I gazed at him. There was a hint of panic in my voice, though I hope my expression didn''t fully express how I was feeling at that moment. ¡°I''ve been here for a while, but you nked out so hard that you didn''t realize I''ve arrived.¡± Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Nichs sounded calm as his eyes were locked on me. When I recalled how I was reminiscing about my past with Michael, my mind panicked even more. I lowered my head and avoided his eye contact because I didn''t know what to say. ¡°Well, do you have something you want from me?¡± In the end, I lifted my head guiltily and pretended to beposed. ¡°It''s nothing. I only want to check on you and ask you what Michael said to you. It seems to me you''re pretty shaken. Did he say something to upset or anger you?¡± He was carefully observing my expression as he spoke. It was as if he was afraid he was going to miss out on any details. I''ve always disliked how he always tried to read me like that. It made me feel suffocating. Our partnership was supposed to be that of an equal one, not one where he controlled me. I didn''t want him to govern what I thought. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°It''s nothing. We''re only talking about how ourpany is going to snatch the partnership with Red Star. He learned about what we were trying to do, which was why he came to warn me about it.¡± Of course, I didn''t tell him about how Michael forcefully kissed me or that I would be visiting my child at Birchwoodter tonight. That was my private matter. Since both of us were simply working with each other, there was no reason for me to tell him all about that. ¡°Is that all? You looked really shaken earlier. I feel like he talked to you about other things.¡± Nichs took two steps toward me as he probed. I furrowed my eyebrows. I knew what he was thinking, but what he was doing only made me feel even worse. Words escaped my mouth coldly. ¡°What do you mean by that? If you don''t believe me, then you shouldn''t have chosen me as your partner. What are you trying to do by questioning me again and again?¡± Ever since I returned, he would probe me every time he saw me talking with Michael. I was really annoyed by that because I greatly disliked being doubted by someone. Sure, every time I met with Michael, both of us would talk about our past, but I never forgot about my partnership with Nichs. I especially had no intention of getting back with Michael, but Nichs didn''t stop suspecting me. His expression froze. It was probably because he realized I was getting mad for real. Then he walked to my back and ced his hands on my shoulders. ¡°All right, all right. No need to get mad. I wasn''t doing it on purpose. I''m just worried that you still can''t forget about Michael. It''s not like I don''t believe you. I only wanted to make sure my future woman''s not going to keep dancing around with her ex-husband.¡± While it sounded like he wasforting me, he was actually reminding me about our rtionship. Of course, I was able to tell what he was saying. I wasn''t an idiot. Still, it hurt me a little when he said Michael was my ex-husband. Obviously, I would never wear that emotion on my face in front of him. ¡°I know what I should do. You don''t need to keep reminding me about my rtionship with Michael! Also, if you don''t have anything you need from me in the future, please don''te here and disturb my work!¡± I was still pretty furious. Nichs was a scheming person. I noticed that about him ever since we first met, and it was why I decided to work with him. ¡°Okay, I won''t say anything you don''t want to hear anymore.¡± Instead of being angered by my attitude, he smiled. When I heard that, the rage in my heart managed to die down a little. Still, not only did I have no good impression of him, but I also felt a little disgusted by him. I wasn''t sure if it was because I had met Michael again. ¡°What''s wrong with your mouth? Why does it look so red?¡± His eyebrows furrowed with curiosity when he stared at my lips. My heart shook when I recalled how Michael forcefully kissed me. It would be weirder if my mouth didn''t turn red from how forcefully he was kissing me. ¡°I-It''s nothing. It''s probably because of the weathertely.¡± It was a terrible lie, but there was no way I would tell him about what Michael did to me. Nichs was already quite suspicious of me. If I told him about that, he probably wouldn''t trust me anymore. ¡°Is that so?¡± His sight was still locked on my lips as aplicated look shed past his eyes. It was clear he didn''t buy my answer, but he didn''t say anything either. Perhaps my strongly-worded statement from earlier had worked. ¡°You don''t believe me?¡± I pretended to look at him resolutely. Myposed expression was an attempt to hide my guilt. ¡°Of course I believe you. It''s probably because you haven''t been resting welltely. I think you should head back home to rest after lunch. There''s no need for you to work in the afternoon. Since we''ve only started ourpany, there isn''t much to do here. You have to take care of yourself, all right?¡± I knew he was only pretending to believe me, but frankly, I didn''t care what he was really thinking. From my perspective, as long as the both of us were working toward the same goal, I would say our partnership was sessful. ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± I then proceeded to ignore him and resume my work. After lunch, I headed back home instead of thepany. I was finally going to meet my son again. It had been a year since Ist met him. Thinking about meeting himter at night was making me emotional. When I arrived at the mall, I bought a bunch of clothes for a one-year-old as well as simple toys. Since I failed to take care of him and watch him grow over the past year, I wanted to use those to make up for some lost time. I was still quite worried because there was a chance that he would treat me like a stranger after I disappeared from his life for a year. When I returned to my room, I looked over the things I had bought again and again, concerned that they might not be appropriate for him. My impatience was starting to get a hold of me when it was eight in the evening. Time felt so incredibly slow, even though it was only two hours away. It was probably because I wanted to meet my child very badly. Then, with half an hour left at the clock, I stopped hesitating, put all the things I bought into the car, and drove toward Birchwood. Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Even though it had been a year, Birchwood had stayed more or less the same when Ipared its current state to how it looked in my memory. The only thing different there was me. When I arrived at the gate, the guard was a little shocked to see me. ¡°It''s you, Ms. Garcia. It''s been a long time since you''re back here.¡± I used to talk to the guard a little when I lived there. It was a pleasant surprise that he still remembered me. ¡°Yeah, I don''t live here anymore, though I do have a matter I need to deal with today. Can you let me in?¡± I smiled. As I did live there for a long time, and the guard still recognized me, he let me in without any problem. My heart was beating loudly while I stood in front of the building I used to live with Michael. It took me a long time before I was able to control my emotions and press the bell. I was so nervous and excited to meet my child that my hand was trembling with sweat. The door was soon opened by Michael. We exchanged a in nce instead of a hostile one like before. ¡°You came before our agreed time. It seems like you really want to see our child, huh?¡± There was something slightly off about his demeanor, even though I couldn''t discern anything wrong. ¡°Where''s my child?¡± It didn''t really matter to me, though. The only reason I was there was to meet my child, and that was the only thing I was paying attention to. ¡°Don''t worry. You child is inside.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows and gave me an unsatisfied look before turning around. I followed him as he entered the living room. My child was sitting on a big couch ying with his toys. Tears streamed down my cheeks when I saw him. I didn''t expect he had grown so much over the years. I put the things in my hand down and approached him. He looked clean. His eyes were round and bright, quite unlike his father''s. Tears might be flowing as I sat next to him, but my heart was filled with joy. It had been the happiest moment of my life sincest year. He raised his head and stared at me with his pure eyes. Then he smiled at me and crawled in my direction. I was trying very hard to hold back my emotions. There was a strong desire nudging me to hug him, but I was worried he might get scared, so I had to keep holding myself back. When I saw how he wasn''t afraid of me at all, I immediately hugged him tightly. I had been dreaming about hugging my child for the past year. Even though it was real, it still felt like I was in a dream. It felt so unreal that I was finally hugging my baby. Michael looked at us warmly from a distance. My child remained in my embrace for a long time before I slowly wiped my tears away. I turned my head to Michael and asked, ¡°What''s his name?¡± ¡°Amaury,¡± he replied. ¡°Amaury...¡± I whispered his name. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat. Amaury... Is it because of... No, that can''t be the reason. He treated me so cruelly back then. How can my child''s name mean that way? I must be overthinking it. I kept repeating that to myself because I didn''t want my child''s name to upset me. ¡°It''s me, Amaury. Call me Mommy...¡± My attention shifted back to him. I affectionately and gently caressed his face. However, he was still a year old, so he couldn''t quite understand what I was telling him. He only stared at me with his bright eyes silently. I was a little disappointed that he didn''t say anything, but if he could at this age, he would probably be a genius. ¡°I know you''re still too young to know how to call me Mommy. How about you call me when you''re a bit older, okay?¡± Regardless of if he could call me, I was already really happy to be able to see him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Daddy... Daddy...¡± Amaury suddenly opened his arms and looked at Michael. Even though it was hard to tell, he was definitely calling for his father. Michael approached me and picked Amaury up. I was quite surprised that my child knew how to say that. I thought a man like Michael definitely wouldn''t have the time to take of our child because he would be too busy taking care of hispany. However, looking at how he''s holding Amaury, it appears that he had been taking care of our child quite often for the past year. I kept those thoughts to myself and didn''t ask him about it. After all, how he did it had nothing to do with me. ¡°Daddy... Daddy...¡± Amaury was still calling him that in his embrace. Michael stared at our child with a warm smile. I would be lying if I said I wasn''t upset at all that Amaury knew how to call Michael his daddy but didn''t call me his mommy. ¡°That''s your mommy. Say Mommy...¡± Michael stood in front of me and reminded Amaury in a low voice. Amaury turned his face to me. His round, bright eyes still stared at me, though he didn''t say anything. I thought I was going to be disappointed again after waiting for a long while. Just as I was about to lose hope, our child opened his arms in my direction and called, ¡°M-Mommy...¡± It wasn''t pronounced clearly, but I could hear it. He''s really calling out to me! Tears streamed down my cheeks again as I kissed him non-stop. I was afraid that my child would treat me as a stranger when I drove here, but it seemed like my fear was unfounded. ¡°He''s very smart. It only takes a while before he''ll learn the things I teach him.¡± Michael tenderly smiled as he watched me hug Amaury. ¡°He''s my child, so he''s obviously smart.¡± I felt pretty good hearing Amaury being praised by him like that. He rarelyplimented people, so it was only natural that I felt great when heplimented our child. Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Perhaps it was because my tone had be softer that Michael was smiling wider than usual. I took over Amaury again, and he quickly slept in my arms. It was quitete already, after all. Michael only kept silent as he apanied me by my side. If what happened a year ago didn''t take ce, we would''ve looked like a happy little family at that moment. I would''ve had the life I wanted. ¡°Put him down,¡± he reminded me when he saw how unwilling I was to put Amaury down. I didn''t want to, but I still ced my child in his crib. As I stood next to his bed, staring at how cute he was, I really wished I could always stay by his side. After taking onest nce at him, I looked away and noticed the crib was inside the room I once lived with Michael. ¡°It''s gettingte. I''ll be leaving now, but I hope I can see Amaury often.¡± I actually wanted to stay and apany my child, but I didn''t think it was appropriate for me to do so with Michael around. After all, our rtionship had changed. Just as I picked up my bag and was about to leave, he grabbed my arm and broke his silence. ¡°Stay for the night.¡± He sounded like he was pleading with me. In the past, he would almost always speak to me in a commanding way. I was a little shocked by his sudden change in tone. Though, when I thought about staying there for the night, I resisted in my heart. We weren''t how we used to be anymore. It would cause nothing but awkwardness between us if we stayed in the same building. ¡°I don''t think it''s appropriate. I should leave.¡± I pulled my hand away from him and prepared to leave. ¡°Are you really that cruel, Anna? Can''t you at least be nicer for Amaury?¡± His voice rang out again. There was a hint of fury and agitation in his words. Well, he was being gentlerpared to how he had acted before. However, the problem between us couldn''t be solved by being nicer. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± I asked. Both of us were furrowing our eyebrows and staring at each other coldly. ¡°Think of it as apanying Amaury by staying tonight.¡± To my surprise, he sighed and softened his tone. I hesitated when I heard Amaury''s name. However, I still put my foot down and turned away. Suddenly, Michael grabbed my arm and, before I could react, kissed me again. My heart trembled as he kissed me for the second time today. I snapped out of my shock swiftly andThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. pushed him away, but we were in his territory. He wasn''t going to hold back as he did back in the company. His hands began to touch me inappropriately as I felt his lower half getting hotter. At that instant, I knew what he was trying to do. I was furious. There was nothing between us anymore, yet he still tried to do that kind of thing with me. I pushed him away with all my strength furiously. ¡°If you refuse me, you''re not going to meet Amaury that easily again, Anna!¡± he whispered in a deep and lustful voice next to my ear. I was going to keep resisting him, but when he threatened me with Amaury, my struggle stopped. I stared at my sleeping child, wondering how much pain I would be in if I couldn''t see him again for a long time. I hated Michael. I hated how he disrespected me and threatened me. However, I loved my child more than I despised him, and that was why I couldn''t go against him. He touched me in a more inappropriate and forceful way after I stopped resisting. ¡°Why did you leave? What''s so good about Nichs that you''re willing to stay with him, even if it means you have to abandon Amaury!¡± His deep voice rang out with hate as he kissed my neck. I wasn''t in the mood to entertain his questions, so I closed my eyes and let him have his way. His breathing was getting heavier and heavier. The buttons on my shirt had already been undone. As if he couldn''t take it anymore, he hugged me up, brought me to the living room, and threw me onto the couch. Perhaps it was because he was worried we would make too much noise in the bedroom. His hands continued to caress my entire body as he passionately kissed me. ¡°Your body had be a lot more sensitive since thest time we met.¡± He continued to speak in a lewd tone. Without hesitation, he shoved his manhood into me. ¡°I heard women''s part will get looser after giving birth, but you''re as tight as before.¡± Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Michael moved quickly. He leaned close to my ear and spoke sensually. When he spoke, I could feel his warm breath puffing against my ear, tickling it. Michael grunted as his expression turned even more solemn. ¡°How desperate are you? Even words can make you feel aroused. Didn''t Nichs satisfy you on the bed?¡± Michael continued speaking beside my ear. However, when I heard what he said, I had an urge to punch him. If he wants to do it, just do it! Why must he drag Nichs into this? There''s nothing between Nichs and me¡ªabsolutely nothing. Why is he saying this now? Does it feel good to insult me? ¡°I think that his is much bigger than yours. Also, hests longer than you. Compared to doing it with you, it felt much better and satisfying with him!¡± Since he had already insulted me like that, there was no need for me to show him any mercy. Despite knowing how possessive Michael was, I went on to say that. I wanted him to experience how I felt. When he heard what I said, he stopped mid-action. He propped his arms beside me while a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°Did you say that you felt morefortable doing it with him? That his is bigger than mine and that he lasts longer?¡± Michael gritted his teeth furiously. There was a dangerous look in his eyes as he stared at me, making me feel like the surrounding air turned colder. Gazing into Michael''s eyes, I started to feel flustered. I did not know what he would do next, but I did not want to give in. After all, he was the one who insulted me first. ¡°Yeah! His techniques are better than yours!¡± Looking straight at Michael, I suppressed my panic and replied loudly. However, I regretted it the second after I said that. Michael started moving violently and I could barely stand it. I pressed my hand against his chest, wanting to lessen the pain. However, it was like he had gone mad ¡ªhe did not even care that I was in pain. ¡°Michael, stop! You''re... hurting me!¡± I frowned in agony. Although I was aroused by how passionate Michael was, my body would not be able to take it for a prolonged period of time. ¡°You can''t take it anymore? Didn''t you say that Nichs'' was bigger than mine and that hests longer in bed? Since I haven''t satisfied you in the past, I''ll let you enjoy it tonight. Let''s see who can make you feel even more satisfied!¡± spat Michael resentfully. Even though he was speaking to me, his body did not slow down at all. I had never seen Michael act so crazily. At that moment, I regretted saying those words to provoke him ¡ªI was digging my own grave. If I did not say that and just endured his mockingments, I would not have to suffer like this. That night, I barely had any time to rest. Michael kept wanting more and more. The entire night passed by in a rush of madness. I screamed so much that my throat became hoarse. Michael only spared me when morning arrived, but he did not forget what I said. Iy on my bed like a ragged doll, my limbs spread wide apart. When Michael gazed at my face, a look of heartache shed across his eyes before disappearing quickly. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. He leaned down beside my ear and demanded frostily, ¡°Did it feel goodst night? Did you hit climax many times? Is he better on bed or me?¡± Michael''s voice was tinged with coldness and fury. ording to my understanding of him, he was furious about what I said. I closed my eyes, no longer looking at him. There was no energy left within me and I did not want to argue with him anymore. Based on my personality, I would never give in to him. However, I knew clearly that if I continued to provoke him, I might not be able to withstand what woulde next. After this experience, I learned a lesson¡ªnever praise another man in front of someone like Michael, especially when it came to their skills in bed. Otherwise, he would not let you off the hook easily. ¡°If you''re silent, does it mean that you''re still unsatisfied? Do you want me to continue?¡± Michael was not ready to forgive me just yet. As he whispered beside my ear, his voice became even more devilish. Before I could give any response, his hands started roaming around. After a night of passion, my body still ached a bit. When he touched me, I stiffened subconsciously. Having been tormented for an entire night, I was a bit scared. ¡°Michael, what does it take for you to spare me? Are you happy to see me in such pain?¡± I asked emotionlessly as I opened my eyes and gazed at him calmly. My voice was mixed with dejection and disappointment, especially toward Michael. I would have never expected him to treat me like that. When Michael heard what I said, he stopped stroking me down there. He raised his eyes and nced at me, his eyes filled with fury and aplex look. I met his gaze calmly. Michael had never treated me like this in the past. After a few seconds, he withdrew his hand. He stood up, carried me, and strode toward the bathroom. He ced me in the bathtub. As I had no more strength left within me, I let him do whatever he wanted. He filled the tub with water and started cleaning my body. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at Michael. Had it not for my wish to see Amaury more often, I would never allow him to order me around like this. His actionsst night reminded me of when we first started. Back then, he resorted to all sorts of tricks to force or lure me to bed. The current situation was really simr to that. A mocking smirk yed on my lips. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as an indignant feeling washed over me. Chapter 412 Chapter 412 When Michael noticed the change in my emotions, a glint shed across his eyes as he gazed at me with aplex look. ¡°Do you like Nichs that much?¡± Michael''s hands moved across my body gently. His voice sounded indifferent, but it was mixed with a tinge of disappointment. ¡°Does it have anything to do with you whether I like Nichs or not? Michael, I hope that you''ll be clearer about our rtionship. We''ve already ended it a long time ago.¡± Opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling and spoke nonchntly. I no longer harbored any hope for our rtionship. All I hoped for was that Amaury could return to my side after I finish bathing. ¡°Ended? I''m the only one who can decide when our rtionship ends, not you! Anna, as long as I refuse to let you go, you''ll always be my woman!¡± Michael stopped moving his hands. He stared at me coldly, his eyes raging with fury. He was still as domineering as before. In the past, my heart would pound rapidly whenever I heard that. Yet, I was extremely calm now. Perhaps, the hope in my heart had already withered, so there was only numbness in me. I opened my eyes calmly without any expressions on my face. I wanted to ignore Michael''s domineering statement. He could say whatever he liked, but no matter what, he could never change my mind. ¡°Michael, do you love me? Do you hate me for what happened to your mother?¡± I asked indifferently as I turned my head to look at Michael''s angry expression. Perhaps because he did not expect me to ask something like that, he frowned and fell silent momentarily. ¡°That''s in the past. Don''t you know very well whether I love you or not?¡± Michael''s tone became solemn as he gazed into my eyes. I know very well? Yeah, I know very well that he doesn''t love me. If he did, why would he let his father pass me a divorce agreement that he has already signed? I was foolish enough to ask such a question now. Even though I know the answer, I still haven''t given up. By asking that again, I''m just hurting myself. ¡°I get it,¡± I replied aloofly before closing my eyes and ignoring Michael. After bathing, he wrapped a towel around my body and carried me to the bed. After venting it out for an entire night, his fury had already dissipated. The anger in his eyes was mostly gone when he looked at me. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± asked Michael softly as he nced at me and moved his hand to the lower half of my body. When I felt his touch, my body stiffened. After that passionate night yesterday, my body was still sensitive and ufortable. I turned my head away furiously, not wanting to respond to him. He''s asking this on purpose! Was he equally crazy when he slept with other women in the past? ¡°I''ll help you apply some ointment.¡± Michael was not angry when I stayed silent. Casting me another nce, he got up and took the medical kit. He parted my legs. It was still daytime, so I panicked when I felt that. Instinctively, I tried to evade him. It had almost been a year since both of us met, so we were already unfamiliar with each other. Now that he was staring right at my private area, I felt very embarrassed. ¡°It''s fine. I''ll apply some ointment myself after going back.¡± I did not want Michael to do such intimate things anymore. I kept reminding myself that both of us were now strangers, so things like that should not happen. I closed my legs, not wanting Michael to look at my private area. Although all I could feel toward him was hatred, he was still a man. I could not help but blush. ¡°It''s not like I''ve never helped you apply ointment. Why are you acting so dramatic? I''ve seen that part so many times already.¡± It was as if Michael could read my mind. He frowned slightly before parting my legs apart forcefully. He was not doing it out of lust¡ªhe genuinely wanted to apply the ointment for me. I frowned, displeased by Michael''s action. However, since he had already started, it was toote to reject him. Hence, I just let him apply the ointment while a weird emotion surfaced within me. After Michael was done, the ointment left a cool sensation on my skin, which made it feel much more comfortable. I rested on the bed for a while before getting up. When I went to the bedroom and saw Amaury, who was still fast asleep, I could not help but stroke his face. I really wished that I could watch him grow up. However, the Shaw family would never hand him back to me so easily. I had no choice but to rely on my own capabilities. nting a gentle kiss on Amaury''s forehead, I turned around and looked at Michael. ¡°I''ll go now. I''ve got a lot of work waiting for me in the office.¡± As for Michael, my attitude was still very distant and cold. I did not know how I should face him. I was grateful that he allowed me to meet Amauryst night. However, when I remembered that it was all because of the Shaw family that I had to be parted from my own child for a year, I did not know if I should continue hating Michael. ¡°Have you decided to work at Nifty Group as Nichs'' subordinate?¡± interrogated Michael sternly as he stared at me with a frown. My eyebrows knitted in displeasure when I heard his abrupt question. He was in no position to ask about my matters. However, since he wanted to know, I should reply and let him know how much I hate the Shaw family. ¡°I''ve been working at Nifty Group for the past year. Are there any problems? Furthermore, I think that Nichs is a very good mentor and business partner.¡± I was reminded of Nichs. Now, I needed his help to secure custody over Amaury. Since I was not capable enough to do it alone yet, I had no choice but to stay with him. When Michael heard me praise Nichs, his frown deepened and a hint of fury crept into his eyes. ¡°Nichs is not a simple man. It''s not a good thing for you to stay by his side. I''d advise you to leave him and the Nifty Group,¡± warned Michael icily. I came back this time to oppose Michael, so he should be the one worried. Yet, he was threatening me every time he spoke. That made me feel a bit frustrated. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Are you afraid that I''ll be more powerful and that Amaury will return to my side? I''ll tell you this clearly. I''ll never leave Nifty Group! I want to watch ourpany trample over Joyful Sess,¡± I replied coldly as I stared straight into Michael''s eyes. I did not know whether he wanted me to leave because he was scared I would be a threat to him, or because he was so ridiculously possessive that he did not want me to have anything to do with Nichs. Chapter 413 Chapter 413 ¡°Anna, you must be dreaming. Do you really believe that Nichs can survive in Avenport?¡± Michael took a few strides toward me, all while staring at me coldly, his dark eyes emanated rage. I panic almost instantly but managed to calm myself down. Our eyes locked before I uttered without any sign of weakness, ¡°Why not? I don''t think he''s any lesser than you!¡± The one year I spent with Nichs opened my eyes to his abilities. In fact, I wouldn''t be able to guess who would have the upper hand if he were topete with Michael. Regardless, I must stand by Nichs'' side, as he was the only hope that I could be reunited with my child. ¡°Anna, you sure are confident of Nichs'' abilities. Since you trust him so much, then we shall see who will turn out to be the eventual winner!¡± Michael''s eyes shed with disdain and grew even more cial. Evidently, he was infuriated by what I said. I nced at him calmly and fell silent. At the end of the day, an argument between the two of us served no useful purpose. After all, when ites to the business world, it''s one''s abilities that are crucial and not whether an argument has been won. ¡°Then I wish you all the best,¡± I said calmly before turning and walking away. ¡°Wait!¡± Michael''s voice sounded behind me. I could feel the rage that was emanating from him. Frowning, I turned around, and asked indifferently, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°If you want to see Amaury,e here every Friday!¡± I stiffened for a moment. He''s giving me a chance to spend time with Amaury! I could no longer maintain my distant and cold expression. I gave Michael onest look before leaving swiftly. I was not sure of the motive behind Michael''s offer. One year ago, he made me utterly disappointed. But now, he was giving me another chance to spend time with Amaury. What''s his motive? What is he thinking? He had always been like this, and his unpredictability had perturbed me since forever. He''s always like this, giving me hope whenever I feel hopeless. I really hated enduring the emotional turmoil he caused me, as it made me feel helpless. Sometimes, I would be inclined to trust him. However, his past conduct made me extremely hesitant. As I walked slowly on the pathway, my mind was consumed by images of Michael and Amaury. I forcefully shook my head to brush away all the negative thoughts. His motive was irrelevant as long as I get to spend time with Amaury. Ultimately, what he offered was something good for me. Initially, I thought that I could only meet with Amaury after all the matter had been settled. However, Michael gave me a chance to spend time with Amauryst night. His action caused my hatred toward him to diminish slightly. Nheless, it did not influence my decision. Even if he let me meet Amaury every day, I would still want to fight for my child''s custody. Only when I sessfully obtained the custodial rights would I be in peace. I knew that if Amaury''s custody rights remained with the Shaw family, the same incident that happened a year ago might happen again in the future. My thoughts were cut off when I felt a pang of paining from myher region. Although I had already applied medication,st night was too intense. Besides, it had been a year since I had any sexual intercourse. As such, it was only natural that my body could not take it. Only after cursing at Michael in my heart did my rage manage to subside. Just then, my phone rang. Looking down, I saw that it was a call from Nichs. Immediately, I felt guilty as I was reminded of what happened the night before. Regardless, I still answered his call to avoid any suspicion. ¡°Hey, why are you calling me so early in the day? It''s not even time for work.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I immediately started speaking after answering the call as I did not want him to have the first say. ¡°Where are you now? It sounds very noisy over there. Are you outside?¡± Nichs spoke softly, but his tone suggested that he was slightly suspicious. ¡°Yeah, I''m on the road.¡± His query made me panic and I answered with guilt shing in my eyes. ¡°Why are you out so early in the morning? Shouldn''t you be at home resting? Did something happen?¡± Nichs sounded concerned about my well-being, but all it did was make me even more anxious. ¡°No, nothing happened. It''s just that I feel out of shape recently. So I woke up early to squeeze in a workout before going to work. I''m all right.¡± I came up with a random excuse to avoid him finding out about what happenedst night. After all, he had always been worried that I would get entangled with Michael once again. If he found out that I had spent the night with Michael and even had sex with him, he would be infuriated and the situation might escte. I wanted to avoid the trouble. The most pertinent thing in my mind right then was to help Nichs achieve his goal. This way, both of us would get what we wanted. ¡°You''re exercising? I''m surprised that you''re so disciplined and hardworking. Back then, you would even skip your meals just to learn about the ins and outs of the business industry. But look at you now, you''re willing to spend some time working on your own health! Your change is quite drastic since you returned to the country.¡± Nichs spoke in a simr manner, soft and calm. However, I had this unexined feeling brewing in my heart that he was trying to hint at something. ¡°Why? Do you like it better when I''m a workaholic? My sole purpose in returning to the country is to get back Amaury''s custody rights. I want to take care of my son from now on and I need to be healthy for that. Or else, I won''t be able to take care of him once he returns to my side.¡± I pretended not to understand what he was trying to imply and spoke sarcastically. ¡°Well, it''s good that you remember your purpose. For a moment there, I thought that you''d forgotten all about it after meeting with Michael.¡± Nichs smiled and acted as if he didn''t care. Previously, he kept reminding me to hate Michael. Because of that, I got annoyed and was angry with Nichs. Now, it seemed that he no longer dares to do it directly, but rather subtly. After spending the past year with him, I started to know him better. He was a smart person that could read a person''s mind masterfully. But it was a really tiring experience having to deal with a man like him. In a cold and cial tone, I uttered, ¡°I have been clear with my purpose all the while. I don''t care about anything else.¡± With that, I hung up before he could say another word. Chapter 414 Chapter 414 After returning to my ce, I changed and headed toward thepany. After a passionate night, I was left walking in an awkward fashion. The moment I entered the building, everyone started throwing odd nces at me. Most of them were married or in a rtionship. Having experienced the same, I reckoned they could guess what happened to me. As expected, when I was in the washroom, I heard some employees gossiping among themselves. ¡°Did you notice the way Ms. Garcia was walking today? It was so unnatural!¡± ¡°I did. And I think everyone else saw it too.¡± ¡°What do you think happened to Ms. Garcia? Is her leg hurt?¡± ¡°That''s impossible. Can''t you tell? She must have had some intense sexst night. Her partner must be really good in bed. I mean, just look at her! She can''t even walk properly.¡± I could hear a few of them chattering away outside my stall. In response, my face flushed in embarrassment. I did not expect that they could tell just by the way I was walking that I had sex. What was worse was the fact that my private life was being discussed by them in the office. I hated when my private life became the topic for discussion. If it was something else, I would have reprimanded them immediately. But this was something embarrassing, and I could not find the courage to do it. In the end, I could only keep quiet and continue to listen in on their conversation. ¡°Who do you think slept with Ms. Garcia? Could it be the general manager? I heard that the two of them have a really close rtionship.¡± ¡°I think that''s possible. Ms. Garcia doesn''t have any other man in her life. If she had sexst night, it must be with our general manager. Plus, Ms. Garcia has high standards and will not fall for a mediocre man. The general manager may perhaps just be the right fit for her.¡± As the group continued to gossip, they even managed to drag Nichs into the picture. I was infuriated and aggrieved. Why is my sex life the topic of their gossip? I took a deep breath and suppressed my anger. I then told myself that such gossiping would happen in almost anypany and I should not take it too seriously. ¡°I am curious, though, just how intense was itst night? I mean, she must have had so much fun doing it to the point where she can''t even walk properly!¡± Just then another person chimed in, ¡°I''m so envious of Ms. Garcia. She has a man with such sexual prowess. My man, on the other hand, can''t evenst for more than a few minutes. I am not even in the mood yet and he''s done!¡± I frowned, annoyed at the topic of their conversation. Just moments ago, they were still gossiping about me, but now, their conversation had turned sexual. ¡°Same! Not only is my husband quite small, but he can''tst long as well! Every time, it''s over before I knew it. I would really want to experience the kind of sex that could make me walk wonky like Ms. Garcia.¡± ¡°All right, that''s enough, you two. At the end of the day, both of you are married, unlike me. Every night, I''m alone and there is no one to apany me...¡± ¡°Okay... Let''s stop talking about this. Let''s go back to work.¡± It seemed like the conversation was about to end, as one of them was urging them to make a move. Soon after, the group of gossipers left and I heaved a sigh of relief. Then, I walked out of the washroom stall. Undeniably, I was affected by the conversation and my expression darkened. I reckoned they would not want to go through what I didst night if they knew the pain of beingpletely dominated by Michael. It was traumatizing. I washed my hands and looked into the mirror. Although I was peeved about it, I could not control what they wanted to say. When I returned to the office, Nichs was already there waiting for me. Recalling the conversation I had with him that morning, it aggravated my bad mood and made me even more displeased. ¡°Why are you in my office? Is there anything I can help you with?¡± I nced at him coldly before walking toward my desk. Soon, he shifted his attention toward my legs. Noticing that I was walking unnaturally, he frowned and an array of mixed emotions shed across his eyes. ¡°What happened? Are you ufortable somewhere? Why are you walking like that?¡± As his tone was calm and monotonous, I could not tell what he was feeling. However, I was anxious at the thought of the conversation in the washroom. Although I had no feelings toward Nichs, I knew very well that he liked me. As such, I did not want him to find out about my night with Michael. If he knew, the matter would be veryplicated. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± Forcing down my panic, I forced out a calm look and answered his question softly. I observed his facial expression carefully in a bid to know what he was thinking. However, he was just as good at hiding his feelings as Michael. Hence, I could not tell what he was trying to say. ¡°There are some rumors going about in thepany today. I''m not sure if you heard about it. But they''re saying thatst night, you and a man...¡± His voice trailed off and he did not finish the sentence. By then, I already guessed what he wanted to say. My heart lurched as I did not expect him to ask me such a question. My expression instantly turned awkward. Despite being quite familiar with one another, I was still annoyed that he would ask me such an intimate question. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I already heard everything in the washroom just now.¡± Fighting back the feelings of anxiety in my heart, I tried my best to calm down. However, with Nichs'' personality, there was no doubt that he would be able to see through me. ¡°So, it''s true that you''ve slept with a manst night?¡± Nichs tried to pry further and his gaze was filled with suspicion. Knowing that he would have figured out something by now, he would only be more suspicious if I denied it. Taking a deep breath, I decided toe clean. ¡°Yes, I slept with a manst night. What''s the problem? I''m an adult and that''s perfectly normal.¡± Although my words might make me sound lustful, it was still better than him finding out that I slept with Michaelst night. It was the best excuse that I coulde up with. Chapter 415 Chapter 415 The look on Nichs'' face immediately changed and he gazed at me with his dark, fiery eyes. ¡°So the rumors are true. You did sleep with a manst night! Who is it? Is it Michael?¡± Nichs stood up and ced his hands on my desk. Looming over me, I could see that his eyes were filled with anger and rage. Upon mentioning Michael''s name, I panicked but managed to keep it under control. I then feigned anger and asked him coldly, ¡°What do you mean by that? Why must it be Michael? Am I really that untrustworthy in your eyes?¡± Perhaps it was my first time being angry at him, his eyes shed with a glint of regret. However, his regret dissipated almost immediately, though the suspicion in his eyes remained. ¡°Are you saying that you were not with Michaelst night? Then who was it?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Nichs furrowed his brows and looked at me questioningly. ¡°This is my private matter. Are you saying that I need to report to you? Even if I were to get myself a gigolo, is that something that I must run by you first?¡± I stared at Nichs, my gaze cial. I hated it when he tried to control my private life. We were not in a rtionship, after all, and it was preposterous for him to try and do so. Seeing that I was angry, Nichs'' face fell. However, his eyes that were gazing at me were still burning in anger. Taking a deep breath, he tried to tamp down his raging fury. However, he still failed to contain it and he yelled at me boisterously, ¡°Did you really look for a gigolo in a club? Anna, since when do you casually sleep around with men? If you need a man, I''m here for you and I can satisfy your needs. But you chose to look for a gigolo instead! If someone finds out about this, your reputation will be tarnished!¡± I waspletely stunned and was unable to process what was going on. We had known each other for one year, but it was the first time that he spoke to me like this, and on this kind of topic. More than that, however, I was baffled by his statement. Putting aside that I did not do as I said, I would never consider having sex with Nichs even if I was horny. Nheless, I kept such ament to myself. I knew that if I say them out loud, Nichs might rte it to Michael once again. Lowering my head, I said softly, ¡°Last night was an ident. It won''t happen again.¡± I wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible. Nichs looked at me in the eyes and uttered in a deep voice, ¡°Fine, let''s move on from this then. I hope you don''t do such a thing ever again. Any man that likes you will not be able to ept this.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± I replied tly. Inside, I heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he''s not suspicious of anything. ¡°Okay, you should get back to work. We''ll need to speak with Red Star about the coborationter. You know Michael very well and I think you are the perfect candidate to attend the meeting. It will significantly increase our chance of sess.¡± Nichs changed the topic and spoke to me calmly. ¡°Okay. I''ll go get ready and head out in the afternoon.¡± I started preparing the documents for the meeting. Red Star was the first target that ourpany wanted to take over from Michael. As I started working, Nichs was prepared to leave, but he came to a halt at the exit. ¡°If you need somebody to apany you next time, feel free to give me a call. I hate the thought that some random guy gets to sleep with you.¡± Before I could react, Nichs was already out of my office. I stared at the door that had been mmed shut, speechless. In Nichs'' mind, I must have be a lustful and horny woman, huh? However, what he thought was none of my concern. After all, I was the one who knew what the truth was. At the end of the day, Michael was to be med for the gossip. If it wasn''t for him, I wouldn''t have had such a problematic day. I thought my exnation to Nichs would stay between the two of us. But by afternoon, almost everyone knew about it. It appeared that somebody was eavesdropping when the conversation took ce. In the blink of an eye, my image in thepany quickly went downhill. Everyone thought that I was a loose woman who was lustful and horny, and their stares changed drastically, in a bad way. In the pantry, I wanted to make myself a cup of coffee when I overheard a conversation about me again. ¡°Do you think that it''s real? That Ms. Garcia really slept with a gigolo from the club?¡± ¡°Of course it''s real. I heard it with my own ears this morning. It can''t be fake.¡± ¡°But Ms. Garcia doesn''t look like a promiscuous woman. She has her own principles and doesn''t seem like a person who would do something like that.¡± One of them refused to believe that the rumor was true. ¡°Haven''t you heard the phrase ''never judge a book by its cover?'' Someone may look innocent but in truth, she is but a lustful wh*re! Nothing is impossible.¡± One of the female employees muttered in a scornful tone, ¡°That''s right. She may be a brilliant career woman in the day, but at night, she may be f*cking a guy like a wh*re. Who knows, maybe it''s because the general manager is too busy to satisfy her needs.¡± Initially, I wanted to ignore them but the statement was too abhorrent for me to tolerate. Cough! Cough! Clearing my throat, I showed myself from behind the door. At the same time, I cast them an icy-cold gaze. Upon my arrival, their eyes widened in shock and they looked down awkwardly. ¡°Ms. Garcia.¡± They greeted me politely as if nothing happened. If I was not aware of the conversation just now, I might even think they were being respectful toward me. I stood before them and started sizing them up. Under my scrutinizing gaze, they started to feel ufortable. ¡°You should focus on your work when you''re in the office. Did thepany hire you to gossip about your boss? Have you finished all of your pending work?¡± I asked coldly. I rarely interfered with menial matters as such in thepany. However, gossiping about one''s superior was no longer something insignificant. If they were to channel their focus on gossip, then their work would surely suffer. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Since my intention in going there that day was to have an open discussion so that I could take away Michael''s deal, I naturally would not give up so easily. Looking at how resolute I was, a troubled expression appeared on Chris'' face. ¡°Ms. Garcia, I have been working with Mr. Shaw for many years now. Furthermore, my contract with his company has yet to expire. Youing to see me now will affect mypany negatively.¡± ¡°Mr. Lobston, there''s still another month before your contract with Joyful Sess ends. This is the most suitable time for mypany to approach you for a discussion on our future coboration.¡± Beforeing to Red Star, I had already understood the ins and outs of thepany. If I could not even get something as trivial as that right, I would not be there for a discussion. However, I assumed Chris did not expect me to be so well-prepared. That was why he looked even more tense and troubled. ¡°Ms. Garcia, forget about the coboration between ourpanies. Before you came here, I have already spoken with Mr. Shaw regarding the extension of our contract. Therefore, there''s nothing much I can do for you.¡± Now I knew why Chris refused to talk to me about our coboration. That was because Michael had already beaten me to it. Since Chris had already agreed to work with Michael, nothing that I was about to say would be of any use. I was fuming. I did not expect Michael to act so swiftly. Initially, I had thought that mypany was swift in preparing to secure a contract with Red Star. Little did I realize that he was even faster. No matter how furious I was deep down inside, I smiled and spoke politely to Chris, ¡°All right then. Since you have already agreed to work with Joyful Sess, then I can only hope to work with your company another time. Hopefully, you will be able to give mypany a chance the next time around.¡± ¡°Sure! Most definitely!¡± Chris heaved a sigh of relief the moment he heard me say that. Both of us were only being polite. I had no idea when the new contract would end. He might agree to give mypany a chance next time, but he might not keep his word when the time arrived. That was how the business world was. Everyone would say one thing and do another. I was the same too. ¡°Mr. Lobston, I won''t take up any more of your time then. I shall make a move first.¡± Since the talk on the coboration did not go through, there was no point in staying on. I stood up as I was telling Chris that and turned to leave. He could not wait for me to be gone and immediately sent his secretary to see me out. When I arrived at the ground floor of Red Star, I was feeling disappointed. That was my first mission upon returning to the country, and I failed. It made me anxious. I had underestimated Michael''s abilities. Despite spending the past year overseas and learning how to manage a business, I was still not at his level. It was impossible to beat him. I took a deep breath and tried hard to calm myself down. Taking out my phone, I made a call to Nichs. The call was answered after a few seconds. ¡°How was it? Did the discussion go on smoothly?¡± Nichs'' gentle voice sounded so confident that I would win the contract. After hearing him, I became even more depressed. It was only after a while before I could reply indifferently, ¡°No. It''s impossible for us to coborate with Red Star because Michael has already sealed the deal with Mr. Lobston before I came.¡± I felt even more down after I said that. There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone. Nichs'' voice rang out again, ¡°It''s fine. It''s only a contract. If we can catch him off-guard so easily, then he wouldn''t be Michael.¡± I had thought that Nichs would be very disappointed, but he was calmer than I had expected. Perhaps, he was mentally prepared. That was why he was not as crestfallen as me. ¡°Nichs, I feel very uneasy. This is just the start, and I have already lost. I really have no confidence that I can help you beat Joyful Sess. I don''t even think I have the ability to get Amaury back.¡± I have been so sure of myself. Why am I at a loss now? Why am I always the weakest person? N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Anna, don''t think too much. This is only the beginning. I didn''t think things through enough. Next time, we''ll definitely seed. Believe me!¡± Maybe, I was too dejected currently. Nichs sounded a little desperate to me. Unfortunately, I did not feel better in spite of his constion. However, I knew I could not give up just like that. If I gave up so easily after my first attempt, I would not stand a chance to get Amaury back to my side in the future. ¡°Yes, I know. I''m not feeling too great at the moment. I need some time alone. Talk to youter.¡± I did not wish to discuss the matter any further, so I ended the call. Taking another deep inhtion, I tried to calm my emotions down and kept telling myself that I would be able to do it. I would never lose! Just then, the honk of a car could be hearding from behind me. I turned around and saw a ck Mercedes-Benz SUV. It looked like the one Michael used to drive. Thinking that it might be Michael in the car, I frowned and started to walk away. I had no wish in seeing him. Sadly, he had no intention of letting me go. After a few steps, he drove up next to me. Michael''s handsome face appeared as the car window winded down, and he took a gander at me. ¡°You really don''t want to see me, do you? You''re in such a hurry to get away.¡± His unflustered voice revealed no emotions whatsoever. My n had failed because he hade to an agreement with Chris beforehand. I was still angry with Michael. I pretended not to hear him and continued walking. His sudden appearance only caused me more frustration. Seeing that I did not respond, Michael frowned and looked unhappy. ¡°Anna, are you ignoring me? I''m talking to you!¡± Michael raised his voice and sounded annoyed. My mood is already bad enough. Why is he shouting at me? Is he trying to irk me further? Michael became infuriated when I refused to talk to him. He stopped the car and strode toward me. Michael grabbed hold of my arm. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 ¡°Anna! Did you not hear me talking to you?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. The moment I stopped walking, Michael began to yell at me. His eyes were zing with rage. One yell from him, and my temper shot up. ¡°Michael, what the hell do you want? Are you here to see how I have failed? If that''s the case, you have already seen it. You may go now!¡± The fact that he had shown up at Red Star clearly proved that he knew I would be here. He had been waiting for me. When I recalled that there was nothing I could have done about the coboration this time around and that he had beaten me to it, I became more irritated. He was taken aback by my outburst. After digesting what I had said, the anger on his face seemed to have reduced tremendously. ¡°Do you think I''m so free that I will wait here just to see you make a fool of yourself? So Nifty Group thinks that they can just take my things away from me? Hah! Dream on!¡± Michael loomed over me arrogantly. I knew I had already been defeated. Now that he was making such sarcastic remarks in front of me, it would not be a surprise that I would be outraged. ¡°This is only the beginning. We shall see!¡± Not wanting to waste any more of my time with him, I pushed his hand and walked away. All I wanted at that moment was to leave that ce so that I did not have to see him. Instead, he grabbed hold of my arm once again. He stared at me with those frosty eyes of his as he said unreasonably, ¡°Did I say you can go? Who gave you that permission?¡± Since I waspletely unrted to him right now, I certainly did not require his permission to leave. Who does he think he is to me? What gives him the right to question me? ¡°Whether I decide to go or stay has nothing to do with you. Michael! You better stay away from me. Even a rabbit will bite when it''s being provoked! My patience for you has reached its limits!¡± This man has been appearing in front of me ever since I returned to the country. Each time I see him, I will end up in a bad mood. A CEO like him should be very busy with work. Why is he so free that he keeps harassing me? ¡°Are you saying you are the rabbit? By the look of it, I think you''re more of a wild cat. You''re insulting the rabbit when youpare yourself to that animal!¡± Michael sneered as he nced at my haggard face. His words were filled with sarcasm. I was not stupid. I could tell that he was mocking me about my temper. ¡°I don''t wish to talk to you or see you. If you aren''t leaving, then let go of me. I want to go home and rest!¡± I had no wish to enter into an argument with him. Anyway, there was nothing I could gain out of it. Instead of antagonizing myself, I would rather go home early and strategize my next move so that I could beat him next time. ¡°Get in. I''ll send you back.¡± Michael took one look at my tired face and said no more before dragging me to his car. Not wanting to spend another minute or have any physical contact with him, I struggled with all my might. However, he seemed to know what I was thinking. No matter how hard I pulled away, his grip on me was iron-d. ¡°Michael, why do you keep showing yourself in front of me? What do you want? Why are you always pestering me?¡± Ever since I returned to the country, he had appeared in front of me more than a couple of times. I really did not know what he was up to. What good could he possibly get out of this! He paused in his steps when he heard my questions. Turning around and staring at me with those inky eyes of his, he said, ¡°What if I tell you I want you toe back to me?¡± He said it with such a calm yet prating voice. It did not look like he was joking. I would not deny that my heart skipped a beat when I heard that, but I regained myposure very quickly. I would no longer be fooled by his sweet tongue. Thest time he dumped me was the greatest lesson of my life. One must never take a man''s sweet talk seriously. If you did, you would only end up badly hurt. Although his words did invoke some reactions within me earlier on, it did not take me long to settle down. I looked into his eyes with a trace of ridicule. ¡°Michael, your joke isn''t funny at all! Furthermore, I have no intention ofing back to you!¡± A year ago, he dumped me. Now, he wanted me to go back to him. The thought of it was quite absurd. Although I did love him wholeheartedly, that did not mean that I would lower myself to that extent. I would never go back to a man who had dumped me. I was adamant in my refusal and left no room for negotiation. My determination was as deep as the hurt that he had inflicted on me. There was an intense frown on Michael''s forehead. He stared at me with such anger and could not believe that I would turn him down in an unwavering manner. After all, I used to love him to the core. Perhaps, before asking me, he had thought that I would go back to him without hesitation. ¡°Give me a reason!¡± He stared at me with a grim face, and his grip on my arm tightened. It was starting to cause pain and difort to me. I wanted to groan, but I did not want to disy any sign of weakness in front of him. ¡°Why would you need a reason for this? I just don''t want toe back to you! There isn''t any reason!¡± Back when he allowed Lincoln to hand me the signed divorce agreement, he did not give me a reason either. Why should I give him one now? ¡°Is it because of Nichs?¡± My answer was obviously not to his satisfaction. His face darkened further, and his tone was menacing. When I heard him mention Nichs, I frowned because I had no idea why he would mention him. He had always brought up Nichs'' name in front of me. It felt as if he was trying to catch me in the act, and it vexed me. When has he ever seen me with Nichs? Even if I''m seeing Nichs, it is none of his business. ¡°If that''s what you think, so be it! I don''t care!¡± His thoughts had nothing to do with me. Anyway, I had already expressed my stand. If he wished to think that I was with Nichs, then I would let it be. Perhaps, he might stop harassing me. ¡°So, it''s really because of Nichs! Anna, I didn''t know you''re such a promiscuous woman!¡± His grip on my arm became harder. The rage in his eyes looked as though he was about to reduce me to ashes. He was utterly enraged now. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 ¡°Michael, we''re through. There''s nothing between us anymore. What right do you have to interrogate me now?¡± I screamed at him as I struggled to free myself. Humiliation whipped at me each time he questioned me. No matter what I do now, it''s all wrong anyway. He never trusted me, not even for a little. He was the only one I loved. I gave him everything. How could he think I left him for Nichs a year ago? This assumption of his is a joke. Am I that much of a distrustful person to him? Has he not felt even a little of my love for him? ¡°We''re not done! Anna, I told you before, you''re my woman. You can only be mine in this life. If I find out there is something between you and Nichs, I''ll destroy him no matter what it takes.¡± A turbulent of feelings darkened his onyx eyes. Coldness emanated from him, instantly cooling the atmosphere around us. My pounding heart clenched as I looked at his enraged expression. Why is he threatening me? He said he would destroy Nichs no matter what it took. Is it because of his love for me or his selfish desire to possess me? I don''t know what he''s thinking or what I am to him anymore. Does he take me as his possession? He has never once considered my feelings for everything he said and done. ¡°Michael, you''re insufferable!¡± Rage boiled within me at his chauvinistic deration, causing my entire body to shiver. The urge to p him rose within me. I wanted to remind him of the way he had abandoned and hurt me before. Does he not know that his words now sounded like a joke to me? This man is truly selfish to the core. He was the one who dumped me and didn''t want me anymore. Yet, now he''s forbidding me from having other men appearing in my life. Does he wish to see me live a lonely life and die alone? The mes of anger in Michael''s eyes burned even brighter at my words. He stuffed me into his car, then got in the driver''s seat. His foot was stepping on the pedal to its limit. The pointer of the speedometer was in the red zone. I could feel my heart pounding in my throat, my knuckles slowly turning white from how tightly I was gripping the seat belt. ¡°Michael, stop the car! Have you lost your mind? Are you nning to get us killed?¡± We''ll both be dead if he got into an ident at this speed. At that thought, I shifted my attention to the road ahead, afraid that he would crash into the car in front. My stomach lurched as dread engulfed me. I kept yelling at him to stop the car, but he feigned deaf,pletely ignoring me. I could feel the speed of the car increase instead. ¡°Michael, do you hear me? Stop the car!¡± ¡°Shut up! One more word from you, and I''ll rape you right here and now. Do you want that?¡± Despite the cold expression on his face, his eyes were raging with anger. The moment he shouted his threat, my entire body stiffened for a minute. Then, anger gripped me as I shot him a death re. How could he threaten me with something like that right at this minute? Shameless jerk! ¡°Michael, what do I have to do for you to let me go? What do you want from me? I''ve already failed at the coboration. You should be d about it.¡± My eyes were wide with terror as I focused my gaze on the front, yet I couldn''t help but scream at him. This guy is risking our life. What will happen to Amaury if both of us got into an ident? ¡°Easy,e back to me. And you have to cut off all ties with Nichs as well. I will pamper you like how I used to as long as you''re back by my side,¡± he said domineeringly, turning to me as his foot slowly lifted off the pedal, decreasing the car speed. Stunned by his words for a split second, I red at him, wishing my eyes could shoot out aser beam and incinerate him right at that moment. In the end, it''s all because of his selfish desire. He can''t tolerate others taking what was his, even if he is the one who threw it away. I finally realized just how selfish this man was. ¡°No way. I''m not going back to you. Unless I''m mentally unstable, I will never be with you ever again.¡± No one would willingly turn back if they were in my shoes a year ago. Everyone had their limits, and he crossed mine. He left a scar so deep within me that I would have to be insane to even think about getting back with him. Isn''t it enough to get hurt once? In what world would I want to get hurt again? I''m not a masochist. ¡°What did you just say? I dare you to repeat it.¡± The me in his eyes had dampened to a chilling degree. Despite sounding softer, the suppressed rage in his voice made him even scarier. ¡°I''ll repeat it a thousand times if I have to. The answer will still be the same. There''s no hope between us anymore. There is no us, no matter in the now or the future.¡± If I have to be honest, deep within me, I, too, wanted us to return to how we used to be. I''m well aware of my deepest desire. However, we can''t turn back time. All those beautiful memories are in the past and shall stay in the past. Suddenly, he stepped on the brake, causing my body to lurch forward from the inertia. Luckily, I had my seat belt in ce, or I would have ended up with a bruise on my head from knocking against the windshield. Fear filled every corner of my heart even though I didn''t suffer any injury. I leaned back against the seat and shrieked at him, ¡°Michael, you''re crazy!¡± Before I could hurl the rest of my frustrations out at him, he pulled me to him and smashed his lips onto mine. His kiss was assertive. I could feel his need to possess me. It was as if he was trying to tear me into pieces before swallowing me whole. I wanted to break free, but his hand was holding the back of my neck firmly, keeping my head in ce. My struggles were futile. The ming passion in his kiss suffocated me. I even had a feeling that his kiss would lead me to my death from asphyxia. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. It felt like an eternity had passed before he finally released me. My breathing was heavy as I tried to get air into my lungs. I truly thought I was going to die from suffocation. Due to theck of oxygen, my face was flushed red. However, all I felt was anger for this man. I didn''t know what else I should do to get him to leave me alone. We were currentlypetitors, and his frequent appearance was giving me a headache. ¡°Anna, you make me feel love and hate for you at the same time. My love for you had seeped into my skin and carved into my bones. Yet, you fill me with so much hatred that I want to kill you. Tell me, what should I do?¡± Michael pinned his gaze at me as he spoke. There was a crack in his voice, and he sounded lost. Chapter 419 Chapter 419 My heart lurched at how ferocious he looked one minute, then looking lost in the next. He had seemed so enraged as though he wanted me dead earlier that I couldn''t believe those words hade out of his mouth. He said he loved me so much that it had seeped into his skin and carved into his bones. I didn''t trust it one bit. After all, he wouldn''t have abandoned me if he loved me to that extent. At the end of the day, he simply didn''t love me enough. ¡°Do you truly love me? Because I don''t feel your love even for one bit. Do you remember how you treated me after what happened with your mother? Or have you forgotten about it?¡± The corners of my lips curled into a smirk as tears filled my eyes. If he had loved me so, why did he serve me a divorce agreement right after what happened with his mother, without any exnation? Was that his way of loving me? ¡°Until now, you still owe me an exnation for that incident. Anna, tell me honestly, are you really the perpetrator behind that incident?¡± Suddenly, his gaze turned sharp. It felt as if he could see right through me. I blinked slowly, confused by his question. What does he mean by that? Is he trying to say that he didn''t think that I was the perpetrator behind that incident? But if he didn''t think that I was the perpetrator, why would he serve me a divorce agreement? I couldn''t think of any other reason why he had to divorce me except for his mother''s incident. Besides, Lincoln had said before that he wouldn''t let the person who hurt his wife stay. ¡°What are you trying to say? Do you think it wasn''t me? That I wasn''t the one behind it?¡± I locked my gaze with him as I smoothened out my expression and suppressed my raging thoughts. ¡°You''re my woman. No one understands you better than I do. You would never do something like that. That being said, I have no idea why you would shoulder the me for it. I''ve given you a chance to exin, but you never did.¡± His tone was grave as he looked at me. I felt my gut tighten at his words. I thought he bought my excuse then, but hearing him now, it was obvious that he had never believed I was the perpetrator, not even once. I sucked in a deep breath to try and keep my expression neutral. Not knowing what he had in mind, I had to be careful with my words and actions. ¡°If you didn''t believe I was the one who hurt your mother, why did you treat me so coldly then? Why did you divorce me?¡± I finally got to ask him the questions that had always lingered in my mind. Anticipation filled me as I studied his eyes, hoping for a silver lining. Maybe things were not as bad as I had thought. Maybe he''s not that heartless toward me. My heart raced as I waited for his answer. ¡°I should be the one asking you about the divorce. You''re the one who dumped a signed divorce agreement on me and left, after all. You even got my father involved to help you with the divorce procedure. I never thought you could do such a thing, Anna. It seems I have underestimated you.¡± At the mention of the divorce, his expression turned cold, and angerced his voice. I could hear the reproach and pent-up anger in his tone. However, I didn''t care about those, for he just revealed that I was the one who signed the divorce agreement and enlisted his father''s aid with the divorce procedure. How is that possible? His father was the one who served me the signed divorce agreement and forced me to sign it. How could he me me instead? ¡°Are you sure I was the one who enlisted your father''s help with the divorce procedure? That I was the one who signed the divorce agreement first?¡± I asked with a smirk, my tone dripping with obvious mockery. I think it''s funny how he still puts all the me on me even when it''s only just the two of us here. The Shaw family was the one who announced it to the public first, pushing all the me on me, and tarnishing my name. Everyone thought I was a whore who left with another man. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. However, how many actually knew the reason for my departure? ¡°What do mean by that?¡± Michael frowned at my barrage of questions. ¡°I''m sure you''re well aware of exactly what I''m implying here. You were the one who left me a signed divorce agreement and had your father approach me, forcing me to sign the agreement. You were already out of the country by then. I kept trying to reach you, but you didn''t pick up any of my calls. Thinking back on the situation now, you were truly heartless to the core,¡± I sneered. A wave of pain assaulted me as I recalled the painful memories. Time can''t heal everything. Time can''t help you forget everything. Some memories hurt more as the days go on. ¡°The entire time that I was with you, I always thought you loved me the most, so I waspletely blindsided when you turn out to be the one who hurt me the most. Do you really think we can get back together after you hurt me so deeply?¡± Even though he didn''t know what he had done to hurt me, I had to remind him of the pain he caused me. I have to make him remember just how heartless and cruel he was. He didn''t get angry at my biting remarks. He merely looked at me with a frown like he was contemting something. ¡°Are you sure I was the one who left you with a signed divorce agreement? Are you sure you weren''t the one who initiated the divorce?¡± He gripped my shoulder as his voice trembled from agitation. I cast him a confused nce. Has he forgotten what he had done to the point where he still needed my confirmation? ¡°I didn''t think your memory would be this terrible. Have you forgotten all that you''ve done to me?¡± Instead of giving him an answer, I replied to his queries with questions. Everything I said earlier was true. Hearing that, the anger burning in his eyes extinguished swiftly only to be reced with aplicated look. ¡°Something must have gone wrong somewhere in our divorce. I''ll investigate this matter thoroughly,¡± he said after a long silence. I was puzzled by his words. ¡°What are you saying? You were the one who initiated the divorce. I think the problem lies with you.¡± Not wanting to dwell on our divorce any longer, I released the seat belt and opened the door, wanting to get out of the car. ¡°I didn''t leave any signed divorce agreement with you when I went overseas.¡± Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Michael''s voice sounded again, and his face had darkened. My body shook as I turned to look at him, a wave of emotions washing through me. ¡°What do you mean? If you didn''t sign the divorce agreement, why was your writing on the papers?¡± I was only so sure of it previously because I saw his signature on the papers. But he''s telling me now that he hadn''t signed it? I didn''t want to believe in his words since there was no way his signature could be fake. At the same time, there was a part of me also hoping that the signature on the divorce agreement papers wasn''t real. I wanted to pursue it further, but I suppressed my curiosity and tried my best to look calm. ¡°Anyway, I don''t know what you''re talking about. I still have some work to do so I''ll be leaving for the company now. Also, I hope that we don''t meet if it''s not for work matters.¡± He would always leave me confused whenever we met. I didn''t like this feeling at all. It felt like my facade was close to shattering every time I see him. ¡°I''ll send you there.¡± Just as I was about to get down from the car, he grabbed my hand and fastened my seatbelt. ¡°No need. I can take a cab there.¡± I was scared when I thought about how recklessly he had driven earlier. I didn''t want to stay in his car one minute more. It didn''t matter that he wasn''t scared of getting into an ident because I was. I had to stay alive since Amaury wasn''t back to my side yet. However, there was no point in refusing at all as Michael immediately started to drive when he was done fastening my seatbelt. I hated how domineering he was, but I knew well enough not to argue with him. If I were to argue and anger him again, I would be the only one in danger. Fortunately, he didn''t drive like how he had previously after he cooled off. He drove slowly as he kept his eyes on the road, but his brows were furrowed, seemingly in deep thoughts. Once we arrived at thepany, he stopped the car and turned to look at me. However, I ignored him and got off the car immediately. I was in a bad mood after seeing him that day, and it seemed like he had something on his mind as he didn''t say anything. Feeling irritated, I locked myself in my office once I got in. Not only did my business fail, but I also had a fight with Michael. Everything seemed to be going wrong that day. I flipped through the documents on my table in frustration, trying to distract myself from what had happened. Right then, the door opened and Nichs walked in. My brows knitted together at the sight of him as I could guess what he was about to say. Lowering my head, I pretended to work as I didn''t want to talk to him. ¡°I saw you getting down from a car earlier. Did Michael send you here?¡± As expected, he always spoke of Michael whenever he opened his mouth as though all that he paid attention to was my business with Michael. ¡°He did. Is there a problem?¡± I answered truthfully with an indifferent expression as I look up at him. I disliked the fact that he was always trying to sound me out subtly. It made it seem like I would betray him. Nichs was taken aback for a moment. When he finally snapped back to his senses, he made his way toward me. ¡°It sounds like you don''t like it when I ask about you two. I''m just concerned about you. I know that you''re someone who ces great value on rtionships, so I was worried that you''d fall in too deep again. I didn''t want to see you hurt again.¡± He came by my side and held my hand, looking at me with a gentle look on his face. I didn''t feel anything after hearing his sweet words. I was aware that he was always saying stuff like this because he had some feelings for me, but I know that he cared more about business deep inside his heart. The reason he was so concerned about Michael and me was that he was afraid that I would get back together with that man. He was worried that his chances of winning against Michael would be lower if he didn''t have my help. ¡°You don''t have to worry about that. I know what to do,¡± I said bluntly, turning away from him. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Anna, did you notice that your attitude toward me is colder ever since you met with Michael after you returned to the country? We used to be so close back in Anndur. But whenever we talk about Michael now, you always look frustrated. Are you being wary of me now?¡± Nichs frowned and looked at me in disappointment. I was annoyed initially but started to feel guilty after hearing what he had said. Suppressing the emotions I was feeling, I looked up at him and said, ¡°I was never wary of you. But ever since I returned to the country, you''re always subtly reminding me of my rtionship with Michael. I really don''t like it when you do this, Nichs.¡± Although I admit that he had helped me quite a lot, he seemed to have changed into an entirely different person ever since I returned. I really didn''t like how he was being now. ¡°I''m just concerned about you. I''m worried that you will give in to Michael. If that happens, everything you''ve done till now will go to waste.¡± ¡°You''ve already said this many times. I can already memorize your words by now. I''m an adult, so there''s no need for you to keep reminding me like this. Just think about yourself first.¡± I had lost count of how many times he had said something like this. I was grateful in the beginning. However, as time went by, it only made me more and more irritated. ¡°All right, then. Since you don''t want to hear it, I won''t say it again,¡± he said impatiently before keeping silent. With that, I continued to busy myself with work. ¡°Let''s have dinner together tomorrow. I have something to tell you.¡± After a moment''s silence, Nichs'' voice sounded again. I wanted to refuse, but I didn''t want him to think that it was because of Michael again, so I nodded in agreement in the end. ¡°Okay. Text me the time and location after you''ve made the reservation.¡± ¡°Sure. I''ll let you get back to your work. I''ll head out first.¡± His expression finally rxed a little after I agreed to the dinner. I didn''t head home straight away after work. Instead, I drove to a nearby caf¨¦ and took a seat by the windows. It had already been a few days since I arrived here, and I was busy every day. All I wanted to do at that moment was to have some alone time with myself. Staring at the view outside the window, I could feel myself calming down. But right at that moment, I heard the conversation between a man and a woman behind me. ¡°Ronan, I asked you out today because I have something to tell you.¡± Chapter 421 Chapter 421 The woman''s voice was sweet and even seemed to sound a little shy. ¡°Just say what''s on your mind. I made an appointment to go car racing with my friendster.¡± I was stunned when I heard the man''s voice as it was none other than Ronan Moore''s. A smirk surfaced on my face. I didn''t expect to bump into him like this. It seems like things are getting interesting. ¡°I... Actually, I like you. Can I be your girlfriend?¡± The woman nced at Ronan nervously while she waited for his answer. Meanwhile, I stayed silent and continued to listen in. I was looking forward to hearing Ronan''s answer. It had already been a year but he still had so many admirers around him. I wonder if he''d agree to go out with her. ¡°You''re the third woman to confess to me today. Do you know how I rejected the other two?¡± He sounded so casual and rxed as if he didn''t feel distressed about how to answer the woman''s confession. ¡°How?¡± She looked up at him, puzzled. ¡°I told the first one that she was too ugly, and that there''s no way I''d stay erect if we were to sleep together.¡± An amused smile appeared on Ronan''s face, his demeanornguid and nonchnt. He didn''t care that his words would make the woman in front of him feel awkward at all. Upon hearing his words, the woman blushed but she couldn''t stop herself from asking, ¡°Then what about the second one? How did you answer her?¡± ¡°I said that she was too fat. There''d be no difference with sleeping with a pig.¡± I was speechless when I heard what he had said. It had been a year but he was still as vicious as ever. As long as he didn''t like her, he didn''t care whether his words would hurt the woman at all. The woman''s expression changed and she flushed red. The atmosphere around them became slightly awkward. Naturally, anyone would have felt awkward if they were to hear the person they like to say something like that. ¡°Then what about me? I don''t think I''m ugly, and I''m not fat.¡± Her heart raced as she stared at Ronan. It''s about time he said something about me. ¡°Well, your legs are too short. I like women with long legs, but you don''t have them,¡± Ronan said with a raised brow, having little concern that his words would hurt her. ¡°Ronan, you¡ª¡± She stared at him with a heartbroken look, perhaps because she didn''t expect him to make such a rude comment about her body. ¡°You''re not my type,dy. I will never be with you so it''s best that you give up now.¡± Ronan was someone who seemed like he could be intimate with any woman, but he never held back when rejecting them. The woman already seemed so pitiful. Yet, he still said something so hurtful. I had never noticed that he was so good at rejecting people before this. After listening to their conversation, I was sure that if he didn''t like the woman who confessed to him, there was no way she would get a happy ending. After all, not everyone could stand that vicious tongue of his. ¡°Are things really impossible between us? I really like you, and I''ve liked you since a long time ago.¡± Even though Ronan had been firm with his rejection, the woman continued to press further, refusing to give up. ¡°Do you think you have anything worth liking? Do you have a pretty face like a celebrity? Or a great body like a model? Or maybe the skills of a porn star? Get lost if you don''t have any of that.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ronan was harsher than ever. I never expected him to say something as malicious as that. No woman could ever stand hearing something like that. At his words, the woman left in tears. Sighing a breath of relief, Ronan muttered, ¡°Ah... Finally some peace and quiet.¡± ¡°I see you''re still as vicious as ever, Mr. Moore. Seems like no one can ever bepared to you.¡± I finally stood up and walked over to him, my words dripping with a hint of mockery in them. Having heard my voice, Ronan, who was sipping his coffee, whipped his head around instantly. He then got up when he saw that it was me. He quickly pulled me into his embrace without saying another word. He hugged me so tightly that I could feel his body trembling. I didn''t say a thing to him when I left back then, and we had not kept in touch during the year I wasn''t around. As such, it was a great surprise to be able to meet him here at the caf¨¦ that day. ¡°Are you really that excited to see me, Ronan? Are you trying to strangle me to death?¡± He wrapped his arms around me so tightly that it was getting difficult for me to breathe. He''s getting too excited. ¡°Where have you been this past year, Anna? Why isn''t there any news from you? Do you know how much I''ve missed you?¡± Ronan finally let go of me and put his hands on my shoulders as he stared at me. Looking into his eyes, I could tell that he was concerned and worried. I knew that how he felt about me was sincere just from the looks of it. I had always been grateful for what he had given me. It was also because I couldn''t return his feelings that I had purposely kept my distance from him. ¡°I went abroad. But I''m back now, aren''t I? And I''m perfectly well at that. Besides, I managed to witness something interesting today.¡± I didn''t want to bring up what had happened a year ago, so I quickly changed the subject. ¡°You left without saying anything back then. Do you know that Michael and I have been looking around for you like crazy? But there was still no news from you. All of us had been worried to death.¡± Nheless, Ronan insisted on continuing with the topic. My heart lurched violently when I heard what he had just said. Did Michael really look for me like crazy back then? Is he really telling the truth? I was starting to feel more and more confused as to what had actually happened with the divorce now. It felt like there was something that Michael and I both didn''t know about because I realized so many things that were suspicious recently. ¡°All right. Let''s not talk about the unhappy things now. I''m back now, so shouldn''t you be happy?¡± I wanted to use this chance to question further but was worried that Ronan would get suspicious. So, without any choice, all I could do was to suppress my curiosity. We sat across each other, and after a moment''s silence, he looked up at me and asked, ¡°Does Michael know that you''re back?¡± ¡°Yes. We''ve already met a few times now.¡± In fact, the very first person I met upon returning to the country with was Michael. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 ¡°So, you''ve been back for a while already, huh? And here I thought I was the first one to see you. You know, I''m pretty disappointed that you didn''t notify me the moment you got back.¡± Even though Ronan looked sad after hearing my response, he gave a half-smile. ¡°I had to meet with Michael because of work. Even if we didn''t bump into each other today, I nned to contact you soon anyway. It''s just that fate put us together before I could do that.¡± Seeing Ronan''s downcast eyes, I could not help but shake my head helplessly. He''s the same as he was a year ago. Still the same old Ronan. ¡°So, you still remember me then? I thought you''d long forgotten about me.¡± Ronan''s smile grew wider after listening to my exnation. The man''s mood seemed to have gotten much better. ¡°Of course! How could I forget you? You''re one of my best friends!¡± I teased him beforeughing at him. Then, we chatted until the sky turned dark. Since I did not drive there, Ronan offered to send me back to my apartment, and I epted. I reckoned after a year, his feelings for me would have changed, so I decided it was no longer necessary to keep my distance from him deliberately. On the way, Ronan asked me a lot of questions. Most of them were about why I left a year ago and how I could just leave my child. I avoided answering any of those questions because I did not want to be reminded of my painful past. The past should stay in the past. I don''t want them to affect my current life. After taking a hot shower, I slumped into my bed and quickly fell asleep. Since returning to the country, I haven''t had the time for a good sleep because of all the things I had to do. The following evening, I arrived outside the restaurant Nichs and I agreed to meet at. He told me he had something to say to me, so I took him up on his invitation. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. It turned out that the restaurant he had booked was one frequented mainly by couples on their date nights. Hence, I hesitated to go in and wondered if it was appropriate for me to meet Nichs there. I knew how he felt about me, but the feeling was not mutual. On top of that, I had a hunch that he would say something I would not want to hear. I was still wondering if I should just turn around and leave when my phone suddenly rang. It was Nichs calling. ¡°Hey, Anna. Do you have trouble finding the ce?¡± Nichs decided to check in since it was way past the time we were supposed to meet. ¡°I''m just outside the restaurant, actually. I''ll be right in.¡± With that, I decided to stop thinking about leaving and simply walked in. Nichs chose the table near the window because it was much quieter there, and I appreciate it. When he saw me walking in, he smiled warmly at me and said, ¡°Honestly, I thought you were going to stand me up.¡± ¡°Well, I''m a woman of my word, and I did promise to meet you here. What makes you think I wouldn''t turn up?¡± I responded to him snarkily. Instead of saying anything else, Nichs picked up a bouquet on the chair next to him and handed it to me. ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± There was a gentleness in his eyes as he gazed at me with a soft smile. The bouquet wasprised of crimson red roses, and they looked magnificent. However, I was well aware of what it meant when a man gifted a woman roses, so I started to panic. ¡°Uh... What''s with the gift?¡± I did not ept the flowers because I knew what Nichs was trying to express. Suddenly, I regretted agreeing to meet with him. ¡°I have my reasons for asking you out, Anna. There''s something I have to tell you.¡± After seeing my response, Nichs''s face hardened, making him seem sterner than usual. ¡°Nichs, what do you say we have dinner first? As you said, it''s quitete, and I''m pretty hungry.¡± I could guess what he would say next, but I did not want to hear it, so I quickly changed the subject to deny him the opportunity. ¡°Can you just listen to me for a brief moment before we have dinner, Anna? I''ll try to keep it short,¡± requested Nichs with his eyebrows slightly furrowed. It seemed my attempt to change the subject was futile. I lowered my head and avoided eye contact. At that moment, I desperately tried to find a way to turn Nichs down. At first, I thought I could bring myself to ept him, but I quickly realized that Michael was the only person I want to be with. Even though Nichs was by no means inferior to Michael, I just did not have feelings for him. To me, Nichs was just a friend and a business partner. ¡°Anna, I''ve been by your side for the past year, so I know how much you''ve grown. Things haven''t been easy for you, but still, you''re doing everything you can to get your child back. I know you''re more than capable of taking care of yourself, but don''t you think it would be nice to be loved and cared for by a man?¡± There was a moment of silence after Nichs made the suggestion. Not knowing how to respond to him, I gritted my teeth and remained quiet. ¡°It must be tiring for you to face everything alone, and it breaks my heart to see you so. Be mine, and I''ll take care of you. I can protect you. Heck, I''ll even make sure that you get your kid back. You can trust me.¡± Nichs confessed with so much sincerity that it was almost impossible for anyone not to be moved by him, and I was no exception. Not only had I been through a divorce, but I also had a child with another man, so I was deeply touched that Nichs would want to be with someone like me. However, I could not be with him because he was nothing more than a friend and business partner to me. ¡°Please don''t say anything like that, Nichs. We''re just friends,¡± I reminded him with my head still lowered. This was exactly the situation I wanted to avoid, but it happened anyway. ¡°No. If anything, I should''ve confessed to you sooner. I waited too long when I should''ve just told you my feelings a year ago. I wanted to give us more time, but then I realized I might miss my opportunity to be with you if I don''t do this soon.¡± Seeing how insecure Nichs was only made it more difficult for me to turn him down. I had always known how Nichs felt about me, but I never said anything to clear things up between us, and I regretted it. I should''ve made it clear that I only wanted to be friends with him back then. But now that we''ve reached this point, I have no choice but to reject him directly. ¡°I''m sorry, Nichs. But you''re just a friend to me; nothing more. I just don''t feel the same way about you, so there''s no way¡ª¡± Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Before I could finish my sentence, Nichs suddenly interrupted, ¡°I know what you want to say, Anna. You''re trying to turn me down because you think we''re just friends and business partners, right? But I know the real reason why you don''t want to be with me. It''s because of Michael, isn''t it?¡± It did not take long for Nichs to figure me out, and when he mentioned Michael, I got even more nervous because everything he said was true. I just did not want to admit it then. Feeling guilty as charged, I kept my head lowered for quite a while before finally deciding to bite the bullet. ¡°Nichs, I only rejected you because I don''t have feelings for you. It has nothing to do with anybody else. I''m simply listening to my heart.¡± I knew better than to get Michael involved because it would only make things moreplicated, and that was thest thing I wanted. ¡°Anna, you know what kind of person I am and how much I care for you. If you have my help, I''m sure things will get much easier for you. And since Michael''s out of the question, why not give me a chance? I think it''d be best for the two of us, don''t you?¡± Nichs seemed to have stopped suspecting Michael, yet he was still not ready to give up. I did not expect Nichs to be so persistent; I thought he would just let it go as soon as I turned him down because that was what happened before. Every time I deliberately tried to change the subject, he would go along with it. However, it seemed that he was determined to get an answer from me this time. ¡°Nichs, I¡ª¡± ¡°Aren''t you going to take the flowers first? I''ve been holding them out for a while now, you know?¡± Nichs interrupted me again before gesturing for me to ept the bouquet. Staring at the roses, I thought it would only be polite for me to ept them, but at the same time, I did not want Nichs to take it the wrong way. Eventually, I decided to ept the bouquet out of courtesy. ¡°I don''t believe that you never imagined us being together. I mean, I''m not that bad, am I?¡± Nichs''s expression softened up a little after I took the flowers from him. I frowned a little when I heard those words. I can''t deny the fact that Nichs is a fine gentleman, but he''s still no match for the old Michael. So honestly, I really don''t have any feelings for him. ¡°You are a catch, and I''m sure there are a lot of women out there who would kill to be with you. But I''m not one of them. I''m just different like that. You know that, right?¡± I inquired while looking him right in the eye. Since Nichs had decided toe clean, I thought I should make myself clear as well to avoid the awkward situation from happening again in the future. ¡°That''s precisely the reason I fell for you. The more I got to know you, the more my feelings for you grew. I''ve never felt this way about another woman! That''s why I decided long ago that I was going to make you mine.¡± Although I had already made myself as clear as possible, Nichs continued to express his feelings for me. My goodness! What do I have to say to make him understand? It''s like he''s ignoring what I said on purpose. ¡°This is the proposal ring I''ve prepared for you, Anna. Will you marry me?¡± Just when I was still trying to figure out how to exin myself, Nichs suddenly pulled out a ring. I was utterly stunned as I stared at the expensive-looking diamond ring. Never did I expect Nichs to propose to me that night. I thought he was just nning to confess to me, so the sudden turn of events caught mepletely off guard. I stared coldly at Nichs and wondered what was going on in his mind. What the heck happened to him? The Nichs I know would never do anything like this. Since when did he be so hasty? Before I could reject him, I heard someone pping behind me, and following that was a familiar voice. ¡°I only came here for dinner, so I never expected to see such a grand disy of love. Are you that eager to get married, Anna?¡± Michael''s tone was icy-cold, and when I turned around to face him, I could see that he had clenched his fists in anger. My mind immediately went nk after seeing the furious look on his face. ¡°What... What are you doing here?¡± For some reason, a part of me hoped that Michael heard what Nichs said to me. ¡°Why shouldn''t I be here? Are you afraid that I would witness how you ept another man''s proposal? No wonder you kept refusing to see me. You''re trying to throw yourself into someone else''s arms, aren''t you?¡± ridiculed Michael with a condescending sneer. Immediately after listening to those harsh words, I, too, got upset. What right does he have to judge me like that? I didn''t even respond to the proposal yet! Even if I were to marry another man, what does it have to do with him? I can be with whoever I want! ¡°I don''t think this is any of your business. I''m allowed to marry anyone I please,¡± I retorted before turning my back on Michael. Meanwhile, Nichs seemed unusually calm about Michael''s sudden appearance. Since the two were seated facing each other, I suspected Nichs would have seen Michaeling. Why didn''t he say anything about it, though? Did he want Michael to see him propose to me? The look on Nichs'' face was enough to convince me that I was right, and at that point, I was disgusted by his deviousness. ¡°Are you really that desperate for a man, Anna? Why didn''t youe to me then?¡± Michael got even angrier after hearing what I had to say, but he did his best to suppress his emotions. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Michael strode toward me, his every word causing the rage within me to burn brighter by the second. ¡°Michael, so what if I''m desperate for a man? It has nothing to do with you. I would rather get myself a male prostitute than go to you. Please get out of my sight now. I don''t want to see you!¡± When he appeared just now, there was a split moment where I felt guilty. However, after hearing what he said, my guilt was swiftly reced by rage. I had no intention of being together with Nichs. Yet, he misunderstood and humiliated me in public. ¡°I can leave if you want me to leave. But you areing with me!¡± As Michael spoke, he grabbed my arm abruptly and started dragging me outside. Although it was true that I wanted to leave this ce, I had no intention of leaving with him. ¡°Michael, what are you doing? This is a restaurant. Many people are watching us! Are you trying to kidnap me?¡± I struggled to free myself from his grip as I shouted wrathfully at him. I did not care about my image anymore as he had totally pissed me off. Michael stared back at me, his gaze burning with fury as well. However, before he could say anything, Nichs, who had been keeping silent, opened his mouth. ¡°Mr. Shaw, if I am not mistaken, Anna has already divorced you. It''s up to her whether to ept myN?velDrama.Org holds ? this. proposal or not. You have no right to interfere, and you can''t force her to leave.¡± Standing up, Nichs cast a calm look at Michael. He sounded calm andposed. Upon hearing that, Michael furrowed his brows and stared at Nichs coldly. ¡°Even though we are divorced, she is still my woman. So you''d better keep your grubby hands off her. Nichs, I''m warning you. You can''t afford to cross me!¡± Michael narrowed his eyes, his gaze shing a sense of hostility. He was determined to go against Nichs no matter what. ¡°Is that so? I''m actually curious now to find out what will happen if I get together with Anna. In fact, if she''s willing to be my woman, I will dly pay whatever price I need to pay, it would be worth it. Don''t you agree, Mr. Shaw?¡± Nichs smiled faintly. He did not seem to be bothered by Michael''s threat in the slightest. I was displeased with Nichs'' words. I knew he was trying to provoke Michael, and what he said would only make my rtionship with Michael worse. I was well aware of what his purpose was. As a result, I found the disdain I had for him grew more profound. Michael clenched his fists as he red at Nichs. Before thetter could react, He hadnded a punch on him. I knew Michael was good at fighting. After all, he managed to rescue me from a few kidnappers back then. Seeing him making a move at Nichs, I could not help but worry. It''s indeed terrifying whenever Michael gets physical. If anything happens to Nichs, he would also need to take responsibility. I couldn''t help feeling concerned that Nichs might get hurt. While I was still deep in thought, Nichs had already gotten beaten to the ground. The next second, he immediately stood up and charged toward Michael. The two wrestled, but it was evident that Michael had the upper hand. ¡°The two of you, stop fighting!¡± I shouted desperately at them. Yet, none of them listened to me. At that moment, they were obsessed with defeating the other party. The customers dining in the restaurant shifted their attention toward us. Some of them even seemed to recognize Michael. ¡°That''s enough!¡± The two of them were in the midst of a fierce fight, and they did not care how the others thought of them. I could not stand getting treated as a bargaining chip between them any longer and kept shouting at them to stop. Once again, Michael beat Nichs to the ground. I saw the corner of Nichs''s mouth start to bleed. My heart was petrified in fear, for I knew there was no limit to Michael''s violence once he lost his temper. Just when Michael was about to attack Nichs again, I rushed toward them and stood in front of Nichs. Michael''s gaze burned with rage when he saw me blocking his way. His fist paused in the air and trembled incessantly. ¡°Anna, are you trying to protect another man now?¡± If it weren''t for the fact that I was a woman, I reckoned he would have punched me by then. ¡°Michael, that''s enough. If you don''t stop, you''re going to injure him!¡± There was no time for me to rpose my thoughts. At that moment, I only knew that I must stop him from escting the fight. If Nichs were to get injured, it would spell serious trouble for Michael. Even though Michael would probably find a way to solve the issue, Nichs was not an easy opponent to get rid of. ¡°Anna, I''m fine. Don''t worry about me.¡± Nichs sat up and patted my shoulder gently. I turned around and observed his face. There were bruises all over his face and bloodstain on the corner of his mouth. He looked utterly miserable. No one would have known he was a general manager if they did not know him. In the year that I had known him, I had never seen him in such a pathetic state. Knowing that he was a sore loser, I was sure that he would take his revenge against Michael. I feared that the conflict between them would not end so quickly. ¡°How do you feel? Is it painful?¡± My brows knitted tightly together as I stared at his wounds. Even though I was not into him, he was still my friend. I would not want to see him getting hurt. Moreover, I would not be able to forgive myself if he got hurt because of me. ¡°Don''t worry about me. It''s just some scratches. If I can''t even take these, I am not qualified to be called a man.¡± Nichs smiled at me casually before using the back of his hand to wipe off the blood on his mouth. He looked like he was not bothered by those wounds at all. I could not help but worry. After all, his wound looked severe, and it must be painful. I guess all men liked to put on a tough front, huh? Especially in front of the woman they favored. ¡°Anna, how could you worry about another man right in front of me? You''re just tantly disrespecting me! How could you treat me like this?¡± Michael could not bear seeing my concern for Nichs. He kept his cold gaze on me, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to suppress his rage. I was livid as well upon hearing his words. You are the one who hit him first. ¡°Michael, stop making a fuss! I really hate the way you''re behaving now! Nichs didn''t even offend you, so how could you hit him?¡± I confronted him, my voice getting louder as I spoke. ¡°I can hit whoever I like. There is no need for a reason. Anna, you keep pissing me off today!¡± His dark eyes glinted as though they could swallow me whole. Chapter 425 Chapter 425 ¡°Michael, how could you be so unreasonable? This is preposterous!¡± I shot an angry look at Michael. At that moment, I wished I could p him in the face. He was the one who got violent in the first ce. Yet, he still acted like he did nothing wrong. ¡°Anna, forget it. Stop arguing with him.¡± Just when I was about to lose my temperpletely, Nichs grabbed my hand andforted me with a meek voice. I was concerned about his wounds as they looked severe. Hence, I turned away and ignored Michael. ¡°Let''s skip the dinner tonight. Let me send you to the hospital first. The wounds on your face look severe. We need to get it treated immediately.¡± If he goes to thepany tomorrow looking like this, I bet the employees wille up with all kinds of gossip. ¡°Hold on. You haven''t given me an answer to my proposal just now. Anna, I really want to be with you. Can you ept my proposal? I promise I will treat you well, and I won''t do anything to hurt you.¡± Nichs took out the ring again and handed it to me. I was rendered speechless by his gesture. Seeing him being so persistent even after getting injured, I furrowed my brows. Even though I still felt nothing for him, I could not make myself reject him. Besides, I was not in the mood to consider such an important matter in such a situation. The priority now should be getting him to the hospital to treat those wounds. I took a deep breath and tried to recollect myself. I intended to persuade him to go to the hospital first. However, before I could open my mouth, Michael''s voice sounded again. ¡°Anna, don''t you dare ept his proposal! You belong to me!¡± His tone sounded arrogant and rude as always. He''s indeed the most self-centered person I have ever met. I was beyond exasperated upon hearing that. Even now, he still tries to threaten me! Everything happened today because of him. Yet, he shows no remorse at all. I never thought he could be so unreasonable. What makes him think he can control me? Initially, I wanted to reject Nichs. However, Michael''s insufferable behavior provoked me, and I changed my mind. Overwhelmed with rage, I epted Nichs'' proposal. ¡°Okay, I''ll ept your proposal. I believe you are a good man, and that you will never do anything to hurt me.¡± I looked at Nichs with a gentle gaze. Even though I was talking to him, my words were actually meant for Michael. Since Michael did not want me to marry another man, I would do the opposite of what he said. I wondered how he would react to it and what kind of crazy antics he would pull next. ¡°Anna, how dare you!¡± Before Nichs could say anything, Michael opened his mouth again, his tone dripping with unadulterated rage. ¡°It''s my freedom to be with whoever I want. You can''t control me!¡± I uttered indifferently. I did not look at Michael at all when I spoke. ¡°Okay. Let me put the ring on your finger.¡± Nichs seemed to be surprised by my answer, for he looked to be in shock as he slid the ring onto my middle finger, his hand trembling slightly as he did so. I froze on the spot as I stared at the ring on my finger. It was only then that I finally realized what I had done in my moment of anger. I could not believe I had actually epted Nichs'' proposal. Am I out of my mind? How could I let my anger blind me? After putting the ring on my finger, Nichs nted a gentle kiss on the back of my hand. Feeling his warm lips, my expression stiffened as I immediately pulled back my hand. He noticed my awkwardness, but he did not say anything. He stood up and pulled me up with him. Meanwhile, Michael was shooting daggers at my ring as he clenched his fists. I had never seen him so enraged before. For a moment, I thought he was going to hit me. ¡°Anna, I hope you won''t regret the decision you made today!¡± Upon saying that, Michael turned and left abruptly. Disappointment welled up within me as I stared at his departing figure. I did not know how it ended up like this. However, it was not the time for me to get emotional. I still needed to take Nichs to the hospital. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I cleared my thought and tried not to think about Michael anymore. ¡°Let''s go. I''ll apany you to the hospital. Your wounds need to be treated soon. Otherwise, I fear it will cause an uproar in thepany tomorrow,¡± I uttered faintly as I grabbed Nichs'' hand. Nichs nodded and did not reject my request. I reckoned he was satisfied with that night''s oue. After all, he had always wanted to make Michael misunderstand our rtionship. It seemed like he had seeded. After we got to the hospital, the doctor applied some ointment on Nichs'' face and prescribed some anti-inmmatories for him. The doctor said there was nothing to be worried about in his injury. Hence, it didn''t take long for us to leave the hospital. Since he was injured, I drove his car and sent him back to his house. After parking the car outside the building, I prepared to leave. Before I could, however, Nichs grabbed my hand. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± His tone sounded unsatisfied. I nced at him and noticed him furrowing his brows. ¡°Of course. It''ste. I need to go back earlier to rest. We can talk tomorrow if there''s anything.¡± After all the fuss earlier, I was not in the mood to entertain him anymore. All I wanted was to get a good night''s sleep and forget about everything that happened. ¡°I was beaten badly, and I have not eaten dinner yet. Are you really fine with seeing me heading up alone and cooking for myself?¡± Still frowning, he let out a helpless sigh as he spoke. I understood what he was implying. He wanted me to cook for him. Even though I did not feel like doing so, I felt guilty since he got injured because of me. As such, I thought it was my obligation to at least take care of him for that day. Letting out a sigh, I eventually chose to give in. ¡°All right, then. I''ll go and cook something for you. I''ll leave after that.¡± Nichs'' eyes lit up, evidently delighted after hearing my response. With that, I followed him into his house. Even though we came back to this country together, I had never been to his ce until now. I thought we were not close enough for that. After seeing his house design, I felt like he was someone with great taste. Walking into the living room, I ced the medicine on the table and asked, ¡°Where is your kitchen? Let me cook for you first.¡± ¡°There should be some ingredients inside the fridge. I''m not sure if it''s enough, though.¡± He pointed at the kitchen. I did not say anything else as I made my way toward the kitchen. Just like he said, there was nothing much inside the fridge. There were only some eggs and vegetables. I sighed helplessly as it was challenging to make a meal with such limited ingredients. Chapter 426 Chapter 426 I went back to the living room and asked Nichs, ¡°Why is there only so little food here? Is there something else?¡± ¡°I guess not. I live here alone. As you know, not many men know how to cook. I usually order takeout or I''ll eat outside. But I don''t think there will be any takeout service at this hour.¡± Nichs shrugged helplessly. Heaving a sigh, I dragged my feet back to the kitchen. I figured I could whip up a bowl of noodles. Even though that might sound a little too simple for someone like him, the most important thing now was to fill his stomach. I was somewhat relieved as it did not take long to cook a bowl of noodles. All I wanted was to fulfill my obligation and go home right after that. After I was done preparing the dish, I brought it over to Nichs. If it wasn''t for the fact that he got beaten up for me, I doubt I would be willing to cook for him. After all, it was awkward for me to do so based on our current rtionship. Seeing the bowl of noodles in my hand, Nichs raised his brows. But he did not seem to be disdained by it. ¡°It smells nice. I bet it''s delicious.¡± He shed me a gentle smile before picking up his fork to eat. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Enjoy. I''ll clean up and leave once you''re done.¡± ¡°You only cooked one portion. You have not eaten dinner too, right? Aren''t you hungry?¡± He was puzzled to see me not eating anything. ¡°I''m not hungry.¡± After all that happened earlier, I no longer had any appetite. ¡°You look unhappy. Is it because of Michael?¡± Nichs paused after eating a few bites. ¡°I don''t want to talk about it tonight. I''m exhausted.¡± I knew that I would get emotional again if I mentioned Michael. Hence, I chose not to touch on the topic. ¡°Okay. I won''t mention it if you don''t like it.¡± He did not press further on the topic. He simply lowered his head and continued digging in. Probably due to the fact that he was actually famished, he finished the bowl of noodles in the blink of an eye. After cleaning up, I grabbed my coat, preparing to leave. Yet, at that moment, Nichs grabbed my hand. I was forced to turn around and face him, only to see that he was looking at me with a profound expression. I did not know why but I felt extremely awkward. I shook off his grip and tried to keep the distance between us. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± I frowned slightly, my tone indifferent. ¡°Why don''t you stay here tonight?¡± Nichs uttered in a low voice. I could see that he had a strange expression on his face. Being an adult that already had sexual encounters before, I knew right away what he was implying. As I looked into his eyes, I started to panic. Without hesitation, I rejected him, ¡°I''m not going to stay. I''ve got to go. You should rest early.¡± It never crossed my mind to start a sexual rtionship with him. Plus, there were only the two of us in the house. I was worried that something might happen. As I turned around to leave, he hugged me from behind. Even though he was injured, there was still no way I could defeat a man''s strength. No matter how hard I struggled, I could not free myself from his hug. ¡°Nichs, let go of me. Don''t be like this!¡± I struggled desperately as anxiousness filled my heart. His behavior was frightening me. Even though I have had sex countless times, I did not want to do it with someone I did not like. ¡°Anna, you''ve epted my proposal today. Sooner orter, we will be together. So please just stay here tonight.¡± His tone was heavy with desire and impatience. I had known him for around one year. I knew he was a decent man, and he seldom hung out with women. As a man, it was only natural he would have sexual desire. I understood that. Nevertheless, I did not want to have sex with him. ¡°Nichs, I know what you mean. But I won''t stay. Our rtionship is not at that kind of level yet. Plus, I only treat you as a friend.¡± How could I possibly do such a thing with a friend? ¡°A friend? How could that be? You''ve already epted my proposal. You are my fianc¨¦e now. We are no longer friends. In fact, we will get married and have children in the future.¡± Upon hearing what I said, he got slightly emotional. I was overwhelmed with frustration as I stared at him. Initially, I wanted to wait until tomorrow to exin to him. However, judging from his behavior, I felt I needed to exin everything clearly to him right then. I shook his hand off and looked at him sternly. ¡°Nichs, I only epted your proposal because I didn''t want Michael to look down on us. I wasn''t thinking straight. It was a reckless decision of mine and I feel like I need to be honest with you now.¡± Thinking back, I could only me myself for epting Nichs'' proposal. After all, I only did it to piss Michael off. I could not believe I had made such a hasty decision and put myself in a troublesome spot. Upon hearing that, Nichs frowned. His gaze was filled with disappointment. ¡°Do you mean to say that you epted my proposal not because you wanted to but because Michael was present?¡± There was a trace of anger in his voice as he spoke. Being a man, it was natural that he would have his pride to uphold. As such, I knew it would be hard for him to ept the truth that I only epted his proposal because of another man. Looking at his piercing gaze, I lowered my head with guilt. I should not have mentioned Michael in front of him. Nheless, I had no choice but to exin everything to him right there and then. ¡°I''m sorry. I acted recklessly and made you misunderstand. It''s my fault.¡± I knew his feelings for me, yet I used him to piss Michael off. It was reasonable for him to feel angry now. I did not me him. I only med myself. ¡°Stop saying that you''re sorry. Anna, be honest with me. Are you still thinking of Michael? Are you still holding hope for him?¡± Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Nichs'' tone was solemn when he asked that question, and he kept staring at me while waiting for my response. It was as though he saw through me, and I felt my heart beating faster as I panicked. Ridden with guilt, I tilted my head down and couldn''t bring myself to look him in the eye. He was a smart man, so it would be a miracle if he couldn''t guess why I had rejected him that quickly. In a way, I guess I was also admitting to it with my silence. ¡°I see. So you haven''t moved on from him. Are you still fantasizing about being with him? Have you forgotten why you came back in the first ce? Do you still remember how he hurt you a year ago?¡± Nichs became agitated when he saw how I was keeping silent. His tone was a little hostile, and he had his hands on my shoulders as he said those words. I knew he must feel terrible at that moment. He only said all that to remind me I will never be with Michael again. Everything he said was true. There was no way Michael and I could find our way back to each other, but even then, I wouldn''t get together with just any man. Emotion simply didn''t work that way. I didn''t have any feelings for Nichs, so there was no way I would sleep with him or marry him. It was cruel of me to reject him like that, but I thought it was the best option for both of us. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I am well aware of everything you said. There is no way Michael and I can be together again, and I never even dreamed of us finding our way to each other. That is the one thing you don''t need to worry about.¡± Nichs only came back to prove his strength and to acquire Michael''spany. Hence, his main concern should be a skilled worker like me supporting Michael. If I were to get back together with Michael, Nichs'' quest would be virtually impossible to aplish. That was not an exaggeration because I had worked for Nichs for years. I knew all about him and had a good idea of what his ns were. ¡°If you know that the two of you will never be together, why won''t you be with me? How is Michael better than me? Is this about his power? His looks?¡± Nichs'' hand gripped my shoulder. His emotions were getting more and more out of control, and his eyes shone with discontentment. That was the first time I saw him that agitated, and I was a little taken aback. The sudden change was too drastic, and it got to the point where I felt as though I no longer knew the man standing in front of me. He was usually grounded and stoic. It seemed he was confident in aplishing whatever he had set out to do, and that was a trait simr to Michael''s. The way he lost control, however, made me feel as though he was someone who was too stubborn. If it were anyone else, they would probably have given up after being rejected that directly and clearly. Yet Nichs refused to let go. ¡°Nichs, love is not something rational or something that can be exined. I will never be with Michael, but I won''t get together with you either, because I don''t love you. I don''t want to spend the rest of my life with someone I don''t love. You understand that, don''t you?¡± I was getting a little agitated, so my tone was getting hostile. His constant badgering made me impatient. Guilt was burning in my heart when this topic first started, but that had since turned into a desire to flee the ce. I simply didn''t want to continue talking to him about it. ¡°No, I don''t believe that. How could you work with an excellent man like me for a year and still not love me? Trust me, Anna. You will surely fall for me once you be mine.¡± After saying that, Nichs hugged me and kissed me all over my face without letting me reply. My heart pumped with surprise and fear when I realized what was happening. I struggled as much as I could to push him away, but he kept his lips on me. That was when I truly panicked. I was terrified of him doing something crazy to me because I am a woman. Women simply couldn''t force themselves to sleep with someone they didn''t love. At that moment, the only thought running through my mind was that I needed to run away quickly. Unfortunately, his hold on me was tight. He was on the verge of kissing my lips, so I used every bit of strength in me to push him away. s, I still failed to do so. In the end, his lips found mine. Anger and fear burned in my heart. Taking the opportunity when he was distracted, I bit and injured his lip. The pain prompted him to loosen his grip on me, and I shoved him away. Before he could even ¡°Nichs Cadman, I can''t believe you''re such a despicable man. I honestly gave you too much credit.¡± We had spent a year working together, and in all that time, I had always seen him as an honorable gentleman. However, the fact that he forced a kiss on me and had nned on going furtherpletely changed my opinion of him. At that moment, my heart burned with disdain for him. I hated the way he behaved. Nichs seemed to have regained some control after being pped. When he tilted his head up again, his eyes shone with guilt. ¡°I''m sorry. I-I lost control and didn''t mean to do that...¡± He looked into my eyes and was trying to exin himself. It was obvious he was nervous, but I was not in the mood to listen to him. ¡°There is no need to say anything, Nichs. I don''t want to hear it. My gosh, I am so disappointed in you!¡± My eyes were reddened with anger when I spat those words out, and I left immediately after. My legs were trembling a little because I was terrified, and the shakingsted quite some time. It waste at night, and I was alone when I walked down the sidewalk. My tears wouldn''t stay put, and they rolled down my cheeks. I truly regretted my decision to have dinner with him, and I regretted saying yes to his marriage proposal. I definitely regretted taking him to the hospital and going to his ce afterward. If I hadn''t epted his invitation for dinner, none of the other events would''ve taken ce. I never thought Nichs would do something like that to me. Is he still the Nichs Cadman I know? Perhaps, it would be more appropriate to say that I never knew the real him, to begin with. That night, as I strolled around on my own, my phone suddenly rang. I fished it out of my pocket and saw a series of numbers that I knew all too well. Michael''s calling. I never saved his number on my contact list after I got back to the country. Sadly, that phone number had been etched into my brain, and I simply couldn''t wipe it out of my memory. I could guess that he wasn''t calling me with any good intentions. Coupled with the fact that I was too tired to deal with anything, I didn''t bother to pick up and simply hung up instead. That night, Michael threatened me when I agreed to marry Nichs, and those words were still echoing in my mind. Calling me thatte at night meant that something was definitely off. I was already in a bad mood, so I didn''t want to make things worse for myself. A few seconds after I hung up the call, my phone rang again. It was Michael. I frowned in annoyance and turned off my phone in a fit of frustration. Chapter 428 Chapter 428 I hailed a cab and went back to my apartment. A familiar-looking car came into my view before I even got home, and Michael was standing right beside it. Michael''s unannounced visit only made me frown. Too much had happened that night, and he left in a fit of anger at the restaurant. Hence, I was sure he didn''t drop by to be nice. I didn''t want to deal with Michael, so I stood in the same spot instead of moving forward. My mood was getting worse by the second. When he saw me there, he frowned as well. He fumed a momentter and marched toward me. His anger definitely made me panic a little. I took a deep breath and did my best to make myself seem calm. Everything that happened was his fault, so there was no need for me to feel guilty. Michael made his way to me and loomed over me. His eyes glowed with rage, and he demanded, ¡°Why are you home sote? Were you with Nichs?¡± He spoke as though he was interrogating me, and I hated that tone. I red back at him and spat my words icily, ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± He didn''t have the right to question me about who I have been hanging out with. This guy keeps making demands in the worst tone, and that''s what makes him so insufferable. ¡°Anna Garcia, you''d better stop messing with me. My patience has its limits!¡± My initial n was to circle around him and leave, but he swirled around and blocked my path again at the next second. I red over and made sure he could see the anger burning within me when he looked into my eyes. ¡°Michael, I am not the one messing with you. You''re the one who keeps showing up and making things difficult for me. Will you stop already? Who I spend my time with has nothing to do with you, and you don''t get to interrogate me about it. Get that through your thick skull already.¡± I tilted my head up and red angrily at him. What is with this guy? How many times do I need to repeat myself? Why must he keep badgering me? ¡°Nothing to do with me? You''re mine, and you want to get together with another man! How can you say that it has nothing to do with me?¡± Michael put his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. His grip was strong, so I made sure to re at him in the evilest way possible. ¡°What the hell do you want? What do I have to do to get you out of my sight?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. I looked into Michael''s eyes, my heart burning with rage. What will it take to get this guy to leave me alone? It took me so much to bring myself to cut all ties with him, and he kept showing up as though it were his mission to ruin my efforts. What the hell does he want from me? I was frustrated, but a part of me was also d. Perhaps I knew that my heart would be filled with sorrow if we ever became strangers. ¡°Where is your ring? Didn''t you ept Nichs'' proposal? So, where is the ring?¡± At that moment, his gaze was locked on my finger, and the fury in his eyes dissipated a little. His tone was a little more excited as well. ¡°I didn''t want to lose it, so I kept it away.¡± I instinctively covered my finger with my other hand, despite knowing it was toote to hide anything. Truth was, I had taken the ring off and returned it to Nichs when I was at his ce. I didn''t expect Michael to notice something so minor. ¡°Kept it away? That''s an engagement ring, so why would you keep it away just like that?¡± Michael didn''t buy a word I said, and his eyes shone with suspicion when he looked at me. The silver lining was that his suspicion seemed to have made him feel much better. ¡°I...¡± His interrogation made me feel guilty, and I found it difficult to look into his eyes. ¡°Anna, you don''t love Nichs at all, do you? I am still the man you love, right?¡± Michael got closer to me when he saw how I was keeping quiet. His eyes glowed with a hint of anticipation as he did so. His gaze made me ufortable, so I turned to the side to ignore him. To be honest, I didn''t know how to answer his question. ¡°Answer me, Anna Garcia!¡± Michael raised his voice a little when I kept my mouth shut. He was also getting more and more agitated. ¡°What kind of answer do you expect from me? I''ve already told you I will never be with you, but you refuse to believe me, so why are you asking me this now? Will you only believe me if I give you an affirmative answer? Is that it?¡± I turned to him and looked into his eyes before I said those words firmly. With his gaze still locked onto mine, he fell silent, but I could tell he was angry. ¡°Move aside. I''m tired, and I want to rest now.¡± I pushed Michael aside and walked up the stairs. At that moment, I didn''t want to see him. He always made me upset whenever he showed up, and I was so done with that. I unlock the door and was ready to get inside, but his huge palm pressed against the door. He wouldn''t let go regardless of how much I pulled. I red over and spat icily, ¡°Go away!¡± He didn''t care about what I said at all. He opened the door with a slight pull and circled around me to walk into my ce. I could only gawp at him. Michael strode into my living room as though he owned the ce, and I could feel my anger building up. He''s acting like aplete madman! Is he still the Michael I used to know? ¡°Michael, I''m really tired, and I want to sleep. Can we just talk some other day? I''m exhausted and am in no mood to deal with you now.¡± I approached him and sighed in frustration. At that moment, I was too emotionally spent to argue with him. ¡°Then go to sleep. I never said I''d keep you up,¡± replied Michael calmly as he raised his brows. ¡°I can''t sleep with you here. If you want me to rest well, then please leave.¡± He might not be making any noise, but how am I supposed to sleep with him sitting in my living room like this? ¡°Just ignore me and pretend I''m not here.¡± His tone was nonchnt, and the anger in his eyes had faded when he looked at me. Still, the way he behaved annoyed me. ¡°I can''t sleep like this.¡± I frowned and sat in front of him while ring impatiently. ¡°If you can''t sleep, then that must mean you''re not tired. In that case, let''s do something else.¡± He approached me as he spoke, and my heart was thumping so fast that it felt as though each beat was sending ripples all the way to my throat. I watched as he moved closer to me. Wait, did he just say he wants to do something else? Is that something else what I think it is? I wasn''t sure if I was dirty-minded or if Michael was actually thinking about that, but I had my guard up around him. I even tried to get up and stay away from him. Unfortunately, he tackled me and pushed me back onto the couch as soon as I got up. ¡°Michael Shaw, what are you doing?¡± He was already hovering over me at the time, and I would have to be an idiot to not know what he was thinking. How can his monstrous lust act up at a time like this? ¡°What do you think a man and a woman can do at a night like this? It''s been a year since west yed. Don''t you want it?¡± Michael was right in front of me, and his voice had turned huskier from the lust. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Michael''s blunt words made me flush red. I couldn''t believe he said that with a straight face on. We hadn''t had the chance to have a proper conversation since that night, and we certainly hadn''t been intimate in a while. Yet, he was being that straightforward. ¡°You shameless oaf!¡± I pushed Michael as hard as I could. My body wasn''t opposed to being with him, but I didn''t like the idea of him forcing my hands. Moreover, I still hadn''t moved on from the incidentst year, and I was truly annoyed. ¡°Shameless? Weren''t you enjoying yourself that night, too? Can you really say that you didn''t feel anything at all?¡± Michael''s words were even more shameless, and his lips had already reached my ear. He was nibbling on my ear and neck. ¡°Michael Shaw, leave me the hell alone!¡± I exerted my energy and pushed him while anger kept building inside my heart. This guy really can say all sorts of shameless things without feeling anything. Seriously, is he that into forcing others? He used his weight to pin me down and prevented me from moving about. I tried to push at him but to no avail. By then, his hand had already started caressing my body, and his breathing had be uneven. I knew the desire within him was burning wildly, and my heart trembled. I stopped pushing him as hard. ¡°Weren''t you rejecting me just moments ago? Why are you stopping now? You''ve missed me this past year, haven''t you?¡± He whispered endlessly into my ears, and I blushed after hearing them, but my body reacted differently. I closed my eyes and ignored himpletely. There was no point for me to struggle since he wouldn''t let me go, no matter what I say. This man has always behaved this way. He will only do what he wants and will force others'' hands if necessary. I kept my eyes closed and let Michael do whatever he wanted with me. When my body was ready, he entered me. Perhaps it was because I was at a sexually active age, but I could feel my own body losing control. It was an undeniable fact that I was enjoying it. This time around, Michael didn''t go crazy and ignore my well-being. He was much gentler, and at the very least, he didn''t make me suffer. When all was done, he rested on top of me and panted. I was utterly exhausted by then. This is the second time we slept together after I return to the country. At first, I was determined to make sure that I would no longer have any attachment to him. It seemed that this mission of mine was not as easy as I initially thought. ¡°Anna,e back to me and be mine.¡± Michael''s voice was deep and husky as he whispered into my ear. My heart jumped. There was a moment when I was tempted, but that temptation quickly faded away and was reced with hatred. I closed my eyes and ignored him, but underneath it all, I thought it was funny. If he''s that in love and that eager to get me to go back to him, why did he hurt me all those years ago? Did he regret his actions? So what if he regrets it? It''s toote now, anyway. ¡°Anna, I will make youe back to me willingly, and I will make you fall for me once more.¡± He wasn''t angry with my silence and spoke with determination while resting beside me. My heart stirred a little when I heard that, but I acted as though I did not hear what he said. I would ignore every word Michael said at that moment. The same warning kept echoing in my mind. You must not cave. Michael stared for quite some time before he averted his gaze. It was as if he knew I wouldn''t talk to him, but he wasn''t angry about that. He simply carried me to the bedroom and helped me clean up. At the moment, he behaved the way he did when we first got married. He was gentle and treated me like a piece of treasure. I couldn''t help reying the sweet memories we made together. That was a time when I thought I was the happiest woman on Earth and that Michael would love me forever. It wasn''t until a year ago did I realize how na?ve I was. It wasughable, really. The past me probably let my guard down and trusted him because he treated me the way he is treating me now. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. His tenderness at that moment tempted me so, so much, but I worked hard to keep myself calm. I didn''t want to be the idiot I used to be a year ago. I certainly would not let myself remain ignorant until the damage was already done. ¡°Michael, what do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?¡± I opened my eyes and looked at him. I did not speak too loudly, but I made sure that my tone was serious. The thing was, my heart was truly swaying, and it worried me. What if I couldn''t stand my ground as time passed? Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Michael''s hand paused for a moment after he heard what I said. He frowned at the very next moment and turned around. In a deep voice, he asked, ¡°Anna, are you really that eager to make me leave? Do you really hate me that much?¡± His voice was soft as well. It carried a hint of dissatisfaction, but he wasn''t angry at me. ¡°I don''t want to see you again because I don''t want you to mess my mind up. Michael, please. I beg of you. Please don''t show up in front of me again. Will you do that? What do I have to do to get you to leave me be? Or are you trying to chase me out of the country again?¡± I looked into his eyes and lost control of my voice. I could tell my tone was getting more and more agitated as I spoke. My mind kept showing me the memory of how he helped clean me up. The tenderness he showed... It truly worried me. I honestly didn''t know how to deal with him. He looked into my eyes, but he didn''t respond. Still, I could see the disappointment and pain in his eyes. I wasn''t sure if that was just an illusion, though. Are his eyes even capable of showing that kind of emotion? ¡°I won''t show up for the next few days, and I''ll give you some time to cool off. However, you should know that you will only ever be mine. No other man will ever have you.¡± Michael spoke in a domineering tone, and his eyes shone with determination. Looking into his eyes and sensing his resolution, I knew he wasn''t joking about anything, and I panicked. I didn''t know how to interact with him when his eyes were glowing that way. The silver lining was that he imed he wouldn''t show up for the time being. That allowed me to sigh a breath of relief because, at the very least, we wouldn''t have any contact for the next few days. Michael carried me out of the tub afterward and wrapped me up in a towel. Then, he ced me on the bed. I kept quiet the entire time. I assumed he would leave after setting me down on my bed, but he rested beside me instead and closed his eyes. Speechlessness engulfed me as I stared at the man. Just moments ago, he promised he would leave me alone for the time being. Has he already forgotten what he said? Fuming, I red at Michael and wished that he would recall the promise he made earlier when we were in the showers. It seemed he couldn''t sense my re, though, as he kept on resting with his eyes closed. He might actually have forgotten that there was someone there with him. I frowned. I wanted to remind him of the promise, but I didn''t want to talk to him, so I gave up on that thought. Too much had happened that day, and I truly was exhausted, so I fell asleep soon after. When I woke up the next morning, I thought I would see Michael still sleeping beside me, but surprisingly, he was gone. I sighed a breath of relief. I guess today''s the day he stops showing up. Just then, my phone rang. I picked it up and realize Michael had sent me a text. The relief I felt earlier faded, and I panicked once more. Didn''t he say he''ll stop getting in touch with me for a few days? He just left this morning, so why is he texting now? N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Despite my anxiety, I opened the text and read the content. He told me to take the time to readjust my emotions and said he wished he wouldn''t have to see my sorrow the next time we meet. Warmth spread out in my heart when I saw his text. I knew he had an ulterior motive, but I couldn''t stop myself from loving him. When I showed up at the office, everyone was gossiping. The bits I overheard suggested that they were talking about Nichs, and I recalled what he did to mest night at his ce. That made me feel a little angry. If we were as close as we used to be, I would go ask how he was doing and check up on him. However, I had no intention of caring for him whatsoever at that moment. I didn''t know why, but I kept getting the feeling that everyone was staring at me. Did they find out what Nichs did to mest night? No, that''s not possible. It happened at Nichs'' ce, so there''s no way they''d know anything about it. I must be overthinking it. When I reached my office, I sat down and focused on my work. I didn''t want to think about all the drama, but fate had a funny way of making thingse to me. Nichs didn''t knock on the door before he entered my office. When I saw him there, I frowned angrily. I was disappointed with him after what happenedst night and seeing him only infuriated me more. ¡°I thought you''d skip work today, Anna. I tried calling you, but you never picked up.¡± Nichs'' voice was filled with anxiety, and the way he looked at me suggested that he was nervous. I tilted my head up and scanned the guy. He looked a little off. Or rather, he was downright disheveled. The injury Michael inflicted on him yesterday was still in in sight. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I red over icily and made sure I used my stoic voice when I spoke. I didn''t even bother looking at him. Just thinking about what he didst night left me drowning in anger. I regarded him as a friend and trusted him. That was why I went to his ce to cook for him, only to have him do something so heinous to me in return. That incident had changed the way I treated him, and all I felt was disgust when I saw him. ¡°As I said, I thought you''d skip work today, Anna.¡± He seemed guilty when he looked at me, and his eyes were shining with shame. I knew why he repeated that sentence, and it seemed he had realized he made a mistake. ¡°This is my workstation, so why wouldn''t I be here?¡± I stared icily at him. I didn''t want to think about what happenedst night because he would likely have raped me if I hadn''t fled in time. Nichs'' expression shone with even more guilt when he saw how stoic I was. The way he looked at me also told me that he was ashamed of himself. ¡°I should apologize for what happenedst night. I was impulsive and did something evil. There was no excuse, but Anna, please trust me. I honestly didn''t mean to hurt you. It''s just... I love you too much, and I couldn''t control myself for a moment there. That''s the only reason that happened...¡± Nichs looked into my eyes and was nervously exining the situation. I frowned a little and ignored himpletely. If a random apology was all it took to make up for a mistake like that, then world peace would already be a reality. Chapter 431 Chapter 431 ¡°You don''t have to apologize to me. No matter what you say, I can never forgive you. Nichs, I''m utterly disappointed with you. I never imagined you would do that to me!¡± I shuddered at the thought ofst night when he forcefully trapped me in his arms and kissed me. He said he was not able to control himself. But, if I was not sessful in resisting his advances, who knows what would have happened? Was he really going to rape me? The incident made me furious, and I could not possibly forget about it in such a short time. Perhaps, I still trusted Nichs. As such, I felt hurt that he would treat me that way. ¡°Anna, I know that you''re furious with me. You can scold or hit me all you want, but you can''t say that to me. It makes me anxious. I really like you, so I have no idea why you would reject me.¡± A deep frown appeared on Nichs'' forehead. Although he sounded like he was apologizing, he did not act like he was sorry. He probably thought it was my problem. ¡°Well, the fact remains that I don''t like you! Nichs, you are a clever and capable man, so it must be difficult to put down your ego to pursue a woman. Even though you did that for me, I am not the person for you.¡± Nichs was as outstanding as Michael, and many women woulde running into his embrace with a flick of his finger. As such, he could have chosen anyone he wanted other than me. Ultimately, I would never be the person for him, and I could never end up with him. I have thought it through. Even if I did not end up with Michael, I would never want to have a rtionship with Nichs because I simply did not fancy him. When he forced himself onto mest night, all I felt was repulsion. In fact, it still haunts me even now. From that moment on, I became convinced that we had no future together. I knew I did not love Nichs since I could not even imagine sleeping with him. Being friends was the best thing we could do. After hearing what I said, Nichs'' face fell, and sadness was apparent in his eyes. ¡°I came here today to apologize to you. No matter what your heart thinks or says, I still have to express how sorry I am. I am also surprised by my rash actionsst night.¡± Nichs spoke calmly while looking at me with guilt. ¡°Okay, I got it. If there''s nothing else, you should go. I still have a lot of work to do,¡± I replied coldly, as I did not want to discuss the incident again. Then, I lowered my head and never looked back up. He decided to apologize, but it was my decision to ept it or not. To me, it was simply too soon to forgive him. ¡°Okay, I''ll let you go back to your work. I''ll head out first.¡± Seeing how reluctant I was to speak with him, Nichs did not push me further. When he walked to the door, he looked back to nce at me before opening the door to leave. It was almost time to get off work when I received a call from Natalie, who I had not seen for a year. Since I had returned, she suggested that we should meet up. Unable to outtalk her, I finally agreed. I followed the address she gave me after work and arrived at a family restaurant. From the looks of the ce, I knew she had to spend about a few hundred in the restaurant to treat me to a good meal. It was a generous act for someone with her ie. When I entered the restaurant, I spotted Natalie waiting at a table with her boyfriend, Yuval. They chose a quieter area as Natalie knew noisy ces were not for me. Once they saw me, Natalie beamed and waved enthusiastically at me. Chuckling at her cute reaction, I strode in her direction. After I came back to the country, I ran into many issues. Despite so, I feltforted to have such a good friend who would support me whenever I needed help. ¡°Anna, you''re finally here. We waited such a long time for you and almost thought you would bail on us.¡± ¡°Well, you said you wanted to meet with me, so how could I note? Besides, we haven''t seen each other for a long time, and I would like to catch up with you,¡± I replied with a smile as I sat opposite Natalie. ¡°All right, let''s start eating. See how much I''ve ordered. These are all your favorite dishes.¡± Natalie gestured to the table of food. ¡°Since you were overseas for a year, I figured you would miss having local food. Tonight, you can eat to your heart''s content.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Natalie grinned. Instantly, I felt a warm sensation spreading through my heart. Sitting beside Natalie, Yuval added, ¡°Exactly. Natalie went all out for you today.¡± Looking at how well the couple got along, I could not help but be amused. Nheless, I still felt happy for Natalie. A year had passed, and they still had a great rtionship. I guess Natalie and Yuval are serious about this rtionship. I hope they can stay blessed for the rest of their lives from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Natalie, you have been with Yuval for more than a year. Don''t you n to get married soon? I would love to attend your wedding.¡± I shot Natalie a yful look. She was no longer a child now, and I felt anxious for her since she had not gotten married. ¡°Hey. Why did you have to bring that up? This man hasn''t even proposed to me. Besides, I am not so desperate to the point where I have to force him to marry me.¡± Although Natalie spoke like she did not care, I saw the displeasure in her eyes when she turned to look at Yuval. It seemed like she was unhappy with him. Meanwhile, Yuval lowered his head awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Looking at the situation, I could tell Yuval had not proposed to Natalie yet. And Knowing Natalie''s character, I knew it bothered her. ¡°Well, both of you have been dating for a long time. You might as well settle down now. That is unless you n on ditching Natalie.¡± I raised my brows at Yuval. Seeing how annoyed Natalie seemed, I knew I had to help her out as her good friend. ¡°Of course not. I want to stay with Natalie for the rest of my life. So, I will marry her, eventually. It''s just that I am still preparing to propose to her at the right time,¡± Yuval muttered shyly and looked away in embarrassment. Chapter 432 Chapter 432 As soon as those words left Yuval''s mouth, I could see Natalie''s face lit up. Natalie can''t even hide her emotions, and it''s obvious she can''t wait to get married. ¡°I see. When you get married, don''t forget to send me an invitation. I will definitely send you a huge mary gift to congratte you!¡± I felt d to see how blissful Natalie seemed. Although my marriage was a flop, I hoped they would have a good one. We went on to chat a little more before we dug in. Even though it was not a fancy restaurant, the food was yummy. I was impressed by Natalie''s pick. Halfway into the meal, Natalie suddenly stopped and looked at me hesitantly. ¡°I invited someone else today, Anna. But I didn''t tell you because I was afraid you would get mad at me,¡± Natalie murmured while cautiously looking at me. Immediately, I frowned. I did not know who Natalie meant or who was the person I would hate to meet. ¡°Who is it? Why aren''t they here yet?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°When I called him, he was in the middle of a meeting, but he said he would be here after it ends.¡± Natalie looked guilty and could not meet my eyes. ¡°Who did you invite? He sounds like a diligent person to still have a meeting at this hour.¡± I started to get curious about the man that Natalie mentioned. After all, we did not share many mutual friends. Even among those friends, none of them were close to us. I did not think Natalie would invite those people to such an intimate gathering. Natalie looked even more ufortable after my question. She stared at me for a long time, as she was too afraid to speak out. Seeing the way Natalie acted, I had a bad feeling in my guts. I stared back at her in confusion. ¡°Natalie, stop trying to keep me in suspense. Tell me already! How could I guess who the person is?¡± My curiosity only continued to peak as Natalie did not usually stutter. ¡°It''s... M-Michael.¡± Finally, Natalie managed to name the person. Instantly, my heart almost stopped beating. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Michael? Why the hell did you call him and invite him here?¡± I looked at Natalie in shock as I did not expect her to invite Michael over. She knew what happened between Michael and me, so why would she torture me like that? In response to my using re, Natalie lowered her head in guilt. ¡°Anna, although you told me what the Shaw family did to you a year ago, I still think Michael was true to you. I can tell that he truly loves you,¡± Natalie earnestly met my eyes and stated. I was speechless when I heard what she said. Given my rtionship with Michael, I had been trying to avoid him. Yet, Natalie took the initiative to invite him here. It was akin to handing me over to him on a silver tter. At that moment, all I wanted to do was to leave the ce, for I had no desire to see Michael. ¡°Natalie, thest time we met, I told you in detail everything the Shaw family did to mest year. So how could you do this? Don''t you know how much it hurts for me to face him?¡± My emotions got the better of me as Ished out agitatedly. I did not me Natalie as I know she was only trying to help me. However, it was still hard for me to ept it. ¡°Anna, I think he had nothing to do with what happened in the past. You have no idea how he acted after you disappeared. He tried to look for you like a crazed man, and he came to my house every other day to ask about you. I could sense how genuine he was then,¡± Natalie exined. ¡°The day you went missing, your face was all over the news. He offered a five million reward to anyone who knew where you were. If he did not love you, why would he go to such lengths to look for you, especially after your breakup?¡± After I heard what had happened, my heart thumped. I did not know these things had happened after my departure. If Natalie did not tell me about it, I would have assumed it was all a lie. My eyes widened, and I stared at Natalie in shock. It took a long while before I could regain my composure as I felt a mix of emotions. At the same time, someone entered the restaurant. It was a handsome man dressed in a ck suit. Expressionless, he looked dark and mysterious. The man looked around before heading for our table when he noticed us. Although we shared the same bedst night, my heart still fluttered. I could hear his footsteps getting louder and louder. Soon, he stopped at our table and sat beside me. We were sitting so close together that I could feel his breath. Initially, I thought I would not have to see him over these few days. Little did I expect for him to appear before me again. Feeling ufortable, I sat there in silence. The atmosphere had changed since Michael came. At the same time, I shot Natalie a death re. Although I did not me her, I still felt annoyed with her. It was not easy to make Michael promise that he would not see me again for the next few days. Yet, Natalie purposely set us up to meet each other. Natalie felt awful seeing how quiet I became. She exined, ¡°Anna, please don''t me me. I did this for your good. I know you still love Michael, so I thought both of you could take this time to clear up any misunderstandings you had.¡± What is going through her mind? Of course, I know what happened. However, no one else can understand what I went through over thest year better than I did. I might still love him, but we can''t ever be together anymore. I can''t get back with a man who had hurt me before. I was not as forgiving as to give him a second chance. After all, I did not want to go through so many hardships in a rtionship. Getting hurt once is enough to haunt me for the rest of my life. ¡°Forget it. Let''s not talk about it and eat up. After the meal, I still have to return to the office to work overtime as I have many documents to deal with.¡± Initially, I nned to spend the night chatting with Natalie. Since we had not seen each other for a year, there were many things we had to catch up on. However, Michael''s presence made me want to leave as soon as possible. Chapter 433 Chapter 433 ¡°Yourpany is newly established. How could you have that many things to do? Are you trying to give an excuse to avoid me?¡± This time, Michael spoke up. He sounded upset with what I had said. I could not help but panic when I realized he had noticed what I was trying to do. Despite so, I quickly composed myself. It was true that I did not want to see him, and we both knew it. Therefore, there was no point in trying to conceal it. However, I could not say that in front of Natalie and Yuval. ¡°I have more things to work on precisely because mypany is new,¡± I casually stated. Acting as though I was unaffected, I helped myself to the dishes. I did not want to seem too uptight in front of Natalie and Yuval. ¡°Well, I can help you with it after we finish dinner. I''m sure I have a greater ability than you in dealing with your work.¡± Michael spoke again, and I felt the urge to throw something in his direction. He was well aware that it was an excuse to cut short the time we were together, but he had to say that on purpose. I thought he said he would never appear before me again afterst night. Did he erase whatever he said in his mind? I quickly rejected his offer with a slight frown, ¡°There is no need for that. I don''t need an outsider poking into mypany affairs. What should I do if someone leaks mypany''s internal information? If such a thing happens, I think we would both get implicated.¡± He did not say anything else afterward. However, his tightly knitted brows signaled he was unhappy with the situation. Nheless, I could not be bothered by what he was thinking. I only knew that I did not want to see him anymore. Meanwhile, sensing the hostility between Michael and me, Natalie and Yuval sat opposite us in difort. Then, Yuval broke the silence. ¡°It''s dinner time, so let''s not talk about work. Let''s have a good meal for now. It must be tiring to have work on your mind all the time.¡± Smiling, he spoke warmly, hoping to ease the situation. We all knew he wanted to break up our bicker. Too tired to retort, I decided to say nothing. Simrly, Michael kept quiet and started to eat. Perhaps, he shared the same thoughts as me. From my memory, Michael would nevere to such a restaurant for a meal. He would usually visit a fancy hotel restaurant. Therefore, I was surprised that he would turn up here. Did his taste change in a year? He eats like usmoners now. It was a depressing meal. Although Natalie and Yuval tried to salvage the atmosphere, I could not bring myself to show any enthusiasm with Michael still beside me. I could only try my best to humor them with a few words. Finally, I could not take it any longer halfway through the meal. cing my fork down, I looked up at Natalie. ¡°I''m full. I have something to deal with, so I''ll head off first. If time allows, I''ll meet you another time.¡± ¡°Anna, you didn''t eat much. Are you full? Why don''t you have more food before you leave?¡± Natalie questioned. After hearing what I said, she stood up hurriedly and tried to stop me. Of course, I knew she wanted to make me stay and interact with Michael. Unfortunately, because I knew the reason behind her words, I wanted to leave more than ever. ¡°There''s no need because I''m full. I''m afraid I can''t stay any longer and should hurry back.¡± With that, I turned to leave, but Michael suddenly rose up from his seat. ¡°Since you''re rushing, I''ll give you a lift. I don''t think you drove here, right?¡± He sounded calm, and I could not sense any emotions in his voice. Yet, I felt a wave ofplex emotions wash over me. ¡°It''s all right. I don''t want to bother you, so I''ll hail a taxi instead.¡± Looking back at him, I did not hesitate to reject him. ¡°It''s peak time now. Since your work is urgent, are you sure you have the patience to wait for a taxi?¡± Michael reasoned with a frown. He did not seem angry because I turned him down. After what he said, it would be clear that I was making excuses if I declined him again. It would expose that I was lying earlier. I red at Michael with a glimpse of annoyance. He must be toying with me. Have I pissed him off in any way such that he can''t leave me be? Unfortunately, I had no other choice at that moment. I could only either stay at dinner or take Michael''s car. Previously, I already stated that I had to leave. If I sat back down, Natalie and Yuval would be able to tell the problem between Michael and me. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Although Natalie was my best friend, and we could talk about anything under the sun, my rtionship was something I had to deal with alone. No matter how close we were or how much we understood each other, I knew best about my feelings. ¡°Well, I''m sorry to bother you then. Please send me to my office. Thank you,¡± I muttered to Michael. I nced at him once before turning away to walk out the door without looking back again. Although I could not see Michael''s face, I knew he followed me with a triumphant smile on his face. I knew he did all of this on purpose. But regardless of how angry I was, I could not mention it yet. When I climbed into his car, I looked out the window and kept quiet. I did not talk to him, and the atmosphere turned cold. In that situation, Michael''s face darkened. He could not take the silence any longer and asked me in exasperation, ¡°Do you n to not talk to me and keep quiet for the rest of the journey?¡± ¡°I don''t think there is anything left for us to discuss. Didn''t you forget what you told mest night? You said you would disappear from my sight for these few days. However, you came to the restaurant today. How can I ever trust you?¡± This morning, I was still full of confidence that I would not run into him anymore, and it lifted my spirits. Unfortunately, the dinner made my blood boil. ¡°I remember whatever I said. But it was your best friend who called me over today for dinner. I did not come on purpose. You should me Natalie and question her instead of interrogating me if you are so displeased!¡± He had a gloomy expression on his face as he tly pushed the me on Natalie. The way he used Natalie only made me livid. How can he be so shameless as to hold Nat ountable for everything? Chapter 434 Chapter 434 I couldn''t find a reason to refute him. After all, he wouldn''t have appeared before my eyes had Natalie not called him. ¡°You must have done this on purpose. You should have rejected Natalie since you knew I wasing!¡± He might have said so, but I knew he wouldn''t have appeared had I note. In other words, he made that promise to Natalie because of me. ¡°You''re right. I came because of you. So what? I said I wouldn''t take the initiative to look for you, but it doesn''t mean I''d say no to anyone who arranged for us to meet. I should really thank your best friend for making this happen.¡± A corner of his lips quirked up. It was as if he didn''t care how mad I was. In fact, he seemed to enjoy seeing how annoyed I was. I clenched my fists and tried to contain my anger. Instead of arguing with him, I turned around and looked out of the window. Forget it. I wouldn''t be able to out-talk him anyway. The man smirked but didn''t continue with the debate. All of a sudden, he made a U-turn. ¡°Michael, what are you doing? We''re supposed to head in the office''s direction!¡± I could not help but panic upon realizing he was driving further away from the office. What is he doing? ¡°Going back to the office to work is just an excuse, isn''t it? You only said that to get rid of me. Don''t make up this kind of ridiculous story to fool me, Anna.¡± He exposed me in a calm voice. The expression on my face changed, and I felt a pang of guilt. He''s right. I just made that up so that I could run away from him. ¡°Then why did you insist on giving me a lift if you knew that was a lie? You''re doing this on purpose!¡± I tilted my head aside and red at him. He knew I was lying, and I''m sure he knew I was trying to avoid him. Yet, he still deliberately burst the bubble. What does he want from me? ¡°Yes. I did it on purpose. I just want to stay by your side. You should know that, right?¡± I nearly choked because I didn''t expect him toe clean so quickly. Has he no shame? ¡°Where are we going?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Anxiety crept in, as I had no clue where he was taking me since we were not going to the office. ¡°I''m sending you home. Where else do you think we''re going? Unless you want toe to my ce?¡± I heaved a sigh of relief at his answer. Even so, I was a little jittery when I recalled yesterday''s incident at my house. This man is capable of anything. Michael sped along the road. In just a while, we arrived at my house. I got out of the car the moment he parked the vehicle in front of the entrance. He, too, got down and followed closely behind. I turned around and stared at him. ¡°Thanks for sending me home. You can leave now.¡± After saying that in a calm voice, I opened the door and went into the house. Before I could close the door, he barged into the living hall like he didst night. There was one moment I thought I was about to explode with rage. But no matter how I expressed my frustration, I knew he would continue to do as he pleased. Why should I torture myself? I ignored him and went straight to the bathroom after closing the door. By the time I finished my shower, he was still sitting on the couch in the living hall. I walked past him to get myself a bottle of water from the refrigerator. After taking a few sips, I went straight back to my bedroom. To prevent history from repeating itself, I locked the door from the inside. This would stop him from coming in, especially if he had nasty thoughts. Since I''ve done my part to protect myself, I''ll let him do whatever he wants for now. Let''s see how much patience he has! I even bought pepper spray today to ce under my pillow. He better be prepared to taste my wrath should he force himself on me again. I''ll let him know I''m not a pushover! Now that the door was locked, he would not be able toe into my room. Even if he did, I still had the pepper spray that I could use on him. I''ve gotten all my ducks in a row, so he better be prepared to face the music if he attempted to do what he did to mest night. With all the safety measures taken, I felt safe. That was why I could fall asleep as soon as Iy on the bed. All of a sudden, I could feel a hand touching my body in the middle of the night. I could also feel my legs spread open, and my private part became numb. Am I having a wet dream? It feels real, though. Sleeping naked after the shower was a habit of mine, and that was why the hand that caressed my body felt real. The hand continued to snake around my body. It even teased my private part, causing me to experience an indescribable itch. To suppress the feeling, I turned to the other side of the bed. How could the feeling be so real if it''s just a dream? I must be crazy! The tinkling sensation did vanish for a moment. Just when I thought I could sleep in peace, the sensation came back. It became even more intense. I forced myself to open my eyes to take a nce around me. What I saw next to my bed made me scream and widened my eyes. Michael was lying on my bed. While one of his hands was cupping my breast, his other hand was fondling myher regions. I shrieked in shock and kicked him. Anyone would have reacted the way I did had they seen a man lying in their bed and doing the things he did. My aggressive kick caught Michael by surprise. He let out a deep grunt and got up from the bed. ¡°How did youe in? I thought I locked the door?¡± I was so mad at him that I could not stop shivering. If only I could go up to him and give him two tight ps! Chapter 435 Chapter 435 ¡°What makes you think you can keep me away from your room? If I could enter your body, I could enter your room just as easily.¡± He crossed his arms and responded with a smirk. What a scumbag! This man had utterly pushed my buttons and crossed the line. ¡°Get the hell out of my room! If you dare to do those things to me again, I won''t let you off!¡± While looking up at him with a scowl, I reached out for the pepper spray beneath the pillow. I''ll use it on him if hees near me again! ¡°You won''t let me off? What can you do to me? Do you think you can fight me if I were to force myself on you?¡± He raised his brows when making that sarcastic remark. A vortex of anger continued to swirl inside me when I saw the despised look on his face. I''ve never seen such a shameless man in my life ever! N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Are you trying to challenge my patience, Michael? Do you think I''m a pushover? Listen carefully. I''ll teach you a lesson you''ll never forget if you try to be funny with me!¡± At that point, I had gotten hold of the pepper spray. Should hee closer to my bed, I''d spray him with it! I couldn''t wait to see how effective the pepper spray is! ¡°I don''t think you want to teach me a lesson. I think you''re eager to have sex with me. Just tell me if you want it. You don''t have to beat around the bush. I''ll be more than willing to serve you and make you happy.¡± It was as if my threat had fallen on deaf ears. Once again, he raised his brows and smirked. Words caught in my throat, and I didn''t know what to say anymore. I could only shoot daggers at him. This man is very good at twisting my words! He didn''t seem to be bothered by what I said. In just a matter of seconds, he crawled onto my bed. I took out the pepper spray and aimed it at his face. But when I was about to press the top of the canister, he swung his hand against the pepper spray and knocked it away. He moved so swiftly that I didn''t even know what was happening. My wrist went numb for a moment before a sharp pain developed. I looked at the pepper spray on the floor before shooting a sullen re at Michael. He must have known that I''d be using it on him. That''s why he was well prepared! The man followed my line of sight and saw the pepper spray. His eyes instantly darkened, and he bellowed, ¡°Pepper spray? Do you think I''m a pervert? How could you use this on me? Anna Garcia, you''re bing more and more heartless!¡± ¡°You left me with no choice! You forced yourself on me twice. I wouldn''t have resorted to this kind of self-defense had you not done this to me! So, you should me yourself instead!¡± Though I was incapable of defending myself at this time, I refused to give in. I was a strong-willed woman, after all. I wouldn''t have suffered such humiliation had he not pulled these dirty tricks on me. ¡°I forced myself on you? If I remember correctly, you seemed to enjoy what I did. I could tell from the way you moaned, not forgetting how wet you were. And now, you''re telling me you were ufortable?¡± he asked in a deep voice while walking toward the bed. My heart couldn''t stop hammering. ¡°Stop! Stop right there! You''re just gonna make me despise you more if you keep doing this!¡± How I wished I could dig a hole and hide. Admittedly, I somewhat enjoyed what he did to me, even though it was against my will. Though he indeed could satisfy my sexual needs, it didn''t mean he could do as he pleased! After hearing what I said, he stopped approaching. A hard glint shed across his eyes. I could tell he was infuriated. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath to contain his anger. He then leaned beside me and pulled me into his arms. My heart started racing when I felt the warmth from his chest. My gut instinct told me the man was going to do what he did to mest night again. My body might enjoy such physical intimacy, but it didn''t mean I could mentally ept it. Hatred surged within me. Just when I thought Michael was about to vite my body, he stopped moving. The man closed his eyes and remained still. I peeped at him in confusion. ¡°Sleep well. I don''t just want to have sex with you. I want you toe back to me.¡± He sounded casual, but I could tell he was serious about it. My heart could not help but flutter upon hearing that remark. I kept my eyes shut because I was afraid I would lose myself if I gazed into his eyes. ¡°Anna, you''re the only woman I love. I''ll do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. Don''t you dare run away from me!¡± Every word he uttered sounded sincere, and my heart couldn''t stop racing. One year had passed, but I had never forgotten about Michael. I hated him, but my love for him had never disappeared. It was so deep that I couldn''t stop myself from holding grudges against him when the incident happened a year ago. Michael didn''t say anything after that. Perhaps, he thought I wouldn''t be giving him any response. Although I closed my eyes, I couldn''t sleep for a long time. The man, who was still hugging me from behind, had stopped forcing himself on him. I could also feel his breathing had returned to normal. Before this, I thought he just wanted to release his sexual tension on him. However, after listening to what he said, I guess that was not the case. Does he mean it when he said he loved me? I wanted to believe him, but I couldn''t bring myself to do so. I was afraid that I might go soft on him and forget about my revenge. How could I fall for his sweet talk when I''ve yet to take Amaury away from him? Chapter 436 Chapter 436 I tossed and turned in bed for a long time before falling asleep. When I woke up the following morning, Michael''s side of the bed was already empty, just like how it was the day before. For some reason, that made me sad. I recalled what he told mest night and felt conflicting emotions warring within me. Then, I checked my phone, hoping that he had sent a message. I could not help but feel disappointed when I saw that there was none. In the next few days, Michael still did not appear before me. It made me feel both relieved and a little sad. Ever since that night, he seemed to have disappeared from my life. It felt like we had returned to being strangers again. Previously, we agreed to meet in Birchwood every Friday so that I could see Amaury. On Friday evening, I came to Birchwood again. However, Michael did not show up. It was the nanny who brought Amaury there. I searched the house, hoping to find him somewhere. Once I confirmed that he was nowhere to be seen, I felt even more dejected. ¡°Ms. Garcia, Mr. Shaw is unable toe here today. So, he asked me to bring Amaury here,¡± the nanny exined as she brought Amaury to me. She seemed to have guessed what I was thinking. Her words confirmed that Michael would not being here. Although I felt kind of disappointed, I did not show it on my face. I epted Amaury from the nanny. Perhaps due to our previous meeting, Amaury seemed quite comfortable with me. He even smiled at me. I could not help feeling warm as I looked at my son''s smile. It made all my troubles disappear instantly. ¡°Amaury, say Mommy,¡± I teased Amaury and touched his chubby cheeks with my finger. He''s adorable. ¡°Mommy...¡± Amaury gurgled. I was only ying with him and didn''t expect him to really call me Mommy. I remembered how content I felt when he called me Mommy thest time. Now, hearing him calling me Mommy again made me happy. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. I brought Amaury to the living room and yed with him. Soon, all my sadness disappeared. That night, I hugged Amaury to sleep. It had been more than a year since I had him sleeping by my side. It felt like bliss. The following day was Saturday, so I did not have to go to work. As such, I sent Michael a message saying that I would like to spend more time with Amaury. He replied with a word: Sure. He didn''t bother to say anything else, and I was a bit disheartened by that. Previously, he would shower me with attention every day. Now, he only replied with a single word whenever I messaged him. I couldn''t help feeling sad about the disparity. My disappointment grew as I continued to look at his message. I kept staring at the phone and wondered if he would send another one. However, minutes passed, and nothing more came from him. Iughed, mocking at my stupidity. At the same time, I felt dejected and wondered if I had overthought my importance to Michael. Perhaps, he never cared about me. That all those sweet words he said to me meant nothing. I''m stupid for thinking that he loves me. I should have known his true self after what happened a year ago. How could I still expect anything from him? I am truly an idiot. ¡°Anna, even a b*tch should have standards!¡± I muttered softly and reminded myself. I hated myself because I still dared to hope for something from Michael even though I knew he did not love me. After that, I spent the whole morning with Amaury. At noon, the nanny received a call from Lincoln. When he heard that Amaury was with me, he went silent for a while. Then, he urged the nanny to bring Amaury home immediately. I smirked but did not stop him. My heart turned cold as I recalled how cruelly he treated me a year ago. Previously, he refused to let me see Amaury. As such, I returned to this country with the determination to get Amaury back. After the nanny left with Amaury, I left Birchwood and returned to my apartment. Soon, I received a phone call from the Shaw residence. Since I had stayed in the Shaw residence for nearly a year, I could still remember the number. Seeing that it was andline number, I suspected that it was Lincoln who had called. With this in mind, I answered the phone immediately. ¡°Hello,¡± I answered the call in an emotionless tone. ¡°Anna, is it really you? Have you returned to the country?¡± Lincoln asked tentatively on the other end. I hated Lincoln more than anyone, including Michael. Therefore, I replied coldly, ¡°Yes, Mr. Shaw. It''s me. What''s the matter?¡± ¡°I almost couldn''t believe it when the nanny told me that you have returned. So, I called to confirm whether it was true. I didn''t expect you toe back.¡± Lincoln''s tone was calm, but if one were to listen closely, one could hear that he did not wish for me toe back. I had no reason to show any sympathy to Lincoln. Hence, I smirked and said indifferently, ¡°Why? Are you disappointed about my return? Or perhaps, are you worried about me meeting Amaury?¡± In the past, I was a gentle person and had never spoken to Lincoln in such a tone. Therefore, Lincoln was shocked by how intimidating I sounded. He was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°Why would I be disappointed? We were a family in the past. Besides, we haven''t met for a year. So, I''m thinking of inviting you to lunch.¡± Lincoln sounded gentle on the phone. I listened to his lies and my smirk widened. This is obviously a trap. Does he think that he can still bully me around as he did previously? Since he took the initiative to invite me to lunch, I should agree to meet with him and see what he''s nning. Lincoln had shown me tremendous cruelty a year before. As such, I knew he was up to no good when he asked me to meet right after finding out that I had returned. However, I had be a different personpared to a year ago. I was no longer someone he could bully easily. ¡°Sure, since you want to meet me for lunch, how could I refuse? Mr. Shaw, you can text me the address of the meeting ce. I''ll be there soon,¡± I replied in an unconcerned tone, smirking while waiting for his reply. Lincoln was stunned for a moment before he recovered quickly. ¡°All right, I will send you the address now.¡± After hanging up, I soon received a message with the address of our meeting ce. Chapter 437 Chapter 437 I nced at the message andmitted the address to my memory. Then, I deleted it. After changing my clothes, I left the apartment to go to the appointed restaurant. Once I arrived, a waiter immediately led me to Lincoln''s table. Even after a year, Lincoln still looked the same. He was as healthy as I remembered. It seemed that he had lived a good life in the past year. I sat down opposite him and greeted casually, ¡°Mr. Shaw.¡± Although I hated Lincoln then, I still had to keep up a pretense of civility. Otherwise, people would deem me immature. Lincoln was shocked upon seeing me. He probably didn''t expect me to look so much better than I was a year ago. ¡°Anna, it''s been a year since west met. I didn''t expect you to grow prettier and youthful,¡± Lincoln said with a smile. He sounded as if he wasplimenting me. I had heard countlesspliments over the course of one year. As a result, Lincoln''s praise was nothing to me. Nheless, I still responded with a polite smile, ¡°You seem younger than a year ago. Have you been living well in this past year, Mr. Shaw?¡± I turned the focus of the conversation to him. Lincoln stopped making small talks. He looked at me seriously and asked, ¡°Anna, when did you return here? Where have you been in the past year?¡± ¡°I went to Anndur. I am now the director of Nifty Group.¡± There was no point in hiding this. I wanted Lincoln to know that I had gained position and authority. And that I was no longer the same person he used to bully. Another look of surprise shed across his eyes. He gazed at me with a shocked and odd expression. ¡°You are now a director of an overseaspany? That is unexpected,¡± he said. I smirked and said coldly, ¡°It''s not as surprising as you think. After going through such a big upheaval in life, it''s only natural that a person would develop tremendous resilience. I should thank you, Mr. Shaw, for hurting me so much that I could achieve what I have today.¡± Lincoln knew what I meant. His expression stiffened, and the atmosphere turned awkward. ¡°Anna, I know what happened a year ago hurt you severely. But, it was Michael''s decision. Furthermore, I also felt that you and Michael were unsuitable for each other. After all, his mother is still unconscious in the hospital because of you,¡± Lincoln said. When Lincoln brought up Josephine''s condition, I could see the anger in his eyes and sensed his hatred for me. I believed what happened a year ago had something to do with Josephine. Otherwise, no misunderstanding could have made Michael act with such cruelty toward me. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I understand you are still angry over this matter and can''t let it go. Do you hate me?¡± I asked. I could remember how drastically Lincoln changed his attitude after what happened with Michael. Lincoln''s expression darkened at that. However, he was a man familiar with social propriety. Therefore, he quickly concealed his emotions and looked at me calmly. ¡°That is all in the past, so there is no point in mentioning them. Have you met Michael since your return?¡± Lincoln smiled calmly. Although he told me to let go of the past, his gaze remained threatening. I regarded him calmly and knew what he was concerned about. I sipped my water unhurriedly before saying, ¡°I''ve met him a few times.¡± Lincoln''s expression darkened further upon hearing my nonchnt tone. I immediately sensed that he was hiding something from Michael and me. For some reason, I kept feeling that Lincoln had done something that he did not want us to know. ¡°Michael never told me that you''ve returned. I had only just found out today that you are here. Otherwise, I won''t even know that both of you have met,¡± he replied. His face had gone a little pale. Although he was still smiling, I could see his real emotions in his eyes. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. I did not want to continue wasting my time with pointless conversations. As such, I looked straight at Lincoln and said tly, ¡°Mr. Shaw, I believe you asked to meet with me because you have something to say. You should get straight to the point. I am very busy nowadays.¡± Lincoln stared at me and seemed bbergasted before his gaze turned conflicted. In the end, however, he still decided to touch on the main topic. He looked at me and said tentatively, ¡°Anna, since you are doing so well overseas, why did you return? Isn''t it better for you to stay overseas and develop your career there?¡± I knew what he was thinking, and it made me want tough. One year ago, the Shaw family treated me like trash and kicked me out of the family. Now that I have returned, does he seriously think I would listen to him? ¡°Whether I chose to develop my career overseas or in this country, that is my freedom. Besides, I have someone important to me in this country. So, don''t you think that I should return?¡± I answered cryptically. The someone that I was talking about was Amaury, and I believed he understood who I meant. After all, he had witnessed how crazy I was when he refused to let me see Amaury. His expression changed slightly upon hearing me. There was a sh ofplex emotion in his eyes. He looked straight into my eyes and hesitated for a long time before saying, ¡°Are you telling me that you returned here for Amaury?¡± ¡°Of course. Amaury is the most important person in my life. He is the main reason why I came back here and decided to further my career here. Another reason I returned here is that thepany has moved my work back to this country. So, I will be working here from now on,¡± I answered calmly. I reckoned he must have wanted to meet me that day so that he could find out when I would be leaving the country. My return must have caused him to worry that I would take Amaury away from him. As expected, Lincoln began to frown and looked a little panicked after hearing my answer. ¡°So it turns out that you returned to this country for Amaury''s sake. While I understand that you suffered a lot when you had to separate from him, he has settled well in the Shaw residence. I don''t think you should disturb his life. You want your child to grow up well, don''t you?¡± he said with a gentle tone as if he was trying to do what was best for Amaury. In actuality, he only wanted to separate me from my son. He had put on such a kindly expression that I could not resist feeling disgusted. A year ago, he used cruel means to separate me from Amaury. Now that I finally made my way back, what right does he have to make such a request of me? Furthermore, what makes him think that I would listen to him? Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Does he think that I am still that weak and helpless woman? Does he think I am still that stupid? What makes him think that he can coax me so easily? If that''s what he thinks, I can only say that he deserves to be aughing stock. ¡°I''m afraid I can''t do that, Mr. Shaw. I came back here to obtain Amaury''s custody, and I won''t hesitate to do anything to take him back. Amaury is my child. He''s my flesh and blood. The Shaw family has no right to keep him!¡± I said firmly. I went through ten months of difficult pregnancy and pain to bring Amaury to this world. There is no way that the Shaw family can take him away from me and stop me from seeing him. They have no right to do that to me! If it wasn''t for the Shaw family, Amaury would have already been living with me. We would have been happy and content. They were the ones that cruelly tore me away from him and made me lose a year with him. No one could swallow such indignity. Not even a saint. Lincoln seemed shocked to hear me dering my intention bluntly. However, he soon recovered, and his eyes gleamed with devious intentions. ¡°You said you came back to fight for Amaury''s custody. What makes you think that I would agree to this?¡± he uttered. ¡°I don''t care whether you agree with it or not. No matter what I have to do, I will get Amaury back. No one can stop me,¡± I replied. Although Lincoln tried to intimidate me with his tone, I was not afraid at all. The more he threatened me, the more I desired to make him worry. It made me want to snatch back Amaury from him even sooner. ¡°Anna, don''t go too far. I asked to meet with you today to have a chat with you. How dare you n to wrench Amaury''s custody from the Shaw family? What makes you think you can go against us?¡± Lincoln red at me. His tone was filled with fury. At the moment, he looked just like when he forced me to leave a year ago. ¡°The one that has gone too far is the Shaw family. I am no longer the Anna you knew. Your threat no longer scares me. I have the power to get Amaury back. Don''t forget, I now have argepany backing me!¡± I replied. The Shaw family''s confidence and arrogance came from their prominent status. In the past, I was just a girl from the countryside and did not have a way to fend for myself. Thus, I had no choice but to let them manipte me. However, things had changed. I was no longer the same person, and I would never allow anyone to bully me again. Instead, I would make them experience the pain they inflicted on me. Lincoln was not stupid. He knew I had changed. Apart from that, he understood that I dared to speak to him in such a confident manner because I had powerful support. He red at me furiously. After a long while, he finally took a deep breath to suppress his fury. ¡°Anna, we were once a family. Do you have toe back and cause chaos? You have gained so much in a year. I''m sure you can find a better man to marry and have more children. Besides, Amaury has also grown used to living in the Shaw residence,¡± Lincoln said in a calm tone as if he was trying to talk some sense into me. However, I would not listen to anything he said. He said that I gained a lot in one year. In actuality, I had lost so much more than I had gained. I lost the man I love and my child. I suffered every day from separation from Amaury. I met Lincoln''s gaze calmly and said in a chilling tone, ¡°Apart from my child, I don''t want anything else!¡± Lincoln scoffed when he saw that his gentle coaxing did not work on me. With his expression darkening from fury, he red at me and spat in a threatening tone, ¡°Why are you so determined to fight the Shaw family? Do you think you can get your child from us with your current ability? Aren''t you underestimating us a bit too much?¡± Facing his wrath, I did not show any fear. After all, I had experienced Lincoln''s heartless actions against me before. As such, I had nothing more to fear. It was he who should quiver with fear. I smirked and looked at Lincoln confidently. ¡°You can wait and see for yourself whether I have the ability to oppose the Shaw family or not. Ourpanies are rivals. I am confident that mypany could take over the Shaw family''s asset one day!¡± In truth, I did not have any confidence that I could do that. However, I could not give away any fear or hesitation before my enemy. Any doubts would only provide a hint to the enemy of one''s weakness. That was something I had learned over the course of this one year, and it had helped me both at work and in daily life. Lincoln red at me coldly. It seemed he was trying to determine the truthfulness of my statement. ¡°You were once Michael''s wife. How could you bring yourself to go against him now?¡± Lincoln said with a stern expression. His tone was even colder than before. ¡°It''s all thanks to the Shaw family that I turned heartless. All of you had treated me with cruelty and pushed me to this. Why should I care that we were once a family? I shall repay you for your cruelty in multifold!¡± I retorted. In the past, Lincoln was my most respected elder. Now, I spoke to him as if he was my enemy. When I first came to the Shaw family, Lincoln was like a father to me. I thought that he would always treat me with fatherly kindness. However, it turned out that Lincoln only saw me as an outsider. He developed a hatred for me after what happened to Josephine. ¡°You!¡± Lincoln mmed his hand on the table and red at me furiously. However, he did not say anything else. ¡°Mr. Shaw, I have told you all you wish to know. I have to deal with many matters, so I shall take my leave now,¡± I said coldly and stood up. Then, I turned to leave without giving him a chance to say anything. After walking out of the restaurant, I felt much better than when I walked in. Although I said many harsh words, it felt like I had avenged myself. Before this, I would never have thought that I was a vengeful person. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. I drove my car and returned to my apartment. After a shower, Iy on the bed and fell asleep. It would be Monday the next day, and I had to continue poaching clients from Michael''spany. I knew it would be a tremendously challenging task, but I had to do it. If I wanted to be more powerful, I needed to make more effort. At midnight, I woke up and could not fall asleep again. With nothing better to do, I turned on myptop and examined the client list to pick my next target. I had no idea how Nichs did it, but he managed to obtain lists of clients in Michael''spany. These lists wereplete and even stated all the details of their coboration. Chapter 439 Chapter 439 The information was more extensive than I expected. It even got me suspecting that Nichs got it from an insider. No matter how influential the man is, I don''t think he''s capable of getting his hands on this much information. Nichs refused to answer me when I asked him, so I stopped pestering him about it. After all, my goal was to destroy Michael''spany; that was all that mattered then. After handpicking several clients near the end of their contracts with Michael, I decided to visit them personally because I was confident that I could poach them. Still, I knew I had to put in extra effort since I learned how careful of a businessman Michael was after the Red Star incident. Then, I started going through the documents, and before I knew it, it was already past midnight. I was so exhausted by the end of it that my shoulders ached. When I stayed with the Shaw family, I did not even have to lift a finger to get whatever I wanted. However,pared to that, my present life was much more meaningful. After quickly fixing up something simple to fill my belly, I went back to bed. My mind was filled with so many ideas that I could barely wait for the next morning to arrive. I was more than ready to approach Michael''s clients. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. When the following day finally arrived, I quickly jumped out of bed to get dressed. Time was of the essence, and I could not afford to waste even a minute. After breakfast, I decided to start with a home appliancepany that had only worked with Michael for two years. Besides the fact that they were not a long-term client of his, their contract with his company wasing to an end soon, so I thought they would make an easier target. It did not take long for me to find the client''s phone number from the information on hand. After introducing myself to the manager and stating my intention over the phone, I was relieved when he agreed to meet me. Since the manager has decided to see me, it must mean that he''s willing to give me a chance. It was a weekend, so most people were taking the time to rx after a week of grinding. I arranged to meet the manager at a high-end caf¨¦ because I wanted him to know how sincere I was in talking business. The particr establishment was quite popr in Avenport, so it was not easy to get seats there. I initially intended to meet with Chris of Red Star at the same venue, but I never expected he would outright turn me down. Fortunately, I was able to make good use of the sought-after seats I reserved at the caf¨¦. However, after waiting for quite a while, I began to worry if the manager had decided to stand me up. He promised over the phone to see me. Has he changed his mind? Just when I was about to give the manager a call, I saw a man in a suit enter the caf¨¦. Immediately, I had a feeling that the man was the one I was waiting for, and sure enough, he started walking in my direction. The manager then sat himself right across from me, so I had a good look at his face. He seemed to be in his thirties and had a polite demeanor. ¡°I apologize for beingte, Ms. Garcia. The traffic was just terrible,¡± calmly exined the manager, Robert Downer. ¡°It''s fine. I''m more than grateful that you''re willing to meet me on a weekend. Waiting for an hour is no big deal, really.¡± Robert seemed like an amicable person, and I appreciated that. Hopefully, the rest of our conversation will be just as effortless. ¡°I''m quite surprised to see someone as diligent and beautiful as you working on a weekend. I respect that,¡± praised Robert while looking sincerely at me. ¡°You''re too kind, Mr. Downer. Since you came here to talk business with me, I''d say that you''re quite diligent yourself. If you didn''t want to work today, you probably would''ve asked to meet on Monday.¡± I could tell that Robert was dependable since he was willing to meet me for business on his day off. That alone was enough for the man to earn my respect. ¡°You sure know how to make a man blush, Ms. Garcia. Now, shall we talk business?¡± Smiling politely at me, Robert was ready to get to the nitty-gritty. ¡°Mr. Downer, I''ve brought with me a copy of the budget for yourpany. I know you''re working with Joyful Sess right now, and I also know just how good they are at what they do. But I believe our company is as capable as they are, if not better. In fact, we came up with an even smaller budget,¡± I exined to Robert as he went through the documents that I handed him. Since Joyful Sess was well-renowned, I had to work on cutting the budget in order to pique his interest. Michael''spany brought Robert''s huge profits, so all I had to do was help the home appliancepany cut costs to gain even more profits. Still, I knew somepanies would insist on hiring Joyful Sess because of their reputation. Therefore, I would have to figure out a different way to approach them. Once ourpany gains traction, I''m sure it''ll be easier for me to poach their clients. There are many ways to go about this, and I''m going to prove that Michael isn''t infallible. Robert frowned slightly as he continued to flip through my documents. Not knowing what was going through the man''s mind kept me on the edge of my seat. ¡°So, what do you think, Mr. Downer? Even though ourpany just started the local operation, we''re well established overseas. You can rest assured that we''ll get the job done right.¡± Seeing how Robert had remained silent for quite a while, I decided to say something to further convince him. ¡°Ms. Garcia, yourpany does seem like the right fit for us, but I''ll have to see what you have nned for us in theter stages,¡± stated Robert calmly after setting down the papers in his hands. I immediately jumped for joy on the inside when I heard the man because my intuition told me it was very likely that things were going to work out for me. ¡°Does that mean you''ll hire ourpany, Mr. Downer?¡± I tried to sound asposed as possible, even though I was filled with excitement. ¡°Yes. I''m interested in working with yourpany, but it won''t be long term, not at the moment anyway. After all, I still have yet to see yourpany''s performance. If I''m satisfied with our business rtionship after a year, I''ll consider renewing our contract.¡± Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Even though Robert had named conditions, I was still thrilled that he had agreed to work with our company. If nothing else, we at least got a one-year contract with hispany. ¡°Fair enough. I promise we won''t let you down, Mr. Downer. My secretary and I will be at your office tomorrow. We can go over the details then.¡± Since Robert was willing to give ourpany a chance, I had to strike while the iron was hot. As soon as his contract with Michael ends, I''ll have to get him to sign one with us. ¡°No problem.¡± He then nced at me before continuing, ¡°Ms. Garcia, aren''t you curious why I agreed to work with yourpany so readily?¡± questioned Robert with his smile still hanging on his face. ¡°Why is that?¡± I did wonder why he agreed to hire ourpany so quickly, but I just thought I was overthinking it. Since the man pointed it out, I was curious to find out the reason. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I respect your dedication. As the director of yourpany, you could''ve had somebody else meet me, but that''s not what you did. It shows you''re a very responsible person and I can depend on you to get things done.¡± Robert paid me yet anotherpliment for my eagerness, but I knew I only did what I did because I was desperate to consolidate myself. Of course, I could not tell my potential client that, or I would risk getting myself into unwanted trouble. ¡°Thank you for your kind words and for putting your trust in me, Mr. Downer. All I can do is promise to live up to your expectation.¡± Smiling at Robert, I suddenly felt hopeful. The meeting went better than I expected, which made me feel like I had gotten the better of Michael for once. After chatting for a while and finishing up our coffee, we each went our own way. All fired up because of the sessful poaching, I started preparing for the next meeting with Robert as soon as I got home. Meanwhile, Michael received news of my discussion with Robert not long after I had met the man. That evening, after I was donepiling the documents for Robert, my doorbell rang. Curious, I hurried over to the front door with an eyebrow raised. It turned out that Michael hade to visit. I could not help but be shocked to see the man since we had not seen each other for three days. My heart was racing as I gazed at him in surprise. ¡°Why are you here? Is there something you need?¡± I questioned with a slight frown. Even though it was not unusual forpanies to be poaching each other''s clients, I still felt somewhat guilty when Michael appeared at my doorstep. ¡°Is there a reason why you seem guilt-ridden?¡± inquired Michael as he looked into my eye. ¡°Why would I be guilt-ridden? I just don''t want to see you,¡± I said coldly, trying my best to sound as indifferent as possible. ¡°It seems I may have underestimated you. To be honest, I didn''t expect you to poach one of my clients so soon.¡± Michael''s cold stare and sharp words got my heart beating even faster. So, this really is about me stealing his client! How did he even find out so soon? I just spoke with Mr. Downer today. Heck, we haven''t even signed a contract yet! ¡°Then maybe you shouldn''t have done that. I know just how capable you are, but I''m no pushover either. Working fast and hard is the only way to beat you.¡± Even though the act of poaching was not exactly something to be proud of, it was, however, a norm in the business world. Just like nature itself, the strong would always survive. Michael did not expect me to be so forting. He nced at me before walking into my living room uninvited. I furrowed my eyebrows in response because I did not appreciate how the man acted as though he owned my apartment. Then, I sat down across from him with my arms crossed to show him that he had overstayed his wee. ¡°Did you juste here to tell me how I''ve poached your client? If that''s the case, you can go now because I''m well aware of what I did.¡± There was not much for us to talk about since we werepetitors, and I was not about to give his client back to him. ¡°In order to attract clients, you''re willing to reduce your profits. Do you really think that''s a smart move? Is that how you think you can win my clients over?¡± Michael seemed soposed it was almost impossible to tell if he was upset that his client got poached. ¡°How I win my clients over is none of your business.¡± To be honest, I was impressed that he even found out about the offer I made to Robert. ¡°You''re right. It''s none of my business. In fact, I can''t think of a reason to stop you from doing so. If you continue down this path long enough, you might even bankrupt the Nifty Group yourself,¡± sneered Michael condescendingly. ¡°What the heck does that mean?¡± As much as his harsh words annoyed me, I could not help but feel a sense of insecurity after listening to him. ¡°Mostpanies would charge their clients the highest price the clients can afford to pay. On the other hand, you were willing to reduce your price and, in turn, increase your risk exposure. What if there is a change of ns or an unforeseen situation? Are you sure you''ll have enough to cover your costs without burning through your capital?¡± exined Michael in an icy-cold tone. My heart almost skipped a beat when I heard the rhetorical question. Suddenly, I started to doubt myself. All I could think about was how to poach Michael''s clients, which has prevented me from seeing the bigger picture. He''s got a point. Maybe I was too desperate. As he said, if something were to happen, the low budget might not be enough to cover the extra costs. If worsees to worst, our company might even have to pay out of our own pocket. Although Michael made me feel anxious, I still tried my best to seem collected. Inside, I assured myself that everything was going to be fine, and he was just trying to mess with my head. Chapter 441 Chapter 441 ¡°You don''t have to worry about this. I''m sure such idents will definitely not happen in ourpany.¡± Suppressing my panic, I pretended I was not bothered by what Michael said. ¡°Are you that confident? Do you really believe nothing wrong will happen?¡± He raised his eyebrows and shot me a mocking look. His voice was filled with doubt. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The more he acted like this, the more uneasy I became. For some reason, it felt like an ident would ur. ¡°If you''re here today to mess up my thoughts, you can leave now. No matter what you say, I will not change my mind. You''re here for no other reason but to snatch my client away. Let me make it clear to you¡ªthat is impossible! Mr. Downer is my client. I will never give up on him!¡± Since I had snatched his client away, he must be very furious. Although he would definitely think of a way to get his client back, I would never let him have the chance to. ¡°He''s just a small client. Do you think I won''t be able to continue just because I''ve lost a home appliance client? I''m just here to remind you. Don''t get yourself into trouble. I can give up a minor client like him for your sake if you''d like me to,¡± remarked Michael coldly, lookingpletely nonchnt. It seemed like he did not mind me snatching his client away. I shook my head vigorously, denying that hypothesis. I did not want to harbor any hope toward Michael now. ¡°Since you said you can give the client to me, why don''t you give all your clients to me? As long as you do that, I''ll believe you.¡± I did not trust Michael when he said he would give up on the client. Those were just empty promises. ¡°Sure. As long as you''re willing to return to my side, I can give up all of mypany''s clients to you. How''s that?¡± He stared into my eyes as he spoke in an abnormally serious tone. I met his gaze. For a moment, I felt flustered. However, after I returned to my senses, I could not help but scoff coldly. He probably only said that because he knew I would never return to him. I had to admit that he was really intelligent¡ªhe could read my mind very well. When he said that, I was excited for a split second. ¡°You might as well not say it. After all, you know I''ll never return to you.¡± I would never be together with him for the rest of my life. Obviously, he was merely saying this to patronize me. ¡°That''s your problem. Since I''ve said that, I''m being serious. You can consider it. As long as youe back to me, everything I have will be yours. There''s no need for you to be so exhausted like now,¡± said Michael again as he looked into my eyes. Frowning, I met his gaze. To be honest, I yearned to know whether he was telling the truth. If I return to his side, will he really give all his clients to me? Isn''t he scared that I''m manipting him? I really did not know how true his words were, so I kept reminding myself not to believe him. Still, my heart pounded rapidly after I heard what he said. ¡°I don''t need that. I''ll secure the clients I want through my own hard work. Also, don''t you worry. I want all of yourpany''s clients, but I will never return to you.¡± The least possible thing that could happen in my lifetime was to return to Michael. I still remembered Lincoln''s threats. The more they acted like this, the more I wanted to prove to them I was capable enough to get Amaury back to me. ¡°Anna, you''re crazy!¡± After hearing what I said, Michael jumped to his feet from the couch and red at me furiously. ¡°I''ve turned crazy since a year ago. When you forced me to part from my son, I''ve already lost my mind. Michael, I''ve be like this all thanks to the Shaw family!¡± I still could not figure out what they were thinking. Lincoln ordered me to leave Michael and never appear in front of them again. Yet, Michael kept trying to make me go back to him. I could not wrap my mind around his and Lincoln''s attitudes. To be honest, I think I should hate Lincoln the most. However, for some reason, I always transferred my hatred for him to Michael. Perhaps, I had too high hopes for him. When I needed him the most, he was not by my side. Instead, he joined forces with his father to treat me so cruelly. Till now, that incident remained an incurable scar in my heart. Looking at how agitated I was, Michael stared into my eyes and frowned. For a long time, he remained silent. To me, he was acknowledging what I said implicitly. ¡°I don''t know what your true objective foring here. I also don''t know if you''re aware of what your father told me. However, I''m not the Anna from before. I''m not the weak, maniptable person that all of you can bully. Also, when you go back, warn your father. If he wants to do anything to me, juste at me! I will never leave unless Amaury returns to my side,¡± I stated coldly. I stared into Michael''s eyes as the memories of Lincoln''s warnings appeared in my mind. ¡°He looked for you? What did he say?¡± After I spoke, Michael gave me a surprised look as if he waspletely oblivious of his father''s doing. ¡°Michael, can you stop pretending in front of me? You''ve got such widespread sources. Wouldn''t you know if your father looked for me?¡± I did not believe that Michael was clueless about Lincoln looking for me. After all, he found out about me snatching his client away on the same night. There was no reason he would not know about the meeting between his father and me. ¡°Do you think there''s a need for me to pretend in front of you? Do you think whatever I do is just an act? Anna Garcia, am I that kind of person to you?¡± interrogated Michael as he red at me furiously with a frown. It was true. He never knew how to put up an act. However, I did not dare to trust anyone now. For some reason, I was starting to believe that everyone around me was a hypocrite and they were all hiding something from me. I knew my thoughts were extreme. However, this was the thought that kept invading my mind. Chapter 442 Chapter 442 ¡°You know very well what kind of person you are. Michael, I just want to focus on my work now and apany Amaury. If you don''t want me to continue hating you, return my child to me. Otherwise, we''ll forever be enemies!¡± I warned seriously as I stared straight into Michaels'' eyes. Actually, the reason I hated them was that they kept me away from Amaury for a year. If they took the initiative to let hime back to me, I would not have hated them like this. ¡°Will you return to my side as long as I give Amaury back to you? Will you stop opposing me like this?¡± Michael asked calmly after hearing what I said. He met my gaze expressionlessly. When I heard his offer, my heart skipped a beat. Naturally, I wanted to live together happily as a family. But can both of us really return to how we were in the past? ¡°Anna, as long as you agree to return to my side, you can be with Amaury every day,¡± added Michael seriously when he noticed my silence. I frowned. This was a very tempting condition, but I could not ovee my emotional barrier. I could not make myself go back to him. ¡°I''ll never be with you. If you let Amaury return to me, I''ll leave with him and never appear in front of you again.¡± Gazing into his eyes, I replied solemnly. It was possible for me to stop hating him, but I would never love him as much as I did a year ago. ¡°Run far away with Amaury? Do you think I''ll agree if you want to take him away? Anna, you think I''m a fool!¡± A frosty look crept into Michael''s eyes. His eyes raged with fury when he nced at me. Even his tone sounded grimmer. ¡°This is the most I can do. Don''t force me, Michael. If you don''t want both of us to be enemies, you have no choice but to agree. Otherwise, I''ll never stop my actions!¡± Looking at him, I knew that there was no more possibility for negotiation. I was starting to feel angry too. After all, I was the one who gave birth to Amaury, yet the Shaws forced me to part with him. Now, all I wanted to do was to get Amaury back. That was not an excessive request, but they insisted on stopping me. I could not understand why it was so difficult for me to live with my child! I would be lying if I said I did not hate them. For the past year, I kept dreaming of destroying the Shaw family and having Amaury back. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Michael''s abilities were beyond my expectations. Initially, I was very confident. However, after going up against him for so many days, I realized I had a long way to go before I could be stronger than him. ¡°Let''s talk about it after you''ve reached your goal!¡± Michael snorted coldly. Not saying another word, he strode away. I watched his back, feeling furious and resentful. He was a person who could not be persuaded no matter what. Is there no other way to keep Amaury with me other than to return to his side and continue being his woman? Clenching my fists, I was unwilling to give up like that or to admit defeat. Regardless of whether I could defeat him, I would never give up. At the very least, there was still a glimmer of hope now. I took a deep breath and kept reminding myself not to relent. No matter what happens, I must never give up. It was a sleepless night. Due to my previous conversation with Michael, I kept feeling uneasy. I started to worry about whether the budget for the project would be like what Michael warned about. When I left the house in the morning, I saw Nichs'' car parked underneath. I could not help but frown. My mood was already quite bad. It became worse after I saw him. ¡°Anna.¡± There was a faint smile on Nichs'' face. He waved his hands and greeted me. When I remembered what he did to me a few days ago, I still felt lingering fear. Hence, I did not want to be overly involved with him. Ignoring him, I walked past his car to drive my car. However, he strode over briskly and blocked my path. ¡°Anna, are you still angry over that incident? Are you not nning to forgive me?¡± asked Nichs softly as he stood in front of me and looked down at me. ¡°It''s already in the past. There''s no need to ask whether I''m angry about it. However, I think that it''s better if we remain work colleagues and avoid seeing each other in private.¡± Since I had decided not to be involved with him, I had to keep my distance away from him. Only then could I protect myself. I gazed at him expressionlessly, my eyes showing nothing but indifference. I would be lying if I said that I was not angry. After all, I was sure no one else could pretend that nothing had happened. This would bother women. If they were pestered by a man they did not like and were forced to do something like that, no one could forgive him so easily. Nichs stared at my face. He frowned as a look of disappointment crept into his eyes. ¡°I know you''re saying this because you''re still angry. Actually, I''m also very frustrated over what happened that night. I don''t know what happened to me. Whenever I think about how you still like Michael, I would go mad with jealousy. Anna, I didn''t do it on purpose. Stop being angry, okay?¡± He gazed anxiously into my eyes. ¡°Nichs, can we stop talking about this? It''s almost time to start work. We''ll bete if we don''t go to the office now.¡± I nced at my watch, then back at Nichs'' face. My tone sounded a little more impatient. Although I already said I did not want to mention that incident, Nichs insisted on talking about it, as if he did not hear me. I opened my car door, wanting to get into my car. However, he stopped me again. I red at Nichs coldly, feeling fury surge within me. How clearly do I have to make myself such that he will stop pestering me? This is not the impression I had of him. Yet, he''s pestering me every few days. My impression of him is starting to change. ¡°Anna, I looked for you today because I wanted to confirm you''re no longer angry at me. We can still remain as friends, right?¡± Chapter 443 Chapter 443 He held on to my car door and looked at me. There was a hint of trepidation in his voice. I frowned and intended to say some heartless words, but I realized that would only make him pester me even more. After much deliberation, I nodded. ¡°Yes, we''re still friends and work partners,¡± I said casually. After getting the answer he wanted, a smile appeared on Nichs'' face. He seemed to be more at ease. ¡°Now that I have answered your question, can I get in the car? It won''t look good if both of us arete.¡± I pointed at the watch on my wrist to remind him we were runningte. Nichs had wanted to say something, but after hearing me, he released his hand and said, ¡°Then, I shall see you back at the office.¡± I drove off without responding. As I was driving alone, the thought of Nichs frustrated me. For days toe, I would still have to see him in the office. It would be very awkward. Both Nichs and I arrived at thepany at the same time. I nced at him after I parked my car and left without saying anything. The first thing I had to do was to take my secretary with me to see Robert because he had promised to work with us the previous day. Therefore, I needed to seal the deal as soon as possible before we lost the opportunity. The meeting with Robert went very smoothly, and he was also satisfied with the data that I had shown him. Right there and then, he promised to sign the contract with us the moment his contract with Joyful Sess ended. Poaching the first client from Michael made me very happy. That was a good start after all. I believed things would get easier from then on. When I returned to the office, Nichs was also very pleased once he heard the good news. In fact, he allowed everyone to get off earlier and proceeded to arrange a celebration for me. I had no intention of attending because Nichs would be there. However, ever since I got back, I had been under tremendous stress. It might do me some good to chill out. Hence, I agreed to it. That evening, I went back home for a change of clothes before heading out to the venue. Nichs had picked a high-end karaoke bar. In truth, I was not so keen on noisy and rowdy ces. However, Nichs and the rest of the employees seemed to be pleased with the idea, so I let it be. It might have been a high-end karaoke bar, but it was still very noisy since people were singing. I located the private room that Nichs had booked in advance. The moment I walked in, my ears started buzzing. I never liked ces like that, so I was annoyed. Then again, I needed to rx and chill out. When everyone saw me, they came up to greet me, and someone even handed me a microphone. They wanted me to sing, but I declined. Sitting on the couch, I watched the couples singing passionately away while I drank. In the past, I seldom attended functions like that. Perhaps, I was not suited for such asions. Just then, Nichs appeared in front of me with a drink. He raised his ss and toasted me. ¡°Anna, congrattions on securing your first client! Keep up the good work!¡± He seemed pleased. After clinking our sses, I finished my drink in one gulp. It was obviously a happy asion, but for some strange reason, I was not thrilled at all. I had no idea why. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Nichs looked at me with admiration in his eyes and said, ¡°Actually, I didn''t expect you to be able to poach the first client from Joyful Sess so soon. I''m really impressed.¡± In the past, I was used to him looking at me that way. Now, I felt so awkward that I wanted to get away from him. ¡°I just want to get Amaury back as soon as possible. If this drags on, the chance of me being sessful will get lesser.¡± I kept my head down as I spoke. Presently, I did not want to have too much interaction with him. ¡°You''re walking on the path of sess right now. I believe you''ll be able to attain your goal very soon,¡± he said with a faint smile on his face and a gentle look in his eyes. ¡°I hope so.¡± With that nonchnt response, I downed my drink in one gulp. My alcohol tolerance level was never great, so after a few sses, I felt like I was floating. The loud noises in the private room made my condition even more unbearable. I stood up and told Nichs, ¡°I feel tipsy after having too much to drink; I''d like to make a move first.¡± I turned and was about to leave. ¡°Let me send you back. Your face is all flushed. I don''t feel good letting you go back on your own.¡± At that moment, Nichs stood up and offered to send me back home. ¡°It''s fine. I can get home by myself.¡± I was still shocked when I recalled what he had wanted to do to me the other night. Therefore, I turned him down without any hesitation. When Nichs heard me say that, he frowned and said unhappily, ¡°You have already drunk too much. Yet, you still reject my offer. Aren''t you worried you might get into trouble on your way home?¡± I knew he meant well, but I did not want to be anywhere near him. Neither did I want him to have any misunderstanding about my feelings for him. He was only a partner at work as far as I was concerned. ¡°I''m fine. I''m not as weak as you imagine me to be. I''m a very strong woman.¡± I chuckled slightly and turned him down again. I will just hail a cab home. Why would I be in any danger? He thinks too much. ¡°No. I have to make sure that you get back home safely. Otherwise, I won''t be at peace.¡± It appeared that my rejection was futile. Nichs grabbed my hand and walked toward the door of the private room. ¡°Nichs, let go of me. I said I can go back on my own. I don''t need you to send me home!¡± Nichs'' touch displeased me greatly. I pulled away with all my might and eyed him with disgust. Just then, the sound died down in the private room, and a few of our colleagues overheard our conversation. Many of them assumed that Nichs and I were seeing each other. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 ¡°Ms. Garcia, you have had too much to drink. Why don''t you let Mr. Cadman send you back instead? It''s very dangerous for a beautiful woman like you to walk alone on the streets.¡± ¡°That''s right. There are bad people everywhere. Furthermore, you are leaving a karaoke bar. There will be many perverts eyeing you if you are unescorted.¡± My colleagues tried to convince me to let Nichs take me home. Although I was irritated, I could not very well embarrass him in front of everyone seeing that he was our immediate superior. People might gossip about us in the future if I put Nichs on the spot. Therefore, I remained silent in spite of my displeasure. I said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your concern. Please enjoy yourselves. I''m not feeling well. I''ll make a move first.¡± After that, I walked out of the private room with Nichs following behind me. Once we were out of the karaoke bar, I could not help but shiver when the cold air hit me. Now that it waste, it had be quite cold. I stood at the entrance waiting for a taxi. Since I drank, it was better I did not drive. When Nichs saw me shivering, he removed his jacket and ced it on me. In an instant, I was not cold anymore. Unfortunately, the moment he touched me, I instinctively removed his jacket from my shoulders. ¡°No, I''m good. Thank you.¡± Wearing a man''s jacket felt too intimate. I had no wish to be so close to him. Nichs looked disappointingly at the jacket in my hand. ¡°Is there a need to be so distant between the two of us? Anna, aren''t we still friends? I was worried that you might catch a cold. That''s why I gave you my jacket. Please don''t think too much. I have no other intentions.¡± I could hear the dejection in his voice. Now that he had rified himself, it would appear cruel if I refused his kindness. However, I truly wanted to have nothing to do with him. ¡°I really don''t need it. I had so much alcohol earlier on that I am still feeling a little warm. The cool air comes at the right time.¡± Despite the fact that I was freezing, I put on a brave front with a smile. He looked into my eyes, and it was a long while before he looked away. I could sense his despondency. The cab arrived, and I got in. I thought he would return to the private room. Instead, he got in as well. I looked at him with a frown and wondered how I was going to get him to exit the vehicle. It was as if he knew I wanted to say something. Before that could happen, Nichs said, ¡°I''ll only be at ease once you have reached home.¡± His tone sounded resolute. It seemed there was no room for discussion. During the ride back, I became giddier and felt even more ufortable. Thebination of the alcohol and car ride was giving both my head and stomach a hard time. I leaned back on the seat and shut my eyes. I was feeling really unwell. ¡°Are you all right?¡± asked Nichs worriedly when he saw me in difort. ¡°I''m fine...¡± I tried to suppress the urge to vomit. The rest of the ride went on in silence. I had no idea how long it took. By the time I arrived home, I paid the cab driver his fare and got out in a daze. I stumbled around unsteadily in my heels; my vision was getting more blurred. I was starting to regret drinking so much earlier on. Now, I had to suffer the consequences. It felt as if I was walking on cotton wool. The feeling of falling at any moment was very real. Just then, Nichs came up to support me. ¡°You can''t hold your drink that well. You shouldn''t have drunk so much just now. How much exactly did you drink? How did you get so drunk?¡± Although Nichs sounded like he was telling me off, his eyes revealed the concern he had for me. ¡°I didn''t drink that much. Maybe, my alcohol tolerance level isn''t so good. That''s why I became drunk after a couple of sses.¡± At the present moment, I was not in the condition to remind myself of what he had done to me in the past. In fact, I had forgotten all about it. With one hand supporting me and the other rummaging for the house keys in my bag, Nichs managed to open the door. Once we got to the living room, he left me on the couch and poured a ss of water for me. Lying on the couch, my giddiness became more severe, and I was unable to think straight anymore. When Nichs returned, I mistook him for Michael. All of a sudden, my tears began to flow. Perhaps, subconsciously, I wanted to see Michael. That was why I mistook Nichs for him. ¡°What are you doing here? Why are you in my house?¡± I forced myself to sit up and look at him. My emotions were all over the ce. ¡°You had too much to drink, so I sent you back home. Did you forget?¡± Nichs frowned and looked at me helplessly. ¡°I don''t need you to send me home. I also don''t need your concern. Stop your act! Don''t show up in front of me next time! Since you have chosen to dump me back then, why do you keep appearing in front of me every other day? What exactly do you want from me? Are you trying to drive me crazy?¡± I looked up at him with tears flowing down my face. ¡°A year ago, did you know how badly I needed you by my side? Did you know the pain that I was in? Why were you so cruel to me? Why?¡± I have concealed this hurt for a year now. In my dreams, I have asked myself countless times. Why was he so heartless to me? What have I done wrong? How could he hurt me like that? Weren''t the two of us very much in love with one another? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Nichs was initially worried for me. After what I said, his face darkened. I could see the fury in his eyes, but he did not vent it out on me. ¡°Why won''t you answer my questions? Tell me why you had to hurt me. Why did things end up this way for the both of us? Do you know how torturous it has been for the past year? I hate you even in my dreams. Michael Shaw, give me a reason so that I can stop loving you... So that I can stop hating you!¡± Chapter 445 Chapter 445 I became increasingly agitated. I stood up and grabbed hold of his cor. Those questions had been on my mind for the past year. I really wanted to know the reason. Every time I saw Michael, I wanted to ask him. Every time, I stopped myself because I did not want him to know I had not forgotten about him. Now that I had some alcohol, I became bold. ¡°Anna, you had too much to drink. I''m not Michael; I''m Nichs,¡± reminded Nichs as he removed my hands from his cor. In my current groggy state, I no longer cared what he had to say. All I wanted was to vent my frustration. ¡°You answer my questions! Answer me!¡± I grabbed hold of his cor again and yelled. ¡°Anna!¡± He called out my name and wanted to say something. However, it did not matter what he had to say right now. I just buried my face in his chest. ¡°Do you know how my life has been for the past year? Michael, have you really ever truly loved me? Why would you be willing to hurt me like that...¡± I mumbled. With my face against Nichs'' chest, tears began flowing down my face. His body felt rigid, and he did not speak for a long time. I even started to feel the tension in the air. Then again, when people had too much to drink, their senses tended to be a little dull. After a long time, he ced his hand on my back and patted me like he was consoling me. I did not struggle in his embrace and wanted to enjoy the tenderness for as long as I could. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. The very next second, the room door opened. Before I could figure out what was going on, someone hit Nichs, and he fell to the ground. The sudden turn of events woke me up. I stared at Nichs, who was lying on the floor, and my mind went nk. What exactly is going on? ¡°Nichs!¡± I staggered my way to him and was worried. In the meantime, Michael was staring at me furiously. Was I not in Michael''s arms a while ago? What is Nichs doing here? Why are they fighting? Since I already had some alcohol, I was obviously not in the right frame of mind. Now, I became even more confused. I had no inkling what just happened. ¡°I''m all right!¡± Nichs stood up, wiped his mouth, and shook his head at me. My head felt like splitting. I was even more pissed off when I saw the two men that I did not want to see. ¡°Anna Garcia! You are getting bolder by the day, aren''t you? You actually brought a man back to the house!¡± Michael strode in my direction and loomed over me with his eyes zing. Faced with his questioning, I frowned in puzzlement. When I finally figured out what he was using me of, I flew into a rage. ¡°What rubbish are you talking about? When have I ever slept around with other men?¡± Emboldened by the alcohol in me, I refused to back down. I have always been with him. How dare he use of me being with other men! So unreasonable! ¡°The two of you were hugging each other, and you are still denying it. If I didn''t get here in time just now, what was going to happen? Are the two of you nning to have sex?¡± Michael got nearer to me. He looked as though he wanted to reduce me to ashes in the very next second with his searing eyes. I frowned even harder. What''s wrong with this man? Since when have I ever slept with Nichs? What gives him the right to nder me? ¡°Michael Shaw, watch your words! What gives you the right to insult me like this?¡± In his eyes, am I really just a promiscuous woman who will sleep with any Tom, Dick, and Harry? There was nothing between Nichs and me. Nothing! Yet, he had said something like that to insult and hurt me! ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. Yet, you refused to admit to it. Anna, I never thought you were such a hypocrite!¡± My words obviously had no effect on Michael. He looked just as infuriated as before. It seemed that he believed his own usation about me with no regard for my feelings. I had be a hypocrite in his eyes. Since when am I a hypocrite? ¡°Michael! You''re too much!¡± If it was others who had said that about me, I might not be that angry. However,ing from Michael, it pained me. ¡°Anna, stop talking to him. You had too much to drink tonight. Why don''t you rest early? Tomorrow, when you wake up, you will forget about all the unhappy stuff.¡± Just then, Nichs came up to me and eyed Michael with enmity. I knew Nichs was concerned about me. However, I was in the midst of an argument with Michael. I wanted to know why he was using me! Both my fists were clenched. Emboldened by liquid courage, I really wanted to fight it out with Michael. What gives him the right to say that about me! N?velDrama.Org owns this. Just as I was about to say something, Nichs stood in front of me and ordered Michael to leave. ¡°Mr. Shaw, you''re not wee here. Anna needs to rest. Please take your leave.¡± Michael was angrier than ever. He stared icily at Nichs and said, ¡°Who do you think you are? I''m at my woman''s ce. Since when you get to tell me to leave?¡± As Michael was talking, I could feel tension rising in the room. Nichs, on the other hand, returned his gaze calmly showing no sign of fear. Nichs eyed Michael coldly as well when he said, ¡°Your woman? Anna and you are already divorced, and neither of you got married to one another again. How can you say she''s your woman? Mr. Shaw, it''s good to be confident, but you shouldn''t be so arrogant. I think Anna has already told you on more than one asion that she doesn''t want to go back to you!¡± Michael had never been a patient man. He smiled coldly, but there was a glint of danger in his eyes. ¡°Don''t think I don''t know what you are up to. I said before, no one is allowed to touch my woman!¡± Before Nichs could react, Michael punched him in the face. Nichs fell to the ground once more. All of these happened too quickly. I did not have the time to figure everything out. When I saw Nichs get hit again, I panicked. As for Michael, my anger toward him red up. He had indeed be more and more barbaric. That was already the second time he had hit Nichs. Chapter 446 Chapter 446 ¡°Michael, that''s enough! If you want to fight, then please get out of my house! If you act violently here, I will call the cops!¡± Even though I did not like Nichs, he was injured because of me. ¡°Anna, how dare you shout at me because of another man? Don''t forget I am your man!¡± Michael''s expression went as cold as ice. The next second, he grabbed my arm and started dragging me outside. I had drunk some alcohol, and I felt dizzy. I had no strength to resist at all as he dragged me away. Nichs wanted to chase up and rescue me. However, before he could reach us, Michael pushed me into his car and drove off. I struggled to open the car door. If he took me away tonight, nothing good would happen. I did not want to suffer anymore. However, he had locked the car door. No matter how hard I tried, I could not open it. I shot him a furious look. I hated when he treated me so domineeringly. I seemed so helpless in front of him. ¡°Michael, open the door now. I want to get out!¡± What makes him think he can drag me into his car and lock me inside? ¡°Why would you want to get out? Do you want to go back to Nichs and have sex with him?¡± His tone sounded utterly indifferent. ¡°It''s none of your business! What makes you think you can hit someone as you like? And what makes you think you can drag me away?¡± I was enraged as I felt he was treating me like a promiscuous woman. I hated when he talked to me so disrespectfully. ¡°Anna, you are pissing me off!¡± Michael turned around and stared at me wrathfully. My heart skipped a beat as I sensed the hostility in his gaze. ¡°Michael, what do you want from me? There''s nothing between Nichs and me! Why do you treat me like this?¡± Indeed, nothing happened between Nichs and me. I remembered I was hugging Michael. Yet, he suddenly got pissed. I had no idea what was going on. My mind was nk due to the alcohol. Even now, I still had not regained my sensespletely. ¡°I saw with my own eyes that you two hugged together. How is it nothing? Anna, don''t think of me as a fool!¡± Michael''s lips curled into a smirk. His gaze filled with disappointment. I could feel how disappointed heN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. was. His gaze made me feel as if I hadmitted adultery. I did nothing, yet he said I was hugging Nichs. Could it be I wasn''t hugging Michael but Nichs? I was left in bewilderment upon thinking that. Michael was the one I saw. How could it be Nichs? I turned toward Michael again and observed his expression. There was nothing else besides rage. Did I hug the wrong person? ¡°I drank too much tonight. I think I was drunk. So I had no idea what happened. Even if I hugged Nichs, I never thought of doing anything with him,¡± I exined with a meek voice and shifted my gaze toward the window. I did not want Michael to misunderstand the rtionship between Nichs and me. Even if I would never be with him, I did not want to ruin my image in his heart. ¡°I only believe what I see! Anna, I will let you know tonight who your man is!¡± Upon saying that, Michael stepped on the elerator and drove off. I could only hold the seat belt tightly. I was frightened to see him driving so fast. At the same time, I med myself for making him so angry. He was overwhelmed with emotions right now, and we might get into an ident. He did not care about anything else when he was angry. Due to his reckless driving and my drunken state, I felt sick in my belly, and my head ached deeply. It was the worst feeling in the world. I closed my eyes and furrowed my brows tightly. I did not feel well. I could not even care about safety anymore. I had no idea how long the drivested. When the car finally stopped, I immediately opened the door and got out. I knelt by the road and started vomiting. I felt as if I was going to puke all of my internal organs out. I was never a good drinker. Plus, Michael''s reckless driving made my condition worse. Michael''s rage faded a little as he saw how sick I was. He walked toward me and squatted down. Then, he patted my back gently. I vomited for a long time before I felt a little bit better. I had never drunk so much alcohol before. It was the first time I knew what it was like to be drunk. It did not feel good at all. ¡°Why did you drink so much if you couldn''t hold liquor? Are you trying to make life difficult for yourself?¡± Michael supported me and looked at me with a displeased look. His voice was filled with me and concern. I could care less what he said as I was not feeling well. The only thing I wanted was to lie down in bed and rest. I felt like my head was about to explode. Even though I had vomited, the sick feeling was still there. ¡°I want to go home!¡± I furrowed my brows tightly. I was not in the mood to entertain Michael, and I did not want to argue with him. He did not utter anything as he lowered his body and carried me up. My body felt drained of all energy, and I could not struggle at all. I let him carry me as I closed my eyes, intended to get some rest. When I opened my eyes again, I realized Michael had brought me to the house in Birchwood. As I stared at the familiar yet strange surroundings, my heart skipped a beat. He ced me down on the couch and went toward the bathroom. I had no idea why he brought me here. We used to live together here, and there were many good memories. Every time I came here, I could not help but think about our past. Chapter 447 Chapter 447 I cleared my thought and tried not to think about the past. The only thing I wanted to do now was to get out of here as soon as possible. Since Michael had gone to the bathroom, I figured it was my opportunity. ¡°You''d better not think of leaving. No matter where you run to, I can catch you back!¡± The second I stood up, Michael''s voice came from the bathroom. He sounded utterlyposed, as though he had predicted that I would escape. I shifted my gaze toward the bathroom and realized the door was still closed. He was still inside. How could he possibly know what I was doing? I froze on the spot, hesitating if I should leave. I hated to admit it, but his threat indeed worked on me. I did not doubt his ability. However, I still recoiled in fear upon recalling his furious look. After pondering for a long while, I decided to leave anyway. I tiptoed to the door, not daring to make a sound. Before I could reach the door, his voice appeared again. This time, it was right behind me. ¡°Anna, did you just ignore me? Did you hear what I said?¡± Michael red at me with rage. My heart jolted as waves of terror rose within me. Before I could say anything, he stepped toward me swiftly and carried me in his arms. I was shocked, and I responsively wrapped my arms around his neck. My heart started to beat fast as I felt the warmth emitted from his body. I did not know why but my heart would pound furiously whenever he got close to me. ¡°Michael, what are you doing?¡± I stared at him cautiously as my mind wandered. He is carrying me. Does he want to have sex with me? ¡°Shut up and go brush your teeth!¡± He frowned and looked at me with disgust. It was probably because I had vomited earlier. Indeed, he was very particr about hygiene. I knew it was challenging for him to pat on my back while I was vomiting just now. I was somehow displeased when I saw his disgusted look. However, I did not say anything. I would not want him to be disgusted with me either. He carried me into the bathroom and handed me a toothbrush. He had already put some toothpaste on it. I grabbed the toothbrush awkwardly and started brushing my teeth. Am I that disgusting? He looks like he despises me so much. He stood right in front of me while I was brushing my teeth. I felt utterly drowsy. I forced myself to stay awake as he was beside me. After brushing my teeth, I had reached my limit. I walked past him and wanted to go out of the bathroom. Yet, when I reached the door, he grabbed me again. ¡°Where are you going?¡± His brows were knitted into a frown. ¡°I''m exhausted. I want to get some sleep. If you don''t want me to go, can I at least sleep on the couch for a while?¡± I was extremely worn out, and I really did not want to quarrel with him. ¡°Sleep after you take a bath. Your whole body smells awful now!¡± He grabbed my hand and did not wait for my response. He started taking off my clothes. ¡°Michael, what do you think you are doing?¡± I was beyond exasperated by his gesture. After all, I could not be med for having an inkling about certain matters if a man took off my clothes. ¡°What do you think I am doing? I am taking you to the showers!¡± His hands did not stop. Instead, they worked faster. In the blink of an eye, all the buttons on myce shirt were unbuttoned, revealing my bra. Even though we used to be intimate with each other, that was one year ago. He felt like a stranger to me now. To be honest, I was utterly embarrassed when he stared at my chest. ¡°I can manage myself. I don''t need your help. Please leave!¡± I rejected him directly when he was about to take off my skirt. Our rtionship was in the past. He had no right to help me take a shower. Plus, I was not handicapped. I did not need others to help me. ¡°Are you sure you don''t need my help?¡± His hands paused as he stared at me coldly. His tone was devoid of emotion. ¡°I am positive. I don''t need your help. So please leave now!¡± I responded without hesitation as I stared at him with a firm look. Of course, I don''t need your help. It would be strange if I said I did. ¡°Fine then. I will wait for you outside.¡± Upon saying that, Michael walked out of the bathroom and closed the door for me. I somehow doubted if he was the Michael I knew as he seldom behaved so obediently. I thought he would insist on staying no matter what I said. However, it was better this way. I was too tired to be guarded against him. The bathtub was already filled with water. I took off all my clothes and went into the bathtub. Leaning against the bathtub''s edge, I felt extremelyfortable in the warm bath. I closed my eyes and indulged. Slowly, I dozed off. I did not know how long I slept, but I was awakened by Michael. He carried me out of the bathtub and covered me with a towel. I was in a slumber, and I had no idea what had happened. As I opened my eyes and saw Michael carrying me, my eyes widened in shock. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I remember I was taking a bath. Why am I in his embrace? What is he trying to do to me? ¡°I should be the one asking you that question. Did I ask you to take a bath or to sleep inside the bathroom?¡± Michael regarded me with a darkened expression and fury stoking within his eyes. ¡°You can''t me me. I am too tired. Can''t I rest for a while inside the bathroom?¡± Upon hearing his words, I regained my senses. It looked like I had fallen asleep in the bathroom. A trace of embarrassment welled up in my heart. ¡°Rest for a while? I almost thought you were dead!¡± His gaze red with anger as he shouted at me. I was stunned momentarily upon seeing his sudden rage. I looked him in the eyes. I did not know why but I felt somehow touched by his gesture. His tone was rude but it made me feel as if he cared for me a lot. Is he worried that something might happen to me? N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I drank a lot, and I wanted to rest. Yet, you kept me up until now. I think it is reasonable for me to fall asleep in the bathroom. It proves that I was really worn out.¡± Chapter 448 Chapter 448 I lowered my head as I spoke. My tone sounded somehow unnatural. He was the reason I got so tired. He should be ming himself. ¡°Are you ming me then? Did you me me for interrupting you and Nichs? And did you me me for taking you here?¡± Michael felt I was expressing my discontent toward him. He halted in his tracks and squinted his eyes that were brimmed with hostility. ¡°No, I am not...¡± I pursed my lips in displeasure. There he was, mentioning Nichs again. Even if I really hugged the latter today, that was because I thought he was Michael. That was why I used my drunkenness to express everything I had wanted to say all this while. I had been expecting an exnation from Michael. Yet, it turned out I got the wrong man. Nevertheless, I did not think I could repeat what I said earlier to him. ¡°Anna, if you really have sex with Nichs tonight, I would never forgive you!¡± The rage in his eyes was evident as he spat out his words. ¡°But I didn''t. Do you need to be so mad?¡± Now I realized he was not just a domineering man, but also a jealous one. The fact was, nothing happened between Nichs and me. Yet, he did not stop mentioning the two of us. I did not understand what was ying in his mind. ¡°Do you mean I should get mad only after you have sex with another man? Anna, when did you be so open-minded?¡± Michael ced me on the bed. His eyes were still raging with fury. I knitted my brows and shot him a look of displeasure. Can he stop being so petty? ¡°Michael, I''ve told you that nothing happened between Nichs and me. Could you stop pressing on this subject?¡± I was utterly enraged whenever he misunderstood me with other men. I did not do anything wrong. Throughout this one year, I had no other men. I felt it was unfair for him to keep using me. ¡°That had better be it! Anna, if you had something with another man, I swear you will never see him again!¡± His rage obviously faded a lot after hearing my words. Nheless, his eyes were still full of hatred. I knew he was capable of doing what he said. He had the ability to make anyone disappear from my world. Nevertheless, I did not n to find any man at all. The only person I cared about right then was Amaury. I had not even thought about my future. I had not even thought if I should raise Amaury alone or I should find a man who treated Amaury like his own. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Even so, I was utterly displeased with Michael''s threat. He was the one who abandoned me back then, yet he did not allow other men to get close to me. His possessiveness is extreme! ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t be with any man until Amaury gets back to my side. Plus, once hees back to me, I will take him and leave this ce. I won''t show up in front of you ever again!¡± If it were not for Amaury, I would have already disappeared from his sight! Upon hearing that, his anger reached its peak. He snapped and began to kiss me madly. He seemed like he wanted to release all of his pent-up wraths on me. I was stunned by his sudden movement. I widened my eyes and stared at him in disbelief. I could not breathe under his rain of kisses. I was initially dizzy, and now I felt like I was about to lose consciousness. I tried to push him away, but my strength was nothing to him. He stayed on top of me, not moving an inch. When I was about to suffocate, he finally let go of me. I panted heavily, catching for air. For a moment, I almost thought he was going to kill me. My face was initially red due to the alcohol, and it blushed even fiercely due tock of oxygen. My gaze became unfocused as I stared at him. At that moment, I did not feel like doing or saying anything. I only felt like sleeping. I closed my eyes, and drowsiness consumed me. The second I closed my eyes, I could still see him furrowing his brows. When I had my eyes closed, Michael did not let me off but tugged the towel away from my body, and I felt chilly. I tried hard to open my eyes but to no avail. It was the worst feeling in the world to be drunk. To my bewilderment, I could feel his hand fondling my breast affectionately. Even though I could not open my eyes, I could feel his touch. Then, I felt kisses raining down on my body. I was utterly helpless as my body did not have the strength to reject him. A feeling began to burn within me as I felt his warm tongue teasing me. I had no control over that feeling as it became more and more intense. I twisted my body uneasily, and my mind went nk. The primitive desire within me was awakened. I wanted more. I seemed to start to understand the feeling of a one-night-stand. Not only men but women would also be lustful after getting drunk. I never imagined I would be like this. Usually, I would have been rational enough to reject it. Nheless, I did not reject it; I wanted more of it. The next second, I wrapped my arms around Michael''s neck and asked for his kiss. My body uncontrobly leaned closer to him. I would never be so eager if I were sober. Yet, now I acted ording to my instinct. I did not want to hold back what I truly felt toward him anymore. Even though my eyes were still closed, I could feel Michael''s breathing be heavy. Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Michael slid his hand down my chest and stopped at my stomach. There, he brushed his fingers gently across it. Although I had given birth before, I recovered my figure pretty well. Also, due to how busy I was over the past year, there was barely any fat on my tummy at all. As he circled his finger around my navel, the lust within me gradually intensified. I couldn''t wait for him to enter me any longer. ¡°Michael...¡± I called out his name, inviting him to satisfy me. ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± he grunted in acknowledgment with a deep voice. When there was no further action from him, I began to feel anxious. All this while, he always couldn''t wait to enter me. But today, he seemed to be holding back, causing me to wonder if he was doing it on purpose. After all, he knew how unbearable it felt for me. ¡°Michael...¡± I called out his name again and rubbed myself against him. At that moment, my intention couldn''t be any more obvious. ¡°Do you want it?¡± he asked with a gruff voice. From his tone, I knew that he was already trying hard to suppress his desire. ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± I moaned in response. At that moment, I had set aside all sense of decency. After having a few drinks, I became a different person where my lust had overwhelmed my rationality. Michael didn''t give in to me. Instead, he leaned into my ear and whispered, ¡°Tell me that you want me, and I will satisfy you.¡± ¡°I want you.¡± Without holding back, I did as he asked. After that, I wrapped my arms around his neck to invite him to come on top of me. Having heard what he wanted, Michael stopped hesitating and went on to ravage me. Due to a night of wild passion, I awoke the next morning with my body aching all over. When I opened my eyes, I could feel my head hurting, as if the hangover had yet to pass. Moreover, the pain I felt throughout my body seemed to be particrly excruciating. Just when I struggled to move my body, I realized that I was in the arms of a man. Jolted by the thought, I turned around to look. The moment I saw Michael, my heart skipped a beat. Furthermore, I was puzzled as to why he was lying in my bed. ¡°Why are you in my bed?¡± I looked warily at him. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Considering where he was, what happenedst night couldn''t be any more obvious. When Michael heard my voice, he opened his eyes slightly and responded in anguid tone, ¡°What do you think?¡± Upon hearing his answer, I tried hard to recall the events of the night before. As fragments of memory flooded into my mind, I remembered that both of us had made love... In fact, I seemed to be the one who lead him on. Embarrassed by the thought, I couldn''t help but wish that the ground would open up and swallow me whole. Every time I dered that I wouldn''t sleep with him, my lust would end up overwhelming me. It was so bad that I began to suspect that I was a nymphomaniac. ¡°G-Get out of my bed!¡± Regaining my memory of the events caused me to be filled with frustration. Feeling embarrassed, the last person I wanted to see then was Michael. ¡°Anna, are you trying to get rid of me after using me? Last night, you refused to let me leave when you needed me. And now, you''re kicking me out after I have satisfied you,¡± Michael sneered. Furrowing his brows, he looked at me with displeasure. After being used of being heartless, my cheeks began to blush as I red at him. ¡°Since when did I say that I wanted you? You''re just putting words into my mouth. Obviously, you''re the one that tried to seduce me, for I was already asleep!¡± Despite the fact that I couldn''t hide my feelings when I was drunk, there was no way I would admit that I wanted him when I was sober. To be honest, I couldn''t believe that I behaved in such a callous manner. All this while, I had assumed that I was a conservative woman. However, my memories from the night before and the sensations my body felt were real. They undoubtedly indicated to me that I was the one who requested Michael to make love to me. ¡°I took the initiative? Last night, you were the one who asked me for it. Anna, I even managed to record it down. Do you want to take a listen? It contains your sensual moans too.¡± He didn''t care for my denial at all. At that moment, he took out his phone from underneath the pillow and broke into a mischievous smile. After looking into his eyes, I turned my attention to the phone, wondering if he was telling the truth or just ying bluff to force a confession out of me. Even though I couldn''t deduce anything from his indifferent expression, I chose to call his bluff in the end. After all, I was confident that he wouldn''t be in the mood to make a recording during lovemaking, as he was the one who was always engrossed in it. ¡°Fine. If you really have the recording, go ahead and y it for me. Coincidentally, it will help me jog my memory as to whether I actually said something like that.¡± Despite the smugness I was feeling inside, I gave Michael a calm look. After all, I didn''t believe that he had the recording and was waiting for his excuses when he failed to find it. ¡°Since you want to hear it so much, I''ll let you. If you feel the urge again, I no longer have any energy left to satisfy you.¡± Cracking a smile, Michael tapped on his phone. Subsequently, I heard my voice. ¡°Michael, I want you...¡± ¡°Michael, move faster...¡± The voice that rang out did belong to me. In fact, I was even moaning in the recording. Evidently, both of us were in the midst of a passionate session. Having heard the recording, my cheeks flushed red. I truly didn''t expect that I would be as brazen as to ask him to pick up the pace. As my moans continued to ring out throughout the recording, I anxiously snatched the phone away from his hands and deleted it. I didn''t expect him to actually possess the recording, especially of me at the height of our passion. Furthermore, I couldn''t believe that I actually said something so uninhibited. ¡°Deleting it is useless, as I have already made copies of it,¡± Michaelmented with a smirk while giving me a strange look. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 The recording was now the bane of my existence. Just the thought of him being in possession of it unnerved me. Thest thing I wanted was for him to hear my scious voice again. ¡°Where is the backup? I want to delete it!¡± I demanded as I stared into Michael''s eyes. ¡°Do you think I''ll tell you? This was the reason I tried desperately to hold myself backst night. Hence, there''s no way I''m going to let you waste my effort by deleting it.¡± Raising his brows slightly, Michael looked at me with amusement. My embarrassed and angry expression seemed to have cheered him up. Evidently, he wasn''t going to let me delete the recording. As a result, I was infuriated at the fact that he had gone overboard this time. If the recording was somehow leaked, I would no longer be able to show my face in public. ¡°Where in the world is the backup copy? You have to give it to me at once!¡± With my brows knitted intensely, my tone began to grow desperate. The more he resisted giving it to me, the more insecure I felt. After all, he was someone who was capable of anything. ¡°I told you that I will never give it to you. Hence, you shouldn''t waste your time. Also, do you now believe me when I say that you initiated our sessionst night? To be honest, I like how you behaved unreservedly in bed. Next time, just let me know whenever you are aroused, and I''ll satisfy you anytime. As your man, I feel that this is the least I can do. Therefore, there''s no need for you to repress yourself going forward.¡± As Michael''s words rang out in my ear, I was so agitated that I felt the urge to beat him up. After all, his words were getting increasingly brazen, especially when he used me of suppressing my lust all the time. Filled with rage, my chest was thumping furiously as I stared daggers at him. At that very moment, I felt that I had had enough of him. ¡°Michael, I''ll repeat it one more time, give me the backup copy!¡± Sitting up in bed suddenly, I was no longer able to control my rage. Despite my urge to teach him a lesson, I refrained from beating him up due to our asymmetrical strength. ¡°And my answer again is no! In fact, I''m going to keep it so that I can savor it in the future. In fact, I feel lust welling up within me just by listening to your moan alone. You undoubtedly never fail to arouse me.¡± Ignoring my anger, Michael raised his brow and stared at me with a frivolous expression on his face. ¡°Michael! You...¡± I attempted to grab his phone again to check if the backup copy was on it. After all, other than his phone, he didn''t seem to have any other device that had a recording function. Unfortunately for me, he seemed to have read my mind. Before I could reach his phone, he dropped it into his other hand, putting it out of my reach. What was even more embarrassing was that the nket I had wrapped around me dropped onto the ground from my aggressive reaction. Consequently, I had revealed my half-naked body in front of him. At that moment, his gaze darkened when it fell upon the residual red marks he had left on my bodyst night. Trailing the trajectory of his eyes, I could feel my heart sink when I saw the hickeys that covered my chest and stomach. Evidently, we must have had a crazy night given the number of hickeys he left on my body. Due to having too much to drink, I only remembered that the passionate night did happen but not its details. After seeing the marks on my body, I gathered that our session was a lot more intense than I had imagined. In the midst of my imagination running wild, Michael''s hand was already fondling my breast. Considering that we had spent the whole night making love, I didn''t expect him to be aroused again so quickly. Consequently, I avoided him by reflex, hoping to put some distance between us. Even though the sessionst night was extremely pleasurable, my body felt terrible once my lust subsided. Thus, I didn''t feel like going through it again.¡± ¡°Why are you hiding from me? Didn''t you enjoy yourselfst night? Why have you be reserved again?¡± Michael snapped, looking displeased when he saw how far I had retreated. The moment I heard him bring up our session, my face blushed again. I was annoyed at how persistent he was in mentioning our session from the night before. Although I had taken the initiative, I didn''t feel it necessary for him to keep reminding me of the fact. ¡°Michael, can you stop talking aboutst night?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ring at him, I gave my nket a forceful tug and wrapped myself tightly in it. I was furious at myself for going wild the night before and giving Michael something to ckmail me with. ¡°Fine, on one condition. If you agree to it, not only will I stop bringing it up, but I''ll also hand over the backup copy to you. How about it?¡± Michael proposed as he looked at me with a deceptive grin. Even though I knew full well that his condition would definitely not be something good, I was still extremely tempted by the fact that I could get the backup copy from him. ¡°What''s the condition?¡± I tried hard to sound calm so that he couldn''t detect the desperation in my voice. ¡°As long as you agree to always take the initiative and be more unbridled during love-making just like yesterday, I''ll consider giving you the backup copy.¡± Upon hearing his condition, I almost burst a vessel. I was shocked to hear that he wanted a repeat of the night before every time we slept together. He must be mad. Also, there''s no way I''m going to agree to sleep with him in the future. I''m already filled with remorse for not being able to control myselfst night. Going forward, I have to make sure that I don''t get in bed easily with him. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± I scowled at Michael. In my heart, I swore at him for being such a shameless man. ¡°It''s fine for you to refuse, as I have many other ways of getting you to sleep with me. However, I wouldn''t be able to hand over the backup copy to you. Also, who knows if I might lose it somewhere. In the event Nichs or someone else in the office picks it up, you might not be able to continue working at Nifty Group. After all, given how self-conscious you are, you will definitely choose to resign,¡± Michael exined with a faint smile. At that moment, I felt the urge to simply wipe the smirk off his face. After all, he was tantly threatening me and trying to make it sound as if it was for my own good. Consequently, I swore to myself that he was the most despicable man I had ever met. Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Michael''s warning that he might identally lose the recording to then be picked up by Nichs or my colleagues was nothing but a veiled threat. By doing so, he couldn''t be any more unscrupulous. ¡°Michael, are you ckmailing me?¡± I red at him with my eyes spitting fire. I couldn''t believe how loathsome he could be for threatening me with something like that. ¡°There''s nothing I can do if you feel this way. Although, I must admit that you don''t seem to have much of a choice. Anna, the decision is in your hands.¡± Michael shrugged his shoulders as he ignored my words. Moreover, I could even see the smugness in his eyes. ¡°Michael, you''re too much! If you dare leak the recording out, I swear I will be your mortal enemy for the rest of your life!¡± I threatened while staring furiously at him. His vileness was now beyond my belief. ¡°Fine. Doesn''t that mean we will be entangled with each other for the rest of our lives? Even though you love me, is all this really necessary?¡± He cracked out a smile, as if whatever I said had no effect on him. Having been rendered speechless every time I talked to him, I was both angry at the situation and at myself. After all, I was always at the losing end of every argument. ¡°Michael, can you just stop it?¡± I shot him an exasperated look. At that moment, I felt as if I was about to explode from him getting on my nerves. If I were to agree to his conditions, I wondered if I would be driven mad by how despicable he was. Raising his brows, he retracted his mesmerizing smile and asked me in a serious tone, ¡°Wouldn''t the problem be solved once you agree to my condition? The decision lies in your hands, don''t you think? After all, I have given you two choices.¡± Cognizant that he would never give me a third choice, I was filled with anger. Nevertheless, I had two paths in front of me. Obviously, I couldn''t choose thetter. In the event the recording fell into the hands of my colleagues, there was no way I could face the world anymore. Michael''s warning that he might identally lose the recording to then be picked up by Nichs or my colleagues was nothing but a veiled threat. By doing so, he couldn''t be any more unscrupulous. In spite of that, agreeing to his condition was just as difficult. Given that all I wanted to do was to break ties with him, there was no way I could consent to what he was asking of me. If I did, it would mean that I had to give in to him every time he asked me to sleep with him. ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± Michael looked at me with a knowing smile. I was irritated by the confident look on his face. Evidently, he could already guess what my decision was going to be. ¡°I''ll agree to your condition, but I too have one of my own.¡± Left without a choice, I was forced to relent. Nheless, I was a lot smarter now and no longer the Anna of old. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked in an indifferent tone. ¡°I need to have enough time to rest within the week. You cannot get me to sleep with you every day,¡± I replied in a serious tone while locking my gaze with his. I was well aware of his stamina. If it was the same as a year ago, I would even have trouble going to work. Furthermore, I needed my own space too. It was impossible for me to spend every day in bed with him. Staring into my eyes, he pondered upon my words for a long while before finally giving me an answer. ¡°Fine, that''s eptable to me. However, you cannot refuse me when I feel the urge. Also, you have to respond passionately like how you didst night. Anna, your performance the night before has gotten me hooked,¡± Michael replied with a grin so annoying that I wanted to tear it apart. The way he spoke to me now had be unbelievably audacious. ¡°Now that I have agreed to your condition, can you go now? I need to get out of bed and prepare for work. For goodness¡¯ sake, I''m alreadyte!¡± When I picked up my phone to check, I realized that it was almost nine and I was definitelyte for work. Although no one would darein due to my position, I disliked those who were not punctual. Therefore, I didn''t like to bete myself. ¡°I have already informed Nichs that you will be out for the morning. Therefore, you can return to the office in the afternoon.¡± Having heard Michael''s words while I was rummaging through my closet, I almost fainted over the fact that he had applied for leave from Nichs on my behalf. ¡°S-Say that again?¡± I asked in disbelief. Nichs had always been against our rtionship. Consequently, Michael''s call to him would only arouse his suspicion over our involvement with each other. ¡°Didn''t you get what I just said?¡± Michael didn''t answer my question as he stared at me with a frown. ¡°You actually gave Nichs a call? What did you tell him?¡± I asked curiously. Deep down, I could feel that he had set me up. ¡°What else can I say? I told him that you were exhausted fromst night and that you needed rest today. Also, I reminded him not to call you.¡± Despite Michael''s calm gaze and tone, I was filled with the impulse to storm out. Evidently, he said all those things to Nichs to insinuate what we did the night before. In fact, by saying that I needed rest, he had implied that we enjoyed a night of wild passion. Even though it wasn''t difficult for me to guess what Michael''s intention was, I was still infuriated by his actions. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. What I was concerned about wasn''t Nichs'' feelings but the faith he had in me. Ever since he returned from overseas, he had never trusted me. After what Michael had done, Nichs would definitely think that something was going on between the two of us. Furrowing my brows in frustration, the worries I had begun to grow. Turning around to face him, I questioned, ¡°Michael, did you do it on purpose? Did you deliberately give Nichs a call?¡± I knew how possessive he could be and I always tried topromise. However, I didn''t expect him to do something like that. By calling Nichs, Michael was well aware of the conflict he would create between the both of us. I didn''t know what his goal was and wondered if he was really trying to get Nichs to lose his trust in me. Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Having heard my words, Michael gave me a frosty stare and responded with an angry tone, ¡°I just want you to get some proper rest. Anna, why must you think that everyone has an agenda? In this whole wide world, I''m the only person that won''t harm you. As you are my woman, protecting you is the only thing I care about.¡± Knitting my brows tightly, I didn''t believe his words at all. By iming that he would be thest person in the world to hurt me, has he forgotten about what happened in the past? Has he forgotten how much he hurt me then? Even though I was tempted to sneer at him, I wasn''t in the mood to hold him ountable for the past. I just wanted bygones to be bygones, as bringing them up only reminded me of my sorrow. ¡°From my perspective, you''re the one that has hurt me the most in this world. Michael, I really hate it when you get involved in my affairs. I have my own life and job. What gives you the right to interfere in my work?¡± I retorted in anger. Ignoring Michael, I began to put on my clothes. Given that none of my clothes were avable, I had no choice but to wear the outfit from the night before. Michael frowned at me without saying a word. Nheless, I could sense that he was desperately trying to suppress his anger. As both of our paths were not aligned, the way we thought was entirely different from each other. Once I was done changing, I turned and left without even looking back. Back at my apartment, I got myself changed before heading to the office. When I arrived, many of the staff looked in my direction. Perhaps, I was just being self-conscious, but I felt as if they were staring at me in a strange manner. Just when I opened the door to my office, I saw Nichs sitting in my chair with a gloomy expression. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Knitting my brows, I began to worry as I walked up to him. After trying hard to maintain a calm expression, I looked into his eyes and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Isn''t it obvious?¡± Nichs rebutted coldly while his eyes were burning with anger. From his reaction, I could see that he was infuriated. After all, Michael had used my phone to call him in the morning and apply for leave on my behalf. On top of that, the reason he gave simply made things worse. If I was in Nichs'' position, I would be equally outraged. After all, Michael and I were supposed to be on opposing sides. Having heard my words, Michael gave me a frosty stare and responded with an angry tone, ¡°I just want you to get some proper rest. Anna, why must you think that everyone has an agenda? In this whole wide world, I''m the only person that won''t harm you. As you are my woman, protecting you is the only thing I care about.¡± After taking a deep breath, I forced myself to get a grip on my conflicting emotions. Raising my head, I gazed into Nichs'' eyes and pondered for a while. Finally, I replied, ¡°I know that Michael called you in the morning and why you''re angry. However, it isn''t what you think. Michael and I are not¡ª¡± ¡°Did you sleep with each otherst night?¡± Nichs interrupted before I could finish. With his sharpened gaze, he sounded as if he was interrogating me. Frowning slightly, I didn''t like the tone he was talking to me with. Nevertheless, I hung my head to admit my mistake. Furthermore, I maintained my silence, for I did sleep with Michael the night before. Consequently, it was something that I couldn''t deny. When I didn''t reply, a smirk descended on Nichs'' face as he looked at me in disappointment. ¡°By not saying anything, you are implicitly admitting that you did sleep with himst night.¡± I didn''t like Nichs'' tone because it made me feel ufortable. ¡°Nichs, the matter just isn''t what it appears to be. I admit that I did spend the night with him. However, it was because I had too much to drink. I know what you''re worried about. Therefore, I came here to specifically tell you that your concerns are unfounded. No matter what goes on between Michael and me, my objective remains unchanged,¡± I exined earnestly while locking gazes with him. I was serious in what I said, for that was truly what I felt deep down. Although I still had feelings for Michael, I was still clearly focused on my goal and wouldn''t let my emotions cloud my judgment. Nheless, Nichs was so consumed by anger that whatever I said made no difference. In fact, I could see the rage in his eyes burn with increasing intensity. ¡°How do you expect me to believe you now? Before we came back to this country, you told me that you no longer had any feelings for Michael. But in less than one month, so much happened between the two of you. By saying all this now, how am I going to convince myself to trust you still? Anna, have you forgotten what I have done for you during the past year? Also, have the promises you made before our return slipped your mind?¡± Getting to his feet, Nichs walked up to me. As he stared into my eyes in silence, I could feel the tension in the atmosphere increase. When I saw the look in his eyes, I began to feel guilty even though I had kept to my end of the deal. Other than sleeping with each other, Michael and I didn''t do anything else. Moreover, I didn''t betray Nichs or thepany at all. ¡°I didn''t forget them at all. In fact, I remember everything that I promised you. I know that it''s hard for you to ept the fact that I slept with Michael. But other than that, nothing else happened. Furthermore, I would definitely not do anything that hurts thepany''s interest.¡± The way he was reacting caused me to grow increasingly anxious. I wanted to clear the air, but the more I exined, the worse it became. ¡°Anna, how do you expect me to trust you now? The call in the morning had clearly demonstrated the fact. Prior to this, you have also admitted to me that you had not forgotten him. Now that both of you have slept with each other, I suppose you must have had a change of heart, isn''t it?¡± Nichs stared at me with his brows furrowed intensely. On top of that, his tone was filled with disappointment. ¡°No, my feelings have not changed at all. If that were true, do you think that I would still be trying my best to steal his clients? No matter what happens between us, I would never do anything that is against thepany''s interest. I too have principles to maintain and thresholds that I don''t cross.¡± Although I dreaded how he was casting his suspicion upon me, I understood why he felt that way. After all, Michael and I used to be lovers. In spite of that, I was someone with strong principles. When it came to work, I would always think on behalf of thepany and never let my personal affairs interfere with it. ¡°Forget it. I feel there''s no point in us arguing over this matter. However, if you really want to prove that you no longer have anything to do with him, there should not be a repeat of what happenedst night. ¡°For both work and personal reasons, I hope that you will draw the line between you and him. After all, you know how I feel about you. Do you know how it felt when I received his call in the morning?¡± Chapter 453 Chapter 453 He told me that he wanted toe after me after Michael took me away. Unfortunately, his car was too slow, and thetter left him in the dust. That was why he didn''t know where I was. Nichs'' eyes shone with disappointment when he said those words. He dropped by my office that early in the morning to wait for me and have that conversation. To my surprise, he wasn''t there to tell me to keep my professional and personal life apart. Instead, he was there because he had feelings for me. The way he redirected the conversation and talked about something personal... I shifted my gaze awkwardly to look elsewhere. Thing was, I knew how he felt about me, but there was nothing I could do about it. I''ve already made things clear in the past, so I didn''t want to dwell on that topic again. ¡°I understand. I don''t want to talk about personal matters, though. We''re at work, and our jobs are the most important thing right now. I will, however, promise you it wouldn''t matter what happens between Michael and me. My loyalty to thepany is absolute, and I won''t do anything to hurt you or the company.¡± That was the only promise I could offer. If he wanted me to love him back... Well, that would be impossible. He knew what I meant, and he frowned. The silver lining was that he didn''t keep that conversation going, so I sighed a long breath of relief. ¡°Okay, then we won''t talk about this at work. Let''s discuss the matter some other time. Still, I pray you''d keep my previous words in mind because I do not wish for the same thing to happen again.¡± He shifted his gaze from me and sounded calm when he said those words, but the fact he was warning me was clear as day. ¡°Understood.¡± I replied nonchntly, before shutting up entirely. I couldn''t make that promise firmly because I didn''t know if I could cut all ties with Michael right away. That morning, I agreed to Michael''s terms, and I couldn''t back out of it anymore. Nichs left my officer soon after. I sat there all alone and was both confused and irritated. There was no way to focus on work at all. I basically spent the rest of the day sitting behind my desk and daydreaming. All I could think about was the drama in my life, so not much work was done. When it was finally time to clock off, I packed my bags. There was no way I''d stay for a second longer. As soon as I finished putting everything away, I left the ce. It was only natural that it was peak hour because many employees were leaving their workstations at the same time. He told me that he wanted toe after me after Michael took me away. Unfortunately, his car was too slow, and thetter left him in the dust. That was why he didn''t know where I was. I had just left the building when a ck Ferrari made its way to me and stopped in my path. Seeing that prompted me to frown in frustration. I wanted to circle around and walk away, but when the windows rolled down, I saw a familiar face looking at me. My frustration maxed out upon seeing Michael there. His phone call was the reason I still couldn''t clear the misunderstanding with Nichs, who still had no idea what really happened. The mere thought of how Michael was deliberately driving a wedge between Nichs and me had me fuming. This man is the reason I am in such a bad mood today. Worse still, everyone in thepany knew that Michael was our mainpetitor. Who knows what the others would think if they saw him at thepany''s entrance and talking to me? Nichs'' misunderstanding was bad enough as it was. If Michael further made things worse... I will never be able to clear my good name. If anything were to happen to thepany''s administration, everyone will surely suspect me. That was definitely something I didn''t want to happen. Hence, I acted as though I didn''t even know him. I circled around and continued walking down the path, but he pressed the horn at me. The ear-piercing noise made me feel as though my eardrums would break apart. I turned around and red angrily at him. The rage within me was burning wildly. What is with this guy? Is he not capable of giving me a moment of peace? The continuous noise was too irritating, and many employees turned their attention to me. Michael was a renowned man, so naturally, they recognized him. I was troubled and infuriated when I sensed their gaze on me. I quickly turned around and walked to his car to shout at him. ¡°Michael Shaw, what the hell do you want?¡± ¡°Get in the car. We''ll go home together.¡± Michael didn''t mind my howls at all and spoke softly after shooting a look at me. ¡°I don''t need you to drop me off. Also, we live in different ces, so please don''t show up here again. You''ll just cause unnecessary troubles for me.¡± Many of the employees were staring at me, and some were already gossiping among themselves. I couldn''t hear what they were saying, but even the dumbest person alive could guess the right answer. They must be wondering how Michael and I know each other. ¡°What''s wrong with me dropping by to pick up my lover? Was that not allowed? Besides, have you forgotten what you promised me this morning? I made a copy to remind you of it, you know?¡± It seemed he was destined to defeat me that day. His lips curved into a calm smile. I didn''t even see him fishing it out, but he was suddenly holding a sh drive and waving it in front of me. At least he kept his voice down when he threatened me, though. Naturally, I knew all too well what he meant when he said he had a copy. I immediately thought about how he made a recording of the two of us sleeping together. And now, he''s using that recording to ckmail me in public... Gah, I am so angry I can kill! Despite those thoughts, I had no choice but toply. I was a rather traditional woman deep down, so I would probably die of shame if he actually published the content of that sh drive. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. I took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in me before circling around to the passenger''s side and opening the door. After that, I got in. The second I entered the car, I sensed everybody''s gaze on me bing weird. Most were in disbelief. They were probably thinking something along the lines of Oh gee, I can''t believe she got in his car... or something like that in Gen Z ng or whatever. Michael was satisfied with mypromise. He smiled before firing up the engine and making a U-turn. I didn''t say a thing after getting into his car because the fury in me was getting difficult to contain. His phone call that morning had already caused abundant troubles, and showing up at the entrance of my workce... Yeah, I can grow another mouth, and I still won''t be able to clear the misunderstanding. ¡°Why are you so quiet? Are you in a bad mood? Are you mad?¡± A lot of time had passed before he broke the silence and turned to me to ask me those questions calmly. ¡°Michael, why are you doing this?¡± I turned to him and red evilly to demand an answer. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why did you show up there at the entrance of my workce? You know that will cause amotion and give others the wrong idea, so why did you do it?¡± He had to have known what I was talking about, but he asked me to rify, anyway. That annoyed me. ¡°I''ve already told you. I was there to pick up my lover. Why else would I be there?¡± His answer remained the same, but at the time, all I could hear was an excuse. I didn''t think he traveled all the way over to my workce just for that. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 He had never done anything even close to picking me up from work when we were friends with benefits. Back then, he practically ran away when he saw me in public, so why did he suddenly change his style? It was as though he was trying to make sure everyone saw him. Our past together made me think he had an ulterior motive. ¡°Do you honestly think I''d buy that lie? I know you, Michael, and you will never do anything that does not benefit you. Did you drop by today to mislead everyone in thepany and make it so they don''t trust me?¡± After fuming for so long, I finally dealt with my anger and calmed myself down. That allowed me to interrogate him calmly while looking at him. He frowned a little upon hearing how I exposed his ns so directly. He didn''t exin himself, nor did he admit to anything. His attention remained on the road, and it was as though he had never heard what I said. Soon, I realized that the road we were traveling down was not the one heading to my apartment. It was leading to Birchwood. We just spent a night therest night, and he was taking me there again... I instantly panicked and felt humiliated. ¡°Take me back to my apartment.¡± I made sure my tone was icy when I spat those words at him. I didn''t want to argue with him or discuss the matter with him. All I wanted was for him to be as far away from me as possible. ¡°Have you forgotten what you promised this morning?¡± Michael didn''t make a U-turn. Instead, he kept reminding me of the promise I made that morning. ¡°I remember it well, but you made a promise, too. You said you''d give me enough time to rest and recuperate. I''m exhausted today, so I want to go home. No one will be ying with you tonight.¡± ¡°I won''t force you to do anything tonight, so you can rest well.¡± He didn''t take me to my apartment as I had requested. His tone was as nonchnt as ever, but it was clear that the matter was not negotiable. The car never slowed down. It was moving as quickly as it had been. I had no intention of going to Birchwood with Michael, but I knew him and his aggressive style too well. He wouldn''t let me reject him. Still, he had already promised to be good at night and wouldn''t force my hand. That meant I would be able to rest well, so there was no reason for me to worry. As soon as we reached our ce in Birchwood, I went to take a shower, then prepare to go to bed. He had never done anything even close to picking me up from work when we were friends with benefits. Back then, he practically ran away when he saw me in public, so why did he suddenly change his style? It was as though he was trying to make sure everyone saw him. Our past together made me think he had an ulterior motive. I wasn''t actually that tired, but I didn''t want to deal with Michael. After showering, I crawled up to my bed right away. Michael was nowhere to be seen when I exited the washroom, and the ce was quiet. Is he gone? I went to the living room to check. That was when I realized that he was truly gone, and I jumped in excitement. Unfortunately, my stomach grumbled at that moment. It had been a while since anyone stayed there, so there was no food. I truly regretted skipping lunch at that moment. My terrible mood had killed my appetite, so I didn''t have anything for lunch. Hence, it had been a whole day since Ist ate, and I was famished. I made my way back to the bedroom to force myself to sleep. Only then would I be able to ignore the hunger in me. There was actually a restaurant nearby, but I was toozy to head over. I kept resting on my bed, but I found myself wide awake as my hunger became worse and worse. I sighed in exasperation and tossed and turned on the bed. That was when I heard the door unlocking. Anxiety filled me once more. Has Michael returned? I exited the bedroom, and as suspected, I saw him there with some takeaway supper. My stomach growled in protest as soon as my eyes saw the food Michael was holding. At that moment, I felt so embarrassed that I could die. He calmly shot a look at me when he saw me standing by the door. ¡°Come and eat up before you go to bed.¡± Since he extended the invitation, there was no reason for me to hold back. I jogged over. There was no need to be courteous to him. After all, he had done heinous things to me over the past few days, so he was lucky the only thing he had to pay for was a meal. The meal was meant to be supper, but it was more scrumptious than I expected. I guessed I was too hungry because I ended up eating more than he did. Michael''s eyes shone with a strange glow when he saw how I had finished my supper that quickly. Perhaps he never expected me to be that much of a glutton. I shifted my gaze shyly when I sensed his gaze on me. It was too embarrassing to look into his eyes at that moment. It was culturally inappropriate for a woman to chow down like that in front of a man, after all. ¡°I''m full, so I''ll head back to my room now.¡± After saying all that, I rushed back into the bedroom and closed the door. An emotion tooplex for words crept up on me as I rested on that bed and in that familiar room. I closed my eyes to force myself to go to sleep, but my mind kept thinking about Michael. That frustrated me so much that I buried my head under the nket. I didn''t know when he entered the room, but he mercilessly pulled the nket off my head. His beautiful brows were crumpled up to form a frown on his head. ¡°Are you trying to suffocate yourself?¡± ¡°I can sleep however I like, and it''s none of your business.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. All I could think about was him, and it felt as though the more I wanted to keep him out of my mind, the more he showed up. That frustrated me even more. ¡°Did you just say that it is none of my business? Anna Garcia, you truly have be gutsier and gutsier. Why do you keep talking to me in that tone?¡± Perhaps my tone really was too harsh, because he was getting angry as well. ¡°I''ve always been that gutsy. Haven''t you always known that?¡± I red over angrily because it felt as though he was just there to pick a fight. After I returned to the country, the two of us began arguing every time we saw each other. ¡°I guess you still need more training. I''ve been too nice to youtely, and your temper is getting out of control. Things will be bad if you keep progressing this way.¡± His stunning brows raised a little, and his tone was ambiguous. Before I could react to anything, he took his shoes off and crawled onto the bed. My heart thumped with fear when I saw him there, and I stared on nervously. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± When we were on the way over, that guy promised me that he would behave that night and would let me rest. Is he going to go back on his words now? ¡°What do you think I''m doing? You were gone for a year and returned much feistier. I guess I will have to spend a lot of time training you to be a sophisticateddy.¡± His handsome face slowly got closer to me, and I could actually feel his warm breath on me when he said thatst sentence. My heart was thumping fast with anxiety burning. I wasn''t sure what he was going to do because he made a promise earlier. That was why I was holding on to that shred of hope. ¡°I will never turn into ady like that. If that is what you want, then you should go to someone else. Don''t bother wasting your time on me.¡± Chapter 455 Chapter 455 It was rather insulting. He imed he wanted to turn me into a sophisticated woman, and that was an indirectint about how I was uncouth. Oh, he might as well go to someone else. It''s not like there was a shortage of women circling around him. Men like Michael remained a desirable bachelor despite having been divorced before. Many young women wouldpete and fight each other to marry him. Hence, it should be an easy feat for him to find a beautiful woman who would obey his every word. ¡°I don''t want anyone else. You''re the only one for me.¡± When Michael spoke, I could feel his lips brushing against my ear, and I could sense his every move. My heart jumped right away, and I pushed him away to remain vignt. He was so close to me, and his words were so suggestive that I would have to be an idiot to not know what he was thinking. ¡°What the hell, Michael? Have you forgotten your promise of not doing anything to me tonight? You won''t break your promise, right?¡± He made that promise when we were on the way over, so if he were to try anything, he wouldbel himself a liar. ¡°I only agreed to back away because you said you were tired, but now I can tell you are brimming with energy. In that case, I should take the time to teach you a lesson about how to talk nicely to your lover.¡± Michael raised his brows and grinned in the most devious way before he inched in closer. I finally came around after hearing those words. It seemed he was definitely going to break that promise. At first, I thought that he was a trustworthy man, so I trusted him. Looked like I made a grave mistake. ¡°Hey, you promised you won''t do anything to me tonight. Are you going to go back on your words? You''re the renowned Michael Shaw. Do you really want to be a dishonest man?¡± I was staring nervously at him and was reminding him of his words. I had always seen him as someone who kept his words, but at that moment, I couldn''t help but wonder if that was truly the case. Are his hormones in overdrive? How can he think about something like that at a time like this? ¡°I changed my mind. Besides, have you forgotten what you said this morning? You made a promise, and you broke it when you spoke so icily to me. It''s only natural that I teach you a lesson. I will honor my words so long as you honor yours.¡± It was rather insulting. He imed he wanted to turn me into a sophisticated woman, and that was an indirectint about how I was uncouth. Oh, he might as well go to someone else. It''s not like there was a shortage of women circling around him. His words utterly disappointed me. In a way, he was tantly admitting to being a liar, and I was infuriated. He was so despicably unreasonable and shameless. He was the one who broke his promise, but he put all the me and responsibility on me. Wow, is it even possible to be even more shameless than that? ¡°Michael, you a*shole. You just promised me you''d be good!¡± I was so angry that I was ring at him and shouting at the top of my lungs. Fury burned in me, but I never got to say everything I wanted to say. He had already pushed me down and kissed my lips to shut me up. Anger burned even wilder within me. I pushed as hard as I could, but it didn''t matter. He was still as evil and as unrestrained as he had always been, and his lips remained stuck on mine. It didn''t take long before I hear his breathing bing uneven. I pushed his hand away, but I ran out of energy soon. His hand kept circling around me to pique my interest. I had always been angry at how helpless I was when he forced my hand. Despite that, I still couldn''t resist his charms when he was right in front of me like this. It didn''t take long before I sumbed to his embrace. My mind was unwilling, but that didn''t stop the night from turning... eventful. At that moment, I felt as though I will never be free of that man''s hold on me. All my struggles would bear no fruit, and I was destined to be under his spell. Michael was nowhere to be seen when I woke up in the morning. I thought about how he had broken his promisest night, and anger red up within me again. I got up and changed my clothes. My initial intention was to leave right away, but when I went to the living room, I heard some noise from the kitchen. I looked over and saw that he was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Surprise filled every cell in my body because I had never seen him cook before. Never in a million years would I have thought that he''d actually cook. He didn''t seem like the kind of man who could cook, after all. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± He noticed me at that moment and frowned a little when he shifted his gaze to me. His tone was rather calm when he spoke, though. ¡°Yeah, I am. I don''t want to stay a second longer with a man who wouldn''t keep his words.¡± I had fallen into his embrace and caved when he caressed mest night, but it didn''t change the fact that he forced my hand at the beginning. That was why I was pinning all the responsibility on him. ¡°Have some breakfast before you leave.¡± He arched his brows. He didn''t seem angry about my implicit diss. If anything, his gaze shone with amusement when he looked at me. That stupid look he had on his face irritated me for some reason. I had reminded him multiple times of his broken promise, but he wasn''t even a little troubled about it. Just how shameless can a person be? ¡°No, thank you. I want to leave right away. Every additional second with you is torturous.¡± My tone was icy when I said those words, and I turned around immediately after to leave. ¡°You''re still using that tone with me after all that? Was the lesson fromst night not good enough? Shall I repeat the lesson again right now?¡± His tone was nonchnt when he uttered those words, but it was clear he was threatening me. I know what his so-called lesson was. He was upset with my tonest night, and that was why he did all that to me... again. N?velDrama.Org owns this. At that moment, he was threatening me again. My heart burned with anger and absolutely nothing else. Despite my emotion, my mind kept reminding me to be wary of his threat. I ended up standing there and scowling in the worst possible way. What the f*ck do I have to do to get this man to back off? ¡°When will enough be enough, Michael? I''ve already epted your terms, and you''ve already had your fun yesterday, so what else do you want?¡± His continuous threat was too much, and I was running out of patience. Even a rabbit would bite when it was cornered, and I was an adult with perfectly functional arms and legs. ¡°Come here and have your breakfast!¡± Michael frowned. After saying all that, he ignored mepletely and ced the breakfast he made on the table. At that moment, all I wanted was to leave, but I had to walk over and sit obediently in front of him due to his threat. I didn''t have any appetite, but the breakfast he made was undeniably delicious. That surprised me because he had always acted like a germaphobe and never stepped foot in the kitchen. Huh, I didn''t realize he can cook. This really is out of my expectation. Chapter 456 Chapter 456 ¡°You are not allowed to speak to me in that tone again. If you do, I will punish you every day.¡± He ate his breakfast gracefully and had a stoic expression on his handsome face, but his words were driving me insane. ¡°Aren''t you asking too much? You know how I feel about... ¡° I red at him and spoke up to reject his proposal, but he cut my words short. ¡°I don''t care if you see me as an enemy or apetitor. As far as I am concerned, you are my lover, and I am yours.¡± His voice was serious and domineering. When he said those words, my heart jumped uncontrobly for a moment there. There was a moment when I was touched. N?velDrama.Org owns this. I knew there was no point in arguing with him because I would just end up in a worse position than I already was. Hence, I pretended to be okay with it. ¡°Fine, I''ll do my best to keep things that way. All I ask is that you stop crossing the line and do the unspeakable. If you do, I won''t be able to contain my fury.¡± There were some things I could withstand, but if he were to force me to do the dirty every day... Yeah, that is definitely not something I am okay with. ¡°That would depend on your performance. If you keep behaving that way, I might have to teach you that lesson a couple of times a day. That is why you should consider being nicer to me. It''ll benefit you after all.¡± His expression remained unreadable, but his smirk was brimming with confidence. That showed me I was truly at a disadvantage. He knew what I was most worried about, and he was going to keep threatening me with it. Anger was building inside me, but I couldn''t vent them out on him, so I kept eating to control my emotions. That was when a ss of milk showed up beside me. Michael smiled at me and sweetly said, ¡°You''re eating so much so quickly. Aren''t you worried about choking?¡± I was fine until he mentioned it. Suddenly, I didn''t know how to chew anymore, and I ended up choking. I kept tapping my chest and was having an especially hard time. My best guess was that he saw something off with the way I acted, and that frightened him as well. He hurried over to me and patted my back while feeding me that ss of milk. I couldn''t be bothered to fight him at the time, so I quickly epted that milk and drank as much as I could. Soon, the milk washed the food down my throat, and I was finally fine. ¡°You are not allowed to speak to me in that tone again. If you do, I will punish you every day.¡± ¡°I told you to slow down, didn''t I?¡± scolded Michael. His tone carried a hint of concern when he saw how much I was suffering, and it was as though he actually cared about me. ¡°This isn''t all on me. I wouldn''t be in this shape if you hadn''t been so shameless and evil toward me.¡± He was the reason I was in that state, so I was angry at him for putting the me on me. Seriously, can he not sympathize at all? ¡°Okay, okay, it''s all my fault. Satisfied?¡± His lips curved into an exasperated grin, and he said those words in the most loving tone. He didn''t badger me even after breakfast and took me back to my apartment right away. I changed my clothes before heading to my workce. That was when I realized everyone was staring strangely at me. When I walked past them, however, I sensed them gossiping behind my back. I couldn''t hear what they were saying, but I could more or less guess the topic was about what happened yesterday. They were probably talking about why I got into Michael''s car. The twopanies were fighting like cats and dogs at that moment, and I had publicly gotten into Michael''s car. It would be a miracle if no one gossiped. There is a good chance everyone thinks I am siding with Michael and will betray ourpany. I didn''t really care about what they thought because I had never done any of the things they thought I did. My firm belief was that the truth would always prevail. As soon as I sat down, my secretary opened the door and informed me that there will be a meeting in ten minutes. I murmured an affirmative reply without thinking too much. When I made my way into the conference room, I saw that thepany''s directors were already there. They turned their attention to me as soon as I showed up. I didn''t know why, but a sense of danger and uncertainty crept up on me. Nichs was frowning just as much as the rest of them when he stared at me, and his eyes shone with worry. I had a bad feeling about that. Thepany rarely had that many directors present for a single meeting, and the way everyone was staring was hostile. That made me think that the meeting was hosted just for me. I sat in my seat and tilted my head down a little to act calm. The ambiance in the conference room was eerily serious. No one spoke, so it was pin-drop silence there. ¡°Ms. Garcia, someone saw you getting together with Mr. Shaw from Joyful Sess yesterday. May I know what the two of you didst night and what your rtionship with him is?¡± One of the directors finally spoke up, and his eyes shone with suspicion when he spoke in a tone that suggested he was interrogating me. The bad feeling I sensed earlier, and the way I was being interrogated... With all those clues, I would have to be an idiot to not know what the meeting was about. The meeting was only held because I got into the car with Michaelst night, and the directors suspected that I was a corporate spy. ¡°My rtionship with Michael is personal, so I''m not in an excellent position to answer that question.¡± I remained calm and spoke in an even tone when I faced the directors. My rtionship with Michael and what we didst night were both personal matters, so there was no need for me to share that with the directors. I had the right to protect my privacy. Unfortunately, my response upset the director. ¡°What kind of response is that, Ms. Garcia? You should know that Joyful Sess is our main competitor, and you are one of ourpany''s top managers! Don''t you think you have the obligation to exin the situation and tell us what you did with Michael Shaw after you clock off yesterday?¡± One director was especially angry when he red at me with rage burning in his eyes. It would be a miracle if I wasn''t mad about their interrogation. I might not have been working there for a long time, but I have never made a mistake before, nor have I ever caused thepany to incur any loss. They have no right to suspect me like that. ¡°I know what everyone is worried about. You''re all wondering if there is anything between Michael and me and if I would do something to hurt thepany if we were a couple. Your concern is understandable, but I promise you this: Michael and I have never talked about our jobs when we are together. I won''t cause any trouble for thepany, and I pray that you will trust me.¡± I was looking right at the directors when I stood up and said those words as sincerely as I could. Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Those people kept mum after I blurted out those words. They looked at me as if they were trying to figure out if I had told them the truth. ¡°Ms. Garcia, if there''s nothing between you and Michael, you don''t have to hide what you two said or didst night. We can only trust you if you tell us everything. We acknowledge and appreciate your capabilities, but we can''t keep a suspicious person around in the organization no matter how competent you are.¡± The director made it clear that I muste clean and exin to them what had happened between Michael and mest night. Otherwise, they would kick me out of thepany. The ego in me would not allow them to threaten us like this. Frustration kicked in, and I retaliated. ¡°I understand what you want from me, but I don''t think I need to report my personal affairs to everyone here. If all of you still don''t believe what I''ve said, I''ll leave the company right now!¡± Without hesitation, I took down the employee tag and ced it on the desk. Why should I work for a company that doesn''t even believe me? All the directors'' expressions changed as they were taken aback by my move. I bet they thought I would sumb to their threats and tell them everything that had happened between Michael and me. Nichs. who had been a silent observer all this while, immediately stepped in and said, ¡°Anna, what are you doing? The directors are only doing this because they care for thepany. We don''t want you to quit. We just want an exnation from you.¡± Nichs then gestured for me to take back the employee tag. I knew he meant well and didn''t want me to leave thepany. But I just left the tag on the desk as it was. ¡°I have nothing to say anymore. They would have believed in me if they wanted to. I can exin myself from A to Z, but they would still be suspicious of me. This is because they never had faith in me in the first ce.¡± Deep in my heart, I knew they would still doubt me even if I told them what I did or said to Michaelst night. Does my exnation still matter? I don''t think so. So why should I waste my time and energy defending myself? Those people kept mum after I blurted out those words. They looked at me as if they were trying to figure out if I had told them the truth. ¡°Please watch your attitude, Ms. Garcia. We purposely came to the office early this morning for the matter involving you and Michael. We''re only doing this because thepany thinks highly of you. How could you simply threaten us with your resignation? How irresponsible!¡± Another director shot daggers at me as he expressed his dismay. ¡°Think highly of me? If that''s true, all of you wouldn''t have suspected my rtionship with Michael. How do you expect me to work in peace if I don''t gain trust from the people in thispany?¡± Think highly of me? What a joke! Right now, I could only see suspicious looks on all their faces. ¡°That''s enough, Anna!¡± Nichs could not help but knit his brows. Immediately after, he tried his best to exin to the directors. ¡°Anna must have encountered a lot of problemstely. Please don''t take her attitude to heart. I don''t know what her rtionship with Michael is, but trust me, she wouldn''t do anything that would undermine thepany''s interests. Don''t forget that Anna was the one who helped thepany win the recent project!¡± To be honest, I had no intentions of leaving thepany, but I just couldn''t take it when they kept doubting me. Do they think I''d betray thepany just because I got into Michael''s car? The board of directors finally calmed down and stopped bombarding me with questions after listening to Nichs. After all, they still had to respect Nichs even though they were clearly unhappy with me. ¡°Mr. Garcia, since Mr. Cadman has given us his assurance, we''ll trust you this time. But as the senior management of thispany, we hope you could watch your attitude!¡± One of the directors raised his voice after a long pause. I looked at them with a deadpan expression, but a me of anger was already burning inside me. They''re the ones who stirred up this unnecessary trouble, yet they still have the audacity to me me? After the other directors looked at me expressionlessly, they walked away, leaving Nichs and me in the meeting room. I suppressed my anger and picked up the employee tag. Just when I was about to leave, Nichs questioned me, ¡°Why didn''t you exin to the directors?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Hearing that, I stopped in my tracks and turned around to look at him. ¡°What is there to exin? Their worry is unfounded. Besides, I''ve sworn that I''d not betray thepany, yet no one believes me.¡± ¡°Why should I work with people who don''t have faith in me?¡± I continued icily and gave him a stare. ¡°You mean you were really nning to resign just now? It''s just a small matter. Why would you let that get to you?¡± Nichs'' frown deepened at the realization, and I could sense the anger in his voice. ¡°With my capabilities, I wouldn''t have a problem getting good offers from otherpanies. Besides, I''m only using Nifty Group to achieve my goal just like how they use me to bring in business. Now that the trust is broken, why should I stay?¡± Ever since I started working for thispany, I had remained loyal to the organization. All I ever wanted was to use this tform to improve my capabilities. Having sensed that I was determined to quit, Nichs walked up to me and tried to defuse the tension. ¡°I know you''re still mad, but the directors'' concerns are not unfounded either. Don''t you forget, Michael is in control of all the businesses in Avenport. In other words, sourcing partners to strengthen our business basically means stealing his resources. Do you know how difficult it is for us to do that under his watchful eyes? So you can''t me the directors for being overly sensitive.¡± ¡°I don''t want to talk about it anymore. I want to get back to work now. I can let it go this time, but this doesn''t mean I''d do the same if they y the me game again. And if it happens in the future, I wouldn''t hesitate to leave thepany even if you beg me to stay!¡± I might hold a senior position in thepany, but I was nothing more than a money-making tool. I absolutely hated this kind of feeling. More importantly, I had my boundaries too. Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Instead of wasting time arguing with Nichs, I left the meeting room. At this point, I was no longer in the mood to work anymore, so I left the office and called Natalie to apany me to a bar. Natalie, who was still at work, immediately applied for emergency leave and came over after she learned that I was not in a good mood. That''s what close friends are for. In no time, we arrived at a bar nearby. I didn''t usually likeing to this kind of ce, but today, I just wanted to have a drink. As Natalie and I sat by the counter, the deafening music in the bar caused my head to spin. After a few drinks, I started to feel a little dizzy. ¡°What''s wrong with you today, Anna? Did you have a fight with Michael?¡± Natalie expressed her concerns when she noticed that I was drowning myself in sorrow. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then why do you look so upset? Is there anything else bothering you besides Michael?¡± Natalie knitted her brows and gave me a confused look. With that, I told her everything, including how the directors suspected me and everything else that had happened at the office today. Natalie, too, couldn''t contain her anger upon hearing my story. ¡°What the hell? What''s wrong with those people? You worked hard for them, yet they doubted you like this?¡± ¡°It''s all business. They don''t care how much effort we put in to help thepany make money.¡± I responded with a wry smile. How can I not be disappointed with Nifty Group? Have they ever thought of the projects I''d secured for thepany when I was overseas in the past year? Yet, they questioned me as if I were a criminal. ¡°They''re just a bunch of hypocrites! Anna, you should just leave thepany! You''re just going to make Michael your enemy if you continue to work for them. I''m sure your rtionship with him would improve if you quit the job. Don''t you think so?¡± Natalie inched closer and looked at me in anticipation. Instead of wasting time arguing with Nichs, I left the meeting room. Natalie had always been wanting me to get back with Michael. She could tell that I had not forgotten about the man and was still in love with him. But I could only respond with a wry smile. I might still have feelings for him, but our rtionship would never be the same again. ¡°Michael and I can only be enemies for life, and nothing''s gonna change that. I know what you''re thinking, but you should stop wasting your time. There''s no future between Michael and me.¡± Natalie''s intention was clear. I knew she wanted me to reunite with the man I loved, but there was already a barrier between us that was stopping us from getting back together. ¡°How do you know that? No one knows what the future holds. Perhaps, you might end up being happier with him,¡± Natalie pouted and disagreed with what I said. ¡°That''s enough. Don''t try toplicate the matter for me anymore. And can you please stop mentioning Michael''s name? I don''t want to hear it.¡± It annoyed me whenever Natalie brought him up in our conversation. It was all Michael''s fault that I was in this hot soup. If only I could kill him to vent my frustration! At that thought, I raised another ss of wine and gulped it down. I just wanted to drink my worries away. ¡°Slow down, Anna. You''ll get drunk!¡± Looking at how tipsy I had be, Natalie instantly grabbed the ss from me. At that point, I was already drunk as I could feel my head spinning nonstop. When I was about to snatch the wine ss back from her, my vision turned blurry, and everything around me seemed to be shaking. Suddenly, two young men walked in our direction and stood before us. ¡°Hey, what''s up. Can we buy you two beauties a drink?¡± One of them kept ogling us, and they couldn''t keep their eyes away from our breasts. I knitted my brows as my frustration kicked in. What do these young boys think they''re doing? But I didn''t take it out on the guys since I wasn''t in a mood to entertain them, so I merely looked away and gave them the cold shoulder. Natalie, on the other hand, got a little agitated. ¡°Scram. We don''t have time to entertain young boys!¡± She was someone who was not afraid of speaking her mind, so she didn''t show the boys any mercy. These two men might look young, but they seemed like troublemakers. Upon hearing what Natalie said, one of them got up to Natalie and wrapped his hand around her shoulder while the other person walked up to me and ogled me. ¡°Young boys? Are you afraid that I can''t satisfy you? Why don''t we get a room so that you can check out the size of my junk?¡± The man who wrapped his hand around Natalie''s shoulder smirked. Has he no shame? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. A line formed between my brows as I couldn''t take it anymore. Natalie pushed the man aside and warned him, ¡°I said scram! I''ll beat you up if you dare to touch me again!¡± She stood up and bellowed at the guy, but I knew she was a timid person who was only good at giving empty threats. ¡°Wow, f*ck. What a fierce b*tch. Of all the women I hooked up with, I''ve never met someone like you. I guess I gotta show you who''s the boss here!¡± The young man shot daggers at Natalie as he felt offended. ¡°Shouldn''t you boys be studying at home? Do your family members know you little boys are acting like hooligans in the bar? Your parents would beat you to death if they find out you''re flirting with women here!¡± I got up from my seat, feeling a little wobbly from all the drinks I had earlier. These two boys were at most eighteen years old, yet they were stirring up trouble at the bar, so I couldn''t just sit there and do nothing anymore. Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Perhaps because they had never encountered women like Natalie and me in a pub before, the expressions of the two guys darkened at once. Just then, the guy who was hugging me spoke, ¡°We shall let the two of you discipline us tonight then. We love mature women. Not only are you nice to touch, but you are also more experienced. Let''s go now. I''m so excited that I can''t wait any longer.¡± After he finished speaking, the boy grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the pub. Meanwhile, the guy next to Natalie also started being touchy. As I had consumed alcohol, I was feeling weak. Even though I felt annoyed and tried to push the boy who was pulling me away, my footsteps were unstable, and my body wobbled unsteadily. Although Natalie was a tough woman, she was still a woman after all, and it was definitely no simple feat for her to struggle free from the guy who was in control. In an instant, we hadnded ourselves in an extremely unfavorable situation. There were many other people in the pub, but no one tried to help us, probably because such situationsmonly urred in bars. Natalie and I were dragged out of the pub secondster. Even though we were both struggling hard, our efforts were futile. To make matters worse, passersby did not attempt to interfere as well. Right then, those two guys gged down a cab that stopped in front of us. Natalie was shoved into the cab first before the guy behind me tried to push me in as well. Although I was not clear-headed at that moment, I still knew very well what would happen if they took us away. Hence, I grabbed onto the car door handle and resisted with all my might, knowing that as long as I entered the car, both Natalie and I would be screwed tonight. ¡°Get in now!¡± the guy behind me urged. He was getting impatient and pushed me forcefully. Right after he finished speaking, suddenly, I could no longer feel his hands on me. Momentster, I heard an agonized shrieking from him. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Feeling puzzled, I turned around and saw that the boy had already copsed to the ground, being beaten to a pulp. Meanwhile, Michael was looking down at him coldly as rage churned inside him. ¡°How dare you touch my woman? You must be sick of living!¡± Michael stepped toward that man and roared. ¡°F*ck! Who the hell is this bast*rd? You''re just asking for trouble!¡± the other guy cursed after seeing his friend being beaten up. He charged toward Michael at once and swung a punch at him. However, Michael managed to dodge his fist effortlessly. Perhaps because they had never encountered women like Natalie and me in a pub before, the expressions of the two guys darkened at once. He then caught the boy''s wrist and twisted it hard. The next moment, a cry of anguish ripped from the guy''s throat. Natalie took the chance to make her way toward me. By then, I was already much awake. Both of us were extremely relieved at Michael''s timely arrival. He had arrived at the perfect moment indeed. Looking at Michael''s figure, I started to suspect that I could be hallucinating and that my eyes were ying tricks on me. Why would he be here? However, the two young men who got taught a lesson by Michael were not about to take it lying down. They stood up from the ground and charged toward Michael together. Nevertheless, Michael gave the two guys another beating after being momentarily stunned. Just secondster, those two guys were howling in pain on the ground once again. ¡°This should teach you guys a lesson. That''s what you get for touching my woman!¡± Michael was boiling with anger as he stood in front of the two youths, overlooking them. After all, he was a very possessive man. It was obvious what would have happened to Natalie and me if those two guys had taken us away. Michael definitely knew it, too. Otherwise, he would not have been so furious. ¡°We''re sorry! We won''t do it again! Please have mercy on us!¡± Knowing that they were not Michael''s match and that they should not mess with the man, the two guys immediately stood up and apologized profusely. ¡°Anna, Michael was really cool just now! If only Yuval was half as cool as him.¡± Natalie grabbed my arm and looked at Michael with a smitten expression. As I had witnessed Michael in a fight previously, I was not feeling too impressed. Besides, all I could think of at that moment was sleep. With that, I leaned on Natalie''s shoulder and closed my eyes. When I woke up, I was already in the house at Birchwood. I looked at the familiar surroundings and massaged my temples. As I had drunk too much and too quicklyst night, I was having a bad hangover. ¡°You''re finally awake. I was expecting you to sleep through the entire day.¡± Just then, Michael''s voice rang out. He was speaking in a rather cold tone and seemed like he was in a bad mood. When I looked toward where the sound wasing from, I saw the man sitting on a chair beside the window. He was wearing a white shirt and had his legs crossed as he fixed his gaze on me. ¡°I... Why am I here?¡± I had no recollection at all of how I ended up in the house. At that moment, even though I was already awake, I was still feeling unwell, and my brain felt foggy. ¡°Have you forgotten what happenedst night?¡± Michael stood up and strode toward me. I could tell that he was trying to tamp down his irritation. When I saw his expression, I started to panic and looked at him with caution as I tried to recall the previous night''s events that were surfacing in bits and pieces. Right then, I remembered that Michael suddenly appeared and saved us when those two guys were trying to take Natalie and me away. ¡°Thanks forst night.¡± Despite my feelings toward him, I was still grateful to him for saving Natalie and me the night before. I was, in fact, very touched by what he did. ¡°Anna, it has only been one year since west met, but it seems like you''ve gotten much bolder. Not only that, but you''ve also be really wild, huh? You even went to the pub with your friend sote at night. Do you even know what kind of people hang around there?¡± Michael said as he inched closer to me. From the fire burning in his eyes, I was certain that he was about to explode with rage at any moment. ¡°T-That didn''t cross my mind. We just wanted to go there and rx. I never expected such a thing to happen,¡± I exined softly. As I met his intimidating gaze, I lowered my head with guilt at once. Actually, I did have some regrets over what happenedst night. I had never expected that something like that would happen during our first visit to a pub. I had also almost gotten Natalie into trouble. If something bad really happened to her, I would never forgive myself. ¡°Will you still dare to go to such ces next time?¡± the man asked coldly, in a threatening tone. ¡°No. That would be thest time,¡± I answered without hesitation. After all, those ces were not for me. Even if Michael gave me permission to go again, I would not do it. Those dodgy ces were simply too dangerous and risky to be at. Last night only happened as I was in a horrible mood and was not thinking straight. I had learned my lesson after what had happened and would never set foot in ces like that ever again. ¡°That''s more like it. Just wait and see how I would deal with you if you dare to go to such shady ces again next time!¡± After Michael said that, he sat down beside me and passed me a bowl of hangover soup. Chapter 460 Chapter 460 ¡°Drink it up!¡± Michael ordered domineeringly. When I saw the ck liquid in the bowl, I frowned in distaste. ¡°What''s this?¡± I looked at the man and asked doubtfully, suspecting that it could be poison. ¡°Hangover soup,¡± he snapped at me. Although he was still ring at me angrily, he did not vent his frustrations on me. I guess it could be because I had disyed a good attitude and appeared to be truly repentant regarding what had happened the previous night. ¡°Are you sure this is hangover soup and not poison?¡± Not quite believing it, I looked at the bowl of soup in Michael''s hands and asked again. As it was my first time seeing hangover soup that was ck, I had my reservations about drinking it. ¡°Anna, are you drinking this or not?¡± Michael asked in displeasure right after I finished speaking, a deep crease appearing between his brows. Judging by his grim expression, I was quite sure he had heard the aversion in my voice. His tone was rather threatening. However, not only did the soup look unappealing, but it had a strange smell as well. As such, I really did not feel like drinking it. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± I asked softly, looking up at him while blinking innocently several times. ¡°What do you think?¡± That was definitely a rhetorical question, and his stance was clear. There was simply no room for negotiation. ¡°I''m alreadypletely sober. I don''t think I need to drink this. Really!¡± I insisted resolutely, looking into his eyes. Michael merely looked at me without replying. The next second, he took a big gulp of the hangover soup. I could hardly believe that he had drunk it himself and gaped at him in shock, wondering if he had done that in order not to waste it. However, I dismissed that possibility immediately. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Just when I was still trying to figure out the reason he did that, Michael cupped the back of my head with his hand suddenly and pressed his lips to mine. With his lips against mine, I could feel myself having difficulty breathing. As such, I opened my mouth instinctively to take in some air. However, once I did that, I felt a stream of bitter liquid entering my mouth. It turned out that Michael did not swallow the hangover soup earlier on as he had intended to feed it to me in this manner. That taste made me nauseous at once, and I wanted to spit it out. However, as if the man could read my thoughts, he continued forcing his lips against mine. That way, if I wanted to breathe, I would have no choice but to swallow the soup. As such, that was what I ended up doing. ¡°Drink it up!¡± Michael ordered domineeringly. When I saw the ck liquid in the bowl, I frowned in distaste. After everything went down my throat, Michael finally let me go, and I took in big gulps of air immediately. When I thought about that ridiculous method he used to make me drink the hangover soup, I had to admit that it stirred up some feelings in my heart although it was rather annoying. ¡°Michael, that''s so gross!¡± I whined while ring at him with a frown. However, I was not really displeased with him. ¡°So are you going to drink the rest of it yourself, or do you want me to continue feeding you?¡± The man gave me the two options while looking at me nonchntly. That meant I had no choice but to finish up that ck hangover soup. ¡°I''ll finish it myself!¡± Knowing that that was my only option, I took over the bowl from his hands and inhaled deeply before holding my breath, gulping down the soup. After finishing the soup in one gulp, I ced the empty bowl on the bedside table. Michael took a nce at the bowl, and the corners of his lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡°I like it when you''re so obedient,¡± he said cidly. He seemed to be in a much better mood after Ipromised. ¡°Oh, by the way, how is Natalie? She was with me at the pubst night.¡± I suddenly realized that I did not know what happened to Nataliest night. As I was drunk when the incident urred, I could not seem to recall anything. ¡°She''s fine. I called Yuval to pick her up,¡± Michael shot a nce at me and answered tly. I heaved a sigh of relief after knowing that Yuval had gone to fetch her. I was just d that Natalie was safe. It was I who insisted that Natalie apany me to the pub to drink the previous night, and I could not help but feel guilty for what had happened. I had an urge to give her a call, but I had no guts to do it. ¡°So tell me, why did you suddenly visit a pubst night?¡± Just then, Michael spoke again in a stern tone. He had sat down across from me and was staring into my eyes. ¡°I was in a bad mood.¡± ¡°Why?¡± he continued asking. I frowned in frustration, not wanting to answer his question because I was pretty sure that if I told him the reason, it would definitely lead to an argument between us, and I really did not want to quarrel with him again. ¡°You haven''t answered me yet!¡± Michael pressed on, his brows tightly knitted. Initially, I wasn''t intending to say anything. However, faced with his interrogation, my temper sparked. Meeting his gaze, I snapped, ¡°It''s all because of you! Because of you, the board of directors is pushing for my dismissal. Are you happy now?¡± My irritation red as I recalled what had happened at the meeting the previous morning. Everyone was bombarding me with questions regarding the rtionship between Michael and me. I thought that Michael would be delighted to hear that because right from the start, he had been creating trouble for me deliberately. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have used my phone to call Nichs. As such, my current situation was probably what he had been hoping for. ¡°What''s the reason they were doing that?¡± The man frowned as his expression turned cold. It seemed like he was not as happy as I had imagined him to be. ¡°Because they saw me getting into your car, and they were worried that I might sell thepany out. If you didn''t appear at mypany and force me to get into your car, none of this would have happened!¡± I could feel my anger mounting as I thought about Michael being the reason those people were picking on me. I had not done anything wrong, yet everyone was suspecting me. ¡°So that''s it?¡± Michael asked cidly after hearing my exnation. ¡°Of course! What else could it be? They would never have doubted me if you didn''t show up in front of me every day!¡± I stared at the man coldly and questioned him in return. ¡°If they are suspecting you just because you got into my car, it''s not apany that you should be working for anyway. You cane and work for mypany. I''ll let you choose any position you want. If you like, you can even be the CEO, not to mention just a department director. How does that sound?¡± Michael spoke seriously with a twinkle in his eye. I was rather shocked at his response. In fact, I was not even sure if he was being serious or just joking. After all, he just gave me a choice to be the CEO of hispany, which sounded like a joke to me. The CEO was the highest-ranking person in thepany. Since Joyful Sess belonged to the Shaw family, it would be equivalent to giving Joyful Sess to me if he let me be the CEO of hispany. ¡°Your joke isn''t funny at all!¡± Chapter 461 Chapter 461 After I snapped out of my shock, I looked at Michael coldly, certain that he was just fooling around with me. ¡°Do I look like I''m joking?¡± Michael frowned and looked at me with a hint of displeasure in his eyes. ¡°Is that not the case? Do you really expect me to believe what you said?¡± I scoffed with a mocking expression on my face. I knew very well that it was impossible. After all, we were currently each other''spetitors, so there was no way he would give all his assets to me. ¡°As long as you leave Nifty Group and Nichs, the position of Joyful Sess'' CEO would be yours!¡± Seeing that I still did not believe him, he looked at me angrily. From the seriousness in his tone, it did not seem like he was joking. My heart skipped a few beats when I met his serious gaze. However, I still couldn''t believe that he meant what he said. Is he really intending to let me be the CEO of Joyful Sess? At that moment, all I saw in his eyes was solemnness. It was impossible for me to not feel touched when a man was willing to give me everything he owned. Besides, he was a man I loved deeply. However, I forced myself to retract my gaze and reminded myself not to forget what happened one year back just because of his sweet words. ¡°No matter what you do now, you won''t be able to make it up to me. Both of us will never be able to go back to what we were before,¡± I downcast my eyes and said with a bitter smile on my face. I was not sure about Michael''s intention for wanting me to return to his side, but I was very certain that we would never be the same as before. ¡°Do you think I should move on? Should I really forget the hurt you caused me one year back? Michael, since you''ve decided to abandon me back then, why are you asking me to return to your side now?¡± I asked, trying my best to hold back my tears. I really could not understand why he did that. If he truly loved me, why did he hurt me back then? Whenever I thought about what happened one year ago, I could not help but feel a heart-wrenching pain. Staring into my eyes, Michael remained quiet for a long while before saying, ¡°Do you really think that I abandoned you one year ago? Anna, when did you be so stupid? If I really wanted to leave you, would I need to go overseas?¡± The tone of his voice was very somber. Upon hearing his words, my heart did a double somersault. After I snapped out of my shock, I looked at Michael coldly, certain that he was just fooling around with me. I looked up at him in shock and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Suddenly, I have a feeling that what happened one year ago was not as simple as it seemed. There must be more than met the eye. At first, it was extremely difficult for me to believe that he had abandoned me just like that because of how much he loved and doted on me back then. I refused to believe that the man I trusted wholeheartedly would hurt me so deeply. ¡°It wasn''t me who signed the divorce agreement. Before I left the country, there were a few urgent documents that required my signature. Due to the urgency, I didn''t go through the documents before signing. I guess that must be the reason you saw my signature on the divorce agreement,¡± Michael replied seriously while fixing his gaze on me. I listened to him attentively, and after hearing what he said, I could feel my heart beating violently. However, I did not fully believe his words. ¡°If you didn''t sign the divorce agreement, why would your father give the document to me and force me to sign it?¡± I looked at him in shock and was only able to speak after a long time. The circumstances surrounding our divorce were indeed rather suspicious. However, I did not dwell on it back then as I was in despair. After hearing my question, Michael frowned slightly and looked at me as a flicker of hesitation shed across his eyes. ¡°It was indeed my father who did that. He was unable to forgive you because of what happened to my mother. As such, he couldn''t ept the fact that you were my wife. I guess that was why he took the opportunity to make you sign the divorce agreement when I was abroad.¡± Michael had a very serious expression on his face when he said that. I knew that it was hard for him to tell me the truth, and he must have felt terrible too. Even though I was still in shock, I was fully convinced after hearing the revtion. I could still vividly remember how cruel his father had treated me back then. It turned out that Michael''s father was behind everything, and Michael never intended to abandon me... That sudden piece of information caused a surge of emotions to rise within me, and my heart was thumping wildly. Although a part of me felt delighted, I also felt aggrieved at the same time. Over the past year, I had spent almost every day resenting Michael. After knowing that he had nothing to do with our divorce back then, the invisible barrier that I had put up against him was suddenly gone. My body was shaking slightly. At that moment, I did not know how to face him. Although that matter had nothing to do with him, I had hated him for so long because of that. ¡°Did your father consider our feelings when he did that? Did he think about how Amaury would feel? How could he be so selfish!¡± It was impossible for me not to feel any resentment toward his father after knowing that it was entirely that man''s idea. I did not think it would be easy for any mother to forgive the person who separated her from her child. Even if that person was Michael''s father, there was no exception. Sensing that I was in anguish, Michael frowned. Judging from the look in his eyes, I could tell that his heart was aching. Moreover, I also saw guilt in his eyes. Although he was kept in the dark about what happened one year back, perhaps he felt that he was partly responsible for the pain I suffered. ¡°It''s all my fault that I failed to protect you. It''s right for you to hate me,¡± Michael sat down beside me and said in a serious manner. Before knowing the truth, I was indeed full of hatred for him. However, after knowing what really happened, that he had never intended to abandon me, it was impossible for me to continue loathing him. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Besides, I had only hated him so much because I truly loved him. As I had given him my everything, I was unable to ept his betrayal. While I recalled how tough it had been for me the past year, I felt overwhelmed by the grievances in my heart. Finally, I was no longer able to control my emotions, and tears started streaming down my face. During that period of time, I had put up a strong front whenever he was around. However, at that moment, I dropped all pretenses and let my guard down. Michael pulled me into his embrace and patted my back lightly,forting me. Although he did not say a single word, I could clearly feel the tension in him. ¡°Do you know how much I hated you? Do you know how painful it has been for me? I spent every day in sorrow. Why did you go overseas back then? Why did you not choose to stay by my side?¡± I pounded on his chest forcefully. Even though I no longer resented him, I had to let out the grievances in my heart that had umted over the past year. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 ¡°I''m sorry. It was all my fault. I''m sorry to have brought this upon you.¡± He patted my back gently as he tried tofort me, and his tone sounded extraordinarily gentle. I could not even remember thest time he talked to me in such a manner. In fact, I had thought we were going to be enemies throughout this lifetime. I wept for a long while in his embrace as though I was releasing the tears I umted over one year. After some time, I lifted my head from his chest. He kept his arms wrapped around me and did not say anything. By then, his clothes had be wet and disheveled due to my tears. ¡°Have you finished crying?¡± While asking softly, Michael reached out his hand and wiped the tears off my face. Upon hearing that, I was somewhat embarrassed since it was the first time I had cried in someone''s embrace for so long. Nevertheless, I felt relieved after finding out that he did not abandon me back then. It was as though a weight had finally been lifted off my chest. ¡°Since when did you know about this? Why didn''t you tell me earlier?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. I lifted my head and looked into his eyes anxiously. ¡°I just found out these few days. Actually, I have been suspecting it since you mentioned I was the one who left the signed divorce agreement behind,¡± he said after staring at me for a long while. ¡°Did you find your father?¡± I asked coldly. After all, his father was the reason the whole incident happened. ¡°Yes,¡± he responded curtly and did not say anything else. At that, I lowered my head and kept silent. I did not know how to react since the person in question was his father. Nevertheless, it would be impossible for me to forgive him at this point. ¡°Since you have found out the truth now, can youe back to me?¡± He suddenly changed the topic, probably worried that I might overthink. As his lips curled into a slight smile, anticipation filled his gaze. I was overwhelmed with excitement as well after finding out the truth. However, I fell silent after hearing his question. Even though he had nothing to do with what happened, his father did. There was no way I could go back to him and pretend nothing had happened. ¡°I''m sorry. It was all my fault. I''m sorry to have brought this upon you.¡± ¡°Let''s talk about thister. I haven''t made up my mind about how to deal with your father. After all, he separated me from Amaury for one year. You have no idea how miserable I have been throughout this one year. I can''t act as if nothing happened.¡± I wanted to forgive Lincoln for Michael''s sake. However, what the former did was too much, and I was not a saint, so there was no way I could let this matter drop so easily. Right then, Michael''s smile vanished as though he read my mind, and he stared at me solemnly. ¡°He was only upset because my mother got hospitalized and was in aa. Plus, you took the me for everything that happened. That was why he did such a thing to you.¡± Evidently, Michael was trying to defend his father''s doing. I knew he was enraged with his father as well. Nheless, he understood why thetter had resorted to such means. I had conflicting feelings upon hearing him mention his mother and hesitated whether I should reveal the secret that I was helping Steven keep. After all, I had given the man my word to keep my lips sealed. ¡°Michael, don''t you me me for what happened to your mother? Won''t you hate me like your father?¡± I was intimidated by his father''s resentment toward me. However, I cared more about how Michael thought of me. I was worried that he might hate me as much as his father did. ¡°I know it had nothing to do with you. It wasn''t your doing. Why can''t you just be honest with me? You don''t need to keep any secrets from me.¡± He started to sound impatient. My heart pounded wildly upon hearing his words. Even though it had caused me a lot of suffering, I had to keep my promise no matter what. I did not want to sacrifice others for my happiness. After all, I once said it would be thest thing I did for that family. I was determined to cut all ties with them from that day onward. I almost wanted to spill the beans. However, after pondering for a while, I chose to keep silent because I was unsure how Michael would react if he found out the truth. ¡°I don''t want to talk about this. Please don''t ask me anymore.¡± I lifted my head and gazed at him sternly. My heart was overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions. Upon hearing that, a trace of disappointment appeared in his eyes. However, he swiftly recollected himself. ¡°Okay. I won''t force you if you don''t want to talk about it. But I still hope you will tell me the truth one day.¡± He would have pressed on if it were before. Nevertheless, he did not do so this time. While I heaved a sigh of relief, my heart grew heavier. If I told him everything, all the problems would be solved. However, if I did so, I would be betraying Steven and breaking the promise between us. I did not go to thepany that day after finding out the truth. Even though Amaury was still at the Shaw residence, I seemed to have lost my desire to bring down the Shaw family. Even if I went back to thepany, I would not know what to do. After all, I had no intention of going after Michael anymore. Thus, I figured there was no point in me staying at thatpany anymore. I never expected that things would turn out this way. Since Michael went back to thepany, so did I. However, I did not go back to work but to hand in my resignation letter. As soon as I entered Nichs'' office, I ced the resignation letter on his table. When he took a nce at the letter, he furrowed his brows tightly. He lifted his head a few seconds later and stared at me anxiously. ¡°Why do you want to resign? Is it because of the meeting two days ago? Didn''t they say they did not want you to leave thepany?¡± Nichs sounded rather emotional. Nevertheless, I looked at him calmly and replied, ¡°That''s not the main reason. I''m doing this because I might not be able to help you go against Michael anymore. I don''t want to get involved in terms of work.¡± How could I possibly go against Michael after knowing that his feelings for me never changed? Hence, I figured the best choice for me now was to leave thepany. Even though I spent over a year to get to this position, and it would be a waste to give up at this point, happiness was more important to me than my career. Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Nichs'' expression darkened after he heard what I said. ¡°What do you mean by that? Have you forgotten how he hurt you a year ago? Didn''t you want to make yourself stronger? Don''t you want to get Amaury back? Why are you giving up now?¡± He cast me a series of questions as he raised his tone. Evidently, he was unhappy with my decision. I was sure he must have guessed that I knew something that he wanted to keep from me. That was why he asked all these questions. I hated Michael very much before I knew the truth. Hence, I had been persistent with my goal to help Nichs bring down Michael''spany. However, I could not do it anymore since the truth was unveiled. I knew I was being selfish, but nothing was more important to me than love. ¡°I am sorry, Nichs. I just found out the truth. Michael did not abandon me a year ago. It was all his father''s doing. I have misunderstood him, and now we have buried the hatchet, so I can''t go against him anymore.¡± To be honest, I felt guilty toward Nichs as I knew how much effort he had put into me throughout the past year. ¡°I know you might not be able to ept this. But I have to be honest with you. If not, it would be unfair to you,¡± I continued. Having said that, I lowered my head and evaded his furious gaze. ¡°Are you sure you want to leave thepany? Are you sure you want to forgive him? Have you forgotten all the sufferings you endured in the past year?¡± Nichs blurted out, unable to contain his frustration. With my head bowed, I remained silent as I knew he needed to vent his anger. After all, it was my fault that things turned out like that. He became even more anxious after seeing myck of response. After approaching me, he grabbed my shoulder and shook me forcefully. ¡°Why aren''t you saying anything? Didn''t you say that you hated Michael? Even if it had nothing to do with him, his family was the one who separated you from your child. Are you going to let that drop? Do you remember what you have been through in the past year?¡± Nichs'' expression darkened after he heard what I said. ¡°What do you mean by that? Have you forgotten how he hurt you a year ago? Didn''t you want to make yourself stronger? Don''t you want to get Amaury back? Why are you giving up now?¡± He shook me violently as though he was trying to snap me back to my senses. At that moment, he was still trying his best to persuade me. My heart skipped a beat upon seeing his rage and madness, and my shoulder became painful from his grip. Even though I had expected that he would be pissed, I did not know he would be this scary. He was staring at me as though he was going to eat me up. ¡°I am sorry...¡± Besides apologizing, I did not know what else I could say. After all, I did not n for this to happen, and it was beyond my control. Although I felt guilty, I had made up my mind. To me, nothing was more important than Michael and Amaury. I would still try to find a way for him to return to me but not by hurting Michael. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Meanwhile, Nichs stared at me coldly. After some time, he finally let go of his grip, his gaze filled with utter disappointment and pain. ¡°Are you sure about this decision? Are you going to leave here for good?¡± He looked at me helplessly. Nodding, I did not utter a word, but my attitude had said it all. He disyed a bitter smile as he leaned against his table weakly. ¡°Fine. Since you have made up my mind, I know I won''t be able to persuade you. After all, Michael is the most important person to you.¡± Upon saying that, he turned away from me. ¡°I know you are pissed with my decision, but don''t worry. I won''t do anything to harm thepany after I leave. I promise.¡± Due to my guilt toward him, I would definitely not do anything to cause him harm. No matter what happened between him and Michael, I would not stick my nose into it. Seeing that Nichs did not respond to my words, I knew he needed time to process everything that just happened. Hence, I turned around and left. When I walked out of his office, I noticed many people looking at me with strange expressions and gossiping among themselves. I supposed they had overheard the conversation between Nichs and me. They probably did not expect that I would end up being with Michael. However, I could not care less about what they thought. After all, I would not be staying in this company. It was their freedom to say whatever they wanted, and it had nothing to do with me. After leaving thepany, I heaved a sigh of relief. The tension that I had suppressed in my heart for over one year was finally released. At that moment, my phone rang. Seeing that it was a call from Michael, I felt my heart fill with delight. ¡°Hello.¡± I picked up the phone. ¡°Where are you? Why aren''t you at home?¡± Michael sounded a little anxious and displeased. ¡°I was at Nifty Group. I just came out and will be back soon.¡± Although I was being honest, my words seemed to have infuriated him. ¡°Why did you go to thatpany again? Do you n to continue working there?¡± There was a trace of anger in his voice. ¡°I''m not working here anymore. I came to hand in my resignation letter.¡± Strangely, I felt happy upon hearing his harsh tone. I knew he was angry only because he cared about me. ¡°Really? Have you resigned?¡± Michael asked skeptically after hearing my exnation. ¡°Do you think I am lying? Why can''t you trust me? Or do you want me to stay here and continue to go against you?¡± I pursed my lips, dissatisfied with his doubt. After all, I had made an enormous sacrifice in order not to go against him. It was not an easy feat to get to the position of director of a listedpany, yet he still doubted me when I gave up such a promising career for him. ¡°Okay. I will reward you properly tonight for being so sensible.¡± His sensual voice sounded from the phone after a short moment of silence. Chapter 464 Chapter 464 My face blushed after hearing his words. I had known him long enough to know what he was implying. Whenever there were only two of us, his favorite thing to do was have sex. That was undoubtedly the reward he meant. However, I felt an urge to reject his reward. To be honest, it felt more like a punishment than a reward. I suggested, ¡°Forget about the reward. I''ll allow you to rest for tonight. We can talk about the reward later.¡± After a long, intimate night with him, my private area was still sore, and I would not be able to take it if we were to do it again tonight. ¡°It''s fine. Don''t worry about your man''s strength. I will serve you well tonight. You are being so obedient and considerate, so of course I should reward you.¡± His sensual voice sounded again from the other end of the line. At that moment, I felt like pping him in the face. He''s the one who wants to do it, yet he made it sound like I''m the horny one instead. ¡°If you dare say another word, I won''t see you today!¡± I was aware that I was no match for him in arguments. Despite that, I could not help but start to threaten him. After discovering that what happened a year ago was not his fault, I knew he still loved me deeply. With that, I was confident that my threat would work on him. ¡°Anna, you are getting bolder and bolder, aren''t you? You even dare to threaten me now. If you hide from me today, I will ensure that you can''t get out of bed for days!¡± I thought he would behave after hearing my threat, yet he gave me a more terrifying warning. I was pissed and worried at the same time as I did not have a single doubt about his ability in bed. If he did his best, I might end up lying in bed for days. ¡°Michael, you!¡± I bellowed as I held my phone in rage. Yet, the words in my mouth failed to escape my lips. Whenever we got into an argument like this, I would be the one who ended up speechless. ¡°I will give you half an hour toe back here, and I will fulfill my promise if you arete by a minute.¡± My face blushed after hearing his words. I had known him long enough to know what he was implying. He did not give me any chance to respond as he voiced his final threat. Before I could say anything, he hung up the phone abruptly. Listening to the beeping sound on the phone, I cursed him furiously in my heart. He is getting more and more ridiculous. All he thinks about is sex. I wonder if he found other women to fulfill his physical needs when I was not around during the past year. With that in mind, a trace of panic rose in my heart. Even though it was not his fault, I would not be able to ept it if he had another woman. As I dwelled on the thought, I decided to question him about it once I went back. If he had another woman, I would definitely not get back together with him. Even though it was normal for a man to have physical needs, I still could not ept it. In fact, I hoped that my man belonged to me only, both emotionally and physically. I could not stop thinking about it while I was behind the wheel. Hence, I was driving extremely slowly. Nevertheless, the time limit he gave me should be sufficient. To my relief, I managed to arrive within half an hour. Otherwise, I would have to be punished by him. Just as I opened the door and walked in, a strong arm pulled me into a warm embrace. Before I could regain my senses, he had kissed me on the lips. I was rendered speechless upon seeing his impatient demeanor. Is he going to do it now? Didn''t he just do itst night? It hasn''t even been a day yet. Does he need to be so impatient? ¡°Michael, let go of me first! I came back in time. I''m notte!¡± I tried to push him away as I reminded him anxiously. ¡°Did I say that I wouldn''t do it if you returned in time? I don''t remember saying so.¡± His arms loosened a little but still circled me, and his lips curled into a wicked smile as he stared at me tauntingly. Only then did I realize I had been fooled by him. ¡°Michael, you bast*rd! How dare you tease me like this?¡± I was struggling hard to get away from him. Looking at his passionate expression, I was sure he would not let me go. My heart skipped a beat as nervousness rose within me. However, he merely smiled in response to my rage. The next second, he carried me in his arms and walked into the bedroom. After that, he threw me onto the bed. The moment I tried to flip over and get down, he was already upon me, pressing me onto the bed. Instantly, he rained kisses all over my body while his hands roamed around it. He started unbuttoning my clothes skillfully, revealing my upper body. Indeed, he was all too familiar with my body, and because of that, he could find my sensitive spots effortlessly. As his hands explored my body, an overwhelming sensation filled me instantly. I went into an ecstasy under his seduction in the blink of an eye. As I stared at him with a delirious look, my body desired to be filled with his love. He disyed a satisfied smile upon seeing my expression and single-handedly unbuttoned his shirt,Content held by N?velDrama.Org. revealing his firm chest. While I observed his perfect body, the burning question I had earlier on suddenly came to my mind. With that, I somehow regained some rationality. When he tried to pounce on me again, I used both hands to stop him. Seeing me resisting him, he frowned with displeasure. ¡°Oh yes. I have something I want to ask you,¡± I said as I looked him in the eye. ¡°Not now, please. You can ask as many questions as you want once we are done.¡± He furrowed his brows in dissatisfaction and did not take my words seriously as there was only one thing on his mind at the moment. ¡°Michael, can you be a little more serious? It''s an important question to me!¡± Although I knew there was a possibility that his answer might disappoint me, I could not wait to find out. After all, I did not want to have sex with him without knowing the answer first. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 ¡°Why must you ask such an important question at this moment?¡± he asked calmly, his expression turning solemn when he noticed how serious I was. With his arms propped beside me, he stared down at my face. My heart raced as I gazed into his eyes. I was worried that if I asked my question, his answer would disappoint me. After a long moment of silence, I mustered my courage and asked, ¡°For the past few years when I was not around, did you get together with any other woman?¡± After asking that question, I held my breath and stared into his eyes, nervously waiting for his response. I knew that asking that question would make me seem petty. However, it was something that bothered me a lot. He did not respond immediately after hearing my question. Instead, he frowned and stared at me with an unfathomable look in his eyes. I could not read his mind at all. As I still did not hear his reply, I felt even more uneasy. Every second that passed was like torture to me. I had a bad feeling about this. Still looking at him, I forced out an unnatural smile and asked again, ¡°Why aren''t you answering my question?¡± ¡°Are you asking me this all of a sudden because you don''t trust me?¡± he asked calmly instead of answering me immediately. A tinge of unhappiness crept into his voice. ¡°I don''t know. I just want to hear the answer from you directly.¡± I averted my eyes guiltily, not daring to meet his gaze. To be honest, I doubted him. I knew that he was a lustful man, so I could not be certain whether he had managed to hold himself back during the past year when I was gone. Right then, he looked down at me, his eyes filled with conflicting emotions. Still, he did not answer my question, which made me feel even more uneasy. ¡°Does your silence imply that you''ve got other women by your side in the past year?¡± I stared at him. When I spoke, I felt an urge to cry. Although I knew that it was a very difficult feat for a man to remain chaste for a year and that it was selfish of me to ask such a question, I simply could not help doing so. ¡°Anna, listen carefully. Ever since I got to know you, I''ve never had any other woman other than you. Are you satisfied with this answer?¡± asked Michael coldly as he gazed straight into my eyes. ¡°Why must you ask such an important question at this moment?¡± he asked calmly, his expression turning solemn when he noticed how serious I was. Initially, I thought that he was furious. However, after I heard his response, my heart skipped a beat. He said that he never had any other woman after getting to know me. Immediately, I was filled with surprise and delight. However, I did not dare to reveal that outwardly because he looked like he was going to devour me soon. I met his gaze, feeling very touched. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± Looking at his grim expression, I felt a bit guilty. For the past year, he had been suppressing his desires for my sake. Yet, I still doubted him. If I were him, I would be angry too. ¡°Anna, am I that incapable of making you trust me and feel safe? Am I just a horny man to you?¡± His anger did not dissipate because of my apology. A vague glint of rage shed across his eyes as his tone became frosty. Faced with his interrogation, I could not say anything in response. It was not that I did not believe him¡ª I was just afraid that he had moved on in the past year and our rtionship would not be as strong as it was a year ago. ¡°Michael, now...¡± Staring into his eyes, I opened my mouth but did not know how to exin. Meanwhile, he stood up and left the bedroom, not giving me a chance to continue. When I heard the door mming shut, I felt even more upset and regretted asking that question. I should have chosen to trust him. After all, that incident a year ago only happened because I did not trust him. Yet, I wasmitting the same mistake now. I sat up and put on my clothes. In my mind, I was conflicted over how I should apologize to him and appease him. As a matter of fact, Michael had been very amodating to me. A powerful man like him could get any woman he wanted, so there was no need for him to suffer because of me. However, he was willing to change for the better for my sake, which was proof of his sincerity. When we first met, he was so arrogant and indifferent. In fact, he was notorious for his coldness and ruthlessness. Yet, he treated me with so much warmth and gentleness now,pletely different from how he was before. He had changed so much for me, but I still doubted him. How can I be so selfish? I stayed in the room for a long time before I mustered the courage to walk to the living room. With a laptop ced on hisp, he sat on the couch and reviewed the document on theptop with a solemn expression. ¡°Are you working?¡± Looking at how focused he was, I walked toward him and tried my best to sound calm. ¡°Yeah, I''m not done with work, so I brought it back home. Initially, I wanted to apany you for a longer time, but who knew that you don''t even care!¡± he replied coldly while his slender fingers flew across the keyboard. He did not even spare me a single nce. I knew that he was still angry about my question. Looking at his displeased expression, I felt even more guilty. A hint of awkwardness spread across my face as I kept wondering how to appease him. ¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have doubted you. I know that you''ve sacrificed a lot for me... I''m really sorry!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Other than apologizing, I did not know what to say to quell his anger. When he heard me apologizing profusely, his fingers stopped typing. He turned around and nced at me with a grim expression. Just when I thought that he was about to fly into a rage again, he grabbed my hands and pulled me into a hug. Lowering his head, he kissed my lips domineeringly. This time, I did not refuse. Instead, I closed my eyes and let him kiss me. I was already feeling guilty toward him. If this could make him feel better, I was happy toply. Furthermore, I learned that he had never slept with any other woman in the past year, despite the fact that he still had biological needs. If I refused him now, I would not be worthy of all the sacrifices that he had made for me. Hence, I gradually responded to his kiss. Hugging his neck, I tried my best to please him. I knew that although he was acting intimately with me, he was still infuriated by my earlier question. Unless I fully satisfy himself tonight, he would constantly bring this issue up in the future to settle the score with me. Perhaps, my eager responses aroused him even more, and his breathing became heavier. He ced theptop on the table with one hand, while his other hand started roaming around my body. Chapter 466 Chapter 466 This time, I did not resist anymore. Instead, I tried my best to cooperate with him. This was the first time I did not reject his advances after I returned. Michael seemed pleased with my reaction, and the anger in his eyes disappeared quickly. Noticing that, I heaved a sigh of relief secretly and became even more proactive. My hands also started to explore his body. Perhaps because he had not touched a woman like that for a year, he did not suppress his urge for long. Soon, his lust reached its peak, and he carried me into his bedroom. Lying on the bed, I unbuttoned his shirt while he quickly took off my clothes. Right then, a devilish smirk yed on Michael''s lips. Looking at how proactive I was, he was no longer angry. As I took the initiative, Michael kept staring at me. Feeling extremely embarrassed, I averted my gaze and stopped looking at him, hoping to alleviate the awkward atmosphere. Michael hovered above me and kept nting kisses all over my body. When I finally felt aroused, he entered me without any hesitation. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. That day, we stayed in bed from evening till midnight. By the end of it, I felt like all the strength had left my body. It was true that absence made the heart grow fonder. Being apart for a year made both of us long for each other''s bodies even more. Although we had already done it a few times previously, it was not voluntary. Hence, it felt different this time. When Michael was fully satisfied, he hugged me. Leaning into his embrace, I closed my eyes and panted. I felt quite exhausted after such a long period of vigorous exercise on the bed. However, he was still energetic, in fact, even more so than before. I was starting to doubt if he was a normal person. Any other man would have been utterly exhausted after doing it so many times, but he waspletely fine. Ever since we got together, he had always been very aggressive in bed. ¡°You were quite proactive tonight, huh? Will you ask such a question again in the future?¡± Michael''s sexy and deep voice sounded, which still had a hint of lust and sensuality. This time, I did not resist anymore. Instead, I tried my best to cooperate with him. This was the first time I did not reject his advances after I returned. When I heard him bring that up again, I pouted unhappily. He''s such a petty person! I''ve already apologized, but he''s still hung up over it. ¡°Nope. I''ll never suspect you again. I know that you won''t betray me, right?¡± I raised my head and looked into Michael''s eyes seriously. To be honest, this was all my fault, and I was being too petty. I would never ask such a foolish question again. ¡°What do you think? Do you really think that I''ll do anything to let you down? Are you still refusing to trust me, Anna?¡± Michael raised his eyebrows. Although his tone was calm, I could tell that he was still quite unhappy with me. ¡°Of course I believe you. Didn''t I say that I''ll never doubt you again? Can you stop being so petty? Why are you refusing to let this matter go? I already said that it''s my fault,¡± I mumbled softly, pouting. ¡°What about you? You''ve been with Nichs for the past year when you were overseas. How many times have you slept with him? Is he really better than me in bed?¡± Initially, I thought that this matter would pass if I just acted cutely. To my surprise, Michael suddenly brought up Nichs and even asked such a shameless question. His grip on my arm tightened. Although he remained expressionless, I noticed the grouchy look on his face. ¡°Do you think that I''m such a loose woman? Would I seek out another man so desperately right after leaving you?¡± In truth, there was nothing between Nichs and me. In fact, I had always kept a distance from him. Although our rtionship was quite close when we were overseas during the past year, I only treated him as my friend and never did anything inappropriate with him. That being said, Michael''s question made me realize how he felt when I asked him whether he had any other woman besides me. A pleased look crept into Michael''s eyes when he heard my response. However, he did not n on sparing me so easily. ¡°But I remember clearly that you once said Nichs'' junk was bigger than mine. Not only that, but he could alsost longer than me and had better skills. Have you forgotten about that?¡± Upon hearing what he said, I was rendered speechless. Sometimes, men could be so much more troublesome than women when they were so hung up over old debts. ¡°Michael, can you stop bringing the past up? You were the one who forced me to say that. Since you insisted on believing that I''ve slept with Nichs, I just yed along with you. Besides, no matter how I exined it, you wouldn''t believe me!¡± Back then, all he talked about was my rtionship with Nichs. No matter what I said, he would not believe me. When I could not be bothered to rify the matter anymore, I said that on purpose to provoke him. Yet, he was actually digging old debts up at this moment! What a petty man! Michael flipped over and pinned me under his body. After that, he pressed his hand to the most sensitive spot between my legs and asked sensually, ¡°You''ve never slept with him? Does this also mean that he has never entered you?¡± ¡°What are you doing, Michael?¡± When Michael ced his hand on that spot, I blushed. After that night of passion, the area still felt quite sore. Furthermore, his words were so blunt that I started feeling embarrassed. ¡°I''m the only one who can enter my woman''s body,¡± he leaned down toward my ear and whispered, his voice filled with desire. When he spoke, his warm breath blew against my ear, sending a tingling sensation right down to my heart. I turned my face and stared at him in embarrassment as we were in a very sensual position right now. ¡°Other than you, I''ve never slept with any other man. I''ve always treated Nichs as an ordinary friend.¡± Judging from Michael''s tone, it seemed like he genuinely thought that I had slept with Nichs. He ims that I don''t trust him, but isn''t he the same? He doesn''t trust me at all! Otherwise, he wouldn''t have thought that I slept with Nichs. When I thought about that, I felt rather upset. ¡°You don''t need any male friends. I''m the only man you need!¡± dered Michael domineeringly, still unsatisfied with my response. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 He spoke in such a matter-of-fact and domineering manner that I stared at him speechlessly. There''s no cure to his possessiveness. If I do as he says, I will have no more male friends! ¡°Michael, has anyone ever told you how domineering you are?¡± I snapped unhappily as I stared into his eyes. ¡°You''re not the first to say that. Many people have told me that. I''ve always been like this!¡± replied Michael indifferently as he met my gaze and raised his eyebrow. I was obviously trying to take a dig at him, but he waspletely unbothered. No matter what I said, he still looked so arrogant. I pouted unhappily before closing my eyes and ignoring him. After that passionate night with him, I was already utterly exhausted, and I wished for nothing more than to have a good rest. Luckily, Michael stopped pestering me. He moved away from me, pulled me into his arms, and shut his eyes too. When I woke up the next morning, Michael informed me that he needed to return to the Shaw residence to deal with something. Although I hated Lincoln, he was still Michael''s father. Hence, despite my unease, I did not say anything. I remained at Birchwood the entire day, feeling extremely frustrated. Till now, I had no clue how to face Lincoln and what my attitude toward him should be. It was also necessary for me to talk to him about Amaury. As long as he could return Amaury to me, I was willing to move on from the incident a year ago and pretend that nothing had happened. For Michael''s sake, I would remain respectful whenever I saw Lincoln in the future. After Michael returned, he looked quite grim. In truth, I could already guess what he went back for. I just did not want to jump to the worst conclusion. There was rarely anything that could affect his mood. Looking at his gloomy expression, I knew that something bad had happened when he returned, and it probably had to do with me. While he sat on the couch in the living room, I approached him with a ss of water and sat down beside him. ¡°Did your father summon you back because he found out that we''re together again?¡± I asked calmly as I looked into his eyes, my voice filled with certainty. He spoke in such a matter-of-fact and domineering manner that I stared at him speechlessly. There''s no cure to his possessiveness. If I do as he says, I will have no more male friends! ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Michael calmly. Instead of hiding the truth from me, he affirmed my guess. ¡°He doesn''t want us to be together, right? Does he still hate me because of your mother?¡± Actually, I could understand why Lincoln hated me. After all, he still believed that I was to be med for his wife''s hospitalization. However, what he did not only harmed me but also Amaury and Michael. As for Josephine, I still felt a bit guilty, but I would not keep putting up with Lincoln''s attitude. ¡°Since your father doesn''t allow us to be together, what do you n to do?¡± I asked seriously as I gazed into his eyes. As I could tell what had happened, I did not feel anything after hearing his response. ¡°No one can stop us from being together. You''re the only woman I want! No matter what, I''ll make you stay by my side forever,¡± promised Michael resolutely as he hugged me tightly in his arms. As I listened in his embrace, I could feel that his words were genuine. Touched by Michael''s words, my heart skipped a beat. After all, Lincoln was his father. His act of defying his father''s wishes and choosing to be with me was more than enough to prove his love for me. ¡°But if you insist on being together with me, your rtionship with your father might...¡± I frowned slightly. Although I did not like Lincoln and still remembered what happened a year ago, he was not getting any younger. Thest thing I wanted was for Michael to fall out with him because of me and cause the Shaw family to end up in a more chaotic situation. ¡°Anna, listen carefully. No matter what, you must remain by my side. If you leave me like what you did a year ago, I''ll never forgive you!¡± warned Michael, turning his head abruptly upon hearing what I said. There was a cold glint in his threatening gaze. I did not expect him to say something like that all of a sudden. When I met his eyes, my heart skipped a beat. Is he afraid that I''ll disappear from his sight again? Right then, I recalled what happened a year ago¡ªwe resented each other because of a misunderstanding. Even at that moment, thinking about it still made me feel quite upset. Although he was the person I cared about the most, I forced myself to hate him for a whole year. I would be lying if I said that I was not unhappy. ¡°No, I will never leave you again. Unless you don''t want me anymore, I will never leave you!¡± I promised firmly after a moment of silence, staring into his eyes. Time crawled by so slowly during that year when we were separated. Now that we were finally reunited, I could never bear to part from him again. In fact, I wished for nothing more than to be by his side every second. ¡°Remember what you said! No matter what happens, we must always be together. Amaury too! I know what you''re thinking about. I''ll let Amaury return to your side. I want both of you with me!¡± I could never hide my thoughts from Michael. This time, I came back just for Amaury. He knew this very well, so he promised me before I could even bring the topic up. ¡°Yeah, I believe you. If possible, I wish for this issue to be resolved peacefully. I don''t want things to get too ugly with your father. He''s your father, after all.¡± If Lincoln were not Michael''s father, I would not have so many inhibitions. Although I had decided to resolve it peacefully, it did not mean that I had forgotten what happened a year ago. I just did not want to make Michael upset. ¡°Okay, I''ll settle this,¡± guaranteed Michael determinedly as he hugged me tightly. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After I chatted with Michael for a while, he received a call from hispany and left. I knew that due to thepetition with Nichs''pany, Michael had a lot of work to settle in the office. Hence, I did not hold him back. After he left, I sat in the living room alone, feeling frustrated. After some time, my phone rang. When I saw that Lincoln was calling me, I frowned. If he was calling me at this juncture, it must be because of Michael being together with me. I knew that his call definitely did not signify anything good. However, out of courtesy, I still picked it up. Chapter 468 Chapter 468 ¡°Mr. Shaw,¡± I greeted indifferently without a hint of emotion in my tone. No one is a saint. I believe no woman could treat him as a family after all he had done. Lincoln did not beat the bush but asked directly, ¡°Ms. Garcia, do you have time? Can I talk to you?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I answered. In actuality, I had guessed what he wanted to say. Moreover, I wanted to speak to him and reveal my stance. Otherwise, I felt that he would not give up. Lincoln did not ask to meet outside this time. Instead, I was to meet him at the Shaw residence. The ce felt familiar yet somehow alien to me. In actuality, I did not wish to go there at all. However, when I thought about Amaury living there, I could not resist wanting to see him. Therefore, I agreed to meet Lincoln there. Half an hourter, I drove the car to the Shaw residence. Lincoln might have instructed the security beforehand, so they did not stop me but let my car enter straightaway. Lincoln was already sitting in the living room when I walked in. He had a stern expression on. ¡°Mr. Shaw,¡± I greeted him tly and took a seat opposite him. I was no longer the same woman as when I lived here. Therefore, I would never be intimidated by anyone. ¡°You''re here.¡± Lincoln nced at me impassively and spoke in an emotionless tone. Seeing that he was not going to continue, I took the initiative to break the silence. Therefore, I looked squarely at him and asked, ¡°Mr. Shaw, you said you have something to tell me. What is it?¡± Lincoln''s gazended on my face. He looked straight into my eyes and asked solemnly, ¡°I know the matter between you and Michael. Are both of you together again?¡± ¡°Yes, we have reconciled.¡± I met his gaze calmly. There was nothing to hide. It was pointless hiding my rtionship with Michael from him. Lincoln was surprised that I answered him without hesitation, causing his expression to grow sterner. ¡°Anna, you know how I feel about this. Previously, I thought both of you would break up permanently. I did not expect both of you toe together again within such a short time,¡± Lincoln said with a tight frown. Complex thoughts warred in his eyes as he looked at me. ¡°Mr. Shaw,¡± I greeted indifferently without a hint of emotion in my tone. Within a few days of my return to this country, Lincoln had asked to meet. At the time, an awkward mood hung between us. He had wanted to meet me to find out my stance. ¡°At the time, I did not know you were the sole mastermind behind our divorce and that Michael knew nothing about it. If I had known, I would not have left him. I firmly believe that Michael and I could have remained together and found happiness,¡± I replied. I still bore hatred for Lincoln whenever I thought he arranged for Michael and me to divorce. He had caused a year of severe misunderstanding between Michael and me. I would not have been able to remain as calm as I was if he wasn''t Michael''s father. Lincoln was stunned upon hearing me. It turned out he did not know I found out about the matter. However, despite knowing that I had discovered his deception, there was not a hint of remorse on his face. Instead, his gaze turned even colder than before. ¡°You''re right. I did cause you and Michael to divorce a year ago. I can never allow you and Michael to remain together no matter what. Josephine is still bedridden in the hospital. How can I let a person who harmed my wife remain in the Shaw family?¡± Lincoln red at me even more ferociously when he mentioned Josephine. ¡°I can understand your hatred for me over that matter. However, how can you carry out such a despicable n against me? I admit I was the one who caused Mrs. Shaw to be in her current condition, but it was unintentional. Yet, your hatred for me ruined my family''s lives. Don''t you feel any guilt for your actions?¡± I scolded. I had no idea how much Lincoln cared for Josephine that he would treat me with such cruelty. After all, he had hurt not only me but Amaury and Michael. Thetter two were his son and grandson! ¡°I didn''t invite you here to argue who is right. You must have guessed what I wanted to say. After all, you are an intelligent person.¡± Lincoln did not intend to continue from what I said. He nced at me impassively, but I felt a sense of threat. I met his gaze. Naturally, I knew why he wanted to see me today. It was to get me to stay away from Michael. I wouldn''t havee here if I didn''t know what he was thinking. ¡°I know what you want to say, and I can provide you with an answer now. No matter what you say, I will never break up with Michael. If you insist on separating us, you will lose your son and grandson!¡± I warned him. Previously, I would never dare to threaten Lincoln with such words. However, he was an unusually stubborn man. If I did not speak to him firmly, I believe he would continue to try to separate Michael and me. Today, Michael promised me that we would stay together no matter what happened. We would never allow anything to separate us from each other again. I also promised him the same. Therefore, I needed to fulfill my vow and never leave him. ¡°Are you telling me that you won''t stay away from Michael? Are you determined to be with him?¡± Lincoln''s expression darkened, and he was burning with fury. Even his tone sounded threatening. ¡°Yes, it does not matter what you say or do. Nothing will change my mind. Mr. Shaw, if you don''t want to ruin your rtionship with Michael, don''t stop us from being together. Otherwise, you will lose him,¡± I said. Today, Michael''s attitude convinced me that even if his rtionship with Lincoln turned sour, he would insist on remaining with me. That was also why I dared to speak so boldly with Lincoln. Lincoln stood up from fury immediately after I had spoken. He red at me with eyes zing with rage. ¡°Anna, how dare you threaten me? Do you think Michael would abandon me, his father, for someone like you? Don''t you think you have overestimated your importance to him?¡± ¡°That is only your assumption, but it is false in reality. Have you forgotten Amaury? As Amaury''s father, do you think Michael wishes to see his child motherless?¡± I replied.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 469 Chapter 469 I refused to cower before Lincoln. ¡°Anna, don''t you think that you have gone overboard? You weren''t like this in the past.¡± Lincoln looked at me coldly as fury continued to ze in his eyes. My attitude had infuriated him further. ¡°Previously, I was too ignorant. However, after experiencing so many things, I am no longer the same woman from a year ago. How would I dare to stand here and speak to you if I were still the same?¡± I smirked mockingly. Everyone said that I had changed a lot and had be heartless. However, if I did not change and remained the same as a year ago, I would have no power to oppose Lincoln. ¡°I will never allow you to remain with Michael. It is your fault that my wife is still unconscious even now. You have to pay for what you did to her. I have already shown you mercy by not having the police arrest you. How dare you do this to me?¡± Lincoln''s tone was full of threat. He implied that if I refused to leave Michael of my own volition, he would not let me go as before. I was a little worried, to be honest. However, I would never leave Michael, no matter what Lincoln said. ¡°Since you could let me off previously, why can''t you show a little more kindness and let me remain with Michael. It is not only for my sake by also for Michael''s happiness. Can''t you try to forgive me? I know you hate me for what happened to Mrs. Shaw, but now that things havee to this, I can only do my best to make amends,¡± I said. I tried to persuade Lincoln. Despite my previous threats, I still wished to resolve this matter peacefully. I did not want Michael to be sad. ¡°You think you can convince me to let you and Michael stay together? I''ll have you know. No matter how much you implore me, I would never allow it. Here is five million. You should take the money, leave here, and don''t evere back,¡± Lincoln replied coldly and ced a cheque on the table. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. I looked at the cheque on the table and furrowed my brow. Does he seriously think that I would leave Michael for money? I was already furious, and this indignity fanned my anger even more. He was humiliating me with such a paltry cheque. I chuckled coldly and looked straight at his face before saying, ¡°Only five million? Mr. Shaw, don''t you think it is too little? I can easily find a job with at least a million annual sry. What makes you think I would leave Michael for just five million? You have severely underestimated me.¡± I refused to cower before Lincoln. ¡°Anna, don''t you think that you have gone overboard? You weren''t like this in the past.¡± Lincoln looked at me coldly as fury continued to ze in his eyes. My attitude had infuriated him further. Lincoln red at me immediately. His gaze burned with anger as he said, ¡°You think the money is too little?¡± I saw that he was trying to force back his anger, but the rage was evident in his tone. At this moment, I did not say anything but looked at him impassively. My heart boiled with fury. ¡°How much do you want? You can name a price for me. As long as you are willing to leave Michael and your price is within a reasonable range, I will grant it,¡± Lincoln continued after I remained silent for some time. His expression rxed considerably. He must have thought that he could pay me to leave Michael. ¡°It''s priceless! My love for Michael is priceless. I will never leave him no matter how much money you offer. Money is not what I want. Instead, all I want is Michael and Amaury!¡± I dered firmly. I was notcking in money. Furthermore, I could go to apany and find a job to provide for myself. Therefore, money could not tempt me. ¡°Why won''t you leave Michael?¡± Lincoln shouted. He had exhausted his patience and was shaking with fury. ¡°I''ve told you my stance clear enough. I will never leave Michael, no matter what. If you disagree with that, feel free to try anything. Michael and I shall prove how much we love each other,¡± I replied calmly. I did not wish to continue the conversation with Lincoln. Therefore, I immediately turned around to leave. Lincoln would only keep telling me to leave Michael. Therefore, we had nothing else to say to each other. ¡°You!¡± Lincoln seemed to have more to say, but I did not bother to stop. I had no interest in listening to him anymore. I felt even more anxious after I left the Shaw residence. Although I pretended to be calm before Lincoln, no one would want anyone to damage their love life. I received another message from Lincoln after I reached Birchwood. He hoped that I would consider his offer carefully and call him once I chose to ept. I deleted the message immediately after reading it. At the same time, I began to feel a little worried. Michael returned to Birchwood soon after I finished cooking dinner. Then, both of us sat opposite each other to have our meal. I hesitated whether to tell him about my meeting with Lincoln today. Michael had enough things troubling him. If I told him that, it would only make him even more frustrated. After hesitating for a long while, I decided not to tell him about it. Furthermore, Lincoln had not done anything yet. However, Michael could see that something was off about me. He frowned as he looked at me with concern and asked, ¡°You seem troubled today. Is something wrong?¡± I turned to him and was still hesitant about telling him. In the end, I decided to tell him the truth because Michael would know if I lied. ¡°Your father asked to meet me today.¡± He frowned upon hearing my answer, and his expression darkened. ¡°Is he trying to make you leave me?¡± His tone sounded calm, but I could tell that he was angry. Since I could guess what Lincoln wanted, it was not surprising that Michael knew too. Therefore, I looked straight into Michael''s eyes and answered calmly, ¡°Yes, I didn''t agree to his request. I firmly refused his offer.¡± ¡°Do not worry no matter what he said. You should disregard itpletely as if you never heard him. No one can ever take you from my side!¡± Michael''s expression hardened, and he looked at me with eyes full of determination. I looked into Michael''s eyes and said firmly, ¡°Yes, no one and nothing could make me leave you.¡± ¡°Let''s eat. I will help you to resolve this issue. Also, I will ask the nanny to bring Amaury to see you tomorrow,¡± Michael said calmly before switching to another topic. My mood instantly improved when I heard that I would be seeing Amaury tomorrow. As long as I could see Amaury, nothing else would bother me. Furthermore, I believe that no one could separate me from Michael anymore. Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Things remained peaceful even a few days after I met with Lincoln. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed that Lincoln did not attempt anything. Furthermore, I felt that he cared about Michael. Therefore, I believed he would not want to see Michael and I suffer. I had already decided that it did not matter how Lincoln treated me. As long as he did not obstruct my rtionship with Michael and let Amaury return to my side, I could pretend that nothing had happened. Although there would always be resentment between us, I was willing to let it go for Michael''s sake. However, I soon discovered that I was too naive. Lincoln had never nned to allow Michael and me to remain together. He had been doing something else for the past few days. That was why things seemed so peaceful. Today, Michael asked the nanny to bring Amaury to Birchwood. The nanny and I spent the day ying with Amaury. Although he had to return to the Shaw residence every night, I was content to be able to spend time with him during the day. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I frowned and wondered who it was. As I was holding Amaury, I asked the nanny to check the door. I was confused to see two police officers walking into the house. One of the police officers looked at me and asked, ¡°Are you Anna Garcia?¡± I stood up and had a bad feeling. However, I still answered, ¡°Yes, I am. You are...¡± No one could stay calm when police officers suddenly entered their homes. ¡°Good morning. We are police officers. Someone made a report saying that you intentionally hurt a person a year ago. Therefore, pleasee with us to the police station to aid our investigation,¡± the same police officer continued in an emotionless tone. However, as he was still speaking, the other police officer walked toward me, holding a pair of handcuffs. I began to panic upon seeing the handcuffs. Fear rushed to my head. ¡°What intentional hurt? You have not exined the matter to me!¡± I put Amaury on the couch and was trembling all over. He said something that happened a year ago. Could it be about Josephine? ¡°It is the matter concerning the Shaw family. Ms. Garcia, we don''t have any evidence yet, so we request that you cooperate with our investigation. If you refuse, we have no choice but to bring you to the police station by force.¡± The police officer looked at me impatiently. His tone was cold and carried a hint of threat. Things remained peaceful even a few days after I met with Lincoln. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed that Lincoln did not attempt anything. Furthermore, I felt that he cared about Michael. Therefore, I believed he would not want to see Michael and I suffer. Since he had exined why he was here, I would have been an idiot if I still did not understand what was going on. He was talking about the incident concerning Josephine. The police officers suddenly appeared in the house and said I intentionally hurt someone a year ago. Therefore, I firmly believed that theinant was none other than Lincoln. I felt furious when I realized that Lincoln was the one who reported me. I did not expect him to be so heartless as to do this to separate me from Michael. At this moment, I had no choice but to cooperate with the police officers. Seeing that I was willing to cooperate, they did not handcuff me. On the other hand, the nanny was stunned with shock at the side. I went to the nanny and instructed her, ¡°Please take care of Amaury. Once Michael returns, tell him that I am at the police station.¡± Although I had gathered enough connections overseas, this was still the Shaw family''s territory. Therefore, if Lincoln wanted to send me to prison, it would be an easy matter for him. The nanny nodded and looked at me with panic in her gaze. I smiled at her and followed the police officers out of the house. At the police station, the police officers brought me to the interrogation room. Then, they began to question me about what happened a year ago. Now that things hade to this, I wondered if I should tell the truth. Otherwise, I could end up in prison. However, I had agreed to take the me for Steven because I didn''t want him to go to prison. Therefore, if I tell the truth now, it would be as if I did not help him at all. ¡°Anna, I''m asking you again. Did you hurt Mrs. Shaw? Did you push her intentionally?¡± asked one of the police officers. I kept mum because I did not know what to say. Therefore, he repeated the same questions sternly. I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm before answering, ¡°It was me. Mrs. Shaw and I were quarreling then when I identally pushed her. It was a coincidence that she hit the table. I had not intended to hurt her.¡± I looked up calmly at the police officer questioning me. In actuality, I was panicking inside. The police officer became even sterner upon hearing my admission. He said coldly, ¡°Does this mean that you admit to the crime? Are you saying that you are the one who caused Mrs. Shaw to be in a vegetative state? Do you know that what you have done is the crime of intentional hurt? You could be brought to the criminal court to face prosecution!¡± ¡°I told you that it was unintentional. It was an ident,¡± I protested. Judging from the way he looked at me, it seemed he had determined since the beginning that I intentionally hurt Josephine. Therefore, I began to panic. Unintentional hurt and intentional hurt were different matters and carried contrasting implications. ¡°Do you have any proof that it was unintentional? Your words do not carry weight.¡± The police did not care that I looked nervous. He looked at me indifferently and disregarded my im. ¡°How can you straightaway determine that I had caused intentional hurt? What is your basis for saying that? You also don''t have evidence that it was intentional, isn''t it?¡± I argued agitatedly. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. If I was sentenced to the crime of intentional hurt, who knew how many years I would have to stay in prison. I could not let them give me a criminal record. ¡°Whether it is intentional hurt or not, it is not something you have a final say in. You are quite unlucky. Of all the people you could offend, you offended the Shaw family,¡± replied the police officer. He did not wish to listen to my exnation anymore. Thus, he stood up, and both police officers left together. I sat in the interrogation room and clenched my fists. From what the police officer said just now, I understood that this was all Lincoln''s n. Even if it were an ident, they would make sure that the court sentences me to the crime of intentional hurt. Lincoln was resorting to such a cruel measure again. My heart was bursting with hatred for him. Previously, he threatened to make me leave Lincoln. Although I was furious, I only kept it in my heart. However, I did not expect him to resort to such heartless means against me. He must have hated me so much that he wanted to send me to prison. I was stuck in the police station and could not contact anyone. If I could call Michael, he would have had a way to help me. Chapter 471 Chapter 471 I had thought I would be released soon since it was a summon for investigations and not an arrest. However, it seemed like it was merely wishful thinking on my part. They did not release me even tillte at night. What made me even more frantic was how I was broken off from all forms of contact with the outside world. As much as I had been through many hardships and matured a lot, it would be a lie if I said I was not scared about what I was going through at this point. That night, I was all alone when a police officer came to me and tly remarked, ¡°Someone is here to visit you.¡± A pang of joy hit me when I heard that, and without hesitation, I followed behind him. Upon walking out, I realized it was Lincoln. That made me disappointed as I had thought it would be Michael. ¡°Ms. Garcia, it sure doesn''t feel good to be inside for the whole day, isn''t it?¡± Lincoln coldly muttered as he sat down opposite me. I tamped down the roaring rage in my chest as I took my seat. The hint of guilt residing in me, if there was any, had entirely faded away at that point. I might appear as cold as ice on the outside, but I was in a full-blown inferno deep inside. ¡°Isn''t this all part of your setup? Did you already bribe the police to charge me with the crime of causing intentional hurt? I''ve said before that I didn''t do it on purpose. Why are you still doing that?¡± There was no way I could wrap my head around why Lincoln would do that. How could he be so heartless? Did he not spare a thought for Michael and Amaury''s feelings? ¡°How smart you are. You''ve got the right answer with one try.¡± His tone was still as calm as before. Theck of denial was enough to prove that he had given his silent agreement and, undeniably, I was mad about it. ¡°Don''t you think you''ve crossed the line? Don''t you see how cruel your actions are toward me?¡± I spoke stoically with an icy re while trying to keep my cool. ¡°I know what I did will bring you trouble. I have no intention tond you in jail either. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be here right now.¡± Lincoln''s face remained the same even when faced with my questioning. The gaze he shot at me was still as calm as how he always appeared to be. I had thought I would be released soon since it was a summon for investigations and not an arrest. However, it seemed like it was merely wishful thinking on my part. They did not release me even tillte at night. I had to admit that I looked a little too immature in front of an experienced man like him. ¡°No intention of sending me to jail? Then why am I locked in here right now? Is this not what you wanted to see?¡± His words sounded so much like sarcasm to me, considering my situation at that point. I could not believe that the thought of settling things amicably with him had even crossed my mind once. ¡°Anna, you''re actually a good girl. But you''ve hurt Michael''s mom, my wife. She''s my beloved woman in my entire life. Like how Michael loves and protects you, how can I allow anyone to harm my woman? Having lived with her for a whole decade, I''ve already gotten used to her nonsense. But because of you, she''s lying on the hospital bed now! She hasn''t talked to me or even opened her eyes for a year!¡± Lincoln stared at me as he went on and on, as though he just needed a listening ear to hear him pour his heart out. Surprising enough, upon hearing his confession, the deeply-rooted resentment within me had seemed to fade away. Even though I hated him for doing all those things to me, I knew he was doing it for the sake of the woman he loved, just like how Michael would do to me. N?velDrama.Org owns this. I realized I had only thought about my feelings but never concerned about his. And somehow, that made me a little guilty. Even with that said, it did not mean that I no longer bore a hatred toward him. I could rte to the pain he was going through, but there was no way I could pretend that nothing had happened after what he had done to me. ¡°If I am you, I''ll surely be in pain too. I''m also very guilty and regretful, but since things have gotten to this stage, there''s no way we can go back to how we were no matter what you do. Instead, your despicable tactics will only estrange your rtionship with Michael and Amaury.¡± I could not be sure if I would be able to forgive if I was in the shoes of Lincoln, but the only way out for me now was to fight for Michael and my happiness. ¡°I know what you want to say. But I''ll be frank with you. Never mind if Michael hates or mes me, I won''t let you two be together. You''re the one who hurt his mother, so there''s no way you two can get together!¡± Lincoln responded indifferently. From his tone, I figured there was nothing I said that would make him change his mind. ¡°So you''re sending me to jail just because you don''t want us to be together?¡± I took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil of emotions in me before asking coldly. ¡°You have two options now. First, take the money and leave as far as you can from here. Second, a jail term for you. If you choose the former because you hope that you can lead a happy ending with Michael, think again. Even if that''ll happen, it''ll only be many years from now. He''s in his prime now; do you think he''ll be willing to wait for you till then?¡± Regardless of which option it was, his ultimate motive was to break my rtionship with Michael. The truth was, he had tried to negotiate with me, but I firmly rejected him. Perhaps that was why he was forcing me to make a decision now. I burst into bitterughter as distress overwhelmed me. None of the options Lincoln offered were reasonable and fair to me. All I wanted was something as simple as leading a peaceful life with Michael, yet it appeared so out of reach for me. ¡°I won''t make a choice. I believe Michael will think of a way to help me. He will never watch me go to jail without doing anything.¡± Those words came from the bottom of my heart. I was positive Michael would never allow such a thing to happen to me. ¡°I''ll give you two days to consider. If you can''te to a decision after two days, then don''t me me for being heartless. I don''t want to do this to you either. I always believe that you''re a good girl and think it''s our honor to have a daughter-inw like you. If not that you hurt my wife, I''ll never do this to you. I used to like you so much, but I can''t believe you''d disappoint me!¡± Lincoln stood up and spoke harshly. Initially, he was indeed very nice to me. He would even stand up for me when Josephine was against me. If not that she was in a vegetative state, he would, perhaps, still love me like how a father would. In fact, I felt a little suffocated by what he had said, so much that I had an impulse to reveal the truth. But that said, I ultimately quashed it with my willpower. Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Watching the back of Lincoln as he left, I felt a tension building up in my chest. Anxiousness crept within me when Michael did not appear at the police station the following day. ording to my understanding of the man, he would definitelye upon finding out that I was at the station. Yet, he did not turn up after such a long time. I was beginning to question whether the housekeeper did reveal the matter to him. Locked up in the station for the entire night, I could not sleep. I was feeling awfully insecure as I had no idea what exactly Lincoln wants from me. I was even worried he would really keep to his words if I chose not to agree to his request. Every minute and every second in there was a torment to me. It was a feeling I had never been through before. Only on the afternoon two dayster did Michael make his presence. Tears instantly welled up on the rims of my eyes when I caught sight of him as I was feeling extremely aggrieved. Sitting before Michael, I felt my nose stinging. ¡°I thought you wouldn''t show up. Why did it take you so long beforeing here to meet me?¡± I was living in fear for the whole ofst night as he did not appear, but now that I saw him, I began grumbling about why he did note earlier. ¡°I only know today that you''re locked up in the police station. I''ve been searching everywhere for you sincest night!¡± I supposed he must be exhausted since his dark eye circles were visible to the eyes, most likely due to hisck of sleep for the entire night. His words had given me instantfort, and like what I had expected, he would never leave me in the lurch. ¡°You should know by now why I''m here. It''s all because of your father.¡± At the thought that Lincoln was the culprit for my predicament, I could not help but feel my blood boil. ¡°Mmm, I know. Rest assured that I won''t let you go to jail. I''ll get you out.¡± Michael''s face sank after hearing my words. But he soon recovered and held onto my hands firmly as he said that. His assurance had somewhat acted like the antidote to my immense fear. I felt a weight off my shoulders to learn that he cared so much about me. ¡°Yeah, I believe you. But I think if your father is adamant about splitting us up, he won''t give up so easily.¡± Watching the back of Lincoln as he left, I felt a tension building up in my chest. Convinced how Lincoln must have hated me to the core, I figured it would not be an easy task for Michael to change the former''s mindset. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There''s an easier solution right now,¡± Michael cidly muttered as he looked into my eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± I hastily asked. Even though I knew he would do his best to protect me, I still wished that I could leave this ce as soon as possible. Being detained at the police station only made me insecure as I was constantly worried that they would convict me of a charge at any time. ¡°Tell the truth. Tell the police you didn''t do that, and reveal who''s the one who harmed my mom. I know you have an idea who the culprit is.¡± Michael sounded serious. I could only stare at him in astoundment as I felt my heart beating violently. In truth, the man before my eyes was not that easy to fool as he had a good idea of how things worked. I lowered my head, my mind in turmoil as I struggled to make a decision. Perhaps I would choose to tell the truth when things had escted to a point where there was no other way out. But since the situation had not gotten to that stage, if anyone learned that it was all Steven''s doings, he would have to go through everything I did. Knowing well how Steven meant everything to my parents, there was no way they could continue living their lives if he was to go to jail. They would me me for their entire lives instead. Despite knowing that I would be able to break free from being faulted and lessened the hatred Lincoln had toward me, I still could not steel myself and testify against Steven. ¡°You''re still hesitating at this point? Do you wish to go to jail? That''s the easiest solution. In fact, I have an answer even without you telling me. Who else other than your kins would you be so willing to take the me? The only thing I haven''t figured out is who between the three of them did it.¡± Seeing how unresponsive I was, Michael questioned me again. This round, the calmness within him had seemed to be reced by some agitation and anxiousness. Sheer astonishment inundated me. It turned out that it was not just his suspicions but his actual knowledge of the entire situation. ¡°M-Michael, stop your wild guesses.¡± I felt uneasy as I had no idea what Michael would do if he found out that Steven was the culprit. But knowing how I had a special ce in his heart, it would not be a wonder that he would expose him in exchange for my innocence. ¡°Wild guesses? Anna, do you think you''re too smart, or do you think I''m that dumb? Do you think I can''t tell what you''re trying to do?¡± Upon hearing my words, Michael furrowed his brows tightly. The gazes he threw toward me had a spark of anger in them. ¡°Can you let me think about it carefully? I don''t know what I should do now. Please don''t force me...¡± At that moment, I was losing control of my emotions. I was conflicted about the choices to make. Despite knowing I would be able to get out of this mess as long as I exposed Steven, I could not bring myself to do that. Well, I had to say I did hate myself for my indecisiveness at times. Watching me suffering in agony, Michael knitted his brows tightly. I could sense that he was seething in anger even though he remained silent. ¡°Listen, Dad won''tpromise that easily. When I tried to bail you out earlier, the police made the excuse that you''re a suspect and aren''t allowed to leave this ce. I believe Dad has ordered them to do that.¡± After a long while of silence, Michael spoke again. That stormy expression on his face was enough to show how this matter was no easy feat to solve. ¡°I''m fine. I believe we''ll be able to find a solution. Michael, you should know what I cared about the most. I know you''re worried about me, but this is thest thing I''ll do for them. I''ll never make such a silly choice again.¡± I looked into his eyes as I said those words earnestly. I was worried that Michael would investigate which of my family member had harmed Josephine. Even though I made my words subtle, I knew he had understood my meaning to it. ¡°You''ve done so much for them, but they''ve never taken you as their family. Anna, sometimes I wonder if you''re too affectionate or in foolish. They have such an important ce in your heart, yet to them, you''re nothing!¡± Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Given how sharp-witted Michael was, there was no way he could not understand the meaning of my words. His eyes were zing as he waited for my response. ¡°This is thest time, I promise. After this matter gets resolved, I will never get involved in anything about them. Just help me onest time, Michael.¡± On one end, I knew Michael was concerned about me, but on the other, I was not able to betray Steven. He was, after all, my younger brother, and it would surely break my heart to send him to jail. ¡°Anna, do you know your biggest problem is that you''re too softhearted? They''re doing this because they''ve seen through you! Are you really going to let the real culprit off the hook? The person he has hurt is my mom!¡± A terrifying expression was all that remained on his face. It was in easy to tell that he was trying his best to suppress the raging storm within him as his face turned increasingly forbidding. A shiver ran down my spine when I heard hisst sentence. At that instance, I realized I had only thought of myself and forgotten how the victim was Michael''s mother. That sudden revtion made me recognize how he must be eager to find the truth and the culprit''s identity more than anyone else. I lowered my head slightly, knowing well how my request was a little way too overboard. Nheless, I had no other choice since there was no way I could watch Steven go to jail. ¡°You really can''t help me this time? I promise that nothing like this incident will happen again in the future.¡± I looked at Michael with determination and popped the same request again. ¡°Anna!¡± The mes of anger burned in his eyes as he was that close to blowing his top off. While the man was utterly furious, I was full of indignance. Given there were other choices, I would not have wanted things to get to where it was. ¡°This will be thest time! Anna, I hope you''ll treat them as strangers the next time they appear before your eyes. It''s not that I want to turn you into a heartless creature. I only want you to learn how to protect yourself. They''ll never be thankful and appreciative of what you''ve done for them.¡± Eventually, Michael still chose to give in to me. Undoubtedly, the immense anger and indignity were bothering him, yet, he was willing to do that because he could not bear to watch me plead. ¡°I got it. It''ll be thest time, I promise.¡± I looked into his eyes and nodded my head in earnest. Given how sharp-witted Michael was, there was no way he could not understand the meaning of my words. His eyes were zing as he waited for my response. Indeed, I refused to go through the same situation again after experiencing such pressure. I have to live for myself and my loved ones. ¡°I probably won''t be able to take you with me today. But trust me, I''ll think of a solution so that you won''t go to jail,¡± Michael tly said after shooting a nce at me. I knew he was frustrated for not being able to bring me with him to leave this ce. Nevertheless, I did not me him at all. I was confident Lincoln was the culprit for my current plight, and his motive was to force me to take my leave from Michael''s side. Since that was so, it was impossible he would let me leave the station that easily. The only exception was unless I agreed to his terms. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don''t worry about me. I''ll take good care of myself.¡± I forced a smile on my face as I answered. No matter who it was, no one would feel emotionless about someone getting detained in the police station. That was the same for Michael. Besides the tremendous pressure mounting on him, he still had to stress himself out for me. That was why I did not want to add more worries for him. The line forming between his brows had revealed his reluctance to leave. I was upset to bid him goodbye, but I understood that many matters were waiting for him toplete. ¡°I''ll take care of myself. Go settle your work. I''m sure there are lots of work waiting for you to settle.¡± Seeing how he fixed his gaze on me without uttering a word, I reminded him in a low voice. ¡°Wait for me here. Give me two days; I promise I''ll get you out of this ce!¡± Michael reached out to grab my hands tightly as he told me those determination-filled words. I solely replied with a nod. I knew he would keep to his words as he would not bear to see me suffering in pain all by myself. He gave me ast nce before he stood up and left. As I watched him walk further away from me, tears welled up in my eyes uncontrobly. There seemed to be a surge of mixed emotions inside me¡ªit felt suffocating and terrible. Time crawled so slowly while I was locked up in the police station. Every second spent inside was excruciating torture, and my mind was constantly thinking about Michael. The time limit Lincoln had given me would be due in no time. I was clear about my decision, but at the same time, I was worried he would mercilessly send me to jail. After all, it was no doubt anyone would be unintimidated by the mere thought of imprisonment. In the afternoon the next day, Lincoln came to look for me. The expression on his face was dour, and his gazes had not an ounce of warmth. Like before, we sat face to face with each other. ¡°It''s been two days. Have youe to a decision yet?¡± That was the first thing he said upon meeting me. I reckoned he could not wait to make me leave. ¡°I''ve made it clear thest time; no matter what you do, I''ll never leave Michael,¡± I solemnly replied while retaining myposure. That was indeed all that I hoped. Although I was unsure how ruthless Lincoln would be toward me for making that decision, I was firm that I wanted to lead a blissful life with my husband and child. ¡°Seems like you''re very stubborn, huh? Are you not afraid of going to jail? Do you think you''ll still be able to stay by Michael''s side if that really happens to you?¡± Lincoln scrunched his brows and threw daggers at me. ¡°No matter what the oue is, my decision won''t change. I will stay by Michael and Amaury''s side!¡± I fixed my gazes on him and repeated my decision in resolute. It was not that I was fearless of his threats, but I had high confidence in Michael. I believed that he would be able to find a solution to solve this matter. ¡°Well then, I guess there are no other choices. I didn''t want to be too harsh on you because you''ve, after all, given birth to the child of the Shaw family. But I have to do things the hard way since you''re adamant about going against me.¡± Lincoln''s face grew cial after hearing my words. Instead of uttering a response, I merely looked at him in his eyes unwaveringly. I would never change my stand regardless of whatever actions he would take. Perhaps because he had sensed the resolution I had in me, he said nothing more and gestured to his lawyer standing behind. Upon receiving the order, thetter headed out of the room and returned with a police officer shortly after. The officer tossed out a document, which resembled a confession statement, on the table before me and indifferently instructed, ¡°Sign on it.¡± My brows snapped together in concern. I figured signing on the papers was tantamount to an admission of charges. Hence, I had no intention of signing my name. ¡°It''s not toote to regret now.¡± It was as though Lincoln noticed my hesitation that his expression seemed to have softened a little. Chapter 474 Chapter 474 I shifted my gaze away from the document to nce at the police officer. ¡°I won''t sign my name on it, and I most certainly won''t be leaving Michael,¡± I said icily. I wasn''t a fool. Once I signed the document, there would be no going back. Before Michael arrived, I was determined not to sign it. ¡°Do you really think you have a choice? This is a police station.¡± A sh of anger and impatience flitted across the officer''s gaze. ¡°Why are you insisting on my signature when you have yet tounch a proper investigation? Is this how you do things around here? Aren''t police officers supposed to be fair and honest?¡± I snapped in reply. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. I couldn''t help but feel annoyed when I heard his threat. They''d never investigated this matter right from the very start. Although I already nned to take the me for Steven''s crimes, I had no intention of letting them convict me so quickly. Regardless of the pressure, I was determined to wait for Michael toe to my rescue. ¡°Anna, do you really think your protests will make a difference? You brought this on yourself when you refused to ept the generous choices that I bestowed upon you. Right now, you only have yourself to me for this situation,¡± Lincoln thundered as a dark expression loomed across his face. As I opened my mouth to reply, our conversation was interrupted by his phone''s ringtone. Furrowing his brows, Lincoln answered the phone. ¡°What? Are you serious? That''s great news!¡± Although I was clueless about his exchange with the caller, he instantly lit up with joy. It was the first time I''d seen him with such a broad beam on his face. Once Lincoln hung up, he shot to his feet. The sight of his happiness caused me to knit my brows together. What on earth made him so happy? ¡°Captain Walker, I''ve just received a call from the hospital informing me that my wife has regained consciousness. I need to hurry over to there right now. Can we discuss this matter on another day?¡± he asked agitatedly. Upon hearing that Josephine had awoken, I couldn''t help but heave out a heavy sigh of relief. Although I yed no part in causing her current condition, I still felt slightly guilty. Now that she was no longer unconscious, it felt as if someone had lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders. I shifted my gaze away from the document to nce at the police officer. ¡°I won''t sign my name on it, and I most certainly won''t be leaving Michael,¡± I said icily. ¡°No problem, Mr. Shaw. Please attend to your urgent matters. This case will probably take a couple of days to settle anyway.¡± Given Lincoln''s prominent status, the police officer didn''t hesitate to agree with him. Upon hearing that Lincoln nned to depart, he merely agreed readily and even offered logical reasoning in assurance. ¡°All right, I''ll take my leave now. I''m sorry for the trouble,¡± Lincoln replied in a rush. Clearly, he was dying to return to the hospital. With a final nce in my direction, he spun on his heel and left. It was great that Josephine, an innocent victim, had regained consciousness. This way, Michael would feel much more at ease. The longer I remained cooped up in the police station, the more my anxiety grew. How is the situation outside right now? Since Josephine woke up, does this mean she''s no longer in a critical condition? After an entire day of worrying, Michael and Lincoln finally showed up in the afternoon. I became even more confused when I caught sight of the father and son duo. ¡°Michael, why are you here? Is Mrs. Shaw feeling better?¡± Even though Michael and I had divorced for a year, I still had a habit of addressing Josephine as ¡°Mom.¡± Nevertheless, I changed my mind when I recalled Lincoln''s attitude toward me and used ¡°Mrs. Shaw¡± instead. ¡°Yeah, Mom is fine. Because she''d been in a slumber for a year, her body became slightly weaker than usual. Hence, she''ll remain under observation in the hospital for a few more days. If everything goes smooth sailing, she can return home,¡± Michael replied with a smile. It was clear that Josephine''s recovery had put him in high spirits. ¡°That''s great! I''m d Mrs. Shaw is fine.¡± I breathed a great sigh of relief. I had been vehemently praying for her recovery too. ¡°I came here today to bail you out of here. There''s no need for you to remain in the police station anymore.¡± Michael grasped my hand as he spoke. ¡°I don''t have to remain here anymore? Why?¡± I echoed in puzzlement. Earlier today, Lincoln left me with a warning and nearly got me incarcerated. Hence, Michael''s words threw me into a stupor. I had an inkling that things weren''t as clear-cut as they appeared to be. Michael''s tone was icy. ¡°Mom told us all the truth when she woke up. You weren''t the one who pushed her; it was your brother, Steven.¡± All of a sudden, the cheery smile dropped off his face. When Michael brought up Steven''s name, I could sense the fury rolling off his body in waves. The furious look that marred his face caused me to panic. ¡°Mrs. Shaw named Steven as the perpetrator? What do you n to do? Are you going to lock him up?¡± Though I was once part of the Shaw family, Lincoln did not hesitate to punish me for this incident. Now that the truth hade to light, he would be sure to punish Steven severely for his actions. ¡°Steven harmed her on purpose. His actions cannot go unpunished,¡± Michael replied evenly. Though he appeared calm, I could tell they had no intention of being merciful toward Steven. ¡°Michael, is there truly no other way to resolve this? You know how much he means to my dad and mom. They''d go insane if he''s put behind bars,¡± I begged. Deep down, I knew Steven''s actions were beyond redemption. Even so, the thought of how important he was to my parents caused me to plead on his behalf. My words only served to make Michael even angrier. ¡°Even in a dire situation like this, you''re still thinking of others. If my mom hadn''t told the truth, you would have been the one in jail. What will happen to Amaury and me if that happens? Don''t you want to see us anymore?¡± The coldness in Michael''s voice revealed his unhappiness and fury. Truthfully, I could sympathize with his sentiment. He must be desperate to remove me from this mess and keep me out of harm''s way. Moreover, I was well aware that I was at fault because I tried to cover up for Steven. Yet, I recalled how my parents had begged for my help. As a daughter, I couldn''t bear to see them in such suffering. ¡°Okay...¡± I hung up my head low. In reality, things had been set in stone right from the start. All this time, I was clinging to a sliver of hope that I''d be able to turn the tide and produce an unexpected oue. Lincoln made his way toward me. ¡°Anna, you foolish child. How could you take the me for your brother''s crime? I hurt you because of this misunderstanding. Please ept my sincerest apologies,¡± he murmured apologetically. Chapter 475 Chapter 475 When Lincoln did those things to me, there was no denying the resentment that I harbored against him. Would he have misunderstood me if I hadn''t tried to cover for Steven? Would he have done those things to hurt me if he knew the truth? ¡°You don''t need to apologize. After all, I admitted to the crime,¡± I mumbled. When I heard Lincoln''s apology, all of my hatred vanished into thin air. ¡°Anna, I am at a loss for words. How could you be so foolish? Fortunately, Josephine revealed the truth. If this misunderstanding persists, you would have spent several years in jail for nothing.¡± Though Lincoln''s gaze was reproachful, I also noticed a glimmer of guilt in his eyes. ¡°At that time, I didn''t think much about it or know what to do,¡± I exined softly. Since it was now revealed that Steven was the culprit, I was trapped in turmoil. What''s going to happen to him? Shortly after, they led me out of the police station. Since Josephine had revealed the truth, there was no need for the police to detain me any longer. Nevertheless, I still felt guilty about her condition and requested Michael to drop me at the hospital for a visit. Before her injury, we had a rocky and tense rtionship because Josephine was never satisfied with me. She constantly nitpicked at every little thing I did. Nevertheless, she was still Michael''s mother. I also found myself concerned about her well-being. When I arrived at the ward, Josephine was resting on her bed. Yet, her eyes were wide open. Carefully, I made my way over. An awkward silence nketed the air as I struggled toe up with something to say. Josephine was the first to shatter the silence. ¡°You came?¡± she said weakly. The corners of her lips upturned into a small smile. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± The sight of her pale face and frail figure caused tears to well up in my eyes. Aside from an apology, I truly didn''t know what else to say. Although we weren''t particrly close, she was still my elder. My heart ached to see her in such a feeble state. ¡°Michael has already exined everything to me. I''m sorry for all the trouble and suffering I put you through this past year.¡± Josephine reached out her hand and spoke tenderly. Her warm tone caught me entirely off-guard. Despite my surprise and skepticism, I still held onto her outstretched hand. When Lincoln did those things to me, there was no denying the resentment that I harbored against him. Would he have misunderstood me if I hadn''t tried to cover for Steven? Would he have done those things to hurt me if he knew the truth? ¡°No, you were the one who suffered the most. I was partly at fault for youra,¡± I replied while taking a seat next to the bed. ¡°Enough, stop apologizing.¡± Josephine shook her head. ¡°After this incident, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the past. I realized I have been too harsh on you and treated you horribly. It''s all my fault.¡± Her sincere apology was unexpected to me. I could hardly believe my ears. Did she really just say that? In the past, it was no secret that Josephine absolutely detested me. She was constantly scheming to get me away from Michael. In her eyes, I was not worthy enough for her son. Right now, she seemed like a wholly different person. ¡°I know you''re a kind and sincere woman. You got together with Michael because you truly loved him. I won''t get between the both of you ever again,¡± Josephine continued, seeing that I remained silent. When I heard this, tears rolled down my cheeks. ¡°Mom, thank you so much.¡± Her words moved me so much that I reached out to hug her. From aside, a smile crossed Michael''s handsome face as he watched our heart-warming interaction. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Once the barrier between us was dispelled, I spent the rest of the days nursing Josephine back to health. After she regained consciousness, it felt like she''d be someone else entirely. Following our heart- to-heart conversation, Josephine showered me with nothing but love and treated me akin to her own daughter. Surrounded by the Shaw family''s affection, I felt like the happiest woman in the world. After a week in the hospital, Josephine was finally well enough to be discharged. Nevertheless, she was still weak and had to rest at home. Back then, I was always reluctant to visit the Shaw residence. There, Josephine used to ridicule me endlessly. In stark contrast, I now found myself enjoying herpany. After the events that transpired, I remarried Michael and spent the rest of my days in bliss. It didn''t take long for the police to capture Steven. My heart skipped a beat when they called the Shaw residence to inform us of his imprisonment. In spite of everything he''d done, I still found myself concerned for him. After all, he was still my younger brother. I couldn''t bear to see him locked behind bars. In the end, Michael forbade me from interfering with this matter as he imed he was acting for the sake of Steven. I also knew my brother''s personality like the back of my hand. If he continued to run free, he mightnd himself in more trouble. Michael''s right; Steven needs to be taught a lesson. That night, we gathered around the table for dinner. While I was feeding Amaury, the butler suddenly burst in unannounced. ¡°Mr. Andy.¡± A flicker of hesitance flitted across the butler''s gaze when he noticed my presence amongst the Shaws. ¡°What''s the matter? Why are you so frantic? Can''t you see we''re in the midst of having dinner?¡± The sudden disturbance prompted Andy to scowl at the flushed-faced butler. ¡°Mr. Andy, the Garcia family is at our door. S-Should I invite them in?¡± thetter stammered. Once again, he stole another nervous nce in my direction. He must be referring to Dad and Mom. This news didn''te across as a huge surprise. Ever since Steven was captured, I already anticipated that they would pay me a visit. It''d been quite some time since I returned to the country. Yet, not once did my parents attempt to contact me. Their radio silence made me feel like a child whom they''d abandoned. It was only in dire times like this that they would try to reach out to me, their only daughter. As soon as the butler finished speaking, everyone''s gaze fell on me. They must be waiting for me to respond. Truthfully, I still felt conflicted over this matter. Nevertheless, I was well aware of the Shaw family''s position in this matter and knew what to do in this precarious situation. I lowered my head and continued feeding Amaury as if I heard nothing. I''ve done enough for my family. This time, I won''t give in to their demands. ¡°Tell them Anna''s not home,¡± Andy instructed solemnly. From the somber tone of his voice, I could tell the Shaw family was still angry about the incident. It was a rare sight to see Andy outside of his light- hearted demeanor. Though they''d forgiven me, it didn''t mean they shared this same sentiment regarding my family. Throughout the entire exchange, I kept my mouth shut. It amounted to a silent agreement toward Andy''s decision. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 The butler took one nce at me before leaving in a hurry. I kept my head down and said nothing. It would be a lie to im that I did not feel anything at all. No matter what, they were my parents. I supposed they hade to look for me because of Steven. After the meal, I went straight back to my room. Because of what had happened earlier on, I felt awful. However, I was pretty sure that I would not help them this time around and hoped that they would not force me to do so. It had been a while since I returned. I did not take the initiative to contact them because when they wanted me to be the scapegoat for Steven back then, it had already broken my heart. From then on, I was utterly disappointed with them. I knew very well that I meant nothing to my parents. Other than Steven, my well-being was of no relevance to them. I was ying with Amaury in the bedroom when Michael walked in. He sat down beside me and looked at me with anguish. ¡°They''re still here. I know you''re very upset, but please don''t forget how they have treated you in the past.¡± Michael spoke gently to me, but I could tell that he was trying to remind me not to give in to them again. My softheartedness toward my family had always been an issue of contempt for Michael. In the past, he had advised me umpteen times, but I had always refused to listen. Now that things had blown out of proportion, I had to put my foot down. If I did not, Michael and even I would despise myself. If I gave in again, I would be asking for it. I always ended up driving myself into a corner for people who did not care about me. ¡°I understand. I told you very clearly thest time that I won''t give in no matter what they say this time around. That was thest.¡± Avoiding Michael''s eyes, I pretended to be unaffected. ¡°Whatever happens, I''ll always be by your side,¡± said Michael gently, and he pulled me into his arms. I gave him a faint smile and a nonchnt look, but deep down, I felt terrible knowing that my own flesh and blood were standing outside the door. The butler took one nce at me before leaving in a hurry. Time trickled away. As Michael needed to attend to some work at thepany, he left. I came to the window and saw my parents still standing out there. They kept looking into the house. In reality, the Shaw family could have invited them in for a proper discussion, but they did not. The thing that happened a year ago had caused a barrier between them. The fact that my parents made me take the me on Steven''s behalf had made things even worse. The Shaw family was certainly not happy with my parents. They had made a clear stand when they refused to let my parents into the house. It might appear rude on their part, but I knew they were trying to protect me. For that, I was very touched. The sky gradually darkened. Yet, my parents still refused to leave. They had been standing out there since noon, and six hours had passed. Knowing that Steven was the apple of their eye, I doubted they would leave if they did not get to see me. I kept stopping myself from going out to see them. Initially, I thought they would leave if they did not see me. It turned out that I had underestimated the importance of Steven in their hearts. For my brother, they were willing to do anything. Michael was not back by dinnertime. He had to work overtime because the workload had been umting. Michael was a workaholic, so it was not a surprise to me. In the past, he used to work overtime too when we were together. I could not concentrate on my dinner knowing that my parents were still out there. Just then, I heard thunder. Nowadays, the weather changed in an instant without any warning. I looked out of the window and saw that it was about to rain. I walked toward the window and wanted to see if my parents were still out there after so many hours. They should have left by now. After all, most people would not be able to take it after missing two meals in a row. Under the faint light, I saw that they were still standing outside the door. When I returned to the country, I had my phone number change and did not contact them. Therefore, there was no way they could locate me unless I showed myself in front of them. I wished they would leave soon because I really did not wish to see them. The rumbling of the thunder went on, and soon, it started to pour. Looking at the wild storm going on outside, I became more worried. On the other hand, the Shaw family did not seem to be affected at all. Just then, Josephine took one look at me and said, ¡°Anna,e and eat your dinner. The food is getting cold.¡± I knew she was trying to distract me, and I was also aware that I had to be firm this time around. If I gave in, my parents would definitely demand unreasonable things. ¡°All right.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. As I made my way to the dining table, I took another nce at my parents. That was when I knew they had no intention of leaving. They were my parents after all. Knowing that my dad was unwell and they were standing in the rain despite their age, I was unable to have my dinner in peace. I admitted that I could not hold myself together. My heart softened. I rushed to the door, picked up an umbre, and ran out. ¡°Anna!¡± I heard Josephine calling my name. I knew she wanted to stop me, but nobody would be able to sit around and do nothing if they saw their parents getting drenched. I knew I was an indecisive person, and I hated myself for it. However, there was no way I could be heartless toward my parents. Perhaps, I would always be so soft-hearted for the rest of my life. I opened up the umbre and hurried toward my parents. When I got to them, they were thrilled to see me. ¡°Anna, I knew you are in there. You have finallye out.¡± Chapter 477 Chapter 477 My mom smiled when she saw it was me. At that moment, my parents were utterly drenched from head to toe. I started to tear up. I put the umbre over them and said, ¡°It''s raining so heavily. Why didn''t you find a shelter?¡± I looked at them begrudgingly. Although I knew why they were there, I could not help but feel sorry when I saw them in that disheveled state. ¡°Anna, your dad and I havee to look for you today because of Steven. Do you know that he has been arrested?¡± My mom ignored what I said. Instead, she grabbed hold of me like she was clinging to a lifesaver. I could hear the urgency in her words. My heart sank. Although I knew they were there because of Steven, I kept quiet after hearing that. I had no wish in getting involved with that matter. With my head down, I spoke calmly, ¡°I know. Steven might go to jail this time around.¡± The moment Josephine regained consciousness and told everyone what Steven had done, I already knew. ¡°Anna, you must help Steven. He mustn''t go to jail. If he does, what''s going to happen to your dad and me? The both of us count on Steven to take care of us.¡± When my mom saw my calm demeanor, she became even more agitated. Her grip around my hands tightened, and she looked at me pleadingly. Seeing my mom like that, I was heartbroken. Steven had always been their favorite. If he was found guilty and imprisoned, my parents would not be able to ept it. However, that matter was out of my hands. Caught in a tight spot, I looked at my mom in silence for a long time before saying, ¡°Mom, I''m sorry. I can''t do anything about this matter anymore. Steven has to be punished for what he has done.¡± ¡°Anna, what do you mean by that? Steven is your brother after all. He''s about to go to jail, and you aren''t going to do anything about it? How can you be so cruel? Your dad and I have been standing in the rain and waiting for you for so long. How can you be so heartless?¡± My mom became angry after hearing my response. She red at me, and I could hear the reproach in her tone. My mom smiled when she saw it was me. At that moment, my parents were utterly drenched from head to toe. I started to tear up. At that moment, my dad finally opened his mouth. ¡°Anna, Steven is the only son in our family. If he goes to prison, our family is gone. No one will look after us in ourter years. Is that what you want?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. There was a frown on his forehead, and he looked at me with seriousness. ¡°Mom, things have gone to this extent. How do you expect me to help him? Steven has broken thew. What can I possibly do?¡± If there was a way out of it, I would have done something. However, there was really nothing I could do about it. Their pleas only made things more difficult for me. My mom held on to my hands and said when she saw the hesitation on my face, ¡°Anna, try to talk to the Shaw family and get them to drop the charges, will you? After all, we''re rted. Perhaps, they will consider letting the matter go because of you. Can you please talk to them?¡± I already knew their intention foring that day. When my mom said it out loud, I became more flustered. Back when Lincoln had thought I was the one who hurt Josephine, he had been so ruthless toward me. There was no way they would let it go now that they knew it was Steven who did it. My parents were deluded. If someone has hurt the person they love the most, will they have forgiven the perpetrator so easily? The same logic applied in this case. I was upset to know that Steven would be going to prison, but I also understood how the Shaw family felt. Besides, I felt it was time for Steven to receive some punishment. Otherwise, he would never learn his lesson. ¡°Dad, Mom. Please stop. This matter has gone too far. But, don''t worry. Steven will only be in prison for a few years at the most. It won''t be too long.¡± Although Steven would be persecuted by thew for injuring someone identally, I reckoned the imprisonment would not be more than three years. My reason for not helping Steven was so that he could use the jail time to be more sensible and turn over a new leaf. Perhaps, this might be a blessing in disguise. In the future, he would think twice before doing anything. ¡°Looks like you''re very determined not to help your brother this time around, aren''t you? Anna, he''s your brother! He''s about to go to prison. How can you make it sound so trivial! Are you even his sister?¡± My dad became angry when he heard what I said. He shuddered slightly, and his face looked pale. Perhaps, it was because he had been in the rain. Faced with his rebuke, I was equally enraged. Then again, I understood that they must be worried, so I suppressed my anger and said to them, ¡°Mom, Dad, it''s not that I don''t want to help. This matter is out of my hands. Stop forcing me, will you? A year ago, I took the fall for him. Do you know how I have been suffering for the past year?¡± All they could think about right now was Steven. My feelings were not of their concern, and that made me feel terrible. After being away for a year, they had yet to show any concern for me after seeing me. Other than Steven, I did not seem to exist in their hearts. Perhaps, they would not havee and looked for me if Steven had not been arrested. For a brief moment, my mom seemed to have recalled something, and guilt shed across her face. However, that look disappeared as soon as it appeared. ¡°Anna, I know you must have suffered a lot during the past year. We''re truly sorry about that.¡± My eyes teared up upon hearing that. However, because of the rain, they could not see my tears flowing down. ¡°A year ago, we had no choice but to ask you to take the me for Steven. We cannot watch Steven go to jail. After all, you''re part of the Shaw family. No matter how angry they are, they won''t let you go to prison, will they?¡± When my mom expressed her guilt over what had happened a year ago, I was quite moved. However, when she made it clear that they had made the right decision back then, I could not help but smile wryly. At the end of the day, all they ever cared about was Steven. ¡°Let me get someone to send you home. Both of you have been in the rain for so long. Go back and take a hot shower. Don''t catch a cold.¡± Chapter 478 Chapter 478 I tried my best to control my tears. After that, I got someone to arrange for a car to send my parents back. My mom started to panic when she saw the security guards getting the car ready for them. ¡°We are not leaving. Anna, we won''t leave until you agree to help Steven.¡± ¡°Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? There''s nothing I can do about this issue. Even if you continue to stay here, it won''t change a thing. Stop forcing me, will you?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I was beginning to get annoyed. It was apparent that they were trying to force me to do what they wanted. ¡°Anna, if anything happens to Steven, your mom and I...¡± Before my dad could finish what he was saying, he copsed. I was in shock and quickly supported my dad. His face was so pale that he looked frightening. I was so freaked out that I quickly phoned Michael. Just then, the chauffeur drove to the gate. Without any further dy, I told the chauffeur to send us to the hospital immediately. When I was speaking to Michael, my voice was quavering. My dad had heart problems, and I did not think he was able to ept my rejection. Michael had no wish to see me, but when he heard that my dad had copsed, he was equally worried. He knew how important my family was to me. Upon arriving at the hospital, my dad was taken to the emergency room. While waiting outside the door, I was really worried that the doctor would give me bad news. Michael came up to me and pulled me into his arms. He consoled me in a soft voice, ¡°Don''t worry. Nothing untoward will happen. Believe me.¡± Michael''s voice seemed to have a calming effect on me. My mom was badly affected by what had happened, and she was praying fervently for her husband. The door of the operating theatre finally opened after a long time. Both my mom and I rushed up and inquired, ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡± The doctor removed his mask, sighed, and said, ¡°The patient had a heart attack because he was getting too emotional. You know that he suffers from heart disease. How can you allow him to be upset?¡± I tried my best to control my tears. After that, I got someone to arrange for a car to send my parents back. The doctor seemed to be ming us for my dad''s condition. ¡°Is my dad out of danger yet?¡± The reprimand from the doctor did not bother me at all. Right now, my dad''s health was of utmost concern. The doctor advised, ¡°At the moment, he''s fine. But, he is still unconscious. Once he wakes up, please don''t agitate him any further. Do you understand?¡± The doctor cast an usatory nce at me. ¡°I understand, Doctor. Thank you.¡± I knew the doctor meant well, so I did not take his usation to heart. The most important thing right now was to make sure my dad got well. Very soon, my dad was transferred to the regr ward. He was still unconscious. Looking at his haggard face, an inexplicable feeling came over me. I was partly responsible for his current condition, and I felt guilty about it. I came to the corridor and took a deep breath to suppress the urge to cry. I knew that it would be best not to get involved, but I was worried that his condition might worsen if I refused to help them out. I did not know when Michael showed up behind me. He put his arms around me, and for some strange reason, I felt like crying. ¡°Don''t be upset. Didn''t the doctor say he will be fine?¡± ¡°Michael, do you think that I''m very selfish? My dad is in this condition because of me. If I didn''t turn him down, he wouldn''t have ended up in the hospital.¡± I could no longer control my tears. I turned around and hugged Michael tightly. ¡°There''s no such thing. You didn''t do anything wrong. Stop ming yourself. They forced you to do this.¡± Michael tightened his hug around me. He sounded a little angry. I supposed it was because I was about to give in to my parents again. I looked at him with brimming eyes and said, ¡°But I really feel bad seeing that my family has turned out this way. Michael, is there no other way? Can you not forgive Steven this one time?¡± Chapter 479 Chapter 479 ¡°I''m fine. I just got a little too emotional, that''s all. I''m feeling much better now,¡± Dad said, sounding rather weak as he stared at me with his face all pale. Seeing him in such a state only made me feel even worse. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and my eyes were filled with pain as I yelled at him, ¡°You nearly scared me to death, Dad! What will Mom and I do if something were to happen to you?¡± While he was inside the emergency room, I feared that the doctors woulde out and tell me that they failed to save him. Dad had always been a man of few words. but that wasn''t the case this time. After hearing what I said, he forced a smile at me and said with a serious expression, ¡°Anna, if you truly want me to be fine, then help your brother out. He really can''t afford to go to prison. Your mom and I are very old now. What will we do if your brother gets locked up in prison?¡± Just like that, Dad shifted the topic of the conversation back toward Steven. Honestly, it was quite difficult for me to refuse his request, especially when I saw the state he was in. I knew he wanted to get Steven out of prison, but there was nothing much I could do about that. Unable to face that pleading look in his eyes, I averted my gaze as I replied, ¡°Please stop forcing me, Dad! Steven is my brother! Do you think I''d let him go to prison if I had a choice?¡± Do they think I''m not worried about Steven? He''s my freaking brother! While our rtionship may not have been the most pleasant, we are still family, and blood is thicker than water! As much as I dislike him, I wouldn''t just sit by and watch as he gets locked up in prison! ¡°Look at the state I''m in, Anna! Are you still not going to help your brother out? Do you want to watch your parents die? How will your mom and I live on if your brother gets sent to prison?¡± Dad asked while staring at me in agony. This was the first time I had ever seen Dad shed a tear. Being his daughter, it hurt me deeply to see him cry. With my eyes all reddened, I quickly looked the other way. I had to avoid his gaze as I feared I would end up making promises I couldn''t keep. ¡°I''m fine. I just got a little too emotional, that''s all. I''m feeling much better now,¡± Dad said, sounding rather weak as he stared at me with his face all pale. ¡°I''m sorry, Dad. There really is nothing I can do about this...¡± I said while sobbing. I have to stand firm on this no matter what Mom and Dad say. I''m not sure if the Shaw family will agree to stop pursuing this matter if I go beg them, but I have no right to do so. Josephine has been in a vegetative state for a year now, so there''s no way they''d easily forgive Steven for this. He screwed up big time, so he has to take responsibility for his actions. Dad''s eyes were filled with anger as he shouted at me, ¡°You seriously won''t help your brother? Do you want to drive your mom and me to death?¡± ¡°You must be hungry after sleeping for so long, Dad. I''ll go buy you some food.¡± Not wanting to continue the conversation any further, I stood up and ran out of the ward after saying that. My tears started flowing uncontrobly the moment I closed the door behind me. I was running so fast that I ended up crashing into a guy as I made my way around a corner. ¡°I''m sorry! I''m sorry!¡± Not wanting anyone to see me in such a terrible state, I quickly lowered my head and apologized without even getting a clear look at the man''s face. ¡°What happened, Anna? Were you crying?¡± the man asked in a gentle voice. I looked up and saw Ronan staring at me with a worried frown on his face. ¡°Oh, it''s you...¡± I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that I had bumped into Ronan. ¡°What happened to you? Why are you at a hospital? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Ronan asked anxiously while eyeing me from head to toe. ¡°No, it''s my dad. He had a heart attack and got admitted into the hospitalst night.¡± I knew Ronan was worried about me, so I decided to tell him the truth. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The frown on Ronan''s face loosened up a little as he asked, ¡°Mr. Garcia is hospitalized? How is he now? Is his condition serious?¡± Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Even an outsider knows that my parents would only think of me when they need my help. I''m the only one who''s still lying to myself that they love me. I shed him a wry smile in response. ¡°Well? What are you nning on doing about it?¡± Ronan pressed on when he heard no response from me, the look in his eyes still as calm as ever. ¡°I don''t know. My mind is in aplete mess right now, and I have no idea what I should do.¡± I knew I should stand firm against their request, but I simply couldn''t bring myself to do so. That weakness of mine was something that I hated very much about myself. I felt like I was losing my mind from my parents forcing me to save Steven, and the fact that I didn''t know what to do only made things worse. Ronan had heartache written all over his face as he looked at me. ¡°I think you should listen to Michael''s advice if you want to truly solve your family''s problems. You might find it cruel, but this is the only solution. You have no other choice, Anna. Unless, of course, you want your parents to continue forcing you like this.¡± Ronan''s suggestions in the past had always been on point. Although I was a little surprised that he took Michael''s side in this, I knew full well that his reasoning made sense. Everyone else could clearly see what was going on here. I hated the fact that I kept lying to myself about it. ¡°I know what needs to be done, but I just can''t bring myself to do it! What am I supposed to do about this?¡± I asked Ronan with a helpless look on my face. It''s easy for outsiders like him to say such things, but these are my family members we''re talking about here! How am I supposed to be so cruel toward them? Ronan frowned slightly as he said with a pained expression, ¡°You don''t have a choice in this, Anna. You have to do it or you''ll end up suffering. Do you want to spend the rest of your life like this?¡± Of course, I knew Ronan meant well. After taking a deep breath, I told myself I had to stop being so indecisive or I would just end up being hurt. I thought Ronan would leave soon, but he kept on following me all the way to Dad''s ward. Even an outsider knows that my parents would only think of me when they need my help. I''m the only one who''s still lying to myself that they love me. I shed him a wry smile in response. Standing at the door, I turned to face him and said, ¡°I''m here. You can carry on with whatever it is you have to do. Don''t worry about me.¡± ¡°Since I''m already here, I might as well go in with you. He is your father, so I should pay him a visit anyway.¡± Instead of leaving, Ronan took the initiative and pushed the door open before I could even react. For some reason, I could sense that his feelings for me hadn''t changed even though he didn''t do anything to express them. Because he had been behaving like a friend the whole time, I wasn''t really sure if I was just overthinking things. In fact, I didn''t even know what exactly gave me that idea, to begin with. After following Ronan into the ward, I realized that my parents weren''t the only ones inside. Michael had dropped by while I was gone earlier, and a slight frown formed on his face when he saw me and Ronane in together. I know that Michael doesn''t like me being around Ronan. He has warned me about it many times a year ago, but a lot of things have changed by now. He wouldn''t still get jealous, would he? Ronan paused slightly when he saw Michael, but was quick to regain hisposure. ¡°Oh, you''re here too? Shouldn''t you be at work today?¡± Ronan asked in his usual carefree tone while wrapping his arm around Michael''s shoulder. After shooting Ronan a nce, Michael ignored him and shifted his gaze toward me as he asked in a questioning tone, ¡°Why are you two together?¡± ¡°I...¡± ¡°We ran into each other downstairs. I heard Anna''s father had been hospitalized, so I decided to drop by for a visit.¡± Ronan spoke up while I was struggling to find the words to exin myself. I felt a little grateful as I knew he was trying to help me out and prevent Michael from suspecting me. I then looked away to avoid Michael''s hostile gaze as I walked up to my dad. ¡°I bought you some sandwiches, Dad. Here you go,¡± I said while serving up the sandwiches. Dad simply gave me a look and began eating the sandwiches. The entire ward then fell intoplete silence, and the atmosphere felt incredibly awkward despite there being so many people around. After finishing the sandwiches, Dad handed me the empty te and turned to look at Michael. ¡°You and Anna are married, so that makes Steven your brother-inw. Are you guys seriously going to have him locked up in prison?¡± he asked in a weak voice. I knew exactly what Dad was going to say next when I heard that. He knew I would never agree to his request, so he was trying his luck with Michael instead. Unhappy with what he was doing, I protested, ¡°We''ve talked about this, Dad! There is nothing we can do! Steven brought this upon himself! He has to pay the price for his actions!¡± What Steven did was reprehensible, and he should be punished for his actions. If we forgive him so easily, he might end up doing far worse things in the future! Is the Shaw family supposed to just put up with his bullsh*t every time? Michael simply kept quiet and maintained a cold look on his face. ¡°Anna, have you forgotten your roots after marrying into the Shaw family? Your brother is the one going to prison right now! Shouldn''t you be doing everything you can to save him? What are you trying to imply with that statement of yours, huh? Do you want your brother to remain locked up in prison?¡± Dad shouted while ring at me angrily. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. His eyes were filled with a burning rage that I had never seen before. ¡°I don''t mean it that way, Dad. I told you, Steven won''t remain in prison forever! He''ll be locked up for a few years at most. In fact, they''ll even release him early if he shows good behavior,¡± I replied with a frown. Hearing what Dad said left a rather unpleasant feeling in my heart. Despite everything I have done for their sake, they saw me as nothing but an ungrateful person who had forgotten her roots. ¡°For a few years at most? That''s easy for you to say! Why don''t you take his ce in prison, then? I bet you told the Shaw family the truth on purpose! You were worried that you''d get sent back to prison, weren''t you?¡± Mom spoke up all of a sudden. Every sentence she said was filled with hatred toward me, and every word stabbed at my heart like a knife. Chapter 481 Chapter 481 She wants me to take Steven''s ce in prison? Am I not their child? Do they not feel worried if I get locked up in prison? I stared at Mom with a look of disappointment on my face and tears in my eyes. It was the first time her words had hurt me so much. ¡°Mom, are you mad at me for not taking Steven''s ce in prison?¡± Although Mom had made herself very clear, I still refused to believe that she wanted me to get locked up in prison. ¡°Yes, that''s exactly what I mean! You could''ve just agreed to take your brother''s ce in prison, but what did you do? You betrayed him just so you could get back into the Shaw family!¡± Mom yelled furiously while pointing a finger at me. My heart felt like it was bleeding all over after hearing that. I never expected for her to feel that way about me. If getting back with Michael was the only thing I wanted, then I wouldn''t have told the Shaw family that I injured Josephine. I kept the truth to myself even when I was detained at the police station. I had always put up with my parents ying favorites, but I didn''t think Mom would say such a heartless thing to me. It hurt so much that I even started questioning if I was actually her daughter. ¡°Mrs. Garcia, you''ve gone too far! Anna may be Steven''s sister, but he is a grown adult now! He has the obligation to take responsibility for his own actions!¡± Ronan red at Mom angrily as he stepped forward to defend me. ¡°She''s my daughter! I raised her and paid for her school fees so she can repay us when she grows up! If she can''t even do something this simple, then why should we even keep her around?¡± Mom waspletely unfazed by Ronan''s words and maintained her unreasonable attitude. Little did she know, every word she said hit me in the heart like a sledgehammer. Did she raise me with the sole purpose of having me repay the favor? Shouldn''t they be loving me more because I''m their daughter? Why should parental love be such a luxury for me? Why would they be so cruel toward me? Ronan probably wasn''t expecting such a response from Mom at all. He froze in shock for a bit before his eyes lit up with anger. ¡°This is emotional ckmail!¡± She wants me to take Steven''s ce in prison? Am I not their child? Do they not feel worried if I get locked up in prison? ¡°She''s my daughter, so she has to do whatever I want her to do!¡± Mom then ignored Ronan and shifted her gaze toward me as she continued, ¡°You must save your brother, Anna! He cannot afford to go to prison! If you don''t save him, then you are nothing but an unfilial daughter who doesn''t appreciate everything we''ve done to raise you!¡± Instead of making a request, she was practically giving me an order at that point. I stared at her in shock for a while before breaking into a wry smile. I used to think that they were simply biased toward us, but I came to realize that they never even loved me at all. Michael, who had been silent the whole time, shouted coldly all of a sudden, ¡°That''s enough!¡± He then red coldly at my parents as he continued, ¡°I''m the one who decides whether Steven goes to prison! Anna is my wife, so I''m the only one who has the right to talk to her like this! Do you two want to get Steven out of prison? Well, guess what? That''s impossible! Now, if you two don''t leave Anna alone, I will make sure Steven stays in prison for another ten years!¡± Michael''s threat was as cold as the look in his eyes. He was a very protective person, to begin with, especially toward the people that he cared for. He refused to let anyone hurt me, including my own family members. As such, Mom''s words had angered him to the core. The domineering aura that he exuded was so intense that even the defiant look in my parents'' eyes began to waver. Mom was the first to regain herposure. She shot Michael a disapproving look as she shouted angrily, ¡°We''re your parents-inw, Michael! How could you say that to us? Steven is your brother-inw, you know? You can''t do this to him!¡± ¡°All of you are nothingpared to my woman! Had you guys treated Anna nicely, I would''ve been nice to you all as well! However, you three don''t even treat her like a human being! Not only have you all not given her any love, but you''ve all been using her like a tool the whole time!¡± The anger in Michael''s eyes burned even stronger as he hurled those usations at my mom. Everything he said was exactly what I had wanted to say for so many years. For some strange reason, I found myself able to keep my emotions in check even when my mom said those hurtful things to me. However, I felt like I was breaking down after hearing Michael speak my heart. Michael''s words hit my parents so hard that their eyes were darting about slightly out of guilty conscience. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Nonsense! She''s our daughter, and we''ve raised her into the adult she is today! How could we have not given her any love?¡± Mom had clearly lost her confidence as she turned to look at me when she said that. I didn''t know why, but I saw no truth in her statement at all. ¡°If you love her, then why would you ask her to take your son''s ce in prison?¡± Unable to stand it any longer, Ronan spoke up once again. Although it wasn''t his ce to interfere with my family''s matters, he took Michael''s side in rebuking my mom that day. Mom was rendered speechless once again, and I could see the panic in her eyes. It was clear as day what my mom felt about the whole situation. I let out a wry chuckle and took a deep breath before turning to face her. ¡°Mom, I told you a year ago that it would be myst time helping you guys out. This time, I will not do anything no matter what you say. I am thankful for you raising me, and I will repay you in some other way. Please refrain from making any more unreasonable requests like this because I will not agree to them,¡± I said coldly while staring straight into her eyes. Everything my mom said earlier had eliminated whatever reasons I had to show mercy on them. They saw me as nothing more than a tool, and that was something I refused to put up with as a human being. I couldn''t bring myself to help someone unconditionally if I knew they were just using me, even if they were my family. Some people may think of me as being selfish, but I have Michael and a child now. All I want is to stay by their side, and I won''t let anyone nor anything separate us. Chapter 482 Chapter 482 ¡°You...¡± Mom stared daggers at me as she trembled all over, but there was nothing she could say in response. I could tell that she was incredibly furious, but I didn''t want to care because they never gave a damn about my feelings anyway. For so many years, I had foolishly assumed that they would appreciate what I had done for the family. I kept telling myself that they were just ying favorites and that they loved me equally deep down inside. As it turned out, I had been lying to myself the whole time. Mom''s words had proven me wrong, and I finally acknowledged the fact that they never loved me at all. The tension in the ward was at its maximum. Not wanting to stay here any longer, I turned around and quickly left the ward. I was practically sprinting as I made my way out of the hospital. I have no idea how I should face my parents at all! It feels like they have beplete strangers all of a sudden! I don''t understand how they are capable of being so cruel to their own daughter! Shouldn''t parents value their children more than anything in the world? Why do my parents only care about my brother? Why aren''t they concerned about my well-being at all? Michael had been following behind me ever since I ran out of the ward. I eventually stopped running when I grew tired, and Michael grabbed my arm from behind. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Having no other choice, I turned around to face him. ¡°Feel free to cry your heart out if you want to. In a way, it''s actually a good thing for you to feel this pain. The sooner you see the truth for what it is, the sooner you will be able to steel yourself and do what is right,¡± he whispered softly as he pulled me into his arms. Although his voice sounded a little cold, I could hear a hint of heartache in his tone. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist when I heard that, and my pent-up emotions just exploded instantly. ¡°Why? Why would they do this to me? I understand that they''re worried about Steven, but why have they never shown me such love before?¡± I was really indignant at the way they were treating me, especially since I never did anything to deserve this. Ever since I was a child, they never gave me any love nor affection. I had always been treated like an outsider in that household. ¡°You...¡± Mom stared daggers at me as she trembled all over, but there was nothing she could say in response. ¡°I''m afraid they are the only ones with the answers to those questions. Make sure that this is thest time you will feel upset and cry over them.¡± Michael''s deep voice sounded really reassuring and gave me a strong sense of security. I chose not to say anything in response as I didn''t know how long I would remain upset about this. He wasn''t me, so he would never be able to truly understand my feelings. As we were standing outside the hospital, there were plenty of people passing us by. They all gave us weird looks when they walked past us, but we didn''t care about that at all. I was so focused on crying my heart out in Michael''s embrace that I didn''t even notice the attention we were receiving. Ronan had a pained look in his eyes when he watched me from a distance. He too, hade running after me when I left the ward earlier. However, he knew full well that it wasn''t his ce toefort me as Michael was my husband. After crying for what seemed like forever, I felt as if my tears were about to run dry. I thought my heart had hardened over the course of a year, but I ended up crying like a baby instead. After taking a few deep breaths to calm myself down, I slowly looked up at Michael and said, ¡°I won''t let their matters upset me anymore. You were right, Michael. I should''ve steeled myself long ago. I''m going to head back to the ward now. Will youe with me?¡± After a brief moment of silence, he shed me a gentle smile as he replied, ¡°Sure.¡± Feeling a lot better from his acts of love and affection, the two of us held hands as we made our way back to the ward. Standing before the door, I took another few deep breaths to calm myself down further before opening the door. Mom was helping Dad peel an apple when we came in. A confused look shed past her eyes upon seeing us, and she quickly leaped to her feet. ¡°I''m sorry for being so mean to you earlier, Anna! I was just overwhelmed with desperation, that''s all!¡± she exined anxiously. I would''ve forgiven her on the spot if this conversation took ce in the past, but my heart was already dead. I showed no emotion as I believed she didn''t mean a word of what she was saying at all. She was only apologizing and exining because she feared I would actually refuse to help Steven. Mom was clinging to the hope that I would soften up and help Steven out. ¡°You can save your exnations, Mom. Your actions today have helped me understand that I mean nothing to you and Dad,¡± I replied with a sarcastic smile on my face. Although it hurt me to say such things, my mind was finally clear, and I knew what had to be done. Mom grew increasingly anxious when she saw how cold my attitude was. She then grabbed me by the hand as she pleaded desperately, ¡°I know I haven''t been kind to you, Anna. I feel really guilty about it too, but you can''t let your hatred for me stop you from saving your brother! He''s still so young, Anna! His future would be ruined if he goes to prison! It''ll leave a permanent stain on his reputation even after he gets released!¡± ¡°Save it, Mom. I''ve made myself very clear just now. I will not get involved in this matter any further,¡± I said coldly while pulling my hand back. After that, I pulled out a credit card and ced it on Dad''s bed as I continued, ¡°Here''s a hundred thousand for the medical bills. Give me a call if it isn''t enough, and I''ll send you more money.¡± That was all I could do for them right now. I couldn''t possibly sit by and do nothing if theycked the money to pay for the medical bills. I would do everything I could to look after them if needed, but I would no longer agree to any of their unreasonable requests. Mom froze and stared nkly at the credit card on the bed. A few secondster, she realized what was going on and grew even more anxious than before. ¡°What''s the meaning of this, Anna? Are you seriously going to just sit by and do nothing while your brother gets locked up in prison?¡± Mom was practically begging me at that point. I took a deep breath to help myself appear calm as I replied, ¡°As I said before, there is nothing I can do to help him out.¡± Chapter 483 Chapter 483 At the sight of my resoluteness, my mother''s frown deepened. I had a hunch it never urred to her that I would be so relentless this round. Undeniably, I used to fulfill their requests by all means regardless of how absurd they were. Hence, it never came to their mind that I would stand my ground that round. ¡°I''ve got to get going as I still have something on. You can give me a call at any time if you need any help. If it''s too tiring for you to take care of Dad alone here, I can hire a nurse for you,¡± I added cidly. No doubt, I was still looking for a job and tended to have spare time at home. If my father was hospitalized years ago, I would surely volunteer to look after him in the hospital. Nevertheless, I did not feel like facing my parents at the moment. After realizing that they had been making use of me without treating me as their daughter, I did not know how I should face them. Finally, I talked myself out of swallowing my pride and continuing to fulfill their request. I had sacrificed a lot for them like a fool throughout those years. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Dumbstruck, my mother gaped at me for a long time. I bet they could not believe that I would have treated them in such a nonchnt way one day. I turned and left the ward right away, giving no hoots to them. Meanwhile, Michael followed behind me without uttering any words. I was thankful to have him by my side at the moment. Otherwise, I doubted if I had the courage to face all these. Deep down, I knew he would be by my side despite what I had been through. That was why I could get a grip of myself this round. I was very much relieved by the time I stepped out of the hospital again. Apart from that, I could not resist giving a silent sigh that I should have made such a decision long ago. ¡°Amaury''s birthday is just around the corner.¡± Holding my hand, Michael changed the topic abruptly. Wearing a look of sheer gentleness, he gazed at me with smiling eyes. I bet he must be thinking of cheering me up so I would not dwell on the disgruntling moments rted to my parents. Right that instant, I finally remembered that Amaury''s birthday would be a few dayster. If he did not mention it, I would have forgotten about it for sure. As Steven''s matter had been bugging my mind recently, I only realized that I had almost forgotten about such an important date! Snippets of the moments when I gave birth to Amaury a year ago suddenly shed across my mind. I could easily break out in cold sweat when I recalled the excruciating pain that I had gone through. At the sight of my resoluteness, my mother''s frown deepened. Nevertheless, I felt all my endurance at that time was paid off by the inexplicable contentment with Amaury gradually growing up by my side. ¡°They will hold a birthday party for him, won''t they?¡± I asked curiously. In our vige, the vigers usually held a feast and invited many guests whenever a baby turned one. ¡°Yeah! I foresee many will attend the birthday party on that day,¡± Michael replied casually and turned to look at me. ¡°Is there anything you like, or anywhere you feel like going? I should thank you for bearing me such an adorable and intelligent son,¡± he asked me with sheer affection in his eyes. A surge of satisfaction welled up from within me in an instant. I actually did not need anything else. To me, it would be the best gift to have him love me from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Nothing. I''d be happy as long as the three of us can spend the rest of our lives happily together. In fact, it''s my biggest wish at the moment,¡± I mumbled. Ever since my reunion with Michael and our son after parting with them for one whole year, I cherished every second spent with them. All the other expensive gifts meant nothing to me. The others might be thinking that I was being pretentious by saying so, but that was exactly what I was thinking at the moment. ¡°I''m sure we''ll be together forever.¡± Holding my hand tightly, Michael reassured me as if he could read my mind. When we were back at the Shaw residence, everyone from the Shaw family was seated on the couch in the living room. I presumed they could not sleep well when my own father fainted at the doorstep the night before. The moment we stepped into the living room, they advanced toward us and asked apprehensively, ¡°Anna, how''s your father doing?¡± ¡°His condition has stabilized. Don''t worry. He''ll be fine after taking proper rest,¡± I assured. Even though my family was not on good terms with the Shaw family, we were still inws. Thus, I knew they were being sincere with their words of concern. ¡°Ah! We''re relieved to hear that. What happenedst night was worrying indeed. Anyway, we are at fault too. If we didn''t instruct the security guard to block them at the doorstep, he wouldn''t end up in that state.¡± Lincoln looked at me guiltily, thinking that they had to be responsible for what had transpired the previous night. ¡°Dad, you don''t have to me yourself. It has nothing to do with you. You didn''t do anything wrong.¡± I reassured him. Even though my father was hospitalized, the Shaw family did not do anything wrong. After all, they only paid Steven back in his coin for what he hadmitted. Lincoln let out a deep sigh. ¡°Anna, I hope you won''t me us for being steel-hearted. We never intended to be on a bad term with your family. But sorry to say that your brother should pay the price for what he had done. If not because of him, Michael''s mom wouldn''t end up unconscious in bed for one whole year.¡± I could still remember vividly how he had treated me when he imed that I was the culprit. Josephine was important to him, just like how much I meant to Michael. Thus, I could understand his persistence in settling the score with Steven. If I turned out to be the one lying in the hospital because of him, I guessed Michael would not think twice about doing so too. After all, Steven should have a taste of his own medicine for what he had done. It was impossible for him to turn over a new leaf without any punishment. If he escaped this round, I was afraid that he might commit other ruthless deeds again. ¡°Dad, you don''t have to exin to me. I understand why you''re doing all these, and I don''t me you at all.¡± I shed him a faint smile, hoping that it would ease his guilt. ¡°Enough of that. Let''s drop the subject. Anna is exhausted after a sleepless night. Let her go back to the room to rest,¡± Michael said nonchntly with knitted brows, as though he knew that I did not feel like talking much about the topic. After going through so much within such a short span, I was physically and mentally exhausted. For the time being, I was looking forward to lying on the bed and having a good night''s sleep. No doubt, Michael was still quite influential in his family. Lincoln zipped his mouth upon hearing Michael''s words. After we were back in the room, I flung myself onto the bed and closed my eyes right away. Soon, I fell into a deep slumber after relieving myself from the tension umted over the previous night. I had had a good night''s sleep. When I woke up, night had fallen. I was surprised that Michael had been staying by my side, reading all the time while I was sleeping soundly earlier. He did not step out of the room at all. Chapter 484 Chapter 484 In the following days, my mother did not contact me again and mention a single word about the matter, probably because I had made my stance clear in the hospital. The sudden change in her demeanor had gradually put me at ease. Soon, it was the red-lettered day of Amaury''s birthday party. Since I was clueless about whom I should invite, I was more than willing to let the Shaw family be fully in charge of the asion. Gazing at my son in my arms, I could not resist wondering how fast time had flown by. It was as though he had turned one in the twinkling of an eye! Many were invited to attend the birthday party, and most of them were the Shaw family''s coborators in the business industry. In other words, there were hardly any rtives among the guests. Needless to say, it was an exceptionally grand birthday celebration that reflected the prominence of the Shaw family. Nevertheless, I was not very particr about how grand the birthday celebration was, as long as I had all of my beloved family alongside me. I thought I would never cross paths with Nichs again after leaving Nifty Group. However, it never came to my mind that he would show up during Amaury''s birthday party. At the same time, I was aware of thepetition between him and Michael that became more intense after I left the group. In fact, I heard he had poached a few of Michael''s clients. On the other hand, Michael had seized a piece ofnd from him in an auction. The moment the clients heard about thend falling into Michael''s hands, they made up their minds to coborate with him again. Technically, it seemed like Michael was taking the lead then. Nevertheless, I was not happy. After all, I still treated Nichs as a friend. Not to mention, I regretted acting impulsively one year ago before getting to the bottom of the matter. If only I had waited patiently for two more days at that time for Michael to return, I would not have followed Nichs overseas. Thus, I could not help but me myself for causing the two of them to be what they are today because of my impulsiveness. My gut instinct told me that they were not solelypeting with each other in the business industry. Nichs was actually venting his wrath mainly because I had chosen Michael as my life partner. That exined why the former kept on stirring up troubles for Michael. Undoubtedly, a strong-willed man like Michael would not easily raise the white g in the face of his opponents. Prevailed by his possessiveness over me, he could not stand it after sensing that Nichs had feelings toward me. Even if thetter did not get on his nerves by challenging him, I bet he would not easily let him off the hook too. In the following days, my mother did not contact me again and mention a single word about the matter, probably because I had made my stance clear in the hospital. The sudden change in her demeanor had gradually put me at ease. When thetter came into view at the birthday party, Michael''s face turned into a scowl in an instant. At the sight of the sheer hostility when they looked intently into each other''s eyes, I felt a prickle of anxiousness. I could not fathom why Nichs suddenly showed up. He had given me a few calls after I left thepany. Nheless, I did not pick up any of his calls so Michael would not misunderstand. In the meantime, Michael headed toward him and uttered coldly, ¡°Why are you here? I don''t think I''ve sent you an invitation!¡± ¡°Well, Anna and I are friends. Since she''s celebrating her son''s birthday, why can''t I drop by and join in the fun?¡± Nichs replied cidly. He only shot Michael a nce before fixing his gaze on me. Sensing his subtle gaze, I was ovee by a sense of uneasiness. At the same time, Michael shot me a cold re that sent an instant chill down my spine! ¡°Ah! Wee to my son''s birthday party. Initially, I thought of inviting you, but I''d changed my mind later, assuming that you might be upied with work. What a surprise to see you here!¡± I forced a bright smile to wee Nichs cordially. Since he had expressed his intention of attending my son''s birthday party, it was inappropriate for me to chase him away despite Michael''s hostile attitude. Not only that, I had no choice but to put on a friendly facade in the face of all the other guests. I expected Michael wouldprehend my point of doing so after seeing the bigger picture. However, he red at me with such wrath in his eyes. If looks could kill, I''d be dead by now. I knew too well that he was infuriated because of my hospitality toward Nichs. Heaving a resigned sigh, I could not help but snort inwardly. Hmph! I can''t believe he''s so petty! Why can''t he understand that I was just being polite? If I tended to be swayed by emotions and treated Nichs coldly, all the other guests would be perplexed. By then, I would attract unintentional attention and bring shame to the Shaw family! A quick-witted Nichs knew at once I was only being polite. Nheless, his lips contorted into a smirk when he caught a glimpse of the simmering rage in Michael''s eyes. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The next moment, Nichs turned to gaze at me again. shing me a faint smile, he handed me a nicely wrapped present. ¡°This is the birthday present I''ve chosen for your son. To be frank, I was racking my brain about what I should choose for him. I hope you don''t mind if it doesn''t suit him.¡± Chapter 485 Chapter 485 ¡°Anna, I didn''t realize before, that you''re so considerate of Nichs. Now, you are speaking up for him.¡± Michael continued pursuing the matter, keeping up with my footsteps and speaking in a jealous tone. I halted my steps and frowned at him with displeasure. ¡°Michael, today is our child''s birthday. Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡± From the moment Nichs showed up, Michael started acting weird spewing words filled with jealousy. Although I could feel that he cared about me, to be honest, I found his persistence rather annoying. The reason was that we had so many guests and I had much to attend to. ¡°You are the one trying to pick a fight with me over Nichs. Just now when you saw him arriving, you were so enthusiastic.¡± Michael towered over me as he red into my eyes. There was annoyance burning in his eyes and I could see that he was really angry. He was apparently a very possessive man. I sighed, not knowing how to exin it to him. I was only being polite to Nichs, so there was no reason for him to get so upset. There was nothing going on between us. ¡°I''ve already exined to you that I was just being polite. I had not expected him toe. Will you please stop harping on that? If you go on being so unreasonable, I''m really going to get angry.¡± With displeasure, I gazed at Michael as I noticed many of the guests looking in our direction. Even Nichs was giving us a strange look. I believe Nichs had already guessed that his showing up today would annoy Michael and he had come intentionally to upset him. I wanted to give Michael a severe ticking-off but not in public. It would not be nice if rumors went around that we were having marital problems. Furthermore, Nichs had his own agenda for turning up today, so it was necessary for Michael and I to appear lovey-dovey. ¡°Just watch out! I''ll take care of you tonight!¡± Michael was smarter than me. He would have known whatever I know. He red at me and then secretly pinched me on the waist. ¡°Anna, I didn''t realize before, that you''re so considerate of Nichs. Now, you are speaking up for him.¡± By all appearances, our mannerisms were those of a very loving couple. I saw clearly, a look of disappointment sh across Nichs'' face while Michael threw at him a triumphant nce. I knew that Michael was deliberately showing off in front of Nichs and I was dumbfounded. He always presented himself as a mature and stable man, so that childish behavior was quite a surprise to me. Nevertheless, I liked it when he acted so jealous. The birthday party was very grand, but it was also very boring. Most of the guests were partners in the business world who wanted to get along well with the Shaw family. Although I did not want my child''s birthday party to be a business venture, among the wealthy, an event like that was considered normal, so I had noints. The banquetsted for a long time, and when it was over, my face was numb from all the smiles. All the time, I had to deal with all kinds of people as well. As most of the guests had left, I stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, preparing to leave. Just then, a Mercedes-Benz stopped right in front of me and the windscreen lowered slowly, revealing Nichs'' handsome face. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Anna, the party ended. Let''s talk.¡± Nichs'' gaze rested on my face and he spoke inly. Our rtionship was something that I felt ufortable about, so I felt rather resentful and did not like to have too much to do with him. Besides, we were no longer colleagues, one taking orders from the other. The most important reason was that Michael was a suspicious character and if he knew that Nichs and I were together, he would feel jealous. ¡°I''m exhausted. Besides, I don''t think we have anything to talk about. After all, I''m just a stay-at-home housewife.¡± The only topic that I could discuss with Nichs was business. Now that I was jobless, naturally, there was nothing to talk about. Moreover, he and Michael were in apetitive rtionship in the business arena. If he wanted to get some useful information from me to have apetitive edge, I would not help him. Chapter 486 Chapter 486 ¡°Anna, I didn''t realize before, that you''re so considerate of Nichs. Now, you are speaking up for him.¡± Michael continued pursuing the matter, keeping up with my footsteps and speaking in a jealous tone. I halted my steps and frowned at him with displeasure. ¡°Michael, today is our child''s birthday. Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡± From the moment Nichs showed up, Michael started acting weird spewing words filled with jealousy. Although I could feel that he cared about me, to be honest, I found his persistence rather annoying. The reason was that we had so many guests and I had much to attend to. ¡°You are the one trying to pick a fight with me over Nichs. Just now when you saw him arriving, you were so enthusiastic.¡± Michael towered over me as he red into my eyes. There was annoyance burning in his eyes and I could see that he was really angry. He was apparently a very possessive man. I sighed, not knowing how to exin it to him. I was only being polite to Nichs, so there was no reason for him to get so upset. There was nothing going on between us. ¡°I''ve already exined to you that I was just being polite. I had not expected him toe. Will you please stop harping on that? If you go on being so unreasonable, I''m really going to get angry.¡± With displeasure, I gazed at Michael as I noticed many of the guests looking in our direction. Even Nichs was giving us a strange look. I believe Nichs had already guessed that his showing up today would annoy Michael and he had come intentionally to upset him. I wanted to give Michael a severe ticking-off but not in public. It would not be nice if rumors went around that we were having marital problems. Furthermore, Nichs had his own agenda for turning up today, so it was necessary for Michael and I to appear lovey-dovey. ¡°Just watch out! I''ll take care of you tonight!¡± Michael was smarter than me. He would have known whatever I know. He red at me and then secretly pinched me on the waist. ¡°Anna, I didn''t realize before, that you''re so considerate of Nichs. Now, you are speaking up for him.¡± By all appearances, our mannerisms were those of a very loving couple. I saw clearly, a look of disappointment sh across Nichs'' face while Michael threw at him a triumphant nce. I knew that Michael was deliberately showing off in front of Nichs and I was dumbfounded. He always presented himself as a mature and stable man, so that childish behavior was quite a surprise to me. Nevertheless, I liked it when he acted so jealous. The birthday party was very grand, but it was also very boring. Most of the guests were partners in the business world who wanted to get along well with the Shaw family. Although I did not want my child''s birthday party to be a business venture, among the wealthy, an event like that was considered normal, so I had noints. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The banquetsted for a long time, and when it was over, my face was numb from all the smiles. All the time, I had to deal with all kinds of people as well. As most of the guests had left, I stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, preparing to leave. Just then, a Mercedes-Benz stopped right in front of me and the windscreen lowered slowly, revealing Nichs'' handsome face. ¡°Anna, the party ended. Let''s talk.¡± Nichs'' gaze rested on my face and he spoke inly. Our rtionship was something that I felt ufortable about, so I felt rather resentful and did not like to have too much to do with him. Besides, we were no longer colleagues, one taking orders from the other. The most important reason was that Michael was a suspicious character and if he knew that Nichs and I were together, he would feel jealous. ¡°I''m exhausted. Besides, I don''t think we have anything to talk about. After all, I''m just a stay-at-home housewife.¡± The only topic that I could discuss with Nichs was business. Now that I was jobless, naturally, there was nothing to talk about. Moreover, he and Michael were in apetitive rtionship in the business arena. If he wanted to get some useful information from me to have apetitive edge, I would not help him. Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Michael sounded so arrogant that Nichs frowned and became more aloof. ¡°Mr. Shaw, you are now acting with such unyielding tenacity like the forces of nature, which is more suited to doing business in the corporate arena.¡± Nichs looked at Michael with a dark expression as he spoke those words. ¡°Doing business in the corporate world requires one''s ownpetence and ability. If anyone tries to achieve something by using a woman, it only shows ipetence.¡± Although Michael did not say it directly, he was implying that Nichs wanted to see me in order to get some information that would give him some advantage. Unsure if that was the case, I turned toward Nichs. From the expression in his eyes which he could not hold back, I realized that Michael was right. Initially, I had felt guilty when Nichs told me he only wished to talk like old friends. Now that Michael had exposed his intentions of trying to use me to get information, immediately what little fondness I had for him was gone. ¡°Let''s go, Michael. I''m tired and I need to rest.¡± After knowing what Nichs'' intentions were, I did not want to waste any more time. Holding Michael''s arm, I just wanted to leave. That was just the way I was. I hated to be used. I never thought Nichs would use me but I had overestimated myself. ¡°Yeah, go home and sleep well.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing my words, Michael turned around and looked at me with a tender and adoring gaze. Michael''s love for me had always been unconditional. Perhaps we hade together motivated by the same objectives which were mutually beneficial. However, I discoveredter that he treated me well without expecting anything in return. Perhaps, Nichs really liked me but his fondness was not as deep as Michael''s. His kindness to me was associated with getting something in return which was the reason why I did not want any entanglement with him. Michael sounded so arrogant that Nichs frowned and became more aloof. Without ncing at Nichs again, I left with Michael holding me by the waist. Once home, I checked on Amaury. Seeing that he was already asleep, I went to the bathroom to shower. Even though it was just a birthday party, I felt really exhausted. Aftering out of the bathroom, I got into bed straightaway just wanting to lie still. Michael stood up and looked down at me. Then, without a word, he went into the bathroom. Perhaps I was too tired, I drifted off to sleep quickly. I did not know when Michael came out of the bathroom but I was awakened by his caresses. His huge hand was exploring my back amorously. I was already exhausted and so I was quite irritable when he provoked me that way. pping his hand away, I tried to go back to sleep. However, he had no intention of letting me off. After being quiet for a few seconds, his hand was on my back, exploring again. ¡°Michael, that''s enough! Go to sleep!¡± Having been abroad for the past year, I had learned quite a few skills in the corporate arena. To me, the most important skill I learned was to control my temper. At the instant when I was most exhausted, I really wanted to kick him out of the bed. ¡°Isn''t it a bit early to sleep? Don''t you remember that at the party, I said I would settle scores with you tonight? You would be getting off too easily if I let you sleep now.¡± His voice came from behind me, sexy and low. Then he bent close to my ear, sounding amorous. My neck felt ticklish and I certainly knew what his intentions were. I was quite awed by his libido. We have been busy the whole day and I''m so tired but he was still in the mood for that. In fact, I am amazed by his stamina in bed. ¡°I''m really tired today. Can we do it tomorrow?¡± Chapter 488 Chapter 488 ¡°Michael, can you stop being so possessive? I already told you that there''s nothing going on between Nichs and me. How many times do you want me to exin myself?¡± I let out a helpless sigh. With regards to my rtionship with Nichs, I had given up trying to exin. No matter how many times I did, there was nothing I could do if he just refused to believe me. ¡°No, I have always been extremely possessive, and you''re well aware of it. Anna, I just can''t bear to see you talk to any other man because you are mine and mine alone!¡± All this while, I was well aware of how frighteningly possessive Michael could be. It was just that he demonstrated it more tantly now. ¡°I understand. Next time, I''ll keep my distance from him so that you won''t even get the opportunity to feel jealous.¡± Closing my eyes, I felt a sudden bout of sleepiness strike me. Not wanting to continue the topic any further, I closed my eyes to ignore him. Satisfied with my answer, Michael stopped putting me in a difficult position. After he hugged me from behind, I heard steady breathinge from him. In truth, he was already exhausted. It was just that he needed to vent the anger he felt out of his system. When the subsequent few days turned out to be quiet, I enjoyed the simplicity of the life I shared with Michael. That was how I wanted to live out the rest of my days with him. As I didn''t want to be a housewife who did nothing at home, I continued to look for a job. Nevertheless, an ordinary job no longer interested me. Furthermore, other than thepanies that belonged to Michael or Nichs, no otherpany provided benefits as good as theirs. Over thest few days, I had the feeling that I was being watched, causing me to wonder if it was just my imagination. Every time I was walking in the street, that niggling feeling would creep up on me. However, whenever I turned around, I would not see anyone there. Am I overthinking things? That day, I drove out of the parking lot of an office building. When I arrived at a traffic light junction, I identally hit a BMW. Luckily, I wasn''t traveling fast but was still shaken by the impact. Given how expensive the car looked, I began to worry as I got out of the car to check. When what looked like a driver alighted from the vehicle, I figured the passenger inside must be someone important. ¡°Michael, can you stop being so possessive? I already told you that there''s nothing going on between Nichs and me. How many times do you want me to exin myself?¡± I let out a helpless sigh. When the driver saw me getting out of the car, he berated me with a scowl on his face, ¡°Miss, do you even know how to drive? Why didn''t you bother to look at the lights?¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I lost my concentration briefly and didn''t see you. Why don''t you check the damage on your car, and I''llpensate you for it?¡± Although the driver was rude, I was still in the wrong for running into his vehicle. Considering that I was at fault, I had to discuss the matter in a cordial manner. ¡°Given how bad the damage is, it will cost at least fifty to sixty thousand to fix it. All right then, you''ll have to pay fifty thousand,¡± the driver casually remarked after checking the damage. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? Fifty thousand? Just for a broken light?¡± I looked at the driver in shock, not because I couldn''t afford it but because it seemed a lot to ask for just for a tailmp. Evidently, he was trying to take advantage of me. ¡°Miss, can you take a good look at what car this is? It costs three million. Therefore, how can a tail lamp be considered expensive at fifty thousand?¡± When he saw my dumbstruck expression, the driver looked at me with disdain and didn''t seem interested to continue the conversation. I knitted my brows in response. Even though I could tell that it was an expensive car, I still felt that the tailmp didn''t cost fifty thousand at all. I didn''t like taking advantage of people, but neither do I like the same to be done to me. Hence, I replied, ¡°I think what you''re asking is too steep. Why don''t we just give the insurancepany a call instead.¡± Although fifty thousand wasn''t a lot of money, I didn''t like the driver''s attitude and how he was looking down on me. ¡°Miss, can you stop wasting my time? Do you know who is in the car?¡± As the driver stared impatiently at me, he was obviously upset that I wanted to call the insurance company. ¡°You left me with no choice, as fifty thousand is too much. Since I can''t afford it, I have no other solution than to call the insurancepany.¡± As I wasn''t going to pay the fifty thousand and had nothing urgent to do, I decided to drag the matter out. ¡°Jim, hasn''t the matter been resolved?¡± Just when the driver wanted to say something, the MPV''s window wound down to reveal a middle-aged woman''s face. Despite being in her fifties, she looked as if she was in her thirties due to how well she took care of herplexion. With her glowing skin, it was obvious that she was someone who came from a prominent family. Chapter 489 Chapter 489 ¡°I mustpensate you, for it''s my fault for damaging your car. Furthermore, as long as the amount is fair, I don''t want to cause you any more trouble.¡± Although I had proposed to the driver that we resolve it with the insurancepany, I didn''t feel like going through all that hassle. After all, I simply felt that he was asking for too much. Now that Alicia appeared to be very polite, I decided not to make things any more difficult. ¡°There''s really no need to. Meeting you today is the happiest thing to have urred to me.¡± At that moment, Alicia alighted from her vehicle and smiled ear to ear at me. Knitting my brows curiously, I didn''t understand why she was reacting that way. After all, we didn''t know each other at all. Also, I wondered what she meant when she said that meeting me was the happiest thing to have happened to her. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, how do you know me?¡± I cleared my throat awkwardly due to the uneasiness I felt from her words. The way she looked at me was so affectionate that I didn''t know what to feel. ¡°I have known you since a long time ago and thought that I would never see you again. But today, I didn''t expect fate to be kind enough to have reunited us.¡± Just as Alicia was speaking, she held my hands and looked at me with tears welling up in her eyes. When I saw how emotional she was, I anxiously wanted to console her but didn''t know what to say. The way she looked at me felt so intensely familial that she could''ve been mistaken for my mother. As she held my hands tightly, I felt a little ufortable. After all, I wasn''t used to making physical contact with strangers. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, in that case, why don''t I call the insurancepany? it will be fairer that way.¡± After I awkwardly retracted my hands, I didn''t feel like talking to her for some inexplicable reason. Hence, I brought out my phone and gave the insurancepany a call. Given how efficient they were, the insurancepany''s men arrived after ten minutes. Subsequently, they took pictures of our cars and recorded all the details. After they were gone, I bid Alicia goodbye and attempted to leave quickly. Before I did so, she gave me a look so intense that it made me feel ill at ease. With that, I dropped my car at the closest mechanic before calling for a taxi. Along the journey home, my mind was constantly thinking about who Alicia was and why was she so friendly to me. ¡°I mustpensate you, for it''s my fault for damaging your car. Furthermore, as long as the amount is fair, I don''t want to cause you any more trouble.¡± However, those thoughts had disappeared by the time I reached home. When I arrived, I saw Josephine happily ying with Amaury in her arms. Ever since she woke up, she felt like a different person and treated me like her daughter. It went without saying that she treated Amaury even better. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom, I''m home,¡± I greeted inly before walking up to her. Josephine turned around and asked, ¡°Wee back. How was your job search? Did you find anything suitable?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm, I met with onepany today. Although it''s different from what I imagined, it''s still eptable to me.¡± To be honest, thepanies that I had recently interviewed with didn''t seem to offer great career prospects. Therefore, I wasn''t really keen on them. Nevertheless, I didn''t have much of a choice, for there weren''t that manypanies avable in Avenport anyway. ¡°If you can''t find anything suitable, just get Michael to appoint you as a manager at Joyful Sess. After all, our family doesn''t really need the money,¡± Catherine suggested when she saw the frown on my face. Even though I didn''t agree with what she said, her words still warmed my heart. ¡°Mom, I don''t want to rely on my rtionships to get a job. Now that everyone knows that I''m Michael''s wife, people will gossip if I''m appointed as a manager.¡± Although I was more than capable of taking over the role, the employees at Joyful Sess wouldn''t share my sentiments. They would feel that I got the job due to my rtionship with Michael and consequently doubt my abilities. Naturally, I wouldn''t feel good being in such a situation. ¡°So what if they think that way? As the daughter-inw of the Shaw family, we can appoint you as the CEO if we wanted to. Thus, what''s the big deal about being a manager?¡± Josephine remarked nonchntly, as she felt that my worries were unfounded. ¡°Mom, thank you.¡± Cognizant that Josephine was showing her concern, I was grateful to her for it. Despite our differences in the past, she now treated me better than Michael. I was naturally moved by her change of heart. ¡°I just ordered the kitchen to prepare some nutritious soup. Hence, you should have some advance. After all, a girl needs to constantly take care of herself, do you understand?¡± Chapter 490 Chapter 490 When she held my hands tightly, I felt uneasy again. Turning around, I caught a glimpse of Michael''s curious frown. I guessed that he too was equally surprised at how Alicia had gone overboard with her warmth. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, since you''re here to chat with my mom, I won''t get in the way. Please carry on.¡± For some inexplicable reason, Alicia filled me withplex emotions which I didn''t understand. ¡°Not at all, not at all. Anna, I like you very much the first time I saw you. Wouldn''t it be great if I had a daughter just like you?¡± Maintaining her tight grip on my hand, Alicia''s gaze was visibly different when she uttered thest sentence. Already feeling awkward, I was stumped upon hearing her words. After all, I didn''t know what to say when she made it sound like I was her daughter. Meanwhile, Josephine knitted her brows as she was equally puzzled by how Alicia was treating me. Nevertheless, she hid her emotions well. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, you have an excellent sense of humor. Everyone knows that you have a beautiful daughter whom your husband puts on a pedestal. Compared to her, Anna is just an ordinary girl.¡± Sensing my awkwardness, Josephine came over to defuse the situation. Realizing that she was being too overt with her emotions, Alicia let go of my hands. Even then, she still maintained her gaze on me. As if something suddenly urred to her, she quickly took off her bracelet and put in on my hand. ¡°Since this is our first meeting, I didn''t manage to prepare anything for you. Hence, I hope you won''t mind this bracelet as a gift.¡± Stunned by her words and actions, I had no idea what was going on. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. By the time I regained my senses, I quickly took the bracelet off. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, what are you doing? Why are you giving me a gift? There''s no way I can ept such an expensive bracelet.¡± At that moment, I was truly baffled by Alicia''s warmth. Usually, such gifts would only be given by family. Therefore, her actions felt very strange to me. When she held my hands tightly, I felt uneasy again. Turning around, I caught a glimpse of Michael''s curious frown. I guessed that he too was equally surprised at how Alicia had gone overboard with her warmth. After stuffing the bracelet back into her hand, I began to panic. At the same time, I could see that both Michael and Josephine were equally bewildered by the turn of events. ¡°It''s just a bracelet and not expensive at all. Please, just put it on.¡± Even though I clearly declined the gift, Alicia was adamant that I ept it and tried to wear it for me again. Although it would be impolite of me to refuse the well-intentioned gift, I still felt weird receiving it. Consequently, I wondered if we were somehow rted considering how generous she was to me. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, I can''t ept such an expensive gift.¡± Considering her illustrious status, it was a given that the jewelry she wore would be extremely valuable. As a result, I just couldn''t ept the gift. Finally, Josephine interceded in the matter. ¡°Anna, since Mrs. Campbell is fond of you, go ahead and ept the bracelet.¡± I was aware that to do otherwise would be disrespectful. Therefore, I had no choice but to ept the gift upon my mother-inw''s advice in spite of my own conflicted emotions. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Campbell.¡± After thanking her, I averted my gaze to hide my awkwardness. Even then, Alicia continued to gleefully focus her attention on me. Consequently, her incessant outpouring of affection continued to unsettle and puzzle me at the same time. By then, Alicia''s unusual behavior had caused the atmosphere in the living hall to grow awkward. After I gave Michael a look, he responded at once, ¡°Mom, Mrs. Campbell, I promised to take Anna shopping today. Hence, we''ll be taking our leave. See you both around.¡± Just as he spoke, Michael walked in front of me and led me out of the living hall. As we made our way out, I could still feel Alicia''s gaze locked on my silhouette. After getting into Michael''s car, I heaved a long sigh of relief before turning to face him. ¡°Don''t you think that Mrs. Campbell is being excessively familiar with me?¡± After voicing my concerns, I felt agitated as I stared at the bracelet on my wrist. Chapter 491 Chapter 491 The sight of her unsettled me again. Nevertheless, it would be bad manners not to greet her still. As a result, I braced myself and approached her. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, I''m surprised to see that you''re still here. I thought you would have already left,¡± I remarked cordially. ¡°It''s been a long while since Ist visited. Hence, we have a lot to catch up on. How was shopping?¡± Alicia was all smiles the moment she saw me. The tone she used sounded as if she knew me very well. ¡°Erm, it was hot outside, so we didn''t want to stay out for too long and decided toe home instead,¡± I simply exined. Deep down, I was reluctant to interact with her. ¡°After shopping for the entire morning, I''m feeling exhausted. Mrs. Campbell, please carry on chatting with Mom. I''ll be going upstairs to get some rest.¡± Wanting to avoid her intense gaze, I decided not to linger in the living hall. After all, she was here to see Josephine. At that moment, Michael put his arm around my waist and nned to go upstairs together with me. ¡°By the way, Anna, can I invite you to visit my ce when you''re free?¡± Just when I was about to ascend the stairs, Alicia''s voice rang out as she looked at me with anticipation. Stunned by her sudden invitation, I didn''t know how to react. Somehow, I felt something was amiss when she invited me to her home, but I just couldn''t pinpoint what it was. Under normal circumstances, one would only invite someone over when one liked the person a lot or if that person was very close. Considering that we have only met twice and barely talked to each other, her invitation couldn''t help but arouse my suspicion. ¡°Erm...¡± I hesitated. In truth, I was in a dilemma. I really wanted to decline her invitation but was worried about disrespecting her. When she sensed my reluctance, Alicia''s eyes shed with disappointment. In spite of that, she continued to persuade me, ¡°Anna, from the first time I saw you, I was very fond of you. I do hope that you won''t reject my invitation.¡± Considering that she was an elder who had invited me over to her home, it would be terribly rude of me to refuse. The sight of her unsettled me again. Nevertheless, it would be bad manners not to greet her still. As a result, I braced myself and approached her. ¡°All right then. Michael and I will visit you when we have the time,¡± I replied with an awkward smile. As nothing of the sort happened before, Josephine knitted her brows, looking puzzled. Evidently, I wasn''t the only one confused about the situation. ¡°Great. Let''s exchange contact numbers. Whenever you decide toe, just give me a call in advance.¡± Alicia was ecstatic upon hearing my agreement. Coming up to my side with her phone, she exchanged numbers with me. No one in this world would treat others well for no reason. Therefore, I strongly believed that Alicia had an agenda. Regardless of what it was, I didn''t like it when she treated me as a fool. After giving her my number, I exchanged further pleasantries before returning to my bedroom. Lying on my bed, I couldn''t help but feel perplexed. Michael, who was behind me, hugged me from the back. ¡°Mrs. Campbell is obviously treating you differently. All this while, she has always been reserved and aloof. Never once did I ever hear her treat anyone so warmly.¡± After Michael''s voice rang out from behind me, the uneasiness I felt further intensified. ¡°In that case, why is she being so nice to me? In fact, she seems to be overdoing it. To those not in the know, they might even think that I''m her daughter,¡± I replied before letting out a helpless sigh. ¡°That''s a possibility too,¡± Michaelmented thoughtfully. His voice was deep and didn''t sound like he was joking at all. As my body suddenly froze, my mind just went nk. When I finally regained my senses, I turned around and gave him a dumbfounded look. ¡°How is that possible? You have met my parents before. How can Mrs. Campbell be my mom? This joke isn''t even funny at all!¡± I red at Michael. I didn''t like it when he cracked such jokes with me. I didn''t mind if his jokes were about anything else, but joking about my parents was off-limits. Ever since I was young, I was raised in a vige. Thus, there was no way I could have such a wealthy mother. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Michael stared into my eyes for a long while before replying, ¡°Nothing is impossible in this world.¡± Even though I felt that he was making strange remarks the entire day, I couldn''t really exin why. Chapter 492 Chapter 492 After a few days, I had totally forgotten about Alicia. Michael didn''t remind me of her too. On that particr day, I left for the hospital after finishing my breakfast. Even though I had a falling out with my parents, I couldn''t abandon them, as they were still my parents at the end of the day. Therefore, I decided to drop by and see if they needed anything. When I arrived in the ward, I saw my mom wiping my dad''s face with a towel. Despite not having any major achievements in life, I couldn''t deny that both of them enjoyed a loving rtionship. That was one of the few things that my family could actually be proud of. After a momentary silence, I greeted, ¡°Dad, I''m here to visit you.¡± When they turned around after hearing my voice, their faces looked indifferent. It was as if they weren''t happy to see me at all. Despite theirck of enthusiasm, I had gotten used to it and didn''t take it personally. Nevertheless, I couldn''t help but feel disappointed. When they didn''t respond to my greeting, I walked into the ward and put the fruits beside the bed. I then remarked, ¡°I bought some fruits. It will help with your recovery.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you doing here? Didn''t you say that you don''t care about us anymore two days ago?¡± Finally, my mom said something. Her tone was extremely unpleasant as if she was still angry over what happened. ¡°Mom, since when did I say that? I was talking about Steven. I didn''t say that I stopped caring about you both,¡± I patiently exined with a sigh. After all, I was well aware of how much they hated me still. ¡°You don''t even care about your brother anymore, so why do you still care about us? Compared to us, your brother needs your help a lot more.¡± Instead of quelling her anger, my words triggered a sarcastic response from her. I knew that they still med me for what happened to Steven. Since they insisted on bringing up the matter up again, I chose to remain silent instead. Sitting by the bed, I took out an apple and began peeling it for my dad. My silence infuriated my mother further. She walked up to me and snatched the apple away from my hand and scowled, ¡°Look at you. As long as I talk about Steven, you will just keep silent. Isn''t it obvious that you don''t want to help your brother? If you continue to maintain that attitude, you can stoping here. I''m telling you upfront that we don''t need a daughter like you!¡± After a few days, I had totally forgotten about Alicia. Michael didn''t remind me of her too. In truth, although I had expected to be treated badly during the visit, I still chose to go. Unfortunately, their attitude toward me was worse than I thought. I took a deep breath in response. Although I had not wanted to talk about the matter, I couldn''t suppress my rage anymore. Springing to my feet, I retorted with a frosty tone, ¡°Mom, can you stop bringing that matter up? I already told you that I tried my best. Why must you keep forcing me?¡± I hade to visit with good intentions but didn''t expect them to treat me so badly. ¡°You didn''t even bother to help Steven at all. How dare you im to have tried your best?¡± ¡°Mom, I''m here today to see Dad and not here to quarrel with you. If you don''t wee me, I''ll leave right away!¡± I had never red my temper at my mom before. After she recovered from her shock, her expression darkened further. I was there to see my dad out of goodwill, for I was worried about both of them staying in the hospital alone. Nheless, my mom''s attitude utterly infuriated me. ¡°Go ahead and leave. Once you go, don''t you ever daree back!¡± My threats were of no use against my mom. In fact, she couldn''t wait to chase me out. Frozen at my feet, I trembled slightly as I gave my mom a look of disappointment. I felt the urge to ask her if I was truly her birth daughter and how could she treat me with such heartlessness. In fact, I already felt the words choking in my throat. ¡°Fine, I''ll leave right now!¡± Outraged, I no longer wanted to speak to my mom any further. Just when I grabbed my bag and prepared to leave, my phone suddenly rang. I had no choice but to stop in my tracks and check. When I saw that it was Alicia, I was shaken for a fleeting moment before I answered. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, it''s a surprise to hear from you.¡± Despite how awkward Mrs. Campbell made me feel during our encounter, I couldn''t deny the warmth she showered upon me. Furthermore, I didn''t detect any sense of hostility from her. Thus, I answered the call with a polite smile, for it was the proper thing to do. Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Just as I hung up the phone, Mom''s voice traveled into the ward before I could exit. ¡°Now that you''ve married into a wealthy family and are living a luxurious life, won''t you take pity on your brother? You have people waiting to butter you up every day, but Steven is struggling. His life is miserable.¡± Mom must have overheard the phone conversation just now, which exined her bitter tone. My footsteps came to a halt as I turned to look at her. Though I was seething with rage, I kept my expression nk and replied impassively, ¡°Mom, if that''s what you think, then I have nothing to say to you. I have other business to handle. I''ll leave first.¡± No matter what I said, Mom would have a way to redirect the conversation to the fact that I refused to spoon-feed Steven. I was tired of quarreling with her. It was pointless to waste my breath arguing something I could not win. I strode out of the ward before Mom could reply. I was still fuming by the time I left the hospital. It bothered me that Alicia, who I barely knew, would shower me with affection when my biological mother never even spoke to me with such warmth. In times like this, I had trouble wrapping my head around the dynamics of my rtionship with Mom. At noon, I called Michael to tell him that Alicia had invited me to her house for dinner tonight. He was unfazed by the news as if he had known early on. Fortunately, he agreed to apany me to the dinner. With much time to kill, I decided to visit hispany and wait for him to leave work. All of thepany staff appeared to be aware of our rtionship status, so they greeted me with enthusiasm¡ªsave for a few female employees. They shied away from me, probably out of fear that I would seek revenge for all the distress they brought upon me in the past. However, I prided myself on being magnanimous, and I didn''t want to stoop to their level. Since they worked for Michael, it was only a matter of time before they got a taste of their own medicine. Michael was focused on his work when I arrived at his office. I knew that he had a heavy workload, so I decided against disrupting his flow. Instead, I took a seat on a couch nearby, pulled out my phone, and scrolled mindlessly through the applications. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. I understood that it was a nuisance to be distracted when one was in the zone, and I could tell from the tottering tower of files on his desk that he was drowning in work. Just as I hung up the phone, Mom''s voice traveled into the ward before I could exit. ¡°It''s so kind of you to let me concentrate on my work,¡± Michael teased, breaking the silence. His eyes glimmered with amusement as he raised a brow. ¡°Well, would you rather I pester you all the time and stop you from working? I''ll have you know that I''ve always been understanding,¡± I retorted, pursing my lips to feign annoyance. ¡°Come here,¡± he ordered. A cheeky smile yed on his alluring lips, indicating that he was in a pleasant mood. ¡°What for?¡± My brows furrowed with displeasure, but I stillplied and approached him. Once I got near, Michael wrapped his fingers around my wrist and yanked me toward him. I lost my bnce and fell into hisp. My face burned with embarrassment. I moved to get up, but his arms snaked around my waist, trapping me in his embrace. ¡°Don''t move!¡± His irritated voice rang behind me. I could hear the dominance in his voice that demanded my obedience. ¡°Michael, what are you doing? You''re still at work! What if someone barges in here and sees us like this?¡± I eximed frantically. I could not bear to imagine the mortification of being caught in this suggestive position. ¡°What are you afraid of? You''re my wife. Isn''t it natural for us to act this way?¡± Came Michael''s flippant reply. My worries were insignificant in his eyes. I supposed that his nonchnt disposition was to be expected. After all, he was never one to care about how others viewed him. ¡°We may be married, but this sort of behavior in thepany will still stir up gossip.¡± I tried to reason with him. His response had left me bbergasted, but I struggled to escape his embrace regardless. ¡°This is mypany. Anyone who dares to gossip behind my back is asking to be fired. Anna, when will you stop being so shy? Do I have to wait for the right time and venue to be intimate with you?¡± Hisrge hand seemed to sear my waist as he tightened his grip on me. Dissatisfaction colored his voice. Despite his cold exterior, Michael craved closeness and affection. It was a fact that I had known for ages. I was well aware that he would be upset if I continued to act prudish, so with a resigned sigh, I relented and stopped squirming. Chapter 494 Chapter 494 I still had not answered him. I naively thought that he would let it slide if I remained silent, but Michael was adamant. His hand gently squeezed my waist as he prompted me to reply. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I knew that he was having a st seeing my flustered state. I had always been conservative when it came to physical intimacy, and Michael had no qualms about taunting me about it. Embarrassment gave way to irritation. With a cold re, I snapped, ¡°You know what I mean! Stop asking me!¡± He was well aware that I was shy about vocalizing anything sexual, yet he still kept prodding me to say the words. His fondness for teasing me was infuriating. ¡°Of course, I know what it means, but I want to hear you say it out loud. It would be so much more tititing to hear those wordse out of your mouth,¡± he whispered suggestively. Puffs of warm breath caressed the nape of my neck, and my heart skipped a beat. He is doing this on purpose! ¡°I''m not saying it! Let me go right now. If someonees in now and sees us like this, how are you going to maintain your reputation?¡± I questioned, growing more exasperated by the second. Had we been in thefort of our homes, I would have allowed him to do as he wished. However, we were at thepany, and there were employees bustling around on the other side of the office door. I could not risk us being caught in this indecent state. ¡°I won''t let go! I wasn''t satisfiedst night, and you still expect me to let you go right now? Impossible!¡± Michael whined like a petnt child as his arms tightened around me. ¡°We did it twicest night! How are you not satisfied? Can''t you just be normal?¡± Ever since we got together that time, I realized that his lust for me had only grown more intense. I was legitimately concerned for his health if we continued with this frequency. Although he had great libido, it was not an excuse to do it every night. Even a guy jacked up on testosterone would not be able to withstand such intensity. ¡°So you do know that we only did it twicest night...¡± Though I had to admit that twice was not outrageous, from my understanding, having only one round of sexual intercourse was the norm for most spouses. I still had not answered him. I naively thought that he would let it slide if I remained silent, but Michael was adamant. His hand gently squeezed my waist as he prompted me to reply. Yet, this man had the gall to emphasize that we ¡°only¡± had two rounds. Rendered speechless by his audacity, I stared at him, deadpan. Michael took my silence as submission. It had somehow slipped my notice, but his hand had made its way to my chest. He leaned forward and captured my lips with his own. I heaved a sigh when I saw his aroused expression. I''ll allow him to touch or kiss me, but I can''t agree to have intercourse in the office! Though he might not be afraid of societal judgment, I was! I would rather die than live with the shame of getting caught in the act. Unfortunately, fate enjoyed messing with me. Just as the thought crossed my mind, I heard a knock on the door. The door swung open before Michael could respond, and in walked Jackson. Jackson froze on the spot when his gazended on our entangled limbs. The blood in my veins turned to ice as my worst fear came true. My body went rigid, and my mind went nk. The embarrassment was worse than I had imagined. ¡°Get out and don''te back for an hour!¡± Michael roared from behind me. He emanated an air of menace. If looks could kill, Jackson would be dead by now. Interrupting in his boss'' naughty time was probably a first for Jackson. Stupefied, it took him several moments to regain his senses and flee the room. The door mmed shut behind him, leaving the two of us some bted privacy. Though Jackson had already left, I was still drowning in mortification. Michael, on the other hand, appeared unperturbed. His hand explored my body, leaving a trail of fire wherever his skin touched mine. Jackson''s stunned expression shed across my mind, and I pped Michael''s hand away. My cheeks were tinged with pink as I glowered at him. ¡°Behave! Didn''t you see someonee in just now?¡± Getting caught by Michael''s secretary was an absolute nightmare. I wished that the ground would open up and swallow me. ¡°That was just an ident. No one wille in from now on,¡± Michael reassured. Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Jackson came in, took a nce at me, and cleared his throat. His reaction made me feel even more embarrassed. I wished I could bury my head in the sand when I recalled how he bumped into Michael and I when we were kissing. ¡°Say what you want to say, and get out!¡± Michael expressed his dismay when he noticed Jackson kept staring at me. Jolted by Michael''s voice, Jackson instantly looked away and put down the files on Michael''s desk. ¡°Here are the documents that need your signature.¡± Jackson kept his head down. I knew he was afraid that Michael might scream at him again. I walked away from Michael, sat on the couch, and tried to regain myposure. The only way to get over this embarrassment was for me to act as normal as I could. Michael picked up the documents, skimmed through the content, and dropped his signature on them. Jackson then immediately picked up the documents and left the office in a hurry. There were only two of us left in the office. I heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, I felt Michael was being a little too hard on Jackson. Jackson was only doing his job. I was sure he didn''t expect to bump into us getting intimate in the office. Since now there were only two of us in the office, I no longer felt embarrassed. I walked up to him and sat on hisp. After wrapping my hands around his neck, I expressed my dismay. ¡°Why did you treat Jackson like that? He didn''t do anything wrong, did he? I cannot imagine the anxiousness your secretary has to deal with when he works with you.¡± ¡°Didn''t you notice he was staring at you all the time?¡± Michael raised his brows, and his expression turned grim. Michael was a possessive man, and I could tell he was jealous. But I didn''t expect him to be so petty. Why should he get mad at Jackson for looking at me? ¡°So what if he took a nce at me? Unless you don''t want him to look at me because you think I''m hideous?¡± I rolled my eyes at him. I knew he was jealous, but I just wanted to tease him. Jackson came in, took a nce at me, and cleared his throat. His reaction made me feel even more embarrassed. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°No one else cany their eyes on my woman, especially right after we did the monkey dance.¡± He was still being as arrogant as usual. It seemed he didn''t take my remark to heart. His words rendered me speechless, and I could only shake my head. I knew I''d never out-talk him if we continued to argue on this topic. I waited for Michael the entire afternoon and left with him after his working hours. Since we were going to visit Alicia, we thought we should buy some health supplements for her instead of going empty-handed. Alicia was not originally from Avenport, but she had a house in the city. From what I knew, she relocated here without her family. That got me thinking. Why would a rich woman like her, who didn''t need to run business for the company,e to Avenport for no reason? But of course, some things were better left unknown. After Michael and I arrived, we pressed the doorbell. A middle-aged woman, whom I believed was the housekeeper, opened the door for us. She asked, ¡°Mr. Shaw and Ms. Garcia?¡± She studied us from head to toe after opening the door. ¡°Yes, that''s right,¡± I replied with a grin. ¡°Come on in. Mrs. Campbell is busy in the kitchen.¡± The housekeeper weed us into the house after hearing my reply. Alicia must have told her about us. When Michael and I were about to take our seats on the couch, Alicia came out of the kitchen and greeted us. Despite having an apron on and dressed in casual attire, she still looked elegant. ¡°Hello, Anna.¡± Alicia immediately smiled when she saw me. She kept looking at me and held my hands. ¡°Thanks for having us. Sorry to trouble you, Mrs. Campbell.¡± I had gotten used to her enthusiasm ever since we met, so I could conceal my emotions very well. Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Her words rendered me speechless. For a moment, I didn''t know what to say. It was weird to hear someone say that. Upon noticing how quiet I was, the housekeeper ended the conversation and went to help Alicia in the kitchen. Only Michael and I were left in the living hall. ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± he asked, looking into my eyes. ¡°Why is Mrs. Campbell so nice to me? Do you think she has an ulterior motive?¡± I lifted my head to look at him quizzically. I had never had a hard time reading someone''s mind like this before. ¡°We all do certain things for certain reasons. I''m sure she has her reason too.¡± After he took a nce at the kitchen, a hard glint shed across Michael''s eyes. I continued asking, ¡°Then, what''s her motive? I''ve only gotten to know her recently, yet all of a sudden, she treated me as if I was a VIP. What does she want from me?¡± Michael had always been good at reading people''s minds, and I was desperate to hear what he had to say. I liked hospitable and affectionate people like Alicia. She treated me as if I was her own daughter even though I knew it was impossible. ¡°I''m sure she must have her reason for approaching you, but I''m not sure if you want to know the truth. I believe she wouldn''t do anything to harm you.¡± Michael nced at me. There was still something else on his mind, but he chose not to say it. Instead, he picked up the cup and took a sip of the tea. I frowned and gave him a confused look. I felt he knew something but kept acting like he didn''t know anything. ¡°Are you hiding something from me? Tell me if you know it unless you enjoy seeing me confused.¡± Someone as careful as Michael must have sent someone to investigate Alicia. I bet he must have found out something about her but refused to tell me. ¡°Let Mrs. Campbell do what she wants. You just need to enjoy her hospitality, and don''t overthink.¡± Clearly, Michael didn''t want to tell me anything. He looked away right after ending that sentence. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I gave him a sullen re. He knew something but still wanted to keep me in the dark. This is too much! Her words rendered me speechless. For a moment, I didn''t know what to say. It was weird to hear someone say that. Soon, Alicia brought out all the dishes and ced them on the dining table. She then walked to me. ¡°Come, Anna. Dinner''s ready.¡± She held my hands and walked me to the dining table. I turned around to look at Michael, but he only had a deadpan expression on his face. Throughout the dinner, Alicia kept advising me to eat more. Even when I was about to try the grilled fish, she reminded me to be careful with the fishbones. ¡°I hope you like the grilled fish I prepared. Tell me if it doesn''t suit your taste. I''ll cook it better the next time,¡± Alicia said with the corners of her lips quirked up. Tears started welling up in my eyes, but I didn''t know why. Never in my life had someone treated me this well, not even my mom. Alicia had indeed made me feel at home. I sniffed and tried to hold my tears. It would be so embarrassing if I were to shed a tear over some grilled fish. No matter how I tried to hide my emotions, Alicia seemed to have spotted the change in my expression. ¡°What''s wrong? Does it taste bad? I should talk to a chef to brush up on my culinary skills. I supposed I had lost touch with cooking since I haven''t done it in years. Sorry about it.¡± Alicia felt bad and looked lost. ¡°No, no, no. It''s delicious. I felt touched because no one has ever been so kind to me.¡± At first, I was a little suspicious of Alicia''s motive, but now, I hadpletely let my guard down. The worry on her face had vanished. She wanted to say something but hesitated for a moment. After a short pause, she asked, ¡°Anna, can you tell me more about your childhood?¡± I could tell she was eager to hear my story. Though I was a little surprised by the question, I answered her out of courtesy. ¡°I grew up in a vige. My parents paid more attention to the boys and didn''t really care about me. They have never done what you did for me just now.¡± The way Alicia cared for me might be a usual act of kindness, but to me, that was something extraordinary since I had never enjoyed such attention before. Chapter 497 Chapter 497 I thought Mrs. Shaw would move on from the topic, but she started speaking again. Looking at her devastated gaze, I did not know how to console her. It must be hard to ept the fact that her daughter was not doing well. ¡°Anna, what do you think I should do? Should I tell her the truth? Perhaps I should tell her everything?¡± Mrs. Campbell''s gaze once again fixated on me and she seemed anxious and distressed. Stunned by her sudden questioning, I did not know how to respond. After all, I did not want to be involved in their family matter. I was not sure what exactly happened, so I should not offer my opinion recklessly. But seeing Mrs. Campbell''s expectant eyes, I couldn''t help but sympathize with her. Although she was overly enthusiastic at the beginning, she continued to treat me very well throughout dinner. In fact, her loving care made me feel the warmth and I did not want her to be sad. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, this is your own family matter. I''m an outsider and it is not appropriate for me to be involved.¡± After serious consideration, I decided not to be involved or give my opinion on the matter. ¡°For example, if you are my daughter, will you forgive me because of my current condition? Will you reunite with me?¡± Mrs. Campbell hurled another tough question at me. Such a hypothetical question was really impossible to answer. Because I had never experienced it before, I could not understand what her daughter felt. Besides, I would not know how to react if I were in her daughter''s position to find out that she had a mother out of the blue. My brows furrowed. Indeed, no matter what the reason was, it would be hard for a daughter to ept the fact that her mother had abandoned her. At least that was how I would feel. However, I could not resist the urge to console her. At the end of the day, what I felt did not necessarily reflect what her daughter would feel. There may be a chance that her daughter might want to reunite with her. ¡°Of course! A daughter will surely forgive her mother no matter what.¡± I smiled and answered brightly, though deep down I was diffident. ¡°Is that true? You will forgive me if it were you?¡± I thought Mrs. Shaw would move on from the topic, but she started speaking again. After listening to my answer, Mrs. Campbell got excited immediately. She held my hand gently and I could feel her trembling hand caused by her rippling emotions. ¡°Of course. After all, it''s one''s mother we''re talking about. Even though she might not be able to ept it at the moment, I am sure she will be able to forgive you eventually if you give her some time.¡± Once again, I smiled awkwardly and uttered something that I was not sure of. Mrs. Campbell appeared to be satisfied with my answer. Her eyes had reddened and tears started to well up. However, she still managed to put up a smile. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Michael looked at me with mixed feelings in his eyes, but he did not say anything. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, let''s change the topic. How about we start eating? You have prepared so many dishes! It will be a waste if we don''t get to enjoy it.¡± I looked at the dishes on the table and changed the topic immediately, refusing to continue the same conversation. ¡°Okay. Let''s eat! We can talk about itter.¡± Perhaps Mrs. Campbell could tell that I didn''t want to continue the conversation, she stopped talking about it as well. The meal with Mrs. Campbell was heart-warming and awkward at the same time. I guessed it was because of those hypothetical questions that she just posed to me. After the meal, Mrs. Campbell stayed back and chatted with me. Almost all of the questions were about my childhood, but I didn''t give it much thought and treated it as a normal conversation. The interaction with her this time made me realize that she did not have any bad intentions. Hence, I answered her questions truthfully as she asked. As the time was about to hit ten, Michael came by my side and whispered in my eyes, ¡°It''ste. We should head back.¡± In fact, I was getting rather tired but did not have the heart to interrupt Mrs. Campbell; hence, I was quite happy that Michael took the initiative to break the conversation and remind me of the time. ¡°It''ste already. Sorry for bothering you for such a long time, Mrs. Campbell. I think we should go. Talk to you next time?¡± ncing at my watch, I realized that it was getting reallyte at night. I stood up and bid goodbye to Mrs. Campbell. Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Michael ignored my question and his gaze intensified. ¡°Michael, are you hiding something from me? Did you find out about something?¡± I nced at Michael and asked in a serious tone. Michael was behaving too oddly today for me to ignore. ¡°Nope. It''ste. Let''s go back home.¡± Michael gave me onest look before diverting his attention away. I knitted my eyebrows, obviously displeased by his answer. Michael must know something but he refused to disclose it. I was fuming with anger at the thought. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. After returning to the Shaw residence, I wanted to continue pestering Michael about Mrs. Campbell''s matter. However, Michael appeared to be disinterested in having a conversation and he went to bed immediately after taking a shower. Hence, I had no choice but to bury those thoughts. Nevertheless, I was determined to ascertain the truth, or else I would feel like an idiot. These few days were exceptionally tiring for me. Michael was already gone by the time I woke up. Hence, I did not have the opportunity to ask him about Mrs. Campbell''s matter. In addition, I was upied with work and quickly forgot about my question. After days of looking for a job, I decided to work in a smallpany. It was tough looking for a company that fit my requirement. Thus, I decided to work in apany that was about to close down. If I could bring thepany back to life, then it would be a valuable skill worth uplifting myself with. Everyone from the Shaw family disagreed with my choice. They were of the view that with my status in the Shaw family, I should not work at apany that was about to close down. If I wanted to, I could get any job that I wanted and there was no necessity to get myself involved in the mess. Knowing that their intentions were genuine and kind, I could feel the warmth in my heart. However, that did not make me change my mind. I stared at Michael and he too did not stop me from doing what I wanted. After working with thepany for a few days, I found out that thepany was riddled with all kinds of problems. The rectification of those problems would be insurmountable. However, I was confident that I could save thepany. Michael ignored my question and his gaze intensified. ¡°Michael, are you hiding something from me? Did you find out about something?¡± During this period, I kept receiving calls and messages from Mrs. Campbell reminding me to take good care of myself. Although it felt weird, I was grateful for her kind gesture. Today, as I was browsing thepany''s reports, a youngdy barged into the office suddenly. She was young and appeared to be four or five years younger than me. Armed with a pretty face, she wore a pair of sunsses and was dressed in branded clothes. Undoubtedly, she came from a wealthy family. I frowned at the presence of thedy who showed up abruptly. Putting aside my work, I raised my head and looked at her. ¡°Hello, may I know who you are?¡± I spoke in a nonchnt tone while sizing her up. ¡°You are Anna Garcia?¡± She took off her sunsses and started scrutinizing me as well. Her eyes were full of rivalry. ¡°Yes I am. And you are?¡± I immediately frowned upon realizing that she was here to cause trouble. ¡°My name is Jte Campbell. I''m looking for you!¡± She stared at me scornfully and she did not even bother to hide the disdain in her eyes. ¡°Ms. Campbell, I don''t think I know you. How can I help you?¡± I had no idea who Jte was. Hence, I could confirm that we had never met before. However, my initial impression of her hateful appearance was subpar at best. ¡°I know that you don''t know me. But I do know you. My mom came all the way here because of you. I''m here today to find out who you are!¡± When Jte was speaking, her stare exuded a strong sense of hatred. ¡°Your mom? Who is your mom?¡± I could not wrap my head around the situation. I had never met her, but she came out of nowhere and was now trying to settle the score with me. Her name is Jte Campbell. When she mentioned her Mom, the first thing that popped into my head was Mrs. Campbell. I recalled that Mrs. Campbell mentioned that she had a daughter. Could it be her? ¡°Is your mom Mrs. Campbell? Are you her daughter?¡± I tried to test the waters. Although I framed it in the form of a question, my tone sounded like I was certain of the answer. ¡°Yes. You''re asking the obvious!¡± Chapter 499 Chapter 499 I was stunned momentarily after hearing what Jte said. A trace of panic rose within my heart. I recalled how Alicia treated me nicely the first time we met. My heart skipped a beat as I heard what her daughter said. I immediately suppressed my anxiousness and recollected myself. As I cast an indifferent look at Jte again, I noticed her gaze was filled with rage. ¡°Ms. Campbell, I hope you don''t say such a thing ever again! Please get this clear. I have my parents, and I am not your mom''s illegitimate child!¡± I have grown up with my parents since I was a kid. They are my biological parents. How could I be Alicia''s illegitimate child? Jte must have been mistaken. ¡°You can''t just deny such things with words! And I came here today to tell you something. I would never approve of an illegitimate sister like you!¡± She seemed to be ignoring my exnationpletely. After shouting harsh words toward me, she did not give me a chance to respond as she left abruptly. She closed the door rudely with a loud bang. I froze on the spot, devoid of expression. My mind kept thinking of what she had just said. She said I am Alicia''s illegitimate child. How could that be possible? This must be some mistake! However, if what she said is not valid, why did Alicia treat me so nicely from the beginning? Not only did she cook for me, but she also asked me a lot of questions about my childhood. What exactly is going on? I was left utterly dumbfounded. Even though I had my parents, I could not help but start to suspect if what she said was right. I did not know why but my body kept trembling incessantly. I had no idea why I was so afraid. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I had no mood to work anymore, so I took out my phone anxiously and dialed Michael''s number. My mind went nk. I had never expected such a thing would happen to me. I wished I could ignore what Jte said. Yet, her words kept echoing in my mind. ¡°Are you done with work? Why are you calling me now?¡± The call went through, and Michael''s gentle voice appeared. However, I was not in the mood to exchange pleasantries with him. I was stunned momentarily after hearing what Jte said. A trace of panic rose within my heart. ¡°Michael, a girl came to my office to see me just now.¡± I grabbed the phone tightly and spat out those words with a mixed feeling. ¡°Many people go to your office to see you every day. What''s so special about this girl?¡± Michael still sounded casual as he spoke. He did not notice something was off with my tone. ¡°Her name was Jte, and she was Mrs. Campbell''s daughter. She told me just now that I was Mrs. Campbell''s illegitimate child.¡± My expression turned utterly ugly as I said that. To me, an illegitimate child sounded highly insulting. I thought Michael would respond by saying that Jte was talking nonsense. Yet, there was a long silence from his end. I waited for him to speak, but he did not. I felt a little uneasy with his sudden silence. I grabbed my phone and asked him, ¡°Michael, why aren''t you saying anything? Did you hear what I have just said?¡± ¡°What would you do if what she said is true?¡± He finally responded after a long while. Yet, that was not the answer I wanted to hear. ¡°Michael, can you stop fooling around with me? You know I have my parents. How could I be Mrs. Campbell''s daughter, let alone an illegitimate one?¡± My expression darkened upon hearing his words. My tone turned stern as my heart filled with utter resistance. I did not know why but Michael''s words made me even more nervous than Jte''s. ¡°Anna, it''s hard to make things clear over the phone. Let''s meet and talk.¡± Michael did not say anything else, but he asked me to meet. My heart turned extremely troubled after he ended the call. I started to feel that what Jte said might be true. Otherwise, Michael would not act so strangely. I have my parents. How could Mrs. Campbell be my mother? This must be a misunderstanding! I tried tofort myself and tried not to let this affect my mood. Half an hourter, Michael appeared at my office. I was eager to know all the answers to my doubts. Chapter 500 Chapter 500 ¡°If you want to know what is going on, you will have to ask Mrs. Campbell.¡± Michael nced at me calmly. Initially, I felt I should not trust Jte''s words so easily. However, since Michael also said the same thing, I knew it was true. I did not know if I could stand the shock. It was such a drastic change in my life. Even though I always thought my parents did not treat me well enough, I had never felt that they were not my biological parents. ¡°So do you want to go and ask Mrs. Campbell now?¡± Seeing how I kept quiet, Michael asked again. ¡°I am not going. I don''t want to see anyone now. Let''s go home. My mind is a mess, and I need some time alone.¡± I did not know how I could face Alicia right now. If I were her daughter, I would not be able to talk to her calmly. Michael did not say anything. He did not force me to find out the truth. I somehow med him as he knew my rtionship with Alicia, but he never gave me any clue. If I had known about this, I would have kept my distance from her from the beginning. After I went back to the Shaw residence, all the family members were in the living room. I did not greet them as I went upstairs directly. They wanted to talk to me, but I did not give them any chance to do so. Going back to my bedroom, I locked myself in the room. I fell into silence for a long while. My mind could not stop thinking about the truth that I was Alicia''s illegitimate child. Michael cast me a nce. He was the person who knew me the best. He knew I could not take it for the moment. Hence, he did not say anything but left me alone in the bedroom. Right now, I needed some peace to clear my thoughts. I needed to recollect myself and let my emotions ease. Iy on the bed and kept recalling the memories between Alicia and me. She once told me that she had a daughter who lost contact with her but was found. She even asked me whether I would forgive her if I were her daughter. Now that I thought of it, all those words were meant for me. She wanted to test my attitude. That was exactly how a mother would treat her child. Finally, it exined why she treated me extraordinarily well from the beginning. ¡°If you want to know what is going on, you will have to ask Mrs. Campbell.¡± I could not believe how foolish I was at the time. I had sensed it was not normal for her to treat me so well, yet I did not give much thought to it. If only I had spent some effort looking into it back then, things would not be in such a mess now. With that, I thought about it the whole afternoon. I started to calm down a little around the evening. I got out of my room and went downstairs. Everyone was there except for Michael. Their expressions turnedplicated after they saw me. ¡°Anna, are you all right?¡± Josephine walked toward me and asked hesitatingly. ¡°Anna, you must not keep it to yourself if something is troubling you.¡± Andy approached me too and patted my shoulder gently. I guessed Michael must have told them upon hearing their words. I bet they were as shocked as I was. ¡°Grandpa, Mom, I am fine. Please don''t worry about me.¡± I disyed a faint smile at them. I did not want them to worry about me. ¡°I n to go back and ask my parents about this. Please tell Michael when hees back.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I did not want to meet Alicia as I was not ready to face her. However, I figured I should at least confirm with my parents. I started to feel that they would not have treated me so indifferently if I were their biological daughter. Nevertheless, I still bore some hope in my heart. I hoped all that happened today was not real. I did not want anything to do with Alicia. Even though she was nice to me, I did not want to be an illegitimate child. ¡°Okay. Drive safely.¡± Josephine looked at me with a concerned look. Since my dad had almost recovered, they had gone back to the vige. Maybe it was because I was too anxious. It only took me slightly over two hours to reach a destination that was supposed to be four hours away. As I had not gone back for a long time, many people greeted me once I entered the vige. If it were before, I would have greeted them back one by one. However, I was not in the mood for that today. Chapter 501 Chapter 501 ¡°Where exactly did you hear this from? Who told you this?¡± My mom did not answer my question. Her gaze turned utterly nervous. I could see she was nervous in her heart. ¡°My biological mother came to see me. I have met her.¡± I looked at my mom in her eyes and spoke calmly. As soon as I finished my sentence, the ss in her hand dropped onto the floor. The water sshed all over the ce. ¡°Did you say your biological mother came to find you? How is that possible?¡± My mom stared at me in disbelief. ¡°It doesn''t matter what you think. That is the truth.¡± My expression seemed utterlyposed, but my heart was already dead. From the moment Michael told me about this, I knew it was a fact that I could not change. Yet, when I looked at my mom, a deep sorrow rose within me. ¡°That''s not possible. When your dad and I adopted you back then, someone from the orphanage told us clearly that you belonged to no one. Now it has been over twenty years. How could your biological mother find you?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. My mom still did not seem to believe my words. She was overwhelmed with emotions. As I heard she mentioned the orphanage, my heart fell with a thud. So I was adopted from an orphanage. Alicia said that she separated from her child since thetter was still very young. It turned out that she dumped me at an orphanage Initially, I thought she had good reasons for that. However, when I heard my mom mention it, it felt as though a knife had stabbed through my heart. The pain was too much for me to bear. I had always thought that a mother would never abandon her child no matter what. Yet, she abandoned me at an orphanage when I was small. I did not understand why she hade back to find me after twenty years. I feel very heartbroken about it, but I also felt that the whole thing was more like a joke. ¡°So I am not your child. No wonder you guys treated me so indifferently. Since you guys don''t love me, why did you adopt me back then?¡± ¡°Where exactly did you hear this from? Who told you this?¡± I could no longer suppress my emotion as tears rolled down my cheeks. I did not understand why they did not try to love me like their own since they had decided to adopt me. If you don''t love me, why did you adopt me? My mom frowned tightly upon hearing my words. She walked toward the couch and sat down. A long whileter, she finally opened her mouth. ¡°Your dad and I were married for years and did not have any child. We thought there was a problem with me, so we went to an orphanage and adopted you. We did not expect that I would get pregnant with your brother after that.¡± Even though my mom sounded utterly calm when she spoke, I could somehow feel her regret. I thought she regretted the part that she adopted me. If she had gotten pregnant earlier, she would not have adopted me. Even though she merely exined it in two sentences, I felt like a thousand needles were stabbing through my heart. ¡°Got it. Now I understand why you have never given me any love before. It is because I am not your child. I am indeed an adopted child.¡± I disyed a bitter smile as I shifted my gaze toward her. At the moment, she felt like a stranger to me. ¡°Anna, I know I mistreated you these years. But I think you should understand. Your brother is my child. I could not even give him enough love. How could I have more to spare for an adopted child?¡± My mom looked utterly guilty, but her words made me feel really sad. ¡°If you didn''t have enough love to spare me, you should have given me away. I tried my best to be a good daughter all those years, but all I got was this. You guys are such a big disappointment!¡± She never treated me as her child, yet I treated them like my biological parents all those years. Whenever they spoke harshly to me, I would tell myself that I was the one who did not do well. I had been persuading myself to do better so that my parents would like me. In fact, I could not even remember how many times I had told myself that. Yet, now I realize it was such a joke. Chapter 502 Chapter 502 ¡°Alicia, there''s no need for you to be so nice to me. We''re nothing but strangers,¡± I stated coldly as I raised my head and looked into her eyes. Immediately after I spoke, Alicia''s expression changed. A hurt look shed across her eyes. However, since she was married into a wealthy family, she was the most skilled at concealing her emotions. ¡°Anna, what''s wrong with you today? Why do you have such a bad temper? Did I do something wrong to make you upset? If there''s anything, you can tell me directly!¡± Alicia sounded very gentle when she talked to me. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, I hope that we''ll never meet again and that there will be no changes to our rtionship. If you''re visiting me to make yourself feel less guilty, I can tell you straight up that there''s no need for that!¡± Till now, she still had not admitted outrightly what our rtionship really was. She kept trying to test me sometimes, but I did not like how that felt. I thought that my words had already conveyed all I wanted to say. She was a smart person, so there was no reason that she would not understand. ¡°What... What do you mean? Did you find out about something?¡± Alicia stared at me in shock, her expression changing drastically. ¡°Don''t you know that your daughter came looking for me yesterday? She said that I''m your illegitimate child.¡± I exined calmly as I shot her a calm look. Alicia''s face paled the moment she heard what I said. At the same time, a guilty look crept into her eyes. ¡°So, you''ve already found out. No wonder you''re acting so coldly toward me suddenly.¡± Alicia stared at me sadly as her voice became filled with guilt. In the past, I was someone who would give in very easily. If she had spoken to me like that when I was still my past self, I would definitely relent. However, I no longer wanted my emotions to be so easily manipted by such matters. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, I already know your motive for looking for me. If you''re trying topensate for me, I think that there''s no need for that. I''m no longer a child, so I don''t need the so-called ''motherly love''.¡± Before Alicia could speak, I expressed my stance clearly. I stared at her emotionlessly, not wanting to hear her nonsense about seeking forgiveness. ¡°Alicia, there''s no need for you to be so nice to me. We''re nothing but strangers,¡± I stated coldly as I raised my head and looked into her eyes. ¡°Alicia, thara''s no naad for you to ba so nica to ma. Wa''ra nothing but strangars,¡± I statad coldly as I raisad my haad and lookad into har ayas. Immadiataly aftar I spoka, Alicia''s axprassion changad. A hurt look shad across har ayas. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Howavar, sinca sha was marriad into a waalthy family, sha was tha most skid at concaaling har amotions. ¡°Anna, what''s wrong with you today? Why do you hava such a bad tampar? Did I do somathing wrong to maka you upsat? If thara''s anything, you can tall ma diractly!¡± Alicia soundad vary gan whan sha talkad to ma. ¡°Mrs. Campball, I hopa that wa''ll navar maat again and that thara will ba no changas to our rtionship. If you''ra visiting ma to maka yoursalf faalss guilty, I can tall you straight up that thara''s no naad for that!¡± Till now, sha still had not admittad outrightly what our rtionship raally was. Sha kapt trying to tast ma somatimas, but I did not lika how that falt. I thought that my words had alraady convayad all I wantad to say. Sha was a smart parson, so thara was no raason that sha would not undarstand. ¡°What... What do you maan? Did you find out about somathing?¡± Alicia starad at ma in shock, har axprassion changing drastically. ¡°Don''t you know that your daughtar cama looking for ma yastarday? Sha said that I''m your igitimata child.¡± I axinad calmly as I shot har a calm look. Alicia''s faca pd tha momant sha haard what I said. At tha sama tima, a guilty look crapt into har ayas. ¡°So, you''va alraady found out. No wondar you''ra acting so coldly toward ma suddanly.¡± Alicia starad at ma sadly as har voica bacama fid with guilt. In tha past, I was somaona who would giva in vary aasily. If sha had spokan to ma lika that whan I was still my past salf, I would dafinitaly rnt. Howavar, I no longar wantad my amotions to ba so aasily maniptad by such mattars. ¡°Mrs. Campball, I alraady know your motiva for looking for ma. If you''ra trying topansata for ma, I think that thara''s no naad for that. I''m no longar a child, so I don''t naad tha so-cad ''motharly lova''.¡± Bafora Alicia could spaak, I axprassad my stanca arly. I starad at har amotiossly, not wanting to haar har nonsansa about saaking forgivanass. ¡°Anna, I know that you must be feeling really upset now and that it''s hard to ept the truth since you''ve just learned about it. After all these years, I''ve been thinking about you almost every day. Even in my dreams, I yearned to have you back by my side.¡± Alicia walked to me and gazed at me, her eyes filled with grief. I could tell that she was feeling extremely sad right now. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, if you''re here to tell me all these today, you can leave now that you''re done speaking. I have a lot of work to do.¡± I said coldly, suppressing the hatred within me. Since I was in the office, I did not want everyone in thepany to know about this. Being an illegitimate child was not something to be proud of. Furthermore, I had been abandoned. Actually, I was not really bothered by the fact that I was illegitimate¡ªit was more about how she had abandoned me more than twenty years ago. If she had not done that, I would not have been so resistant toward her now. ¡°Anna, can you not speak to me in that tone? I''ve been searching for you for years before I could locate your whereabouts. It''s been so hard for me to meet you. I feel really sad now that you''re treating me like this.¡± Alicia approached me and held my hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her hand was very warm. My heart skipped a beat, but I still flung her hand away ruthlessly, not wanting to say anything else to her. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, I have told you that I''m working now. If you''re acting like this, I cannot focus on my work. Do you want me to ask the security guards to chase you out?¡± My back was facing Alicia as tears were welling up in my eyes. Although my words were so ruthless, I would be lying if I said that I did not feel anything at all. After knowing that she was my mother, my feelings toward her changed. It was not that I did not want to acknowledge her. However, whenever I recalled how she had abandoned me more than twenty years ago, I could not help but me her. I was an ordinary person too. I did not know why all these misfortunes happened to me. What have I done wrong? Why am I treated so mercilessly? ¡°Anna, I am your mother. Do you really want to treat me so ruthlessly? I know that I''ve let you down, but I really want to make up for my mistakes now. Can you please give me a chance?¡± Alicia gazed at me, her eyes filled with a pleading look. ¡°A chance for you to make up for your mistakes? If you haven''t abandoned me, there''ll be no need for that! I''m already an adult. What''s the use of yourpensation?¡± I scoffed coldly, viewing her so-called pensation'' with nothing but contempt. When I needed motherly love the most, she did not appear beside me. Now that I did not need it, she wanted to compensate me. Doesn''t she find herself ridiculous? ¡°I... I had no choice back then. As a single mother, there was no way I could keep you with me. You know the terrifying power of rumors, right? Back then, I could not even face anyone. I had no choice but to leave you at an orphanage.¡± When Alicia spoke, she grimaced. I suddenly felt that my existence was nothing but a stain on her life. As she could not endure the weight of those rumors, she decided to abandon me at an orphanage. Initially, I had a mother. However, her decision had made me an orphan. ¡°Do you think that it''s a good reason to abandon me? I''m a mother too now, but I''m different from you! If I were in your shoes, I will never abandon my child even if the entire world were to hurl insults at me!¡± When I was separated from Amaury for a year, I experienced how agonizing and tormenting it felt. Hence, no matter what difficulties I faced, I was d as long as Amaury could stay by my side. In her case, she had abandoned her child when things were tough for her. No excuse was good enough for her to be forgiven. Everyone said that motherly love was the most selfless, yet she had abandoned me at an orphanage just because she could not withstand those gossip. How can she bear to do that? As a mother, not only did she refuse to do her best to protect her child, but she had also abandoned me. After doing all that, does she really deserve to be forgiven? Chapter 503 Chapter 503 ¡°I''m sorry about what happened to you years ago. You''re right to me me, but no matter what, I''m still your mother. I''m really upset with the way you are talking to me now.¡± Alicia looked at me in agony, guilt, and indignance. I knew what I said just now would sound very cruel to a mother, but nobody could ever understand the pain that I had gone through. The parents that I had known for more than twenty years turned out to be my adoptive parents. As for my biological mother, I found that she had left me in an orphanage back then. Nobody in my position would be able to dismiss this fact just like that. I had always been someone who ced great value on my rtionships and took them seriously. Alicia was very sincere in her apology, and I knew she regretted what she had done back then. Even so, I could not bring myself to forgive her. The thought of me being abandoned when I was a child broke my heart. Since I was young, I had always felt like I was an outsider. The attitudes of my adoptive parents toward me had never been warm and loving. Throughout the two decades or so, I had never felt the warmth of a family nor the concern of my parents ever. Alicia''s tender care for me now touched me. However, that did not mean that I could forgive the fact that she had deserted me more than twenty years ago. ¡°I don''t wish to talk about this subject right now. If you don''t want me to hate you even more, then you should just leave. If not, I can make sure that you will never be able to find me again.¡± Alicia might be upset, but my heart ached more than hers. Outwardly, I appeared to be indifferent. Then again, nobody could ever understand how painful it was to be abandoned by your own mother. ¡°Anna, please don''t be like this. It hasn''t been easy for me to locate you. What am I supposed to do if you refuse to see me in the future? I know you don''t want to see me. I''ll leave now.¡± My threat seemed to work. Alicia became worried. After taking onest nce at me sadly, she turned and left. ¡°I''m sorry about what happened to you years ago. You''re right to me me, but no matter what, I''m still your mother. I''m really upset with the way you are talking to me now.¡± ¡°I''m sorry about what happanad to you yaars ago. You''ra right to ma ma, but no mattar what, I''m still your mothar. I''m raally upsat with tha way you ara talking to ma now.¡± Alicia lookad at ma in agony, guilt, and indignanca. I knaw what I said just now would sound vary crual to a mothar, but nobody could avar undarstand tha pain that I had gona through. Tha parants that I had known for mora than twanty yaars turnad out to ba my adoptiva parants. As for my biological mothar, I found that sha hadft ma in an orphanaga back than. Nobody in my position would ba a to dismiss this fact just lika that. I had always baan somaona who cad graat valua on my rtionships and took tham sariously. Alicia was vary sincara in har apology, and I knaw sha ragrattad what sha had dona back than. Evan so, I could not bring mysalf to forgiva har. Tha thought of ma baing abandonad whan I was a child broka my haart. Sinca I was young, I had always falt lika I was an outsidar. Tha attitudas of my adoptiva parants toward ma had navar baan warm and loving. Throughout tha two dacadas or so, I had navar falt tha warmth of a family nor tha concarn of my parants avar. Alicia''s tandar cara for ma now touchad ma. Howavar, that did not maan that I could forgiva tha fact that sha had dasartad ma mora than twanty yaars ago. ¡°I don''t wish to talk about this subjact right now. If you don''t want ma to hata you avan mora, than you should justava. If not, I can maka sura that you will navar ba a to find ma again.¡± Alicia might ba upsat, but my haart achad mora than hars. Outwardly, I appaarad to ba indiffarant. Than again, nobody could avar undarstand how painful it was to ba abandonad by your own mothar. ¡°Anna, asa don''t ba lika this. It hasn''t baan aasy for ma to locata you. What am I supposad to do if you rafusa to saa ma in tha futura? I know you don''t want to saa ma. I''llava now.¡± My thraat saamad to work. Alicia bacama worriad. Aftar taking onast nca at ma sadly, sha turnad andft. Just as she was about to reach the door, I saw the soup on the desk and said, ¡°Take your stuff away!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, I did not want to ept any of her things. She was kind to me only because she wanted me to acknowledge her. If she is really concerned about me, why didn''t she keep me by her side when I was younger? Why didn''t she make soup for me back then? Honestly, I felt that everything she did now was pointless. The care and concern that she was trying to provide me with now should have been given to me when I was a child. There was a pain in Alicia''s eyes as she looked at me, but she said nothing. Then, she took the thermal food jar with trembling hands. At that instant, I almost lost it. I turned around, so she would not be able to see the tears in my eyes. After Alicia left, I could no longer control my emotions. The moment the door closed, my tears came flowing down. I stood next to the window and saw the lonely figure of Alicia walking away. Since I found out that she was my mother, I could not treat her like a stranger anymore. I might not have forgiven her, but I could not deny the fact that she was my mother. Because of this, I had not been in the mood to work. As such, the business was not doing so well of late. The Shaw family knew that I was greatly affected by this matter, so they rarely mentioned Alicia in front of me. I knew they did not want to upset me. Michael would pick me up every day after I got off work. Seeing that I had been so distractedtely, he was worried that I might get into idents. It was the same that day. I was still feeling down when I got into Michael''s car. Michael looked at my haggard face, and he looked heartbroken. ¡°You seem to have aged during the past few days. If you keep this up, you''ll be an olddy very soon. Aren''t you worried that I won''t want you anymore when that happens?¡± he teased. ¡°I know you won''t do that.¡± I knew Michael was joking with me, so I was not angry. There were plenty of beautiful women around him all the time. If he truly wanted to fool around with other women, he could have done so a long time ago. Besides, I hadplete trust in his feelings for me. ¡°Do you really trust me so much? Don''t you know that most men love beautiful women?¡± Michael raised his brows and looked at me with a smile. ¡°So, are you trying to tell me that you want a young and pretty woman now?¡± I looked at Michael with annoyance. He knew I was not in a good mood. Yet, he was obviously trying to provoke me by talking about such things. Michael looked at me seriously and said, ¡°If you continue behaving like this, that might happen. After all, no man likes to see a sulky face every day.¡± I was already in a foul mood. After hearing him say that, I became angrier. ¡°Michael, are you pissing me off on purpose? You know well enough that I''m in a bad mood. Yet, you still say such things to agitate me!¡± I red at Michael with displeasure. It was fine if he did not want to console me, but I could not ept how he would talk about having other women. Haven''t I had enough troubles? Michael replied casually, ¡°If you want to hold on to me for good, then you''d better stop being so sulky every day. Otherwise, I might really find someone else.¡± Not wanting to give me a chance to retort, he started the car. I stared daggers at Michael but was unable to say anything. Have I been in such a foul moodtely that I have begun to irritate him? I knew very well that Michael would not cheat on me, but I was a little scared nevertheless. It was time to stop this nonsense. Alicia could do as she pleased for all I cared. Whether I had a mother or not, it made no difference to me since I was already a grown-up. With that in mind, I felt more at ease. I forced a smile while fawning at Michael. ¡°Michael, are you tired from your work? Why don''t you take it easy and rx tonight?¡± Chapter 504 Chapter 504 I looked at Michael in such a suggestive manner that it gave me goosebumps. For the past few days, I had been rejecting Michael when he approached me for sex because I had not been in the mood for it. Although he did not say anything, I knew he must be frustrated. Therefore, I intended to make it up to him that night. I might not feel like it, but it did not give me the right to ignore my husband''s physical needs. ¡°Anna, can you please stop talking to me in this manner? I cannot take it!¡± Initially, I had thought that my suggestive tone might excite Michael. On the contrary, he looked at me in disdain. That was the first time Michael had ever rejected my advances in bed. I was both surprised and unhappy. After going all out to please him, he actually told me that I was disgusting. That was too much. ¡°Well, it''s fine if you aren''t interested. I can''t be bothered anyway.¡± I rolled my eyes at Michael and looked away. Seeing that I was not happy, Michael raised his brows slightly and said, ¡°I''m interested! Of course, I am! It''s so rare for you to take the initiative. Why would I turn you down? But, you are the one who told me to rx tonight. I hope you don''tin about being too exhaustedter on.¡± Naturally, I knew what he meant. He had always had endless energy when it came to sex. I was fully aware of that. Please don''t tell me that he... The thought of him going on in bed with no end in sight made me nervous. I was starting to regret enticing him. It felt as if I had dug a hole and jumped into it on my own. I sat upright and tried to ignore what Michael had said. The change in the topic had distracted me even if it was only for a while. Just as Michael''s car turned out of my office building, I saw a familiar figure standing by the side of the road. Alicia was in a pretty dress and exuded an air of elegant nobility, but her face was pale and haggard. I looked at Michael in such a suggestive manner that it gave me goosebumps. I lookad at Michaal in such a suggastiva mannar that it gava ma goosabumps. For tha past faw days, I had baan rajacting Michaal whan ha approachad ma for sax bacausa I had not baan in tha mood for it. Although ha did not say anything, I knaw ha must ba frustratad. Tharafora, I intandad to maka it up to him that night. I might not faal lika it, but it did not giva ma tha right to ignora my husband''s physical naads. ¡°Anna, can you asa stop talking to ma in this mannar? I cannot taka it!¡± Initially, I had thought that my suggastiva tona might axcita Michaal. On tha contrary, ha lookad at ma in disdain. That was tha first tima Michaal had avar rajactad my advancas in bad. I was both surprisad and unhappy. Aftar going all out to asa him, ha actually told ma that I was disgusting. That was too much. ¡°Wall, it''s fina if you aran''t intarastad. I can''t ba botharad anyway.¡± I rod my ayas at Michaal and lookad away. Saaing that I was not happy, Michaal raisad his brows slightly and said, ¡°I''m intarastad! Of coursa, I am! It''s so rara for you to taka tha initiativa. Why would I turn you down? But, you ara tha ona who told ma to rx tonight. I hopa you don''tin about baing too axhaustadtar on.¡± Naturally, I knaw what ha maant. Ha had always had anss anargy whan it cama to sax. I was fully awara of that. asa don''t tall ma that ha... Tha thought of him going on in bad with no and in sight mada ma narvous. I was starting to ragrat anticing him. It falt as if I had dug a h and jumpad into it on my own. I sat upright and triad to ignora what Michaal had said. Tha changa in tha topic had distractad ma avan if it was only for a wh. Just as Michaal''s car turnad out of my offica building, I saw a familiar figura standing by tha sida of tha road. Alicia was in a pratty drass and axudad an air of gant nobility, but har faca was p and haggard. Her car was parked not far away, but she was standing on the pavement. When Michael''s car came out, she turned to look. Separated by the car window, I had no idea if she could see me, but I became nervous nheless for I knew very well why she was there. Earlier on, my mood brightened up a little. However, the sight of her standing under the searing sun made me feel depressed. I would be lying if I said I was not heartbroken to see her in that state. I looked away for fear of losing control over my emotions. Michael noticed her too. He frowned and asked, ¡°Do you want to say hi to her?¡± He was simply asking a question. ¡°No need. There''s nothing for us to talk about.¡± I turned down his offer without hesitation. In truth, I would not know what to say to her. I had made it clear that I had no intention of forgiving or acknowledging her. In the past, Michael would have forced me to make a decision. However, he did not this time around. Without another word, he stepped on the elerator and sped away. As I looked at her through the rearview mirror, my heart felt as if someone was crushing it. It was after a long while before Michael said, ¡°You need toe to a decision on this matter. Do you intend to avoid it for the rest of your life?¡± He had never once interfered in this matter, but I knew he hoped that I would acknowledge Alicia. ¡°You do know how indecisive I am when ites to matters like this. I have no idea what I should do.¡± With Michael, I never had to conceal my true feelings. I would only speak my mind whenever I was with him. ¡°There is nothing to lose if you decide to acknowledge her. You should know that she is truly regretful, and she wants to make it up to you,¡± said Michael. ¡°Are you saying that I should acknowledge her?¡± I asked with a frown. I knew what Michael meant. He hoped that I would let go of my grudges and make peace with her. ¡°This is only my suggestion. The ultimate decision lies with you. I will respect your decision no matter what you decide.¡± Michael''s calm demeanor frustrated me even more. I wished he would just force me to make a certain decision like he did in the past. Now that he had given me the power to decide, it only made things more difficult for me. ¡°I don''t wish to acknowledge her. I just can''t bring myself to ept our rtionship.¡± Finally, I dered my stand on this matter. However, I did not know what might happen between Alicia and me in the future. In the meantime, I just could not ept it for now. ¡°Fine. Since you can''t ept it, then don''t see her anymore. If you bump into her again, just treat her as a stranger,¡± said Michael indulgently. He reached out to hold my hand. With Michael''s support, I felt so much better. It did not matter what my decision would be. I would not be at a loss knowing that he had my back. Seeing that I had been feeling downtely, Josephine had gotten the housekeeper to prepare the food that I liked every day. That day, Josephine grabbed hold of me and wanted to drag me into the kitchen the moment I walked in. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom, why have you brought me into the kitchen? It isn''t time to have dinner yet.¡± Before I could even sit down, Josephine had pulled me into the kitchen. ¡°I got the housekeeper to prepare some nutritious soup for you. You have lost weight recently. It''s time to take care of yourself. I''ll scoop a bowl of soup for you. Drink some.¡± As Josephine was talking, she ced the bowl of soup in front of me. Looking at the soup, I was touched nevertheless. Chapter 505 Chapter 505 ¡°Mom, I''m feeling fine. You must be tired after preparing all these dishes for metely. You''re still unwell, so you should get more rest.¡± Looking at Josephine, my eyes teared up. All of a sudden, it dawned on me that Josephine''s love was more than enough for me. There was no need for me to try to gain any love or concern from my biological mother or my adoptive parents. I leaned forward to give Josephine a hug, and my tears were threatening to fall. All of one''s defenses would fall during one''s most vulnerable times when another person showed that they cared. At that moment, I could no longer pretend. ¡°Mom, thank you.¡± When I said that, my voice cracked. ¡°Silly girl. I know I didn''t treat you so well in the past. Now that I know that you are a kind-hearted person, it''s only natural that I will treat you better,¡± said Josephine softly as she patted my shoulders. ¡°Mom, thank you for being so nice to me now.¡± Josephine patted lightly on my shoulders as sheforted me, ¡°I know you have been stressed about Aliciately. I understand, but you have to take care of your health. Don''t forget that there are many people who care about you. As for your biological mother, just do as you wish. We will support you no matter what you decide!¡± I was even more touched by what she said. The Shaw family had business dealings with Alicia. If I acknowledged Alicia as my mom, it would benefit the Shaw family. However, Josephine did not ask me to do so. I could feel that she had my best interests at heart. ¡°Mom, thank you for putting up with me. I know that everyone has been tiptoeing around me because of my foul mood.¡± In recent times, everyone at home would try to be as quiet as possible whenever I was back. I knew they did not want to add to my frustration. ¡°Mom, I''m feeling fine. You must be tired after preparing all these dishes for metely. You''re still unwell, so you should get more rest.¡± ¡°Mom, I''m faaling fina. You must ba tirad aftar praparing all thasa dishas for mataly. You''ra still unwall, so you should gat mora rast.¡± Looking at Josaphina, my ayas taarad up. All of a suddan, it dawnad on ma that Josaphina''s lova was mora than anough for ma. Thara was no naad for ma to try to gain any lova or concarn from my biological mothar or my adoptiva parants. Ianad forward to giva Josaphina a hug, and my taars wara thraataning to fall. All of ona''s dafansas would fall during ona''s most vulnara timas whan anothar parson showad that thay carad. At that momant, I could no longar pratand. ¡°Mom, thank you.¡± Whan I said that, my voica crackad. ¡°Silly girl. I know I didn''t traat you so wall in tha past. Now that I know that you ara a kind-haartad parson, it''s only natural that I will traat you battar,¡± said Josaphina softly as sha pattad my shouldars. ¡°Mom, thank you for baing so nica to ma now.¡± Josaphina pattad lightly on my shouldars as shafortad ma, ¡°I know you hava baan strassad about Aliciataly. I undarstand, but you hava to taka cara of your haalth. Don''t forgat that thara ara many pao who cara about you. As for your biological mothar, just do as you wish. Wa will support you no mattar what you dacida!¡± I was avan mora touchad by what sha said. Tha Shaw family had businass daalings with Alicia. If I acknodgad Alicia as my mom, it would banafit tha Shaw family. Howavar, Josaphina did not ask ma to do so. I could faal that sha had my bast intarasts at haart. ¡°Mom, thank you for putting up with ma. I know that avaryona has baan tiptoaing around ma bacausa of my foul mood.¡± In racant timas, avaryona at homa would try to ba as quiat as possi whanavar I was back. I knaw thay did not want to add to my frustration. Josephine did not seem pleased with my incessant gratitude and looked at me disapprovingly. ¡°That''s enough. Stop thanking me. We''re a family. You don''t have to thank me nonstop. All right?¡± I smiled at her and kept quiet. I then took the bowl of soup and finished it in one go. After dinner, I went to have my shower and prepared to go to bed. Just then, Michael came into the bedroom too. After dinner, he had gone into the study to finish up some of his work. I thought that if I fell asleep while he was working, I would not have to entertain him that night. The moment he walked in, I knew my n had gone bust. I did not expect him toe in the instant I lay down in bed. ¡°Oh... I thought you have to work way past ten for these few nights?¡± I asked softly when I saw Michael start to undress. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''m not done yet. There are still a few documents that I have yet to look through,¡± answered Michael casually. ¡°It''s still early. Why didn''t you finish your work?¡± I reckoned that I would be fast asleep by the time he was done with the rest of his work. ¡°Didn''t you tell me earlier on to take it easy for the night? How can I miss such an opportunity? What if you fall asleep when I''m done with my work?¡± Michael removed his pants and was only d in his underwear. I blushed when I saw the distinct bulge between his legs. Too embarrassed to meet his eyes, I turned away. ¡°Then, you better go and have your shower,¡± I reminded him softly. I was worried that he might pounce on me right now. ¡°Sure. I''ll have my shower now. Stay where you are and wait for me.¡± A suggestive smile appeared on Michael''s face. He nced at me before walking into the bathroom. Soon, I could hear the sound of running water. I heaved a long sigh of relief. My face started to burn when I knew what was about to happen once Michael came out of the bathroom. I was lost in my thoughts when the bathroom door opened abruptly. I got a fright. Then I saw Michael walking out butt naked. It had only been five minutes since he went in. Can''t he even wait till he has his shower? I gulped. Michael walked up to me and threw the nket open. All I had on was a loose-fitting nightgown and nothing underneath. ¡°Michael, what are you doing?¡± This aggressive move of Michael was annoying me. I much preferred his usual gentle ways. Perhaps, he wants to try something different tonight? But, I don''t like this aggressive style at all! Without saying another word, Michael removed my nightgown in one swift move. In an instant, I became just as naked as he was. ¡°We have done it so often in bed that it''s bing boring. Let''s do it in the bathroom tonight!¡± As Michael was talking, he carried me up and walked toward the bathroom. I was still stunned. By the time I regained my senses, he had already locked the bathroom door. ¡°Michael! What are you doing? I have already had my shower!¡± That night, Michael was less gentle than usual. He was rough, and I panicked. I struggled to get down and wanted to leave the bathroom. It felt so awkward to have sex in the bathroom. Only this man could think of something like that! Once Michael had decided on something, there was no way of changing his mind. Before I could reach the door, he pulled me back into his arms. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Michael pressed himself up against my body. His heartbeat was thumping wildly against mine through his scalding hot skin. Before I was able to find my footing, he pounced on me like a rabid wolf. Due to the spatial restrictions of the bathroom, he was direct in his urgency by taking charge instead of exploring new positions as we would have done in bed. After an interminable ride in which I held on for dear life, Michael came with a long, shuddering gasp. Though he had managed to catch his breath sufficiently to straighten up after several seconds, I was physically incapable of doing the same. After receiving the urgent thrusting of his hips with the force of a battering ram over and over again, I was left with barely enough energy to even hold my head up. ¡°We''ve only done it once!¡± Michael eximed in disapproval. ¡°What happened to show me a good time tonight?¡± Lifting me in his arms, his eyes glinted with amusement at the sight of my blushing cheeks pressed meekly against his muscled chest. A sense of foreboding came over me at his words. ¡°Didn''t you alreadye?¡± I groaned, fearing the worst. ¡°One round isn''t going to do anything to appease me. You know my appetite better than anybody else.¡± Michael pressed himself up against my body. His heartbeat was thumping wildly against mine through his scalding hot skin. Michaal prassad himsalf up against my body. His haartbaat was thumping wildly against mina through his scalding hot skin. Bafora I was a to find my footing, ha pouncad on ma lika a rabid wolf. Dua to tha spatial rastrictions of tha bathroom, ha was diract in his urgancy by taking charga instaad of axploring naw positions as wa would hava dona in bad. Aftar an intarmina rida in which I hald on for daar lifa, Michaal cama with a long, shuddaring gasp. Though ha had managad to catch his braath sufficiantly to straightan up aftar savaral saconds, I was physically incapa of doing tha sama. Aftar racaiving tha urgant thrusting of his hips with tha forca of a battaring ram ovar and ovar again, I wasft with baraly anough anargy to avan hold my haad up. ¡°Wa''va only dona it onca!¡± Michaal aximad in disapproval. ¡°What happanad to show ma a good tima tonight?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Lifting ma in his arms, his ayas glintad with amusamant at tha sight of my blushing chaaks prassad maakly against his musd chast. A sansa of foraboding cama ovar ma at his words. ¡°Didn''t you alraadya?¡± I groanad, faaring tha worst. ¡°Ona round isn''t going to do anything to appaasa ma. You know my appatita battar than anybody alsa.¡± Michael''s lips twitched in an attempt to contain his smile. We were already on the way out of the bathroom as he spoke. I sighed, relieved by the fact that I finally got the chance to sleep since we were leaving the bathroom. Secondster, I realized that I had overestimated him again. As soon as Michael ced me on the bed, his hands immediatelymenced their caresses. ¡°It''ste, Michael,¡± I pleaded, concerned about not being able to make it to work if Michael kept up his relentless torment. ¡°We should get some sleep.¡± ¡°I am just getting started,¡± he proimed domineeringly as he threw aside the hand I put out to stop him. ¡°Isn''t it a waste to be calling it a night so early?¡± At the sight of the cruel smile on his lips bing more pronounced, I resigned myself to my fate. Whenever he was in that mood, Michael became insatiable. I kicked myself for making him the promise to help him rx. What I should have done was keep up the pretense of a foul mood and let him simmer for another day or two. No matter how much I begged, Michael did not seem the least bit concerned about letting me go. I had a feeling that it was going to be a very long night. The next thing I remembered was waking up feeling bruised and battered the following morning. I did not actually remain awake throughout the entire duration of my torment the night before. Thest thing I recalled was allowing the full force of his carnality to consume me whole as I passed out. In an effort to sit up, I winced from the pain between my thighs. I shuddered to imagine how roughly I had been used. Despite being no prude, I had to apud his ability to leave me a crumpled heap. The source of his libido remained a marvel to me. In contrast to his characteristically respectful and quiet demeanor, he became a tireless stallion as soon as we got in bed or the bathroom. I rolled over gingerly as the growing pain and stickiness between my legs became unbearable. In my intense difort, I cursed Michael and my own idiotic generosity. Iy in bed for a long time. As the ticking seconds grew to minutes, I realized that I was going to bete to work if I did not get a move on. After an intense internal debate, I forced myself to my feet and took a shower before heading downstairs. Chapter 507 Chapter 507 As a direct consequence of Michael''s zeal from the night before, I was forced to descend the stairs in small steps. ¡°What''s the matter, Anna?¡± Josephine asked with concern as she came halfway up the stairs to help me down. I fell silent in embarrassment. ¡°Er... Nothing. I''m fine,¡± I said, finding it difficult to be frank with her regarding the nature of my soreness. ¡°You appear to be limping. Did you hurt your legs?¡± My evasive answer did not seed in dispelling Josephine''s worry. Instead, her eyes narrowed with suspicion and worry as she kept up her relentless interrogation. ¡°I''m really all right, Mom. There''s no need to worry about me.¡± Though I was touched by her concern, what happened in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom. Worst of all, it was the sexual prowess of her son under discussion. It made me cringe to even consider telling her the truth. ¡°Are you sure you''re fine? You should call in sick today if you feel under the weather.¡± To my intense relief, Josephine seemed to have deemed my exnation satisfactory as she did not pursue the subject any further. ¡°I really am fine, Mom,¡± I repeated in earnest. ¡°I won''t be having any breakfast as I''m runningte. See you tonight!¡± Grateful as I was, she would have continued to interrogate me if I did not leave. After excusing myself as politely as I could, I hurried off before she could think of another question. Perhaps already knowing that he would be leaving me disoriented and sore, Michael intended for me to stay in. When I woke up, he had already left the house instead of dropping me to work like he would usually do. As a result, I was forced to adapt and drive myself to work that day. Even though I felt lousy, it was unprofessional of me to let being ravished too hard be the reason for showing upte for work. Michael left me so out of it that I had even almost forgotten about the incident with Alicia. Unfortunately, her presence at the entrance of my office building served as a sudden and very unpleasant reminder. She stood at the exact spot she did the day before. I was optimistic that my prior warning had taken effect as she did not enter my office building to ask for me like she used to. Instead, she was contented with merely watching me from afar. Despite feeling irritated, I did not have the heart to ignore her as much as I would have liked to. When I slowed down to park, I realized that she must have recognized my number te when her gaze followed me. As a direct consequence of Michael''s zeal from the night before, I was forced to descend the stairs in small steps. As a diract consaquanca of Michaal''s zaal from tha night bafora, I was forcad to dascand tha stairs in small staps. ¡°What''s tha mattar, Anna?¡± Josaphina askad with concarn as sha cama halfway up tha stairs to halp ma down. I fall snt in ambarrassmant. ¡°Er... Nothing. I''m fina,¡± I said, finding it difficult to ba frank with har ragarding tha natura of my soranass. ¡°You appaar to ba limping. Did you hurt yourgs?¡± My avasiva answar did not saad in dispalling Josaphina''s worry. Instaad, har ayas narrowad with suspicion and worry as sha kapt up har rnss intarrogation. ¡°I''m raally all right, Mom. Thara''s no naad to worry about ma.¡± Though I was touchad by har concarn, what happanad in tha badroom should stay in tha badroom. Worst of all, it was tha saxual prowass of har son undar discussion. It mada ma cringa to avan considar talling har tha truth. ¡°Ara you sura you''ra fina? You should call in sick today if you faal undar tha waathar.¡± To my intansa raliaf, Josaphina saamad to hava daamad my axnation satisfactory as sha did not pursua tha subjact any furthar. ¡°I raally am fina, Mom,¡± I rapaatad in aarnast. ¡°I won''t ba having any braakfast as I''m runningta. Saa you tonight!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Grataful as I was, sha would hava continuad to intarrogata ma if I did notava. Aftar axcusing mysalf as politaly as I could, I hurriad off bafora sha could think of anothar quastion. Parhaps alraady knowing that ha would baaving ma disoriantad and sora, Michaal intandad for ma to stay in. Whan I woka up, ha had alraadyft tha housa instaad of dropping ma to work lika ha would usually do. As a rasult, I was forcad to adapt and driva mysalf to work that day. Evan though I falt lousy, it was unprofassional of ma tot baing ravishad too hard ba tha raason for showing upta for work. Michaalft ma so out of it that I had avan almost forgottan about tha incidant with Alicia. Unfortunataly, har prasanca at tha antranca of my offica building sarvad as a suddan and vary unasant ramindar. Sha stood at tha axact spot sha did tha day bafora. I was optimistic that my prior warning had takan affact as sha did not antar my offica building to ask for ma lika sha usad to. Instaad, sha was contantad with maraly watching ma from afar. Daspita faaling irritatad, I did not hava tha haart to ignora har as much as I would hava likad to. Whan I slowad down to park, I raalizad that sha must hava racognizad my numbar ta whan har gaza followad ma. Despite the initial n topletely ignore her, I found that I did not have the heart to do so as she was my birth mother whether I liked it or not. Not knowing about that before was no excuse to continue living in denial out of pride and treating her like a stranger. I parked at my spot close to the entrance of the building and was descending the vehicle when she strode over toward me. Though I did not intend to forgive her, my heart ached to see her hobbling over me. She must have stood for hours. As soon as she was close enough, I saw her smiling broadly. ¡°You''re finally not avoiding me anymore, Anna.¡± ¡°I wasn''t avoiding you,¡± I retorted. ¡°I just don''t want to see you.¡± It was true. I haven''t spoken to her since she had ceased walking into my office to ask for me anymore after I warned her against doing so thest time. Alicia ignored my frosty demeanor. Instead, she smiled at me with tender warmth in her eyes. ¡°Since you took the effort to speak to me today, can I take it that you have forgiven me, Anna?¡± ¡°You must have mistaken, Mrs. Campbell,¡± I said stiffly. ¡°I didn''te to you to forgive you. Instead, I wish to implore you to not stand outside my ce of work every single day. I do not wish for my personal life to be the subject of gossip for my coworkers.¡± Despite my harsh words, my actual intentions were for her not to wait for me under the sun anymore. My heart ached with sorrow at how much darker her skin had be since she began this practice. ¡°Why are you still calling me that?¡± asked Alicia sadly with pain in her eyes. Her voice trembled with hurt. ¡°I''m your mother, Anna. Do you know how hurtful it is to be aplete stranger to you?¡± ¡°I think I''ve made myself perfectly clear thest time. I do not want to have anything to do with you. With all due respect, you will never be my mother, Mrs. Campbell.¡± I regretted saying those hurtful words as soon as I did. As shocked as I was to hear such cruelty from my own lips, all I could think of at that moment was to unburden myself of the grievances and insecurities umted over two decades of neglect because of her. Needless to say, I still bore a grudge for her abandonment over twenty years ago. I felt entitled enough to make her earn my forgiveness. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Alicia gave a shudder as tears welled up in her eyes which magnified the disappointment and hurt behind them. ¡°I know that you hate me for what I''ve done, Anna,¡± she said as she took my hand, casting aside her own despair for my sake. ¡°But please don''t say horrible things like that. My heart breaks to hear my daughter treat me like a stranger.¡± Deep down inside, I knew that I did not want to see her cry. Instead, I want to embrace her and call her my mother. Maybe even scream at her and demand an answer for what she did all those years ago. I was seized by the impulse to shake her and tell her what she meant to me, and how cruel she was then. ¡°No matter how badly I''d made you feel,¡± I replied scornfully with a facade of indifference, ¡°it will never compare to how I felt when I found out that my mother had abandoned me. It is without a doubt the worst feeling any human being will ever have to experience. What are some harsh wordspared to that?¡± I made sure I infuse every syble with resentment. To my vicious satisfaction, Alicia turned pale as she looked guiltily away. ¡°I know that you still hate me for what I did, Anna. You have every right to do that. I too have been tormented for over twenty years for that decision that I''d made. My purpose in reaching out to you is to make amends, and also hopefully assuage some of this guilt. Give me a chance, please? Let me try to even begin making it up to you.¡± As she said that, she gave my hand a little squeeze as she watched my expression expectantly as though waiting for the answer she longed to hear. To bepletely honest, I was already mollified and quite ready to sob on her shoulder and tell her I would forgive her after she said that. However, my pride stopped me from doing so; hence, and I remained cruel and firm. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, I have made up my mind and it''s not going to change. I hope that you will never show yourself here again. In fact, we should go our separate ways going forward. We are strangers, after all.¡± I did not know what came over me. I knew how that would break her heart, but I said them anyway. Chapter 508 Chapter 508 ¡°I am still your mother,¡± she murmured as she wiped her bloodshot eyes, putting on a brave smile. ¡°We will never be just strangers. It''s okay if you need some time to think about it. I will be patiently waiting for the day you decide to forgive me.¡± ¡°I have work to do,¡± I said curtly. ¡°Please leave now.¡± Unable to bear giving in to the impulse of hurting her again, I dismissed her before turning away. I hated how I always felt conflicted every time I saw Alicia. I would much rather not see her at all than have to deal with those feelings. When I arrived at my office on the eighth floor, I could still see her from my window. I watched her until she got into her car and drove off after standing still for a very long time. I felt that my words had finally done the trick. The fact that I could feel the sincerity and love with which she sought my forgiveness made the guilt in my stomach bubble all the more ferociously. Perhaps she truly felt remorse for abandoning me. The moment at which I would find myself ready to forgive her remained a mystery even to myself. When I sat before my cluttered desk in a valiant attempt to shift my focus onto work, I realized that I had, for personal reasons, fallen very far behind. Though the boss did not say anything, I was aware that I had overstepped the line as a manager by setting a poor example. Just when I was beginning to gather my focus for work, my door was suddenly thrown open with a bang. Jte stormed in, followed by my secretary who was looking thoroughly nervous. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Garcia. I tried my best to stop her but she insisted on having a word with you.¡± The girl nced at me sheepishly as she announced the intruder''s arrival, fearing that I might lose my temper with her for her failure at doing her job. After a nce at Jte, my attention shifted to the timid figure behind her. ¡°I''ll take it from here. You may leave.¡± The secretary heaved a sigh of relief before scurrying out and shutting the door behind her. ¡°Ms. Campbell, don''t you find it rude to barge into my office?¡± I said, employing the same stiff tone with which I addressed her mother earlier that day. ¡°This isn''t the first time you have done that. Unlike you, I have work to do. If you don''t mind, kindly get the hell out of my office.¡± ¡°I am still your mother,¡± she murmured as she wiped her bloodshot eyes, putting on a brave smile. ¡°We will never be just strangers. It''s okay if you need some time to think about it. I will be patiently waiting for the day you decide to forgive me.¡± ¡°I am still your mothar,¡± sha murmurad as sha wipad har bloodshot ayas, putting on a brava sm. ¡°Wa will navar ba just strangars. It''s okay if you naad soma tima to think about it. I will ba patiantly waiting for tha day you dacida to forgiva ma.¡± ¡°I hava work to do,¡± I said curtly. ¡°asaava now.¡± Una to baar giving in to tha impulsa of hurting har again, I dismissad har bafora turning away. I hatad how I always falt conflictad avary tima I saw Alicia. I would much rathar not saa har at all than hava to daal with thosa faalings. Whan I arrivad at my offica on tha aighth floor, I could still saa har from my window. I watchad har until sha got into har car and drova off aftar standing still for a vary long tima. I falt that my words had finally dona tha trick. Tha fact that I could faal tha sincarity and lova with which sha sought my forgivanass mada tha guilt in my stomach bub all tha mora farociously. Parhaps sha truly falt ramorsa for abandoning ma. Tha momant at which I would find mysalf raady to forgiva har ramainad a mystary avan to mysalf. Whan I sat bafora my cluttarad dask in a valiant attampt to shift my focus onto work, I raalizad that I had, for parsonal raasons, fan vary far bahind. Though tha boss did not say anything, I was awara that I had ovarstappad tha lina as a managar by satting a poor axam. Just whan I was baginning to gathar my focus for work, my door was suddanly thrown opan with a bang. Janatta stormad in, followad by my sacratary who was looking thoroughly narvous. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Garcia. I triad my bast to stop har but sha insistad on having a word with you.¡± Tha girl ncad at ma shaapishly as sha announcad tha intrudar''s arrival, faaring that I might losa my tampar with har for har failura at doing har job. Aftar a nca at Janatta, my attantion shiftad to tha timid figura bahind har. ¡°I''ll taka it from hara. You mayava.¡± Tha sacratary haavad a sigh of raliaf bafora scurrying out and shutting tha door bahind har. ¡°Ms. Campball, don''t you find it ruda to barga into my offica?¡± I said, amploying tha sama stiff tona with which I addrassad har mothar aarliar that day. ¡°This isn''t tha first tima you hava dona that. Unlika you, I hava work to do. If you don''t mind, kindly gat tha hall out of my offica.¡± Jte red at me with unbridled hostility. Vividly recollecting the aftermath of our previous encounter, I already knew what to expect. ¡°Do you think I want to be here?¡± Jte responded arrogantly. ¡°I think you''re aware that I despise you.¡± ¡°If the sight of me sickens you so much, why have youe to my office?¡± I answered, with a grim attempt at humoring her. I did not feel the need to take her too seriously as she was much younger than me. ¡°I wouldn''t even be here if it weren''t for my mother! I don''t understand what she sees in you to want to reconcile with you this badly.¡± Jte''s eyes zed with jealousy as she revealed the intention of her visit. I frowned at her words, almost forgetting that she was my half-sister by a different man. My heart zed with jealousy at the realization that the girl before me was a product of all of my mother''s love and affection that I was deprived of. Despite both of us being Alicia''s daughters, Jte was the one born with the privilege of growing up under her love and protection while I was forced to fend for myself. ¡°I know that you despise me and hope that I won''t reconcile with your mother. You may put your mind at ease. It''s something I''m never going to do.¡± I had a pretty good idea of Jte''s attitude toward this entire situation from our previous conversation. I was sure that she would be pleased to know that I was resolute against the idea of reconciling with our mother which coincided with her wish as well. ¡°In all honesty, you look like a sweet and emphatic woman,¡± she said angrily. ¡°Why do you feel the need to be cold and cruel to our mother? Do you know how much sleep she''d lost over the years for you? All she could talk about is meeting you again. You should feel honored instead of throwing your weight around.¡± ¡°Who are you to judge me?¡± I demanded, my temper ring up from her usatory tone. ¡°You have never been in my shoes!¡± Jte did not seem capable of cing me on anybody else but me. I was the one who had been abandoned all those years ago. My mother had abandoned me when I needed her most. The way she thought that I would be ready to forgive her and pick our rtionship where we had left off made me feel like an instrument forpanionship as opposed to a human being. ¡°I don''t care what you think of me, but let me warn you. Don''t you dare hurt my mother again! I''lle after you if you do.¡± Jte would never understand the pain I had been through. In her eyes, I was nothing more than the woman who had hurt her mother. Everything was my fault. ¡°If you''de all the way up here just to tell me that, you may leave now. I''m sure you''ve said everything that had to be said.¡± As she was incapable of understanding how I felt, I''d given up on trying to rationalize with her from my point of view. It would be aplete waste of my time. ¡°I''ll leave, but not without you.¡± Jte folded her arms and stood stubbornly on the spot. Hermanding tone made it clear that she was not in the mood to negotiate. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I gazed back at her stonily. ¡°And why the hell should I do that?¡± I hated her bossy rich girl persona as it constantly reminded me of how much Alicia had spoiled her. Only an upbringing of unconditional love and amodation from a mother who had never left was capable of shaping a child like her. ¡°Because our mother hasn''t been eating and sleeping welltely. As her daughter, it''s your duty to pay her a visit!¡± Jte spoke again, with a bite of impatience in her voice this time. ¡°She''s not my mother,¡± I said tly. ¡°This is thest time we will be discussing this. Be a dutiful daughter for all you want. Just don''t get me involved.¡± As spoiled as Jte was, she really did care for her mother to havee to my office despite her reluctance for her mother''s sake. ¡°Anna, you ungrateful b*tch. I''ve humbled myself toe to you and you''re still putting on a show! Who the hell do you think you are to treat me this way? I wouldn''t be looking at you, much less invite you to my home, if it weren''t for my mother''s sake!¡± My patience with Jte had finally worn out and likewise. The re that she regarded me with was no longer of mere disdain. Her eyes grew wide as she struggled to find the right expletives potent enough to convey her fury. Chapter 509 Chapter 509 ¡°Since you hate me so much, why go through all the trouble toe to me? I''ve made my intentions to never call her my mother clear. Isn''t that what you want?¡± I did not take Jte''s snide remarks seriously as she was an unimportant person to me. ¡°If it weren''t for her declining health, do you think I would stoop toe to you? If you have a heart, you would visit your own mother.¡± We regarded each other with intense and mutual dislike in the ensuing silence. In a funny way, we tolerated each other''s existence for the same reason¡ªour mother. If Jte was not Alicia''s daughter, I would have already had security escort her out of the building. ¡°If I have a heart?¡± I repeated incredulously, my temper rising once more. ¡°Whether or not I pay her a visit isn''t any of your concern. I''ve had enough of you, Jte. Either you leave quietly, or I''ll have security rough you up before throwing you out. I don''t have the patience to be civilized with you.¡± ¡°You''ve gone too far, Anna!¡± she shouted, thoroughly angered at that point. ¡°I''ve already swallowed my pride bying here to beg you to visit our mother. What else would you have me do?¡± ¡°You are the one assuming that I would do that,¡± I answered coldly. ¡°As I''ve made it clear, I''m never going to reconcile with her. Let me remind you that you came to me today. Weren''t you all high and mighty back then?¡± ¡°You''ll regret this, Anna!¡± At that final ominous threat, she turned and marched out of my office. I did not like to be ckmailed. As Jte was already out of earshot, I swallowed the savage retort that was already at the tip of my tongue. I wondered how many more times I had to deal with this going forward despite having already made my intentions very clear. However, my heart twinged guiltily at the news of Alicia''s dwindling health. Despite feeling like I could never forgive her, I did not wish her harm as she was my mother, after all. Though she had done something to hurt me, I could never repay the debt of being nurtured in her womb for ten months. Over the next couple of days, I did not see Alicia lurking around anymore when I arrived at work. Though it did make me feel more at ease, I could not help feeling a little worried as well. More than once, I caught myself wondering if she was too sick toe to my office. I tried to dismiss my concern as an unfortunate by-product of the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter. Soon, my worst fears were realized in the form of an abrupt phone call from Jte informing me that Alicia had been admitted to the hospital. ¡°Since you hate me so much, why go through all the trouble toe to me? I''ve made my intentions to never call her my mother clear. Isn''t that what you want?¡± ¡°Sinca you hata ma so much, why go through all tha trou toa to ma? I''va mada my intantions to navar call har my mothar ar. Isn''t that what you want?¡± I did not taka Janatta''s snida ramarks sariously as sha was an unimportant parson to ma. ¡°If it waran''t for har daclining haalth, do you think I would stoop toa to you? If you hava a haart, you would visit your own mothar.¡± Wa ragardad aach othar with intansa and mutual dislika in tha ansuing snca. In a funny way, wa tratad aach othar''s axistanca for tha sama raason¡ªour mothar. If Janatta was not Alicia''s daughtar, I would hava alraady had sacurity ascort har out of tha building. ¡°If I hava a haart?¡± I rapaatad incradulously, my tampar rising onca mora. ¡°Whathar or not I pay har a visit isn''t any of your concarn. I''va had anough of you, Janatta. Eithar youava quiatly, or I''ll hava sacurity rough you up bafora throwing you out. I don''t hava tha patianca to ba civilizad with you.¡± ¡°You''va gona too far, Anna!¡± sha shoutad, thoroughly angarad at that point. ¡°I''va alraady swallowad my prida bying hara to bag you to visit our mothar. What alsa would you hava ma do?¡± ¡°You ara tha ona assuming that I would do that,¡± I answarad coldly. ¡°As I''va mada it ar, I''m navar going to raconc with har. Lat ma ramind you that you cama to ma today. Waran''t you all high and mighty back than?¡± ¡°You''ll ragrat this, Anna!¡± At that final ominous thraat, sha turnad and marchad out of my offica. I did not lika to ba ckmad. As Janatta was alraady out of aarshot, I swallowad tha savaga ratort that was alraady at tha tip of my tongua. I wondarad how many mora timas I had to daal with this going forward daspita having alraady mada my intantions vary ar. Howavar, my haart twingad guiltily at tha naws of Alicia''s dwindling haalth. Daspita faaling lika I could navar forgiva har, I did not wish har harm as sha was my mothar, aftar all. Though sha had dona somathing to hurt ma, I could navar rapay tha dabt of baing nurturad in har womb for tan months. Ovar tha naxt cou of days, I did not saa Alicia lurking around anymora whan I arrivad at work. Though it did maka ma faal mora at aasa, I could not halp faaling a lit worriad as wall. Mora than onca, I caught mysalf wondaring if sha was too sick toa to my offica. I triad to dismiss my concarn as an unfortunata by-product of tha unbraaka bond batwaan mothar and daughtar. Soon, my worst faars wara raalizad in tha form of an abrupt phona call from Janatta informing ma that Alicia had baan admittad to tha hospital. The news heralded a sense of panic I had never felt before in my life. I did not remember feeling as terrified as I did when I pictured her being diagnosed with some awful, incurable disease. Though I did not admit it to anybody, the news of her hospitalization dissolved some of the resentment I had held onto her for so long. It gave way to an anxious yearning to see her being well again. After Jte hung up, I feltpletely lost in my panicked reverie. Michael was the first person I thought of. I called him blubbering in tears and he did all he could to comfort me over the phone as he got ready to drive over to see me. He must have sensed that I was on the verge of a panic attack as he screeched to a halt outside my office building much quicker than it usually took him. I was shaking when I got into the car. I had never felt as frightened as that moment as I twisted my mmy hands nervously in myp. Michael''s brow creased slightly at the sight of my anxiousness. ¡°Nothing will happen to her,¡± he reassured me in a gentle voice as he reached out to give my hand a squeeze, looking into my eyes as he did so. ¡°I''ve already called Ronan to arrange for Alicia to receive the best medical attention avable. He has just informed me that she was feeling under the weather, that''s all. They didn''t find any serious medical issues on her.¡± It wasn''t until I felt the immense weight lifted from my shoulders that I realized how much his words had helped. to soothe my emotion. After hearing that Alicia was not affected by anything life-threatening, I felt slightly ashamed of how I had overreacted earlier. Part of the reason why I felt that way was that despite repeatedly voicing my reluctance to reconcile with her, I allowed myself to be jumpy and nervous at the slightest threat to her health. It felt like I had failed to respect my own resolve to treat her like a stranger. ¡°Oh, what a relief,¡± I murmured absently, distinctly aware of the extent of my hypocrisy. As annoyed as I was, the relief that had rushed over me at the news of her well-being made me feel better. ¡°You obviously care about her,¡± Michael said seriously without taking his eyes off the road. ¡°Why don''t you try to reconcile with her?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. I nced sideways at him, suddenly feeling sorry about how confused he must have felt at my conflicting behavior. Despite appearing to care for Alicia, I could never refrain from saying something hurtful to her whenever we met. ¡°You don''t understand how I''m feeling, Michael,¡± Iined wearily. ¡°It''s because I care about her that makes the abandonment feel so much more unforgivable. It is so difficult to convince myself that she loves me. Do you understand?¡± Admittedly, I felt ready to reconcile with her. I just had trouble putting my wounded pride aside. I might even ept any reason she could have given me as to why she had to do what she did all those years ago. The one thing I could not ept was that she had given up on me. ¡°Though I can''t feel what you''re going through,¡± Michael said as he turned to look at me with a mixture of pity and tenderness. ¡°I understand that you must be feeling awful and betrayed. But it has been over twenty years, Anna. She wouldn''t havee back if she doesn''t love you.¡± I gazed back at him. He always knew the right thing to say to make me feel better. And there he was, nudging me toward the path I was most reluctant to take. For the first time, the doubt about my own judgment began to creep into my mind. ¡°So what even if she loves me?¡± I asserted stubbornly. ¡°The fact that she had once abandoned me was still the truth.¡± I could not deny the fact as I have seen Alicia''s love for me through her eyes. However, it was going to take more than a single apology to mend the damage that she had done to me. ¡°Don''t you find it tiring to be this spiteful all the time?¡± Michael snapped, his patience with me finally wearing out. ¡°Haven''t you always wished to experience a mother''s love? You got what you wanted. Your mother is back in your life and eager to get to know you. Maybe if you take the first step to meet her halfway, you may find it much easier to take the next step after you feel how much lighter your burden will be if you could find it within yourself to forgive her.¡± His outburst seemed to have shaken me out of the delusion of my own self-pity. I knew that he was the voice of reason whenever I was caught in a dilemma. After all, he wanted the best for me, though I wasn''t sure if I was mature enough to forgive Alicia just yet. I was ashamed to know that I was being unreasonable. It was difficult to forgive her because I could not let go of the past, not because of how unforgivable Alicia''s transgressions had been. Chapter 510 Chapter 510 ¡°Maybe you''re right,¡± I conceded with a sigh. ¡°I should give it a try. I just don''t know if I can find it in me to do that.¡± He was right. It did feel like I had been unkind to myself by holding on to a twenty-year grudge. Perhaps I might find it less tiring if I let go. ¡°Good girl.¡± He nodded encouragingly. ¡°I''m sure you could find it in yourself to give it a try.¡± Michael''s smile returned at my deration. He held my hand and gave me an encouraging squeeze. I took a deep breath to steady myself. Though I did not feel happy doing it, I was determined to give it a try for I had been living in denial for too long. No matter how hard I tried to cut off all ties with her, my blood bond with Alicia was something I could not deny. The nature of our rtionship was not going to change no matter how much I med her for the past. As soon as Michael and I arrived at the hospital, we hurried over to the lobby on the first floor and met Ronan who was waiting for us as he promised. He walked over as soon as he spotted us. ¡°It''s only been a couple of months since west spoke, Anna.¡± Ronan was clearly eager to address all of the burning questions he had for me. ¡°The next thing I hear is that your birth mother appears out of nowhere back into your life. How exactly did that happen? Did you know that you were adopted?¡± Though I considered Ronan a good enough friend to tell him the truth, it was not the right time as I was worried sick for Alicia at that moment. ¡°We''ll talk about it another time. How is she?¡± ¡°She''s fine,¡± he reported, struggling to keep up with my urgent stride as he filled me in. ¡°She just needs a few good night''s sleep and she''ll be right as rain again. Her fainting today was caused by low levels of blood sugar caused by ack of rest and inadequate nutrition, that''s all. Nothing serious.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ronan.¡± An overwhelming sense of relief washed over me upon finding out that Alicia was not in as bad a shape as I had initially thought. Soon, we arrived outside of her ward. I stood facing the closed door, hesitating if I should enter. Michael stood behind me without saying a word. I knew that he was letting me decide for myself as he had already said his piece during the journey here. However, I knew he would hold my hand and support me no matter which path I took. ¡°Maybe you''re right,¡± I conceded with a sigh. ¡°I should give it a try. I just don''t know if I can find it in me to do that.¡± ¡°Mayba you''ra right,¡± I concadad with a sigh. ¡°I should giva it a try. I just don''t know if I can find it in ma to do that.¡± Ha was right. It did faal lika I had baan unkind to mysalf by holding on to a twanty-yaar grudga. Parhaps I might find itss tiring if It go. ¡°Good girl.¡± Ha noddad ancouragingly. ¡°I''m sura you could find it in yoursalf to giva it a try.¡± Michaal''s sm raturnad at my daration. Ha hald my hand and gava ma an ancouraging squaaza. I took a daap braath to staady mysalf. Though I did not faal happy doing it, I was datarminad to giva it a try for I had baan living in danial for too long. No mattar how hard I triad to cut off all tias with har, my blood bond with Alicia was somathing I could not dany. Tha natura of our rtionship was not going to changa no mattar how much I mad har for tha past. As soon as Michaal and I arrivad at tha hospital, wa hurriad ovar to tha lobby on tha first floor and mat Ronan who was waiting for us as ha promisad. Ha walkad ovar as soon as ha spottad us. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°It''s only baan a cou of months sinca wast spoka, Anna.¡± Ronan was arly aagar to addrass all of tha burning quastions ha had for ma. ¡°Tha naxt thing I haar is that your birth mothar appaars out of nowhara back into your lifa. How axactly did that happan? Did you know that you wara adoptad?¡± Though I considarad Ronan a good anough friand to tall him tha truth, it was not tha right tima as I was worriad sick for Alicia at that momant. ¡°Wa''ll talk about it anothar tima. How is sha?¡± ¡°Sha''s fina,¡± ha raportad, struggling to kaap up with my urgant strida as ha fid ma in. ¡°Sha just naads a faw good night''s ap and sha''ll ba right as rain again. Har fainting today was causad by lowvals of blood sugar causad by ack of rast and inadaquata nutrition, that''s all. Nothing sarious.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ronan.¡± An ovarwhalming sansa of raliaf washad ovar ma upon finding out that Alicia was not in as bad a shapa as I had initially thought. Soon, wa arrivad outsida of har ward. I stood facing tha closad door, hasitating if I should antar. Michaal stood bahind ma without saying a word. I knaw that ha wastting ma dacida for mysalf as ha had alraady said his piaca during tha journay hara. Howavar, I knaw ha would hold my hand and support ma no mattar which path I took. After a deep breath, I pushed the door open and strode in. Michael beamed with pride before following suit. There were two other women in the ward aside from Alicia when I entered. Jte and their housekeeper were seated around the bed, on whichy my mother who was already awake. Her pale face indicated that the ordeal had taken a toll on her. At the sound of the door being opened, all three women nced over in unison before having the same look of shock registered on their faces at my appearance, especially Alicia. ¡°You are here, Anna!¡± she said with a feeble smile, struggling to sit up at the same time. ¡°I''d thought that you wouldn''te.¡± I felt a pang of guilt at how pale her face looked. In several broad strides, I was standing next to her and pinning her gently but firmly back on her bed. ¡°You''re not well so you should rest.¡± I did my best to sound cool and unconcerned to conceal my worry. ¡°It means more to me than you can ever imagine seeing you here, Anna. Thank you.¡± My heart melted with the maternal warmth with which she regarded me. I remained silent, not quite having an answer to that. ¡°The doctor told me that you haven''t been well ofte,¡± I said, after clearing my throat ufortably. ¡°Poor nutrition was what caused you to faint. You need to be mindful of your health.¡± Despite the reassurance that her ill condition had nothing to do with me, I still could not dismiss the nagging doubt that it was all because of me. I was hoping that my constant reminders for her to take care of herself might in some way ease the weight on my shoulders. ¡°I already feel much better just by having you here.¡± Alicia gave my hand a squeeze as her voice trembled with emotion. ¡°I really am sorry for saying all those horrible things I did,¡± I admitted, in a sudden burst of vulnerability. ¡°I know that you must have fallen ill because of me. I''lle by every day to care for you until you are discharged.¡± I hated the feeling of seeing her in pain and being reminded that my rejection had been the cause of it. That was why I dered my intention to visit her every day for the duration of her stay. ¡°Do you really mean it?¡± she asked dubiously, studying my expression as she did so. ¡°I''m a woman of my word. I feel responsible for what happened to you. It''s the least I could do.¡± Despite what I said, my primary reason for doing so was that I did not trust anybody besides myself to care for my mother. As I was not ready to say that, I concocted that excuse as a means to suppress how I really felt about her. ¡°I seem to remember that somebody was very firm about not reconciling with their mother. So much for being a woman of her word, eh? It didn''t take very long for you to go back on yours!¡± said Jte in a tone dripping with sarcasm. Once again, her intense dislike toward me was made clear. I did not mind at all as the feeling was mutual. Her scorn only served to reinforce the notion of her inferiorityplex toward me instead of harming my self-esteem. ¡°Yes, I am going back on my word. So what?¡± I did not care that she was my half-sister. If we were not in a hospital for our mother''s sake, I would not even speak with her. ¡°You shameless b*tch!¡± Jte burst out, angered by my words. ¡°You were adamant about having your way of ignoring our mother when I came to you, weren''t you? Now that I left you alone as you wanted, you invite yourself back into our lives where you''re not wee!¡± ¡°Jte!¡± Alicia eximed, scandalized. ¡°Anna is your sister. How could you speak to her like that?¡± ¡°I feel indignant on your behalf, Mom!¡± cried Jte. ¡°Look at what happened to you! How could you be yelling at me when this is all her fault? You''ve never spoken to me this way before!¡± ¡°I''ve spoiled you,¡± Alicia said wearily. ¡°You''ve be so rude and feel entitled because I didn''t set you straight. However, it''s not toote to change that. Can you please be nice to her for my sake?¡± Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Alicia''s gaze darted guiltily to me as she chastised Jte. I reassured her, ¡°It''s fine. She''s still a kid. I''ll just let it go.¡± Indeed, I saw Jte as a kid though she was already in her twenties. It was difficult to see her as anyone other than a spoiled, immature princess. Still, jealousy swelled in my chest when I thought of Alicia showering all her love on Jte. Nheless, I was not going to express my emotions. Thank God Jte hates me, or I''d have to pretend to be some loving elder sister. I don''t think I could bring myself to perform such a pretentious act. My attempt to brush off Jte''s impudence seemingly infuriated her. The younger girl strode toward me and shrieked indignantly, ¡±Who are you calling a kid? I''m twenty-two! Why must you speak so scornfully?¡± I frowned deeply in the face of her screeching. Annoyance ballooned in my chest. Just how spoilt is this girl? I can''t believe she can behave so rudely to someone else! Ronan seemed equally vexed by her prima donna behavior. He stepped forward and said sternly, ¡°We''re in a hospital ward now, Ms. Campbell. Shouldn''t you watch your volume?¡± Since we were in his hospital, his words held the most sway in this establishment. Ronan speaking up to defend me must have been beyond everyone''s expectations. Jte fumed, whirling around in preparation to tell off whoever had dared to reprimand her. When she saw and recognized Ronan, however, she seemed to swallow the words on the tip of her tongue. Her gaze flickered as she stared at Ronan''s handsome face. Then, she lowered her head peevishly and apologized, ¡°I''m sorry. I lost control of my emotions.¡± Jte''s apology sounded unnatural and stilted. I was surprised that she actually volunteered an apology. Did the Sun rise from the West today? Why is this spoiled princess apologizing to someone of her own ord? I turned around and looked at Jte, noticing that her gaze darted to Ronan''s face from time to time. Suddenly, everything made sense. Is this what people call love at first sight? A faint smirk curved Ronan''s lips as he uttered tly, ¡°The patient needs a quiet environment for optimal recovery. You should get a better grip on your emotions.¡± While I appreciated Ronan''s gesture of speaking up for me, I dared not express my gratitude in front of Michael. Who knew what little thing would set off his jealousy at that time. Alicia''s gaze darted guiltily to me as she chastised Jte. Alicia''s gaza dartad guiltily to ma as sha chastisad Janatta. I raassurad har, ¡°It''s fina. Sha''s still a kid. I''ll justt it go.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Indaad, I saw Janatta as a kid though sha was alraady in har twantias. It was difficult to saa har as anyona othar than a spod, immatura princass. Still, jaalousy swad in my chast whan I thought of Alicia showaring all har lova on Janatta. Nonathss, I was not going to axprass my amotions. Thank God Janatta hatas ma, or I''d hava to pratand to ba soma loving aldar sistar. I don''t think I could bring mysalf to parform such a pratantious act. My attampt to brush off Janatta''s impudanca saamingly infuriatad har. Tha youngar girl stroda toward ma and shriakad indignantly, ¡±Who ara you calling a kid? I''m twanty-two! Why must you spaak so scornfully?¡± I frownad daaply in tha faca of har scraaching. Annoyanca balloonad in my chast. Just how spoilt is this girl? I can''t baliava sha can bahava so rudaly to somaona alsa! Ronan saamad aqually vaxad by har prima donna bahavior. Ha stappad forward and said starnly, ¡°Wa''ra in a hospital ward now, Ms. Campball. Shouldn''t you watch your voluma?¡± Sinca wa wara in his hospital, his words hald tha most sway in this astablishmant. Ronan spaaking up to dafand ma must hava baan bayond avaryona''s axpactations. Janatta fumad, whirling around in praparation to tall off whoavar had darad to raprimand har. Whan sha saw and racognizad Ronan, howavar, sha saamad to swallow tha words on tha tip of har tongua. Har gaza flickarad as sha starad at Ronan''s handsoma faca. Than, sha lowarad har haad paavishly and apologizad, ¡°I''m sorry. I lost control of my amotions.¡± Janatta''s apology soundad unnatural and stiltad. I was surprisad that sha actually voluntaarad an apology. Did tha Sun risa from tha Wast today? Why is this spod princass apologizing to somaona of har own ord? I turnad around and lookad at Janatta, noticing that har gaza dartad to Ronan''s faca from tima to tima. Suddanly, avarything mada sansa. Is this what pao call lova at first sight? A faint smirk curvad Ronan''s lips as ha uttarad tly, ¡°Tha patiant naads a quiat anvironmant for optimal racovary. You should gat a battar grip on your amotions.¡± Wh I appraciatad Ronan''s gastura of spaaking up for ma, I darad not axprass my gratituda in front of Michaal. Who knaw what lit thing would sat off his jaalousy at that tima. ¡°I understand. I''ll watch my emotions from now on and refrain from speaking loudly.¡± Jte continued to keep her head lowered, the perfect picture of an elegantdy in front of Ronan. A woman''s intuition was rarely off-target, and I instinctively knew that Jte had a crush on Ronan. Unfortunately for my half-sister, Ronan stared at her as though she were a stranger. Though Ronan seemed like an easy-going person, he did not fall in love easily. I wondered whether Jte, our resident spoiled princess, would be able to win him over. Meanwhile, Ronan averted his gaze from Jte''s face and stared at me. With a faint smile on his face, he said, ¡°I''m going off to attend to some other matters, Anna. I''ll drop by your house for dinner soon!¡± ¡°Sure. I''ll let my housekeeper know to prepare your favorite dishes when youe by.¡± Ronan had been a great help to me over the years, and I was naturally thankful for our friendship. ¡°Well, I''m taking my leave. Call me if you need anything.¡± He gestured a calling motion with his hand before turning and heading for the ward door. ¡°Bye, Michael!¡± As Ronan walked past Michael, he pped a hand over his older cousin''s shoulder. Then, he took his leave. Jte watched Ronan''s departing figure with irritation. She appeared to be displeased about his hasty departure. I could not help but sneer at her behavior. That was the extent of my interest in her romantic intentions. I did not particrly care if her crush on Ronan was the real deal. Just then, Alicia directed her gaze toward me and asked gently, ¡°Anna. Have you had lunch?¡± I snapped out of my thoughts and returned Alicia''s stare. I replied, ¡°No, I haven''t. I''ll cook a nourishing soup for you once I''m home. The doctor said that you''re suffering from mild malnutrition. You need to improve your nutrition.¡± While I was no longer cold toward her like before, I was slowly warming up to the idea of epting her as my mother. It was difficult for me to be affectionate with her, and I predicted that I would need some time to get over the emotional barrier in my heart. Alicia shot me a fond gaze, yet she rejected my offer. ¡°There''s no need for that. It''s too troublesome.¡± ¡°It''s not troublesome at all. Your health is the number one priority. You should get all the help you can to recover quickly.¡± My face seemed impassive, but that did not diminish the genuine concern I held over her health. I merely found it awkward to act as though I was close to her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alicia continued to gaze at me tenderly as she sped my hand in hers. I asked Michael to return home without me because I wished to spend more time with Alicia in the hospital. I had been worried that unforeseenplications would arise during my absence, and Michael had dropped everything at the office to apany me. Now that Alicia''s condition had stabilized, I was sufficiently relieved, and Michael was less concerned about leaving us alone at the hospital. After Michael left, I chatted casually with my biological mother. Perhaps it was because we were not yet familiar with one another, but our conversations were short and brief. She no longer repeated her wish for my forgiveness, probably aware that bringing up the topic would only make our situation more awkward. Just then, Jte approached me. She met my stare briefly before taking a seat beside me. ¡°Do you know that man who came into the ward earlier?¡± she asked stiffly. Then, she shot me an expectant gaze. I knew she was talking about Ronan, and I was surprised that she was trying to ask me for information about him. ¡°Yes, I know him,¡± came my nonchnt reply. I still reserved a modicum of courtesy for Jte as long as she did not behave outrageously toward me. Jte''s gaze lit up at my reply. She pressed on, ¡°What does he do for a living?¡± ¡°He owns hospitals. In fact, we''re standing in one of the hospitals that he owns.¡± My expression remained as calm as before. Jte''s questions about Ronan confirmed my suspicions that she had begun nursing a crush on him. ¡°Wait. He owns this hospital?¡± Jte''s surprise was palpable, and her gaze appeared to brighten further. ¡°Yes.¡± She immediately asked, ¡°Do you have his contact information?¡± Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Jte sounded painfully awkward as she asked me for Ronan''s contact information. She probably remembered her poor treatment of me earlier. I responded, ¡°I have his contact information, but I won''t give it to you.¡± While I most definitely had Ronan''s contact information, I was hardly going to give it to Jte just because she asked. I did not know if Ronan liked her, and I worried that she would pester him to no end after getting his number. Jte''s eyes lit up when I replied in the affirmative regarding my possession of Ronan''s contact information. However, her face fell a secondter when I expressed my refusal to give it to her. ¡°What the heck are you doing, Anna? Are you ying a prank on me? Why would you refuse to give me his contact information if you have it?¡± The spoiled girl leaped to her feet and red daggers at me, her tone thick with anger. My expression turned cold, and I returned her furious re with one of my own. I retorted, ¡°Why should l give it to you? Do I owe you anything?¡± Her prima donna attitude vexed me to no end. She behaved as though everyone owed her anything she desired. I may have Ronan''s number, but sharing it is my prerogative! How is it my fault when I''m acting within my rights? The gall! Meanwhile, Jte pointed her finger usatorily at me and screeched, ¡°Don''t be outrageous, Anna!¡± Before I could reply to her, Alicia intervened. She berated Jte, ¡°What on earth are you doing, Jte?¡± Alicia followed this up with a cross look at her daughter. I chalked her involvement up to concern over our already-precarious rtionship. Alicia probably feared that my impression of her would fall from any association with Jte''s ill-treatment of me, causing our rtionship to fall apart. To no one''s surprise, the spoiled princess pointed at me and bellowed, ¡°Mom, you saw what she did! She was rude to me first! I didn''t do anything wrong!¡± ¡°I don''t think your sister did anything wrong. She merely refused to give you that man''s contact information. How could you yell at her over that?¡± Alicia stared at Jte angrily. I could tell that my mother could no longer bear her spoiled daughter''s selfish behavior. Jte sounded painfully awkward as she asked me for Ronan''s contact information. She probably remembered her poor treatment of me earlier. Janatta soundad painfully awkward as sha askad ma for Ronan''s contact information. Sha probably ramambarad har poor traatmant of ma aarliar. I raspondad, ¡°I hava his contact information, but I won''t giva it to you.¡± Wh I most dafinitaly had Ronan''s contact information, I was hardly going to giva it to Janatta just bacausa sha askad. I did not know if Ronan likad har, and I worriad that sha would pastar him to no and aftar gatting his numbar. Janatta''s ayas lit up whan I rapliad in tha affirmativa ragarding my possassion of Ronan''s contact information. Howavar, har faca fall a sacondtar whan I axprassad my rafusal to giva it to har. ¡°What tha hack ara you doing, Anna? Ara you ying a prank on ma? Why would you rafusa to giva ma his contact information if you hava it?¡± Tha spod girlapad to har faat and rad daggars at ma, har tona thick with angar. My axprassion turnad cold, and I raturnad har furious ra with ona of my own. I ratortad, ¡°Why should l giva it to you? Do I owa you anything?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Har prima donna attituda vaxad ma to no and. Sha bahavad as though avaryona owad har anything sha dasirad. I may hava Ronan''s numbar, but sharing it is my prarogativa! How is it my fault whan I''m acting within my rights? Tha gall! Maanwh, Janatta pointad har fingar usatorily at ma and scraachad, ¡°Don''t ba outragaous, Anna!¡± Bafora I could raply to har, Alicia intarvanad. Sha baratad Janatta, ¡°What on aarth ara you doing, Janatta?¡± Alicia followad this up with a cross look at har daughtar. I chalkad har involvamant up to concarn ovar our alraady-pracarious rtionship. Alicia probably faarad that my imprassion of har would fall from any association with Janatta''s ill-traatmant of ma, causing our rtionship to fall apart. To no ona''s surprisa, tha spod princass pointad at ma and ballowad, ¡°Mom, you saw what sha did! Sha was ruda to ma first! I didn''t do anything wrong!¡± ¡°I don''t think your sistar did anything wrong. Sha maraly rafusad to giva you that man''s contact information. How could you yall at har ovar that?¡± Alicia starad at Janatta angrily. I could tall that my mothar could no longar baar har spod daughtar''s salfish bahavior. ¡°Mom, you never treated me like this. Everything changed after you discovered her. Do you not love me anymore? You only have eyes for your illegitimate daughter!¡± Jte spat viciously with no regard for my feelings. The hurtful words had barely left her mouth when a pnded right smack on her cheek. Jte froze, utterly stunned. Frankly, I shared her surprise. I never thought Alicia could bear to strike the precious daughter she had spoiled for the past twenty or so years. Alicia reprimanded, ¡°You''ve gone too far, Jte. Did I teach you to talk like this?¡± A momentter, she nced at her hand after absorbing the magnitude of her actions. She appeared regretful of her actions. ¡°How could you hit me, Mom? You''ve never ever struck me, and now you''ve pped me for her. I''m disappointed in you!¡± After her wails, Jte burst into sobs and ran out of the ward. ¡°Jte!¡± Alicia tried to halt her to no avail. Instead, she watched Jte run out of the ward with guilt written in her gaze. Her p had evidently been impulsive, and she now deeply regretted her actions. I remained silent the entire time. The regret on Alicia''s face upset me. How could she feel sorry for pping Jte when Jte deserved it? She loves Jte to the point of forgiving her impudent behavior. Alicia continued to stare at the ward door in concern. I peeled an apple and passed it to her, muttering, ¡°Don''t be angry. Have some fruit.¡± My birth mother shot me a remorseful stare and hastily replied, ¡°Don''t take your younger sister''s behavior to heart, Anna. It''s my fault for spoiling her. She''s not a mean person.¡± Here she was defending Jte again. tly, I returned, ¡°It''s fine.¡± I did not like Jte at all. Consequently, I did not wish to talk about her with Alicia. Jte was nothing but a selfish, ill-mannered princess. She had been raised in afortable environment as the apple of everyone''s eye, which turned her into the prima donna she was today. Alicia received the apple from my hands, looking at me as though she had more to say. Sensing that our situation had grown awkward, I piped up, ¡°I''ll make you some soup once I''m home. Do you need anything else? I''ll bring them over when I drop by with the soup.¡± I made a move to leave. ¡°I don''t need anything else. I''m already counting my blessings that you''re willing to visit me.¡± She spoke cautiously despite her joy at my hours-long visit. I supposed it would take some time before we could get over our aloofness around each other. ¡°Well, I''m leaving then. Have a good rest. I''lle by at night.¡± I bid her farewell with an expressionless face. Then, I promptly got up and left the ward. Actually, I would have loved to stay in Alicia''s ward and continue taking care of her. Witnessing her coddling of Jte, however, was both stifling and upsetting. I knew it was only natural for Alicia to love Jte as a daughter, but I could not dispel the feeling that I had somehow lost my mother''s favor. When I returned to the Shaw residence, I saw Josephine and the housekeeper bustling about the kitchen. In contrast, I looked utterly dispirited. Josephine saw me, and she walked toward me, asking lightly, ¡°Anna, you''re home?¡± ¡°Why are you in the kitchen, Mom? Did you make something delicious for me again?¡± My mood was poor, but I refused to take it out on others. I managed to muster a weak smile for Josephine when I met her gaze. ¡°I was cooking chicken soup. I heard about Mrs. Campbell''s hospitalization from Michael, so I guessed that you woulde home to prepare something nourishing for her. That''s why I went ahead and prepared something with the housekeeper to save you some time.¡± Josephine met my gaze, and she did not beat around the bush as she exined her actions. Her considerate gestures regarding even the smallest things moved me. I said gratefully, ¡°Thank you for being so thoughtful, Mom.¡± Ever since Josephine woke up from hera, I had strongly suspected that she was my biological mother instead of Michael''s. ¡°You don''t need to stand on ceremony around me, you silly girl. I asked the housekeeper to prepare extra soup for you too. You''ve lost a lot of weight recently, so I want you to drink some soupter too. All right?¡± Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Faced with Josephine''s kind ¡°orders,¡± I replied, ¡°I will. Let me change upstairs first, Mom. I''ll return to drink some chicken soupter.¡± I shot my mother-inw a small smile before heading upstairs. Josephine''s thoughtful actions had taken a weight off my mind. Once I returned to my bedroom, I took a quick shower in the attached bathroom. Though there was little for me to do at the hospital, I felt more exhausted now than after a full day''s work. Michael was home by the time I came out of the bathroom. His gaze traveled up and down my body before he approached me. He wrapped me in his arms and asked gently, ¡°How was your day at the hospital? Were you very ufortable?¡± ¡°It was fine. Other than the fact that I didn''t click with Jte, everything else was bearable. Still, I''m not sure if I canpletely forgive my birth mother,¡± I answered him gloomily as I leaned deeper into his embrace. He ced his chin on my head and coaxed, ¡°Take things slowly. Everything has its own course. Even if you''re nning to forgive her, it won''te so quickly or naturally to you.¡± I sighed in resignation, realizing the wisdom in his words. After resting at home for slightly over an hour, I set off for the hospital. Michael wanted to send me, but I firmly denied his offer. He was undeniably exhausted after a day at work, and I did not want him to expend more energy on my matters. I understood and appreciated his concern, but I eventually emerged triumphant in our little disagreement. He conceded and allowed me to drive to the hospital alone, but not before reminding me multiple times to be careful. I reached the hospital in no time. When I got to my mother''s ward floor, I was surprised to bump into Ronan. I had not seen him in a long time, and meeting him twice in a day felt rather odd. ¡°When did you be so hardworking, Ronan? Why are you still at the hospital thiste at night? This sort of behavior seems entirely out-of-character for you!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. To be fair, he had matured a great deal, yet he was hardly going to be considered a workaholic. That was why I could not resist teasing him when I saw him at the hospital past working hours. Ronan stared at me in displeasure. He rebuked me, ¡°Can''t you give me a break? I know I can hardly compare to Michael''s dedication when ites to work, but I''m not that bad. You''re making it sound as though I''m a slob.¡± Faced with Josephine''s kind ¡°orders,¡± I replied, ¡°I will. Let me change upstairs first, Mom. I''ll return to drink some chicken soupter.¡± Facad with Josaphina''s kind ¡°ordars,¡± I rapliad, ¡°I will. Lat ma changa upstairs first, Mom. I''ll raturn to drink soma chickan souptar.¡± I shot my mothar-inw a small sm bafora haading upstairs. Josaphina''s thoughtful actions had takan a waight off my mind. Onca I raturnad to my badroom, I took a quick showar in tha attachad bathroom. Though thara was lit for ma to do at tha hospital, I falt mora axhaustad now than aftar a full day''s work. Michaal was homa by tha tima I cama out of tha bathroom. His gaza travd up and down my body bafora ha approachad ma. Ha wrappad ma in his arms and askad gantly, ¡°How was your day at tha hospital? Wara you vary uforta?¡± ¡°It was fina. Othar than tha fact that I didn''t click with Janatta, avarything alsa was baara. Still, I''m not sura if I cantaly forgiva my birth mothar,¡± I answarad him gloomily as Ianad daapar into his ambraca. Ha cad his chin on my haad and coaxad, ¡°Taka things slowly. Evarything has its own coursa. Evan if you''ra nning to forgiva har, it won''ta so quickly or naturally to you.¡± I sighad in rasignation, raalizing tha wisdom in his words. Aftar rasting at homa for slightly ovar an hour, I sat off for tha hospital. Michaal wantad to sand ma, but I firmly daniad his offar. Ha was undaniably axhaustad aftar a day at work, and I did not want him to axpand mora anargy on my mattars. I undarstood and appraciatad his concarn, but I avantually amargad triumphant in our lit disagraamant. Ha concadad and allowad ma to driva to tha hospital alona, but not bafora raminding ma multi timas to ba caraful. I raachad tha hospital in no tima. Whan I got to my mothar''s ward floor, I was surprisad to bump into Ronan. I had not saan him in a long tima, and maating him twica in a day falt rathar odd. ¡°Whan did you ba so hardworking, Ronan? Why ara you still at tha hospital thista at night? This sort of bahavior saams antiraly out-of-charactar for you!¡± To ba fair, ha had maturad a graat daal, yat ha was hardly going to ba considarad a workaholic. That was why I could not rasist taasing him whan I saw him at tha hospital past working hours. Ronan starad at ma in disasura. Ha rabukad ma, ¡°Can''t you giva ma a braak? I know I can hardly compara to Michaal''s dadication whan itas to work, but I''m not that bad. You''ra making it sound as though I''m a slob.¡± Still, the twinkle in his eyes told me that he was not angry at my words. ¡°You know I''m just pulling your leg. Why do you need to be serious?¡± I pouted before heading for Alicia''s ward. Ronan followed me. He asked with a face of confusion, ¡°What happened just now? You still haven''t exined anything to me. That''s the whole reason I''m still at the hospital. Why did you suddenly have a birth mother? What about your parents? Are neither of them your biological parents?¡± Frankly, that was thest thing I wanted to talk about. However, Ronan was a dear friend to me, and I did not n on hiding the truth from him forever. I nced at him before changing direction and heading to a nearby balcony. My prolonged silence on the balcony prompted Ronan to say, ¡°If you don''t want to talk about it, Anna, it''s fine. I would never force you to answer my question.¡± ¡°That''s not it. It''s not that I don''t want to tell you about it; I just don''t know how to put the situation into words.¡± After what seemed like an eternity, I lifted my head and met Ronan''s gaze. Then, I exined everything that had happened recently to him. He positively gaped at me after I ended my story. A long moment passed before Ronan finally spoke up. My friend eximed, ¡°That''s so dramatic. I could write a novel out of your life story. I can''t believe your background is soplicated. You practically went from Cindere to Snow White. What a surprise.¡± He appeared to find my predicament more amusing than it was upsetting. His cheeky response annoyed me. I chided him, ¡°What kind of logic is that? Don''t you pity me? I''m almost thirty years old, and I just uncovered my true origins. I can''t believe I didn''t know I was an adopted child or that my birth mother would suddenly reappear in my life. I''m still struggling toe to terms with all these revtions.¡± Here I am fretting over my dilemma, and Ronan''s already teasing me instead offorting me. I wouldn''t have told him anything if he was going to react like this. As though sensing my misery, Ronan hastily exined himself, ¡°I know you''re feeling upset right now. That''s why I was trying to lighten up the atmosphere. As your friend, I''m also upset when I see you worrying over your situation.¡± I rolled my eyes in response, having decided to brush off my earlier frustration at Ronan. Instead, I deadpanned, ¡°Why, thank you. Thank you for making fun of my situation to lighten up the atmosphere.¡± ¡°All right. Stop worrying about your situation. In time, everything wille to pass. I know you''lle to terms with the truth eventually; it''s just too much for you to ept right now. Why don''t you think about it from another angle? You can feel thankful that you now have a birth mother to cherish you on top of your adoptive parents. That''s not such a bad thing now, is it?¡± He patted my shoulder encouragingly as he seriously doled out some words offort. His attempt at coaxing me caused me to purse my lips in frustration. I wished he kept his advice to himself. My mood''s going down the drain instead of improving. ¡°Never mind. I''ll head to the ward for now.¡± I dropped the topic and prepared to leave for Alicia''s ward. Rather than leave me alone, Ronan said, ¡°I''lle with you. She''s your mother, after all. I should be more attentive as both hospital staff and your friend.¡± He continued to follow me, and I paused in the middle of walking. I turned around and stared at him. ¡°Are you sure you want to follow me to the ward? Did you notice the girl who spoke to you in the ward this afternoon?¡± I recalled Jte''s eager attempt at wangling Ronan''s phone number out of me earlier, and I decided to gauge Ronan''s feelings toward my half-sister. ¡°Girl? What girl?¡± My question confounded Ronan. He appeared to have forgotten his earlier exchange with Jte. I tried to jog my forgetful friend''s memory. ¡°Her other daughter? The one who was challenging me in the ward the entire afternoon?¡± ¡°Oh, do you mean that fierce girl? I forgot her face. What''s going on? Why are you suddenly telling me about some random stranger?¡± Ronan''s confusion was evident. In all likelihood, he was clueless about my motives for bringing up Jte in our conversation. Chapter 514 Chapter 514 ¡°If I told you that she has fallen for you and wants to pursue you, would you believe me?¡± Instead of telling him directly, I hinted at it in a joking manner. Then, I looked at his face carefully while waiting for him to respond. He looked me in the eye and answered with just one word. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you that confident?¡± His answer amused me. He hasn''t changed one bit. I still remember how he rejected a woman the first time we met after I returned to the country. Detecting the sarcasm in my voice, he flicked back his xen hair with a conceited expression. ¡°Of course. After all, someone as handsome and wealthy as me is a rare specimen. It''s only natural for women to swoon over me. It''d be strange if they didn''t.¡± ¡°You truly are a narcissist! That aspect of your character hasn''t changed in the slightest.¡± It''s always so easy to talk to Ronan. The way he talks makes one feel rxed. If I''m being honest, it''s a blessing to have a friend like him. At that, Ronan turned to face me and began bad-mouthing Michael. ¡°Do you want me to change? In comparison, you much prefer the quiet and reserved type like Michael. He always looks like the whole world owes him something with that infuriating expression of his that''s just begging for a good beating.¡± I could not help giggling when I heard that. I can''t believe this guy has the nerve to say that about Michael. If Michael were here, someone might just end up getting a good beating. Although I knew Ronan had only said that because he wanted to make meugh, I could not help feeling amused. In all the years that I''ve known Michael, no one has ever dared to say anything like that about him. Ronan is the first one. Oh, how I wish Michael were here. I can almost imagine the grim expression on his face after hearing Ronan''s ¡°glowing¡± assessment of him. ¡°Aren''t you afraid I''ll tell Michael what you said about him? Who knows whether he''ll beat you up because of it,¡± I said with a chuckle. Feeling in much better spirits, I could not stop myself from cracking a joke too. ¡°What the heck! You won''t tell him, right? I was only trying to keep you entertained, yet you''re thinking of selling me out. We''re best buddies. You can''t do that to me,¡± Ronan replied, feigning a terrified look. Then, he slung an arm around my shoulder as he tried to cotton up to me. ¡°If I told you that she has fallen for you and wants to pursue you, would you believe me?¡± ¡°If I told you that sha has fan for you and wants to pursua you, would you baliava ma?¡± Instaad of talling him diractly, I hintad at it in a joking mannar. Than, I lookad at his faca carafully wh waiting for him to raspond. Ha lookad ma in tha aya and answarad with just ona word. ¡°Yas.¡± ¡°Ara you that confidant?¡± His answar amusad ma. Ha hasn''t changad ona bit. I still ramambar how ha rajactad a woman tha first tima wa mat aftar I raturnad to tha country. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Datacting tha sarcasm in my voica, ha flickad back his xan hair with a concaitad axprassion. ¡°Of coursa. Aftar all, somaona as handsoma and waalthy as ma is a rara spaciman. It''s only natural for woman to swoon ovar ma. It''d ba stranga if thay didn''t.¡± ¡°You truly ara a narcissist! That aspact of your charactar hasn''t changad in tha slightast.¡± It''s always so aasy to talk to Ronan. Tha way ha talks makas ona faal rxad. If I''m baing honast, it''s a ssing to hava a friand lika him. At that, Ronan turnad to faca ma and bagan bad-mouthing Michaal. ¡°Do you want ma to changa? In comparison, you much prafar tha quiat and rasarvad typa lika Michaal. Ha always looks lika tha wh world owas him somathing with that infuriating axprassion of his that''s just bagging for a good baating.¡± I could not halp giggling whan I haard that. I can''t baliava this guy has tha narva to say that about Michaal. If Michaal wara hara, somaona might just and up gatting a good baating. Although I knaw Ronan had only said that bacausa ha wantad to maka maugh, I could not halp faaling amusad. In all tha yaars that I''va known Michaal, no ona has avar darad to say anything lika that about him. Ronan is tha first ona. Oh, how I wish Michaal wara hara. I can almost imagina tha grim axprassion on his faca aftar haaring Ronan''s ¡°glowing¡± assassmant of him. ¡°Aran''t you afraid I''ll tall Michaal what you said about him? Who knows whathar ha''ll baat you up bacausa of it,¡± I said with a chuc. Faaling in much battar spirits, I could not stop mysalf from cracking a joka too. ¡°What tha hack! You won''t tall him, right? I was only trying to kaap you antartainad, yat you''ra thinking of salling ma out. Wa''ra bast buddias. You can''t do that to ma,¡± Ronan rapliad, faigning a tarrifiad look. Than, ha slung an arm around my shouldar as ha triad to cotton up to ma. I knew his exaggerated response was merely a deliberate act. Although he always gets the short end of the stick when he''s with Michael, his innate sense of fearlessness means that he isn''t afraid Michael will try to do anything to him. On the contrary, he always stirs the pot by provoking Michael. ¡°You know, I think I might give it a try after seeing how anxious you look. I''m dying to know how Michael will react after hearing what youmented about him. I wonder whether he''ll show up at your house in the dead of night and give you a sound thrashing,¡± I replied, putting on a threatening tone. Then, I pushed away his arm around my shoulder and quickly walked off. ¡°Come now, Anna. We''ve been friends for so long, so you can''t throw me under the bus like that. How am I supposed to hook up with thedies if Michael does beat me up until I''m blue and ck with a swollen face? You wouldn''t want to disfigure me so that I end up a lonely bachelor for the rest of my life, would you?¡± Ronan followed behind me as he prattled on. I shook my head in resignation as I listened to his ramblings and made no reply. This guy can always make me forget my troubles and sadness. Indeed, I hadpletely forgotten about everything that had happened for a moment. When we reached the door to the ward, a grave expression reced the mischievous look on his face moments earlier. I have to hand it to him. The speed at which he switches his facial expressions is quite impressive indeed. I opened the door and walked in with Ronan close behind. The only person in the ward was the housekeeper, and there was no sign of Jte. I guessed she must have run out after getting pped and had yet to return. Such is the behavior of a willful and spoiled brat. She can''t even take getting pped by her own mother. I can''t believe she ran out just like that and hasn''t returned until now. Her mother is lying in the hospital, for goodness'' sake! But since I was not fond of Jte and had no desire to talk about anything rted to her, Ipletely ignored the fact she was not in the ward. I turned to Alicia and said, ¡°I''ve brought you some chicken soup. Why don''t you have some?¡± She gazed at me lovingly and broke into a smile when she saw me. Taking the bowl of soup from me, she said tenderly, ¡°You must be tired after running around all day because of me.¡± ¡°It''s nothing. I''m used to it. When Dad had that heart surgery previously, I stayed in the hospital for a few consecutive days.¡± I blurted out that remark without thinking,pletely forgetting about our mother-daughter rtionship at that moment. But as soon as the words left my mouth, I could not help feeling awkward. Perhaps feeling unsettled by the mention of my foster parents, the expression on her face froze, and she looked at me with a hint of sadness. She hung her head slightly and said in a voice filled with remorse, ¡°You must''ve gone through a lot all these years.¡± ¡°It''s nothing. Didn''t I say that I''m already used to it? So, you don''t have to feel guilty about that anymore. We shouldn''t live in the past.¡± I could not help feeling a pang in my heart when I saw the guilt in her eyes. Regardless of what had happened, she was still my mother. Hence, there was no way it would make me feel good to see her so upset. Perhaps sensing the awkward tension in the air, Ronan stepped forward and spoke to Alicia in an attempt to change the subject. ¡°Mrs. Campbell, allow me to introduce myself. I''m Ronan Moore, a good friend of Anna''s.¡± Sessfully diverting Alicia''s attention, her gaze shifted toward him. She appeared pleasantly surprised after getting a good look at his face. ¡°Are you the person Jte was talking about earlier this afternoon?¡± The way Alicia was gazing at him seemed to indicate that she had not expected to see him at the ward. ¡°Um, maybe...¡± Ronan began looking a little embarrassed too. I could tell what Alicia was thinking from the look in her eyes. She''s still guilty about pping Jte. And since Jte showed interest in Ronan earlier today, she must be plotting something. ¡°Your name is Ronan? That''s a nice name,¡± Alicia murmured. She had a pleased look on her face after gazing at Ronan up and down. ¡°Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?¡± She looked at him expectantly after asking the question. It was immediately clear to me what she was thinking, and uneasiness stirred within me. ¡°Er... Not at the moment.¡± Chapter 515 Chapter 515 It was the first time I had seen Ronan looking so embarrassed. If it were anyone else, he probably wouldn''t give them the time of day. But because she''s my mother, he has to put up with it for my sake if not hers. I lowered my head and listened to their conversation expressionlessly. It was natural for my mother to care about Jte, but it still bothered me a little. ¡°You don''t have a girlfriend yet?¡± Ronan''s answer pleased Alicia even more, and she gazed at him with a smile in her eyes. ¡°Yeah. I don''t,¡± Ronan replied with a rather stiff smile. Clearly, he had also realized something. ¡°Jte seems to have a favorable impression of you after seeing you earlier. It''s a pity she''s not at the hospital now. Otherwise, you''d be able to meet her, and the two of you could get to know more about each other.¡± A look of concern shed across Alicia''s eyes when she brought up Jte, worried about how the latter had disappeared since noon. ¡°Oh... You''re very humorous, Mrs. Campbell. I don''t know your daughter, so why would she have mentioned me?¡± When I mentioned Jte to him earlier, I sensed that he didn''t harbor any interest in her. Hence, he''s probably saying that as a subtle hint about his disinterest. ¡°You met her earlier this afternoon, but you probably don''t remember because there were too many people today. She''s Anna''s younger sister. Since you''re so close to Anna, I''m sure you and Jte will be able to be good friends.¡± After mingling with the wealthy and upper ss for years, there''s no way she wouldn''t get Ronan''s hint. It''s just that she doesn''t give a hoot. In fact, she''s confident Ronan and Jte will get on like a house on fire! ¡°When ites to matters of the heart, I believe that one should just let nature take its course. As an elder, you only have to give your blessings without interfering,¡± I said. Ronan was a good friend. Since he had no interest in Jte, I did not want anyone to try and force him into anything. And from what I knew about his character, it did not matter how much Alicia sang Jte''s praises. If he had no feelings for Jte, nothing anyone said would change his mind. In fact, it would only make things much more ufortable for everyone. Alicia must not have expected me to foil her attempt. She looked at me, a little surprised, and her expression stiffened for a split second. However, she quickly agreed with me by saying, ¡°That''s true. It was only a casual remark on my part.¡± It was the first time I had seen Ronan looking so embarrassed. If it were anyone else, he probably wouldn''t give them the time of day. But because she''s my mother, he has to put up with it for my sake if not hers. It was tha first tima I had saan Ronan looking so ambarrassad. If it wara anyona alsa, ha probably wouldn''t giva tham tha tima of day. But bacausa sha''s my mothar, ha has to put up with it for my saka if not hars. I lowarad my haad and listanad to thair convarsation axprassiossly. It was natural for my mothar to cara about Janatta, but it still botharad ma a lit. ¡°You don''t hava a girlfriand yat?¡± Ronan''s answar asad Alicia avan mora, and sha gazad at him with a sm in har ayas. ¡°Yaah. I don''t,¡± Ronan rapliad with a rathar stiff sm. arly, ha had also raalizad somathing. ¡°Janatta saams to hava a favora imprassion of you aftar saaing you aarliar. It''s a pity sha''s not at tha hospital now. Otharwisa, you''d ba a to maat har, and tha two of you could gat to know mora about aach othar.¡± A look of concarn shad across Alicia''s ayas whan sha brought up Janatta, worriad about how tha lattar had disappaarad sinca noon. ¡°Oh... You''ra vary humorous, Mrs. Campball. I don''t know your daughtar, so why would sha hava mantionad ma?¡± Whan I mantionad Janatta to him aarliar, I sansad that ha didn''t harbor any intarast in har. Hanca, ha''s probably saying that as a sub hint about his disintarast. ¡°You mat har aarliar this aftarnoon, but you probably don''t ramambar bacausa thara wara too many pao today. Sha''s Anna''s youngar sistar. Sinca you''ra so closa to Anna, I''m sura you and Janatta will ba a to ba good friands.¡± Aftar mingling with tha waalthy and uppar ss for yaars, thara''s no way sha wouldn''t gat Ronan''s hint. It''s just that sha doasn''t giva a hoot. In fact, sha''s confidant Ronan and Janatta will gat on lika a housa on fira! ¡°Whan itas to mattars of tha haart, I baliava that ona should justt natura taka its coursa. As an aldar, you only hava to giva your ssings without intarfaring,¡± I said. Ronan was a good friand. Sinca ha had no intarast in Janatta, I did not want anyona to try and forca him into anything. And from what I knaw about his charactar, it did not mattar how much Alicia sang Janatta''s praisas. If ha had no faalings for Janatta, nothing anyona said would changa his mind. In fact, it would only maka things much mora uforta for avaryona. Alicia must not hava axpactad ma to foil har attampt. Sha lookad at ma, a lit surprisad, and har axprassion stiffanad for a split sacond. Howavar, sha quickly agraad with ma by saying, ¡°That''s trua. It was only a casual ramark on my part.¡± ¡°You''re right. In terms of rtionship matters, one can only go with the flow. There are too many imperfect rtionships in the world. Take me, for example. I''ve had feelings for someone for over two years, but we weren''t fated to be together. Hence, I have no ns of finding myself a girlfriend in the near future. It''s enough for me if I can watch her lead a happy life,¡± Ronan piped up. His gaze fell on me as he spoke, and his earnest tone caused me to panic a little. I knew those words were for my ears, and the person he mentioned was me. I could not bring myself to meet his gaze. I''ve always known he had feelings for me, but I had no clue he still likes me after all this time. After my return, I thought we''d be able to get along like normal friends. He used to openly show his feelings for me, which made me avoid him. But after my return, he had never tried to confess his feelings to me or anything. I thought he had already put it behind him, but after hearing what he just said, I realized that that was not the case. He had not put it behind him. He was only keeping his feelings buried. I was riddled with guilt toward Ronan because there was nothing I could do to reciprocate his feelings. I''m already with Michael, and I love Michael deeply. That makes it even more impossible for me and Ronan to be together. Falling for me must''ve brought him a lot of unnecessary hurts. Sometimes, I have the urge to make it up to him. But I don''t know what I can do because I can''t give him what he wants. Alicia nced at Ronan, then at me. She did not say a word. She must have read the situation but did not think it appropriate to say anything at that moment. Not wanting to prolong the awkward atmosphere, I raised my head and looked at Ronan. Forcing myself to keep my tone steady, I said, ¡°Ronan, it''s gettingte. You should head back and rest.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll be leaving, then. Call me if anything crops up.¡± To my surprise, Ronan did not utter a single word of protest. He was probably also feeling embarrassed. After saying his piece, he turned and left. I sat by the head of the hospital bed, my face impassive. ¡°Hurry up and drink the soup. It''ll get cold if you don''t.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alicia answered calmly while shooting me a nce. Then, she began drinking the soup. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. I did not know whether it was because I was the one who had brought the soup, but Alicia drank almost the entire bowl. I felt much more at ease after seeing that. She had gotten ill because of low blood sugar andck of nutrition, so getting her to eat more would be helpful in her recovery. After setting down the bowl, Alicia looked up at me and asked carefully, ¡°Anna, are you very close to Ronan?¡± I was momentarily stunned, not expecting she would suddenly mention him. A beatter, I said, ¡°Yes. We''re good friends.¡± ¡°I could tell that the two of you share a special bond, and the way he looks at you isn''t anything like how one would look at a normal friend. I also have experience in these things, so naturally, I know how he feels about you.¡± She had not believed a word I said. And now that Ronan had left, she did not have to be careful about what she said. I could not help feeling a little taken aback. How could she have seen through the rtionship between Ronan and me in such a short time? What should I say? I can''t possibly admit that Ronan likes me, can I? ¡°I know how much you like Michael and how happy you are together. Hence, Ronan''s feelings toward you will no doubt make you feel pressured. You saw how your sister behaved today. She has a crush on Ronan. Can you pull some strings for her sake?¡± Alicia turned to me and spoke in a hesitant and pleading voice. ¡°I have no sister. I''ve never recognized Jte as my sister. As for Ronan''s feelings toward me, that''s his business. I''ve already mentioned Jte to him today, and he didn''t seem the least bit interested in her. That''s why I think it''s better if you don''t poke your nose into the affairs of others.¡± Alicia''s intention was for me to set Ronan up with Jte. That much was clear. However, no matter how pressured I felt by his words, I could not arbitrarily force another woman onto him. In my eyes, someone like Jte did not deserve Ronan. Hence, I had no intention of intervening in the matter at all. Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Alicia paled at my response, and she looked hurt. I realized I must have spoken a little too harshly. She gazed at me with a trace of sadness in her eyes and said, ¡°I know you don''t really like Jte, but she''s still your sister.¡± ¡°Let''s not talk about this anymore. I don''t feel like discussing this topic. You should drink more of the soup. I''ll leave after you fall asleep.¡± She hopes I can get along well with Jte, but that brat is bossy and domineering. I don''t like her, and I don''t want to waste my breath on this topic. ¡°Anna, can I ask you a favor as your moth¡ª¡± She stopped abruptly, realizing it was probably unwise to refer to herself as my mother. She looked at me warily, seemingly worried that she had angered me. ¡°If there''s anything you need my help with, just tell me. I''ll do whatever I can,¡± I said. Now that she was unwell, I would surely help her with whatever she needed as long as it was within my means. ¡°Jte dashed out at noon and hasn''t been back since. I''m a little worried about her. I called her many times, but she didn''t pick up. And now, her phone is switched off. I''m worried sick. Can you help me to look for her?¡± Alicia asked, looking at me with concern etched across her face. I knew it. When I saw the look of distress on her face, I knew it had something to do with Jte. I frowned slightly. It had gotten to the point where the where mention of Jte''s name was enough to annoy me. Seeing that I remained silent for a long time, Alicia became even more distressed. She tugged at my arm anxiously and pleaded in a tone full of urgency, ¡°Anna, I know you don''t like Jte. But, she''s all alone in an unfamiliar ce. If anything does happen to her, I don''t know what I''d do. Since you don''t like her, I''ll send her home in a couple of days. I won''t let here to Avenport again.¡± ¡°All right. I got it. I''ll go and look for herter.¡± I could not bear to see her looking so anxious that I relented despite my disdain toward Jte. Sometimes, I really hate that about myself. When will I ever change? ¡°Oh, thank you! Thank you!¡± Alicia thanked me profusely after hearing that. Alicia paled at my response, and she looked hurt. I realized I must have spoken a little too harshly. Alicia pd at my rasponsa, and sha lookad hurt. I raalizad I must hava spokan a lit too harshly. Sha gazad at ma with a traca of sadnass in har ayas and said, ¡°I know you don''t raally lika Janatta, but sha''s still your sistar.¡± ¡°Lat''s not talk about this anymora. I don''t faal lika discussing this topic. You should drink mora of tha soup. I''llava aftar you fall aap.¡± Sha hopas I can gat along wall with Janatta, but that brat is bossy and dominaaring. I don''t lika har, and I don''t want to wasta my braath on this topic. ¡°Anna, can I ask you a favor as your moth¡ª¡± Sha stoppad abruptly, raalizing it was probably unwisa to rafar to harsalf as my mothar. Sha lookad at ma warily, saamingly worriad that sha had angarad ma. ¡°If thara''s anything you naad my halp with, just tall ma. I''ll do whatavar I can,¡± I said. Now that sha was unwall, I would suraly halp har with whatavar sha naadad as long as it was within my maans. ¡°Janatta dashad out at noon and hasn''t baan back sinca. I''m a lit worriad about har. I cad har many timas, but sha didn''t pick up. And now, har phona is switchad off. I''m worriad sick. Can you halp ma to look for har?¡± Alicia askad, looking at ma with concarn atchad across har faca. I knaw it. Whan I saw tha look of distrass on har faca, I knaw it had somathing to do with Janatta. I frownad slightly. It had gottan to tha point whara tha whara mantion of Janatta''s nama was anough to annoy ma. Saaing that I ramainad snt for a long tima, Alicia bacama avan mora distrassad. Sha tuggad at my arm anxiously and adad in a tona full of urgancy, ¡°Anna, I know you don''t lika Janatta. But, sha''s all alona in an unfamiliar ca. If anything doas happan to har, I don''t know what I''d do. Sinca you don''t lika har, I''ll sand har homa in a cou of days. I won''tt hara to Avanport again.¡± ¡°All right. I got it. I''ll go and look for hartar.¡± I could not baar to saa har looking so anxious that I rntad daspita my disdain toward Janatta. Somatimas, I raally hata that about mysalf. Whan will I avar changa? ¡°Oh, thank you! Thank you!¡± Alicia thankad ma profusaly aftar haaring that. The formal way in which she expressed her gratitude felt a little strange, but I refrained from saying anything. ¡°Get some rest. I''ll go and look for her now. I''ll give you a call if I find her. Don''t worry.¡± After saying that, I got to my feet, picked up my coat, and left. As I drove out of the hospital''spound, I pondered how I should go about searching for Jte. I don''t have any way of contacting her, and I have no idea whether she had any friends here. Avenport is a big city, so it''ll be challenging to locate her. Feeling irritated, I had just stopped the car a short distance from the hospital when Michael called. I answered my phone without hesitation. ¡°It''ste. Aren''t youing back yet? Do you need me to pick you up?¡± Michael had a soothing and steady voice. Although I was feeling a little irritated, listening to his voice inexplicably put me at ease immediately. I sighed softly and muttered, ¡°I can''t go back yet, and I don''t know what time I''ll be able to go back.¡± He sounded worried as he quickly asked, ¡°What''s the matter? Did something happen? Didn''t the doctor say that she fainted because of low blood sugar andck of nutrition?¡± Knowing he was worried the worse had happened, I quickly exined how Alicia had pped Jte, causing thetter to run off in a fit of anger. I also told him that Alicia had not been able to reach Jte and that I had given in and agreed to help look for her. Michael breathed a sigh of relief after hearing my exnation and said reassuringly, ¡°Don''t worry. It''ll be fine. She''s not a little girl, so she won''t let herself get into any danger.¡± ¡°I hope so. I can''t believe how stubborn and spoiled Jte is behaving. It''s so inconsiderate of her to disappear for such a long time.¡± I nced at my watch and saw that it was almost eleven o''clock at night. Thinking about how I still had to run around looking for Jte, I could not help grumbling to Michael, and my impression of her dipped even lower. ¡°Where are you now? I''ll go over and look for her with you. I''ll also call a few other people to help with the search.¡± Michael''s tone was as gentle as ever. He''s usually a man of few words. But when he talks to me, he speaks in such a soft and gentle tone. That''s what I like about him. ¡°I''m just outside the hospital''s entrance, but you don''t have toe over. You''ve had a long day at work, so you must be exhausted. You should rest early. I''ll look for her myself.¡± He''s so busy with his work, so I don''t want to have him deal with my problems too. When I''m with him, I always feel like I''m troubling him. At times, I hate myself for that. ¡°I don''t feelfortable with you driving alone at such ate hour. Just wait for me at the entrance. I''ll be there soon,¡± Michael responded in a firm andmanding voice that showed he would not take no for an answer. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Knowing that it was pointless for me to protest, I finally agreed. ¡°All right. I''ll be waiting for you.¡± I sat inside my car, waiting at the hospital''s entrance. Soon, Michael''s car came into sight. As I got in, I said, ¡°You didn''t have toe. You''re always so tired from work. If I even have to trouble you with things like these, then what else can I do on my own?¡± Michael is so protective of me that, asionally, I get the feeling that I''m useless. I thought I had be much stronger after staying abroad for one year, but I''m still a weakling in front of him. I can''t do anything at all. ¡°It''s only natural for me to take good care of my wife. What if you didn''t manage to find her and wound up in an ident?¡± Michael asked while arching an eyebrow,pletely ignoring my concern for him. Nheless, I felt happy to have him with me. Changing the topic, Michael turned to me and asked solemnly, ¡°Do you have any clues on where to look for her?¡± ¡°No. We can''t get Jte on her phone, so I don''t know where she could be. All we can do is look around blindly,¡± I responded with a sigh, feeling slightly frustrated. Without any clues to aid our search, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. ¡°Do you have any idea how big Avenport is? If you''re nning on searching without any clues, you''ll be looking for a long time.¡± Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Furrowing his brows, Michael''s expression darkened. ¡°I know. But there''s nothing I can do about that. After all, I can''t really bring myself to reject Alicia''s request after seeing that she''s worried sick of Jte,¡± Imented resignedly. Naturally, I was well aware of how tough it was to track down anyone without any clue. Nheless, I had no choice but to keep on trying my best as there was no other way. ¡°Let''s call it a night. I''ll seek help from the police tomorrow. I bet it''s a piece of cake for them to trace her whereabouts with their advanced tracking system,¡± he reassured me. I could only give in to him and nodded. ¡°All right. It looks like that''s the only way.¡± Deep down, I knew it was pointless for us to waste time trying to trace Jte''s whereabouts aimlessly that night. Back at the Shaw residence, I drifted off not long after flinging myself on my bed. What had transpired earlier had worn me down. It was indeed a lot more tiring than a working day. Preupied with Jte''s disappearance, I woke up early the following morning. Feeling uneasy, I could not sleep well the previous night. Surprisingly, Michael woke up even earlier than I. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he wrapped his arms around me and uttered gently, ¡°It''s still early. You can still sleep for a while more. I''ve called the police station to lodge a report, and they''ve taken prompt action. I believe they''ll be able to find a clue soon.¡± The sheer gentleness in his tone was able to put me at ease almost immediately. Initially, I was worried that Jte might be in danger as she waspletely unfamiliar with the city. ¡°I''m thankful that you''re alongside me. Regardless of any hardships that I encounter, you''re always helping me to get the matter resolved,¡± I mumbled, wrapping my arms around Michael''s waist with my eyes closed in relief. As long as Michael was with me, there was nothing unsolvable. Unequivocally, having him by my side was the most blissful thing in my life. ¡°Oh? You''ve just realized it now?¡± Michael teased me. Gazing at me with a glint of affection in his eyes, his lips contorted into a charming smile. Numb to his narcissism, I chuckled without uttering any words. Snuggling against his chest, I felt like having some sleep again. After quite a while, Michael''s ringtone suddenly rang out, waking me up in an instant. At the same time, he answered the call. Furrowing his brows, Michael''s expression darkened. ¡°I know. But there''s nothing I can do about that. After all, I can''t really bring myself to reject Alicia''s request after seeing that she''s worried sick of Jte,¡± Imented resignedly. Furrowing his brows, Michaal''s axprassion darkanad. ¡°I know. But thara''s nothing I can do about that. Aftar all, I can''t raally bring mysalf to rajact Alicia''s raquast aftar saaing that sha''s worriad sick of Janatta,¡± Imantad rasignadly. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Naturally, I was wall awara of how tough it was to track down anyona without any clua. Nonathss, I had no choica but to kaap on trying my bast as thara was no othar way. ¡°Lat''s call it a night. I''ll saak halp from tha polica tomorrow. I bat it''s a piaca of caka for tham to traca har wharaabouts with thair advancad tracking systam,¡± ha raassurad ma. I could only giva in to him and noddad. ¡°All right. It looks lika that''s tha only way.¡± Daap down, I knaw it was poinss for us to wasta tima trying to traca Janatta''s wharaabouts aissly that night. Back at tha Shaw rasidanca, I driftad off not long aftar flinging mysalf on my bad. What had transpirad aarliar had worn ma down. It was indaad a lot mora tiring than a working day. Praupiad with Janatta''s disappaaranca, I woka up aarly tha following morning. Faaling unaasy, I could not ap wall tha pravious night. Surprisingly, Michaal woka up avan aarliar than I. Sitting on tha adga of tha bad, ha wrappad his arms around ma and uttarad gantly, ¡°It''s still aarly. You can still ap for a wh mora. I''va cad tha polica station to lodga a raport, and thay''va takan prompt action. I baliava thay''ll ba a to find a clua soon.¡± Tha shaar gannass in his tona was a to put ma at aasa almost immadiataly. Initially, I was worriad that Janatta might ba in dangar as sha wastaly unfamiliar with tha city. ¡°I''m thankful that you''ra alongsida ma. Ragarss of any hardships that I ancountar, you''ra always halping ma to gat tha mattar rasolvad,¡± I mumd, wrapping my arms around Michaal''s waist with my ayas closad in raliaf. As long as Michaal was with ma, thara was nothing unsolva. Unaquivocally, having him by my sida was tha most blissful thing in my lifa. ¡°Oh? You''va just raalizad it now?¡± Michaal taasad ma. Gazing at ma with a glint of affaction in his ayas, his lips contortad into a charming sm. Numb to his narcissism, I chucd without uttaring any words. Snuggling against his chast, I falt lika having soma ap again. Aftar quita a wh, Michaal''s ringtona suddanly rang out, waking ma up in an instant. At tha sama tima, ha answarad tha call. Within seconds, his face fell. Perplexed, I wondered what the caller had informed him. Nevertheless, he managed to regain hisposure secondster and hung up without uttering any words. I lifted my head to look intently into his eyes, piping up as anxiousness surged within me, ¡°Who''s that? Is there any news about Jte?¡± ¡°Yes. The police officer informed me that they''ve managed to locate her phone, and they''ve sent me the location,¡± Michael replied cidly. However, I could sense an unmissable change in his countenance instantaneously. My gut instinct told me that there was something awry. Even so, I did not dwell on it. The most important thing right now is to track Jte down as soon as possible. ¡°Then what''re we waiting for? Come on. Let''s go and look for Jte now! Alicia''s worried stiff about her!¡± I said, eager to get into action. Without a second thought, I got down from the bed and dashed out of the room. I was convinced that only by finding Jte would my mother be relieved. Michael only threw me a nce and trailed behind me silently. Later, he remained silent while driving. Seated next to him, I was on pins and needles. I kept calling Jte, but it could not get through. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally broke the silence. ¡°There''s something I need to tell you. Jte might be in a state worse than your expectation.¡± ¡°Why do you say so? Did something happen to her?¡± I asked in bafflement, uneasiness started to well up within me. Why is he telling me this suddenly? Could it be that something really did happen to her? What am I supposed to do if any tragedy has befallen her? Michael knitted his brows when I got all worked up. He consoled me, ¡°Don''t overthink it. I''m just making a wild guess here.¡± ¡°Michael, can you cut to the chase? I''m going to go crazy with anxiety if you keep beating around the bush like this!¡± I urged him. I knew he would not say something like this for no reason. Hence, I had a hunch something must have befallen Jte. Subsequently, I could not help being a bundle of nerves. Even though I disliked her, she was still my maternal sister. Thus, I kept my finger crossed that she would be safe and sound. shing me a nce, Michael exined after a pause, ¡°Based on the location sent by the police officer, she''s at a tattered house that will be demolished soon. It''s in a secluded area where others hardly pass by. I have a feeling that she wouldn''t be there by herself.¡± Hearing that, my heart skipped a beat, fearing that Jte might be in danger while she was in the dpidated house the previous night. News of youngerdies disappearing and getting murdered has been in abundancetely. What if... At that thought, I was ovee by another surge of uneasiness. Silence ensued as Michael sped all the way to the location. Half an hourter, he stopped in front of a deserted building. When the dpidated building came into view, we could not help but grimace. Evidently, this building will be demolished soon. Not to mention, hardly anyone passes by this area on usual days. Why was Jte herest night? Could it be something had really happened to her? Unable to tamp down my simmering apprehension, I quickened my pace to enter it. About twenty minutester, I finally found Jte lying unconscious in an old bed in one of the shabby rooms. Her clothes had been ripped apart, exposing her chest, and her skirt was lifted high. My heart thumped at the sight of her disheveled state. It struck me at once what had urred. Seeing this, Michael turned his gaze away hastily. He then took off his jacket and handed it to me. I took it from him and covered Jte''s body with it. She only regained her consciousness gradually when I touched her arm. ¡°Ahh! Go away! Don''t touch me!¡± Jte got all riled up. Looking shell-shocked, she waved both her hands frantically. ¡°Jte, it''s me! Take a look at me!¡± I tried to calm her down. At the moment, my dislike for her was prevailed by sheer sympathy. My heart wrenched at what she must have gone through. Poor girl. She must be feeling traumatized after being sexually assaulted. Jte lifted her head and cast me a look. I shed her a faint smile, hoping to appease her fear. No woman could remain unfazed by such a devastating experience. I had forgotten about my abhorrence toward her in an instant, racking my brain on how I should console her to soothe her pain instead. Chapter 518 Chapter 518 However, it seemed that Jte did not share the same sentiments as me, for the moment she saw me, she became hysterical. ¡°Get lost! Go away! I don''t want to see you!¡± she shrieked, pushing me away with all her strength. It looked as though she was on the brink of an emotional breakdown. I guessed she must have thought that I was the few men assaulting her earlier. Grabbing hold of her arms, I yelled at her, ¡°Jte Campbell, take a look at me! I''m Anna!¡± ¡°I don''t want to see you! I only ended up in such a pathetic state because of you! I hate you! Anna Garcia, I won''t let you off!¡± Jte snarled at me. No words could describe how unkempt she was at the moment. Her hair was ruffled, and her clothes were torn. She looked exceptionally piteous with hickeys all over her neck and exposed chest. Even though we had been loathing each other all the while, I tried to exercise restraint after her tragic fate. Sitting next to her, I could not refrain from cating her. ¡°Jte, try to cool down. I''m here to bring you home!¡± ¡°Why? Why did you show up out of the blue? I wouldn''t have ended up in such a pathetic state if you never appear! It''s all because of you!¡± Jte hissed in a high-pitched tone. Grabbing hold of my shoulders, she shook me hard, intense hatred shed in her eyes. Irked by her oppressive words, my brows deepened into a scowl. ¡°Enough! I don''t feel like wasting time arguing with you. Let me apany you for a checkup at the hospital. Your mom has been worried stiff about you ever since you''ve been gone missing yesterday!¡± Since it was understandable for her to be emotionally distressed after enduring a horrific night, I talked myself into relenting. ¡°No! I''m not going! I don''t want to go anywhere! How will the others think of me when they see me in my current state! How could I face them again as if nothing has happened?¡± Jte unleashed her wrath, the thin thread that was holding her reason together finally snap and she broke down. Burying her face between her legs, she started bawling her eyes out. Obviously, no woman could remain emotionally unscathed after going through such a traumatic moment. I could fathom her anguish and sympathize with her. However, the fact remained that nothing could be changed regardless of what I said. It was useless to cry over spilled milk. ¡°Try to cool your head off. There''s no point dwelling on something which has already happened. You must pull yourself together,¡± I advised her patiently after heaving a deep sigh. However, it seemed that Jte did not share the same sentiments as me, for the moment she saw me, she became hysterical. Howavar, it saamad that Janatta did not shara tha sama santimants as ma, for tha momant sha saw ma, sha bacama hystarical. ¡°Gat lost! Go away! I don''t want to saa you!¡± sha shriakad, pushing ma away with all har strangth. It lookad as though sha was on tha brink of an amotional braakdown. I guassad sha must hava thought that I was tha faw man assaulting har aarliar. Grabbing hold of har arms, I yad at har, ¡°Janatta Campball, taka a look at ma! I''m Anna!¡± ¡°I don''t want to saa you! I only andad up in such a pathatic stata bacausa of you! I hata you! Anna Garcia, I won''tt you off!¡± Janatta snad at ma. No words could dascriba how unkampt sha was at tha momant. Har hair was rufd, and har clothas wara torn. Sha lookad axcaptionally pitaous with hickays all ovar har nack and axposad chast. Evan though wa had baan loathing aach othar all tha wh, I triad to axarcisa rastraint aftar har tragic fata. Sitting naxt to har, I could not rafrain from cating har. ¡°Janatta, try to cool down. I''m hara to bring you homa!¡± ¡°Why? Why did you show up out of tha blua? I wouldn''t hava andad up in such a pathatic stata if you navar appaar! It''s all bacausa of you!¡± Janatta hissad in a high-pitchad tona. Grabbing hold of my shouldars, sha shook ma hard, intansa hatrad shad in har ayas. Irkad by har opprassiva words, my brows daapanad into a scowl. ¡°Enough! I don''t faal lika wasting tima arguing with you. Lat ma apany you for a chackup at tha hospital. Your mom has baan worriad stiff about you avar sinca you''va baan gona missing yastarday!¡± Sinca it was undarstanda for har to ba amotionally distrassad aftar anduring a horrific night, I talkad mysalf into rnting. ¡°No! I''m not going! I don''t want to go anywhara! How will tha othars think of ma whan thay saa ma in my currant stata! How could I faca tham again as if nothing has happanad?¡± Janatta uashad har wrath, tha thin thraad that was holding har raason togathar finally snap and sha broka down. Burying har faca batwaan hargs, sha startad bawling har ayas out. Obviously, no woman could ramain amotionally unscathad aftar going through such a traumatic momant. I could fathom har anguish and sympathiza with har. Howavar, tha fact ramainad that nothing could ba changad ragarss of what I said. It was usss to cry ovar spid milk. ¡°Try to cool your haad off. Thara''s no point dwalling on somathing which has alraady happanad. You must pull yoursalf togathar,¡± I advisad har patiantly aftar haaving a daap sigh. Nevertheless, Jte continued to cry her eyes out, paying no heed to me. I was at a loss for words to enlighten her. Even after I had mentioned every consble word that I could think of, she continued to turn a deaf ear to me. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, Michael was getting impatient. He strode toward us and wrapped his jacket tightly around Jte''s exposed body. Without hesitation, he lifted her and strode toward the exit. After being seated in Michael''s car, Jte finally stopped crying. Nheless, she stared nkly out the window into the distance as if she had lost her soul. I could not help but worry seeing her dejected state. Even so, I did not know what else I should say to console her. Initially, I thought of giving my mother a call, but I decided not to do so when something came to my mind. In the end, I decided to send her a simple message instead, telling her that we had found Jte. After all, I did not know how I should inform her about what happened to Jte the previous night. I foresaw she would not be able to take it if I told her the truth. Michael stopped the car after he caught sight of a women''s boutique on the way to the hospital. He asked me to go down and buy a new dress so Jte could change into it. I thought that his suggestion made sense since it would surely result in turmoil if Jte were to step into the hospital in her ripped clothes. Momentster, I assisted her in changing into a new dress andbed her ruffled hair so nobody would sense anything amiss. After that, Michael continued to drive toward the hospital. We headed for another hospital to keep the incident under wraps from my mother. After carrying out a comprehensive checkup for Jte, the doctor assured us that she was fine other than sustaining a vaginalceration. I remembered I caught sight of blood between Jte''s thighs when I spotted her in the tattered room earlier. Thus, I knew on the spot that she still had her virginity before that. I shuddered uncontrobly at how much pain she must have endured when those men forced themselves on her. My heart wrenched even more for her unfortunate encounter. She has kept herself a virgin for more than twenty years only to have it taken away unwillingly in a single night... We only left the hospital after the doctor performed a series of checkups for Jte as requested and ensured that she did not sustain any other injuries. During the procedure, she continued to stare nkly, which was a stark contrast to her usual insolent self. I would be more relieved if she screamed to vent her exasperation, but since she remained silent, I felt even more petrified, fearing that she would have depression due to the extreme emotional agony. I was aware of the fact that mental issue was the root cause of depression. Many patients diagnosed with depression tended tomit suicide when their conditions deteriorated drastically. Thus, I coaxed her, ¡°I''m thinking of finding a ce for you to have a good rest. I hope you can take the opportunity to cool yourself down these few days.¡± I dared not take the risk of bringing Jte to the hospital to visit Alicia at the moment. Since she was not her usual self, I reckoned Alicia would be able to tell that something was wrong at once. Jte remained silent. It was as though she could neither see nor hear me. Low in spirits, I furrowed my brows and let out a sigh. After shifting my gaze away from her, I uttered in determination, ¡°Let''s send her to the house at Birchwood for a few days. The environment there is rtively quiet, which is what she needs at the moment.¡± I could only make a decision on behalf of Jte since she refused to utter a single word. ¡°Okay,¡± Michael replied tly. I could see that his forehead had creased into a frown when he heard I was nning to send Jte to Birchwood. Nevertheless, he still gave in to my request. The house in Birchwood was filled with memories of us. As such, he did not wish to have outsiders stepping into such a special ce. However, since Jte needed intensive care at the moment, there wasn''t much we could do about it. Upon stepping into the house at Birchwood, Jte went and sat on the couch right away. Devoid of expression, she looked exactly like a mute. She used to mock and sneer at me whenever we talked. Now that she remained silent, I could not get used to the sudden change in her. Usually, there would only be a drastic change in one''s behavior after going through something traumatic. As such, I knew she was only being like this because she was still struggling to ept the reality of her situation. I could only hope that she would gradually think it through after a few days and get over the harrowing incident. No one wanted this to happen, but since it did, she could only rely on herself to snap out of it. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 At first, I wanted to stay back and apany Jte. However, when it urred to me that my presence would only make her feel worse, I left with Michael after preparing some food for her. As I sat in the car with my eyebrows knitted, I wondered how I was going to tell my mother about what happened to Jte. In fact, I began to specte if I could have prevented the incident from happening by finding her earlier. Even though there was no news from her and the chances of me locating her were close to zero, it didn''t stop me from feeling guilty. When Michael noticed the frown on my face and how silent I was, he turned toward me and asked inly, ¡°Are you still thinking about Jte''s matter?¡± ¡°Yeah. After what happened to Jtest night, I really don''t know how to exin it to my mom. Tell me, how could something like that have happened?¡± As I spoke, I could feel the frustration grow within me. ¡°She has no one to me but herself for leaving on her own ord. After all, she''s an adult and needs to bear the consequences of her own decisions.¡± It was clear from Michael''s indifferent expression that he didn''t feel any sympathy for Jte at all. Despite the fact that he had a point, my female instincts still told me that being raped was something no one could ept. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°What happenedst night was the equivalent of destroying her reputation. Going forward, it will affect her chances of getting a boyfriend. Given how realistic everyone is nowadays, no one would wish to have a wife that had been gang-raped before.¡± In modern society, most people wouldn''t be able to ept a wife with such baggage. Since Jte was still young, the incident would negatively affect her search for a partner in the future. After hearing my words, Michael nced at me before changing the topic. ¡°What''s done is done. There''s no point crying over spilled milk. The most important thing now is to file a police report once she has managed to calm down.¡± ¡°File a police report? I don''t think Jte would agree to that, for the news would spread once the police start their investigations.¡± The mere mention of going to the police station to report the matter caused me to worry with a frown. At first, I wanted to stay back and apany Jte. However, when it urred to me that my presence would only make her feel worse, I left with Michael after preparing some food for her. At first, I wantad to stay back and apany Janatta. Howavar, whan it urrad to ma that my prasanca would only maka har faal worsa, Ift with Michaal aftar praparing soma food for har. As I sat in tha car with my ayabrows knittad, I wondarad how I was going to tall my mothar about what happanad to Janatta. In fact, I bagan to spacta if I could hava pravantad tha incidant from happaning by finding har aarliar. Evan though thara was no naws from har and tha chancas of ma locating har wara closa to zaro, it didn''t stop ma from faaling guilty. Whan Michaal noticad tha frown on my faca and how snt I was, ha turnad toward ma and askad inly, ¡°Ara you still thinking about Janatta''s mattar?¡± ¡°Yaah. Aftar what happanad to Janattast night, I raally don''t know how to axin it to my mom. Tall ma, how could somathing lika that hava happanad?¡± As I spoka, I could faal tha frustration grow within ma. ¡°Sha has no ona to ma but harsalf foraving on har own ord. Aftar all, sha''s an adult and naads to baar tha consaquancas of har own dacisions.¡± It was ar from Michaal''s indiffarant axprassion that ha didn''t faal any sympathy for Janatta at all. Daspita tha fact that ha had a point, my fam instincts still told ma that baing rapad was somathing no ona could apt. ¡°What happanadst night was tha aquivnt of dastroying har raputation. Going forward, it will affact har chancas of gatting a boyfriand. Givan how raalistic avaryona is nowadays, no ona would wish to hava a wifa that had baan gang-rapad bafora.¡± In modarn sociaty, most pao wouldn''t ba a to apt a wifa with such baggaga. Sinca Janatta was still young, tha incidant would nagativaly affact har saarch for a partnar in tha futura. Aftar haaring my words, Michaal ncad at ma bafora changing tha topic. ¡°What''s dona is dona. Thara''s no point crying ovar spid milk. Tha most important thing now is to f a polica raport onca sha has managad to calm down.¡± ¡°F a polica raport? I don''t think Janatta would agraa to that, for tha naws would spraad onca tha polica start thair invastigations.¡± Tha mara mantion of going to tha polica station to raport tha mattar causad ma to worry with a frown. If our roles were reversed, I would definitely not make a report for fear of spreading the news any further. For a woman, being raped was considered a massive humiliation. Therefore, there was no way Jte could ept having the humiliation magnified in public. ¡°But if you don''t report it, those scum would still be free to harm other innocent girls. So, I feel that it''s necessary to file a police report still.¡± Obviously, Michael would''ve already taken into consideration what my concerns were. His words usually contained the best course of action, for he was always able to see the big picture clearly. By filing a police report, the perpetrators would be caught, saving more girls from their horrendous acts in the future. In spite of that, the decision required a lot of courage from Jte which I wasn''t certain she had enough of. ¡°Let''s revisit the matter in a few days. Considering how unsettled she is right now, bringing up the matter would only cause her further distress.¡± In contrast to going to the police, I felt the priority right then was for her to regain control of herself. When I saw the listless look on her face earlier, I was truly worried that she would do something stupid. ¡°Okay, let''s talk about thister. Anyway, are you going to the hospital today? If you are, I can send you there right now.¡± ¡°Sure, please do so. Now that we''ve found Jte, I should at least let my mom know.¡± After saying that, I wondered how I was going to exin Jte''s situation to Alicia. Upon arriving at the hospital, I stopped in my tracks and hesitated at the entrance. It wasn''t until I took a few deep breaths that I gathered myself and entered. Alicia greeted me with a smile the moment I stepped in. ¡°It''s a surprise to see you. I thought you weren''ting today.¡± ¡°I won''t be going to the office for the next few days. Just as I told you, I''ll be taking care of you in the hospital until you''re discharged.¡± I walked up to her after breaking into a faint smile. However, when she noticed that I had arrived alone, she knitted her brows slightly. ¡°Where''s Jte? Didn''t you mention in your message that you have found her? Why isn''t she with you?¡± Unlike how worried she previously sounded, her voice was calm this time, likely because she knew that I had found Jte. ¡°She... She had too much to drinkst night. So I arranged a ce for her to rest in. That''s why I didn''t bring her with me.¡± Despite my initial n of telling her the truth. I was worried that she couldn''t ept it after seeing the look on her face. Hence, I found an excuse and muddled through the matter. Even though I was cognizant that she would find out sooner orter, I couldn''t bear to tell her when I saw how weak she still was. ¡°I see. Anna, I didn''t expect you to treat Jte so well after the horrendous attitude she has shown you. I truly don''t know what to say.¡± After listening to my exnation, Alicia was so deeply moved that I could see tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°There''s no need to thank me. How are you feeling today?¡± I felt ufortable when she spoke to me cordially. Even though I had yet to acknowledge her, we were still mother and daughter at the end of the day. As such, whenever she said anything polite, it would make me feel as if there was a huge distance between us in our rtionship. Alicia said, ¡°The doctor came by this morning for a checkup and gave me a clean bill of health. If nothing untoward happens, I''ll be discharged tomorrow.¡± She didn''t have any serious illnesses. The reason she fainted was due to malnutrition. After a few days of rest, she had naturally recovered. The thought of her finding out about Jte once she was discharged drove me to remind her, ¡°After you leave the hospital, you have to take good care of yourself since your health is paramount regardless of what happens.¡± Compared to my indifferent attitude, the incident of Jte getting raped would definitely devastate her. As a result, I was worried that she wasn''t able to take it. ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll definitely take good care of myself. Thest thing I want is to end up in the hospital and trouble you to watch over me again. Even if you have the time, I still couldn''t bear to let you do it.¡± Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Throughout my time with Alicia in the hospital, I was tempted to tell her about what happened to Jte, as waiting to do so after she was discharged wasn''t going to make a difference. Unfortunately, the words just refused to leave my mouth. Even when I left at night, I didn''t bring the matter up. In fact, I told her that I wouldn''t be there to pick her up the next day due to how busy I was at work. Even though Alicia was disappointed, she didn''t express it. After all, she should have been more than satisfied after I took care of her for two whole days in the hospital. By the time I reached home at night, I felt utterly drained. Despite barely doing anything at the hospital, it felt as if the day was unusually long. When Michael came down after taking a shower, he shot me a quick nce before handing me some ice water from the fridge. ¡°Thank you,¡± I grunted meekly as I received the water. ¡°You haven''t told her about Jte yet.¡± Staring into my eyes, Michael spoke with a nonchnt yet certain tone. ¡°How did you know?¡± I was surprised that he guessed it without me telling him. ¡°It''s just a wild guess. Knowing you, you must have chosen not to tell her for fear that she couldn''t take the news.¡± Michael pulled me into his embrace as he said that. I was stumped by his words. Evidently, Michael was the person who understood me the most. Regardless of what my thoughts or decisions were, there was no way I could hide them from him. Sometimes, I wonder if he could actually read my mind. Or else, how did he know what I''m thinking all the time? Raising my gaze to look into his eyes, I asked in an anxious voice, ¡°Michael, tell me what I should do? Do you think she would be devastated upon learning what happened to Jte?¡± ¡°You don''t have to feel so conflicted since there''s no changing the past. Besides, she will find out eventually. Whether she can take the shock or not isn''t something you can decide. What you should do now is to get a good night''s sleep. After all, you didn''t manage to get any rest sincest night. At the rate you''re going, my ''benefits'' are at risk of being rescinded.¡± Throughout my time with Alicia in the hospital, I was tempted to tell her about what happened to Jte, as waiting to do so after she was discharged wasn''t going to make a difference. Unfortunately, the words just refused to leave my mouth. Throughout my tima with Alicia in tha hospital, I was tamptad to tall har about what happanad to Janatta, as waiting to do so aftar sha was dischargad wasn''t going to maka a diffaranca. Unfortunataly, tha words just rafusad toava my mouth. Evan whan Ift at night, I didn''t bring tha mattar up. In fact, I told har that I wouldn''t ba thara to pick har up tha naxt day dua to how busy I was at work. Evan though Alicia was disappointad, sha didn''t axprass it. Aftar all, sha should hava baan mora than satisfiad aftar I took cara of har for two wh days in tha hospital. By tha tima I raachad homa at night, I falt uttarly drainad. Daspita baraly doing anything at tha hospital, it falt as if tha day was unusually long. Whan Michaal cama down aftar taking a showar, ha shot ma a quick nca bafora handing ma soma ica watar from tha fridga. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you,¡± I gruntad maakly as I racaivad tha watar. ¡°You havan''t told har about Janatta yat.¡± Staring into my ayas, Michaal spoka with a nonchnt yat cartain tona. ¡°How did you know?¡± I was surprisad that ha guassad it without ma talling him. ¡°It''s just a wild guass. Knowing you, you must hava chosan not to tall har for faar that sha couldn''t taka tha naws.¡± Michaal pud ma into his ambraca as ha said that. I was stumpad by his words. Evidantly, Michaal was tha parson who undarstood ma tha most. Ragarss of what my thoughts or dacisions wara, thara was no way I could hida tham from him. Somatimas, I wondar if ha could actually raad my mind. Or alsa, how did ha know what I''m thinking all tha tima? Raising my gaza to look into his ayas, I askad in an anxious voica, ¡°Michaal, tall ma what I should do? Do you think sha would ba davastatad uponarning what happanad to Janatta?¡± ¡°You don''t hava to faal so conflictad sinca thara''s no changing tha past. Basidas, sha will find out avantually. Whathar sha can taka tha shock or not isn''t somathing you can dacida. What you should do now is to gat a good night''s ap. Aftar all, you didn''t managa to gat any rast sincast night. At tha rata you''ra going, my ''banafits'' ara at risk of baing rascindad.¡± Getting to his feet, Michael held my hand and led me upstairs. Obviously, I was well aware of what he meant by ¡°benefits.¡± Gosh, why is he still thinking about sex at this point? His mind is always filled with dirty thoughts. Nevertheless, I figured that it was just his way to distract me from my problems. Although Michael seemed apathetic most of the time, he actually cared about many things. It was just that he wasn''t good at expressing himself. After going upstairs with him, I took a shower before lying down in bed. Regardless, I just couldn''t sleep, as the matter continued to eat at me. All I could do was toss and turn in frustration. At that moment, Michael wrapped his arms around my waist and ced his chin on my shoulder. With a mesmerizing voice, he murmured, ¡°If you can''t sleep, why don''t we do something else?¡± With my heart skipping a beat, I grew nervous instantly. Naturally, I knew that Michael was hinting at sex, but that was thest thing on my mind given how troubled I was feeling. His timing couldn''t have been more terrible. ¡°I think it''s better if I get some sleep. I''m terribly exhausted after spending two whole days in the hospital.¡± After answering nervously, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. Even though I wasn''t sleepy at all, I just wasn''t in the mood to get it on with him that night. Michael didn''t force me and simply responded, ¡°All right. In that case, you should just close your eyes. If you still can''t sleep, we can have a ''workout'' to tire you out. After that, I''m sure you''ll have no problem sleeping.¡± With that, he hugged me from behind and didn''t bring up sex anymore. Suddenly, I wondered if his suggestion was just a ruse to get me to sleep. After all, he clearly knew that I wouldn''t agree to make love that night. With that thought in mind, my heart warmed as I grew increasingly certain that that was his true intention. After turning around to face him, I snuggled tightly into his arms where I finally felt a sense of calm. ¡°Anna, are you trying to seduce me on purpose?¡± Michael''s voice rang out above my head and sounded a little raspy. ¡°No, I just feel like hugging you,¡± I replied as I nuzzled my face against his chest. Upon my reply, Michael held me tightly in his arms before closing his eyes. Due to the sense of security I felt in his embrace, I fell asleep very quickly as if I was cocooned from all my worries. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes the next morning was Michael''s exasperated look. ¡°What is it? Why are you up so early?¡± I began to grow nervous when I saw how intently he was staring at me. Hence, I wondered what had gotten into him and if there was something on my face. ¡°I didn''t sleep a wink the entire night,¡± Michael remarked coldly as he continued to stare at me. ¡°Why? Aren''t you sleepy?¡± Upon hearing his answer, I gave him a confused look and wondered why. ¡°How am I supposed to sleep with you in that position? Anna Garcia, did you do it on purpose?¡± When Michael pulled the nket aside in exasperation, I realized that I was sprawled on top of him like an octopus. Not realizing it a moment ago, I panicked and let go of him the moment he pointed it out. ¡°Why didn''t you wake me up? I slept so deeplyst night that I didn''t notice,¡± I mumbled while turning my head away as a blush crept upon my face. ¡°Given how hard it was for you to fall asleep, how could I have woken you up?¡± Michael sounded frustrated. In fact, his frustration seemed to have stemmed from the fact that his lust wasn''t satisfied the night before. At that moment, Michael''s arms had threaded around my waist, causing me to panic. Hence, I suggested at once, ¡°Why don''t you go take a shower to cool yourself down?¡± ¡°I don''t want a shower. I want you. After having you, not only is the cold shower unnecessary, but I will also feel even better than from having one.¡± Chapter 521 Chapter 521 As Michael''s words rang through my ears, his hands started fondling my breast passionately. In response, my nervous body mmed up. Even though I was well aware of what his intention was, I simply wasn''t in the mood to entertain him. Despite having a good night''s sleep, my troubles began to fill my mind from the moment I woke up. ¡°Erm, why don''t you take a bath still. You know that I''m really not in the mood right now,¡± I negotiated softly while pushing his hand away. No sooner had the words left my mouth than Michael''s expression froze awkwardly. Subsequently, he looked at me with displeasure. ¡°Anna, I''m your husband, but you have never considered my feelings before. Instead, you spend your time concerning yourself with others. Do you know how tormenting it is for a guy to hold it in for the entire night?¡± Despite the fact that he wasining, Michael''s voice was still tinged with lust. In the face of his words, I was rendered speechless. My gosh, how could a single night of abstinence cause him so much grief? He''s obviously exaggerating his predicament. Turning around to face him, I asked probingly, ¡°In that case, do you want to maybe... solve it yourself in the washroom?¡± I barely mustered the courage to say those words, as I had never seen him jerk off before. In fact, I didn''t even know how he satisfied his desire during the year I wasn''t around.¡± ¡°Solve it myself? Are you expecting me to use my hand?¡± Michael responded in a hoarse voice with a darkened expression. ¡°Well yeah... You can get yourself off in the washroom, can''t you?¡± I meekly suggested again. ¡°Do I look like someone who does that?¡± As the scowl on his face deepened, I could see his eyes burning in rage. At that moment, he was visibly furious at me. Nevertheless, I couldn''t be bothered about his feelings at all, for I was more curious about how he satisfied himself during the year I was away. ¡°Do you mean that you never jerked off before?¡± Although it felt awkward to discuss such a topic, my curiosity got the better of me. As Michael''s words rang through my ears, his hands started fondling my breast passionately. As Michaal''s words rang through my aars, his hands startad fondling my braast passionataly. In rasponsa, my narvous body mmad up. Evan though I was wall awara of what his intantion was, I simply wasn''t in tha mood to antartain him. Daspita having a good night''s ap, my trous bagan to fill my mind from tha momant I woka up. ¡°Erm, why don''t you taka a bath still. You know that I''m raally not in tha mood right now,¡± I nagotiatad softly wh pushing his hand away. No soonar had tha wordsft my mouth than Michaal''s axprassion froza awkwardly. Subsaquantly, ha lookad at ma with disasura. ¡°Anna, I''m your husband, but you hava navar considarad my faalings bafora. Instaad, you spand your tima concarning yoursalf with othars. Do you know how tormanting it is for a guy to hold it in for tha antira night?¡± Daspita tha fact that ha wasining, Michaal''s voica was still tingad with lust. In tha faca of his words, I was randarad spaacss. My gosh, how could a sin night of abstinanca causa him so much griaf? Ha''s obviously axaggarating his pradicamant. Turning around to faca him, I askad probingly, ¡°In that casa, do you want to mayba... solva it yoursalf in tha washroom?¡± I baraly mustarad tha couraga to say thosa words, as I had navar saan him jark off bafora. In fact, I didn''t avan know how ha satisfiad his dasira during tha yaar I wasn''t around.¡± ¡°Solva it mysalf? Ara you axpacting ma to usa my hand?¡± Michaal raspondad in a hoarsa voica with a darkanad axprassion. ¡°Wall yaah... You can gat yoursalf off in tha washroom, can''t you?¡± I maakly suggastad again. ¡°Do I look lika somaona who doas that?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As tha scowl on his faca daapanad, I could saa his ayas burning in raga. At that momant, ha was visibly furious at ma. Navarthss, I couldn''t ba botharad about his faalings at all, for I was mora curious about how ha satisfiad himsalf during tha yaar I was away. ¡°Do you maan that you navar jarkad off bafora?¡± Although it falt awkward to discuss such a topic, my curiosity got tha battar of ma. ¡°No!¡± he snapped, ring at me angrily. ¡°I don''t believe it!¡± I dered with conviction because that was what I truly felt. ¡°Why don''t you?¡± Upset at the fact that I didn''t trust him, Michael broke into a frown. ¡°A man''s lust is extremely strong. Since you im that you didn''t jerk off, how did you satisfy your needs the year I was away then? Don''t tell me that you engaged the services of an escort?¡± With that possibility in mind, I looked at Michael doubtfully. I would definitely kill him if that was what he did. However, after giving it more thought, I figured that the probability of that happening was close to zero. Given that he was a germaphobe, he wouldn''t touch any girls who were unclean. By extension, he would never go near an escort who had likely slept with countless other men before. ¡°Anna, are you doubting me?¡± Michael was visibly angered by my question, for I could see the fury burning in his eyes. ¡°No, I''m just curious as to how you dealt with my absence during that year. Did you really not sleep with anyone else?¡± Despite sensing his anger, I couldn''t help pressing on with my questions. ¡°No!¡± he asserted coldly with rage written all over his face. Raising my brow, I looked into his eyes and probed further, ¡°In that case, how did you satisfy your needs for that year without using your hand?¡± ¡°I told you, I didn''t! The year you were away, I just endured it. Are you satisfied with that answer?¡± At the moment, the fire in Michael''s eyes felt as if they could burn me to crisp. Evidently, he was utterly infuriated. ¡°It must have been really tough for you, huh?¡± When I finally got my answer, I felt as if I was on cloud nine. However, Michael was already in a very sullen mood. ¡°Anna, if you ever ask me such questions again, I will make sure you won''t be able to climb out of bed!¡± Michael threatened through his gritted teeth. It was understandable since this topic was considered taboo for men. ¡°I was just asking out of curiosity. Why do you feel the need to be angry? Being angry first thing in the morning is bad luck for the rest of your day, you know.¡± Pursing my lips, I ignored Michael''s anger, for I knew that he was making empty threats and wouldn''t bear to do that to me. To be honest, he was someone whose bark was worse than his bite. ¡°Anna, it seems that I really must teach you a lesson today!¡± Michael had already pounced on me while he was still speaking. Before I realized what was going on, my legs were spread and I could feel him inside me. Moaning by reflex, I red at him when I finally regained my senses. However, since he was already in, there was no more stopping him. Just like that, we began to make love. After entwining ourselves together for a long time, he finally came. People used to say that a man''s libido was strongest in the morning. After what happened, I had no reason to doubt it. When Michael finally got off me, I was utterly drained, whereas he had an invigorated look on his face. When he saw how exhausted I was, Michael leaned into my ear and whispered in a deep voice, ¡°The next time you ask such questions, you will not get off lightly. Instead, I''ll make sure you won''t even have the energy to lift a single finger.¡± What a petty man! All I did was ask a few questions. Am I not allowed to do so? Is there a need to be so angry? In spite of that, I didn''t dare voice my dissatisfaction for fear of being ravaged a second time. ¡°You''re so petty!¡± I snapped before turning my face away. After getting out of bed, I had some breakfast before heading to Birchwood. Even though I didn''t feel like seeing Jte, she was in need of counsel after yesterday''s tragedy. Given that I could tell no one else about it, I had no choice but to visit her. Since her condition yesterday was cause for me to worry, I felt that I had better check on her for fear of any idents. Chapter 522 Chapter 522 When I arrived at Birchwood, I saw Jte sitting on the living room couch the moment I entered. Given that she was sitting in the same spot when I left the day before, I suspected that she didn''t move at all since then. As Iid out the breakfast I brought from home on the table, I invited her in a gentle voice, ¡°Jte, I brought you breakfast. Come and have some.¡± However, she didn''t even look at me. It was as if she didn''t hear me at all. With a listless look in her eyes, it felt as if she had lost her soul. Cognizant that she was still affected by what happened, I sighed with resignation before taking a seat by her side. Looking at her side profile, I suggested softly, ¡°Your mom will be discharged today. Do you want to go back home and stay there? I''m worried about you staying here all alone.¡± Just as I spoke, Jte turned to face me and yelled emotionally, ¡°No, I don''t want to go back! If Mom finds out that I was... How am I going to face everyone?¡± Her sudden outburst gave me a fright which I took some time to recover from. Evidently, she did hear me but had chosen to ignore me instead. It wasn''t until I asked her to go home that she began to rebut me. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know how difficult it is for you to face what happened. Every woman in your position would be equally devastated. However, since what''s happened has happened, you will need to learn how to deal with it. Avoiding it just isn''t the way to go.¡± Patting Jte on her shoulder, I gave her a sympathetic look. At the end of the day, she was still my mother''s daughter. Although I resented her, she was still closer to me than the average stranger. ¡°That''s easy for you to say. If you were in my shoes, can you pretend as if nothing happened? Can you bear the fact that everyone knows you''ve been sullied?¡± As she red at me intensely with her bloodshot eyes, her face had lost all color. At that moment, she looked absolutely terrifying. Trembling as she spoke, it was obvious that she was suppressing her own emotions and fear. ¡°No, but you can''t change the past. Other than facing it, what other choice do you have? Do you intend to continue hiding here from everyone?¡± When I arrived at Birchwood, I saw Jte sitting on the living room couch the moment I entered. Given that she was sitting in the same spot when I left the day before, I suspected that she didn''t move at all since then. Whan I arrivad at Birchwood, I saw Janatta sitting on tha living room couch tha momant I antarad. Givan that sha was sitting in tha sama spot whan Ift tha day bafora, I suspactad that sha didn''t mova at all sinca than. As Iid out tha braakfast I brought from homa on tha ta, I invitad har in a gan voica, ¡°Janatta, I brought you braakfast. Coma and hava soma.¡± Howavar, sha didn''t avan look at ma. It was as if sha didn''t haar ma at all. With a lisss look in har ayas, it falt as if sha had lost har soul. Cognizant that sha was still affactad by what happanad, I sighad with rasignation bafora taking a saat by har sida. Looking at har sida prof, I suggastad softly, ¡°Your mom will ba dischargad today. Do you want to go back homa and stay thara? I''m worriad about you staying hara all alona.¡± Just as I spoka, Janatta turnad to faca ma and yad amotionally, ¡°No, I don''t want to go back! If Mom finds out that I was... How am I going to faca avaryona?¡± Har suddan outburst gava ma a fright which I took soma tima to racovar from. Evidantly, sha did haar ma but had chosan to ignora ma instaad. It wasn''t until I askad har to go homa that sha bagan to rabut ma. ¡°I know how difficult it is for you to faca what happanad. Evary woman in your position would ba aqually davastatad. Howavar, sinca what''s happanad has happanad, you will naad toarn how to daal with it. Avoiding it just isn''t tha way to go.¡± Patting Janatta on har shouldar, I gava har a sympathatic look. At tha and of tha day, sha was still my mothar''s daughtar. Although I rasantad har, sha was still closar to ma than tha avaraga strangar. ¡°That''s aasy for you to say. If you wara in my shoas, can you pratand as if nothing happanad? Can you baar tha fact that avaryona knows you''va baan sulliad?¡± As sha rad at ma intansaly with har bloodshot ayas, har faca had lost all color. At that momant, sha lookad absolutaly tarrifying. Trambling as sha spoka, it was obvious that sha was supprassing har own amotions and faar. ¡°No, but you can''t changa tha past. Othar than facing it, what othar choica do you hava? Do you intand to continua hiding hara from avaryona?¡± To be honest, if the same thing happened to me, my reaction would be even more extreme than Jte''s. As a woman, my honor was extremely important to me. If I was the one who was raped that night, I might not even have the courage to carry on living. ¡°Since you admitted to not being able to face it, what gives you the right to ask me to do the same? Anna, don''t pretend to sympathize with me. I became this way entirely because of you. Why are you my mom''s illegitimate daughter? If my mom didn''te here to find you, I wouldn''t havee here to look for her. Naturally, all this wouldn''t have happened too!¡± Infuriated, Jte stared daggers at me. When she med everything on me, I furrowed my brows in indignance, for I felt that it had nothing to do with me at all. It was she who ran away in anger after having a fight with Alicia. Therefore, it didn''t make sense for her to me it on me. It wasn''t like I was the one who got those men to rape her. Despite what went through my mind, I didn''t reveal it to her. I just put it down to her venting her frustration on me as a result of her inability to ept what happened. ¡°If you think that it''s my fault, then so be it. Anyway, you had better eat the food I brought before it gets cold. Unless of course, you''re trying to starve yourself?¡± I was certain that Jte hadn''t had anything to eat sincest afternoon. In fact, I even suspected that she didn''t sleep a wink the night before. Given what she had been through, I decided to look past her baseless usation. Although it was none of my business whether she died of hunger or not, she was still staying at our ce. If anything were to happen to her here, it would definitely be troublesome for me and Michael. After shooting me a nce, Jte opened the lunchbox I brought her and began to dig in. When I saw her finally eating, I let out a sigh of relief. Sitting by her side, I continued to silently watch her eat. While she was wolfing down her food, I could see that her eyes were reddened, as if she was trying to endure something. Even when she finished, she didn''t say a word to me nor did I to her, for I had no intention of getting into another argument with her. Instead, I packed up the lunch box and prepared to leave. Since she could barely eat, she probably had no mood to shower or apply medication. Nevertheless, I couldn''t help but remind her when I had reached the door. ¡°I''lle by again at night and bring you dinner. If you don''t feel like meeting anyone these few days, I''ll bring you a change of clothes too. Also, there''s the medication the doctor prescribed to you yesterday for... the tear in your private parts. Don''t forget to apply it.¡± The instant she heard my words, Jte scowled at me with bloodshot eyes. The tear in her private parts was caused by the gang rape, which was the biggest humiliation of her life. My reminder for her to apply the medication had undoubtedly triggered her memories from the night before. It wasn''t my intention to bring up the matter, and I was only acting out of goodwill when I reminded her to apply the medication. After all, she had to ept what happened. Regardless of how serious her wound was, I didn''t wish for her to suffer any side effects. When I saw the hatred in her eyes, I turned and left without saying another word. After leaving Birchwood, I heard my phone ring and saw that it was Ronan on the line. I still felt awkward when I thought back to what he said to me in the ward. I was reluctant to answer at first, but the fact that I still saw him as a friend drove me to do so after a brief hesitation. ¡°Hello? Ronan?¡± ¡°Your mom is being discharged today. Why aren''t you here?¡± Ronan''s question rang out over the line. ¡°I have something to attend to today, so I couldn''t pick her up from the hospital. Besides, she''s already fine. It doesn''t make a difference whether I''m there or not,¡± I casually remarked. I could gather from Ronan''s tone that he was currently in the hospital. ¡°And here I was hoping to run into you in the hospital. But sadly, You''re nowhere to be found. Can''t say that I''m not disappointed.¡± Chapter 523 Chapter 523 When I heard Ronan''s cocky voice on the line, I could detect his regret over the words he had blurted to me in the hospital previously. Consequently, he was now embarrassed by it. ¡°I can''t be at the hospital because I''m tied down with something. Jte is having some trouble,¡± I simply exined, not wanting the awkwardness between us to worsen. ¡°What happened to her?¡± Ronan''s curious voice rang out at the mention of Jte''s name. ¡°I''m not at liberty to say, but it certainly isn''t something good.¡± I didn''t tell him about the rape, for I was cognizant that the lesser people who knew about it, the better. ¡°Sheesh, despite being friends for such a long time, you actually refuse to tell me. You know, I couldn''t be any more disappointed.¡± Much to his dismay, Ronan didn''t expect me to refrain from telling him about it. ¡°It''s just inappropriate as it rtes to ady''s reputation. Besides, it''s not like you''re interested in her, so why are you being such a busybody? Unless, of course, you intend to pursue her?¡± Worried that Ronan would press on with his questions, I quickly changed the topic. Upon hearing my usation, Ronan anxiously denied it. ¡°Of course not. I''m sure you''re well aware that I only have feelings for you. Moreover, why would I fall for such a rude brat like Jte?¡± His words rendered me speechless. Even though I''ve long known of his feelings for me, I had been avoiding the matter ever since. Consequently, I was caught off guard by his sudden confession. At that moment, the atmosphere began to grow awkward. ¡°Ronan, you know full well that it''s impossible between us. So, don''t ever bring this up again.¡± After a momentary silence, I admonished him sternly, for he had always been one to speak without any discretion. In the past, I would only feel awkward and not be angered at all. But now that I was considered the wife of his cousin, it was no longer appropriate for him to make such suggestivements. When my scathing words silenced Ronan, I knew that I had hurt him. Nheless, I had to draw the line to avoid any unnecessary awkwardness in the future. When I heard Ronan''s cocky voice on the line, I could detect his regret over the words he had blurted to me in the hospital previously. Consequently, he was now embarrassed by it. Whan I haard Ronan''s cocky voica on tha lina, I could datact his ragrat ovar tha words ha had blurtad to ma in tha hospital praviously. Consaquantly, ha was now ambarrassad by it. ¡°I can''t ba at tha hospital bacausa I''m tiad down with somathing. Janatta is having soma trou,¡± I simply axinad, not wanting tha awkwardnass batwaan us to worsan. ¡°What happanad to har?¡± Ronan''s curious voica rang out at tha mantion of Janatta''s nama. ¡°I''m not at libarty to say, but it cartainly isn''t somathing good.¡± I didn''t tall him about tha rapa, for I was cognizant that thassar pao who knaw about it, tha battar. ¡°Shaash, daspita baing friands for such a long tima, you actually rafusa to tall ma. You know, I couldn''t ba any mora disappointad.¡± Much to his dismay, Ronan didn''t axpact ma to rafrain from talling him about it. ¡°It''s just inappropriata as it rtas to ady''s raputation. Basidas, it''s not lika you''ra intarastad in har, so why ara you baing such a busybody? Uss, of coursa, you intand to pursua har?¡± Worriad that Ronan would prass on with his quastions, I quickly changad tha topic. Upon haaring my usation, Ronan anxiously daniad it. ¡°Of coursa not. I''m sura you''ra wall awara that I only hava faalings for you. Moraovar, why would I fall for such a ruda brat lika Janatta?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. His words randarad ma spaacss. Evan though I''va long known of his faalings for ma, I had baan avoiding tha mattar avar sinca. Consaquantly, I was caught off guard by his suddan confassion. At that momant, tha atmosphara bagan to grow awkward. ¡°Ronan, you know full wall that it''s impossi batwaan us. So, don''t avar bring this up again.¡± Aftar a momantary snca, I admonishad him starnly, for ha had always baan ona to spaak without any discration. In tha past, I would only faal awkward and not ba angarad at all. But now that I was considarad tha wifa of his cousin, it was no longar appropriata for him to maka such suggastivamants. Whan my scathing words sncad Ronan, I knaw that I had hurt him. Nonathss, I had to draw tha lina to avoid any unnacassary awkwardnass in tha futura. ¡°I understand. I was just pulling your leg. There''s no need to take it so seriously. Besides, I didn''t make any moves over thest two years. So there''s nothing for you to worry about at all.¡± When Ronan spoke, his tone was tinged with a rare sense of solemnness. I had almost never heard him talk to me in such a serious manner before. Feeling guilty upon detecting the disappointment in his voice, I had no idea how tofort him. Meanwhile, silence continued to fill the line. Given how talkative he usually was, it was an indication of how devastated he felt. ¡°Ronan, no matter what, I still thank you for liking me. To me, you truly are an indispensable friend!¡± Even though we could never be lovers, he was still someone extremely important to me. Furthermore, I would never forget how much help he had extended to me in the past. The very next second, Ronan gloated over the line, ¡°I''m well aware of how important I am to you. So, you should show me a better attitude when you speak to me instead of sounding cold all the time.¡± Even though his tone sounded casual, it didn''t escape my notice that he was just trying to ease the tension in the air. ¡°Okay,¡± I inly agreed with a curl of my lips. ¡°All right, if there''s nothing else, I''m ending the call now. Anyway, I''m going out on a date with some pretty girls who have been calling me up non-stop, so I''ll talk to you again. Bye!¡± Just as he finished, Ronan ended the call without giving me time to react. Listening to the call end tone over the line, I sighed in resignation. Obviously, I didn''t believe Ronan when he imed to be going out to pick up girls. All this while, he never had a girl by his side, just like Michael. In fact, those not in the know even spected that he was gay. A phndering yboy of old had now be a paragon of abstinence. After returning home, I felt the tension within me being released as Iy on my bed and fell asleep. Despite howplicated Jte''s situation was, it was still necessary to get it resolved. Over the next few days, there was no change in Jte''s condition. She continued to behave just like a puppet. Whenever I brought food over, she would finish it without saying a word to me. Furthermore, she had no intention of returning home still. At the rate she was going, her family would definitely begin to worry, which was something that concerned me. I had nned to persuade Jte to go home over the next two days. Unfortunately, Alicia called before I could get to it. When I saw her name on the caller ID, I was reluctant to pick up, for I had no idea what to say even if I did. In the end, I still chose to answer on the ount that I had already decided to try and forgive her. ¡°Hello?¡± As of then, I had no idea how to address her yet, for I couldn''t bring myself to call her Mom. ¡°Anna, am I disturbing you by calling?¡± Assuming that I would still show her a frosty attitude, she sounded visibly tense. ¡°No, what is it?¡± I answered in an indifferent tone. ¡°I just wanted to ask you if you know where Jte is. I''m beginning to worry since she isn''t picking up my calls. After all, it has been a few days since thest time you found her, but there''s no sign of her yet.¡± I could hear the concern in her tone when she mentioned Jte. ¡°Something happened to her that I hadn''t managed to tell you yet. She might need some time to ept it, hence the refusal to take your calls.¡± Given that it was inevitable for Alicia to find out about the rape, I decided to reveal it considering how worried she was. ¡°Jte is in trouble? What happened to her?¡± Alicia asked anxiously upon hearing my answer. She clearly cared a lot about Jte. After rting Jte''s gang-rape incident and how I subsequently found her, Alicia fell into a deathly silence. When I didn''t hear anything for a long time, I began to worry that she couldn''t take the shock. ¡°Hello, are you still there?¡± Chapter 524 Chapter 524 My mother''s silence had me even more worried. While nervously asking if she was still on the line, I was genuinely concerned about her health bingpromised as a result of her inability to handle this news. ¡°I''m still here. Oh, Jte... my poor child. How could such a thing have happened to her?¡± She started to choke up as she spoke. It was understandably upsetting for her as a mother to learn of the tragic fate that befell her own daughter. ¡°What''s happened has happened, so you should restrain your grief. Having just been discharged and have yet to fully recover, you need to be more mindful of your own health. Feeling no less disturbed by it as well, I was able to empathize with what she was going through. However, my concerns, at present, rested more on her physical well-being. ¡°Where is Jte? How is she now? With everything that has transpired, why is it that she had told me nothing about it? This girl is really getting me worried sick.¡± Her voice quivered while she rattled off a string of questions pertaining to her daughter. ¡°Emotionally, Jte isn''t very stable right now. I was the one who decided to withhold it from you as you were still in the hospital when this all went down. I chose not to tell you as I was worried that you might not be able to cope.¡± That was all that I could have said about Jte''s situation. ¡°Where is she now? I want to see her. She needs someone to keep herpany.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll drive you over to see her in a bit.¡± Even though we were both her daughters, I could sense that the extent of her affinity for Jte was much greater inparison. Her sentiments toward me had been mostly rooted in guilt, whereas what she felt toward Jte was borne of genuine affection. This sentiment was hard for me to contend with, but now was not the time to wrangle over such things; Jte was in a position of vulnerability, and in much need of care. After we drove over to the house in Birchwood, I did not see Jte after we entered. That left me quite confounded. Whenever I came by these past two days, I could always find Jte seated on the couch in the living room, unspeaking and doing nothing else in particr. Her absence at the moment got me somewhat fretful. ¡°Where''s Jte? Didn''t you say that she''s here?¡± My mother''s silence had me even more worried. While nervously asking if she was still on the line, I was genuinely concerned about her health bingpromised as a result of her inability to handle this news. My mothar''s snca had ma avan mora worriad. Wh narvously asking if sha was still on tha lina, I was ganuinaly concarnad about har haalth bingpromisad as a rasult of har inability to han this naws. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''m still hara. Oh, Janatta... my poor child. How could such a thing hava happanad to har?¡± Sha startad to choka up as sha spoka. It was undarstandably upsatting for har as a mothar toarn of tha tragic fata that bafall har own daughtar. ¡°What''s happanad has happanad, so you should rastrain your griaf. Having just baan dischargad and hava yat to fully racovar, you naad to ba mora mindful of your own haalth. Faaling noss disturbad by it as wall, I was a to ampathiza with what sha was going through. Howavar, my concarns, at prasant, rastad mora on har physical wall-baing. ¡°Whara is Janatta? How is sha now? With avarything that has transpirad, why is it that sha had told ma nothing about it? This girl is raally gatting ma worriad sick.¡± Har voica quivarad wh sha ratd off a string of quastions partaining to har daughtar. ¡°Emotionally, Janatta isn''t vary sta right now. I was tha ona who dacidad to withhold it from you as you wara still in tha hospital whan this all want down. I chosa not to tall you as I was worriad that you might not ba a to copa.¡± That was all that I could hava said about Janatta''s situation. ¡°Whara is sha now? I want to saa har. Sha naads somaona to kaap harpany.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll driva you ovar to saa har in a bit.¡± Evan though wa wara both har daughtars, I could sansa that tha axtant of har affinity for Janatta was much graatar inparison. Har santimants toward ma had baan mostly rootad in guilt, wharaas what sha falt toward Janatta was borna of ganuina affaction. This santimant was hard for ma to contand with, but now was not tha tima to wran ovar such things; Janatta was in a position of vulnarability, and in much naad of cara. Aftar wa drova ovar to tha housa in Birchwood, I did not saa Janatta aftar wa antarad. Thatft ma quita confoundad. Whanavar I cama by thasa past two days, I could always find Janatta saatad on tha couch in tha living room, unspaaking and doing nothing alsa in particr. Har absanca at tha momant got ma somawhat fratful. ¡°Whara''s Janatta? Didn''t you say that sha''s hara?¡± Turning around to regard me, Alicia sounded even more anxious when she was unable to catch a glimpse of Jte either. ¡°Stay calm. I''m going to check in the bedroom. Maybe she had been tired out over these past couple of days, and went in to take a rest.¡± With burgeoning disquietude, I picked up my pace and made my way to the bedroom. The sheets on the bed remained pristine and tidy. It was evident that no one had slept in it. Frantically, I looked everywhere, even in the washroom. Finally, I spotted a figure standing on the balcony. My heart sank when I ascertained that it was Jte. Ill at ease, I hastened toward her. ¡°What are you doing, Jte? Don''t you know that that''s dangerous?¡± Jte stood over at the balcony with her eyes cast out into the distance, and I was seriously afraid that she might decide to jump down from there outright. As we were on the tenth floor, there was going to be little to no chance that she would survive the plunge if she really went for it. As though oblivious to my voice, she continued to stare vacuously into the horizon. Drawn to the commotion, Alicia had also hurried over by this time. She got herself quite a fright when she saw Jte in such a precarious position. ¡°What are you standing there for, Jte? Pleasee back in. It''s dangerous out there!¡± She regarded Jte with a bundle of nerves as she spoke, and I saw that her body was trembling ever so subtly in the throes of fear. It was only upon hearing her voice that Jte turned this way, and the moment she saw her mother, she burst into tears. ¡°I feel horrible. Mom... every minute that I draw breath feels excruciating. Do you think I''d be able to find relief by jumping down from here?¡± Bereft of expressiveness, Jte looked at Alicia as she said these with impassivity. Therein, I was able to hear the despair in her voice. ¡°What are you talking about, Jte? Being as young as you are, you would be able to get through this, no matter what. Plus, you still have me. What am I to do if you were to jump down from here? Do you mean for me to join you?¡± Alicia''s tears fell like beads untethered from their string. The pain was palpable upon her face while she regarded Jte with tremendous sadness. ¡°Did you know what I went through that night, Mom? How could I bear this stain for the rest of my life? How could I face other people from here on out? What would they think of me...¡± ¡°Listen to me, Jte. You will get through this, so don''t do anything silly! If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn''t want to carry on living either!¡± Alicia approached Jte with tears welling in her eyes. ¡°How could I get past this? How could I face anyone in the future? What man would ever want me? I feel so dirty, and I don''t know what to do with myself. Whenever I close my eyes, all I see are the images of those men tearing at my clothes. It hurts. It hurts so much...¡± Jte shuffled backward while she cried in anguish. My chest tightened as I witnessed this. Jte was just a few steps away from the edge and if she really wanted to jump, there was nothing we could do to stop her. That was when I heard the sound of the door outside opening. Shortly after, Michael''s silhouette came into view. ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be in the office? What are you doing here?¡± Surprised at his unexpected presence, I could not help but ask. ¡°With everything that is going down, would you have been able to handle it by yourself without me?¡± Michael kept his eyes focused on Jte while he spoke, and with his pretty lips tightly pursed, it was not hard to tell that he was simrly a little nervous, just as we were. ¡°What should we do now? Jte''s in a bad ce, and she isn''t budging no matter what we tell her. I''m really afraid that things could spiral out of control should this persist.¡± Jte''s present state of mind got all of us jittery. When Michael heard what I said, he furrowed his brows slightly and began to walk toward Jte. ¡°Aren''t you standing there because you want to jump? If so, stop wasting time here. Just go ahead and do it.¡± Michael regarded Jte coldly. If he was tensed up, it did not show. All of us present were shocked at his words. Even I was a little confused, unable to figure out what he was thinking. With the situation being as dire as it was, how could he go on agitating Jte like this? What if she really decided to go for it? Alicia looked upon him, noticeably upset. However, considering the circumstances at present, she held her tongue. I could nheless see the displeasure in her eyes. Chapter 525 Chapter 525 ¡°What are you saying, Michael?¡± I walked to his side and looked at him disapprovingly, upset with the things he said. While we were all struggling to find a way to save Jte, he, conversely, was pushing her to jump. Michael merely continued onward in Jte''s direction. In spite of me expressing in no uncertain terms how I felt about that, he did not even look my way. ¡°If you really want to jump, then stop wasting everybody''s time. Go on and get it over with. There wouldn''t even be a chance for you to be resuscitated if you jump from here, so I''d have your funeral arrangements seen to. As far as this goes, you''ll have nothing to worry about.¡± Michael remained as poker-faced as ever as he spoke, and there was a sliver of impatience in his tone. As opposed toforting her, Michael instead urged her to jump down as soon as possible. That really took Jte by surprise. She was quite stunned for a moment before she responded with some anger. ¡°You! You''re really too much! Are you looking forward to seeing me die so that Anna would be my mother''s only daughter? So that you could both hoard my mother''s assets all for yourselves?¡± said Jte as she seethed at Michael. ¡°Clever. Were you to pass on, Anna would be the only heir to your mother''s immense empire. All of it would be hers, while all that you''d be is a pile of ashes.¡± Michael''s lips lifted into a sardonic smirk while he moved in on Jte once more. So consumed by her own rage, Jte failed to realize how close Michael had gotten to her. ¡°If you don''t have to guts to jump, why don''t I give you a hand?¡± When Michael reached Jte, he extended his hands as though he meant to push her off. That set Jte into a panic. Shrieking and screaming, she leaped the other way and was aptly caught inside Michael''s arms. All of us let out a sigh of relief in reaction to this. I finally realized that Michael was deliberately goading her. Perhaps he reckoned that Jte did not have the courage to jump to her death, to begin with. Upon seeing Jte safe and sound, a tearful Alicia rushed up and hugged Jte. ¡°Did you know that you scared me half to death? What am I to do if something were to really happen to you? Don''t you ever try anything like that again, you hear?¡± Alicia was all choked up as she held Jte. ¡°What are you saying, Michael?¡± I walked to his side and looked at him disapprovingly, upset with the things he said. ¡°What ara you saying, Michaal?¡± I walkad to his sida and lookad at him disapprovingly, upsat with tha things ha said. Wh wa wara all struggling to find a way to sava Janatta, ha, convarsaly, was pushing har to jump. Michaal maraly continuad onward in Janatta''s diraction. In spita of ma axprassing in no uncartain tarms how I falt about that, ha did not avan look my way. ¡°If you raally want to jump, than stop wasting avarybody''s tima. Go on and gat it ovar with. Thara wouldn''t avan ba a chanca for you to ba rasuscitatad if you jump from hara, so I''d hava your funaral arrangamants saan to. As far as this goas, you''ll hava nothing to worry about.¡± Michaal ramainad as pokar-facad as avar as ha spoka, and thara was a slivar of impatianca in his tona. As opposad toforting har, Michaal instaad urgad har to jump down as soon as possi. That raally took Janatta by surprisa. Sha was quita stunnad for a momant bafora sha raspondad with soma angar. ¡°You! You''ra raally too much! Ara you looking forward to saaing ma dia so that Anna would ba my mothar''s only daughtar? So that you could both hoard my mothar''s assats all for yoursalvas?¡± said Janatta as sha saathad at Michaal. ¡°var. Wara you to pass on, Anna would ba tha only hair to your mothar''s immansa ampira. All of it would ba hars, wh all that you''d ba is a p of ashas.¡± Michaal''s lips liftad into a sardonic smirk wh ha movad in on Janatta onca mora. So consumad by har own raga, Janatta fad to raaliza how closa Michaal had gottan to har. ¡°If you don''t hava to guts to jump, why don''t I giva you a hand?¡± Whan Michaal raachad Janatta, ha axtandad his hands as though ha maant to push har off. That sat Janatta into a panic. Shriaking and scraaming, shaapad tha othar way and was aptly caught insida Michaal''s arms. All of ust out a sigh of raliaf in raaction to this. I finally raalizad that Michaal was dalibarataly goading har. Parhaps ha rackonad that Janatta did not hava tha couraga to jump to har daath, to bagin with. Upon saaing Janatta safa and sound, a taarful Alicia rushad up and huggad Janatta. ¡°Did you know that you scarad ma half to daath? What am I to do if somathing wara to raally happan to you? Don''t you avar try anything lika that again, you haar?¡± Alicia was all chokad up as sha hald Janatta. ¡°I''m in so much pain, Mom. Please tell me what I should do...¡± A positively bawling mess, Jte held onto my mother tightly as a hapless child would. ¡°Don''t worry. We''ll get through this. With our family''s background, you''ll surely be able to find a boy that you fancy in time.¡± Alicia kept patting her on the back andforting her. My heart ached upon the sight of this affectionate disy of motherly love, so much so that it turned me away from the balcony. She was as much my mother as she was Jte''s. That being said, even though I never had to go through anything as traumatic as this, she had also never shown such concern for me before. Jte had always been the apple of Alicia''s eye ever since she was little. I was akin to an unwanted urchin in rtiveparison, regarded with harshness throughout my formative years. Though born from the same mother, the treatment we received could not have been more starkly contrasting. Michael came out after me and pulled me into his embrace. ¡°I misunderstood you just now. You only said what you did because you wanted to save Jte,¡± I felt guilty inside as I recalled how I had wronged him on the balcony just now. ¡°Yeah. Considering the sort of person that she is, I was sure that she wouldn''t have what it takes to jump. She was just overwhelmed, and I knew that the fear factor would just kick in when she''s pushed to the brink.¡± With no discernable change in Michael''s expression, he remained as staid as ever at my words. ¡°It was fortunate that you came by. I wouldn''t have known what to do if you didn''t.¡± I leaned into Michael''s chest and spoke with unease. Even though this crisis had been averted, I was not as happy as I ought to be. Seeing the mother and daughter''s rxed demeanor really stabbed at my heart. ¡°We should leave them to handle the rest here on their own. Let''s go on home.¡± Perhaps he had also sensed that I was not in a good mood, Michael had an arm over my shoulders while we departed. While seated in his car, I was feeling a little down. ¡°Have you discussed Jte''s issue with Mrs. Campbell? Does she n to file a report?¡± The car had traveled some ways before Michael broke the silence. ¡°No. I haven''t the time to do that yet. This came to her as a major blow, so I think I may prefer to do that at ater time.¡± Going to the police would be the most ideal solution, but I could not be sure if they would be amenable to this. ¡°Yeah,¡± Michael replied casually and left it at that. In the next few days that followed, Alicia had not called again. I guessed that she must have been busy keeping Jtepany. Or perhaps, she had already forgotten about my existence. Although Jte was in a delicate situation and needed to be taken care of, it did not feel good to be neglected like this. Maybe it was theck of attention from my foster parents that made me a little sensitive in this regard. A weekter, I finally heard from Alicia. When the call came through, she told me to head over to her ce. I would have said ¡°no¡± in any other instance, but when I figured that they could use some support in light of what had happened to Jte, I decided against turning her down. Jte was spotted within minutes of my arrival. In spite of her emaciated disposition, she looked to be in markedly better spirits than she did at the beginning. It would seem that she was slowly stepping out of the shadows of that misadventure. She regarded me with mild indifference when she saw me approach and made her way upstairs with nary a word. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Since we had never really gotten along that well all this time, to begin with, I chose not to take this affront from her personally. ¡°You''re here, Anna.¡± Alicia regarded me with weing eyes and approached me immediately as soon as she caught sight of me. Having not seen her in a week, I found a smidgen of pallor and weariness upon her countenance when I gazed upon it. I supposed that Jte''s predicament must have weighed heavily on her mind. With everything that had transpired, she must not have felt any better about it than Jte herself. ¡°Yeah. Do you have something to ask of me when you called today to have me over?¡± I replied ndly before asking. ¡°It''s nothing in particr. After not seeing you these past few days, I just missed you, so I thought about having you over so that we can have dinner together,¡± said Alicia warmly while she came up beside me. ¡°I see,¡± I grunted as I did not know what else to say, for right now, I was finding those formalities that were expected from me a little hard to parse. Chapter 526 Chapter 526 ¡°I really wanted to thank you for Jte. If not for you, I would dread to imagine what else would have happened to her,¡± said Alicia in earnest while she sat beside me with my hand in hers. She spoke to me in a very cordial manner which made me frown ufortably. To be honest, I did not like how distant that made me feel. ¡°It''s something that I ought to do, so think nothing of it. With everything that had happened to her, anyone else would have been equally sympathetic. What''s more, she''s my half-sister, so there was no way I could have stood by and done nothing.¡± Without evoking much emotion, I looked her straight in the eyes as I spoke. ¡°Regarding Jte...¡± said Alicia apprehensively after she saw that I was quiet for some time. ¡°Actually, I have something that I wanted to discuss with you all as well. As this is no trivial matter, I was wondering if you would consider filing a police report.¡± My initial n was to seek an opportunity to broach this subject with her at ater time, but since I was already here today, I thought that I should bring this up and seek their input. ¡°This...¡± Not expecting that I would table this suggestion, Alicia appeared perturbed. It did not seem that she would be open to this course of action. ¡°I don''t want to go to the police!¡± Just as she was at a loss for how to answer me, Jte''s shrill cry shot out from the staircase. With her face pasty and in an obvious state of agitation, she strode down the stairs and began to scream her head off at me. ¡°I won''t go file a report! I will not have this brought up with the police! The sudden appearance of the irate Jte had me furrow my brows. I understood her reservations as I knew how much this was going to affect her should there be more people to find out about that incident. ¡°Jte, I still think that it would be better for us to file a report because if we don''t notify the police and have those people arrested, who knows how much more harm they could cause to others. Am I right to say that you wouldn''t want other girls to suffer the same way as you did either?¡± While it would not be in Jte''s personal interest to go to the police, I was only raising this suggestion in the hope that others may be spared from a simr fate. However, that was only meing from a position of an outsider. I was aware that it might not be a concern that Jte may share in. ¡°I really wanted to thank you for Jte. If not for you, I would dread to imagine what else would have happened to her,¡± said Alicia in earnest while she sat beside me with my hand in hers. ¡°I raally wantad to thank you for Janatta. If not for you, I would draad to imagina what alsa would hava happanad to har,¡± said Alicia in aarnast wh sha sat basida ma with my hand in hars. Sha spoka to ma in a vary cordial mannar which mada ma frown ufortably. To ba honast, I did not lika how distant that mada ma faal. ¡°It''s somathing that I ought to do, so think nothing of it. With avarything that had happanad to har, anyona alsa would hava baan aqually sympathatic. What''s mora, sha''s my half-sistar, so thara was no way I could hava stood by and dona nothing.¡± Without avoking much amotion, I lookad har straight in tha ayas as I spoka. ¡°Ragarding Janatta...¡± said Alicia apprahansivaly aftar sha saw that I was quiat for soma tima. ¡°Actually, I hava somathing that I wantad to discuss with you all as wall. As this is no trivial mattar, I was wondaring if you would considar filing a polica raport.¡± My initial n was to saak an opportunity to broach this subjact with har at atar tima, but sinca I was alraady hara today, I thought that I should bring this up and saak thair input. ¡°This...¡± Not axpacting that I would ta this suggastion, Alicia appaarad parturbad. It did not saam that sha would ba opan to this coursa of action. ¡°I don''t want to go to tha polica!¡± Just as sha was at a loss for how to answar ma, Janatta''s shrill cry shot out from tha staircasa. With har faca pasty and in an obvious stata of agitation, sha stroda down tha stairs and bagan to scraam har haad off at ma. ¡°I won''t go f a raport! I will not hava this brought up with tha polica! Tha suddan appaaranca of tha irata Janatta had ma furrow my brows. I undarstood har rasarvations as I knaw how much this was going to affact har should thara ba mora pao to find out about that incidant. ¡°Janatta, I still think that it would ba battar for us to f a raport bacausa if wa don''t notify tha polica and hava thosa pao arrastad, who knows how much mora harm thay could causa to othars. Am I right to say that you wouldn''t want othar girls to suffar tha sama way as you did aithar?¡± Wh it would not ba in Janatta''s parsonal intarast to go to tha polica, I was only raising this suggastion in tha hopa that othars may ba sparad from a simr fata. Howavar, that was only maing from a position of an outsidar. I was awara that it might not ba a concarn that Janatta may shara in. ¡°What business is it of mine even if it happens to anyone else? So what if those men were all caught? Would it help restore my innocence?¡± Jte''s sallow face was visibly livid, and her eyes red at me with much contempt. ¡°You know as well as anyone that nothing can undo what had already happened. By suggesting that you do this, it''s in the hope that no one else would get hurt in the future.¡± In spite of knowing that getting those people rounded up would be the prudent course of action, I was aware that I myself was not convincing enough, or perhaps, not being sensitive enough because I was not the one who had to go through that ordeal. ¡°You are doing this on purpose, aren''t you, Anna Garcia? You want the whole world to know about my shame, don''t you? You want to see to it that everyone knows about it, so that they may judge me until I''m driven to my death. Only then would you be satisfied, yes?¡± Jte grew increasingly irascible and stabbed at me with her finger as she railed away. Not expecting to be seen as being this wicked in her eyes, I was quite incensed when I heard this. ¡°I''m not so vile, all right? This is all for your own good. Don''t you want to see them punished for what they did to you? Surely you don''t wish to see them go scot-free so that they may continue to bring harm to other girls?¡± Admittedly, I had not been very cognizant of her feelings but I was by no means the sort of person that she had used me of being. Even if I did not like her, I was not so despicable as to want to ruin her reputation. ¡°That is exactly what''s going through your skanky little head. You simply could not wait to let the whole world know about my dirty past! All of this only happened because of you, Anna, so what right have you toe here and ask this of me?¡± As she was consumed by her rage, my attempts at exining myself werepletely lost on her. Her frail body trembled vigorously, and her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°You shouldn''t speak to Anna like this, Jte. She''s only doing this with the best of intentions.¡± Alicia regarded her and counseled her gently. Perhaps she had also felt that Jte had gone a little overboard. Remembering how Jte stormed out thest time she spoke up for me, she was not going to speak that harshly to the former again, especially under these circumstances. ¡°The best of intentions? How would I have ended up this way, if not for her? Now, I don''t even dare to step out of the house because whenever I do, I dread having everyone''s eyes on me because I could sense that they areughing at me!¡± Emotionally, Jte was a little unhinged when she said that, and tears flowed from her puffy eyes. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I began to find her quite pitiful when I saw her behaving that way. Even though I was upset about the way she maligned me, I decided not to wrangle with her over it. After all, she was not in a good ce at the moment. ¡°Okay. Calm down now, Jte. We won''t file a report if you don''t want to, all right?¡± Alicia looked at Jte, heartbroken. When she saw her that way, she promptly got to her feet and went over to hold andfort her. This scene got my brows in a knot and I said no more. Since this happened to Jte, the decision ultimatelyy in her hands. All I could offer up was a proposal. It was not within my rights to choose on her behalf. I held my silence, as did Jte. The onlymunication that went on between us was the hatred that festered in her eyes. She had ced the me for all this squarely on my shoulders and felt that I was solely at fault for getting her vited. This line of thinking of hers made me mad, but I was not going to get into it with her. It was only after a considerable length of time did she regain herposure. Alicia helped wipe away her tears and spoke to her gently, ¡°You haven''t had anything to eat yet today, have you, Jte? I''m sure you must be famished, so let me get them to prepare some of your favorite dishes.¡± There was only kindliness and love in the way she regarded Jte. At this instant, she only had eyes for her youngest daughter andplete disregard for my presence. ¡°I should be getting a move on. It''s gettingte and I''ve already stayed on long enough.¡± Not one for being ignored like this, I thought it better to leave than to watch her shower her affections on Jte. ¡°Do stay over for dinner. That was the reason why I wanted to have you over, after all,¡± said Alicia hastily when she saw me getting to my feet. ¡°It''s fine. I should go as I have no appetite.¡± Chapter 527 Chapter 527 I could tell that Alicia''s attention was all on Jte now. Even if I were to stay for a meal, she wouldn''t have the time to care for me. Besides, I was sure that Jte would not want me here either. ¡°Anna...¡± She had more to say, but I didn''t give her a chance to speak, and simply turned to leave. I would be lying if I said that I wasn''t upset as I drove home in my car. It was a crucial time for Jte, and I knew that I should be more understanding, but I couldn''t help but feel upset. Just then, my phone rang. Seeing that it was a call from Michael, I quickly connected my phone to the Bluetooth speaker in my car and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± I answered dully, sounding extremely down. ¡°Why aren''t you home yet? It''s already sote. Where are you?¡± Upon hearing his velvety voice, my heart jolted, and I couldn''t help but feel more aggrieved. ¡°I''m already on my way home. I was at her house today.¡± Michael knew very well who I was talking about. Since I still didn''t know how I should address her, I had been using ¡°her¡± whenever we talked about Alicia. He kept silent for a moment before his voice sounded again. ¡°You sound upset. Did something happen?¡± The changes in my mood could never escape his ears, and I was starting to think that he could read minds. ¡°No. I''m just not really in the mood. I''m about to reach home soon. So don''t worry about me.¡± Seeing that Michael was calling me when it was sote, I knew that he was worried about me, so I quickly updated him about my whereabouts to ease his worries. ¡°Okay. Drive safe,¡± he reminded before hanging up. After the call, I didn''t want to overthink things any further. I decided to just go with the flow with whatever was happening with my mother. I lived my life without her love for so many years, so it wouldn''t matter if I still didn''t receive it in the future. Besides, I already have a family of my own now. All I needed to do was take good care of my own child. When I finally arrived at the Shaw residence, I saw Michael reading a book in the living room, and I knew that he had been waiting for me. Taking a seat by his side, I nestled myself into his arms and closed my eyes. I could tell that Alicia''s attention was all on Jte now. Even if I were to stay for a meal, she wouldn''t have the time to care for me. Besides, I was sure that Jte would not want me here either. I could tall that Alicia''s attantion was all on Janatta now. Evan if I wara to stay for a maal, sha wouldn''t hava tha tima to cara for ma. Basidas, I was sura that Janatta would not want ma hara aithar. ¡°Anna...¡± Sha had mora to say, but I didn''t giva har a chanca to spaak, and simply turnad toava. I would ba lying if I said that I wasn''t upsat as I drova homa in my car. It was a crucial tima for Janatta, and I knaw that I should ba mora undarstanding, but I couldn''t halp but faal upsat. Just than, my phona rang. Saaing that it was a call from Michaal, I quickly connactad my phona to tha Bluatooth spaakar in my car and answarad tha call. ¡°Hallo?¡± I answarad dully, sounding axtramaly down. ¡°Why aran''t you homa yat? It''s alraady sota. Whara ara you?¡± Upon haaring his valvaty voica, my haart joltad, and I couldn''t halp but faal mora aggriavad. ¡°I''m alraady on my way homa. I was at har housa today.¡± Michaal knaw vary wall who I was talking about. Sinca I still didn''t know how I should addrass har, I had baan using ¡°har¡± whanavar wa talkad about Alicia. Ha kapt snt for a momant bafora his voica soundad again. ¡°You sound upsat. Did somathing happan?¡± Tha changas in my mood could navar ascapa his aars, and I was starting to think that ha could raad minds. ¡°No. I''m just not raally in tha mood. I''m about to raach homa soon. So don''t worry about ma.¡± Saaing that Michaal was calling ma whan it was sota, I knaw that ha was worriad about ma, so I quickly updatad him about my wharaabouts to aasa his worrias. ¡°Okay. Driva safa,¡± ha ramindad bafora hanging up. Aftar tha call, I didn''t want to ovarthink things any furthar. I dacidad to just go with tha flow with whatavar was happaning with my mothar. I livad my lifa without har lova for so many yaars, so it wouldn''t mattar if I still didn''t racaiva it in tha futura. Basidas, I alraady hava a family of my own now. All I naadad to do was taka good cara of my own child. Whan I finally arrivad at tha Shaw rasidanca, I saw Michaal raading a book in tha living room, and I knaw that ha had baan waiting for ma. Taking a saat by his sida, I nasd mysalf into his arms and closad my ayas. I had been feeling exhausted all this while, and all I wanted to do was close my eyes like this and not think about anything else. ¡°Let''s go to bed if you''re tired.¡± He put the book down and wrapped his arms around me. His voice made me feel at ease. No matter how bad of a mood I was in, it would all vanish the moment I heard his gentle voice. ¡°Okay. Let''s go to bed. I''m tired.¡± I did not refuse, but I continued to stay in his embrace, refusing to move. ¡°Then why don''t you get up?¡± Michael couldn''t stop himself from asking when he saw that I wasn''t moving. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Carry me to our room, won''t you?¡± I mumbled as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I didn''t want to leave his embrace. It was as though I could only feel so relieved and unbothered by all the chaos around me when I was by his side. Hearing what I said, Michael raised a brow, and the corner of his lips tilted upward. ¡°Oh? You''re taking the initiative tonight?¡± I knew what he was talking about, and every time he would speak of indecent stuff, I would merely ignore him. Besides, I wasn''t in the mood at the moment. ¡°Can''t you just let me rest tonight? How can you think of stuff like that when you''ve seen how unhappy I am?¡± I said with displeasure. I didn''t want to bother myself with him anymore. He wouldn''t think of anything else besides his perverted thoughts at night. It made me feel so speechless that he was like this. ¡°It''s because I noticed that you''re not in a good mood that I wanted to do something happy with you. Can''t you see how thoughtful I am?¡± Michael ignored myints and continued to carry me upstairs, his words getting more and more sensual by the minute. ¡°I''ve never felt happy since I was always tormented by you. You''re the only one who feels happy, are you not?¡± Each time after he was satisfied, I would wake up to find myself in difort around my private part. How could this man say that it was something to be happy about? Even though women nowadaysined that their husbands could notst long, it wasn''t such a delightful thing if their husbands couldst too long. ¡°Then how about I treat you gently today? I guarantee that it''d make you happy.¡± I had already rejected him firmly, but Michael still seemed like he wasn''t about to give up as he continued to negotiate. ¡°I think I''d be happier if you didn''t do anything tonight. If you really want to cheer me up, then just go to sleep. Let me have a good night''s rest. Then, I''ll definitely be in a great mood tomorrow.¡± In the end, all he wanted was his benefit for the night. Just say that you want to do it. Whye up with so many excuses? You make it seem as though you really want to do it for my sake. You really are getting more and more shameless. Perhaps he noticed that I really wasn''t in the mood to do it, because he stopped insisting. Taking a look at me, he said in a somewhat displeased tone, ¡°All right, then. I''ll let you off the hook tonight. When you''re in a better mood, you''ll have to make it up to me twice as much.¡± He ced me down on the bed once we got into our bedroom. Maybe it was because I was so tired, I stayed motionless on the bed, wanting so much to just fall asleep right then and there. I was still in the same position by the time Michael finished showering. He walked toward me in his robe and started taking off my clothes. I was still in a daze originally, but upon feeling what he was doing, my eyes instantly flew open. ¡°What are you doing, Michael?¡± I asked anxiously and cast a nervous nce at him. ¡°What do you think I''m doing? I''m taking off your clothes,¡± he answered indifferently while meeting eyes with me. ¡°Didn''t you promise me that you wouldn''t do anything tonight? Why are you trying to remove my clothes now? Are you going back on your words?¡± I asked, obviously displeased as I eyed him warily. Michael was normally someone who kept his words. However, he would sometimes act as if he never promised me anything when we were in bed. It was frustrating because he would do whatever he wanted, and I had no ce to refuse at all. He furrowed his brows, clearly unhappy with my interrogative tone. ¡°Are you going to go to bed in this attire, then? Even if I don''t touch you tonight, there''s no need for you to wear this to bed. You make it seem like I''m a terrible beast that would eat you alive.¡± Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Hearing what Michael said, I was rendered speechless as I knew that I had misunderstood him. ¡°How would I know that you wanted to take my clothes off so that I can go to sleep? You were the one who went back on your words in the past. So, it''s only normal that I would get anxious in a situation like this.¡± Even though I had misunderstood him, I showed no weakness as I spoke. I never would have been suspicious of him if he had not broken his promise in the past. ¡°Anna Garcia. You''re my wife. Sleeping with you is the most natural thing to do. You should be worried if I didn''t do that.¡± Michael''s face darkened when he heard what I said. I knew that I was in the wrong, and I couldn''t get any words out for a second. I was always the one at a disadvantage whenever I argue with him anyway. ¡°I''m tired. I''m going to sleep.¡± Not wanting to argue any further, I removed my clothes and nestled into the nkets before he could even react. His eyes darkened as if he wanted to say something more. However, nothing left his mouth in the end. Instead, he followed suit and got into bed with me. I started to panic when I felt him move closer to me, but he didn''t do anything else. All he did was wrap his arms around my waist and fell asleep. Perhaps I was too tired due to what had happened recently because I fell asleep soon after closing my eyes. Nheless, it wasn''t a good night''s sleep. I was a light sleeper, and there were rarely times when I would fall into a deep slumber. In a daze, I was able to feel Michael''s hands moving inappropriately around my body. Although he wasn''t as passionate as he was normally, I still felt displeased by his actions. Annoyed, I pped his hand away and turned the other way, my back facing him. This happened multiple times throughout the night, and I was so tired in the morning that I couldn''t open my eyes. Yet, Michael was still touching me inappropriately, and I just wished that I could kick him off the bed. I forced my eyes open and growled in displeasure, ¡°Can you just stop it, Michael? Is letting me sleep peacefully such a difficult thing to do?¡± ¡°Well, you''re the one who forbade me from touching you. Don''t you know I''ve been holding back all night?¡± Hearing what Michael said, I was rendered speechless as I knew that I had misunderstood him. Haaring what Michaal said, I was randarad spaacss as I knaw that I had misundarstood him. ¡°How would I know that you wantad to taka my clothas off so that I can go to ap? You wara tha ona who want back on your words in tha past. So, it''s only normal that I would gat anxious in a situation lika this.¡± Evan though I had misundarstood him, I showad no waaknass as I spoka. I navar would hava baan suspicious of him if ha had not brokan his promisa in tha past. ¡°Anna Garcia. You''ra my wifa. aping with you is tha most natural thing to do. You should ba worriad if I didn''t do that.¡± Michaal''s faca darkanad whan ha haard what I said. I knaw that I was in tha wrong, and I couldn''t gat any words out for a sacond. I was always tha ona at a disadvantaga whanavar I argua with him anyway. ¡°I''m tirad. I''m going to ap.¡± Not wanting to argua any furthar, I ramovad my clothas and nasd into tha nkats bafora ha could avan raact. His ayas darkanad as if ha wantad to say somathing mora. Howavar, nothingft his mouth in tha and. Instaad, ha followad suit and got into bad with ma. I startad to panic whan I falt him mova closar to ma, but ha didn''t do anything alsa. All ha did was wrap his arms around my waist and fall aap. Parhaps I was too tirad dua to what had happanad racantly bacausa I fall aap soon aftar closing my ayas. Nonathss, it wasn''t a good night''s ap. I was a light apar, and thara wara raraly timas whan I would fall into a daap slumbar. In a daza, I was a to faal Michaal''s hands moving inappropriataly around my body. Although ha wasn''t as passionata as ha was normally, I still falt disasad by his actions. Annoyad, I ppad his hand away and turnad tha othar way, my back facing him. This happanad multi timas throughout tha night, and I was so tirad in tha morning that I couldn''t opan my ayas. Yat, Michaal was still touching ma inappropriataly, and I just wishad that I could kick him off tha bad. I forcad my ayas opan and grod in disasura, ¡°Can you just stop it, Michaal? Istting ma ap paacafully such a difficult thing to do?¡± ¡°Wall, you''ra tha ona who forbada ma from touching you. Don''t you know I''va baan holding back all night?¡± He opened his eyes and I noticed that there wasn''t a hint of exhaustion on his face at all. I couldn''t help but feel furious at the sight of this. I can''t believe he won''t let me have a good night''s rest just because he was aroused. ¡°I''m going to start considering sleeping separately if you continue this, Michael. You''re affecting my sleep! I couldn''t sleep at allst night.¡± I couldn''t stop myself from threatening him since he was so stubborn. His greatest fear was that there wouldn''t be any intimacy between us. The more he acted this way, the more I felt the need to threaten him with his fear. ¡°Don''t you dare! If you do that, I''m going to find a way to get into your bed in the middle of the night and make sure that you won''t be able to walk for the next three days. If we sleep separately for one night, then I''ll do it once. If it''s two nights, then I''ll do it twice a night. Let''s see who will be the first one to get sick of this.¡± Michael''s face darkened when he heard my threat. Fury burned in his eyes, and he started to threaten me the next second. I red at him upon hearing his words. I did not expect him to be so shameless, or that he would threaten me like this. I wanted to sleep separately because I didn''t want him to torment me every night. I never would have thought that he would use my threat against me. ¡°Has anyone ever told you how despicable you are?¡± I finally said after a long while, still ring at him. ¡°Nope. You''re the first one to say that. Besides, I''m an ugly sight if I ever acted despicably.¡± He didn''t care about myment at all. Instead, a smug look surfaced on his face as he looked at me. ¡°I''ve got to get up now. I need to go to workter. Also, I''m warning you. I''m really going to stay in a separate room if you continue acting like this. Try me if you don''t believe it!¡± Not wanting to look weak in front of Michael, I locked eyes with him and said my piece angrily before lifting the nkets to get up. However, before I could stand up, he blocked me with his arm and pinned me beneath him. ¡°It''s Saturday today. Are you really going to work?¡± he asked with a raised brow while looking at me as though I was an idiot, a mocking smile hanging on his lips. It was only then that I remembered that it was Saturday. There had been so many annoying incidents recently that I hadpletely forgotten. I was originally worried that I wouldn''t have the energy to work. But after realizing that it was the weekend, I closed my eyes and got ready to go back to sleep. ¡°Are you ignoring me now?¡± At the sight of me closing my eyes, Michael frowned in displeasure. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°You were the reason why I was unable to sleep all night. I want to catch up on sleep now, so stop disturbing me. Keep this up and I''ll kick you out of the room.¡± I red at him furiously, giving him the same look of displeasure. ¡°I''ve been holding back all night. If you want to sleep during the day, let me relieve myself. Otherwise, you definitely won''t be able to sleep wellter.¡± He grinned wickedly at me as he spoke. Rage burned in me when I finally made sense of what he was thinking. There''s really no end to him. He was still fixated on this after a whole night, and I had never seen him so motivated when it came to other matters. ¡°What if I don''t agree?¡± Speechless, I stared at him. There was nothing in his mind besides his perverted thoughts. Is there really nothing else we could do besides that? ¡°There''s nothing I can do if you don''t agree. But I can guarantee that you won''t be able to sleep properly. Besides, I might use force against you because I don''t know how long I can control myself. When the timees, not only will you not be able to sleep, but you''ll also have to satisfy me. So make a decision, are you going to satisfy me now?¡± He stopped pinning me under him as he spoke, but the evil grin remained on his face. He looked as though he wanted to swallow me whole. I wanted nothing more than to kick him off the bed as I glowered at him. He was bing more and more shameless to the point that he was using the carrot and stick strategy on me. ¡°Make up your mind soon because you''re running out of time,¡± he urged when I didn''t give him an answer. Chapter 529 Chapter 529 ¡°Can you be any more shameless, Michael? How could you bring yourself to say those words?¡± A wave of annoyance surged within me as I red at him. ¡°I can, of course. If you want me to be more shameless than this, I can satisfy you right away.¡± He raised his brow at me, and his gaze shone with amusement as he pinned them on me. It was as if my words had fallen on deaf ears. Undoubtedly, I was rendered speechless by his shamelessness. Judging from his looks, I figured he might resort to force if I did not satisfy his needs. As much as I was still fuming with anger, I chose topromise. I crawled up the bed, closed my eyes, and spread my legs apart for him to fulfill his burning desire. All that was in my mind then was for him to get over and done with so that I could turn in early. I was so awfully exhausted that I could not even open my eyes at that point. Regardless, his behavior right there and then further affirmed my decision to live in a separate room. I had enough of his boundless demands. ¡°You''re lying on the bed like a dead fish. Do you expect me to do it myself?¡± Michael was visibly displeased as he pressed himself against me. His appearance then looked entirely like an unsatisfied man. ¡°What else do you expect? Michael, I realize your expectations are getting higher and higher. I thought you liked it this way in the past? You love it when I''m submissive to you.¡± I knew he preferred me taking more initiative recently, but I was simply not in the mood to entertain him at the moment. I only wished that he could do it quickly so that I would be able to rest. ¡°Shouldn''t we improve the quality of our sex life? If you don''t try to spice things up and stimte me, I can''t promise how long it''ll take for me to reach climax.¡± His love for me to be more proactive had made me utterly worn out every time. Hence, I would still prefer him to take the initiative most of the time. ¡°Michael!¡± I yelled his name as I could no longer hold myself back. But before I could further vent my frustrations, he straightened his spine and shoved his manhood into me. I could not help but grunt in pain. Those words of anger that I had wanted to say had instantly turned into moans. This time, he went on for a long time. By the time he hit the climax, my whole body was aching in pain. I was so overwhelmed I wished I could send him flying with a kick. Satisfied, he cuddled me in his warm embrace. In contrast, I could not be bothered about him and closed my eyes to sleep. ¡°Can you be any more shameless, Michael? How could you bring yourself to say those words?¡± ¡°Can you ba any mora shamss, Michaal? How could you bring yoursalf to say thosa words?¡± A wava of annoyanca surgad within ma as I rad at him. ¡°I can, of coursa. If you want ma to ba mora shamss than this, I can satisfy you right away.¡± Ha raisad his brow at ma, and his gaza shona with amusamant as ha pinnad tham on ma. It was as if my words had fan on daaf aars. Undoubtadly, I was randarad spaacss by his shamssnass. Judging from his looks, I figurad ha might rasort to forca if I did not satisfy his naads. As much as I was still fuming with angar, I chosa topromisa. I crad up tha bad, closad my ayas, and spraad mygs apart for him to fulfill his burning dasira. All that was in my mind than was for him to gat ovar and dona with so that I could turn in aarly. I was so awfully axhaustad that I could not avan opan my ayas at that point. Ragarss, his bahavior right thara and than furthar affirmad my dacision to liva in a saparata room. I had anough of his bounss damands. ¡°You''ra lying on tha bad lika a daad fish. Do you axpact ma to do it mysalf?¡± Michaal was visibly disasad as ha prassad himsalf against ma. His appaaranca than lookad antiraly lika an unsatisfiad man. ¡°What alsa do you axpact? Michaal, I raaliza your axpactations ara gatting highar and highar. I thought you likad it this way in tha past? You lova it whan I''m submissiva to you.¡± I knaw ha prafarrad ma taking mora initiativa racantly, but I was simply not in tha mood to antartain him at tha momant. I only wishad that ha could do it quickly so that I would ba a to rast. ¡°Shouldn''t wa improva tha quality of our sax lifa? If you don''t try to spica things up and stimta ma, I can''t promisa how long it''ll taka for ma to raach climax.¡± His lova for ma to ba mora proactiva had mada ma uttarly worn out avary tima. Hanca, I would still prafar him to taka tha initiativa most of tha tima. ¡°Michaal!¡± I yad his nama as I could no longar hold mysalf back. But bafora I could furthar vant my frustrations, ha straightanad his spina and shovad his manhood into ma. I could not halp but grunt in pain. Thosa words of angar that I had wantad to say had instantly turnad into moans. This tima, ha want on for a long tima. By tha tima ha hit tha climax, my wh body was aching in pain. I was so ovarwhalmad I wishad I could sand him flying with a kick. Satisfiad, ha cudd ma in his warm ambraca. In contrast, I could not ba botharad about him and closad my ayas to ap. Perhaps because I did not sleep wellst night, I fell into a deep slumber and only woke up in thete afternoon. Naturally, Michael was no longer around. I cursed at him in my heart for his immediate disappearance after getting what he wanted. I had not eaten anything for the whole day. When I headed downstairs, I heard voicesing from the living room. I continued my way down, only to find Alicia and Josephine in the living room chatting away. Seeing her sudden appearance, I was slightly astounded. Isn''t she supposed to be at home apanying Jte right now? Why is she here? ¡°Mom, what are you guys talking about?¡± My greeting was, in truth, directed to Josephine and not Alicia. It had indeed been a long time, yet I still could not ovee the scar left deeply in my heart. Undeniably, I still found it hard to bring myself to call her my mother. Hearing my words, Alicia was initially a little surprised. However, after noticing that I had cast my gaze toward Josephine, she slumped down in disappointment at once. ¡°Mrs. Campbell is here to visit you. But she didn''t want to disturb you after learning that you''re still asleep, so I''ve been chatting with her. Why don''t you take over now that you''re here? I''ll go help out in the kitchen to prepare some snacks for you.¡± Josephine shot me a nce and responded before walking away to the kitchen. I knew that was a deliberate move on her part to create a space for me to have a good conversation with my mother. In truth, I found that Josephine was a nice person ever since she unraveled her emotional entanglement. ¡°You''re here to look for me? What''s the matter?¡± I sat on the couch opposite Alicia and asked cidly. ¡°You left without having the meal yesterday. I was worried as you looked like you were in a bad mood. So I came over to check on you.¡± Her eyes glowed with tenderness as she spoke. Hearing how she was concerned about me, I choked a little and felt aforting warmth surge in my chest. ¡°I''m fine.¡± I could not deny how upset and disappointed I was when I saw how she only had eyes for Jte yesterday. Yet, given our rtionship right now, I deemed it was not adequate for me to express my true feelings. ¡°Jte''s matter has been giving me a headache recently. That''s why I haven''t had time to contact you. I was worried you might let your thought run wild because of that, so I specially came over today to chat with you.¡± ¡°I fully understand. Jte definitely needs someone by her side to console her after experiencing such an incident. You''re her mother; it''s only right that you should be with her.¡± Even though the feeling of getting neglected by her was dreadful, I could understand her position well. After all, if such an incident were to happen to me instead, it would beforting if I knew someone would stay with me and help me ovee the ordeal. ¡°It''s good that you understand. I was afraid you''d be angry with me because of this. I-I¡ª¡± ¡°You''re overthinking matters. I''m almost thirty, so of course, I can understand where you''reing from. Besides, she has grown up under your care. It''s more than reasonable that you have a deeper affection for her than for me.¡± Although she had treated me well after she found me, I could tell how I was neverparable to Jte deep down in her heart. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Having spent more than a decade living together, it did make sense that she had a stronger bond with Jte than with me, the daughter she just acknowledged not too long ago. It was a fact that was as clear as day to me. ¡°Anna, I don''t mean that. Both of you are my daughters. I love you two equally in my heart.¡± It seemed like my words had left her nervous that she hastily tried to exin to me. ¡°If you''re here today just for this matter, I''m clear about the situation now. You can head home and take care of Jte now.¡± My tone was devoid of any emotions as I had no intention to discuss this matter any further. No matter how tactful she was, I was still capable of discerning things. I was not that stupid. There was simply no way I could not tell what was in her mind. Sensing how cold I was toward her, she kept quiet and only looked at me sadly. I deliberately ignored the look in her eyes and tried not to care about her emotions. There were many instances in life where one would get hurt deeper for caring for another person. I had always been a sentimental woman who ced great value on my rtionships. That was also why I truly feared that I would get hurt again this time. ¡°Anna, do we really need to make things so awkward between us? We''re mother and daughter; I hope we can behave more intimately toward each other.¡± Dejection was written all over her face as she seriously doled out words of imploration. Chapter 530 Chapter 530 ¡°I don''t want to talk about this now. You should know that there''s no way I can let go of the past so easily. Perhaps time might wash out my memory of getting abandoned by you. But I can be sure it won''t be now,¡± I frostily uttered as I looked at Alicia in her eyes. The truth was, I had been trying my best to forgive her, but every time I did that, scenes of me getting abandoned by her would surface in my mind. Even I myself felt frustrated for being so petty-minded and unforgiving. ¡°I know you resent me deep down, so I won''t ask for your forgiveness either. All I want is for you to not behave so cold toward me. Watching my biological daughter do this to me pains my heart.¡± There was a tinge of sadness in her eyes as she looked at me apologetically. ¡°I got it. I''ll watch myself in the future.¡± I had a feeling I was losing my resistance at the sight of her tears. Whenever I saw her sobbing, I would feel an inexplicable weight in my chest. ¡°Okay. Then I shall head home first, Anna. Jte''s very unstable right now. I''m worried something might happen to her, so I can''t stay here for long.¡± A lot of time had passed before she lifted her gaze to look at me and hesitantly exined. ¡°I got it. You can go now,¡± I responded coolly, barely conveying any emotions. Josephine only walked out of the kitchen after Alicia''s departure. She brought me a sandwich and looked at me amicably. ¡°Now''s not the time for dinner yet. The housekeeper is afraid you''ll be too hungry, so she prepared you a sandwich. Have some first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± A smile crept onto my face at the sight of her gentle gaze. ¡°Anna, have you not buried the hatchet with your mom? I felt so anxious for you when I saw how awkward you were around her.¡± Josephine sat beside me and looked into my eyes as she calmly remarked. She had always tried to avoid talking about my rtionship with Alicia. Therefore, I was taken aback at how she took the initiative to ask me about this matter on that day. ¡°To be honest, I have no idea how to get along with her. I still haven''t gotten to know her for long enough. It''s a little hard for me to ept a woman appearing so suddenly out of nowhere and starts calling herself my mother.¡± I was vaguely trying to tell Josephine that it was not that I did not want to acknowledge Alicia, but I needed time to adjust to the change since her appearance was way too sudden. ¡°I don''t want to talk about this now. You should know that there''s no way I can let go of the past so easily. Perhaps time might wash out my memory of getting abandoned by you. But I can be sure it won''t be now,¡± I frostily uttered as I looked at Alicia in her eyes. ¡°I don''t want to talk about this now. You should know that thara''s no way I cant go of tha past so aasily. Parhaps tima might wash out my mamory of gatting abandonad by you. But I can ba sura it won''t ba now,¡± I frostily uttarad as I lookad at Alicia in har ayas. Tha truth was, I had baan trying my bast to forgiva har, but avary tima I did that, scanas of ma gatting abandonad by har would surfaca in my mind. Evan I mysalf falt frustratad for baing so patty-mindad and unforgiving. ¡°I know you rasant ma daap down, so I won''t ask for your forgivanass aithar. All I want is for you to not bahava so cold toward ma. Watching my biological daughtar do this to ma pains my haart.¡± Thara was a tinga of sadnass in har ayas as sha lookad at ma apologatically. ¡°I got it. I''ll watch mysalf in tha futura.¡± I had a faaling I was losing my rasistanca at tha sight of har taars. Whanavar I saw har sobbing, I would faal an inaxplica waight in my chast. ¡°Okay. Than I shall haad homa first, Anna. Janatta''s vary unsta right now. I''m worriad somathing might happan to har, so I can''t stay hara for long.¡± A lot of tima had passad bafora sha liftad har gaza to look at ma and hasitantly axinad. ¡°I got it. You can go now,¡± I raspondad coolly, baraly convaying any amotions. Josaphina only walkad out of tha kitchan aftar Alicia''s dapartura. Sha brought ma a sandwich and lookad at ma amicably. ¡°Now''s not tha tima for dinnar yat. Tha housakaapar is afraid you''ll ba too hungry, so sha praparad you a sandwich. Hava soma first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± A sm crapt onto my faca at tha sight of har gan gaza. ¡°Anna, hava you not buriad tha hatchat with your mom? I falt so anxious for you whan I saw how awkward you wara around har.¡± Josaphina sat basida ma and lookad into my ayas as sha calmly ramarkad. Sha had always triad to avoid talking about my rtionship with Alicia. Tharafora, I was takan aback at how sha took tha initiativa to ask ma about this mattar on that day. ¡°To ba honast, I hava no idaa how to gat along with har. I still havan''t gottan to know har for long anough. It''s a lit hard for ma to apt a woman appaaring so suddanly out of nowhara and starts calling harsalf my mothar.¡± I was vagualy trying to tall Josaphina that it was not that I did not want to acknodga Alicia, but I naadad tima to adjust to tha changa sinca har appaaranca was way too suddan. ¡°Mrs. Campbell told me a lot when we were chatting earlier. She said she misses you a lot and how she has spent a long time trying to find you. As a mother, I can tell she loves you wholeheartedly. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have persisted in searching for you throughout the years.¡± Josephine sounded earnest as she spoke. I almost thought she was acting as a mediator for speaking up on Alicia''s behalf. Upon learning from Josephine how she had been looking for me all these years, I somehow felt touched. That had unequivocally made the affection I had toward her a little deeper. However, I did not know how to express my feelings. Neither did I know what I could do to make things less awkward and distant between us. ¡°Thanks for telling me this, Mom.¡± I figured Alicia probably could not bring herself to say that to me and thus had confided in Josephine instead. ¡°Don''t stand on such ceremony with me. We''re a family, and I want you to live happily. I know you treasure rtionships very much. You''ve never received love and care from your mother, so you''re probably yearning for some motherly love. Now that you have the chance, I hope you''ll seize it.¡± Josephine patted me on my back andfortingly assured me. Well aware that she meant well, I felt grateful toward her. I thought perhaps I should not be so stubborn about the past. Even though Alicia had once abandoned me, she regretted her action. I thought it would suffice as long as she would treat me sincerely. With that thought in mind, I felt much more relieved. Over the next few days, my mind was swirling around topics I could use to bridge my rtionship with Alicia. Somehow, even I found it a little ufortable that we were growing more cordial. I had even made an effort to call her every other day to ask how she was doing. As much as we had reunited, I believed we needed some time to understand each other better. There was no way I could act like nothing had happened and live like we had been living together since young. Every time she received my calls, she sounded exceptionally surprised. The first time I initiated to call her, the hints of disbelief she had between her words made my heart wrench a little. Over the call, she told me Jte had calmed down so much that she had tried stepping out of the house by herself. Hearing that, I breathed a long sigh of relief. Even though I was not fond of Jte, I had no desire of seeing her living in her trauma. That particr day, Michael apanied me to shop for clothes despite me reiterating how there was no need to buy new clothes since I had plenty. Nevertheless, he was downright oblivious to what I said. If I had to quote his words, he wanted his woman to dress up prettily every day so that he would feel good when he looked at me. I almost thought he was beginning to get tired of me. After all, I would usually dress fashionably, and though it was not too chic and grand, at the very least, it was simple yet elegant. I did not see the need for him to look down on my aesthetic judgment. Then again, being vain was every woman''s nature. I was no exception either. Although I thought I had more than enough clothing at home, I ultimately could not resist the temptation and eventually followed him to the mall. Within an afternoon, our hands were full of purchases. Since he wanted to buy me new clothing, I reckoned I should grant him his wish and spend all his money so that he would not dare ask me out to buy me clothing any more next time. Nheless, no matter how much I spent and how pricey the items I picked were, he did not hesitate when it came to swiping his card to make payments. It was to the extent that I almost forgot how wealthy the man was. If casually buying several pieces of clothing could leave him penniless, that man would not be Michael anymore. By the time the two of us waltzed out of the shopping mall, I happened to spot Jte from a distance away. She was all alone, without any friends apanying her. I had wanted to ignore her, but at that moment, I saw her walking to the roadside suddenly and began vomiting. Instantly, my brows knitted into a line. Despite not wanting to meddle in her business, I eventually walked up to her upon the thought of how she was, after all, my half-sister with whom I shared the same mother. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Squatting by the roadside and throwing up non-stop, her face seemed rather pale. ¡°What''s the matter, Jte? Are you feeling unwell?¡± I went up behind her and asked inly. The moment she heard my voice, she stopped vomiting and turned around. Upon realizing that it was me, her expression darkened at once. Chapter 531 Chapter 531 ¡°Why are you here?¡± interrogated Jte. I could tell that she was extremely unwilling to see me here. ¡°I was just shopping here. When I saw you vomiting beside the road, I was a bit worried about you, so I came over to check on you. How are you feeling? Do you feel ufortable?¡± I did not want to be too petty with her. Although her attitude was horrible, I still asked about how she was doing out of worry. ¡°I don''t need your fake concern! I''m fine!¡± She nced at me coldly before turning around to leave. Seeing how my good intentions were reciprocated by her cold and snappyments, I felt annoyed and was about to leave. However, moments after I walked away, Jte started vomiting again. Looking at her, I remembered something. Her vomiting continuously reminded me of when I was pregnant. When that thought surfaced in my mind, I immediately became worried. The tragic incident that had befallen Jte was over a month ago. Back when she went to the hospital for a check-up, it was only for injuries. From what I remembered, the doctor did not prescribe any contraceptive pills for her. Upon that thought, I quickly chased after her. ¡°Wait, Jte! I have something to ask you.¡± I ran to her and blocked her path, looking serious. ¡°I have nothing to say to you. So go away and stop blocking my path!¡± stated Jte icily as she shot me an impatient stare. I was a person who cared about pride too. As such, the rude behavior that Jte kept showing me was making me furious. Regardless, I tried my best to tamp my anger down, for the most important thing to do then was to confirm if my suspicions were true. ¡°I just need to ask you one question. I''ll let you leave immediately after you answer me.¡± I stared at Jte seriously as an assertive tone crept into my voice. ¡°What is it? Just spit it out! I don''t want to see you,¡± snapped Jte hostilely with an impatient frown after she heard what I said. ¡°When was thest time you got your period?¡± I asked directly, ignoring how she felt toward me. Perhaps because she did not expect my question, a look of surprise shed across Jte''s face. After returning to her senses, she red at me furiously. ¡°Why are you here?¡± interrogated Jte. I could tell that she was extremely unwilling to see me here. ¡°Why ara you hara?¡± intarrogatad Janatta. I could tall that sha was axtramaly unwilling to saa ma hara. ¡°I was just shopping hara. Whan I saw you vomiting basida tha road, I was a bit worriad about you, so I cama ovar to chack on you. How ara you faaling? Do you faal uforta?¡± I did not want to ba too patty with har. Although har attituda was horri, I still askad about how sha was doing out of worry. ¡°I don''t naad your faka concarn! I''m fina!¡± Sha ncad at ma coldly bafora turning around toava. Saaing how my good intantions wara raciprocatad by har cold and snappymants, I falt annoyad and was about toava. Howavar, momants aftar I walkad away, Janatta startad vomiting again. Looking at har, I ramambarad somathing. Har vomiting continuously ramindad ma of whan I was pragnant. Whan that thought surfacad in my mind, I immadiataly bacama worriad. Tha tragic incidant that had bafan Janatta was ovar a month ago. Back whan sha want to tha hospital for a chack-up, it was only for injurias. From what I ramambarad, tha doctor did not prascriba any contracaptiva pills for har. Upon that thought, I quickly chasad aftar har. ¡°Wait, Janatta! I hava somathing to ask you.¡± I ran to har and blockad har path, looking sarious. ¡°I hava nothing to say to you. So go away and stop blocking my path!¡± statad Janatta icily as sha shot ma an impatiant stara. I was a parson who carad about prida too. As such, tha ruda bahavior that Janatta kapt showing ma was making ma furious. Ragarss, I triad my bast to tamp my angar down, for tha most important thing to do than was to confirm if my suspicions wara trua. ¡°I just naad to ask you ona quastion. I''llt youava immadiataly aftar you answar ma.¡± I starad at Janatta sariously as an assartiva tona crapt into my voica. ¡°What is it? Just spit it out! I don''t want to saa you,¡± snappad Janatta hostly with an impatiant frown aftar sha haard what I said. ¡°Whan was thast tima you got your pariod?¡± I askad diractly, ignoring how sha falt toward ma. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Parhaps bacausa sha did not axpact my quastion, a look of surprisa shad across Janatta''s faca. Aftar raturning to har sansas, sha rad at ma furiously. ¡°Are you crazy? You''re seriously asking me when did Ist get my period? It''s none of your business!¡± retorted Jte sharply as she stared at me, anger burning in her eyes. ¡°A month has already passed since that incident. Have you gotten your period?¡± To Jte, that incident was an agonizing experience that she could never erase. Even though everyone was evading this topic, I couldn''t be bothered to be tactful about it and directly brought it up to address my suspicion. Naturally, she knew what I was talking about. After hearing what I said, her face paled. Her body trembled out of fury. ¡°What are you trying to say, Anna? Are you deliberately trying to bring up my trauma again? You want everyone to know my past by mentioning this in public, right?¡± Jte''s eyes reddened as she red at me resentfully. Her frail body was trembling violently. I knew that my words had brought up memories of her trauma, so it was understandable for her to feel very upset. However, I had to continue asking her. ¡°I''m not deliberately trying to mention your trauma. It''s just that... when you kept vomiting beside the road earlier, it reminded me... of when I was pregnant.¡± When I reached thest sentence, I paused briefly, feeling quite conflicted. Although I was worried that I would provoke her, I wanted her to realize that. I stared at her nervously. When she heard what I said, she staggered backward uncontrobly, her cheeks turning even paler. I could clearly see the panic in her eyes. From her expression, I could tell that she had not gotten her period for a long time. ¡°Impossible! I''m definitely not pregnant! Never!¡± snapped Jte in a flustered manner, her expression bing more panicked by the second. ¡°I''d advise you to visit the hospital for a check-up. After all, this is not a minor matter. If you are indeed pregnant, you need to make ns early.¡± As I spoke, my tone became very serious. I was almost absolutely certain that she was pregnant. My mood became solemn instantly. If she was pregnant, things would be troublesome. ¡°No way! Never! Don''t try to scare me deliberately. I''ll never believe you.¡± Looking at Jte''s reaction, I could tell that a part of her had already believed my words. However, she was still stubbornly denying it and refusing to ept it. I stared at her with a frown. After all, if she was really pregnant, it would be even harder for her toe to terms with her situationpared to when she got sexually assaulted. At that moment, I sympathize with her. It had been so hard for her to bounce back from her trauma, but something like this happened. I was worried that she would return to a dark ce again. ¡°Anna, you''re definitely lying to me. You''re trying to provoke me on purpose, right? Anna, you are the one who made me suffer so much. I''ll never spare you!¡± bellowed Jte before she spun around and ran away. Staring at her back, I frowned. I knew that she was already starting to doubt it. She just did not dare to believe it nor ept it. Michael stood behind me silently. After Jte left, he walked to my side. ¡°Are you sure that Jte''s pregnant?¡± asked Michael calmly. However, it was obvious that he sounded serious. ¡°I''m ny percent sure. She was vomiting and dry heaving just like I was when I was pregnant.¡± I replied worriedly as I watched Jte leave. ¡°If it''s true, I think you must discuss this with your mother. This isn''t a small matter. Since Jte''s still young, she won''t be able to handle this well,¡± advised Michael as he hugged my shoulders. ¡°I know.¡± Even if Michael did not remind me, I was already nning to do that. As Jte was too young, she would need someone to help her if she was truly pregnant. No longer in the mood to shop, we returned home. Initially, I wanted to call Alicia. However, as this was too important to be discussed clearly over the phone, I decided to pay her a visit. When I arrived at her house, Jte was not there. This made me heave a sigh of relief. If she was there, I would not know how to bring this matter up. Chapter 532 Chapter 532 ¡°Anna, what brings you here? Did youe to visit me?¡± Alicia was pleased to see me when I arrived. She held my hand and led me to the living hall. I shed a faint smile and didn''t stop her as I tried to figure out a proper way to tell her about Jte. ¡°You still haven''t had dinner yet, have you? Would you like to stay for dinner?¡± Alicia looked at me and smiled. ¡°There''s something I want to tell you.¡± My tone got serious when I thought of Jte. ¡°What is it?¡± Alicia''s smile vanished when she noticed the change in my voice and expression. ¡°I bumped into Jte today, and I noticed she was retching repeatedly.¡± I then paused for a moment. As someone with a lot of experience, I believed Alicia would have guessed what I wanted to say. As expected, her face changed upon hearing that. She looked a little dumbfounded and worried. ¡°You''re saying Jte is pregnant?¡± Her expression stiffened almost instantly after asking the question. I replied, ¡°I''m not sure, but I told her what I thought. I told her to get a thorough check-up at the hospital today, but she refused to listen to me. I have no choice but to tell you about it.¡± I took a nce at Alicia and noticed her face had turned pallid, but I continued, ¡°It would be a relief for us if she''s not pregnant, but if she is, we have to start making ns. At this point, I think it''s best to ask her to make a trip to the hospital.¡± My gut instinct told me that Jte was pregnant, but I could be wrong. As such, the best way to confirm her pregnancy was for her to get checked at a hospital. I could see the worry in Alicia''s eyes when she looked at me. It took her a while to respond to what I had said. ¡°All right. I''ll advise Jte to go to the hospital when shees back. I''m afraid she''ll have a hard time epting it if she''s really pregnant.¡± Her eyes reddened when she uttered those words. I could tell she felt bad for Jte. I could understand how Alicia felt. Besides epting that someone had raped her daughter, she also had to deal with the possibility that her daughter might be pregnant. ¡°Anna, what brings you here? Did youe to visit me?¡± ¡°Anna, what brings you hara? Did youa to visit ma?¡± Alicia was asad to saa ma whan I arrivad. Sha hald my hand andd ma to tha living hall. I shad a faint sm and didn''t stop har as I triad to figura out a propar way to tall har about Janatta. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°You still havan''t had dinnar yat, hava you? Would you lika to stay for dinnar?¡± Alicia lookad at ma and smd. ¡°Thara''s somathing I want to tall you.¡± My tona got sarious whan I thought of Janatta. ¡°What is it?¡± Alicia''s sm vanishad whan sha noticad tha changa in my voica and axprassion. ¡°I bumpad into Janatta today, and I noticad sha was ratching rapaatadly.¡± I than pausad for a momant. As somaona with a lot of axparianca, I baliavad Alicia would hava guassad what I wantad to say. As axpactad, har faca changad upon haaring that. Sha lookad a lit dumbfoundad and worriad. ¡°You''ra saying Janatta is pragnant?¡± Har axprassion stiffanad almost instantly aftar asking tha quastion. I rapliad, ¡°I''m not sura, but I told har what I thought. I told har to gat a thorough chack-up at tha hospital today, but sha rafusad to listan to ma. I hava no choica but to tall you about it.¡± I took a nca at Alicia and noticad har faca had turnad pallid, but I continuad, ¡°It would ba a raliaf for us if sha''s not pragnant, but if sha is, wa hava to start making ns. At this point, I think it''s bast to ask har to maka a trip to tha hospital.¡± My gut instinct told ma that Janatta was pragnant, but I could ba wrong. As such, tha bast way to confirm har pragnancy was for har to gat chackad at a hospital. I could saa tha worry in Alicia''s ayas whan sha lookad at ma. It took har a wh to raspond to what I had said. ¡°All right. I''ll advisa Janatta to go to tha hospital whan shaas back. I''m afraid sha''ll hava a hard tima apting it if sha''s raally pragnant.¡± Har ayas raddanad whan sha uttarad thosa words. I could tall sha falt bad for Janatta. I could undarstand how Alicia falt. Basidas apting that somaona had rapad har daughtar, sha also had to daal with tha possibility that har daughtar might ba pragnant. ¡°Don''t worry about it too much. Who knows, I could be wrong. We''ll find out if she''s pregnant once she gets a proper checkup at the hospital.¡± I inched closer and patted her shoulder after hesitating for a bit. When Alicia was about to say something, I heard the sound of the door opening. Secondster, Jte appeared before our eyes. The moment Jte saw me, she became increasingly agitated. ¡°What are you doing in my house? I don''t want to see you. Get out!¡± In the past, Jte would have just ignored me. But I could tell she was mad at me because of what I said earlier. I knitted my brows and was about to explode in anger. But after considering how weak her body was, I decided to let it slide. ¡°Anna is your sister. You shouldn''t talk to her like that,¡± Alicia reminded Jte in a gentle voice after wiping off the tears on her face. ¡°Sister? She''s not my sister. I''m the only daughter in the family!¡± Jte disregarded me and continued shooting me a sullen re. She had said this so many times that I felt nothing anymore. ¡°Anna came to tell me something important today. It has to do with you, Jte,¡± Alicia said while shooting Jte a concerned look. Jte was a smart girl, so she must have figured out why Alicia said that. The color drained out of her face right away. ¡°I don''t need her to tell you anything! Ask her to get out of my sight. This is my house. I don''t want to see her here!¡± Jte grew increasingly agitated as she walked in my direction and tried kicking me out of the house. ¡°Stop it, Jte! Stop acting like a spoiled brat! Anna did this because she cares about you! She told me she saw you retching on the street and was worried that you might be pregnant. Are you...¡± Alicia could not bring herself toplete her sentence, as she did not want to hurt Jte''s feelings. Jte snapped in a flustered manner, ¡°No! I''m not pregnant! Don''t listen to her!¡± ¡°Listen, Jte. Let''s go to the hospital and do a thorough checkup. We''ll be able to ease my mind once we know that you''re not pregnant.¡± Jte might not listen to me, but I hope she would listen to Alicia. After all, she and I had already experienced pregnancy before. ¡°No. I won''t go to the hospital. Why should I get a checkup when I know that I''m not pregnant?¡± Jte went berserk. It was hard to tell if she was mad or was afraid to ept the truth, but I could see her body was trembling nonstop. Alicia went up to her and held her hands as she tried to calm her down. ¡°Listen to me for once, okay? So what if you''re not pregnant? It''s just a medical checkup.¡± I could tell Alicia was trying to hide her feelings as she did not want to agitate Jte further. At this point, Jte was on the verge of breaking down. What could we do if she''s pregnant? It took her quite some time to get over the nightmare, and all of a sudden, this pregnancy scare is weighing her down again. If she really turns out to be pregnant, I''m afraid she won''t be able to take the news well. ¡°I said I''m not pregnant! I won''t go to the hospital! Don''t you dare force me to go! Why don''t you believe me, Mom? I told you I''m not pregnant. I''m not pregnant! Why can''t you believe me?¡± In a panic, Jte pushed Alicia''s hand away. Alicia and I could tell that she was terrified, and the explosive reaction was her defense mechanism. ¡°I''m just worried about you, Jte. What if what Anna said is true? We have to start making ns as early as possible to minimize the possible damage to your body. You understand?¡± Alicia tried putting it as vaguely as possible, but it was not difficult to understand what she was implying. Had Jte''s pregnancy been confirmed, Alicia would do everything to get rid of the baby, as she knew no one would ept the child once they found out how it came to be. Chapter 533 Chapter 533 ¡°I''m not going to the hospital no matter what you say. I''m not pregnant! I''m not pregnant!¡± Jte roared and ran upstairs. It was obvious she didn''t want to talk to us anymore. She went into her room and mmed the door. Tears started rolling in Alicia''s eyes, and I felt sorry for her. ¡°Don''t worry. Give Jte some time, and I''m sure she''ll think it through. She''s not a kid anymore, so I''m sure she knows how serious this is.¡± I walked up to Alicia andforted her with a pat on the shoulder. Alicia and I understood that it was difficult for Jte to ept the truth, but she couldn''t just run away from the problem. By hook or by crook, she had to face it. ¡°I feel bad, and I feel like I''m responsible for everything that had happened. Had I not raised my voice at Jte at the hospital that day, she wouldn''t have run away, and all the bad things wouldn''t have happened. It''s all my fault. I''m the cause of Jte''s misery.¡± Alicia then copsed onto the couch. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she could not stop ming herself. ¡°Don''t me yourself. It''s not your fault. I understand all these must have taken a toll on Jte''s physical and mental health, but she has to brace herself for the challenges ahead. Now is not the time for you to cry over spilled milk. What we must do now is to get Jte to go to the hospital and get a checkup. Time is running out.¡± I sighed. To be honest, I didn''t know what else to say to console Alicia. Obviously, I didn''t think she was responsible for all of Jte''s misfortunes. No one would have thought something like this would happen. Besides, Jte was already an adult and should be able to protect herself. All in all, she only had herself to me for all the mishaps that had happened to her. ¡°I''ll persuade her to get a check-up as soon as possible. I know this is a serious matter, and we can''t sit here and do nothing.¡± Alicia wiped off the tears and pulled herself together. Alicia and I knew it was important for Jte to get a pregnancy test as early as possible. Should the test show positive results, we would have to think of a way to get rid of the baby. The longer we wait, the more damage the procedure would cause to Jte''s body. ¡°I''m not going to the hospital no matter what you say. I''m not pregnant! I''m not pregnant!¡± Jte roared and ran upstairs. It was obvious she didn''t want to talk to us anymore. ¡°I''m not going to tha hospital no mattar what you say. I''m not pragnant! I''m not pragnant!¡± Janatta roarad and ran upstairs. It was obvious sha didn''t want to talk to us anymora. Sha want into har room and mmad tha door. Taars startad rolling in Alicia''s ayas, and I falt sorry for har. ¡°Don''t worry. Giva Janatta soma tima, and I''m sura sha''ll think it through. Sha''s not a kid anymora, so I''m sura sha knows how sarious this is.¡± I walkad up to Alicia andfortad har with a pat on tha shouldar. Alicia and I undarstood that it was difficult for Janatta to apt tha truth, but sha couldn''t just run away from tha prom. By hook or by crook, sha had to faca it. ¡°I faal bad, and I faal lika I''m rasponsi for avarything that had happanad. Had I not raisad my voica at Janatta at tha hospital that day, sha wouldn''t hava run away, and all tha bad things wouldn''t hava happanad. It''s all my fault. I''m tha causa of Janatta''s misary.¡± Alicia than copsad onto tha couch. Taars startad rolling down har chaaks as sha could not stop ming harsalf. ¡°Don''t ma yoursalf. It''s not your fault. I undarstand all thasa must hava takan a toll on Janatta''s physical and mantal haalth, but sha has to braca harsalf for tha changas ahaad. Now is not tha tima for you to cry ovar spid milk. What wa must do now is to gat Janatta to go to tha hospital and gat a chackup. Tima is running out.¡± I sighad. To ba honast, I didn''t know what alsa to say to cons Alicia. Obviously, I didn''t think sha was rasponsi for all of Janatta''s misfortunas. No ona would hava thought somathing lika this would happan. Basidas, Janatta was alraady an adult and should ba a to protact harsalf. All in all, sha only had harsalf to ma for all tha mishaps that had happanad to har. ¡°I''ll parsuada har to gat a chack-up as soon as possi. I know this is a sarious mattar, and wa can''t sit hara and do nothing.¡± Alicia wipad off tha taars and pud harsalf togathar. Alicia and I knaw it was important for Janatta to gat a pragnancy tast as aarly as possi. Should tha tast show positiva rasults, wa would hava to think of a way to gat rid of tha baby. Tha longar wa wait, tha mora damaga tha procadura would causa to Janatta''s body. I was sure Alicia was so upied with Jte''s pregnancy that she wouldn''t listen to anything else I said. Instead of staying to upset Jte further, I decided to take my leave. Before leaving, I advised Alicia to continue to persuade Jte. I felt utterly exhausted when I reached home. Michael, who was reading a book in bed, took a nce at me and asked, ¡°Did you manage to speak to Mrs. Campbell? Did she manage to convince Jte to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°No. She was so emotional that she refused to listen to us. She might be in denial, but I think deep in her heart, she knew what''s going on.¡± I sighed and removed my clothes, getting ready to take a shower. ¡°You''ve pushed yourself a little too hard. I think you should stay out of Jte''s business since she doesn''t appreciate what you did for her. She even had the audacity to put all the me on you,¡± Michael gazed into my eyes and said in a serious voice. ¡°I wish I could, but she alone can''t take care of Jte. I can imagine how exhausted she''ll be.¡± The ¡°she¡± that I mentioned was Alicia, and naturally, Michael knew who I was referring to. Frankly speaking, I couldn''t care less about Jte, but I was worried that Alicia might break under pressure. ¡°Your kindness has always been your Achilles'' heel. I''m afraid Jte would not appreciate your help. She might even hate you for the things you''ve done for her. Have you heard of the story about the farmer and the snake? A farmer rescued a snake, but that snake killed the farmer instead. I hope you can learn something from this story,¡± Michael knitted his brows and said. ¡°Do you think she''s the snake in the story? I know she hates me, but I don''t think she''s a vicious person. She should know that I''m helping her.¡± I know what Michael is trying to say, but I don''t think he''s right. I''m well aware that Jte will never thank me for the things I''d done for her, and I''m all right with that. But will she really take it out on me in the future? I don''t think so. She''s not an evil person, after all. ¡°Humans can be even more cold-blooded than animals, Anna. Have you seen the hatred in Jte''s eyes when she looks at you? What if one day, she goes bonkers and hurts you?¡± Michael raised his brows. His words sent chills down my spine for a moment. But still, I thought Michael''s metaphor was a little ridiculous. Jte may not see eye to eye with me about many things, but I''m certain she''s not an evil person. Besides, I''m her half-sister. I don''t think she''ll do anything to harm me. ¡°That''s enough. I don''t want to talk about this anymore. I''m so tired that all I want is to take a shower and go to bed,¡± I said. I disregarded Michael''s warning and went straight to the bathroom. After a hot shower, I felt rejuvenated. By the time I got out of the bathroom, Michael was no longer reading. He was staring at me instead. ¡°What?¡± I looked at him and soon figured out what he wanted. ¡°Oh,e on!¡± I put my guard up and expressed my dismay. ¡°If you''d like, I can satisfy you tonight.¡± Michael raised his brows, and his lips curved into a seductive smirk. His expression rendered me speechless. Do I look like I''m in the mood for intimacy? ¡°I told you I''m tired and not in the mood for anything. Don''t you dare force me to do anything against my will, for I''ll be more than happy to sleep in the guestroom all by myself!¡± ¡°Come here,¡± Michael said after ncing at my chest. ¡°Why?¡± I looked at him warily and asked. ¡°Why are you so afraid of me? I''m your man, you know.¡± Michael frowned. He was not pleased with the wary look I had on my face. ¡°Of course, I''m afraid of you. You want to do it almost every night!¡± I mumbled and voiced out my dissatisfaction. ¡°You have three seconds toe over here. If you don''t, I''ll go to you instead. And if that happens, you won''t be able to stop me from doing anything to you!¡± Michael''s expression turned grim as he threatened me from a distance. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I responded with a frown. I didn''t want to go near him, but at the same time, I was worried that he might actually force himself on me. In the end, I had no choice but to walk up to him. Chapter 534 Chapter 534 I walked up to Michael, stopped, and eyed him with suspicion. I told myself that I would move to the guest room if he had any intention of having sex with me that night. ¡°What are you waiting for? Come to bed. Or are you waiting for me to carry you?¡± Furrowing his brows, Michael looked at me in displeasure. Every time I rejected him, he would react in that manner. ¡°Please don''t tell me that you want to have sex. I''m beyond exhausted today. Can''t you just let me take a good rest for one night?¡± I felt so depressed because I was so sure that was what Michael had in mind. He looked at me, said nothing, and reached out to grab me. The next moment, I was seated on the bed. He forced me to lean against his chest, making me more certain that he had sex in mind. Although I was feeling helpless, I nned to move to the guest room once he had gotten what he wanted. I don''t ever want to sleep on the same bed with him again. However, what happened next was out of my expectation. Michael did not force me to have sex with him. Instead, he ced his hands on my shoulders and started massaging me. I was a little taken aback. Is he giving me a massage? I could not believe what was going on. Is this man really Michael? I could not believe that he would give me a massage of his own ord. All the while, I kept thinking he only had sex in mind. ¡°Is itfortable?¡± Michael''s velvety voice was very enticing. I gradually rxed upon realizing he was not trying to get me to have sex with him. If I was being honest, the amount of strength he used to massage my shoulders felt very good indeed. ¡°Yes, it''s very nice. I didn''t know that you know how to massage. You can be a masseur by the look of it.¡± Since he was so sweet, I had to praise him. His massaging skills were indeed very enjoyable. It would be great if he could do this for me every day. Then again, it was already very surprising that a man like him was willing to massage me once in a while. To expect that of him every day would be a fantasy. Michael chuckled. ¡°Masseurs charge for their services. Since I gave you a massage, shouldn''t you be paying me?¡± ¡°Fine. Name your price. I''ll pay as long as I can afford it.¡± I walked up to Michael, stopped, and eyed him with suspicion. I told myself that I would move to the guest room if he had any intention of having sex with me that night. I walkad up to Michaal, stoppad, and ayad him with suspicion. I told mysalf that I would mova to tha guast room if ha had any intantion of having sax with ma that night. ¡°What ara you waiting for? Coma to bad. Or ara you waiting for ma to carry you?¡± Furrowing his brows, Michaal lookad at ma in disasura. Evary tima I rajactad him, ha would raact in that mannar. ¡°asa don''t tall ma that you want to hava sax. I''m bayond axhaustad today. Can''t you justt ma taka a good rast for ona night?¡± I falt so daprassad bacausa I was so sura that was what Michaal had in mind. Ha lookad at ma, said nothing, and raachad out to grab ma. Tha naxt momant, I was saatad on tha bad. Ha forcad ma toan against his chast, making ma mora cartain that ha had sax in mind. Although I was faaling halss, I nnad to mova to tha guast room onca ha had gottan what ha wantad. I don''t avar want to ap on tha sama bad with him again. Howavar, what happanad naxt was out of my axpactation. Michaal did not forca ma to hava sax with him. Instaad, ha cad his hands on my shouldars and startad massaging ma. I was a lit takan aback. Is ha giving ma a massaga? I could not baliava what was going on. Is this man raally Michaal? I could not baliava that ha would giva ma a massaga of his own ord. All tha wh, I kapt thinking ha only had sax in mind. ¡°Is itforta?¡± Michaal''s valvaty voica was vary anticing. I gradually rxad upon raalizing ha was not trying to gat ma to hava sax with him. If I was baing honast, tha amount of strangth ha usad to massaga my shouldars falt vary good indaad. ¡°Yas, it''s vary nica. I didn''t know that you know how to massaga. You can ba a massaur by tha look of it.¡± Sinca ha was so swaat, I had to praisa him. His massaging skills wara indaad vary anjoya. It would ba graat if ha could do this for ma avary day. Than again, it was alraady vary surprising that a man lika him was willing to massaga ma onca in a wh. To axpact that of him avary day would ba a fantasy. Michaal chucd. ¡°Massaurs charga for thair sarvicas. Sinca I gava you a massaga, shouldn''t you ba paying ma?¡± ¡°Fina. Nama your prica. I''ll pay as long as I can afford it.¡± Thinking that Michael was joking, I agreed generously. Even if I had to pay, the money would still belong to both of us. ¡°Of course, I''m sure you can afford whatever I ask for.¡± When Michael said that, there was a cheekiness in his tone. I frowned because I felt that he had other implicit meanings within his words. However, after thinking about it carefully, there seemed to be nothing wrong with what he had said. At times, his words were too profound for me to understand. More than ten minutester, I became so groggy that I was about to fall asleep. Michael''s skills were so enjoyable that I could not help but feelpletely rxed. Just then, his hands traveled from my shoulders to my breasts, and he started fondling them. A woman''s breasts were very sensitive. Therefore, when his hands changed positions, I felt it instantly, and my eyes shot open. Seeing his wayward hands, I blushed and realized that he had already unbuttoned my pajamas. ¡°Michael, what are you doing?¡± In a state of panic, I began to button my pajamas while staring angrily at him. I could not believe that he had tried to take advantage of me while I was falling asleep. ¡°I''m giving you a massage, of course.¡± Michael arched his brows and grinned wickedly. ¡°You were supposed to be massaging my shoulders. So what were your hands doing fondling my breasts? And you had the audacity to im that you were giving me a massage?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. He was obviously trying to take advantage of me using massage as an excuse. The extent of his shamelessness was so ridiculous that I almost respect him for it. ¡°Well, this is what you call a full body massage. Haven''t you heard of it?¡± He was unfazed by my anger and lunged at my breasts again. Initially, I wanted to argue back but ended up dumbfounded. To my understanding, there was indeed such a thing as a full-body massage. However, his method of massaging seemed to have other intentions. ¡°I don''t need a full body massage. I''m feeling veryfortable now. You can rest. I''m going to sleep now.¡± Since I knew I could not outtalk him, I decided not to engage him in the conversation. Instead, I snuggled into the nket and prepared to sleep. ¡°Are you sure you arefortable enough and don''t want me to continue?¡± Michaely next to me and held me in his arms. His deep voice was very alluring. ¡°I''m sure. I''m very sure about it. I really don''t need you to continue with the massage,¡± I answered without hesitation. Only God knows what he''ll do next if I let him carry on with his supposed massage. I was not stupid. That was why I declined his offer to continue. ¡°Fine. Since my service is no longer needed, you won''t mind paying, will you?¡± After hearing my reply, Michael was not disappointed at all. On the contrary, he was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°You really want to collect money from me? Is that really necessary between the two of us?¡± When I heard that he wanted to collect payment from me, my face darkened. We are husband and wife. Must I really pay him just because he gave me a massage for a short while? Besides, it''s not like hecks money. I should be the one asking him for money. Michael''s gaze fell on my face as he said suggestively, ¡°The payment I''m talking about isn''t money. I''m talking about something else.¡± ¡°If you don''t want money, then what do you want?¡± Looking into his eyes, I had a bad feeling. ¡°I want you!¡± replied Michael without hesitation. When I heard his answer, it finally dawned on me that when he was massaging me and talking about payment, the trap had already been set. I thought he wanted money and did not know that he had sex in his mind all the while. I was speechless. I could not believe that he was willing to go to all that trouble just to have his lust satiated. Isn''t he tired? ¡°I''ll owe you the payment first and pay you back in the next few days. I''m very tired today.¡± Even if he had tricked me, I had no intention of giving in to him just like that. Besides, he should not have tricked me, to begin with. ¡°But, I can''t wait any longer. You have been resting for the past few days. I think it''s time for us to have some physical activity tonight. Otherwise, I won''t be able to take it anymore.¡± Michael pulled me into his arms, and his breath grazed my ears as he spoke. The warm air tickled me, and even my heart could not help but tremble. Chapter 535 Chapter 535 ¡°Michael, you¡ª¡± Before I could finish my sentence, Michael''s lips were already on mine. His huge hands started roaming all over my body. Very soon, his touch ignited a me within me, and what happened next was pretty evident. After being tortured by Michael for many hours, I was dead tired by the time he got his release. Looking at this man, I was really dumbstruck. The extent of his audacity had far exceeded my imagination. When I woke up the next day, Michael was nowhere to be seen. After every session of our vigorous lovemaking, he would still be able to go to work in high spirits. On the other hand, I would be yawning for the entire day and feel really sleepy. By the time I reached home that night, I was so exhausted that I did not feel like moving. However, the thought of Michael''s endless demands forced me to get the housekeeper to prepare one of the guest rooms. When Josephine saw me moving to the guest room, she came up to me with a worried expression. ¡°Anna, why are you moving to the guest room? Did you have a fight with Michael?¡± she asked discreetly. I was quite easy-going and hardly fought with Michael. That was why my sudden decision to move to the guest room had Josephine worried. When I heard her question, I frowned before replying, ¡°No, we didn''t fight.¡± ¡°If Michael is making things difficult for you, just let me know. I will definitely side with you. Then again, every rtionship has its ups and downs. There''s no need for you to move to the guest room even if both of you did have a minor argument.¡± Although I told her that we did not fight, Josephine was very adamant that we did and continued to advise me. ¡°Mom, I really didn''t fight with Michael. You are overthinking it.¡± Looking at Josephine''s worried expression, I felt likeughing, but I knew she was concerned about us. That warmed the cockles of my heart. ¡°If the two of you didn''t fight, why are you moving to the guest room out of the blue?¡± Obviously, Josephine did not believe my exnation. My decision to stay in the guest room only served to confirm her fear. I opened my mouth to exin myself, but I did not know what to say. ¡°Michael, you¡ª¡± Before I could finish my sentence, Michael''s lips were already on mine. ¡°Michaal, you¡ª¡± Bafora I could finish my santanca, Michaal''s lips wara alraady on mina. His huga hands startad roaming all ovar my body. Vary soon, his touch ignitad a ma within ma, and what happanad naxt was pratty avidant. Aftar baing torturad by Michaal for many hours, I was daad tirad by tha tima ha got his rasa. Looking at this man, I was raally dumbstruck. Tha axtant of his audacity had far axcaadad my imagination. Whan I woka up tha naxt day, Michaal was nowhara to ba saan. Aftar avary sassion of our vigorous lovamaking, ha would still ba a to go to work in high spirits. On tha othar hand, I would ba yawning for tha antira day and faal raally apy. By tha tima I raachad homa that night, I was so axhaustad that I did not faal lika moving. Howavar, tha thought of Michaal''s anss damands forcad ma to gat tha housakaapar to prapara ona of tha guast rooms. Whan Josaphina saw ma moving to tha guast room, sha cama up to ma with a worriad axprassion. ¡°Anna, why ara you moving to tha guast room? Did you hava a fight with Michaal?¡± sha askad discraatly. I was quita aasy-going and hardly fought with Michaal. That was why my suddan dacision to mova to tha guast room had Josaphina worriad. Whan I haard har quastion, I frownad bafora raplying, ¡°No, wa didn''t fight.¡± ¡°If Michaal is making things difficult for you, justt ma know. I will dafinitaly sida with you. Than again, avary rtionship has its ups and downs. Thara''s no naad for you to mova to tha guast room avan if both of you did hava a minor argumant.¡± Although I told har that wa did not fight, Josaphina was vary adamant that wa did and continuad to advisa ma. ¡°Mom, I raally didn''t fight with Michaal. You ara ovarthinking it.¡± Looking at Josaphina''s worriad axprassion, I falt likaughing, but I knaw sha was concarnad about us. That warmad tha cocs of my haart. ¡°If tha two of you didn''t fight, why ara you moving to tha guast room out of tha blua?¡± Obviously, Josaphina did not baliava my axnation. My dacision to stay in tha guast room only sarvad to confirm har faar. I opanad my mouth to axin mysalf, but I did not know what to say. There was no way I could possibly tell her that the vigorous sexual demands of her son were what made me move to the guest room. Although my rtionship with Josephine was close, she was still my elder. It would be impossible for me to speak to her about such a topic. ¡°Mom, it''s true. We didn''t fight. I have been very tired recently and want to take a good rest. I feel that both of us can''t really rest well in the master room. So don''t worry about it.¡± I looked at Josephine in all seriousness as I reassured her. ¡°Really? The two of you aren''t fighting?¡± Josephine was still skeptical after hearing my exnation. Once again, I nodded. ¡°Yes, really. Michael and I have such a great rtionship, and we hardly have any arguments. I''m sure you are aware of this, right?¡± ¡°All right then. It''s good that both of you aren''t fighting.¡± Josephine finally believed my words and let out a long sigh of relief. She stayed on and helped me make the room. Before she left, she reminded me not to stay in the guest room for too long as it might affect our marital rtionship. I shook my head helplessly when I heard Josephine''s advice. At the moment, I wanted nothing more than to stay in the guest room forever. I had no idea what was wrong with Michael recently. He had been demanding sex every night. Iy on the huge bed and shut my eyes. It felt so good without Michael trying to feel me up. Along the way, I fell asleep. Perhaps, the recent activities with Michael had exhausted me thoroughly. By the time I woke up, it was already dark. When I went downstairs, I saw that dinner was ready, and I was in time for it. Earlier on, Michael had called to inform me that he would be backte. Just then, he came back home. After dinner, I went up to rest. Josephine had something to talk to Michael. I was pretty sure it had something to do with my stay in the guest room. Although I had assured Josephine umpteen times that Michael and I were not fighting, she simply did not believe me. I supposed she wanted to hear it from Michael. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. However, I did not mind at all because I knew Josephine was only concerned about us. I just did not expect my stay in the guest room to affect her so much. Around ten minutester, I heard footsteps outside the door. I was sure it was Michael. The door to the guest room opened up, and there he was. When he saw me lying on the bed, he looked displeased. ¡°Are you really going to sleep in the guest room?¡± Michael strode toward me. Judging from the tone of his voice, it was apparent that he was a little angry. ¡°Yes. I told you before if you keep torturing me every night, I will stay in a separate room from you. What I''m doing now is just me keeping to my word.¡± Michael might be upset with me right now, but that did not mean that I was going to give in. After satisfying him every night, I could barely function the following day. Michael frowned at me and said nothing. Instead, he strode toward my side. Just when I was wondering what he was going to do next, hey down on the bed next to me. ¡°What are you doing? This is my bed!¡± When I saw him lying on my bed, I stared at him, furious. It took me quite a while to get the bed ready, and he actuallyy on it. ¡°Since you want to sleep in the guest room tonight, then I have no choice but to sleep here with you. I will sleep wherever you are sleeping.¡± Michael appeared very calm when he said that. On the contrary, I felt like punching him when I heard that. ¡°Michael! Can you be more reasonable?¡± Right then, Michael was not only shameless in my eyes. He was also being an a*shole. I had made my intention so clear, and he still insisted on lying on my bed. ¡°There''s no need for me to be reasonable with my own woman. Besides, women never say what they truly feel, anyway. Since you say you want to stay in a separate room, that must mean that you want me to stick close to you, am I right?¡± A smirk appeared on Michael''s face. As far as I was concerned, he deserved a beating. Who''s the one who says one thing and means the other? What gives him the right to say that? Chapter 536 Chapter 536 ¡°Can you please be more reasonable, Michael? What makes you think that I''m being contradictory?¡± When it came to Michael, I really wasn''t in the mood to waste my breath with him then. After all, he could refute me no matter what I said. ¡°You don''t have a choice tonight. Either you go back to the bedroom to rest with me, or I''ll keep you company in the guest room. You can make your choice between the two options.¡± Likewise, Michael hadn''t the patience to continue arguing with me and gave me no room to make a choice. ¡°I choose the third option. We''ll both sleep separately, with neither bothering the other.¡± I would never choose either of the two options he proposed. What''s the difference between the options he gave me and giving me no choice? No matter where I sleep, he''s going to sleep beside me. In that case, it''d be a waste for me to have gone to the trouble of going to the guest room to sleep alone! ¡°Have you ever seen a married couple sleeping separately just because there''s a conflict between them? You''re my wife, Anna, so I demand to sleep in the same bed as you!¡± As soon as Michael heard my answer, his expression turned considerably chillier, and his tone also became much more domineering. Most likely, hecked the patience to continue speaking to me. ¡°Michael, I just want to have a good rest. Is this really necessary? Do you know that I''m exhausted every single night?¡± Frowning, I glowered at him with chagrin written all over my face. Verily, I couldn''t quite stand his nightly harassment. At once, Michael''s expression darkened. He was silent for a long moment before promising, ¡°Fine. I won''t touch you tonight so that you can have a good rest.¡± I stared into his eyes, doubting the veracity of his words. Previously, he also vowed to allow me to rest, but he always went back on his word. Thus, I didn''t quite believe him anymore. ¡°Are you sure you can do it? I no longer harbor any trust in you now,¡± I muttered morosely, looking right at him. ¡°You can only trust me now, for you have no other choice. If I want to bed you, I can still get you into my bed even if you sleep in the guest room.¡± The look in Michael''s eyes as he gazed at me was indifferent. Although his words were cid, I was on the verge of bursting a blood vessel after hearing that. Argh! He''s all too confident that he can have his way with me! Livid, I shot daggers at him, not wanting to utter a single word further. Right then, irritation consumed me. ¡°Can you please be more reasonable, Michael? What makes you think that I''m being contradictory?¡± ¡°Can you asa ba mora raasona, Michaal? What makas you think that I''m baing contradictory?¡± Whan it cama to Michaal, I raally wasn''t in tha mood to wasta my braath with him than. Aftar all, ha could rafuta ma no mattar what I said. ¡°You don''t hava a choica tonight. Eithar you go back to tha badroom to rast with ma, or I''ll kaap you company in tha guast room. You can maka your choica batwaan tha two options.¡± Likawisa, Michaal hadn''t tha patianca to continua arguing with ma and gava ma no room to maka a choica. ¡°I choosa tha third option. Wa''ll both ap saparataly, with naithar botharing tha othar.¡± I would navar choosa aithar of tha two options ha proposad. What''s tha diffaranca batwaan tha options ha gava ma and giving ma no choica? No mattar whara I ap, ha''s going to ap basida ma. In that casa, it''d ba a wasta for ma to hava gona to tha trou of going to tha guast room to ap alona! ¡°Hava you avar saan a marriad cou aping saparataly just bacausa thara''s a conflict batwaan tham? You''ra my wifa, Anna, so I damand to ap in tha sama bad as you!¡± As soon as Michaal haard my answar, his axprassion turnad considarably chilliar, and his tona also bacama much mora dominaaring. Most likaly, hackad tha patianca to continua spaaking to ma. ¡°Michaal, I just want to hava a good rast. Is this raally nacassary? Do you know that I''m axhaustad avary sin night?¡± Frowning, I glowarad at him with chagrin writtan all ovar my faca. Varily, I couldn''t quita stand his nightly harassmant. At onca, Michaal''s axprassion darkanad. Ha was snt for a long momant bafora promising, ¡°Fina. I won''t touch you tonight so that you can hava a good rast.¡± I starad into his ayas, doubting tha varacity of his words. Praviously, ha also vowad to allow ma to rast, but ha always want back on his word. Thus, I didn''t quita baliava him anymora. ¡°Ara you sura you can do it? I no longar harbor any trust in you now,¡± I muttarad morosaly, looking right at him. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You can only trust ma now, for you hava no othar choica. If I want to bad you, I can still gat you into my bad avan if you ap in tha guast room.¡± Tha look in Michaal''s ayas as ha gazad at ma was indiffarant. Although his words wara cid, I was on tha varga of bursting a blood vassal aftar haaring that. Argh! Ha''s all too confidant that ha can hava his way with ma! Livid, I shot daggars at him, not wanting to uttar a sin word furthar. Right than, irritation consumad ma. ¡°Come on, let''s go back to the bedroom to rest. It''s veryte now.¡± Michael walked over to me and took my hand, heading right out of the door. I heaved a sigh, once again choosing to relent before him. Truth be told, I was very much irritated at myself then for being entirely incapable of going against him. When we returned to the bedroom, he strode straight into the bathroom for a shower without sparing me a single nce. My brows furrowed in bafflement, and I wondered whether he was irate because of that matter. As I listened to the sound of running water, I racked my brain about easing the atmosphere between us when he came out. I could sense that he was furious that night and that knowledge tormented me. After he exited the bathroom, I went over to him to start a conversation, but he climbed into bed without any intention of speaking to me. For a moment, I was rooted to the spot. Never had he been so dispassionate toward me ever since the two of us got back together. As a result, sorrow inundated me. ¡°Go and take a shower before going to bed,¡± Michael urged mildly upon seeing that I had been standing on the same spot for a long while. Snapping back to reality, I tried my best to conceal my disappointment. ¡°Okay, I''ll go and take a shower now. Sleep earlier if you''re tired. You don''t need to wait for me.¡± After saying that tly, I snagged my pajamas and went into the bathroom. When I came back out, Michael wasn''t asleep. Instead, he was lying on the bed, reading. Recalling his detached attitude toward me earlier, I didn''t know what to say for a second. Frankly speaking, I felt a touch resentful. I proceeded to ignore him and whirled around, stalking toward the other side of the bed before lying down. Thanks to the incident that night, the atmosphere between the two of us was significantly colder. He didn''t say anything to me but turned off the lights and went to sleep. I had my back to him, and the rage within me zed all the hotter as my thoughts wandered. I just wanted to move to the guest room for a night. Is this really necessary? I didn''t expect him to be so petty about it that he''d give me the cold shoulder! An eternity passed without any movement from Michael. I waited for him to initiate a conversation with me, but there wasn''t a peep even when he was moments away from drifting off. Snapping, I rolled over and red at him hotly. ¡°Can we talk, Michael? I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Michael''s voice was calm and unruffled, devoid of emotion. ¡°About...¡± At his question, words momentarily eluded me. My blood boiled, but I said nothing. Inwardly, I wanted to keep a distance from him, but I was vexed by his aloof attitude toward me then. Ugh! If I were to speak, it''d be equivalent to eating my own words! ¡°If you want me to restrain myself, you''d better close your eyes and go to sleep right now. Otherwise, I''m not sure how much longer I can hold back,¡± he murmured evenly when I kept mum for a long time, pinning his ebony eyes on me. I could hear from his voice that he was indeed repressing himself. I struggled internally for a long while, but still, I chose to concede in the end. That night, I went to sleep with a jumble of emotions within me. The next morning, I was awoken by the ringing of my phone. When I saw that it was a call from Alicia, I answered it immediately without an ounce of hesitation. On the phone, she told me that she had finally convinced Jte to go to the hospital for a pregnancy test after much persuasion. Hearing that, I breathed a long sigh of relief. Mainly, it was because we could only be entirely certain whether she was pregnant when the test results came out. Despite feeling that she was very likely with child, I still harbored a shred of hope that I misjudged things. After eating breakfast, I rushed over to the hospital posthaste. When I reached the hospital entrance, I caught sight of Alicia and Jte, who had just arrived as well. The instant Jte spotted me, her expression turned cold, and her gaze brimmed with hostility. I had long since grown used to her insouciant treatment of me, so I wasn''t bothered by it. The most important thing then was to ascertain whether she was pregnant. ¡°Let''s go in.¡± A frown marred Jte''s countenance as she stared at the hospital building. I could tell that she was panicking at that moment. Nheless, she still had to go in and have a pregnancy test, for only a verdict given by a doctor could reassure us all. Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Alicia and I waited outside the examination room. Both of us were exceedingly nervous, but I was much calmer than her inparison. Jte had already gone into the Doppler ultrasound room for ten minutes, yet she still hadn''te out. I started growing worried. ¡°Why is she still in there after such a long time? Does a pregnancy test take so long nowadays?¡± Alicia inquired with her eyes fixated on me and anxiety etched across her features. ¡°Let''s wait patiently for a little longer. Perhaps the doctor is more meticulous in conducting the test. Since she has gone for the test, the results will be out soon.¡± While I was likewise very much anxious, I still assured her, for I knew that she was far more worried than me. Having heard that, she nodded in acquiescence. Nheless, her brows remained creased, and she appeared really apprehensive. About ten minutester, the door to the Doppler ultrasound room finally swung open. Jte held a medical report in her hand, her face pale as a sheet right then. Looking at her expression, I could already guess the test results. Although I had long since suspected the truth, my heart inevitably sank. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°What''s the verdict, Jte?¡± Alicia hurried over and regarded Jte anxiously, her voice trembling when she voiced that question. Jte''s face was drained of all color, and she remained silent. I took the medical report from her hand and flipped it open, sighing helplessly upon glimpsing the word ¡°pregnant¡± on it. I handed it to Alicia, and she simrly nched after taking a look at it. ¡°Let''s go back first. We need to discuss this matter slowly,¡± I couldn''t help suggesting when the two of them stayed frozen to the spot. There were many people there, and they all cast their gazes at us when they noticed our reactions. When we were about to leave the hospital after going downstairs, we bumped into Ronan. I initially wanted to pretend that I didn''t see him, but he caught sight of me with his keen eyes. ¡°Anna!¡± he called out to me. Then, he headed toward me with huge strides. The moment his voice rang out, a glimmer of light entered Jte''s eyes that had previously dimmed. As soon as she spotted Ronan, she hastily shoved the medical report into her bag, seemingly terrified that he would see it. Alicia and I waited outside the examination room. Both of us were exceedingly nervous, but I was much calmer than her inparison. Alicia and I waitad outsida tha axamination room. Both of us wara axcaadingly narvous, but I was much calmar than har inparison. Janatta had alraady gona into tha Dopr ultrasound room for tan minutas, yat sha still hadn''ta out. I startad growing worriad. ¡°Why is sha still in thara aftar such a long tima? Doas a pragnancy tast taka so long nowadays?¡± Alicia inquirad with har ayas fixatad on ma and anxiaty atchad across har faaturas. ¡°Lat''s wait patiantly for a lit longar. Parhaps tha doctor is mora maticulous in conducting tha tast. Sinca sha has gona for tha tast, tha rasults will ba out soon.¡± Wh I was likawisa vary much anxious, I still assurad har, for I knaw that sha was far mora worriad than ma. Having haard that, sha noddad in acquiascanca. Nonathss, har brows ramainad craasad, and sha appaarad raally apprahansiva. About tan minutastar, tha door to tha Dopr ultrasound room finally swung opan. Janatta hald a madical raport in har hand, har faca p as a shaat right than. Looking at har axprassion, I could alraady guass tha tast rasults. Although I had long sinca suspactad tha truth, my haart inavitably sank. ¡°What''s tha vardict, Janatta?¡± Alicia hurriad ovar and ragardad Janatta anxiously, har voica trambling whan sha voicad that quastion. Janatta''s faca was drainad of all color, and sha ramainad snt. I took tha madical raport from har hand and flippad it opan, sighing halssly upon glimpsing tha word ¡°pragnant¡± on it. I handad it to Alicia, and sha simrly nchad aftar taking a look at it. ¡°Lat''s go back first. Wa naad to discuss this mattar slowly,¡± I couldn''t halp suggasting whan tha two of tham stayad frozan to tha spot. Thara wara many pao thara, and thay all cast thair gazas at us whan thay noticad our raactions. Whan wa wara about toava tha hospital aftar going downstairs, wa bumpad into Ronan. I initially wantad to pratand that I didn''t saa him, but ha caught sight of ma with his kaan ayas. ¡°Anna!¡± ha cad out to ma. Than, ha haadad toward ma with huga stridas. Tha momant his voica rang out, a glimmar of light antarad Janatta''s ayas that had praviously dimmad. As soon as sha spottad Ronan, sha hastily shovad tha madical raport into har bag, saamingly tarrifiad that ha would saa it. Seeing that, I sighed helplessly. I could tell that she had really fallen for him, but I knew that her feelings would never be reciprocated. ¡°I noticed that you''reing to the hospital increasingly often recently. The hospital is operating smoothly, and you don''t have much to do here, so why don''t you use this time to get yourself a girlfriend?¡± I teased with a smile when Ronan reached me. ¡°I''m not in the mood to look for a girlfriend now. The woman I like doesn''t like me, and I don''t even want to spare those women who like me a single nce. I even feel that it''s a waste of my time to go on a date with them.¡± At my jest, Ronan stared at me aggrievedly as he answered. Clocking the gloomy expression on his face, I felt as though I had shot myself in the foot. Gah! I knew full well that he still has feelings for me, yet I suggested that he date other women. Oh well, I can''t fault for him being resentful. ¡°You''re not young anymore, so you should find a girlfriend obediently. Even if you''re in no rush, your family is probably frantic.¡± I changed the subject, deliberately ignoring the look in his eyes. Honestly, I really wished that he would meet a girl he liked. Then, I would no longer feel guilty. ¡°Matters of the heart should be left to destiny. If I don''t meet the person I like, I''d rather remain single for the rest of my life. That''s far better than getting together with a woman I have no feelings for.¡± Ronan shrugged, not taking my suggestion to heart at all. Such an attitude of his had me feeling all the more upset. He fell in love with me two years ago and hadn''t yet forgotten me to this very day. Therefore, I was really worried that he would stay a bachelor forever. While I was chatting with him, Jte trained her gaze on me. A trace of envy crept into her eyes when she saw that I was talking to him happily. From the very first time she saw Ronan, I noticed that she was enamored of him. As such, I wasn''t bothered by her envious gaze. ¡°Oh yes, why are you visiting the hospital today? Are you not feeling well? Or is your mother not feeling well?¡± Something seemed to ur to Ronan, and he studied me in concern, looking me up and down. ¡°No. We apanied Jte here today for a medical test. She¡ª¡± I had just started answering his question when Jte cut me off unceremoniously. ¡°I don''t feel so well, so they apanied me here for a checkup. It''s no big deal.¡± While saying that, Jte''s gaze darted around, and she sounded rather guilty. My brows furrowed slightly. Despite hating being interrupted by her, I knew that she definitely didn''t want Ronan to know about the incident that befell her. She had feelings for him, so I could understand that she didn''t want him to know about the ck mark against her. ¡°I see. I''m d you''re fine.¡± Ronan swept his gaze over Jte after hearing that. Aplicated light shed across his eyes, but he promptly concealed his emotions. Surprisingly, I could vaguely sense his gaze stilling on her abdomen. Hmm? Has he noticed that she''s pregnant? But on second thought, he has no idea about the incident, so how could he possibly tell? ¡°Please excuse us if there''s nothing else. We''ve still got something to do.¡± Alicia''s entire mind was chock-filled with Jte''s pregnancy, and her worried expression made it so that I lost interest in chatting further. ¡°Sure. We''ll talk next time.¡± Ronan didn''t say anything further, merely curving his lips into an alluring arc. Then, he stepped aside and made way for us. When we got back to Alicia''s house, the three of us plopped down onto the couch. Jte''s face was pale, and she hung her head without a single word. ¡°Jte, you received the test results today, confirming that you''re indeed with child. However, this child definitely can''t remain. Hence, we''ve got to make a visit to the hospital and abort the child as soon as possible.¡± After a long moment of silence, Alicia gave voice to her thoughts. In truth, I shared the same sentiments. Although the baby in Jte''s stomach was innocent, its existence would be a stain on her life. Even if she were to keep the child, she would still have to endure gossip for the rest of her days since she didn''t know who the child''s father was. Thus, aborting the child was the best solution. ¡°I know. I won''t keep this baby, for it''s a stain and shame in my life!¡± Jte''s face was colorless, and I could sense her sheer repulsion and hatred toward the child in her stomach as she uttered those words. Chapter 538 Chapter 538 When I heard Jte''s remark, I couldn''t help frowning. Although we all knew that the baby couldn''t be allowed to remain, herck of affection for the baby in her stomach and her unwavering resolve in aborting it made me feel that she was a bit too ruthless. Regardless of how she ended up with the child, that was still her child. It was in her stomach and was already part of her. For that reason, fury simmered within me when she reviled her child thus. Perhaps it was because I already had a child that I was particrly touchy about that. ¡°In that case, let''s take some time to go to the hospital. We must find an experienced doctor since abortion is no trivial matter. Jte is still going to get married and have children in the future, so it''ll be bad if there are any long-term seque.¡± Alicia breathed easier at Jte''s agreement to abort the baby, but she was still worried at the thought of the operation. ¡°I''ll handle this matter. I have some acquaintances in the hospital, and I can ask Ronan for help.¡± Ronan was the hospital''s owner, so this matter wouldn''t be a problem if I were to seek his assistance. ¡°No!¡± No sooner had I spoken than Jte cut me off cially, obviously quite worked up at that moment. ¡°Why not?¡± My brows knitted together, and I eyed her in puzzlement. ¡°I said no, so that''s the end of it! You can''t ask him for help! Also, don''t breathe a single word about my affairs to him!¡± Jte roared emotionally, abruptly shooting up from the couch. I was stunned at her sudden shift in mood, but when realization dawned upon me, I grew even more concerned. She doesn''t want me to seek Ronan''s help for no other reason than not wanting him to know about her shame. She has fallen in love with him, and she probably even secretly hopes that she''ll be able to get together with him if there''s such an opportunity. But then, I really think that it isn''t necessary to keep this a secret, for he''ll never get together with her. Despite my thoughts, I didn''t want to say anything to trigger her when she had already suffered such a huge blow. ¡°He''s far more familiar with the staff in the hospital, so we''ll be able to find a doctor with the best medical skills with his help. After all, such an operation is detrimental to the body. Thus, we''ve got to minimize the damage.¡± When I heard Jte''s remark, I couldn''t help frowning. Although we all knew that the baby couldn''t be allowed to remain, herck of affection for the baby in her stomach and her unwavering resolve in aborting it made me feel that she was a bit too ruthless. Whan I haard Janatta''s ramark, I couldn''t halp frowning. Although wa all knaw that tha baby couldn''t ba allowad to ramain, harck of affaction for tha baby in har stomach and har unwavaring rasolva in aborting it mada ma faal that sha was a bit too rutss. Ragarss of how sha andad up with tha child, that was still har child. It was in har stomach and was alraady part of har. For that raason, fury simmarad within ma whan sha ravd har child thus. Parhaps it was bacausa I alraady had a child that I was particrly touchy about that. ¡°In that casa,t''s taka soma tima to go to tha hospital. Wa must find an axpariancad doctor sinca abortion is no trivial mattar. Janatta is still going to gat marriad and hava childran in tha futura, so it''ll ba bad if thara ara any long-tarm saqua.¡± Alicia braathad aasiar at Janatta''s agraamant to abort tha baby, but sha was still worriad at tha thought of tha oparation. ¡°I''ll han this mattar. I hava soma acquaintancas in tha hospital, and I can ask Ronan for halp.¡± Ronan was tha hospital''s ownar, so this mattar wouldn''t ba a prom if I wara to saak his assistanca. ¡°No!¡± No soonar had I spokan than Janatta cut ma off cially, obviously quita workad up at that momant. ¡°Why not?¡± My brows knittad togathar, and I ayad har in puzmant. ¡°I said no, so that''s tha and of it! You can''t ask him for halp! Also, don''t braatha a sin word about my affairs to him!¡± Janatta roarad amotionally, abruptly shooting up from tha couch. I was stunnad at har suddan shift in mood, but whan raalization dawnad upon ma, I graw avan mora concarnad. Sha doasn''t want ma to saak Ronan''s halp for no othar raason than not wanting him to know about har shama. Sha has fan in lova with him, and sha probably avan sacratly hopas that sha''ll ba a to gat togathar with him if thara''s such an opportunity. But than, I raally think that it isn''t nacassary to kaap this a sacrat, for ha''ll navar gat togathar with har. Daspita my thoughts, I didn''t want to say anything to triggar har whan sha had alraady suffarad such a huga blow. ¡°Ha''s far mora familiar with tha staff in tha hospital, so wa''ll ba a to find a doctor with tha bast madical skills with his halp. Aftar all, such an oparation is datrimantal to tha body. Thus, wa''va got to minimiza tha damaga.¡± I couldn''t resist persuading her otherwise though I understood her thoughts. In this age, many youngdies couldn''t conceive after getting married because they had an abortion. I didn''t want her to suffer the same fate. She was still very young right then, so the most important thing was to ensure her health. ¡°Don''t think I''m ignorant to your intention, Anna! I bet you want Ronan to find out about what happened to me, right?¡± Upon hearing that, Jte red at me with a chilly expression on her face and fury zing in her eyes. Irritation swamped me when she interpreted my kind intention so detestably. I only said that for the sake of her health, yet she thinks that I intentionally want to have Ronan know about the tragedy that has befallen her! I know she likes him, but I also know that he definitely won''t reciprocate her feelings, so there''s absolutely no need for me to do so! I was irked that she was always thinking the worst of me, and I couldn''t understand why she loved to believe that everyone was malicious. ¡°I can''t do anything if you want to think that of me. If you don''t want to have any long-term seque, you''d best listen to me. I know you have feelings for Ronan, but if you want to pursue him, he''ll know about the incident that befell you sooner orter,¡± I retorted disdainfully, throwing her a frosty look. I initially didn''t want to say anything to set her off, but I really couldn''t quite tolerate her usation. Verily, I loathed the tone in which she spoke to me. Although Ronan seemed insouciant, he had pretty high standards when it came to rtionships. Otherwise, he would have gotten together with the countless young and beautiful women who flitted around him in the past two years. The fact that he didn''t take a fancy to any of them proved that he was rather picky toward his other half. ¡°There''s no need to mock me such, Anna! I''ll never let you off the hook if you dare tell him about this matter!¡± Jte threatened as she glowered at me. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, Jte? Anna only wants the best for you. Why won''t you consider her kind intention?¡± Alicia could no longer keep her silence. She frowned slightly and looked at Jte with disapproval in her eyes. Nevertheless, her tone wasn''t all that harsh when she spoke to Jte because thetter had experienced a series of blows recently. ¡°She wants the best for me? Only she knows her true intention best! Mom, don''t be deceived by her pitiful appearance!¡± Jte snarled in disgruntlement, instantly cutting her gaze at Alicia furiously when she heard her defending me. ¡°Jte!¡± Alicia snapped, her eyes brimming with displeasure. ¡°Forget it. Since you don''t want me to ask Ronan for help, I can''t do anything either.¡± By then, I couldn''t be bothered to argue with her anymore. Since she doesn''t want me to seek Ronan''s help, I''ll just do as she says. Anyway, she''s the one whose body will be damaged at that time, not me. Hearing that, Jte cast me a frigid look before she stood up and stormed up the stairs. ¡°Don''t be angry, Anna. She''s emotionally unstable now after having been through such a traumatic incident. Please don''t take offense at her,¡± Alicia murmured embarrassingly after ncing at Jte''s back as she disappeared upstairs. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t take offense at her.¡± Well, I can''t say anything when she has said as much. Anyway, I don''t care about Jte now. I just don''t want her to suffer too much. After exchanging a few more words with my mother, I left. As Jte forbade me from telling Ronan about the matter, I could only visit the hospital myself and find a doctor. When I returned home, Michael was already back. Recalling his indifferent attitudest night, I didn''t feel like entertaining him. Hence, I spun around to head upstairs. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you not going to say anything to me?¡± At my reaction, Michael''s brows creased slightly, and he regarded me with chagrin written all over his face. His voice was colored with dissatisfaction. ¡°You didn''t want me to talk to you, no? So, I won''t!¡± I huffed, halting in my tracks. I actually wanted to talk to himst night, but he stopped me from doing so. Yet he''s now snarky with me for not talking to him? Chapter 539 Chapter 539 The instant Michael heard my retort, he frowned slightly, and a sh of annoyance glinted in his eyes as he stared at me. ¡°Are you still angry at me because of the incidentst night?¡± He got to his feet and strode over to me, gazing down at me. When he spoke, his tone was much gentler. My heart skipped a beat at his sudden tenderness. However, recalling his aloof attitude toward mest night, I still felt a tad aggrieved. ¡°No. You''re thinking too much,¡± I murmured indifferently. I then turned my head away, not wanting to speak to him. ¡°You were the one who forced me to promise not to touch youst night, and I kept my word. So why are you still angry even though I kept my promise?¡± Michael''s beguiling brows arched a fraction, and amusement danced in his eyes that were pinned on me. ¡°I told you that I''m not angry. What''s there to be angry about?¡± Despite saying that, wrath churned within me. Yet, I couldn''t show it. If I were to voice that loud and clear, I would appear too petty. ¡°Look at your expression right now. It''s clear as day that you''re angry. Is it because I was detached toward youst night?¡± ¡°No.¡± Although that was what I said, I couldn''t help rolling my eyes at him inwardly. Hah! Is he not aware of his own attitude toward mest night? Don''t tell me he still needs me to answer him inly? I brushed past him to leave, but he grabbed my hand. ¡°All right, don''t be mad anymore. My attitude was indeed terriblest night, but it was all because of you.¡± Michael hugged me as he apologized, but the second half of his utterance had the fury within me ring back to life. ¡°Because of me? So following your logic, it was me who was at fault instead, is that right?¡± Argh! He was the one who treated me dismissivelyst night, but he''s now making it sound as though I was the one at fault. Isn''t it obvious that it was me who was wronged? ¡°Is that not so? Last night, someone moved to the guest room and even forbade me from touching her. Should I not have been upset?¡± Michael quirked his eyebrow slightly, a trace of resentment slithering into his eyes as he spoke. ¡°Do you not know why I wanted to move to the guest room? It was for no other reason than you torturing me every night and keeping me from having a good night''s rest!¡± At the end of the day, he''s making it sound as though everything''s my fault. Every single night, he tortures me past midnight, and I still have to work the next day. I''m exhausted daily! I just wanted to move to the guest room and have a good night''s sleep, yet it was wrong of me to do so? The instant Michael heard my retort, he frowned slightly, and a sh of annoyance glinted in his eyes as he stared at me. Tha instant Michaal haard my ratort, ha frownad slightly, and a sh of annoyanca glintad in his ayas as ha starad at ma. ¡°Ara you still angry at ma bacausa of tha incidantst night?¡± Ha got to his faat and stroda ovar to ma, gazing down at ma. Whan ha spoka, his tona was much ganr. My haart skippad a baat at his suddan tandarnass. Howavar, racalling his aloof attituda toward mast night, I still falt a tad aggriavad. ¡°No. You''ra thinking too much,¡± I murmurad indiffarantly. I than turnad my haad away, not wanting to spaak to him. ¡°You wara tha ona who forcad ma to promisa not to touch youst night, and I kapt my word. So why ara you still angry avan though I kapt my promisa?¡± Michaal''s baguiling brows archad a fraction, and amusamant dancad in his ayas that wara pinnad on ma. ¡°I told you that I''m not angry. What''s thara to ba angry about?¡± Daspita saying that, wrath churnad within ma. Yat, I couldn''t show it. If I wara to voica that loud and ar, I would appaar too patty. ¡°Look at your axprassion right now. It''s ar as day that you''ra angry. Is it bacausa I was datachad toward youst night?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No.¡± Although that was what I said, I couldn''t halp rolling my ayas at him inwardly. Hah! Is ha not awara of his own attituda toward mast night? Don''t tall ma ha still naads ma to answar him inly? I brushad past him toava, but ha grabbad my hand. ¡°All right, don''t ba mad anymora. My attituda was indaad tarrist night, but it was all bacausa of you.¡± Michaal huggad ma as ha apologizad, but tha sacond half of his uttaranca had tha fury within ma ring back to lifa. ¡°Bacausa of ma? So following your logic, it was ma who was at fault instaad, is that right?¡± Argh! Ha was tha ona who traatad ma dismissivalyst night, but ha''s now making it sound as though I was tha ona at fault. Isn''t it obvious that it was ma who was wrongad? ¡°Is that not so? Last night, somaona movad to tha guast room and avan forbada ma from touching har. Should I not hava baan upsat?¡± Michaal quirkad his ayabrow slightly, a traca of rasantmant slitharing into his ayas as ha spoka. ¡°Do you not know why I wantad to mova to tha guast room? It was for no othar raason than you torturing ma avary night and kaaping ma from having a good night''s rast!¡± At tha and of tha day, ha''s making it sound as though avarything''s my fault. Evary sin night, ha torturas ma past midnight, and I still hava to work tha naxt day. I''m axhaustad daily! I just wantad to mova to tha guast room and hava a good night''s ap, yat it was wrong of ma to do so? ¡°That''s all because I love you, no? Or do you hope that I no longer have any interest in your body?¡± Michael didn''t bother taking my censure to heart, refuting me with all the conviction in the world instead. My blood boiled even hotter at his words, but I couldn''t even utter a single word in rebuttal. Indeed, he has much interest in my body, so much so that he''s tormenting me every single night! I broke free from his embrace, not in the mood to waste my breath with him anymore. Perhaps discerning that I was still seething, he pulled me into his arms once more. Before I could struggle, he dipped his head and captured my lips. I initially wanted to shove him away, but my mind went nk as he deepened the kiss. In fact, I even started yearning for him. Maybe it was because he was too indifferent toward mest night, but I actually craved his intimacy with me at that very moment. Nheless, I would never admit to that. The kisssted for a very long time. ¡°Ahem!¡± At some indeterminate point in time, the sound of someone clearing his throat drifted over from the landing. Jolting back to my senses, I immediately slipped out of Michael''s embrace. Lincoln was standing at thending, eyeing us with a wide grin on his face. ¡°Young people nowadays don''t even bother going into the bedroom when their passions ignite. Don''t you know that there are other people in the house? How embarrassing it is when elders like me catch you red-handed.¡± Lincoln broke the silence, and his words had me wishing that I could crawl into a hole and die. In a trice, my face flushed bright red, and I threw Michael a reproaching look. Gah! This is all on him! He should have waited until we were in the bedroom before kissing me! ¡°Since you find it embarrassing, hurry up and go back to your study. Why are you standing here, watching the show?¡± However, Michael was exceedingly thick-skinned, as evidenced by his rebuttal at Lincoln. As I listened to their conversation, I was rendered wholly speechless. Oh my God, I can''t believe that the two of them can actually utter such words with their heads held high! ¡°Uh... I''ll leave you to your conversation, Dad. Please excuse me.¡± Feeling all too mortified to stand there, I beat a hasty retreat back to my room after saying that. Lincoln was my father-inw, so it was embarrassing beyond words that he caught Michael and me kissing. Even when I returned to my room, I was still blushing to the tips of my ears. As soon as I remembered the mortifying scene earlier, the urge to crawl into a hole gripped me. Shortly after, Michael came back as well. His expression remained the same, and he strode over to me right away, pulling me into his arms imperiously. ¡°You''re no longer angry now, are you?¡± His enchanting brows were raised slightly, and his tone was also rxed. In response, I rolled my eyes at him. Indeed, the fury within me had abated considerably following the kiss just now, but I was never going to admit to that. ¡°Do you think I won''t be angry anymore just because you kissed me? Am I that easily mollified?¡± I deliberately feigned a forbidding expression and injected a hint of disgruntlement into my voice. Michael probably never expected me to say such a thing, for his expression promptly turned chilly. When realization dawned upon him, however, he gazed at me flirtatiously. Leaning close to my ear, he whispered suggestively, ¡°Anna, are you trying to tell me that a kiss is too little? Or are you trying to hint that you want something more intimate?¡± Upon hearing that, I was instantly dumbstruck, and exasperation inundated me. When did I say that I want to have something even more intimate? Why is his line of thought always different from that of a normal person? ¡°Never mind, I don''t want to waste my breath with you. I''m tired, so I want to take a shower and rest.¡± In truth, I wasn''t angry anymore, but I was still a touch chagrined. I also wanted him to have a taste of me giving him the cold shoulder in return. ¡°It so happens that I''m tired as well. I, too, want to take a shower and rest, so let''s shower together. I can even give you a massage while we''re at it.¡± He had no intention of sparing me at all. No sooner had I stood up to head over to the bathroom than he followed behind me. Right then, he was no different from a burr that clung to me tightly, and I couldn''t shake him off no matter what. ¡°I''d like to shower alone. Who wants to shower with you?¡± He wants to shower with me, huh? He must be having some indecent thoughts! I''m definitely not going to allow him to get his hands on me tonight! Serves him right for treating me so indifferently just because I didn''t want to make love with him! I must teach him a lesson tonight. Otherwise, such a thing might happen countless times in the future. Chapter 540 Chapter 540 ¡°Okay, you don''t want to shower with me. It''s me who wants to shower with you.¡± Frowning in disgruntlement, Michael followed me into the bathroom. I initially wanted to kick him out, but he started stripping before I could utter a single word. He whipped off his shirt, revealing his muscr upper body. At the sight of his sexy and well-built body, I couldn''t quite bring myself to avert my gaze for a heartbeat. Perhaps sensing my gaze, Michael stopped undressing and turned around to look at me. ¡°Why are you still standing there idly? Hurry up and remove your clothes. Or are you waiting for me to help you out?¡± he drawled suggestively. ¡°When did I say that I want your help? How delusional!¡± I shot him a re once more. Nevertheless, I truly admired his utter shamelessness. The two of us were married and had been intimate for umpteen times, so there was no embarrassment left within me. I started removing my clothes as well. I wasn''t in the mood to entertain him then, only wanting to take a bath and rx. Besides, I was in a bad mood that day because of Jte''s vitriolic usations. Despite having said that I wouldn''t take offense to her, I still felt perturbed. It was more than clear that she detested me, what with her callous jibes every single time, yet I still helped her eagerly. At times, I felt that I was asking for it. Truth be told, I really didn''t want to bother about her affairs anymore, but I couldn''t bear it when I think of Alicia''s deepening sorrow. ¡°So, you apanied Jte for a pregnancy test today?¡± Michael inquired mildly, pulling me into his embrace. Because there was only one bathtub in the bathroom, we would both soak in the water together if we were to take a bath at the same time. ¡°How did you know about that? I don''t think I told you about it, did I?¡± I was rather surprised at that sudden question of his. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. There was no sign of him when I woke up this morning, and I didn''t tell anyone that I was going to apany Jte for a pregnancy test. How did he know about it? ¡°Ronan told me about it,¡± Michael answered my query after casting me a nce cidly. ¡°He has such a big mouth that he even told you about such a thing?¡± ¡°Okay, you don''t want to shower with me. It''s me who wants to shower with you.¡± ¡°Okay, you don''t want to showar with ma. It''s ma who wants to showar with you.¡± Frowning in disgrunmant, Michaal followad ma into tha bathroom. I initially wantad to kick him out, but ha startad stripping bafora I could uttar a sin word. Ha whippad off his shirt, ravaaling his muscr uppar body. At tha sight of his saxy and wall-built body, I couldn''t quita bring mysalf to avart my gaza for a haartbaat. Parhaps sansing my gaza, Michaal stoppad undrassing and turnad around to look at ma. ¡°Why ara you still standing thara idly? Hurry up and ramova your clothas. Or ara you waiting for ma to halp you out?¡± ha drad suggastivaly. ¡°Whan did I say that I want your halp? How dalusional!¡± I shot him a ra onca mora. Navarthss, I truly admirad his uttar shamssnass. Tha two of us wara marriad and had baan intimata for umptaan timas, so thara was no ambarrassmant laft within ma. I startad ramoving my clothas as wall. I wasn''t in tha mood to antartain him than, only wanting to taka a bath and rx. Basidas, I was in a bad mood that day bacausa of Janatta''s vitriolic usations. Daspita having said that I wouldn''t taka offansa to har, I still falt parturbad. It was mora than ar that sha datastad ma, what with har callous jibas avary sin tima, yat I still halpad har aagarly. At timas, I falt that I was asking for it. Truth ba told, I raally didn''t want to bothar about har affairs anymora, but I couldn''t baar it whan I think of Alicia''s daapaning sorrow. ¡°So, you apaniad Janatta for a pragnancy tast today?¡± Michaal inquirad mildly, pulling ma into his ambraca. Bacausa thara was only ona bathtub in tha bathroom, wa would both soak in tha watar togathar if wa wara to taka a bath at tha sama tima. ¡°How did you know about that? I don''t think I told you about it, did I?¡± I was rathar surprisad at that suddan quastion of his. Thara was no sign of him whan I woka up this morning, and I didn''t tall anyona that I was going to apany Janatta for a pragnancy tast. How did ha know about it? ¡°Ronan told ma about it,¡± Michaal answarad my quary aftar casting ma a nca cidly. ¡°Ha has such a big mouth that ha avan told you about such a thing?¡± Honestly, I was speechless when I heard that he knew about it from Ronan. I can''t believe Ronan even told him about such a trivial issue. ¡°I''ve already asked him to find the best doctor, so you don''t need to phone him again.¡± Michael changed the subject, but the words out of his mouth startled me quite a bit. ¡°I haven''t told you the test results, yet you already asked him to find a doctor? What if my guess was off the mark?¡± He didn''t even ask me whether Jte was pregnant before asking Ronan to find a doctor. Wouldn''t it be a total joke if she weren''t with child? ¡°Even if I don''t trust your conjecture, would I doubt Ronan''s judgment?¡± Michael eyed me in exasperation, looking at me as though I was a fool when he said that. ¡°What did you mean by trusting his judgment? Don''t tell me he could tell that Jte''s pregnant?¡± I eximed in astonishment. Although that was my guess as well, I still couldn''t quite believe it. After all, no matter how I looked at it, Ronan didn''t seem to be the kind of man who could tell that a woman was with child at a single nce. ¡°Are you doubting his professionalism? He studied medicine in Anndur for a few years and majored in hospital management, so there''s probably no doctor more professional than him,¡± Michael riposted evenly, gazing at me speechlessly. ¡°He has medical skills? Whoa! What a revtion!¡± I had always thought that Ronan was a yboy who enjoyed himself all day, but unprecedented shock filled me upon hearing that he was skilled in medicine. He appears carefree and insouciant, yet he''s actually a doctor with top-notch medical skills? This is simply mind-boggling! ¡°I thought you knew about it long ago. How could he possibly manage a hospital if he doesn''t have the corresponding capabilities?¡± Seeing my shocked expression, Michael shook his head exasperatedly. After hearing that, I had some understanding of things then. While Ronan appears s¨¦, he''s still quite reliable. ¡°Jte has feelings for him. I trust you could also tell, right? Today, she even warned me not to tell him about this matter. Unexpectedly, he gleaned everything at a single look.¡± Recalling Jte''s fear that Ronan would learn about her pregnancy, I sighed helplessly. She''s so worried about him learning about her being with child, but he has actually gleaned it all today at the hospital. As such, there''s no meaning to her concealment of the matter. ¡°If that''s really the case, you can advise her to just give up. He''ll never fall for a woman like her.¡± Michael''s voice was still as cid as ever. Every time we spoke of Jte, he was always apathetic. ¡°So, you think that he won''t fall for her as well?¡± While I also had that feeling, I never expected him to share my sentiments. ¡°I''ve known him ever since young. Do you think I don''t know him well enough? He definitely won''t have any interest in haughty and domineeringdies like her,¡± Michael asserted after throwing me a dispassionate nce. ¡°Then, she''ll certainly be disappointed. She fell in love with him at first sight, so she''ll undoubtedly be devastated if he doesn''t like her.¡± I lowered my head a fraction. In truth, I didn''t have much feeling toward that matter, for I actually hoped that Ronan wouldn''t fall for Jte. Perhaps because my impression of her was bad, but I couldn''t shake off the feeling that someone like her wasn''t worthy of him. ¡°Since you''ve got spare time to think about others, you should spend more time on us. Shouldn''t you bepensating me after having treated me so indifferently these days?¡± Not wanting to speak of Jte with me anymore, Michael changed the subject and stared at me resentfully, his eyes brimming with aggravation. ¡°When have I ever been indifferent toward you?¡± I curled my lips, irked that he was suddenly shifting the topic to us instead. Hmph! He must be feeling aggrieved that I didn''t allow him to have his fill at night that he''s abruptly talking about this! ¡°Do you really think so? Did you not realize that you''d been turning me down every single night? Anna, you''re my wife, so sating my physiological needs is your responsibility as a wife, you know?¡± Michael immediately countered when he noticed my blithe expression. ¡°Then, is it not your responsibility as a husband to provide me with afortable environment to rest in?¡± Chapter 541 Chapter 541 I almost rolled my eyes at Michael when he uttered those words. I had been satisfying his sexual needs almost every night, and now he wanted to talk to me about this sort of problem? What''s going on in his head? ¡°Of course, you''ll have a good night''s sleep once you''ve satisfied me. Your sleep quality is directly tagged to my level of satisfaction, you see. In my humble opinion, you''ve failed as a wife. What do you think?¡± Michael didn''t care much about my argument. He looked at me indifferently and exuded an air of boldness. ¡°Aren''t you concerned about your own health and wellbeing? Coital pleasures aren''t meant to be enjoyed every single night!¡± My face was as cold as ice when I hissed those words. How could he be so inconsiderate? I was on the verge of blowing up. After my reasonings, and he still had the audacity to justify his actions, putting the me on me? This man''s skin was as thicker than a cow''s! ¡°From the way we do it, it''s so mild that it won''t in any way affect my health, mind you.¡± Michael deflected every critical sentiment and looked at me impishly. None of myments hurt him. I was absolutely speechless. We have nothing inmon and our discussions were just tforms for him to flex his chauvinistic ideals. After getting out of the bathtub, I put on my clothes and was ready to leave. I was tired of quarreling with him. ¡°Aren''t you going to at least show some effort tonight? Do you know how discontent I wasst night?¡± Michael whinged when I already had one foot out the door. Why would I care? I gave him the cold shoulder and left. Iy on the bed and closed my eyes, trying to hum myself to sleep. I had no idea when Michael got on the bed, but I was already rocking in and out of sleep by then. He pulled me into his chest once he got on the bed, and I bet he could also feel my muscles tensing up. Was he expecting to have sex again? I could tell he wasn''t very happy about what happenedst night. ¡°W-W-What do you w-w-want, Michael?¡± I moved my lips trembled as I looked at him over my shoulder ¡°What do you think I''m looking for? You''ve kept me hanging sincest night. Don''t tell me you''re expecting me to hold it in for another evening.¡± Michael murmured into my ears, and I could feel his beastly urge burning. I almost rolled my eyes at Michael when he uttered those words. I had been satisfying his sexual needs almost every night, and now he wanted to talk to me about this sort of problem? What''s going on in his head? I almost rod my ayas at Michaal whan ha uttarad thosa words. I had baan satisfying his saxual naads almost avary night, and now ha wantad to talk to ma about this sort of prom? What''s going on in his haad? ¡°Of coursa, you''ll hava a good night''s ap onca you''va satisfiad ma. Your ap quality is diractly taggad to myval of satisfaction, you saa. In my hum opinion, you''va fad as a wifa. What do you think?¡± Michaal didn''t cara much about my argumant. Ha lookad at ma indiffarantly and axudad an air of boldnass. ¡°Aran''t you concarnad about your own haalth and wallbaing? Coital asuras aran''t maant to ba anjoyad avary sin night!¡± My faca was as cold as ica whan I hissad thosa words. How could ha ba so inconsidarata? I was on tha varga of blowing up. Aftar my raasonings, and ha still had tha audacity to justify his actions, putting tha ma on ma? This man''s skin was as thickar than a cow''s! ¡°From tha way wa do it, it''s so mild that it won''t in any way affact my haalth, mind you.¡± Michaal dactad avary critical santimant and lookad at ma impishly. Nona of mymants hurt him. I was absolutaly spaacss. Wa hava nothing inmon and our discussions wara just tforms for him to x his chauvinistic idaals. Aftar gatting out of tha bathtub, I put on my clothas and was raady toava. I was tirad of quarraling with him. ¡°Aran''t you going to atast show soma affort tonight? Do you know how discontant I wasst night?¡± Michaal whingad whan I alraady had ona foot out tha door. Why would I cara? I gava him tha cold shouldar andft. Iy on tha bad and closad my ayas, trying to hum mysalf to ap. I had no idaa whan Michaal got on tha bad, but I was alraady rocking in and out of ap by than. Ha pud ma into his chast onca ha got on tha bad, and I bat ha could also faal my muss tansing up. Was ha axpacting to hava sax again? I could tall ha wasn''t vary happy about what happanadst night. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°W-W-What do you w-w-want, Michaal?¡± I movad my lips tramd as I lookad at him ovar my shouldar ¡°What do you think I''m looking for? You''va kapt ma hanging sincast night. Don''t tall ma you''ra axpacting ma to hold it in for anothar avaning.¡± Michaal murmurad into my aars, and I could faal his baastly urga burning. The more he pressed his engorged shaft onto my back, the more nervous I became. Knowing what would happen next, I gave up rejecting his advancements as it wouldn''t work on him anyway. Slowly, I hooked my arms onto his neck. Seeing me submitting, he let out a victorious grin and pressed me down onto the bed with his body. Huh! It was another action-packed night. Luckily Michael wasn''t as adventurous and rough as before and wasn''t that keen on trying out different poses anymore. Perhaps my silent treatment had worked. After he ejacted in me, I wrapped my arms around his waist and tried to catch my breath with my eyes closed. I might have discovered something new¡ªas long as I fulfil his sexual appetite, he would sleep tight throughout the rest of the night. Recently, I took a week off work as issues involving Jte had been upying my mind. Although my boss wasn''t happy about how I was already asking for a break only a few days into this new job, he still approved my leave application as I had solid work experience in Anndur, and I was darn good at my job. The next day, I got a call from Ronan early in the morning and recalled what Michael had told me yesterday. He told me that Ronan had found a fairly good doctor. So, I picked up Ronan''s call with no hesitation. ¡°Hello, Ronan.¡± ¡°Hi, I''ve done everything Michael asked me to do, and I''ve got you the best gynecologist. Today was supposed to be her day off, but I sessfully persuaded her to help us out.¡± Ronan highlighted his contribution in this matter subtly after he heard me. ¡°Thank you so much for your help. If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have gotten such a skillful doctor. Jte is still very young, and we need to minimize the damage to her body.¡± Although I was ill at ease when asking Ronan to look for a gynecologist adept at performing abortions, he had all the right resources and connections to expedite the whole search process. ¡°Yes, I''m with you on this one. Actually, I was wondering, when did she get pregnant? Why didn''t she want the child?¡± Ronan couldn''t hide his nosy nature. It seemed like he was curious about everything that transpired before Jte''s pregnancy. ¡°I can tell anyone about it, but you, Ronan. Anyway, I really appreciated your help.¡± I subdued the urge to tell Ronan that Jte was raped. She had warned me not to before. Despite the fact that Ronan already knew about Jte''s pregnancy, it''d be better to keep the raping incident a secret. Jte would definitely me me for it if Ronan was informed about the tragic event. ¡°What the heck? I''ve offered you so much help, and you couldn''t give me even a pinch of gossip in exchange? Are we still buddies?¡± Ronan didn''t react well to my response, and I could hear his voice clouded with intense displeasure. ¡°It''s not that I don''t wanna tell you, but Jte doesn''t want you to know. Do you get where I''ming from?¡± Being raped was a blow to Jte''s reputation. To have Ronan know about it was thest thing she wanted to happen. As her sister, I would never add fuel to the fire. ¡°Enough! What are you trying to imply here? Let me make myself clear. I''m not interested in your sister.¡± Ronan seemed to get what I was trying to do. I could imagine him smacking his lips and acting like he didn''t care on the other end of the line. Ronan was a smart man. I had never told him that Jte liked him, but I bet he could feel it. ¡°Jte''s really pretty, is she not? Won''t your heart flutter, even a tiny bit, when you see her? Don''t tell me you''re not interested in women,¡± I teased him. I already knew how he would respond to my doubts, but I couldn''t help but make fun of him. He had been single for about two years. Wouldn''t he wantpany? ¡°What the eff? What do you mean by that? Of course, I like women. Do you think I like men?¡± Ronan raised his voice when he felt I was taking the mickey out of him and almost spat vulgarity. ¡°You haven''t been in a rtionship for the longest time, and you didn''t seem attracted to any of the beautifuldies who had confessed their feelings to you. It''s hard not to think in that particr direction. If you don''t wanna be misunderstood, I would suggest that you find a girlfriend soon.¡± Chapter 542 Chapter 542 All I wanted to do was to remind him that he could really use a girlfriend. I would feel bad for him if he remained single forever. ¡°Let''s just wait and see. You don''t expect me to ask a random girl on the streets to be my girlfriend, do you? The woman I love has be the wife of another man. Can''t I dwell on this sorrow for another few years?¡± Ronan didn''t sound desperate. It was as if he really didn''t need a femalepanion. The woman he mentioned was me, and I was well aware of that. Knowing that he loved and cared for me triggered my guilt. I was hoping that he could find his other half soon and lead a happy life. ¡°Anyway, I''m done talking to you about this. I''m going to the hospital with my mom and Jteter. See you around.¡± Since Ronan had found a good doctor, it was best to have the abortion done as soon as possible. The sooner it was done, the lesser harm it was to the Jate''s body. We shouldn''t defer any further. After hanging up the call, I went straight to my mom''s and was slightly startled by her dark eye circles. I guessed she was so worried about Jte that she couldn''t sleep well. My heart wrung at the sight of her frazzled face. ¡°Mom, I''ve contacted the doctor, and we can go to the hospital today. I think it''s better to get this done as soon as possible, or Jte would suffer more harm as the fetus grows bigger by the day.¡± Softly, I looked at my mom''s pale and weary face and told her about the arrangements. ¡°Yeah, I thought so too. Since you''ve got everything sorted out, let''s go to the hospital today,¡± she agreed to the arrangement and looked over at Jte. Jte nodded her head insouciantly. Abortion might not be a big taboo in modern society, but she was doing it to rid the constant reminder of that contemptible day. When they got to the hospital, Jte underwent a series of checks to ensure her body was in the right condition for safe abortion. Everything went smoothly, and very soon, she was on the surgical table. My mom and I were on pins and needles outside the operation theater. It was most probably because we had never gone through anything like this. Before the doctor went into the operation theater, my mom kept asking her about possible scars and side effects from the abortion. All I wanted to do was to remind him that he could really use a girlfriend. I would feel bad for him if he remained single forever. All I wantad to do was to ramind him that ha could raally usa a girlfriand. I would faal bad for him if ha ramainad sin foravar. ¡°Lat''s just wait and saa. You don''t axpact ma to ask a random girl on tha straats to ba my girlfriand, do you? Tha woman I lova has ba tha wifa of anothar man. Can''t I dwall on this sorrow for anothar faw yaars?¡± Ronan didn''t sound dasparata. It was as if ha raally didn''t naad a fampanion. Tha woman ha mantionad was ma, and I was wall awara of that. Knowing that ha lovad and carad for ma triggarad my guilt. I was hoping that ha could find his othar half soon andad a happy lifa. ¡°Anyway, I''m dona talking to you about this. I''m going to tha hospital with my mom and Janattatar. Saa you around.¡± Sinca Ronan had found a good doctor, it was bast to hava tha abortion dona as soon as possi. Tha soonar it was dona, thassar harm it was to tha Jannatta''s body. Wa shouldn''t dafar any furthar. Aftar hanging up tha call, I want straight to my mom''s and was slightly stard by har dark aya cirs. I guassad sha was so worriad about Janatta that sha couldn''t ap wall. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. My haart wrung at tha sight of har frazd faca. ¡°Mom, I''va contactad tha doctor, and wa can go to tha hospital today. I think it''s battar to gat this dona as soon as possi, or Janatta would suffar mora harm as tha fatus grows biggar by tha day.¡± Softly, I lookad at my mom''s p and waary faca and told har about tha arrangamants. ¡°Yaah, I thought so too. Sinca you''va got avarything sortad out,t''s go to tha hospital today,¡± sha agraad to tha arrangamant and lookad ovar at Janatta. Janatta noddad har haad insouciantly. Abortion might not ba a big taboo in modarn sociaty, but sha was doing it to rid tha constant ramindar of that contampti day. Whan thay got to tha hospital, Janatta undarwant a sarias of chacks to ansura har body was in tha right condition for safa abortion. Evarything want smoothly, and vary soon, sha was on tha surgical ta. My mom and I wara on pins and naas outsida tha oparation thaatar. It was most probably bacausa wa had navar gona through anything lika this. Bafora tha doctor want into tha oparation thaatar, my mom kapt asking har about possi scars and sida affacts from tha abortion. The doctor told her that everything would be fine and went in. As Jte''s kin, we didn''t know what the situation was in the operation room and could only wait by the door. Mom held my hand firmly, looking absolutely distressed. ¡°Don''t worry, Mom. The doctor has already said that it''s a small operation, and Jte will be out in no time. This doctor is very experienced. Trust me, Jte will be fine.¡± I tried to soothe her taut nerves as it broke my heart to see her fret. ¡°Didn''t you say it''s just a small operation? It''s been half an hour, and Jte''s still in there. Do you know how she is now? Does the operation hurt?¡± Mom had her eyes affixed on the swing doors as she was worried sick. Apparently, my words didn''t calm her down, not even a single bit. She was too absorbed in worrying for Jte. When I almost barged into the operation room, the swing door flung open, and we saw Jte in a wheelchair, being pushed out by two nurses. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her face was slightly pallid. She could still be under the effects of anesthesia, or maybe she was simply asleep. The two nurses then pushed her to her ward. Wasting no time, Mom and I followed suit. After the nurses had left the ward, Mom went to Jte and wrapped her hands over hers. Her tears trickled down her cheeks when she saw Jte''s dainty but pale face. As I highly doubted that I could bear the heart-wrenching scene any further, I swirled my eyes away from the scene and walked toward the window. Would Mom cry her heart out, like what she did for Jte if something simr happened to me? I asked myself. Not long after, the effects of anesthesia subsided, and my sister opened her eyes. ¡°Mom,¡± she called out in a scruffy voice. ¡°Jte, you''re awake. Do you feel any pain or aches? Should I call for the nurses?¡± Mom wiped her tears off with the back of her hands when she saw Jte regain consciousness. ¡°I''m okay. It''s just my tummy. It still hurts a bit.¡± Jte shook her head and frowned. I could tell something was still bothering her, but she didn''t want to talk much about it. When she saw me, the lines on her forehead got deeper. It was apparent that my presence wasn''t weed. ¡°I''m going home first, and I''ll bring something nutritious over in the evening. As she has just undergone surgery, she''ll need all the nutrients she could get.¡± I made an excuse to leave since I knew she didn''t want to see me. There was no point in staying in the ward with them. The operation was a breeze, and there''s nothing to worry about anymore. ¡°Okay. Go ahead. Rest a bit at home beforeing backter since it''s still pretty early now.¡± Mom did try to make me stay. I said yes and left. When the elevator door opened on the first floor, I saw a familiar figure vanish at the end of the hallway. That guy looks like Michael. I guessed but doubted myself immediately as Michael should be in the company working. There wasn''t any reason for him to be here. It didn''t make sense. I shook that faint figure out of my head and tried to convince myself that there was no way that he could be in the hospital. He would''ve called me if he was looking for me, right? With that in mind, I left the hospital. I started helping the housekeeper out in the kitchen the moment I got home. I''ve been going to the hospital pretty often these days. Those who didn''t know me might assume me to be a caregiver. I decided to make her some chicken congee for easier digestion and a nutrient-packed broth. It was already evening by the time the food was ready, and Michael would usually get home around this hour. It was strange that I didn''t see him yet. I wasn''t expecting him to work overtime as he didn''t call. So, I picked up my phone and dialed his number. That blur figure I saw earlier at the hospital was bothering me. He finally picked up after a long wait. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Why didn''t you pick up the phone sooner?¡± I was slightly ticked off as I was kept waiting. ¡°I was busy, and it wasn''t a good time to talk.¡± Michael paused for a bit before exining himself. Chapter 543 Chapter 543 ¡°Are you still at work?¡± I asked again in response. I felt sorry that he was working so hard to provide for me. ¡°No, a friend needs my help. I may be back a littleter tonight.¡± ¡°I see. I''d better let you get to it then. I''m going to see Jte.¡± I did not doubt Michael as he had never given me a reason to. Many other women I knew would call and ask their husbands what they were doing when they stayed out past office hours, but not me. Soon after, I arrived at the hospital with the broth I had prepared at home. Before getting on the elevator, I nced instinctively at the end of the corridor. The figure I saw that afternoon was startlingly familiar, but as I''ve reminded myself for what seemed like the tenth time, Michael had no reason to be at the hospital. Jte seemed to be doing better when I arrived at her ward. With her faculties finally free from the effects of anesthesia, she merely nced over at my arrival without deigning to speak to me. Being ustomed to her attitude toward me, I was as indifferent as she was. I ced the thermos on the bedside cab before turning to address my mother. ¡°I made this at home. You should get her to have some while it''s still warm. I''ll get some hot water.¡± As Jte needed someone to take care of her, I took the initiative to do the little things to free my mother up for the bulk of the grunt work. If she had to do everything, her body would definitely not beProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. able to take the strain. My mother was already feeding Jte when I arrived back at the ward with a thermos full of hot water. I walked to the side and sat down while she had her meal. My mother turned to look at me gratefully as Jte swallowed thest spoonful of the broth. ¡°Anna, thank you for all the help you have given us recently. I appreciate how hard you have been working.¡± ¡°There''s no need for the formalities. I will help you out whenever you need it.¡± I meant it. After spending some time together, I felt closer to her. Aside from being unable to change how I greeted her, I found that I had lost some of the initial stiffness I employed when I spoke to her in the beginning. She perked up at once. ¡°Are you finally admitting that I am your mother?¡± ¡°Are you still at work?¡± I asked again in response. I felt sorry that he was working so hard to provide for me. ¡°Ara you still at work?¡± I askad again in rasponsa. I falt sorry that ha was working so hard to provida for ma. ¡°No, a friand naads my halp. I may ba back a littar tonight.¡± ¡°I saa. I''d battart you gat to it than. I''m going to saa Janatta.¡± I did not doubt Michaal as ha had navar givan ma a raason to. Many othar woman I knaw would call and ask thair husbands what thay wara doing whan thay stayad out past offica hours, but not ma. Soon aftar, I arrivad at tha hospital with tha broth I had praparad at homa. Bafora gatting on tha vator, I ncad instinctivaly at tha and of tha corridor. Tha figura I saw that aftarnoon was startlingly familiar, but as I''va ramindad mysalf for what saamad lika tha tanth tima, Michaal had no raason to ba at tha hospital. Janatta saamad to ba doing battar whan I arrivad at har ward. With har facultias finally fraa from tha affacts of anasthasia, sha maraly ncad ovar at my arrival without daigning to spaak to ma. Baing ustomad to har attituda toward ma, I was as indiffarant as sha was. I cad tha tharmos on tha badsida cabinat bafora turning to addrass my mothar. ¡°I mada this at homa. You should gat har to hava soma wh it''s still warm. I''ll gat soma hot watar.¡± As Janatta naadad somaona to taka cara of har, I took tha initiativa to do tha lit things to fraa my mothar up for tha bulk of tha grunt work. If sha had to do avarything, har body would dafinitaly not ba a to taka tha strain. My mothar was alraady faading Janatta whan I arrivad back at tha ward with a tharmos full of hot watar. I walkad to tha sida and sat down wh sha had har maal. My mothar turnad to look at ma gratafully as Janatta swallowad thast spoonful of tha broth. ¡°Anna, thank you for all tha halp you hava givan us racantly. I appraciata how hard you hava baan working.¡± ¡°Thara''s no naad for tha formalitias. I will halp you out whanavar you naad it.¡± I maant it. Aftar spanding soma tima togathar, I falt closar to har. Asida from baing una to changa how I graatad har, I found that I had lost soma of tha initial stiffnass I amployad whan I spoka to har in tha baginning. Sha parkad up at onca. ¡°Ara you finally admitting that I am your mothar?¡± ¡°You are. There''s no use in pretending that otherwise. I just don''t know how to start calling you Mom. Give me a little more time.¡± After finding myself getting along with her over the period of our reacquaintance, I have decided to forgive her. After seeing how she med herself for what happened to Jte, I thought that it was only fair for me to put myself in her shoes and consider how difficult it must have been for her to choose all those years ago. ¡°You have no idea how happy that made me, Anna,¡± she whispered, her voice quavering. ¡°I never would have imagined that you would one day choose to forgive me. Despite only wanting to see how you were doing, I felt this maternal instinct pulling me closer to you. After over twenty years of separation, I could not find it in me to disappear from your life again.¡± My nose twinged at her words. I forced myself to hold back the tears that were already welling in my eyes. I turned away, not wanting them to see me turn into a blubbering mess. In fact, I no longer hated my mother as much as I did. Having grown up without her in my life, I just needed time to learn how to be a daughter. ¡°Say no more,¡± I muttered, worried that I might not be able to stop the tears if theye. ¡°Let''s focus on taking good care of Jte.¡± ¡°Leave her to me. Go home and get some rest, Anna. The housekeeper will being soon to relieve me.¡± As Jte had almostpleted her meal, my mother sent me home to rest. I was going to volunteer myself to care for Jte in her stead. On second thought, I would be thest person Jte would want by her side. Her mood would only worsen with my presence. ¡°All right,¡± I said to my mother as I stood up. ¡°I''ll bring her something for breakfast tomorrow morning.¡± It was already past nine o''clock when I finally arrived back at the Shaw residence after leaving the hospital. To my surprise, Michael still had not arrived home. I called him again after I got out of the shower to no avail. Even more suspiciously, his phone had been turned off. Could his phone be out of battery? It was the only logical conclusion. Michael would have no other reason to not answer my call. As Michael often came backter than that when he had to entertain clients, I was not too worried. Confident that he would be home soon, I tucked myself in. It was a sign of the state of my sleep deprivation that I fell asleep as soon as my head copsed onto the pillow. It was already the following morning when I finally woke up. Usually, I would find Michael asleep next to me, with a faint trace of booze on his body if he had returned from entertaining clients. That morning, however, he was nowhere to be found. I''m beginning to suspect that he did not evene homest night. What kind of friend is in such desperate need of help that would warrant this kind of sacrifice on his part? Worst of all, he did not even tell me that he would not being back. With resentment bubbling just below the surface, I called Michael again. Upon getting the same message of him being unreachable, I threw my phone onto the bed in frustration. How inconsiderate of him! Does he even care how worried he makes me? I can''t even reach him to know that he''s safe! The Shaws were already having breakfast when I got dressed and went downstairs. As I did not have dinner the night before, I felt ravenous. Lincoln turned to look at me as soon as I sat down. ¡°Why isn''t Michael here for breakfast?¡± ¡°I don''t know. He hasn''te back all night. I tried calling him but his phone is turned off. I don''t know where he is.¡± My irritation red up again at the reminder of Michael''s inconsiderateness. His actions made me feel like I''m an outsider who was not privy to his ns. ¡°What?¡± Lincoln grumbled. ¡°What''s the matter with this kid? He never used to do that.¡± Just when I was about to answer, the door clicked open to announce Michael''s arrival. Though I was relieved to see him in one piece, my irritation did not immediately abate. Josephine cleared her throat. ¡°Michael, you''re back.¡± Michael merely grunted before dropping his briefcase onto the couch. He looked exhausted. ¡°What have you been up tost night?¡± Josephine asked as she eyed her son sternly. ¡°Why didn''t you come home?¡± Chapter 544 Chapter 544 ¡°I had some work topletest night,¡± Michael answered evasively. ¡°Yesterday was the deadline. That was why I stayed in the office to pull an all-nighter.¡± Without giving us time to interrogate him further, he disappeared upstairs. I was annoyed at hispleteck of ountability. He should have at least exined! As hungry as I was, my appetite vanished at the disheartening thought. After a couple of bites, I took my leave and went upstairs. When I arrived at our bedroom, Michael had alreadye out of the shower. He shot a nce at me before making his way to the bed. ¡°What were you doingst night?¡± I asked. ¡°Why didn''t youe back all night?¡± Midnight was thetest Michael had ever gotten home from entertaining clients. He had certainly never stayed out all night before. His disappearance,bined with the fact that he could not be contacted the night before, made me feel a little uneasy. Michael nced at me. ¡°Haven''t I already informed you yesterday? I was with a friend who needed my help with something.¡± ¡°You spent all night with your friend?¡± I pressed on, watching Michael''s eyes closely as I did so. ¡°Is it a man or a woman?¡± I had a feeling that Michael was keeping something from me about his excursion. Due to having experienced the trauma of being lied to, I was especially troubled by this matter. The doubt had to be rified, or else it would just nag at me and develop into something much worse. Michael narrowed his eyes. ¡°That''s a very specific question. Do you not believe me?¡± ¡°It''s not that,¡± I said quickly, though my sense of unease grew. ¡°I just feel very insecure about being kept in the dark. Why was your phone turned off? Did you know how many times I''d called you?¡± ¡°I had some work topletest night,¡± Michael answered evasively. ¡°Yesterday was the deadline. That was why I stayed in the office to pull an all-nighter.¡± ¡°I had soma work totast night,¡± Michaal answarad avasivaly. ¡°Yastarday was tha daadlina. That was why I stayad in tha offica to pull an all-nightar.¡± Without giving us tima to intarrogata him furthar, ha disappaarad upstairs. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I was annoyad at histack of ountability. Ha should hava atast axinad! As hungry as I was, my appatita vanishad at tha dishaartaning thought. Aftar a cou of bitas, I took myava and want upstairs. Whan I arrivad at our badroom, Michaal had alraadya out of tha showar. Ha shot a nca at ma bafora making his way to tha bad. ¡°What wara you doingst night?¡± I askad. ¡°Why didn''t youa back all night?¡± Midnight was thatast Michaal had avar gottan homa from antartaining cliants. Ha had cartainly navar stayad out all night bafora. His disappaaranca,binad with tha fact that ha could not ba contactad tha night bafora, mada ma faal a lit unaasy. Michaal ncad at ma. ¡°Havan''t I alraady informad you yastarday? I was with a friand who naadad my halp with somathing.¡± ¡°You spant all night with your friand?¡± I prassad on, watching Michaal''s ayas closaly as I did so. ¡°Is it a man or a woman?¡± I had a faaling that Michaal was kaaping somathing from ma about his axcursion. Dua to having axpariancad tha trauma of baing liad to, I was aspacially troud by this mattar. Tha doubt had to ba rifiad, or alsa it would just nag at ma and davalop into somathing much worsa. Michaal narrowad his ayas. ¡°That''s a vary spacific quastion. Do you not baliava ma?¡± ¡°It''s not that,¡± I said quickly, though my sansa of unaasa graw. ¡°I just faal vary insacura about baing kapt in tha dark. Why was your phona turnad off? Did you know how many timas I''d cad you?¡± I always believed that Michael would not lie to me, but I was suddenly not as certain anymore. If it was an ordinary friend, he would have told me who it was. ¡°My phone ran out of juice,¡± he exined gently before wrapping me in his arms. ¡°Can''t you even trust me after being together for so long? I have kept my word and did not look at another woman over the year you spent abroad!¡± The hurt look in his eyes and his honeyed words helped in dispelling my doubts. He''s right. He has proven his loyalty once before. We managed to make it work despite being physically apart back then. Now that he''s by my side, I should probably have a little more faith in him. ¡°I believe you, but I don''t want this happening again, or I will never believe you again.¡± Michael held his gaze as they met mine. Faced with his unwavering resolve, I felt that I was being a little too unreasonable as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Michael would never do anything to hurt me. Why did I have to say something hurtful like that? ¡°I promise there will not be another time,¡± he said solemnly before breaking into an indulgent smile. ¡°Don''t you have to be at the hospital? You should get going. I''m going to take a nap as I didn''t get much sleepst night.¡± Though I was still a little upset, his haggard look softened my heart enough to let him rest. By the time I arrived at the hospital, I had already forgotten about Michael''s mysterious absence from homest night. Jte''s attitude towards me had not improved. Rather than getting all worked up by her snarky remarks, I chose to ignore them. A knock on the door of the ward announced Ronan''s arrival. All three of us were stunned by the sight of him. Jte turned pale as soon as she saw him. I could tell from a nce that she was worried that Ronan knew about her miscarriage. ¡°Ronan, what are you doing here?¡± With a sideways nce at Jte who was looking as white as a sheet, I stood up and walked toward him. ¡°I came to see your sister. Since you''re here, we can catch up too.¡± Ronan was grinning with smiling eyes when he said that. I frowned with chagrin. His intention could not have been clearer¡ªhe was not here to see Jte at all. I felt her eyes turn away from him to me and looked up. To my disconcertion, I saw how full of hatred they were. She must think that I told Ronan about her abortion. ¡°How''s your recovery going, Ms. Campbell?¡± Ronan asked. ¡°I''m sure you''ll be back to normal after a few days of rest, given how minor of a surgery it has been. However, you have to be more careful from now on.¡± Perhaps sensing the tension in the air, Ronan turned to face Jte with a pleasant smile. Though I knew that he wanted to divert Jte''s attention from me, I did not think it was wise of him to say that as it basically confirmed her suspicions about Ronan. Jte''s shoulders shook at his words. Her face became even paler as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said stiffly after a long pause. ¡°I''ll be fine.¡± Having always been worried that Ronan would find out about her miscarriage, it must have been unbearable for her worst fears to havee true. My presence certainly did not help matters. Chapter 545 Chapter 545 I''m d to hear that. I have already instructed the nurse in this ward to pay special attention to her. You can go home and rest if there are no other problems by tomorrow.¡± Ronan still had a faint smile on his face. His tone was very gentle. For some reason, Jte''s face became paler. The atmosphere in the ward was bing more awkward by the minute. I was annoyed at Ronan for showing up unannounced to the ward and saying these words to Jte despite knowing how she felt about him. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ronan, I happen to have something to say to you. Let''s take this outside.¡± Without waiting for a response, I dragged him out of the ward by the arm and shoved him roughly from me at the balcony. ¡°Why did you show up today and said that to her? You knew that Jte didn''t want you to know that she got an abortion!¡± Having divulged the information in the strictest confidence, I didn''t expect him to turn up and run his mouth! ¡°Can''t you tell by now that I really care about her?¡± he responded indignantly with a bitter smile on his face. ¡°Was any of the things I said untrue?¡± ¡°You care about her? Please don''t make yourself out to be the saint. Have you ever considered how the things you said might have made Jte ufortable? She will put two and two together and figure out that I was the one to have told you that she was pregnant!¡± I felt helpless and unnerved at the recollection of the hatred in Jte''s eyes when she looked at me. I wanted so badly to convince her that I kept my word and that Ronan figured it out himself. ¡°Doe she really think that she can keep it a secret forever?¡± he said harshly. ¡°I''d deduced it at a nce thest time you brought her for a checkup. There''s no use hiding it anymore.¡± Despite telling him my worries, Ronan did not budge. ¡°If you were so clever, why couldn''t you have just kept it to yourself? Why did you have to say it to her face?¡± ¡°You once told me that your half-sister likes me,¡± he said with a grimace of disgust. ¡°To prevent her from pestering me again once she gets better, I''m putting my foot down now.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that. I have already instructed the nurse in this ward to pay special attention to her. You can go home and rest if there are no other problems by tomorrow.¡± ¡°I''m d to haar that. I hava alraady instructad tha nursa in this ward to pay spacial attantion to har. You can go homa and rast if thara ara no othar proms by tomorrow.¡± Ronan still had a faint sm on his faca. His tona was vary gan. For soma raason, Janatta''s faca bacama pr. Tha atmosphara in tha ward was bing mora awkward by tha minuta. I was annoyad at Ronan for showing up unannouncad to tha ward and saying thasa words to Janatta daspita knowing how sha falt about him. ¡°Ronan, I happan to hava somathing to say to you. Lat''s taka this outsida.¡± Without waiting for a rasponsa, I draggad him out of tha ward by tha arm and shovad him roughly from ma at tha balcony. ¡°Why did you show up today and said that to har? You knaw that Janatta didn''t want you to know that sha got an abortion!¡± Having divulgad tha information in tha strictast confidanca, I didn''t axpact him to turn up and run his mouth! ¡°Can''t you tall by now that I raally cara about har?¡± ha raspondad indignantly with a bittar sm on his faca. ¡°Was any of tha things I said untrua?¡± ¡°You cara about har? asa don''t maka yoursalf out to ba tha saint. Hava you avar considarad how tha things you said might hava mada Janatta uforta? Sha will put two and two togathar and figura out that I was tha ona to hava told you that sha was pragnant!¡± I falt halss and unnarvad at tha racoction of tha hatrad in Janatta''s ayas whan sha lookad at ma. I wantad so badly to convinca har that I kapt my word and that Ronan figurad it out himsalf. ¡°Doa sha raally think that sha can kaap it a sacrat foravar?¡± ha said harshly. ¡°I''d daducad it at a nca thast tima you brought har for a chackup. Thara''s no usa hiding it anymora.¡± Daspita talling him my worrias, Ronan did not budga. ¡°If you wara so var, why couldn''t you hava just kapt it to yoursalf? Why did you hava to say it to har faca?¡± ¡°You onca told ma that your half-sistar likas ma,¡± ha said with a grimaca of disgust. ¡°To pravant har from pastaring ma again onca sha gats battar, I''m putting my foot down now.¡± ¡°Don''t you think you''re being d*mn cruel! She didn''t do anything wrong to you? You''re only rubbing it in just because you can!¡± I was not sure if Ronan''s trick would work, but I knew that he had gone too far. This incident had scarred Jte so hard that she may nevere out of its shadow. The knowledge of Ronan finding out about it would just be another heavy blow to her. ¡°Fine, I was wrong. Calm down, will you?¡± As if to demonstrate his sincerity, Ronan''s sullen smile gave way to something more pleasing. Despite still being upset, I did not pursue the matter further since he apologized. Ronan seemed to suddenly remember something. ¡°By the way, did you see Michael in the hospital yesterday?¡± I gave a start of surprise before looking at Ronan. ¡°Did hee to the hospital yesterday?¡± I asked uncertainly. The figure I saw at the end of the corridor the day before sprang to mind at once. ¡°I happened to bump into him when I came herest night. I thought he came to look for you! I''m guessing by the look of shock on your face that that was not the case?¡± Ronan frowned suspiciously when he saw my unnatural expression. ¡°No, he didn''te to the hospital for me yesterday. I don''t even know where he went. What did Michael do here yesterday? Was he feeling unwell?¡± If the figure I saw the day before really was Michael, then I did not have a clue why he was there. Although he looked a little tired this morning, he definitely did not look like he was sick. The suspicion toward his excursion began to rear its ugly head again. ¡°Forget it. Don''t dwell on a problem you have no answer for. I''m sure he has a reason for whatever he did.¡± Perhaps noticing the shift in my demeanor, Ronan quickly changed the subject. ¡°Ronan,¡± I asked suddenly, ¡°could you help me find out if Michael registered himself when he came to the hospital yesterday? I want to know what he was here for.¡± Although I can almost be sure that Michael was in perfect health, that was the part that confused me the most. Why did hee to the hospital then? He knew I was here but he didn''te and see me. ¡°I don''t think that''s a good idea,¡± Ronan said hastily as he folded his arms. ¡°Yes, you are privy to your husband''s activities, but you should respect his privacy the same way I''m sure you would want yours respected. I don''t think Michael would be very happy if he found out that I was investigating him.¡± ¡°Are you going to help me or not?¡± I snapped, my nerves getting the better of me. ¡°Okay, I''ll do it,¡± Ronan said as he shook his head helplessly. ¡°There''s no need for you to get angry!¡± ¡°Then hurry up!¡± Though I was relieved that Ronan had agreed, I couldn''t help but boss him around in my anxiousness. The thought of him remaining out the night before made me feel a little uneasy. I had the unpleasant feeling that something was going to happen. ¡°I''m going now.¡± Originally intending to talk some sense to me, something in my expression must have convinced Ronan otherwise. He left without another word. There was nothing I want more than to believe Michael. I did not want to destroy our rtionship over such a trivial matter. Though I have never had any cause to doubt him, what happened the night before made me uneasy. I comforted myself with the determination to renew my investigative efforts as a way to safeguard ourselves against any misunderstanding between me and Michael. Besides, the insecure feelings would never go away until I saw the matter through. I waited on the balcony for about half an hour before Ronan appeared before me with a document in his hand. I strode over quickly. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± I asked at once, looking deep into Ronan''s eyes as I did so. ¡°Well, I had a look at the registration records. Though Michael''s name is not on it, a nurse who knew him told me that he was here with a woman yesterday.¡± Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Ronan nced at me cautiously after his delivering his report. I felt shocked and to be honest, a little flustered at the news. ¡°You mean he apanied a woman to the hospital yesterday?¡± I pressed on, trying to suppress the panic rising in my chest. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± he admitted hastily in response to my scowl. ¡°I heard it from the nurse. She might have been mistaken.¡± ¡°He didn''te homest night,¡± I blurted. I really wanted to believe Michael, but Ronan''s discovery made me doubt everything Michael had ever said. I was thoroughly unnerved. If he apanied a woman to the hospital yesterday afternoon, could he have been with that same womanst night? ¡°He didn''te homest night?¡± Ronan repeated in surprise. As if suddenly recollecting something, he looked into my eyes over several moments of silence before speaking again. ¡°Don''t overthink it,¡± he said bracingly. ¡°You should know by now how much he loves you. There must be something else you''re not aware of. You two should talk about it when you get home.¡± I knew that Ronan only said that tofort me. Truth be told, I saw from his expression that he was just as shocked as I was that Michael had spent the night outside. Though he did not want to admit it, I was certain that he had already arrived at the same conclusion I did. ¡°I see. Thank you for your help. I should get going for I have something to attend to.¡± No longer in the mood to hang around any longer, all I wanted to do was to put this mystery to bed once and for all. Back in the ward, I told my mother with vague excuses that I had to leave. She did not force me to stay but instead told me to have a safe journey. I drove back to the Shaw residence. Along the journey, my mind was reeling from the conversation I had with Ronan. Who the hell was Michael withst night? Michael must have been exhausted from the night before as he was still asleep when I came up to the bedroom. If it was any other time, I would have let him rest. However, I felt as if I can no longer suppress my emotions by that point. The dread of what I might find out gnawed at me. Ronan nced at me cautiously after his delivering his report. Ronan ncad at ma cautiously aftar his dalivaring his raport. I falt shockad and to ba honast, a lit flustarad at tha naws. ¡°You maan ha apaniad a woman to tha hospital yastarday?¡± I prassad on, trying to supprass tha panic rising in my chast. ¡°Who is sha?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± ha admittad hastily in rasponsa to my scowl. ¡°I haard it from tha nursa. Sha might hava baan mistakan.¡± ¡°Ha didn''ta homast night,¡± I blurtad. I raally wantad to baliava Michaal, but Ronan''s discovary mada ma doubt avarything Michaal had avar said. I was thoroughly unnarvad. If ha apaniad a woman to tha hospital yastarday aftarnoon, could ha hava baan with that sama womanst night? ¡°Ha didn''ta homast night?¡± Ronan rapaatad in surprisa. As if suddanly racocting somathing, ha lookad into my ayas ovar savaral momants of snca bafora spaaking again. ¡°Don''t ovarthink it,¡± ha said bracingly. ¡°You should know by now how much ha lovas you. Thara must ba somathing alsa you''ra not awara of. You two should talk about it whan you gat homa.¡± I knaw that Ronan only said that tofort ma. Truth ba told, I saw from his axprassion that ha was just as shockad as I was that Michaal had spant tha night outsida. Though ha did not want to admit it, I was cartain that ha had alraady arrivad at tha sama conclusion I did. ¡°I saa. Thank you for your halp. I should gat going for I hava somathing to attand to.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. No longar in tha mood to hang around any longar, all I wantad to do was to put this mystary to bad onca and for all. Back in tha ward, I told my mothar with vagua axcusas that I had toava. Sha did not forca ma to stay but instaad told ma to hava a safa journay. I drova back to tha Shaw rasidanca. Along tha journay, my mind was raaling from tha convarsation I had with Ronan. Who tha hall was Michaal withst night? Michaal must hava baan axhaustad from tha night bafora as ha was still aap whan I cama up to tha badroom. If it was any othar tima, I would havat him rast. Howavar, I falt as if I can no longar supprass my amotions by that point. Tha draad of what I might find out gnawad at ma. ¡°Michael.¡± I sat on the edge of the bed and whispered his name in as level a voice as I could. Being a light sleeper, he opened his eyes as soon as I call out his name. ¡°Why are you back so soon?¡± he frowned suspiciously. ¡°Don''t you have to care for Jte at the hospital?¡± ¡°Jte''s feeling much better. Since I''m not needed there as much, I thought I''de back to rest.¡± ¡°You really have been overworking yourself for the past two days. Come lie down with me for a nap.¡± Michael did not even seem to notice anything different about me. Without waiting for a response, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep. There was a possibility that I had imagined it, but I had the distinct feeling that he was unusually cold toward me that day. ¡°Michael, what did you do with your friendst night?¡± I asked nonchntly as Iy beside him. Michael opened his eyes to regard me imperiously as if my question had offended him. ¡°This again! Haven''t I already exined it to you this morning? Don''t you believe me?¡± ¡°I didn''t mean that,¡± I said at once. ¡°Can''t we just chat normally like every other married couple? There aren''t any secrets between the two of us, are there?¡± The feeling of unease became stronger as I waited for the answer to my question that did not seem to come. ¡°I drank with some clientsst night. We were celebrating our partnership in a new project,¡± Michael exined cidly as he averted his gaze before closing his eyes again. ¡°I''ve had a little too much to drink, so I didn''te back.¡± I studied the silhouette of his cheekbones and felt a little sad because I knew he was lying to me. What clients? He was obviously in the hospitalst night. To my dismay, I realized that the man I trusted the most in the world was going to cheat on me. ¡°You never drink too much for work,¡± I pressed on with as much nonchnce as I could muster. ¡°What kind of project is it to necessitate you drinking past your limits?¡± ¡°What has gotten into you today?¡± Michael asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. ¡°Why are you asking so many questions all of a sudden? You never used to care about my job.¡± ¡°I''m making an effort now, ain''t I?¡± I said, trying hard to suppress my emotions. ¡°I''m just concerned for you for working so hard that you couldn''t evene home to sleep. What happens if you fall ill?¡± ¡°Don''t worry,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°My body will never break down. I still have to care for you and Amaury, don''t I?¡± My lie seemed to have appeased him. He squeezed my cheek affectionately and smiled. I gazed back at him with a nk expression I had never expected to be in a situation where my courage would fail me in confronting him. ¡°Though I appreciate your concern for me, I think it''s time to drop it. I''m still dead-tired. Try and get some sleep too, will you?¡± Without another word, Michael held me and promptly closed his eyes again. Laying quietly in his arms, I studied his face without moving. Suddenly, it felt as if I hardly knew him. I never thought that this day woulde. Now that it has, I don''t even know how to convey my sadness and disappointment of having been lied to. How naive of me to have believed that there were no secrets between us! During my multiple rehearsals of the confrontation I was going to have on the way back, every scenario ended with him telling me the truth. I certainly did not prepare for the other eventuality. I couldn''t sleep. His face, which used to make my heart flutter, just reminded me of the marital vows he broke. Unable to bear it for another second, I removed his arm around my waist and got out of bed. I sat alone in the living room, haunted by the regret of not confronting him point-nk when I had the chance to. But I didn''t dare to say it. I did not know whether to feel relieved or disappointed with myself. If I had said something, I might have uttered words which I would never have been able to take back. As much as I hate to admit it, I felt weak and foolish for wanting to preserve our rtionship. Chapter 547 Chapter 547 ¡°Anna, why are you sitting alone in the living room?¡± Josephine''s voice roused me from the depths of my grief. With a start, I rearranged my features into a smile and turned to look at her. ¡°Michael has had a long day,¡± I exined lightly. ¡°I came down to let him have the room to himself.¡± ¡°Well, so have you!¡± Josephine eximed indignantly as she took my hand. ¡°You deserve a good night''s rest just as much as he does.¡± Her concern warmed my heart. I smiled up at her gratefully. As my mind had been upied with Michael''s deception for over two days, the overwhelming wave of sadness was not that easily dispelled. ¡°Mom,¡± I asked tentatively after a long silence. ¡°Do you think Michael and I will have a long and happy marriage?¡± I never had cause to suspect that before. At the same time, I have never felt as lost as I did. ¡°Why do you ask such a question all of a sudden?¡± Josephine regarded me with surprise. ¡°It''s nothing,¡± I mumbled, deciding against divulging my troubles. ¡°Just curious for your opinion.¡± ¡°You two have been together for a long time,¡± Josephine said firmly as she stroked my hand. ¡°The hurdles you have ovee together would have destroyed other couples. After finally being together in the same house, I''m sure the two of you will never be unhappy again.¡± I knew that Josephine only said that for our sake. I would have been very happy to hear her say that back then because it reaffirmed my assertion that our marriage was indestructible. I''m not so sure anymore. ¡°Having lived with Dad for so many years, have you ever found out about any lies he might have told?¡± ¡°Does conning me into marrying him count?¡± she joked. ¡°Apart from that, your father-inw has never hidden anything from me. Though I wasn''t very fond of him when I married him, he has been a good husband to me over the years. I am very content with what I have. Most women spend an entire lifetime searching for precisely this.¡± Despite her usual austerity, Josephine''s face seemed to shine with happiness at the mention of Lincoln. ¡°Anna, why are you sitting alone in the living room?¡± Josephine''s voice roused me from the depths of my grief. ¡°Anna, why ara you sitting alona in tha living room?¡± Josaphina''s voica rousad ma from tha dapths of my griaf. With a start, I raarrangad my faaturas into a sm and turnad to look at har. ¡°Michaal has had a long day,¡± I axinad lightly. ¡°I cama down tot him hava tha room to himsalf.¡± ¡°Wall, so hava you!¡± Josaphina aximad indignantly as sha took my hand. ¡°You dasarva a good night''s rast just as much as ha doas.¡± Har concarn warmad my haart. I smd up at har gratafully. As my mind had baan upiad with Michaal''s dacaption for ovar two days, tha ovarwhalming wava of sadnass was not that aasily dispad. ¡°Mom,¡± I askad tantativaly aftar a long snca. ¡°Do you think Michaal and I will hava a long and happy marriaga?¡± I navar had causa to suspact that bafora. At tha sama tima, I hava navar falt as lost as I did. ¡°Why do you ask such a quastion all of a suddan?¡± Josaphina ragardad ma with surprisa. ¡°It''s nothing,¡± I mumd, daciding against divulging my trous. ¡°Just curious for your opinion.¡± ¡°You two hava baan togathar for a long tima,¡± Josaphina said firmly as sha strokad my hand. ¡°Tha hurs you hava ovaa togathar would hava dastroyad othar cous. Aftar finally baing togathar in tha sama housa, I''m sura tha two of you will navar ba unhappy again.¡± I knaw that Josaphina only said that for our saka. I would hava baan vary happy to haar har say that back than bacausa it raaffirmad my assartion that our marriaga was indastructi. I''m not so sura anymora. ¡°Having livad with Dad for so many yaars, hava you avar found out about any lias ha might hava told?¡± ¡°Doas conning ma into marrying him count?¡± sha jokad. ¡°Apart from that, your fathar-inw has navar hiddan anything from ma. Though I wasn''t vary fond of him whan I marriad him, ha has baan a good husband to ma ovar tha yaars. I am vary contant with what I hava. Most woman spand an antira lifatima saarching for pracisaly this.¡± Daspita har usual austarity, Josaphina''s faca saamad to shina with happinass at tha mantion of Lincoln. I felt a little envious. How rare it is to witness such a strong foundation of respect and mutual trust in a marriage spanning several decades. I once thought that Michael would never lie to me. Sadly, how things have changed. What would you do if you found out Dad lied to you about something? Would you be angry?¡± I did not know how to face Michael when he woke up. I was in desperate need of guidance. ¡°Deception is also a form of love,¡± Josephine replied sagely. ¡°When you find out that your spouse has lied to you, the first thing to do is to figure out how to mend the trust.¡± Her beady eyes were fixed on me. ¡°Did something happen between you and Michael, Anna? Did you fight?¡± Taken aback by my mother-inw''s shrewdness, I hurriedly denied it. ¡°No, we didn''t fight.¡± It was true. Our earlier exchange could hardly be constituted as a quarrel. When he arrived home earlier that day, the conversation between us was nothing but civil. One might argue that my depression was self-induced. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I could tell that she did not believe me. ¡°I noticed your expression this morning,¡± Josephine said gently. ¡°Why don''t you tell me about it? I may be of help.¡± ¡°Mom, there really is nothing between the two of us,¡± I insisted. ¡°I''m sure it has been a misunderstanding. We''ll sort it out between ourselves. You don''t have to worry.¡± I was not going to involve Michael''s parents in our problem. Besides, I have not even figured out what the problem was. It would undoubtedly be embarrassing for me if I confronted him only to find out that I had misunderstood. ¡°Well, I won''t force you if you aren''t ready to talk about it,¡± Josephine said after a prolonged silence. ¡°Remember, if Michael ever bullies you, youe to me. I will definitely be on your side.¡± Returning her smile, I felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. The burden I have been carrying seemed to have eased slightly. ¡°You must be very tired over the past couple of days,¡± Josephine continued with a gentle pat on my shoulder. ¡°Go back upstairs for some sleep, won''t you? There''s nothing that can''t be solved.¡± ¡°Okay then, I''ll do that. Good night, Mom.¡± With a final nod at her, I stood up and trudged back upstairs. Michael was still sound asleep. I stood by the bed and studied his face, feeling the torrent ofplex emotions welling up within me. Iy down on the bed after standing over him for a long time. I took care to turn my back to him as the sight of his face irritated me. To bepletely honest, I was still a little angry. Being deceived made me feel like I have been wronged. I fell asleep afterying restlessly in bed for what seemed like a long time. The next thing I remember was being woken up by his ringtone. Michael answered in a calm and inscrutable voice. As he did not turn on the speaker, I did not manage to hear what the person on the other end of the line was saying or whether the person calling him was a man or a woman. ¡°Okay, don''t worry, I''ll be there soon.¡± The caller said something in response before Michael hung up and immediately started getting dressed. My heart sank after seeing him in such a hurry. I was sure he was aware that the phone call had woken me up, yet he did not even offer a word of exnation after hanging up. After watching him get dressed, I stopped him right before he headed out of the door. ¡°Where are you going at this hour?¡± He looked back at me. ¡°I have something I need to deal with. I may be backte. Don''t wait up for me.¡± There you go again. My heart felt as if it was ripped anew with another lie. ¡°What could be so important that it must be addressed in the middle of the night?¡± My intuition told me that he must be looking for the woman he apanied to the hospital. I was determined to keep him from going until he could offer a reasonable exnation. ¡°I''ll exin this matter to you when I get back,¡± Michael exined evasively as he pecked my forehead. ¡°I''m really in a hurry now. Be good and wait for me here, will you?¡± I was infuriated that he still refused to tell me where he was going or what he was going to do. Chapter 548 Chapter 548 My eyes reddened when I saw the room door being shut, and I was so upset that I couldn''t keep my feelings suppressed anymore. Michael had never been so cold to me, but something seemed to have changed since yesterday. For some reason, I felt like the two of us had be distant like strangers. Having lost all feelings of sleepiness, I decided to stay up and wait for him toe back. When Michael had yet to return by midnight, I couldn''t help but wonder if he was evening back at all. Still clinging to the faint glimmer of hope in my heart, I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. However, it simply kept ringing on and on with no answer. That made me wonder if Michael was deliberately ignoring my calls. Recalling what Ronan told me today, I felt a strong urge to find out more. If Michael won''t give me an exnation, I''ll look for evidence myself! With that in mind, I grabbed my phone and dialed Ronan''s number instead. I knew that most ordinary people would''ve been asleep as it was already midnight, but I couldn''t keep my emotions suppressed any longer. I absolutely had to get to the bottom of things right then and there. Fortunately for me, my call got through in just a few rings. ¡°Anna, do you have any idea what time it is? Why would you call me at this hour?¡± Ronan protested in annoyance the moment he answered the phone. Judging by how tired he sounded, I figured he had just woken up from his sleep. ¡°Ronan, there''s something I need your help with,¡± I said anxiously. I was so desperate that I couldn''t care less if I was being selfish and unreasonable toward him. ¡°What could possibly be so urgent that you need to call me right now? Can''t it wait till tomorrow?¡± Ronan asked in exasperation. ¡°I don''t have time for this crap, Ronan! Are you going to help me or not?¡± I wanted to know where Michael went so badly that I couldn''t stand waiting another second. ¡°Of course, I''ll help you out if it''s something I can manage. Since when have I ever turned you down, Anna? So, what do you need me to do?¡± Ronan''s tone became a little more serious after hearing how stern I sounded. I got straight to the point and told him in my most serious tone possible, ¡°I want you to find out if Michael is currently at the hospital. Also, I want to know who he with at the hospital yesterday.¡± My eyes reddened when I saw the room door being shut, and I was so upset that I couldn''t keep my feelings suppressed anymore. My ayas raddanad whan I saw tha room door baing shut, and I was so upsat that I couldn''t kaap my faalings supprassad anymora. Michaal had navar baan so cold to ma, but somathing saamad to hava changad sinca yastarday. For soma raason, I falt lika tha two of us had ba distant lika strangars. Having lost all faalings of apinass, I dacidad to stay up and wait for him toa back. Whan Michaal had yat to raturn by midnight, I couldn''t halp but wondar if ha was avaning back at all. Still clinging to tha faint glimmar of hopa in my haart, I grabbad my phona and did his numbar. Howavar, it simply kapt ringing on and on with no answar. That mada ma wondar if Michaal was dalibarataly ignoring my calls. Racalling what Ronan told ma today, I falt a strong urga to find out mora. If Michaal won''t giva ma an axnation, I''ll look for avidanca mysalf! With that in mind, I grabbad my phona and did Ronan''s numbar instaad. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I knaw that most ordinary pao would''va baan aap as it was alraady midnight, but I couldn''t kaap my amotions supprassad any longar. I absolutaly had to gat to tha bottom of things right than and thara. Fortunataly for ma, my call got through in just a faw rings. ¡°Anna, do you hava any idaa what tima it is? Why would you call ma at this hour?¡± Ronan protastad in annoyanca tha momant ha answarad tha phona. Judging by how tirad ha soundad, I figurad ha had just wokan up from his ap. ¡°Ronan, thara''s somathing I naad your halp with,¡± I said anxiously. I was so dasparata that I couldn''t carass if I was baing salfish and unraasona toward him. ¡°What could possibly ba so urgant that you naad to call ma right now? Can''t it wait till tomorrow?¡± Ronan askad in axasparation. ¡°I don''t hava tima for this crap, Ronan! Ara you going to halp ma or not?¡± I wantad to know whara Michaal want so badly that I couldn''t stand waiting anothar sacond. ¡°Of coursa, I''ll halp you out if it''s somathing I can managa. Sinca whan hava I avar turnad you down, Anna? So, what do you naad ma to do?¡± Ronan''s tona bacama a lit mora sarious aftar haaring how starn I soundad. I got straight to tha point and told him in my most sarious tona possi, ¡°I want you to find out if Michaal is currantly at tha hospital. Also, I want to know who ha with at tha hospital yastarday.¡± ¡°You''re still going on about that? Come on, it might just be a misunderstanding! What if you end up ruining your rtionship with him by investigating this matter?¡± Ronan tried to talk me out of it after hearing my request. ¡°He left in a hurry after getting a phone call tonight, and he isn''t back yet. I tried calling him earlier, but he didn''t answer my calls either.¡± Just thinking about Michael''s attitude toward me that night made me feel incredibly upset. I really wanted to trust him, but I couldn''t bring myself to do so after what he did. I didn''t know what happened that changed his attitude toward me so drastically. ¡°You mean Michael isn''t home right now?¡± Ronan''s tone grew a lot more serious after hearing what I said. ¡°Yeah, that''s right. He left in a hurry after getting a call. I asked him what it was about, but he wouldn''t tell me anything. That''s why I''m trying to investigate it myself.¡± Since Ronan wasn''t an outsider, I decided to be open about it when asking for his help. ¡°Got it. I''ll have the people at the hospital look into it right away. I''ll call you as soon as I find something!¡± Ronan replied and hung up the phone immediately after. Throughout the next few minutes, I sat there gripping my phone tightly as I waited. Every minute felt like an hour. I really hoped Ronan would call me and tell me that Michael didn''t go see the woman at the hospital. But if that were the case, then it could mean he had gone somewhere else with that woman. Ronan''s call came in a few minutester, and I answered it in a heartbeat. ¡°Well? Did you manage to find anything? Is he in the hospital right now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. He drove a woman to the hospital a little over two hours ago. I think they''re getting a check-up at the moment,¡± Ronan said, sounding a lot more serious this time. My heart sank when I heard what he said, and an overwhelming feeling of sadness swept over me once again. My throat tightened, my eyes reddened, and a wry smile formed on my lips. So, that''s what he meant by an emergency? To apany a woman for a medical check-up? ¡°Oh, I see... Thanks.¡± Having gotten the answer I was looking for, I was going to hang up the phone after saying that. ¡°Hey, Anna!¡± Ronan called out to me anxiously. I choked back my tears and asked as calmly as possible, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I know what you''re thinking. If you have your suspicions, then you should go seek proof to confirm them. For all we know, this really might just be a misunderstanding!¡± Ronan advised me. He must''ve figured out my thoughts based on what I told him on the phone earlier. ¡°Give me a moment to think things through. My mind is a mess right now, and I don''t know what I should do.¡± I really wanted to go confront Michael at the hospital, but I didn''t have the courage to do so. I feared the truth would be far beyond what I had imagined. ¡°It''s toote for you to be racking your brain like this. For now, just try to get some rest. I''ll look further into it.¡± Ronan sounded a lot gentler this time, but I wasn''t in the mood to care about anything. With a wry smile on my face, I hung up the phone without saying a word. Michael must be really close with that woman if he''s apanying her for a medical check-up at this hour. He would never get so concerned over an ordinary friend! My tears started to fall at the thought of that. My eyebags were all swollen up from crying and staying up all night, and I looked incredibly haggard as a result. I was nning to remain holed up in the room all day, but the housekeeper kept asking me to go and have breakfast, so I had no choice but to head downstairs. Sitting at the dining table, I had no appetite whatsoever. The mere thought of Michael spending the entire night with another woman upset me incredibly. ¡°What''s the matter, Anna? Why do you look so pale? Are you sick?¡± Josephine asked worriedly when she noticed how pale I looked. ¡°I''m fine. It''s probably because I didn''t get enough sleepst night,¡± I replied while trying to look as calm as possible. I didn''t want anyone to know what happened between me and Michael just yet. Not suspecting a thing, Josephine said with a pained expression, ¡°You''ve been overworking yourself lately. Make sure to get enough rest or you''ll ruin your health!¡± Chapter 549 Chapter 549 ¡°All right, I will take better care of myself.¡± Not wanting anyone from the Shaw family to know what had happened between the two of us, I tried my best to hide my emotions. ¡°Come on, eat up and get some rest in your room. Since you''re not feeling well, you should take the day off. Wouldn''t want you copsing from exhaustion in the office!¡± Josephine said while handing me a sandwich. As I didn''t feel like saying anything, I simply kept quiet and continued eating in silence. ¡°Where''s Michael? I haven''t seen him at all! Where did he run off to so early in the morning?¡± Andy asked all of a sudden while staring coldly at me. I felt a little upset hearing his words, but I forced myself to look at him calmly as I replied, ¡°He left to take care of somethingst night and hasn''te home since. I have no idea where he is right now.¡± Just thinking about Michael possibly being with another woman at the moment felt unimaginably painful, but I couldn''t afford to show it in front of them. Andy mmed his fork down on the table and shouted angrily, ¡°He sure is getting out of handtely! He stayed out all night the day before, and he went out against night? What on earth could he possibly be doing?¡± Oh dear, I''m the one who should be feeling upset here... I simply lowered my head and kept quiet at the thought of that. ¡°Calm down, Dad. Let''s just ask him about this when he gets back,¡± Josephineforted Andy when she saw how mad he was. ¡°Honestly, I don''t know what he''s so busy with! I haven''t seen him around in two days now! Does he even have any respect for me at all?¡± Andy was still angry even after Josephine tried to calm him down. Suddenly, Michael opened the door and came into the house. Everyone, including myself, shifted our gaze toward him the moment he showed up. I felt my eyes tearing up when I recalled him spending the night with another woman. ¡°I''m surprised you even bothering home! Look at the time, Michael! Where have you beenst night? What were you doing?¡± Andy started questioning him even before he could sit down at the table. ¡°All right, I will take better care of myself.¡± Not wanting anyone from the Shaw family to know what had happened between the two of us, I tried my best to hide my emotions. ¡°All right, I will taka battar cara of mysalf.¡± Not wanting anyona from tha Shaw family to know what had happanad batwaan tha two of us, I triad my bast to hida my amotions. ¡°Coma on, aat up and gat soma rast in your room. Sinca you''ra not faaling wall, you should taka tha day off. Wouldn''t want you copsing from axhaustion in tha offica!¡± Josaphina said wh handing ma a sandwich. As I didn''t faal lika saying anything, I simply kapt quiat and continuad aating in snca. ¡°Whara''s Michaal? I havan''t saan him at all! Whara did ha run off to so aarly in tha morning?¡± Andy askad all of a suddan wh staring coldly at ma. I falt a lit upsat haaring his words, but I forcad mysalf to look at him calmly as I rapliad, ¡°Haft to taka cara of somathingst night and hasn''ta homa sinca. I hava no idaa whara ha is right now.¡± Just thinking about Michaal possibly baing with anothar woman at tha momant falt unimaginably painful, but I couldn''t afford to show it in front of tham. Andy mmad his fork down on tha ta and shoutad angrily, ¡°Ha sura is gatting out of handtaly! Ha stayad out all night tha day bafora, and ha want out against night? What on aarth could ha possibly ba doing?¡± Oh daar, I''m tha ona who should ba faaling upsat hara... I simply lowarad my haad and kapt quiat at tha thought of that. ¡°Calm down, Dad. Lat''s just ask him about this whan ha gats back,¡± Josaphinafortad Andy whan sha saw how mad ha was. ¡°Honastly, I don''t know what ha''s so busy with! I havan''t saan him around in two days now! Doas ha avan hava any raspact for ma at all?¡± Andy was still angry avan aftar Josaphina triad to calm him down. Suddanly, Michaal opanad tha door and cama into tha housa. Evaryona, including mysalf, shiftad our gaza toward him tha momant ha showad up. I falt my ayas taaring up whan I racad him spanding tha night with anothar woman. ¡°I''m surprisad you avan botharing homa! Look at tha tima, Michaal! Whara hava you baanst night? What wara you doing?¡± Andy startad quastioning him avan bafora ha could sit down at tha ta. Unfazed by his anger, Michael took his coat off and sat down beside me as he replied calmly, ¡°I had to take care of something urgentst night. It kept me busy until now.¡± ¡°What was so urgent that you had to stay out all night? This isn''t the first time it has happened. What has gotten into youtely?¡± Andy shifted his gaze back toward me when he said that. He had always been a sharp person, so he must''ve noticed something was amiss from the look in my eyes. Unhappy with being questioned, Michael looked up at Andy and protested with a frown, ¡°I''m an adult now, Grandpa. I don''t think I have to report every single thing to you, do I?¡± ¡°Michael!¡± Andy was about to say something, but Michael''s cold attitude upset me so much that I went upstairs without a word. I didn''t feel like talking to Michael at the moment because of how distant he felt. I plopped myself onto the bed after returning to my room. My mind was in a mess, and I had no idea what I should do. I couldn''t figure out what went wrong in our rtionship that resulted in Michael changing so much all of a sudden. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Michael opened the room door and came in shortly after. As I didn''t feel like talking to him, I closed my eyes and turned the other way. ¡°What''s the matter? Are you in a bad mood?¡± Michael asked gently as he sat down on the bed and pulled me into his arms. Under normal circumstances, him talking to me like this would always fill my heart with happiness. However, the only thing I felt at the time was disgust. He was with another womanst night! They probably did something really intimate while they were together! With that in mind, I squirmed my way out of his embrace and kept my distance from him. ¡°What''s gotten into you?¡± Michael frowned in dissatisfaction when he saw how I responded. ¡°Where have you beenst night? Who were you with?¡± I asked in a questioning tone as I sat up straight and stared him in the eye. I realized my tone was somewhat cold, but I couldn''t help it. I had to get to the bottom of things and find out what he truly felt. Michael simply frowned at me hesitantly without saying a word after hearing my questions. The fact that he refused to exin himself upset me even further. Unsatisfied with his response, I maintained eye contact as I pressed on, ¡°Why won''t you answer me? You''ve been staying out at night for two days now! Don''t you think you ought to give me an exnation?¡± ¡°Why would you ask me such a thing? Don''t you trust me? Given the nature of our rtionship, it should be obvious that I have my reasons for not telling you,¡± Michael replied coldly after a moment of silence. ¡°So, you won''t tell me, huh? Well, fine! I''ll say it, then! You went to the hospital with a womanst night! I bet you were with that woman too when you stayed out the night before, weren''t you?¡± I replied with a bitter smile as my tears began to roll down my cheeks. I had never felt so upset my entire life. ¡°How did you know?¡± Michael asked while staring at me with a trace of confusion in his eyes. ¡°Why? Are you afraid of me finding out?¡± I let out a wry chuckle and shed him a look of disappointment as I continued, ¡°You know, I never thought we would have such problems in our rtionship. Perhaps, I might''ve overestimated how much I mean to you.¡± Up until then, I had always believed that Michael was the only person in the world who would never betray me. However, the events in the past two days proved me wrong and hurt me beyond imagination. As my vision got blurry from the tears, Michael quickly ran forward and pulled me into his arms. ¡°What on earth are you thinking?¡± I could hear his heartache in his gentle voice. ¡°Haven''t I made myself clear enough? Michael, this rtionship of ours will be over if you are cheating on me.¡± Chapter 550 Chapter 550 I had been thinking a lot about itst night. I knew it would hurt me deeply if he really cheated on me, but I wasn''t going to just put up with it. As much as I loved Michael, I couldn''t ept being in an impure rtionship with him at all. Michael tensed up on hearing what I said. There was a hint of anger in his eyes when he stared at me and shouted, ¡°Anna! Do you know what you''re saying?¡± I took a deep breath to calm myself down, looked Michael straight in the eye, and replied coldly, ¡°I know exactly what I''m saying. If you''re cheating on me with another woman, then I will no longer be able to stay in a rtionship with you. I''m a selfish person, Michael. I can''t stand my man keeping another womanpany all night like that!¡± I know that I''m being petty, and that I already have a child with Michael. My child and I will possibly suffer being separated once again if I leave him, but I can''t stand my man being with another woman! This pain is far too much for me! ¡°Since when did I say I was cheating on you? I can''t believe you''re talking about leaving me when you didn''t even give me a chance to exin myself!¡± Michael looked me in the eye and sounded particrly stern when he said that. ¡°Exin? What else is there to exin? You have spent two nights with that woman! Do I need to know the details of what you two did just to prove my point?¡± I found his statement somewhatughable as the events from the past two days should have been more than enough proof. I believed in what I saw as well as the information that Ronan provided me with. ¡°I''m not cheating on you. The woman at the hospital is a friend of mine who has just recently returned from overseas. Because I''m her only friend in this country, I had to look after her for a bit,¡± Michael said seriously while looking straight at me. ¡°That woman is your friend? Are you sure there isn''t anything going on between you two?¡± His exnation provided me with a glimmer of hope, but I was still gued with doubt and disbelief at the moment. I had been thinking a lot about itst night. I knew it would hurt me deeply if he really cheated on me, but I wasn''t going to just put up with it. I had baan thinking a lot about itst night. I knaw it would hurt ma daaply if ha raally chaatad on ma, but I wasn''t going to just put up with it. As much as I lovad Michaal, I couldn''t apt baing in an impura rtionship with him at all. Michaal tansad up on haaring what I said. Thara was a hint of angar in his ayas whan ha starad at ma and shoutad, ¡°Anna! Do you know what you''ra saying?¡± I took a daap braath to calm mysalf down, lookad Michaal straight in tha aya, and rapliad coldly, ¡°I know axactly what I''m saying. If you''ra chaating on ma with anothar woman, than I will no longar ba a to stay in a rtionship with you. I''m a salfish parson, Michaal. I can''t stand my man kaaping anothar womanpany all night lika that!¡± I know that I''m baing patty, and that I alraady hava a child with Michaal. My child and I will possibly suffar baing saparatad onca again if Iava him, but I can''t stand my man baing with anothar woman! This pain is far too much for ma! ¡°Sinca whan did I say I was chaating on you? I can''t baliava you''ra talking aboutaving ma whan you didn''t avan giva ma a chanca to axin mysalf!¡± Michaal lookad ma in tha aya and soundad particrly starn whan ha said that. ¡°Exin? What alsa is thara to axin? You hava spant two nights with that woman! Do I naad to know tha datails of what you two did just to prova my point?¡± I found his statamant somawhatugha as tha avants from tha past two days should hava baan mora than anough proof. I baliavad in what I saw as wall as tha information that Ronan providad ma with. ¡°I''m not chaating on you. Tha woman at tha hospital is a friand of mina who has just racantly raturnad from ovarsaas. Bacausa I''m har only friand in this country, I had to look aftar har for a bit,¡± Michaal said sariously wh looking straight at ma. ¡°That woman is your friand? Ara you sura thara isn''t anything going on batwaan you two?¡± His axnation providad ma with a glimmar of hopa, but I was still guad with doubt and disbaliaf at tha momant. ¡°Since when have I ever lied to you? Don''t you trust me anymore?¡± Michael frowned in displeasure when he saw the look of doubt in my eyes. ¡°If that''s the case, will you take me to go see her?¡± Michael never did lie to me ever since we got together, but I was still feeling incredibly insecure. For some reason, I suddenly felt really scared of losing him. Michael simply furrowed his brows and stared at me in silence after hearing my request. ¡°What''s the matter? You can''t bring yourself to do it? How do you expect me to believe you if you won''t even let me see her?¡± I was extremely disappointed by Michael''s response. He told me that woman is just a friend of his, and yet he won''t let me see her at the hospital? How am I supposed to not feel suspicious? If they really are just friends, why didn''t he tell me about her condition requiring care and support? I may be petty, but I would at least be understanding toward his friends! ¡°All right, I''ll take you to see her if you want to.¡± Michael agreed to my request after a long pause, much to my relief. I couldn''t imagine how upset I would get if he refused to do so. After all, it was the only way left for me to clear my suspicions toward him. ¡°When do we head over?¡± I was really eager to meet the woman and confirm her rtionship with Michael. Although he had already exined it to me, I still couldn''t shake the feeling of unease in my heart. Michael shot me a nce and replied calmly, ¡°In the afternoon. You look really exhausted, so you should get some rest for now. We''ll head over together in the afternoon.¡± I knew I looked terrible because I stayed up all night. Although I really wanted to see that woman right away, I didn''t object to Michael''s suggestion since he already agreed to take me there. Just like that, the two of usy down in bed without saying another word. Michael had wanted to hug me to sleep, but I refused to let him do so until I have confirmed his rtionship with that woman. Despite me having my back turned toward him, I found myself falling asleep fairly quickly because he was next to me. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. After waking up in the afternoon, I took some time to do my makeup and dress up nicely. Regardless of whether the woman was having an inappropriate rtionship with Michael, I was determined to look better than her. Still feeling awfully nervous on our way to the hospital, I tried looking out the car window to hide my emotions. The atmosphere in the car was really tense. After what seemed like forever, Michael decided to break the silence and said, ¡°I know I have neglected you because I was too busy in the past few days, and I know you''re in a bad mood because of it. I''ll take some time off work after a few days and take you on a vacation.¡± ¡°That won''t be necessary. My time is just as precious, and I have a ton of stuff to take care of at work too.¡± I refused his offer without any hesitation. Even if he didn''t cheat on me, I was extremely unhappy with his cold attitude toward me in the past two days, and I wasn''t about to just forgive him so easily. ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± Michael let out a helpless sigh and turned to look at me seriously. ¡°Am I not supposed to be mad? Do you expect me to be happy after how cold you''ve been toward me lately?¡± I snapped back at him impatiently. Honestly, what the heck is wrong with him? Can''t he tell that I''m very angry at him? Also, why didn''t he tell me that they were just friends until I confronted him about it today? I don''t understand what he thinks at all! Michael looked me in the eye and said after a brief pause, ¡°I''m sorry about what happened in the past few days. It won''t happen again in the future.¡± Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Michael''s tone was filled with a hint of guilt, and I felt my anger subside significantly after hearing that. However, I was still determined to not let him off the hook so easily, so I kept quiet and continued looking out the window. We finally arrived outside the hospital after another twenty minutes of driving, and I felt my anxiety kicking in the moment we got out of the car. The main reason for that was because I still had no idea what kind of woman she would turn out to be. Michael imed that they were just friends, but I had a feeling their rtionship wouldn''t be that simple. It wasn''t that I didn''t trust Michael, but I believed that a woman''s gut instinct was mostly urate. Fearing that the situation would be worse than I had imagined, I asked anxiously when we got closer to her ward, ¡°Are you sure that you two are just friends? Is there really nothing more?¡± ¡°You still don''t trust me even when I''ve brought you all the way here? If that''s the case, you may go ahead and confirm it for yourself,¡± Michael said while frowning slightly in displeasure. ¡°What''s her name?¡± I asked after a brief moment of silence. ¡°Her name is Leanne Ryheim,¡± Michael replied as the two of us got to the door. He then knocked on the door and called out to her, ¡°Hey, Leanne.¡± I tried observing his facial expressions to see if I could spot anything unusual, but he looked just as calm as he always did. There were no visible signs of a guilty conscience anywhere. ¡°Come in!¡± A gentle female voice could be hearding from inside the ward. For some unknown reason, I felt a strong sense of difort deep down inside. Michael was about to open the door, but I quickly stopped him before he could do so. I wanted to be the first one to enter the ward so I could see the woman''s initial response when she saw me. Upon entering the ward, my gaze immediately fell upon the woman who was lying on the hospital bed. She looked beautiful and frail, which was abination that would arouse the desire to protect her. Michael''s tone was filled with a hint of guilt, and I felt my anger subside significantly after hearing that. However, I was still determined to not let him off the hook so easily, so I kept quiet and continued looking out the window. Michaal''s tona was fid with a hint of guilt, and I falt my angar subsida significantly aftar haaring that. Howavar, I was still datarminad to nott him off tha hook so aasily, so I kapt quiat and continuad looking out tha window. Wa finally arrivad outsida tha hospital aftar anothar twanty minutas of driving, and I falt my anxiaty kicking in tha momant wa got out of tha car. Tha main raason for that was bacausa I still had no idaa what kind of woman sha would turn out to ba. Michaal imad that thay wara just friands, but I had a faaling thair rtionship wouldn''t ba that sim. It wasn''t that I didn''t trust Michaal, but I baliavad that a woman''s gut instinct was mostly urata. Faaring that tha situation would ba worsa than I had imaginad, I askad anxiously whan wa got closar to har ward, ¡°Ara you sura that you two ara just friands? Is thara raally nothing mora?¡± ¡°You still don''t trust ma avan whan I''va brought you all tha way hara? If that''s tha casa, you may go ahaad and confirm it for yoursalf,¡± Michaal said wh frowning slightly in disasura. ¡°What''s har nama?¡± I askad aftar a briaf momant of snca. ¡°Har nama is Laanna Ryhaim,¡± Michaal rapliad as tha two of us got to tha door. Ha than knockad on tha door and cad out to har, ¡°Hay, Laanna.¡± I triad obsarving his facial axprassions to saa if I could spot anything unusual, but ha lookad just as calm as ha always did. Thara wara no visi signs of a guilty conscianca anywhara. ¡°Coma in!¡± A gan fam voica could ba haarding from insida tha ward. For soma unknown raason, I falt a strong sansa of difort daap down insida. Michaal was about to opan tha door, but I quickly stoppad him bafora ha could do so. I wantad to ba tha first ona to antar tha ward so I could saa tha woman''s initial rasponsa whan sha saw ma. Upon antaring tha ward, my gaza immadiataly fall upon tha woman who was lying on tha hospital bad. Sha lookad baautiful and frail, which was abination that would arousa tha dasira to protact har. She was smiling happily at first, but her smile quickly became frozen in ce when she saw me. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked with a confused frown. ¡°Hello, Ms. Ryheim,¡± I greeted her coldly after seeing a clear look of disappointment in her eyes. After following me into the ward, Michael looked at Leanne and said calmly, ¡°She is my wife, Anna Garcia.¡± Leanne''s facial expression stiffened slightly after hearing that. ¡°Oh, so she''s your wife? She looks really beautiful!¡± She then shifted her gaze back toward me and continued with a faint smile, ¡°Hello, my name is Leanne Ryheim.¡± ¡°Michael told me that you''re a friend of his that just returned from overseas recently. He also told me that you haven''t been feeling well in the past few days, so I decided we should pay you a visit today. I hope we''re not disturbing you by showing up so suddenly,¡± I replied with an equally faint smile even though I had a really bad feeling about her. It was obvious from her response earlier that she didn''t just see Michael as a friend. ¡°No, of course not! I''m incredibly honored by your visit!¡± Leanne was very gentle and polite with her responses, so I could see why people would easily let their guard down around her. Nevertheless, I trusted the uracy of a woman''s instinct and was certain that Leanne had a thing for Michael. Being an ordinary woman myself, it was only natural that I felt a strong dislike toward women who set their sights on my husband. ¡°What happened to you, Ms. Ryheim? Is your condition serious? Michael seemed to be very concerned about you in the past two days. If so, I could hire a caretaker to help look after you. Work itself is tiring enough for Michael, and he still needs to keep me and my childpany aftering home.¡± I maintained a smile on my face as I slowly made my way toward Leanne, but I had made my intention very clear through my words. Everything I just said was meant to assert my position as Michael''s wife and show her that he belonged to me. The smile on Leanne''s face grew increasingly unnatural after hearing that. She then looked at Michael and exined with a guilty expression, ¡°I''m terribly sorry for disturbing you twotely. I had no idea that Michael didn''t tell you about this. He''s my only friend in this country, so he was the only person I could think of contacting when I fell sick.¡± I wasn''t sure if I was the only one who noticed it, but I could sense that Leanne was trying to tell me how much Michael meant to her. ¡°Looks like you''ll need to make more friends, Ms. Ryheim. Even if you are sick, it''s still hardly appropriate to have a married man look after you,¡± I replied coldly with a sneer. Having noticed that Leanne was simply acting pitiful to gain Michael''s sympathy, I couldn''t help but wonder how the two of them even became friends. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Michael barely had any female friends at all, so it was awfully suspicious of him to give Leanne such special treatment. As I had made myself crystal clear earlier, I believed that both Michael and Leanne were able to read between the lines and understand my point. It was really inappropriate for a married man like him to be taking such great care of another woman. I noticed a hint of displeasure in Michael''s eyes when he frowned at me, but he didn''t say anything in response. The look on Leanne''s face turned slightly gloomy after hearing what I said. ¡°That''s a bit harsh, Ms. Garcia. Michael and I are friends, so it''s perfectly normal for him to look after me when I''m sick. Why are you being so mean toward me?¡± ¡°Of course, it wouldn''t be a problem if Michael were to do so while he''s single. However, he is a married man with a child now, and you are a single woman. Anyone who doesn''t know about your friendship with Michael would probably think you''re a homewrecker of some sort! Won''t you agree, Ms. Ryheim?¡± I snapped back at Leanne with a sneer while looking straight into her eyes. Chapter 552 Chapter 552 ¡°Ms. Garcia, don''t you think you have crossed the line by saying that? Michael has been taking care of me because I have been ill for the past two days. How can you say that I''m a third party and trying to come between you and Michael?¡± When Leanne heard what I said, her eyes were already engulfed with anger. In fact, her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Ms. Ryheim, please address me as Mrs. Shaw. I''m Michael''s wife now, so it won''t be very appropriate for you to address me as Ms. Garcia. Looking at your agitated reaction, I''m sure you don''t want others to think that you are a third party. If that''s the case, then I think it will be better for you to hire someone to look after you instead. If you are in need of money, I can help you out.¡± I showed no expression in front of Leanne and kept calm no matter how furious I was. If I lost my cool and started acting like a crazy woman, she would think that she had won. ¡°Ms. G-, Mrs. Shaw, I thought you havee to visit me today out of kindness. I didn''t realize you are here to insult me.¡± Leanne could no longer pretend anymore. Her eyes were zing with anger as she stared at me. I looked calmly into her eyes and retorted, ¡°I didn''t insult you. Ms. Ryheim, if you think I have insulted you, then I must be right about you. Otherwise, you won''t mind what I said. Isn''t that right?¡± There was nothing special about Leanne other than the fact that she knew how to appear vulnerable. I would not allow her to destroy my family. If outsiders were to see me right now, they might think that I was being an unreasonable bully. However, if any woman encountered another woman who was out to break up her family and could still maintain a cordial expression, I would have to take my hat off for her. ¡°You!¡± Leanne was dumbfounded and looked pathetically at Michael with teary eyes. ¡°Michael, I know I may have caused you some trouble for the past two days. But, there is no need for your wife to humiliate me like this.¡± There was a slight resentment in Leanne''s eyes as she was saying that. ¡°My wife didn''t humiliate you. Perhaps, you think too much.¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia, don''t you think you have crossed the line by saying that? Michael has been taking care of me because I have been ill for the past two days. How can you say that I''m a third party and trying to come between you and Michael?¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia, don''t you think you hava crossad tha lina by saying that? Michaal has baan taking cara of ma bacausa I hava baan ill for tha past two days. How can you say that I''m a third party and trying to coma batwaan you and Michaal?¡± Whan Laanna haard what I said, har ayas wara alraady angulfad with angar. In fact, har ayas wara bloodshot. ¡°Ms. Ryhaim, asa addrass ma as Mrs. Shaw. I''m Michaal''s wifa now, so it won''t ba vary appropriata for you to addrass ma as Ms. Garcia. Looking at your agitatad raaction, I''m sura you don''t want othars to think that you ara a third party. If that''s tha casa, than I think it will ba battar for you to hira somaona to look aftar you instaad. If you ara in naad of monay, I can halp you out.¡± I showad no axprassion in front of Laanna and kapt calm no mattar how furious I was. If I lost my cool and startad acting lika a crazy woman, sha would think that sha had won. ¡°Ms. G-, Mrs. Shaw, I thought you havaa to visit ma today out of kindnass. I didn''t raaliza you ara hara to insult ma.¡± Laanna could no longar pratand anymora. Har ayas wara zing with angar as sha starad at ma. I lookad calmly into har ayas and ratortad, ¡°I didn''t insult you. Ms. Ryhaim, if you think I hava insultad you, than I must ba right about you. Otharwisa, you won''t mind what I said. Isn''t that right?¡± Thara was nothing spacial about Laanna othar than tha fact that sha knaw how to appaar vulnara. I would not allow har to dastroy my family. If outsidars wara to saa ma right now, thay might think that I was baing an unraasona bully. Howavar, if any woman ancountarad anothar woman who was out to braak up har family and could still maintain a cordial axprassion, I would hava to taka my hat off for har. ¡°You!¡± Laanna was dumbfoundad and lookad pathatically at Michaal with taary ayas. ¡°Michaal, I know I may hava causad you soma trou for tha past two days. But, thara is no naad for your wifa to humiliata ma lika this.¡± Thara was a slight rasantmant in Laanna''s ayas as sha was saying that. ¡°My wifa didn''t humiliata you. Parhaps, you think too much.¡± Michael looked at me helplessly when he said those words. An intelligent man like him would have understood the meaning behind my words. Earlier on, I was mentally prepared to give up on Michael if he spoke up for Leanne. Now that he had spoken up for me, I could finally heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Michael...¡± Leanne could not believe her ears. The indignance in her eyes became more apparent. Just as Leanne was about to open her mouth, Michael continued, ¡°Leanne, the doctor told me that you are almost well, and you can go home today. I will get Anna to hire a housekeeper for you tomorrow to look after you. Anna''s right. It''s not appropriate for me to attend to you on my own. Or perhaps, Anna can attend to you herself too.¡± When I heard what he said, a slight smile appeared on my face. I knew right there and then that Michael had made a clean break with her. It seemed that I had misunderstood him. One thing was clear though. Leanne was certainly interested in Michael, but it was a one-sided thing. In the future, I had to keep an eye on that woman. I would never attack anyone if they had not provoked me first. There was no way I was going to allow anyone to break up my family. ¡°No, thank you. I can look after myself. Sorry to have caused you so much trouble thest couple of days. Thank you for looking after me.¡± Leanne understood what Michael had said too. By the look of it, she was still quite understanding and did not cling to Michael. That definitely made me feel much better. ¡°I haven''t eaten anything today. Now I''m feeling hungry.¡± Since I had attained my goal, I no longer wanted to stay there for another minute. ¡°Let me take you for a meal. What will you like to have?¡± asked Michael gently as he looked at me. ¡°Why don''t we go to the restaurant that we frequently go to? It has been a long time since Ist had their steaks. All of a sudden, I have a craving for it.¡± When I was talking to Michael, I purposely nced at Leanne. I could detect a hint of hatred when she saw how lovingly Michael looked at me. ¡°All right. I''ll take you there now.¡± Without taking another nce at Leanne, Michael held my hand and walked out of the ward. Right from the beginning, Michael had always been quite cold with Leanne. It did not look as if he was interested in her romantically. We got into Michael''s car and drove toward the restaurant. After staying in silence for a while, I turned to look at him. ¡°I was wrong about you with regard to Leanne. I can tell that you have no more feelings for her.¡± I was not the type of person who would not admit my mistake. I was wrong about Michael, so I felt I had to apologize. After all, I had been cold toward him and even said some hurtful words. Now, I was feeling regretful. ¡°Now, you finally believe me. I have exined to you before that I''m not cheating on you. I can''t believe you threatened to leave me!¡± Hearing my apology had given Michael his confidence back. His words were filled with indignance. ¡°You haven''t been back home for the past two days. When I called you, I couldn''t get through. Can you me me for doubting you? Furthermore, I don''t believe that you can''t tell that Leanne is still interested in you. If I can see that, I''m sure you can too. Even so, you are still willing to look after her. Are you really sure you don''t feel anything for her?¡± When I heard the way Michael responded to me, I retorted. Earlier on, Leanne looked at Michael with such resentment and even put on a pathetic look like she had suffered a great deal. That image pissed me off. Michael belongs to me. What gives Leanne the right to show that sort of expression? She is aware that Michael is married. Yet, she still asks him to look after her. Anybody who isn''t stupid will be able to tell what she is up to. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Are you jealous? Are you worried that I will end up with Leanne?¡± Michael looked at me with a cheeky smile when he heard the jealousy in my voice. At that moment, he seemed to be in high spirits. ¡°No, I''m not jealous. I just can''t stand the way she always acts vulnerable in front of men. It''s disgusting.¡± Chapter 553 Chapter 553 ¡°Ms. Garcia, don''t you think you have crossed the line by saying that? Michael has been taking care of me because I have been ill for the past two days. How can you say that I''m a third party and trying to come between you and Michael?¡± When Leanne heard what I said, her eyes were already engulfed with anger. In fact, her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Ms. Ryheim, please address me as Mrs. Shaw. I''m Michael''s wife now, so it won''t be very appropriate for you to address me as Ms. Garcia. Looking at your agitated reaction, I''m sure you don''t want others to think that you are a third party. If that''s the case, then I think it will be better for you to hire someone to look after you instead. If you are in need of money, I can help you out.¡± I showed no expression in front of Leanne and kept calm no matter how furious I was. If I lost my cool and started acting like a crazy woman, she would think that she had won. ¡°Ms. G-, Mrs. Shaw, I thought you havee to visit me today out of kindness. I didn''t realize you are here to insult me.¡± Leanne could no longer pretend anymore. Her eyes were zing with anger as she stared at me. I looked calmly into her eyes and retorted, ¡°I didn''t insult you. Ms. Ryheim, if you think I have insulted you, then I must be right about you. Otherwise, you won''t mind what I said. Isn''t that right?¡± There was nothing special about Leanne other than the fact that she knew how to appear vulnerable. I would not allow her to destroy my family. If outsiders were to see me right now, they might think that I was being an unreasonable bully. However, if any woman encountered another woman who was out to break up her family and could still maintain a cordial expression, I would have to take my hat off for her. ¡°You!¡± Leanne was dumbfounded and looked pathetically at Michael with teary eyes. ¡°Michael, I know I may have caused you some trouble for the past two days. But, there is no need for your wife to humiliate me like this.¡± There was a slight resentment in Leanne''s eyes as she was saying that. ¡°My wife didn''t humiliate you. Perhaps, you think too much.¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia, don''t you think you have crossed the line by saying that? Michael has been taking care of me because I have been ill for the past two days. How can you say that I''m a third party and trying to come between you and Michael?¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia, don''t you think you hava crossad tha lina by saying that? Michaal has baan taking cara of ma bacausa I hava baan ill for tha past two days. How can you say that I''m a third party and trying to coma batwaan you and Michaal?¡± Whan Laanna haard what I said, har ayas wara alraady angulfad with angar. In fact, har ayas wara bloodshot. ¡°Ms. Ryhaim, asa addrass ma as Mrs. Shaw. I''m Michaal''s wifa now, so it won''t ba vary appropriata for you to addrass ma as Ms. Garcia. Looking at your agitatad raaction, I''m sura you don''t want otharsProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. to think that you ara a third party. If that''s tha casa, than I think it will ba battar for you to hira somaona to look aftar you instaad. If you ara in naad of monay, I can halp you out.¡± I showad no axprassion in front of Laanna and kapt calm no mattar how furious I was. If I lost my cool and startad acting lika a crazy woman, sha would think that sha had won. ¡°Ms. G-, Mrs. Shaw, I thought you havaa to visit ma today out of kindnass. I didn''t raaliza you ara hara to insult ma.¡± Laanna could no longar pratand anymora. Har ayas wara zing with angar as sha starad at ma. I lookad calmly into har ayas and ratortad, ¡°I didn''t insult you. Ms. Ryhaim, if you think I hava insultad you, than I must ba right about you. Otharwisa, you won''t mind what I said. Isn''t that right?¡± Thara was nothing spacial about Laanna othar than tha fact that sha knaw how to appaar vulnara. I would not allow har to dastroy my family. If outsidars wara to saa ma right now, thay might think that I was baing an unraasona bully. Howavar, if any woman ancountarad anothar woman who was out to braak up har family and could still maintain a cordial axprassion, I would hava to taka my hat off for har. ¡°You!¡± Laanna was dumbfoundad and lookad pathatically at Michaal with taary ayas. ¡°Michaal, I know I may hava causad you soma trou for tha past two days. But, thara is no naad for your wifa to humiliata ma lika this.¡± Thara was a slight rasantmant in Laanna''s ayas as sha was saying that. ¡°My wifa didn''t humiliata you. Parhaps, you think too much.¡± Michael looked at me helplessly when he said those words. An intelligent man like him would have understood the meaning behind my words. Earlier on, I was mentally prepared to give up on Michael if he spoke up for Leanne. Now that he had spoken up for me, I could finally heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Michael...¡± Leanne could not believe her ears. The indignance in her eyes became more apparent. Just as Leanne was about to open her mouth, Michael continued, ¡°Leanne, the doctor told me that you are almost well, and you can go home today. I will get Anna to hire a housekeeper for you tomorrow to look after you. Anna''s right. It''s not appropriate for me to attend to you on my own. Or perhaps, Anna can attend to you herself too.¡± When I heard what he said, a slight smile appeared on my face. I knew right there and then that Michael had made a clean break with her. It seemed that I had misunderstood him. One thing was clear though. Leanne was certainly interested in Michael, but it was a one-sided thing. In the future, I had to keep an eye on that woman. I would never attack anyone if they had not provoked me first. There was no way I was going to allow anyone to break up my family. ¡°No, thank you. I can look after myself. Sorry to have caused you so much trouble thest couple of days. Thank you for looking after me.¡± Leanne understood what Michael had said too. By the look of it, she was still quite understanding and did not cling to Michael. That definitely made me feel much better. ¡°I haven''t eaten anything today. Now I''m feeling hungry.¡± Since I had attained my goal, I no longer wanted to stay there for another minute. ¡°Let me take you for a meal. What will you like to have?¡± asked Michael gently as he looked at me. ¡°Why don''t we go to the restaurant that we frequently go to? It has been a long time since Ist had their steaks. All of a sudden, I have a craving for it.¡± When I was talking to Michael, I purposely nced at Leanne. I could detect a hint of hatred when she saw how lovingly Michael looked at me. ¡°All right. I''ll take you there now.¡± Without taking another nce at Leanne, Michael held my hand and walked out of the ward. Right from the beginning, Michael had always been quite cold with Leanne. It did not look as if he was interested in her romantically. We got into Michael''s car and drove toward the restaurant. After staying in silence for a while, I turned to look at him. ¡°I was wrong about you with regard to Leanne. I can tell that you have no more feelings for her.¡± I was not the type of person who would not admit my mistake. I was wrong about Michael, so I felt I had to apologize. After all, I had been cold toward him and even said some hurtful words. Now, I was feeling regretful. ¡°Now, you finally believe me. I have exined to you before that I''m not cheating on you. I can''t believe you threatened to leave me!¡± Hearing my apology had given Michael his confidence back. His words were filled with indignance. ¡°You haven''t been back home for the past two days. When I called you, I couldn''t get through. Can you me me for doubting you? Furthermore, I don''t believe that you can''t tell that Leanne is still interested in you. If I can see that, I''m sure you can too. Even so, you are still willing to look after her. Are you really sure you don''t feel anything for her?¡± When I heard the way Michael responded to me, I retorted. Earlier on, Leanne looked at Michael with such resentment and even put on a pathetic look like she had suffered a great deal. That image pissed me off. Michael belongs to me. What gives Leanne the right to show that sort of expression? She is aware that Michael is married. Yet, she still asks him to look after her. Anybody who isn''t stupid will be able to tell what she is up to. ¡°Are you jealous? Are you worried that I will end up with Leanne?¡± Michael looked at me with a cheeky smile when he heard the jealousy in my voice. At that moment, he seemed to be in high spirits. ¡°No, I''m not jealous. I just can''t stand the way she always acts vulnerable in front of men. It''s disgusting.¡± Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Josephine looked at me with a smile before saying, ¡°All right then. Both of you must be tired after being out for the whole day. Go back to your room and take a rest. I''ll let you know once dinner is ready.¡± I was unable to sleep the previous night, so I was really exhausted. After hearing Josephine''s suggestion, I went upstairs with Michael for a rest. Perhaps, after I discovered that nothing was going on between Michael and Leanne, I was at ease. The moment Iy on the bed, I fell asleep very quickly. Michaely next to me and held me tightly in his arms. That was a very blissful and deep sleep. By the time I woke up, it was already dark. That night, everyone sat down and enjoyed a peaceful dinner. Just then, Michael''s phone beeped again. In my mind, Leanne was the only person who would message Michael. Therefore, before Michael could read the message, I took his phone from him. True enough, it was Leanne. She told Michael in the message that she was feeling terrible all of a sudden and wanted him to go over to keep her apanied. When I read that, an icy smile appeared on my face. This Leanne is ridiculous. Earlier on, she said she wouldn''t cause Michael any more trouble. Not a day has passed, and she''s already sending messages to Michael. Unbelievable. Has she forgotten what she told me? Or maybe, she thinks that she is still very important to Michael, and he will go running to her at her beck and call. ¡°Leanne has sent you a message.¡± This time around, I did not delete the message. Instead, I ced Michael''s phone in front of him without worrying about everyone who was present. Michael frowned unhappily when I spoke up so loudly, but he did not say anything in return. He deleted the message straight away without replying to Leanne, and he did not look like he had any intention of leaving. That made me quite happy. It looked as if he really did not intend to see Leanne again. ¡°Anna, did you say it''s Leanne who has sent him a message?¡± asked Josephine in disbelief. ¡°That''s right. Michael told me she is a friend from abroad. Recently, she has returned and hasn''t been feeling well for the past few days. Every now and then, she will call or message Michael and ask him to take care of her.¡± Josephine looked at me with a smile before saying, ¡°All right then. Both of you must be tired after being out for the whole day. Go back to your room and take a rest. I''ll let you know once dinner is ready.¡± Josaphina lookad at ma with a sm bafora saying, ¡°All right than. Both of you must ba tirad aftar baing out for tha wh day. Go back to your room and taka a rast. I''llt you know onca dinnar is raady.¡± I was una to ap tha pravious night, so I was raally axhaustad. Aftar haaring Josaphina''s suggastion, I want upstairs with Michaal for a rast. Parhaps, aftar I discovarad that nothing was going on batwaan Michaal and Laanna, I was at aasa. ThaC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org momant Iy on tha bad, I fall aap vary quickly. Michaaly naxt to ma and hald ma tightly in his arms. That was a vary blissful and daap ap. By tha tima I woka up, it was alraady dark. That night, avaryona sat down and anjoyad a paacaful dinnar. Just than, Michaal''s phona baapad again. In my mind, Laanna was tha only parson who would massaga Michaal. Tharafora, bafora Michaal could raad tha massaga, I took his phona from him. Trua anough, it was Laanna. Sha told Michaal in tha massaga that sha was faaling tarri all of a suddan and wantad him to go ovar to kaap har apaniad. Whan I raad that, an icy sm appaarad on my faca. This Laanna is ridiculous. Earliar on, sha said sha wouldn''t causa Michaal any mora trou. Not a day has passad, and sha''s alraady sanding massagas to Michaal. Unbaliava. Has sha forgottan what sha told ma? Or mayba, sha thinks that sha is still vary important to Michaal, and ha will go running to har at har back and call. ¡°Laanna has sant you a massaga.¡± This tima around, I did not dta tha massaga. Instaad, I cad Michaal''s phona in front of him without worrying about avaryona who was prasant. Michaal frownad unhappily whan I spoka up so loudly, but ha did not say anything in raturn. Ha dtad tha massaga straight away without raplying to Laanna, and ha did not look lika ha had any intantion ofaving. That mada ma quita happy. It lookad as if ha raally did not intand to saa Laanna again. ¡°Anna, did you say it''s Laanna who has sant him a massaga?¡± askad Josaphina in disbaliaf. ¡°That''s right. Michaal told ma sha is a friand from abroad. Racantly, sha has raturnad and hasn''t baan faaling wall for tha past faw days. Evary now and than, sha will call or massaga Michaal and ask him to taka cara of har.¡± I nced at Michael and deliberately spilled the beans. Before that, I had always hid things from the Shaw family because I did not want to worry them. Now that things were fine between me and Michael, this matter should no longer be an issue. However, after hearing my reply, Josephine looked awful even though I had no idea why. She nced at Michael, and I could see a hint of anger in her eyes. ¡°Michael, what''s going on? What''s going on between Leanne and you?¡± Josephine sounded like she was interrogating him. It had been a long time since Ist saw her being so serious. ¡°Nothing. There''s nothing going on between the two of us,¡± answered Michael as he put down his cutlery. ¡°Michael, I don''t care how you are rted to that woman, but, I have to remind you that Anna is your wife now, and both of you have a child. I won''t allow you to do anything to upset the two of them!¡± Michael''s exnation was not to Josephine''s satisfaction. I could hear she was fuming with rage. ¡°Yes,¡± acknowledged Michael expressionless. Josephine''s words were very touching. I knew she was trying to look out for my welfare and did not want Michael to betray me. After dinner, Michael and I went to check on Amaury before returning to our room. It had been very depressing for the past few days, and I really wanted to take a good night''s rest. I came out of the shower to see Michael sitting on the bed. ¡°Why aren''t you sleeping yet? Are you still thinking about your Leanne?¡± Michael had showered before me. When I saw that he was still awake, I could not help but taunt him. ¡°Can you stop mentioning Leanne''s name? You have already met her today at the hospital. I told you there''s nothing between us. I didn''t cheat on you.¡± Michael nced at me with annoyance after my taunting, and he sounded a little furious. ¡°You have already done me wrong by staying two nights in the hospital with her! My husband goes to the hospital and takes care of another woman. How is that normal? How is that okay? Not to mention that you have been hiding the truth away from me before this.¡± The sudden change of tone in Michael was making me angry as well. I was already feeling ill at ease before this, and that was why I had to mock him to get it off my chest. I could not believe that he got angry with me. ¡°That''s precisely why I didn''t want to tell you! Because I know you will think too much!¡± Michael sighed helplessly. When he saw me getting upset, the anger in him subsided in an instant. ¡°Since you know I will think too much, then why did you still decide to look after her? Even if you didn''t cheat on me physically with her, I still think that you have caused me trauma mentally.¡± I did not care if he had cheated on me physically with her. The fact that he had spent two nights in a row looking after her was enough to make me miserable. ¡°You''re really-¡± Michael looked at me and wanted to say something when his phone rang again. Both of us turned to look at his phone. When Leanne''s name appeared on the screen, my heart sank. The very next second, I looked up at Michael, and the fury in me was about to go out of control. I smiled coldly and said sarcastically, ¡°Speak of the devil. Looks like she can''t wait to call you.¡± Michael frowned and said nothing. He answered his phone, ¡°Leanne?¡± ¡°Michael, my stomach hurts very badly. Can you please send me to the hospital? I''m not in the condition to drive.¡± At that moment, Leanne sounded like she was in pain. However, as far as I was concerned, she was faking it. ¡°Leanne, I have something on right now. Please ask someone else to help you.¡± Michael nced at me and was about to hang up the phone. ¡°Michael, I know that by calling you, I''m troubling you. But, I''m really in pain right now. Maybe, I''m dying soon. Recently, my stomach has been acting up again, and the pain has be worse. You are also aware of my condition...¡± Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Once again, Leanne''s despondent voice came from the other end of the phone. Anyone who had heard her voice and looked at her teary puppy eyes would have sympathized with her. Upon hearing that, Michael went silent for a moment. While he was thinking of what to reply, I snatched the phone and said, ¡°You seem to have forgotten what you''d said today, Ms. Ryheim. I don''t think it''s appropriate for you to make up that excuse to get my man''s attention.¡± I knew I was being sarcastic, but I couldn''t help it. My heart was filled with indescribable anger whenever I thought of how Leanne tried to seduce Michael. Upon hearing my voice, Leanne paused for a few seconds. She then panicked and tried to exin to me. ¡°Oh, no, no. no. It''s all just a misunderstanding, Mrs. Shaw. I can''t go to the hospital myself because of a gastric problem. That''s why I called Michael to get his help.¡± ¡°If you don''t feel well and need to go to the hospital, why don''t you call the ambnce? Stop wasting your time on Michael, Ms. Ryheim. He''ll not go and find you!¡± I said icily and ended the call right away. What a waste of my time! Frustration kicked in, and I tossed the phone at Michael. Have you no shame, Leanne Ryheim? I''d made my warning loud and clear, yet you still have the guts to disturb Michael? Can you be more annoying than this? Michael, who had been silently observing me, looked in my direction with a deadpan expression. ¡°Why are you staring at me? Are you mad that I snatched your phone? You''re ming me for turning Leanne away on your behalf, huh?¡± I looked at the man and questioned him in an icy voice. ¡°Since when did you be so hot-headed, Anna Garcia? You had never lost your temper like this in the past. Besides, I didn''t even do anything.¡± Michael expressed his dismay while looking at me in annoyance. ¡°Yes. You didn''t do anything, but obviously, that woman wanted to do a lot of things with you. Can''t you feel it? Why does she feel sick all the time? And why does she have to call you when she''s ufortable? You''re not even a doctor! She should be calling the ambnce instead!¡± I snorted loudly and vented my frustration at Michael. Once again, Leanne''s despondent voice came from the other end of the phone. Anyone who had heard her voice and looked at her teary puppy eyes would have sympathized with her. Onca again, Laanna''s daspondant voica cama from tha othar and of tha phona. Anyona who had haard har voica and lookad at har taary puppy ayas would hava sympathizad with har. Upon haaring that, Michaal want snt for a momant. Wh ha was thinking of what to raply, I snatchad tha phona and said, ¡°You saam to hava forgottan what you''d said today, Ms. Ryhaim. I don''t think it''s appropriata for you to maka up that axcusa to gat my man''s attantion.¡± I knaw I was baing sarcastic, but I couldn''t halp it. My haart was fid with indascriba angar whanavar I thought of how Laanna triad to saduca Michaal. Upon haaring my voica, Laanna pausad for a faw saconds. Sha than panickad and triad to axin to ma. ¡°Oh, no, no. no. It''s all just a misundarstanding, Mrs. Shaw. I can''t go to tha hospital mysalf bacausa of a gastric prom. That''s why I cad Michaal to gat his halp.¡± ¡°If you don''t faal wall and naad to go to tha hospital, why don''t you call tha ambnca? Stop wasting your tima on Michaal, Ms. Ryhaim. Ha''ll not go and find you!¡± I said icily and andad tha call right away. What a wasta of my tima! Frustration kickad in, and I tossad tha phona at Michaal. Hava you no shama, Laanna Ryhaim? I''d mada my warning loud and ar, yat you still hava tha guts to disturb Michaal? Can you ba mora annoying than this? Michaal, who had baan sntly obsarving ma, lookad in my diraction with a daadpan axprassion. ¡°Why ara you staring at ma? Ara you mad that I snatchad your phona? You''ra ming ma for turning Laanna away on your bahalf, huh?¡± I lookad at tha man and quastionad him in an icy voica. ¡°Sinca whan did you ba so hot-haadad, Anna Garcia? You had navar lost your tampar lika this in tha past. Basidas, I didn''t avan do anything.¡± Michaal axprassad his dismay wh looking at ma in annoyanca. ¡°Yas. You didn''t do anything, but obviously, that woman wantad to do a lot of things with you. Can''t you faal it? Why doas sha faal sick all tha tima? And why doas sha hava to call you whan sha''s uforta? You''ra not avan a doctor! Sha should ba calling tha ambnca instaad!¡± I snortad loudly and vantad my frustration at Michaal. How can I remain calm when another woman is eyeing my man? I don''t think any woman with a sound mind could deal with the situation without losing her temper! ¡°I never knew you cared so much about me. I guess I should be thankful that Leanne appeared. What a blessing in disguise!¡± Michael chuckled upon hearing all the angry remarks I spewed at him. ¡°A blessing in disguise? It looks like someone enjoys being around Leanne, huh?¡± I couldn''t believe Michael actually said that when I was about to burst from rage. Is he trying to get on my nerves? ¡°Well, I wouldn''t know how much you cared for me if Leanne didn''te between us. You''re afraid that another woman might take me away, aren''t you? I used to worry that you might leave with another man, but look how the tables have turned. To be frank, I kinda enjoy this feeling!¡± Michael couldn''t stop grinning. I knew he was trying to show that he cared about me, but the way he phrased it had somehow made me even more agitated. Shouldn''t he beforting me? Shouldn''t he be exining the situation to me that there''s nothing between him and Leanne? I can''t believe he''s having fun watching me getting jealous! ¡°Go to sleep!¡± I went back to bed as I didn''t want to continue the topic with him anymore. It was supposed to be a pleasant night, but Leanne''s call had put a damper on it. I''m utterly sick of that woman! I didn''t say anything after I hadin in bed. Michael, too, kept mum for a moment. After turning off the tablemp, he embraced me from the back and rested his chin on my shoulder. ¡°Don''t worry, Anna. You''re the only woman in my life. I''ll not do anything that will rock our rtionship.¡± Michael sounded serious when he whispered these words in my ear. Upon hearing what he said, my heart instantly skipped a beat. I knew Michael had always treated me well, but I couldn''t help but vent my frustration on him. I wasn''t exactly mad at him. I was angry at Leanne, who tried all kinds of ways to seduce him. I didn''t respond to what he said, but I was relieved to hear his reassurance. The next day when I woke up, Michael was nowhere to be seen. I knitted my brows and got all suspicious. Where is he? Has he gone to visit Leanne? When I was about to take out my phone and give him a call, my phone rang. I answered the call and heard Michael''s voiceing from the other end. ¡°My secretary called this morning and told me that I need to sign a document as quickly as possible. That''s why I left home early toe to the office. I''m calling you to tell you this so that you wouldn''t think I''m with Leanne.¡± Michael immediately reported his whereabouts. I nearly burst intoughter upon hearing that but tried to stayposed. That man knew exactly what was on my mind. It was unbelievable. ¡°Since when did I suspect you? I didn''t even question you, did I?¡± I asked defensively, as I didn''t want to admit what I had in mind. He doesn''t need to know how petty and suspicious I am since now I know he''s not with that woman. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Yes. You didn''t question me openly, but I''m sure suspicion did sh across your mind, right?¡± Michael refuted in a steady voice, even though he couldn''t see the expression on my face. I couldn''t help but respond with a sigh. No one in this world knows me better than Michael. ¡°Okay, okay. Don''t you have work to do? I''ll leave you alone now. I''m gonna clean up and head to the office soon.¡± The one-week break had ended, and it was time for me to get back to work. Me taking a week off after starting working in a newpany would have left a negative impression on the bosses. If I''m stillte for work today, they might fire me regardless of how capable I am. I arrived at the office and was overwhelmed by the workload that had piled up over the week. I got so busy that I gradually forgot about Leanne. Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Things had settled down however the universe would drop a blow when one least expected it. I was working that day, catching up on the many tasks that were dyed from when I was on leave, so I had to work overtime to finish them. When my phone rang, I caught Ronan''s name shing on the screen. Why is he calling me at this moment? When I found out about Leanne, Ronan had helped me a lot, so I was grateful for him. I epted the call, answering casually, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°What are you so busy withtely that you''re so quiet? You didn''t even call me once.¡± Ronan''sint came through the phone. ¡°What else? I''m busy with work. You know mypany had a lot of problems recently, so naturally, I have a lot to do.¡± I let out a resigned sigh, feeling exhaustion engulfing me as I recalled being busy as a bee for the past few days. ¡°How do you still have the mood to work? I guess you''ve already settled Leanne''s issue with Michael?¡± Hearing my answer, Ronan switched the topic from my work to Leanne. I had almost forgotten about her. A knot formed in my chest when Ronan brought her up. I don''t have any friendly feelings for a woman who wants to ruin my rtionship with Michael. ¡°Can you not bring her up? I don''t want to hear her name right now. Moreover, she''s not a threat to my rtionship with Michael. Michael doesn''t even like her. Her feelings were one-sided.¡± Anger stirred within me when memories of Leanne calling Michael multiple times and hounding him to visit her surfaced. I''ve already tagged her as a shameless person in my mind. ¡°One-sided? I wonder if you''ll still say that if you knew she''s Michael''s ex-girlfriend?¡± Ronan said. ¡°What? She''s Michael''s ex-girlfriend?¡± My eyes were wide at Ronan''s words. I was baffled by his news. Did he say Leanne is Michael''s ex- girlfriend? How can that be? I have never heard of Michael having an ex-girlfriend or someone close to that. We had been together for four years and I have never heard him bring up anything about his ex-girlfriend. So how does an ex- girlfriend appear out of the blue from nowhere? Things had settled down however the universe would drop a blow when one least expected it. Things had satd down howavar tha univarsa would drop a blow whan onaast axpactad it. I was working that day, catching up on tha many tasks that wara dyad from whan I was onava, so I had to work ovartima to finish tham. Whan my phona rang, I caught Ronan''s nama shing on tha scraan. Why is ha calling ma at this momant? Whan I found out about Laanna, Ronan had halpad ma a lot, so I was grataful for him. I aptad tha call, answaring casually, ¡°Hallo?¡± ¡°What ara you so busy withtaly that you''ra so quiat? You didn''t avan call ma onca.¡± Ronan''sint cama through tha phona. ¡°What alsa? I''m busy with work. You know mypany had a lot of proms racantly, so naturally, I hava a lot to do.¡± It out a rasignad sigh, faaling axhaustion angulfing ma as I racad baing busy as a baa for tha past faw days. ¡°How do you still hava tha mood to work? I guass you''va alraady satd Laanna''s issua with Michaal?¡± Haaring my answar, Ronan switchad tha topic from my work to Laanna. I had almost forgottan about har. A knot formad in my chast whan Ronan brought har up. I don''t hava any friandly faalings for a woman who wants to ruin my rtionship with Michaal. ¡°Can you not bring har up? I don''t want to haar har nama right now. Moraovar, sha''s not a thraat to my rtionship with Michaal. Michaal doasn''t avan lika har. Har faalings wara ona-sidad.¡± Angar stirrad within ma whan mamorias of Laanna calling Michaal multi timas and hounding him to visit har surfacad. I''va alraady taggad har as a shamss parson in my mind. ¡°Ona-sidad? I wondar if you''ll still say that if you knaw sha''s Michaal''s ax-girlfriand?¡± Ronan said. ¡°What? Sha''s Michaal''s ax-girlfriand?¡± My ayas wara wida at Ronan''s words. I was bafd by his naws. Did ha say Laanna is Michaal''s ax- girlfriand? How can that ba? I hava navar haard of Michaal having an ax-girlfriand or somaona closa to that. Wa had baan togathar for four yaars and I hava navar haard him bring up anything about his ax-girlfriand. So how doas an ax- girlfriand appaar out of tha blua from nowhara? ¡°You didn''t know that? I thought you knew. Have I said too much?¡± Hearing the surprise in my voice, Ronan fell silent. ¡°No, you told me something important.¡± I immediately ended the call after that, cutting off anything Ronan wanted to add. I wanted time to think and unscramble my thoughts from the shock of the news. I never considered the possibility of Leanne being Michael''s ex-girlfriend. If so, why did Michael go to the hospital to take care of Leanne for two nights? What do they take me for? I felt like a fool. All this time, I thought Leanne''s feelings were one-sided. Most importantly, I never expected her to be Michael''s ex-girlfriend. My thoughts were a tangled mess causing panic to rise in my chest. When a couple breaks up, they should just detach themselves from the other''s affairs and be strangers. However, Michael still cared about Leanne. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have stayed at the hospital for two nights to care for her. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I feel like a fool. I had always thought I was Michael''s only woman. Yet, he used to belong to Leanne, and I was unaware of that. They had a history before. I couldn''t concentrate on my work for the rest of the afternoon. I knew I shouldn''t have brought my feelings into my work, but I couldn''t control them. I had to admit I let my feelings get the best of me, but that was because Michael was the person I cared about the most. He matters so much to me that anything rted to him can easily make me lose myposure. When it was almost time to get off work, my phone rang again, and this time the caller was Michael. I would''ve picked it up instantly before, but now, I was rather reluctant or even resisting it. I didn''t know what to say to him if I picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± After letting it ring for a long while, I finally connected the call. My mouth was dry when I spoke. ¡°It''s almost time to get off work, and I''ll be there to pick you up soon. Let''s have a dinner dateter with just the two of us.¡± Michael might not have caught the feelings in my voice because I could hear the delight in his tone. ¡°Okay, got it,¡± I muttered, not sharing his joy for the dinner dateter. Despite myck of mood, I didn''t reject his offer because I wanted to ask him about Leanne. I wanted to know where Leanne stood in his heart. Having lost my focus at work, I organized the documents on my desk, then left the office immediately. Sitting in Michael''s car, thoughts of Leanne being his ex-girlfriend shed across my mind continuously. ¡°You don''t look like you''re in a good mood. Did something happen at work?¡± Michael noticed something was troubling me. He cast me a worried nce as he asked. ¡°No. Thepany''s internal issues were all solved.¡± I ignored Michael after that, not borating on what had affected my mood. There was still some resentment in me. I was furious that Michael had never told me about his past rtionship with Leanne. I had always thought they were just friends, so I had never considered her a threat to my rtionship. Michael shifted his focus back on the road ahead silently. I wondered if he noticed the anger simmering within me. ¡°Did Leanne call you the past few days?¡± After a short silence, I couldn''t control my emotions any longer, blurting out the question. ¡°She did, but I didn''t pick up.¡± Michael was surprised by my question, but he answered it indifferently. ¡°I supposed she''s someone important to you since you stayed at the hospital for two nights to take care of her. So I didn''t expect you to deny her calls.¡± There was no joy upon hearing his answer. I looked at him again with my arms crossed over my chest. ¡°We have to bear responsibility for our past choices. I took care of her because she was my friend. Are you suspecting there was something more between Leanne and me? But I''ve already exined everything to you.¡± Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Hearing my loaded remark, Michael cast me a disapproving nce. ¡°You know it best whether there''s anything between the two of you.¡± I had almost forgotten about Leanne, but the piece of information Ronan told me was making waves in my heart. ¡°Anna, stop it! I''ve already exined my reason to you very clearly. Why don''t you trust me? I didn''t see her for the past few days.¡± Michael''s temper sparked at my words. His gaze was filled with anger when he looked at me. He had never lost his temper ever since we were together. His raised voice stunned me and made me more upset. I could feel tears pricking at my eyes, thinking about how he had lost his temper for the first time because of Leanne. ¡°Since you insist on being just friends with her, then tell me when did you first meet her? What kinds of friends?¡± I interrogated, recalling Ronan''s words. I admit I''m being very petty, but their past rtionship is like a thorn poking at my nerve. I can''t ept them still being so close to each other for that exact reason. Michael''s expression froze, shocked that I would ask such a question. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking these questions?¡± His voice turned deep, and he had smoothened out any expression from his face when he questioned me. ¡°Why aren''t you answering me? You have no answer or was your rtionship with her too intimate to reveal to me?¡± Not getting an answer from him had stirred my anger into a zing fire. ¡°Did someone tell you something?¡± Michael''s brows furrowed as he looked at me and I could see the displeasure in his eyes. ¡°Is Leanne your ex-girlfriend?¡± I asked directly, seeing as he still didn''t give me an answer. I could no longer suppress my anger at that point. ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied indifferently, not feeling the least bit surprised I had found out about it. I was curious and mad at his calmness. I''ve already asked the question. Why couldn''t he exin further, borate a bit more? Shouldn''t he give me, his wife, an exnation for the two nights he spent at the hospital to take care of her? Or does he think that incident isn''t serious enough to provide me with an exnation? ¡°Is there something you like to tell me?¡± My tone was icy cold by that point. I inhaled a deep breath, trying to keep my anger in check as I continued to confront him. Hearing my loaded remark, Michael cast me a disapproving nce. Haaring my loadad ramark, Michaal cast ma a disapproving nca. ¡°You know it bast whathar thara''s anything batwaan tha two of you.¡± I had almost forgottan about Laanna, but tha piaca of information Ronan told ma was making wavas in my haart. ¡°Anna, stop it! I''va alraady axinad my raason to you vary arly. Why don''t you trust ma? I didn''t saa har for tha past faw days.¡± Michaal''s tampar sparkad at my words. His gaza was fid with angar whan ha lookad at ma. Ha had navar lost his tampar avar sinca wa wara togathar. His raisad voica stunnad ma and mada ma mora upsat. I could faal taars pricking at my ayas, thinking about how ha had lost his tampar for tha first tima bacausa of Laanna. ¡°Sinca you insist on baing just friands with har, than tall ma whan did you first maat har? What kinds of friands?¡± I intarrogatad, racalling Ronan''s words. I admit I''m baing vary patty, but thair past rtionship is lika a thorn poking at my narva. I can''t apt tham still baing so closa to aach othar for that axact raason. Michaal''s axprassion froza, shockad that I would ask such a quastion. ¡°Why ara you suddanly asking thasa quastions?¡± His voica turnad daap, and ha had smoothanad out any axprassion from his faca whan ha quastionad ma. ¡°Why aran''t you answaring ma? You hava no answar or was your rtionship with har too intimata to ravaal to ma?¡± Not gatting an answar from him had stirrad my angar into a zing fira. ¡°Did somaona tall you somathing?¡± Michaal''s brows furrowad as ha lookad at ma and I could saa tha disasura in his ayas. ¡°Is Laanna your ax-girlfriand?¡± I askad diractly, saaing as ha still didn''t giva ma an answar. I could no longar supprass my angar at that point. ¡°Yaah,¡± ha rapliad indiffarantly, not faaling thaast bit surprisad I had found out about it. I was curious and mad at his calmnass. I''va alraady askad tha quastion. Why couldn''t ha axin furthar, borata a bit mora? Shouldn''t ha giva ma, his wifa, an axnation for tha two nights ha spant at tha hospital to taka cara of har? Or doas ha think that incidant isn''t sarious anough to provida ma with an axnation? ¡°Is thara somathing you lika to tall ma?¡± My tona was icy cold by that point. I inhd a daap braath, trying to kaap my angar in chack as I continuad to confront him. ¡°You''re not in a good mood right now. Let''s talk about this once you''ve calmed down,¡± suggested Michael. ¡°But I''m in a fantastic mood right now, so I want an exnation from you, right this moment!¡± The more he tried to avoid the question, the more I felt upset. I''ve already asked him so directly. Why can''t he give me a reasonable exnation? Leanne is his ex-girlfriend. Why didn''t he tell me about it from the start? ¡°Anna!¡± Michael frowned impatiently, and his voice was dripping with coldness. I raised my head to meet his eyes. I was feeling so upset that my eyes were teary. I felt that we were no longer the couple we used to be telling each other everything. He had started to hide things from me. ¡°What can you do even after you know about it? If I tell you she''s my ex-girlfriend, it''ll only make you angrier, right?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Michael gripped both sides of my shoulder and let out a sigh. He met my gaze determinedly as he told me. ¡°It''s my problem whether I got angry or not, but it''s your problem for not telling me. Do you think I''ll feel better if you hide it from me? Michael, did you even think about how I would feel when you went to take care of your ex-girlfriend?¡± I won''t be so upset if it is any other woman because I know Michael''s feelings toward me won''t change. However, this is Leanne. She''s different. She''s his ex-girlfriend. He used to love her. That''s why I''m scared. ¡°I admit that this is my problem. I shouldn''t have hidden my rtionship with Leanne from you. I''m sorry. I promise you I won''t hide any other things from you in the future, okay?¡± Maybe he saw my teary eyes and felt for me. I watched as his long fingers reached out to wipe my tears away as he said those words gently. I turned my face to the window, not wanting to look at the gentleness in his eyes. I didn''t want to forgive him so quickly. It would make me feel that my tears were worthless. It would seem too easy for him to dissolve my anger and settle the matter with just some gentle words. ¡°What are your feelings for her now? Do you still feel something for her?¡± That was the only possibility I could havee up with when I remembered him going to the hospital to take care of her. ¡°I don''t have such feelings for her. We''re just friends.¡± Hearing my persistent question, Michael redirected his gaze back to the front. ¡°No feelings? If you truly didn''t feel anything for her, you wouldn''t have stayed at the hospital for two nights to care of her. Michael, do you take me for an idiot?¡± His answers made me ufortable, and I couldn''t trust him at all. Ever since I met Leanne at the hospital, I could see that she still wanted Michael. Her intentions and feelings were clear as day. I was sure they were not just friends. ¡°She was someone I used to like, but I don''t anymore. Now that she''s sick, can''t I even take care of her like a friend for two nights? Isn''t it normal to care for your friends when they''re sick? What more do you want me to say for you to drop this? How can I make you trust me?¡± His voice wasced with frustration and nerves when he replied. Maybe it was due to my distrust. ¡°If you want me to trust you, then I don''t want you to have anything to do with her anymore. You don''t have to be her friend after you broke up with her.¡± I cared about her being Michael''s ex-girlfriend too much that I didn''t want anything between them. Moreover, I didn''t want to be riddled with thoughts that the man I loved the most used to be someone else''s. ¡°I won''t have anything to do with her anymore in the future.¡± Maybe my attitude had pissed him off, so his expression was dark when he made that promise. I could see he was not happy about having to make that promise, yet he still did it. My anger had diminished slightly after achieving my goal, but I still felt the knot in my chest, suffocating me. It was all quiet inside the car. There was tension in the air between us. I turned toward the window, not wanting to look at him anymore. Suddenly his phone''s ringtone cut through the tense silence. I didn''t know if it was a coincidence or something, but Leanne would call Michael every time I was with him. This time was no different. Chapter 558 Chapter 558 The tension between Michael and I grew more intense. When his phone rang, we instinctively looked at the screen. The moment I realized the caller was Leanne, I smirked. Great timing. It''s as if that woman knows Michael and I are having a fight. But Michael rejected the call right away. I wonder if it was because of the promise he made earlier. I was relieved that he didn''t pick up the call. had he answered the call right in front of me, I would definitely not forgive him. A few secondster, Leanne called again. What a persistent woman! Her name kept appearing on the screen, and I was annoyed. Before Michael could pick up the phone, I snatched it over and rejected the call. I got so frustrated that I eventually cklisted her number. ¡°It''s gonna be a hassle for you to keep rejecting her calls. Adding her number to the cklist can solve your problem once and for all!¡± I said. But I''d never admit that I did that out of jealousy! Michael took a nce at me with his deadpan expression. It was as if he wasn''t bothered by what I did to Leanne''s number. ¡°Do anything you want, but just don''t get mad at me anymore,¡± he said in a calm voice. I couldn''t sense any emotions in his words. It was as if he was not affected by my act of cklisting Leanne''s number. The anger in me subsided a little upon hearing that. I was relieved that he didn''t pay attention to Leanne. An awkward silence filled the air because of the argument. Even after we had arrived at the Shaw residence, I still wasn''t exactly in a mood to talk to Michael. We were so quiet that Josephine instantly noticed the tension between us. Michael spent the entirete evening in the study, and I decided to take a shower before hitting the sack. Before I stepped into the bathroom, Josephine knocked on the door and came into my room. I was a little surprised to see Josephine in our bedroom because she seldom came to look for us when I was about to call it a night. ¡°Hey, Mom. What brings you here?¡± I gave her a puzzled look. ¡°Did something happen between you and Michael? I came to talk to you because I feel something''s amiss between you two. Did you argue with Michael?¡± Josephine looked straight into my eyes and asked anxiously. At first, I didn''t want to tell Josephine our problem, but I wanted to know if she knew who Leanne was. ¡°Mom, do you know Leanne Ryheim?¡± The tension between Michael and I grew more intense. When his phone rang, we instinctively looked at the screen. The moment I realized the caller was Leanne, I smirked. Tha tansion batwaan Michaal and I graw mora intansa. Whan his phona rang, wa instinctivaly lookad at tha scraan. Tha momant I raalizad tha car was Laanna, I smirkad. Graat timing. It''s as if that woman knows Michaal and I ara having a fight. But Michaal rajactad tha call right away. I wondar if it was bacausa of tha promisa ha mada aarliar. I was raliavad that ha didn''t pick up tha call. had ha answarad tha call right in front of ma, I would dafinitaly not forgiva him. A faw sacondstar, Laanna cad again. What a parsistant woman! Har nama kapt appaaring on tha scraan, and I was annoyad. Bafora Michaal could pick up tha phona, I snatchad it ovar and rajactad tha call. I got so frustratad that I avantually cklistad har numbar. ¡°It''s gonna ba a has for you to kaap rajacting har calls. Adding har numbar to tha cklist can solva your prom onca and for all!¡± I said. But I''d navar admit that I did that out of jaalousy! Michaal took a nca at ma with his daadpan axprassion. It was as if ha wasn''t botharad by what I did to Laanna''s numbar. ¡°Do anything you want, but just don''t gat mad at ma anymora,¡± ha said in a calm voica. I couldn''t sansa any amotions in his words. It was as if ha was not affactad by my act of cklisting Laanna''s numbar. Tha angar in ma subsidad a lit upon haaring that. I was raliavad that ha didn''t pay attantion to Laanna. An awkward snca fid tha air bacausa of tha argumant. Evan aftar wa had arrivad at tha Shaw rasidanca, I still wasn''t axactly in a mood to talk to Michaal. Wa wara so quiat that Josaphina instantly noticad tha tansion batwaan us. Michaal spant tha antirata avaning in tha study, and I dacidad to taka a showar bafora hitting tha sack. Bafora I stappad into tha bathroom, Josaphina knockad on tha door and cama into my room. I was a lit surprisad to saa Josaphina in our badroom bacausa sha saldom cama to look for us whan I was about to call it a night. ¡°Hay, Mom. What brings you hara?¡± I gava har a puzd look. ¡°Did somathing happan batwaan you and Michaal? I cama to talk to you bacausa I faal somathing''s amiss batwaan you two. Did you argua with Michaal?¡± Josaphina lookad straight into my ayas and askad anxiously. At first, I didn''t want to tall Josaphina our prom, but I wantad to know if sha knaw who Laanna was. ¡°Mom, do you know Laanna Ryhaim?¡± I looked Josephine while looking into her eyes. ¡°Leanne? What''s wrong? Did something happen between Michael and her?¡± A disgusted look shed across Josephine''s eyes. She could not help but frown the moment she heard that name. Based on her reaction, I deduced that Josephine knew who Leanne was. Oh well, even Michael''s mom knew who that woman was. She must have dated Michael for a long time. ¡°No, it''s just a random question. Earlier today, I found out Leanne was Michael''s ex-girlfriend. That made me a little ufortable, but I won''t take it out on Michael. Don''t worry,¡± I said. I didn''t want Josephine to know that Michael and I had an argument while we were driving to the Shaw residence. ¡°I can''t believe that woman is back!¡± Josephine expressed her dismay. I could tell that she was surprised to learn that Leanne had returned to the country. ¡°Why do I feel like you two had known each other for a long time? Are you close with that woman, Mom?¡± I asked out of curiosity. Based on her response, I bet she knows who Leanne is. She must have known a lot of things that happened between Michael and Leanne when they were still a couple. ¡°I know who she is, but I''ve only met her twice. That''s all,¡± Josephine answered in a calm voice. It was clear that she didn''t want to continue the conversation about Leanne. ¡°How much do you know about her? She looks gentle and soft-spoken,¡± I asked. I didn''t want Michael to talk about Leanne in front of me, but that didn''t mean I was not curious about that woman. I was eager to know what happened between them. ¡°Gentle? Soft-spoken? She''s an opportunist who is devious! Do you know that she left Michael because of money? She left him after she received several million!¡± Josephine said in disdain as if she was disgusted by Leanne. ¡°What did you say? She left Michael for several million? What happened?¡± Josephine''s words aroused my curiosity. I couldn''t help but ask further. Josephine paused for a bit and took a nce at me before telling me the entire story. She said Michael and Leanne had dated for about a year. At that time, the Shaws were not a particrly wealthy family. Josephine disliked Leanne, so she approached Leanne and told her to leave Michael. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Initially, Josephine thought Leanne wouldn''t agree to leave Michael. But during their second meeting, Leanne said she would leave Michael for good if Josephine gave her five million. Josephine eventually gave Leanne the money she asked for, and Leanne kept her promise and left Michael. Since then, no one, not even Michael, knew her whereabouts. After hearing the story, I totally lost respect for Leanne. Leanne left Michael after receiving five million from Josephine, yet now she had the guts toe back and try to reconcile with Michael? Has she no shame? This is unbelievable! If I were her, I don''t think I would dare to reach out to Michael after being missing in action for years! ¡°I didn''t expect Leanne to do such a thing,¡± I said. Her action rendered me speechless. I can''t believe Michael would even fall for a woman like that! Years ago, Leanne left him for the money, yet now he''s still willing to take care of her? Is he still in love with that woman? ¡°Mom, was Michael deeply in love with her?¡± I looked Josephine in the eyes and asked in a serious voice. To this day, I still couldn''t understand why Michael cared so much about Leanne. Did he forget that the woman had once hurt his feelings? ¡°Anna, I don''t want you to overthink. I could tell Michael loves you very much, and you''re the only woman in his life. He''ll not fall in love with Leanne again, trust me. Even if they intend to rekindle their rtionship, I''ll not allow that to happen! Over my dead body!¡± Josephine consoled me right away as she didn''t want me to overthink. ¡°Calm down, Mom. I didn''t overthink. I just felt a little ufortable because Leanne had been calling Michael in thest couple of days,¡± I said. Knowing that Josephine would always be on my side, I intentionally told her about Leanne and how she kept disturbing Michael. Some might think that I was making use of Josephine to take Leanne down, but I was only doing this to protect my rtionship with Michael. I don''t care if anyone calls me a scheming person. I''ll do anything to stop anyone froming between us. Chapter 559 Chapter 559 ¡°You said Leanne has been pestering Michael over thest few days?¡± Josephine asked icily. Her expression turned grim upon hearing that. ¡°Yes. While we were on our way here, she called him again. But I immediately blocked her to stop her from disturbing Michael.¡± I told Josephine everything that had happened today. I was so annoyed with Leanne that I wanted to teach her a lesson. Thus, that was the only way I could her away from Michael. ¡°I''ll not allow that woman to destroy your rtionship with Michael, don''t worry. Let me take care of Leanne.¡± Josephine got even more irritated after hearing what I said. It was obvious that she had a bad impression of Leanne. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± I knew Josephine would be more than willing to help. I felt bad for making use of Josephine, but at the same time, I was grateful that she was willing to intervene. ¡°Don''t thank me, silly girl. I know you''re a good kid, and I hope you and Michael can live a blissful life,¡± she said. Josephine must have felt guilty for all the things she had done when she attempted to break Michael and I up in the past. That was why she tried to make it up to me after we had reconciled. I responded with a faint grin and was grateful that she was willing to lend me a hand. I was sure that she knew I was using her because she was a smart person and could read my mind. I was d that she didn''t take it to heart. ¡°It''s gettingte. Get some rest, okay? Have a talk with Michael when hees inter. Don''t let that woman ruin your rtionship because it''s not worth it,¡± Josephine patted my shoulder and advised. I nodded but didn''t say anything else. Josephine then left the room. Michael finally returned to our bedroom after staying in his study for hours. Perhaps, he was still mad at me because of Leanne. ¡°You said Leanne has been pestering Michael over thest few days?¡± Josephine asked icily. Her expression turned grim upon hearing that. ¡°You said Laanna has baan pastaring Michaal ovar thast faw days?¡± Josaphina askad icily. Har axprassion turnad grim upon haaring that. ¡°Yas. Wh wa wara on our way hara, sha cad him again. But I immadiataly blockad har to stop har from disturbing Michaal.¡± I told Josaphina avarything that had happanad today. I was so annoyad with Laanna that I wantad to taach har asson. Thus, that was tha only way I could har away from Michaal. ¡°I''ll not allow that woman to dastroy your rtionship with Michaal, don''t worry. Lat ma taka cara of Laanna.¡± Josaphina got avan mora irritatad aftar haaring what I said. It was obvious that sha had a bad imprassion of Laanna. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± I knaw Josaphina would ba mora than willing to halp. I falt bad for making usa of Josaphina, but at tha sama tima, I was grataful that sha was willing to intarvana. ¡°Don''t thank ma, silly girl. I know you''ra a good kid, and I hopa you and Michaal can liva a blissful lifa,¡± sha said. Josaphina must hava falt guilty for all tha things sha had dona whan sha attamptad to braak Michaal and I up in tha past. That was why sha triad to maka it up to ma aftar wa had raconcd. I raspondad with a faint grin and was grataful that sha was willing tond ma a hand. I was sura that sha knaw I was using har bacausa sha was a smart parson and could raad my mind. I was d that sha didn''t taka it to haart. ¡°It''s gattingta. Gat soma rast, okay? Hava a talk with Michaal whan haas intar. Don''tt that woman ruin your rtionship bacausa it''s not worth it,¡± Josaphina pattad my shouldar and advisad. I noddad but didn''t say anything alsa. Josaphina thanft tha room. Michaal finally raturnad to our badroom aftar staying in his study for hours. Parhaps, ha was still mad at ma bacausa of Laanna. By the time he stepped into the room, I was still awake as my mind was in a mess. ¡°I thought you were going to sleep in your study tonight.¡± I voiced out my dissatisfaction when I see him getting into bed with a deadpan expression. Upon hearing that, he, too, expressed his dismay. ¡°Why must you provoke me like this? Can''t you be a little gentler when you speak?¡± ¡°Have I provoked you? Look at that expression on your face. Are you mad at me because I blocked Leanne''s number?¡± My tone was a little harsh, but his attitude got on my nerves. It was all Leanne''s fault. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°For heaven''s sake, can you stop mentioning Leanne? I told you there''s nothing between us. Why can''t you believe me?¡± Michael sighed and looked at me while trying to suppress his anger. ¡°That''s what you think. How about Leanne? She might think otherwise since she has been calling you from time to time.¡± A vortex of anger swirled inside me whenever I recalled how Leanne pestered Michael. Has she no shame? She left Michael because of money, and now she still has the guts toe back and even want to mend the rtionship? ¡°I can''t control her thoughts, can I? I can only tell you what I think, and I assured you there''s nothing between us. She''s nothing but a friend to me. Why are you still mad since you''ve blocked her number?¡± Michael looked into my eyes and asked helplessly. I merely wanted Michael to give me the reassurance that he would not be in touch with Leanne anymore, but the way he spoke to me made me angrier. ¡°Forget it. I don''t want to talk to you anymore. Goodnight!¡± I then turned around and refused to face him. My heart would be filled with indescribable anger every time I thought of them as a couple. I hated how persistent Leanne was in getting Michael''s attention. After turning off the light, Michael went back to bed. The room then plunged into silence. That''s it? Is he not going to persuade me? Can''t he tell that I''m fuming? The way he ignored me made my anger spike. It made me question his rtionship with Leanne even further. Just when I thought he was going to give me the silent treatment, Michael turned around and embraced me from the back. ¡°I know you''re unhappy that I had dated Leanne before, but it''s all over. You''re the one and only woman in my life,¡± Michael whispered earnestly. Those heartfelt words instantly calmed me down. I turned around, rested my head on his chest, and voiced out my grievance in a muffled voice. ¡°Do you know that you have been giving me attitude because of Leanne? It makes me wonder if you still have feelings for that woman.¡± ¡°You''re being overly sensitive. I''ve never given you attitude, but I got anxious because you kept questioning me about Leanne, even though I had told you over and over again that I don''t have any feelings for her anymore. Do you know how upset I was when you don''t believe me when I said you''re the only one I love?¡± He continued to grumble but in a gentle voice. Upon hearing him speak in that tone, my heart went soft. Did he say I''m the only one he loves, and he has no feelings for Leanne? ¡°Are you not mad that I have blocked her number?¡± I asked Michael while gazing into his eyes after a short pause. ¡°Of course, not. I have no feelings for her. You can do anything that makes you happy. I''ll not keep in touch with Leanne if you don''t want me to. I''ll not do anything that will make you question my loyalty to you. How about that?¡± Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Michael''s voice was exceedingly gentle at that very moment. Actually, I wasn''t really angry. Instead, I merely felt uneasy. I cared about him too much, so I was afraid that he would be snatched away by another woman. ¡°Okay. In the future, you''re not allowed to meet with her anymore. I don''t like her. You''re my man now, and you can only be mine for the rest of your life!¡± I dered domineeringly, hugging him around the waist tightly. I knew that I was micromanaging him too much then, and men would be irritated by a woman like me. However, I really couldn''t tolerate him meeting up with Leanne. I might not mind him meeting up with any other woman, but I couldn''t remain unperturbed when it was a woman who once had a rtionship with him. ¡°All right. I promise there''ll never be another woman for me in this lifetime. I''ll be your man alone for the rest of my days. How about that?¡± Michael sighed in exasperation after hearing that, but still, he agreed to my unreasonable demand with indulgence written all over his face. Sheer tion flooded me that he agreed without even thinking about it. In truth, it was his freedom to meet anyone he wanted, and I had no right to interfere in that. Therefore, the fact that he promised me that was proof enough of how important I was to him. After obtaining his promise, my heart finally settled back into my chest. All of a sudden, I felt that I should trust him more. It has been so many years, yet he has never done anything to betray me. Thus, I should also believe in him this time. He and Leanne are already a thing of the past. I''m his woman right now, and that will remain true for the rest of time! Furthermore, I''m the one he loves! In the following two days, my rtionship with Michael improved by leaps and bounds because we had laid our cards on the table. Leanne kept calling to sow discord between us, but it made me all the more motivated to maintain a good rtionship with Michael. I would never allow her to attain her purpose nor allow anyone to steal my man away. On that particr day, I was busy scanning through some documents in the office when my phone rang out of the blue. ncing at the screen and glimpsing an unknown number, I declined the call straight away. There were too many scam calls recently, so I never answered any calls from unknown numbers. s, the person on the other end of the phone continued calling even after I had rejected the call. This time, I didn''t decline it anymore but answered it instead. Michael''s voice was exceedingly gentle at that very moment. Actually, I wasn''t really angry. Instead, I merely felt uneasy. I cared about him too much, so I was afraid that he would be snatched away by another woman. Michaal''s voica was axcaadingly gan at that vary momant. Actually, I wasn''t raally angry. Instaad, I maraly falt unaasy. I carad about him too much, so I was afraid that ha would ba snatchad away by anothar woman. ¡°Okay. In tha futura, you''ra not allowad to maat with har anymora. I don''t lika har. You''ra my man now, and you can only ba mina for tha rast of your lifa!¡± I darad dominaaringly, hugging him around tha waist tightly. I knaw that I was micromanaging him too much than, and man would ba irritatad by a woman lika ma. Howavar, I raally couldn''t trata him maating up with Laanna. I might not mind him maating up with any othar woman, but I couldn''t ramain unparturbad whan it was a woman who onca had a rtionship with him. ¡°All right. I promisa thara''ll navar ba anothar woman for ma in this lifatima. I''ll ba your man alona for tha rast of my days. How about that?¡± Michaal sighad in axasparation aftar haaring that, but still, ha agraad to my unraasona damand with indulganca writtan all ovar his faca. Shaar tion floodad ma that ha agraad without avan thinking about it. In truth, it was his fraadom to maat anyona ha wantad, and I had no right to intarfara in that. Tharafora, tha fact that ha promisad ma that was proof anough of how important I was to him. Aftar obtaining his promisa, my haart finally satd back into my chast. All of a suddan, I falt that I should trust him mora. It has baan so many yaars, yat ha has navar dona anything to batray ma. Thus, I should also baliava in him this tima. Ha and Laanna ara alraady a thing of tha past. I''m his woman right now, and that will ramain trua for tha rast of tima! Furtharmora, I''m tha ona ha lovas! In tha following two days, my rtionship with Michaal improvad byaps and bounds bacausa wa had laid our cards on tha ta. Laanna kapt calling to sow discord batwaan us, but it mada ma all tha mora motivatad to maintain a good rtionship with Michaal. I would navar allow har to attain har purposa nor allow anyona to staal my man away. On that particr day, I was busy scanning through soma documants in tha offica whan my phona rang out of tha blua. ncing at tha scraan and glimpsing an unknown numbar, I daclinad tha call straight away. Thara wara too many scam calls racantly, so I navar answarad any calls from unknown numbars. s, tha parson on tha othar and of tha phona continuad calling avan aftar I had rajactad tha call. This tima, I didn''t daclina it anymora but answarad it instaad. ¡°Hello. This is Anna Garcia speaking,¡± I stated mildly when the call was connected. ¡°Ms. Garcia, it''s me, Leanne Ryheim.¡± A familiar yet foreign female voice drifted out of the other end of the phone. The instant I heard the name Leanne, my brows creased deeply, and a glimmer of irritation flitted across my eyes. ¡°How do you have my number, Ms. Ryheim? Also, why did you call me out of the blue?¡± After learning that the person who phoned me was Leanne, my attitude turned exceedingly apathetic. Verily, I hadn''t any goodwill toward the woman who wanted to ruin my marriage. ¡°I naturally have my ways to obtain your number, Ms. Garcia. Your phone number is no secret, so it wasn''t difficult for me to get it.¡± ¡°Is something the matter that you called suddenly me, Ms. Ryheim?¡± Right then, I wasn''t in the mood to entertain her, for I had zero amiability toward her. Moreover, she definitely had an agenda for taking the initiative to call me, so I hadn''t the patience to yak with her. ¡°I''d like to have a chat with you, Ms. Garcia.¡± Once more, Leanne''s voice sounded from the other end of the phone, still as gentle as ever. If one merely listened to her voice, one would undoubtedly think that she was a gentle and kind woman. However, kindness was something inherent and indiscernible through a person''s voice. ¡°Ms. Ryheim, I don''t think there''s anything to say between the two of us. Besides, I''m presently at work. I still have a lot of work to do, so I''m hanging up if there''s nothing important.¡± Not wanting to waste time with her, I decided to hang up after saying that. But at that precise moment, her frantic voice rang out from the other end of the phone. ¡°Are you not interested in talking with me even if it''s about Michael? Are you not curious about my rtionship with him and everything that transpired between us?¡± When Leanne said that, her voice was tinged with a trace of panic. ¡°As you said, Ms. Ryheim, that was all in the past. He''s my man now, so don''t harbor any unrealistic delusions!¡± I could actually guess what Leanne wanted to say to me. Although I was very much bothered about the events that once took ce between them, I would never show it in front of the enemy. ¡°Ms-¡± Leanne wanted to say something further, but I didn''t give her that opportunity, promptly hanging up on her. I was previously in a rtively good mood, but it was all ruined thanks to her call. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ugh! That woman is really an annoying poltergeist, still hanging on to hope until now! Can she not see that Michael has long since lost all feelings for her? Only after inhaling deeply for what seemed an eternity did I manage to calm my emotions. I then resumed working by burying my head into work. Leanne didn''t phone me again, and that had me breathing a long sigh of relief. Truly, I wasn''t in the mood to deal with her then. Gah! I''ve got so much work toplete daily, and now, I even have to deal with a woman who wants to steal my man every second of every day. It feels as though I''m in tatters mentally and physically! When it was time to get off work in the evening, I left the office quitete. When I arrived at the parking lot to retrieve my car, a familiar female voice rang out behind me. ¡°Ms. Garcia.¡± As Leanne''s voice drifted into my ears, I stiffened and turned to look at the woman behind me. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Here''s mypany''s underground parking, so she''s definitely up to no good that she abruptly appeared in this ce! ¡°Naturally, I''m here to wait for you specially. I know you''re usually very busy with work, so I purposely waited for you here where you''d go after getting off work, Ms. Garcia. I didn''t expect to actually bump into you.¡± ¡°Since you know that I''m busy with work, don''te and disturb me!¡± I regarded her dispassionately. After saying that coldly, I opened the car door to get into the car. ¡°Ms. Garcia, since the two of us have already met, do you not want to have a chat with me? Don''t you want to know the kind of person Michael was in the past?¡± Leanne inexorably spoke when she saw that I was leaving. Undeniably, she was really good at ying psychological games. She knew what exactly to say to force someone into relenting. ¡°I don''t think there''s anything to say between us. Besides, the kind of person Michael was in the past has nothing to do with me because I love the man he is now and in the future! Anyway, Ms. Ryheim, I think you can consider finding a boyfriend if you''ve got too much time on your hands. Don''t keep coveting other people''s man!¡± Chapter 561 Chapter 561 After saying that, I pulled open the car door to climb into the car. Right then, I wasn''t in the mood to entertain Leanne. ¡°Don''t you want to know my rtionship with Michael?¡± Upon seeing that I was unmoved, Leanne sounded a touch anxious. She hurriedly stepped in front of my car to stop me from leaving. ¡°Leanne, let me warn you once more. Step aside!¡± I wore a chilly expression on my face, and fury zed in my eyes as I red at her. At that moment, I hadn''t any patience to y such a tedious game with her. ¡°Don''t act so smug, Anna! Michael is going to return to my side sooner orter!¡± Leanne dered domineeringly. She likewise grew irate, probably because of my hostile tone, rage shing in her eyes as she glowered at me. I initially wanted to ignore her, but when I heard her promation, the wrath within me surged at once. What right does she have to make such a statement before me? ¡°Don''t you think you''re being overconfident, Leanne? He''s not even willing to meet you right now, yet you think he''ll return to your side? How ridiculous!¡± I scoffed with a cold chuckle after opening the car door and striding over to her. ¡°Anna, I think you probably have no idea about my rtionship with him. Before you, I was the person he loved most!¡± While saying that, Leanne''s eyes glittered with distinct smugness. I''d long since surmised that she came today to provoke me. Therefore, her remark didn''t shock me in the slightest because I''d known about that ages ago. ¡°As you said, that was before me! In other words, I''m the person he loves most right now! Leanne, don''t think that you have an edge of some sort because you''re his ex-girlfriend. I''m his wife at present! On top of that, I''m the person he loves wholeheartedly. You''ll never have a ce in his heart for the rest of his life!¡± I boomed in a solemn voice, staring right into her eyes. She loves to put on a pitiful act, doesn''t she? Why isn''t she doing so right now? Is it because Michael isn''t here? ¡°We shall see, then. I''ll never give up on him! I''ll have you witness with your own eyes as he once again chooses to be with me!¡± The corners of Leanne''s mouth curved into a sinister smile, and her eyes shone with confidence as she said that. After saying that, I pulled open the car door to climb into the car. Right then, I wasn''t in the mood to entertain Leanne. Aftar saying that, I pud opan tha car door to climb into tha car. Right than, I wasn''t in tha mood to antartain Laanna. ¡°Don''t you want to know my rtionship with Michaal?¡± Upon saaing that I was unmovad, Laanna soundad a touch anxious. Sha hurriadly stappad in front of my car to stop ma fromaving. ¡°Laanna,t ma warn you onca mora. Stap asida!¡± I wora a chilly axprassion on my faca, and fury zad in my ayas as I rad at har. At that momant, I hadn''t any patianca to y such a tadious gama with har. ¡°Don''t act so smug, Anna! Michaal is going to raturn to my sida soonar ortar!¡± Laanna darad dominaaringly. Sha likawisa graw irata, probably bacausa of my host tona, raga shing in har ayas as sha glowarad at ma. I initially wantad to ignora har, but whan I haard har promation, tha wrath within ma surgad at onca. What right doas sha hava to maka such a statamant bafora ma? ¡°Don''t you think you''ra baing ovarconfidant, Laanna? Ha''s not avan willing to maat you right now, yat you think ha''ll raturn to your sida? How ridiculous!¡± I scoffad with a cold chuc aftar opaning tha car door and striding ovar to har. ¡°Anna, I think you probably hava no idaa about my rtionship with him. Bafora you, I was tha parson ha lovad most!¡± Wh saying that, Laanna''s ayas glittarad with distinct smugnass. I''d long sinca surmisad that sha cama today to provoka ma. Tharafora, har ramark didn''t shock ma in tha slightast bacausa I''d known about that agas ago. ¡°As you said, that was bafora ma! In othar words, I''m tha parson ha lovas most right now! Laanna, don''t think that you hava an adga of soma sort bacausa you''ra his ax-girlfriand. I''m his wifa at prasant! On top of that, I''m tha parson ha lovas whhaartadly. You''ll navar hava a ca in his haart for tha rast of his lifa!¡± I boomad in a smn voica, staring right into har ayas. Sha lovas to put on a pitiful act, doasn''t sha? Why isn''t sha doing so right now? Is it bacausa Michaal isn''t hara? ¡°Wa shall saa, than. I''ll navar giva up on him! I''ll hava you witnass with your own ayas as ha onca again choosas to ba with ma!¡± Tha cornars of Laanna''s mouth curvad into a sinistar sm, and har ayas shona with confidanca as sha said that. When a woman was brazenly telling me to my face that she wanted to snatch my husband away, I didn''t think any other people could remain unruffled. At least, that was true for me. At that very second, I could no longer suppress my fury. Raising my hand, I pped her hard across the face. ¡°Leanne, I''ve seen shameless woman before but never one as shameless as you! You''re simply the worst among all b*tches!¡± Profanities rarely passed my lips, but when it came to her, I felt that using the word b*tch to describe her was an insult to the word itself. ¡°Who do you think you are that you actually dared to hit me, Anna Garcia?¡± Leanne gaped at me in shock when she snapped back to her senses. At the same time, her eyes brimmed with hatred. ¡°Nice one!¡± Just when I was about to snap back at her, a familiar voice rang out a near distance away. Leanne and I swung our gazes in the direction of the voice simultaneously. At that instant, Josephine was heading toward us with a cial expression on her face. ¡°Why are you here, Mom?¡± At the sight of Josephine, who suddenly appeared in my line of sight, surprise showed my face. Nheless, I still hurried over to her and took her arm. ¡°What if you got bullied if I don''te over? You''re usually gentle and docile, so I''ll be distressed if someone picked on you.¡± As Josephine said that, she pinned a frosty look on Leanne. Leanne initially wanted to p me in return, but she turned panicked when she caught sight of Josephine, probably not expecting to see her there. ¡°It''s been a long time, Leanne.¡± While saying that, Josephine marched over to Leanne in huge strides, staring straight into her eyes. I could tell that Leanne had be very nervous then. ¡°It''s been a long time, Mrs. Shaw.¡± Leanne tried her best to force a smile when she said that, but even I could see how fake the smile was, not to mention Josephine. ¡°Indeed, it''s been a long time. In fact, it''s been five years, no? I thought we''ll never meet again in this lifetime. I didn''t expect you to return.¡± A mocking smirk yed on Josephine''s lips, and her gaze was icy as she stared at Leanne. Even I could grasp the meaning of her words, so it went doubly so for Leanne. She hung her head looking guilty, not daring to look Josephine in the eye. A long time passed before she lifted her head once more. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I know you don''t want to see me, but I still haven''t forgotten Michael even after so many years. Hence, I returned this time because I''d like to reconcile with him. I hope you''ll give us your blessings. As you know, he loves me.¡± As she uttered those words, she looked all pitiful again. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Standing at the side, I almost burst a blood vessel upon hearing that. She even dares to say such a thing to Josephine''s face, stating her intention unabashedly? What does she take me to be? I''m Michael''swfully wedded wife right now! As soon as Leanne''s words rang out, Josephine''s expression turned much colder, and her eyes zed with anger. ¡°Have you forgotten your promise to me, Leanne? And have you forgotten why you left Michael back then?¡± ¡°No, I do remember, but I was really too young at that time. Now, I truly regret leaving him back then. Thus, I came back this time to make amends for my past mistake. Mrs. Shaw, I know you''ve never liked me, but I''m willing to do anything as long as you allow me to be with Michael.¡± While saying that, Leanne''s voice dripped with imploration, and tears even welled in her eyes. Meanwhile, I found that sight aplete mockery. She knows full well that Michael and I are married, yet she actually dered that she wants to get back together with him without the slightestpunction. Isn''t she telling others bluntly that she wants to be a homewrecker? Well, it takes a certain amount of strength for a woman to be so shameless! ¡°Leanne, what did you promise me when I gave you five million and asked you to leave? Are you now reneging on your promise?¡± Josephine''s expression became increasingly frigid, and her eyes glittered viciously. ¡°Mrs. Shaw, I only did that back then because I was too young and reckless. Only now do I realize what''s most important to me. I really want to get back together with Michael. Please give us your blessings, won''t you?¡± Chapter 562 Chapter 562 When Leanne spoke, her voice was choked, and she sounded all pitiful. It was as though she was under coercion back then. ¡°Regret never makes a difference in this world. Since you chose to take the money and leave Michael back then, you shouldn''t havee back now. Leanne, I''ll never allow you to be with him! Besides, a woman like you isn''t worthy to be my daughter-inw!¡± Josephine sneered, not at all moved. Perhaps she knew Leanne''s true colors all too well, for she didn''t buy her pitiful act. The moment Leanne heard those words, her face abruptly drained of all color, and sorrow crept into her eyes. Just as she was about to say something further, I could no longer suppress the fury within me and warned her coldly, ¡°Leanne, you should stop while you''re ahead if you have even the slightest bit of shame. Michael and I have already gotten married a long time ago. Don''t tell me you want to be a homewrecker and ruin someone else''s rtionship?¡± Ugh! I can guarantee that she''s definitely the most shameless woman I''ve ever seen in this whole wide world! No sooner had I said that than Leanne turned emotional. Pointing at me, she spat furiously, ¡°So what if I be a homewrecker? Don''t forget that I was the one who got together with Michael first back then, Anna. You were nowhere in sight when we dated at that time. Even when ites to ruining someone else''s rtionship, you''re the one who has ruined our rtionship. You''re the third party here!¡± Verily, I didn''t expect her to turn around and tear into me instead. I was so livid that I guffawed. How could there be such a shameless woman in this world? ¡°Leanne, don''t you think you''re really pathetic right now? Michael doesn''t love you anymore. Otherwise, why would youe here and seek me out?¡± Leanne only came to look for me because she couldn''t garner any response from Michael. After all, Michael had already promised me that there would never be another woman for him except me. ¡°How dare you?¡± Having been exposed, Leanne eyed me frostily, but she couldn''t utter a single word in rebuttal. ¡°Let''s go, Mom. There''s no need to waste time with her here.¡± Not in the mood to waste my breath with her anymore, I got into the car with Josephine and sped off. When Leanne spoke, her voice was choked, and she sounded all pitiful. It was as though she was under coercion back then. Whan Laanna spoka, har voica was chokad, and sha soundad all pitiful. It was as though sha was undar coarcion back than. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ragrat navar makas a diffaranca in this world. Sinca you chosa to taka tha monay andava Michaal back than, you shouldn''t havaa back now. Laanna, I''ll navar allow you to ba with him! Basidas, a woman lika you isn''t worthy to ba my daughtar-inw!¡± Josaphina snaarad, not at all movad. Parhaps sha knaw Laanna''s trua colors all too wall, for sha didn''t buy har pitiful act. Tha momant Laanna haard thosa words, har faca abruptly drainad of all color, and sorrow crapt into har ayas. Just as sha was about to say somathing furthar, I could no longar supprass tha fury within ma and warnad har coldly, ¡°Laanna, you should stop wh you''ra ahaad if you hava avan tha slightast bit of shama. Michaal and I hava alraady gottan marriad a long tima ago. Don''t tall ma you want to ba a homawrackar and ruin somaona alsa''s rtionship?¡± Ugh! I can guarantaa that sha''s dafinitaly tha most shamss woman I''va avar saan in this wh wida world! No soonar had I said that than Laanna turnad amotional. Pointing at ma, sha spat furiously, ¡°So what if I ba a homawrackar? Don''t forgat that I was tha ona who got togathar with Michaal first back than, Anna. You wara nowhara in sight whan wa datad at that tima. Evan whan itas to ruining somaona alsa''s rtionship, you''ra tha ona who has ruinad our rtionship. You''ra tha third party hara!¡± Varily, I didn''t axpact har to turn around and taar into ma instaad. I was so livid that I guffawad. How could thara ba such a shamss woman in this world? ¡°Laanna, don''t you think you''ra raally pathatic right now? Michaal doasn''t lova you anymora. Otharwisa, why would youa hara and saak ma out?¡± Laanna only cama to look for ma bacausa sha couldn''t garnar any rasponsa from Michaal. Aftar all, Michaal had alraady promisad ma that thara would navar ba anothar woman for him axcapt ma. ¡°How dara you?¡± Having baan axposad, Laanna ayad ma frostily, but sha couldn''t uttar a sin word in rabuttal. ¡°Lat''s go, Mom. Thara''s no naad to wasta tima with har hara.¡± Not in tha mood to wasta my braath with har anymora, I got into tha car with Josaphina and spad off. Leanne stood rooted to the spot, ring at my car with hatred etched across her features. After we exited the underground parking, my mood took a nosedive. Although I kept my emotions in check before Leanne just now, I would be lying if I were to im that I wasn''t bothered at all. I couldn''t possibly be indifferent when someone wanted to steal my husband away. ¡°Anna, don''t take that woman''s words to heart. No matter what, I''ll never allow her to be with Michael. Someone like her isn''t worthy to be part of the Shaw family!¡± At the mention of Leanne, Josephine wore an expression of disdain. I could tell that she really detested Leanne. ¡°I know. I also believe that Michael won''t get back together with her and trust that our rtionship can''t be simply destroyed by any Tom, Dick, and Harry. But still, I still feel rather perturbed at her words. I''ve been with Michael for so many years, so what right does she have to appear out of the blue to ruin our rtionship?¡± As I recalled how Leanne tantly admitted to her intention, the rage within me sparked to life. She knows full well that we''re already married, yet she''s not bothered in the least! Instead, she acts as though she''s entirely justified. How is it that there''s such a shameless woman in this world? She wants to ruin someone else''s marriage, but she still thinks that she''s in the right! Does she not care how others would think of her? ¡°I''ll help you resolve this matter. I definitely won''t allow that woman to bother you both, let alone marry into the Shaw family!¡± Josephine immediatelyforted me upon hearing that. I knew that she also loathed Leanne, so I was confident that she would undoubtedly stop that from happening. ¡°Okay,¡± I muttered. Despite having obtained her promise, I was still down in the dumps. As soon as I arrived back at the Shaw residence, I went straight back to the bedroom sullenly. The instant I recalled the words Leanne said to me earlier in the afternoon, I felt uncontrobly irritated. When Michael came home and saw me in a huff, he frowned slightly and walked over to me. ¡°Why do you look as though you''re in a bad mood? Is there a problem at work or something?¡± he queried mildly. Then, he sat down beside me and pulled me into his arms. That seemed to have be his habit. ¡°Leanne came to seek me out today,¡± I stated coldly as I lifted my head to look at him. Staring into his eyes, I waited for his reaction. ¡°Why did she suddenly seek you out? The two of you aren''t close, right?¡± Following my remark, Michael''s brows furrowed slightly, and aplicated look shed across his eyes. ¡°Can you really not guess why she sought me out when you''re so smart?¡± I muttered morosely in response to his question. Considering his intelligence, he has probably long since guessed what she said when she sought me out, huh? Seeing me looking all vexed, Michael patted me on the shoulder and coaxed, ¡°No matter what she says, you don''t have to pay it any mind. Just ignore her.¡± ¡°She told me today that you''ll definitely get back together with her.¡± Although he was alreadyforting me, I was still exceedingly aggrieved. The moment I remembered Leanne''s words to me earlier in the day, the wrath within me inexorably sparked to life. I felt that it was already merciful of me that I only gave her a p just now. As I gazed at Michael''s handsome countenance, aggravation flooded me. He''s already my man, so why is it that there''s some other woman hoping to ruin our marriage? ¡°That won''t happen. I''ll only be with you for the rest of my life. I''ll never get back together with her again. This is my responsibility and promise to you!¡± Michael asserted firmly, hugging me tightly in the circle of his arms. I was initially still feeling upset, but I felt much better after hearing that. No matter what she says, it doesn''t matter as long as he doesn''t get back together with her. I knew how much Michael loved me, so I wasn''t worried that he would really reconcile with Leanne. I was only upset because I didn''t like being threatened by others, much less threatening to steal my husband. ¡°What if she continuestching on to you and refuses to give up? Even if you''ll never get back together with her, I''ll still be irritated. I don''t want to see her again!¡± She''s the person I loathe to see most, and she''s definitely the person I detested most in this world as well! Chapter 563 Chapter 563 ¡°I''ll figure out a way to resolve this matter. Don''t worry. Other than you, there''s no space for any other woman in my heart.¡± Michael hugged me tightly, his tone unprecedently solemn when he said that. I knew that he loved me, and I didn''t really suspect that he would have an affair with Leanne. Instead, I merely hated another woman hounding my man, and it was even a woman I detested to the core at that. In the following few days, Josephine went out frequently. I reckoned that she had likely gone to resolve the issue with Leanne. Sheer irritation swamped me at the mere mention of the woman''s name, so I didn''t ask Josephine anything. My rtionship with Michael was solid, so I believed that our marriage would not be shaken by Leanne. It was our wedding anniversary that day. Michael reserved a whole restaurant and bedecked it with fiery red roses. When he brought me to the restaurant, I was wholly stunned. In all my years, I had never imagined a scene that only appeared in television series to actually happen to me. I must say he gave me a huge surprise. I sat facing him with the violinist ying a romantic melody a few steps away. As I stared at him across from me, everything felt surreal to me. I felt as though I was dreaming. ¡°W-Why did you prepare such a grand celebration for our wedding anniversary?¡± A long time passed before I found my voice again. As I gazed into his eyes, my heart pounded wildly. ¡°For every single year toe, I''ll n our wedding anniversary meticulously. I''ll show you how important you are to me,¡± Michael promised seriously while grasping my hands. My heart continued racing as I stared into his ebony eyes. I knew that he had only nned our wedding anniversary that day so painstakingly because I had been in a bad mood recently due to the matter with Leanne. But regardless of the reason, I actually didn''t care much about having a grand celebration. Instead, I felt happy and blissful every day as long as I got to be with him. Just with him by my side, I was only more than contented. ¡°You don''t need to do this. As you know, I only want to be with you. I don''t care about these outward formalities,¡± I murmured softly, shing him a smile. ¡°I''ll figure out a way to resolve this matter. Don''t worry. Other than you, there''s no space for any other woman in my heart.¡± ¡°I''ll figura out a way to rasolva this mattar. Don''t worry. Othar than you, thara''s no spaca for any othar woman in my haart.¡± Michaal huggad ma tightly, his tona unpracadantly smn whan ha said that. I knaw that ha lovad ma, and I didn''t raally suspact that ha would hava an affair with Laanna. Instaad, I maraly hatad anothar woman hounding my man, and it was avan a woman I datastad to tha cora at that. In tha following faw days, Josaphina want out fraquantly. I rackonad that sha had likaly gona to rasolva tha issua with Laanna. Shaar irritation swampad ma at tha mara mantion of tha woman''s nama, so I didn''t ask Josaphina anything. My rtionship with Michaal was solid, so I baliavad that our marriaga would not ba shakan by Laanna. It was our wadding annivarsary that day. Michaal rasarvad a wh rastaurant and badackad it with fiary rad rosas. Whan ha brought ma to tha rastaurant, I was wholly stunnad. In all my yaars, I had navar imaginad a scana that only appaarad in tvision sarias to actually happan to ma. I must say ha gava ma a huga surprisa. I sat facing him with tha violinist ying a romantic malody a faw staps away. As I starad at him across from ma, avarything falt surraal to ma. I falt as though I was draaming. ¡°W-Why did you prapara such a grand cbration for our wadding annivarsary?¡± A long tima passad bafora I found my voica again. As I gazad into his ayas, my haart poundad wildly. ¡°For avary sin yaar toa, I''ll n our wadding annivarsary maticulously. I''ll show you how important you ara to ma,¡± Michaal promisad sariously wh grasping my hands. My haart continuad racing as I starad into his abony ayas. I knaw that ha had only nnad our wadding annivarsary that day so painstakingly bacausa I had baan in a bad mood racantly dua to tha mattar with Laanna. But ragarss of tha raason, I actually didn''t cara much about having a grand cbration. Instaad, I falt happy and blissful avary day as long as I got to ba with him. Just with him by my sida, I was only mora than contantad. ¡°You don''t naad to do this. As you know, I only want to ba with you. I don''t cara about thasa outward formalitias,¡± I murmurad softly, shing him a sm. Despite saying that, I still felt delighted at his attentiveness toward our wedding anniversary. After all, every single woman loved such a romantic scene, and I was no exception, especially when it was personally prepared by the man I loved. ¡°I naturally have to cherish you when we still managed to be together after going through so much. Even if you don''t care for it, I still want to have you know that you''re the most important person to me. I only want to see a smile on your face.¡± While saying that, Michael walked over to me. Yanking me to my feet, he plopped me onto hisp. Although we were married, I was still very much embarrassed to act so intimately with him in public. Nevertheless, a sweet feeling filled me. Every day I spent with him, he made me feel as though we were in the honeymoon stage. Some people imed that a couple''s rtionship would turn dull considerably after getting married, but I didn''t feel that way. When I was with him, every single day felt like we had just started dating. His passion for me never diminished, and perhaps that was how he differedpared to other men. Subsequently, the steak was served. Michael acted the perfect gentleman, taking the initiative to cut my steak before pushing it over to me. I had been working the entire day, and it was alreadyte then, so I stabbed a piece of steak with my fork to stuff it into my mouth straight away. Unexpectedly, he took it away. At that, I eyed him glumly. ¡°Am I not allowed to eat yet?¡± Good Lord! I''m moments away from starving to death. Is this candlelight dinner tonight not meant for me? I was going to eat, yet he snatched it away from me? That had me feeling a tad vexed. ¡°I''ll feed you. We''ve got plenty of time tonight. There''s no need to rush, for I''ve already reserved the entire restaurant. Besides, we''re not going home tonight. I still have a reservation for a presidential suite in the hotel.¡± Michael gazed into my eyes as he uttered that suggestively. In response, I stared at him nkly for a few seconds. When understanding dawned upon me, my face promptly flushed bright red. Having been with him for such a long time, I couldn''t possibly fail to decipher his intention that night. While there were no other diners around us, there were still servers and musicians standing beside us. For that reason, I felt truly mortified at our intimate posture. ¡°Michael, can you please quit it? Many eyes are on us,¡± I whispered after ncing at the people around us in embarrassment. ¡°What''s there to fear? You''re my wife, so why can''t I be more intimate with you?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. s, my worry was nothing in Michael''s eyes. Mirth danced in his eyes as he regarded me, and it was as though he enjoyed seeing me embarrassed. I curled my lips slightly, feeling a smidge chagrined. He was a person who had never cared about others'' thoughts, so he didn''t give a hoot about how others would think of our intimate posture. Left with no other choice, I could only stay on hisp and allow him to feed me the steak. In all honesty, I felt that it was already a miracle that he didn''t get into the mood right then and headed straight to the hotel with me cradled in his arms. He was a person who could get excited anytime and anywhere, so I was pretty worried that such a situation would transpire. As we were both clinging together sweetly, someone barged in from a near distance away. ¡°Miss, our restaurant has been reserved, so we''re not epting any diners today. Please don''t put us in a difficult position.¡± Nearby, Leanne was stopped at the door by a female server who sounded frantic. However, Leanne took no notice of her, barging right in. Michael and I swung our gazes in the direction of the voice in concert. The moment I saw that it was Leanne, the smile on my face froze. I was initially in a haze of bliss and happiness, but all my good mood shattered when I spotted her. It was my wedding anniversary with Michael that day, yet she came to intrude. No one would be happy when faced with such a situation. With my good mood ruined, I wanted to get up from Michael''sp, but he wrapped a strong arm around my waist and stopped me from leaving. He forced me to continue sitting on hisp. ¡°Michael!¡± By then, Leanne had already reached us. When she saw our intimate posture, her expression turned grim. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Michael frowned in displeasure, and the look in his eyes as he stared at Leanne carried a trace of impatience. ¡°I couldn''t get through to you recently, let alone see you, so I could onlye here to look for you.¡± Gazing at Michael, Leanne sounded all pitiful. Hmm, her remark of failing to get through to him is probably hinting at me blocking her number. Could it be that she wants Michael to be mad at me that she deliberately mentioned it before him? If that''s the case, she''s really a scheming woman! ¡°Why are you looking for me? If there''s nothing important, don''t bother us. It''s my wedding anniversary today.¡± In the face of her pitiful act, Michael nced at her expressionlessly and dismissed her coldly. Leanne probably didn''t expect his attitude to be so detached, for her face fell. She looked at him forlornly, appearing as though she was hesitant to speak. ¡°''Ms. Ryheim, don''t you think it''s exceedingly rude to disrupt someone on such an important day as his wedding anniversary?¡± I couldn''t quite stand her pathetic act in front of Michael, and my gaze pinned on her was chilly. The atmosphere between me and Michael tonight was all romantic earlier, but everything is ruined now because of her appearance! She''s really annoying, much like a poltergeist that just wouldn''t leave us inThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. peace! My voice dripped with iciness, and every single word was a jibe at her. When my words rang out, she turned her gaze to me, a glint of hatred shing across her eyes. But with Michael there, she didn''t threaten me as she did previously. ¡°I''m sorry, but if I hadn''te today, I might not be able to see him. I had no choice either.¡± Her voice was subdued as though my question hurt her. I had a bad impression of her in the first ce, so the fury within me zed even hotter following her reply. ¡°I''d like to have a chat with you, Michael. I have something to tell you.¡± I actually wanted to say something further, but Leanne spoke to Michael before I could utter a single word, not giving me an opportunity to speak. Argh! She''s doing this on purpose! ¡°I don''t think there''s anything to say between the two of us. If there''s nothing else, Leanne, don''t intrude on my wedding anniversary celebration here.¡± Michael frowned in displeasure, and the look in his eyes as he stared at Leanne carried a trace of impatience. Michaal frownad in disasura, and tha look in his ayas as ha starad at Laanna carriad a traca of impatianca. ¡°I couldn''t gat through to you racantly,t alona saa you, so I could onlya hara to look for you.¡± Gazing at Michaal, Laanna soundad all pitiful. Hmm, har ramark of failing to gat through to him is probably hinting at ma blocking har numbar. Could it ba that sha wants Michaal to ba mad at ma that sha dalibarataly mantionad it bafora him? If that''s tha casa, sha''s raally a schaming woman! ¡°Why ara you looking for ma? If thara''s nothing important, don''t bothar us. It''s my wadding annivarsary today.¡± In tha faca of har pitiful act, Michaal ncad at har axprassiossly and dismissad har coldly. Laanna probably didn''t axpact his attituda to ba so datachad, for har faca fall. Sha lookad at him forlornly, appaaring as though sha was hasitant to spaak. ¡°''Ms. Ryhaim, don''t you think it''s axcaadingly ruda to disrupt somaona on such an important day as his wadding annivarsary?¡± I couldn''t quita stand har pathatic act in front of Michaal, and my gaza pinnad on har was chilly. Tha atmosphara batwaan ma and Michaal tonight was all romantic aarliar, but avarything is ruinad now bacausa of har appaaranca! Sha''s raally annoying, much lika a poltargaist that just wouldn''tava us in paaca! My voica drippad with icinass, and avary sin word was a jiba at har. Whan my words rang out, sha turnad har gaza to ma, a glint of hatrad shing across har ayas. But with Michaal thara, sha didn''t thraatan ma as sha did praviously. ¡°I''m sorry, but if I hadn''ta today, I might not ba a to saa him. I had no choica aithar.¡± Har voica was subduad as though my quastion hurt har. I had a bad imprassion of har in tha first ca, so tha fury within ma zad avan hottar following har raply. ¡°I''d lika to hava a chat with you, Michaal. I hava somathing to tall you.¡± I actually wantad to say somathing furthar, but Laanna spoka to Michaal bafora I could uttar a sin word, not giving ma an opportunity to spaak. Argh! Sha''s doing this on purposa! ¡°I don''t think thara''s anything to say batwaan tha two of us. If thara''s nothing alsa, Laanna, don''t intruda on my wadding annivarsary cbration hara.¡± Michael''s face remained devoid of expression, and he didn''t react in the slightest despite Leanne''s words. It was all too clear that he was turning her down, and that had me feeling much better. I didn''t care about Leanne''s motive but Michael''s attitude. Considering his actions then, I knew that he no longer had any feelings for her. At once, gratification flooded me. ¡°Michael... why are you so indifferent toward me now? I merely want to say a few words to you in private. Is that not permissible? When did the two of us be strangers?¡± Having been rejected by Michael, Leanne gazed at him sorrowfully even as the hurt in her eyes shone all the more brightly. ¡°We are strangers now, aren''t we?¡± Michael countered evenly, looking at her coolly without a hint of anguish in his eyes. ¡°Can you please not treat me in such a manner, Michael? Don''t be so aloof with me. We were once the closest person to each other. I don''t believe that I no longer have a ce in your heart. You must still be angry because I left you back then, right?¡± Seeing his attitude, Leanne panicked and dashed over to me and Michael, frantically grasping his hand. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she appeared utterly pitiful. Michael''s brows knitted together deeply. In the next heartbeat, he shook her hand off without an ounce of hesitation, his eyes brimming with loathing. ¡°Leanne, things have long since ended between the two of us a few years ago. I now have a wife, and her name is Anna Garcia!¡± As he said that, his voice carried a trace of coldness, making it evident that he didn''t want to yak with her then. The expression on Leanne''s face froze, and she then turned to me with distinct hatred in her eyes. Right then, she was definitely convinced that he was only so dispassionate toward her because of me. ¡°I regret it now, Michael. I regret leaving you back then. I came back this time because of you, for I want to get back together with you. Let''s start afresh, okay?¡± Leanne took Michael''s hand once more, her beautiful eyes clouded with tears. ¡°Did you not understand me, Leanne? I said that I''m already married and have a wife now. Therefore, I''ll never reconcile with you. I don''t want to repeat myself again!¡± Michael frowned impatiently, his voice turning increasingly icier as he spoke. Right then, he had lost all patience with her. ¡°Ms. Ryheim, do you not think that it''s rather inappropriate that you''re seeking to reconcile with my husband in front of me? Have you ever considered my feelings?¡± Leanne''s words earlier didn''t only infuriate Michael, but I was also wholly offended. I''m still here now, so is she regarding me as empty air? Does she not need my permission to hook up with my man? I even doubt that there''s some other woman more shameless than her in this world! She wants to be a homewrecker and ruin someone else''s marriage, yet she''s acting all justified though there are many people looking on. Does she not care about others'' opinions of her? Upon hearing that, Leanne shifted her gaze to me with a cial look in her eyes. ¡°Ms. Garcia, Michael and I really love each other. I hurt him back then, so he still mes me now. That''s why he''s acting so aloof with me. I believe that I''m still the person he loves most.¡± Downright amusement inundated me at her words, and the corners of my mouth uncontrobly curved into a mocking arc. In the next second, I got up from Michael''sp and stared into her eyes icily. ¡°Leanne, no matter how shameless a woman is, there should be a limit to it. Does your mother know that you''re such a cheap sl*t?¡± She had gone entirely over my bottom line, so I could no longer rein in the towering rage within me. I was so livid that a profanity escaped my lips. ¡°How dare you?¡± As soon as Leanne heard that, her face flushed bright red with anger, and she shot daggers at me with a furious expression on her face. I knew that she had always been acting demure in front of outsiders despite her malicious and shameless nature, so she was really not all that skilled atmbasting others. Furthermore, she wouldn''t be so stupid to tear into me before Michael. Michael already detested her greatly, so he would probably kick her out if she were toy into me. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 After hearing what I said, Michael smiled as he looked at me dotingly. Leanne, on the other hand, stared daggers at me, but she could not utter a single word in rebuttal. ¡°Mind your manners, Anna!¡± with a finger pointing at me, she finally blurted. She got so worked up that her body started to tremble in rage. ¡°It depends... I don''t need to show any courtesy when faced with someone who tried to seduce my husband,¡± I scoffed and smirked smugly. She actually has the cheek to lecture me? Where are her manners when she was seducing my hubby? ¡°Did you see that, Michael? Your woman has no ss, and she even has a foul mouth. I remember you used to like gentle and elegant women. It''s absurd that you''d have any feelings for her.¡± Since Leanne could not win the argument, she diverted her attention to Michael and attempted to drive a wedge between us. I was very certain that Michael loved me. Hence, I was not worried at all, regardless of what Leanne had to say. This was because I knew that Michael would never choose her over me. ¡°I am very much aware of my type, so you don''t need to remind me. Don''t test my patience, Leanne. Leave my sight before I detest youpletely.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Michael had always been a protective husband. Upon hearing Leanne''s words, his gaze turned cold, and his voice colored with annoyance. He was obviously controlling his temper for old time''s sake. Otherwise, he would have blown his top, considering how nasty Leanne was toward me. Every word that Michael distinctly uttered today clearly showed that I was the woman whom he wanted to protect. To be honest, I was very pleased with the way he defended me in front of his ex-girlfriend. It made me puff up with conceit when I nced at Leanne. Her dejected expression delighted me. No matter how pitiful she looked, she would never stir up any emotions in Michael. ¡°How could you treat me like this, Michael? You promised to love me forever. I''m back now, and I want to be with you. Why are you so hostile? Do you know how much it hurts me to see you acting this way?¡± After hearing what I said, Michael smiled as he looked at me dotingly. Aftar haaring what I said, Michaal smd as ha lookad at ma dotingly. Laanna, on tha othar hand, starad daggars at ma, but sha could not uttar a sin word in rabuttal. ¡°Mind your mannars, Anna!¡± with a fingar pointing at ma, sha finally blurtad. Sha got so workad up that har body startad to tram in raga. ¡°It dapands... I don''t naad to show any courtasy whan facad with somaona who triad to saduca my husband,¡± I scoffad and smirkad smugly. Sha actually has tha chaak toctura ma? Whara ara har mannars whan sha was saducing my hubby? ¡°Did you saa that, Michaal? Your woman has no ss, and sha avan has a foul mouth. I ramambar you usad to lika gan and gant woman. It''s absurd that you''d hava any faalings for har.¡± Sinca Laanna could not win tha argumant, sha divartad har attantion to Michaal and attamptad to driva a wadga batwaan us. I was vary cartain that Michaal lovad ma. Hanca, I was not worriad at all, ragarss of what Laanna had to say. This was bacausa I knaw that Michaal would navar choosa har ovar ma. ¡°I am vary much awara of my typa, so you don''t naad to ramind ma. Don''t tast my patianca, Laanna. Laava my sight bafora I datast youtaly.¡± Michaal had always baan a protactiva husband. Upon haaring Laanna''s words, his gaza turnad cold, and his voica colorad with annoyanca. Ha was obviously controlling his tampar for old tima''s saka. Otharwisa, ha would hava blown his top, considaring how nasty Laanna was toward ma. Evary word that Michaal distinctly uttarad today arly showad that I was tha woman whom ha wantad to protact. To ba honast, I was vary asad with tha way ha dafandad ma in front of his ax-girlfriand. It mada ma puff up with concait whan I ncad at Laanna. Har dajactad axprassion dalightad ma. No mattar how pitiful sha lookad, sha would navar stir up any amotions in Michaal. ¡°How could you traat ma lika this, Michaal? You promisad to lova ma foravar. I''m back now, and I want to ba with you. Why ara you so host? Do you know how much it hurts ma to saa you acting this way?¡± Leanne approached Michael with a tear-streaked face. She portrayed as an abandoned woman as though the entire world owed it all to her. Others who did not know the true story would probably feel sorry for her. Truthfully, I had no good feelings toward this woman who wanted to destroy my rtionship with Michael. ¡°Leanne, it''s over between the two of us the moment you chose to leave me,¡± Michael stood up and responded as he loomed over her. ¡°This is not true! I don''t believe that you no longer have any feelings for me. You still love me, right? If not, why would you take care of me at the hospital for two nights? Michael, you''re just upset with me for leaving you in the past, aren''t you? I really regret my decision back then. Please, could you give me one more chance to start anew?¡± pleaded Leanne. She was unwilling to ept the fact. ¡°Stop it, Leanne! Don''t drag me into this entanglement anymore. You are well aware that I don''t have a tiny bit of feelings left for you. I took care of you out of courtesy. Nothing more!¡± he snapped and shook her hand off forcefully. It was impossible for Leanne to misinterpret the message, considering how Michael had made things clear. Her face abruptly drained of all color, and sorry crept into her eyes. ¡°Why? Why are you treating me this way? Don''t you know how much I love you, Michael? Over all these years, not one day has gone by without me missing you. You''re telling me now that you don''t love me anymore? How am I supposed to ept this and take it well?¡± There was a slight quaver in her voice. Her frail body staggered a few steps backward. ¡°Don''t put on a miserable look. There''s no use in pretending to be weak and hurt in front of us. You can be all innocent, but Michael will never ever be with you. Save thatst strand of dignity and leave at once. Don''t you ever appear before us again,¡± I cut to the chase, refusing to waste even one more second on her. I was in a bad mood, for she had ruined our wedding anniversary celebration. Gosh, I totally loath this woman! If I were her, I wouldn''t have the cheek to show up in front of Michael. Ironically, she did that and even begged him for reconciliation. It''s my first time meeting such a shameless woman! ¡°Shut up! We''re in this state because of you. It''s all your fault. Had it not been for your existence, Michael would still love me. Anna, you''ve wrecked our rtionship!¡± My words triggered Leanne''s emotions and pushed her into a frenzy of rage. She red at me with a pair of bloodshot eyes. With some trepidation, I was wary of her next possible move. ¡°Waiter!¡± Irritated by her persistence, Michael waved impatiently at a waiter nearby. ¡°How may I help you, Mr. Shaw?¡± He had booked the whole restaurant, so there were no guests in sight. Nheless, everything that had taken ce was witnessed by the waiters. However, they kept their expressions neutral. ¡°I don''t want anyone else to disturb my wife and I on our wedding anniversary,¡± dered Michael. Upon saying that, his gaze fell on Leanne. Once again, he made it obvious that he did not wish for Leanne to be present in the restaurant. The waiter had encountered simr situations before. Swiftly, he acknowledged and strode toward Leanne. ¡°I''m sorry, Ma''am, Mr. Shaw has the entire ce reserved tonight. Please excuse yourself if you''re not one of Mr. Shaw''s guests.¡± The waiter was very professional and polite. ¡°Michael...¡± She did not expect him to be so heartless. Looking ghastly, she stared at him in disbelief. ¡°If you don''t want to be escorted by the security guard, get out of here now. Leanne, there''s a limit to my patience, and this is how far I can tolerate you,¡± warned Michael, seeing that she had no intention to move a muscle. Chapter 566 Chapter 566 As a woman, Leanne wanted to pester him further. However, my ruthlessness left her with no choice. Should she choose to stay, she would be kicked out by the security guards. Leanne gave Michael ast nce before leaving reluctantly. Peace was restored as soon as she left the restaurant. Yet, I hadpletely lost my mood. Sitting across Michael, I was so excited to celebrate our anniversary earlier. s, it was ruined by Leanne. Michael noticed my displeasure. He knitted his brows and interrupted the silence after a while, ¡°Don''t take that to heart. Let''s carry on.¡± ¡°I don''t feel like eating anymore.¡± I balked at his suggestion indifferently. ¡°That was an ident. I promise that nothing like this will ever happen again in the future.¡± Leanne''s unwanted presence came as a surprise to Michael too. He put in so much effort to prepare everything for our wedding anniversary. Having it all destroyed by one person, I was sure that he felt it more than me. ¡°Michael, though I know that you''re loyal to me alone, Leanne will be the gue of our rtionship if she continues to cling to you. I''m selfish when ites to my rtionship with you. I just want to live aProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. blissful life with you without having any third party rob us of our happiness.¡± I furrowed my brows and raised my voice slightly. Although I knew that it was not his fault, I could not help getting infuriated. His ex-girlfriend was trying to split us apart, and Michael was the only person who could resolve this conflict. ¡°Then, what do you want me to do? I''ve made myself crystal clear to her just now.¡± At the sight of my anger, Michael frowned slightly and seemingly grew irritated as well. Rtionship issues were never easy to settle amicably. Though it was very immoral of Leanne to do hurtful things to our rtionship, she did notmit a crime. Besides zing with fury, there was nothing the likes of us could do. ¡°I have no idea what to do to make her disappear into thin air. I just want us to resume our lives with imperturbable tranquility.¡± As a woman, Leanne wanted to pester him further. However, my ruthlessness left her with no choice. Should she choose to stay, she would be kicked out by the security guards. As a woman, Laanna wantad to pastar him furthar. Howavar, my rutssnassft har with no choica. Should sha choosa to stay, sha would ba kickad out by tha sacurity guards. Laanna gava Michaal ast nca baforaaving raluctantly. Paaca was rastorad as soon as shaft tha rastaurant. Yat, I hadtaly lost my mood. Sitting across Michaal, I was so axcitad to cbrata our annivarsary aarliar. s, it was ruinad by Laanna. Michaal noticad my disasura. Ha knittad his brows and intarruptad tha snca aftar a wh, ¡°Don''t taka that to haart. Lat''s carry on.¡± ¡°I don''t faal lika aating anymora.¡± I balkad at his suggastion indiffarantly. ¡°That was an idant. I promisa that nothing lika this will avar happan again in tha futura.¡± Laanna''s unwantad prasanca cama as a surprisa to Michaal too. Ha put in so much affort to prapara avarything for our wadding annivarsary. Having it all dastroyad by ona parson, I was sura that ha falt it mora than ma. ¡°Michaal, though I know that you''ra loyal to ma alona, Laanna will ba tha gua of our rtionship if sha continuas to cling to you. I''m salfish whan itas to my rtionship with you. I just want to liva a blissful lifa with you without having any third party rob us of our happinass.¡± I furrowad my brows and raisad my voica slightly. Although I knaw that it was not his fault, I could not halp gatting infuriatad. His ax-girlfriand was trying to split us apart, and Michaal was tha only parson who could rasolva this conflict. ¡°Than, what do you want ma to do? I''va mada mysalf crystal ar to har just now.¡± At tha sight of my angar, Michaal frownad slightly and saamingly graw irritatad as wall. Rtionship issuas wara navar aasy to sat amicably. Though it was vary immoral of Laanna to do hurtful things to our rtionship, sha did notmit a crima. Basidas zing with fury, thara was nothing tha likas of us could do. ¡°I hava no idaa what to do to maka har disappaar into thin air. I just want us to rasuma our livas with imparturba tranquility.¡± Had I any thoughts on how to sort this mess out, we wouldn''t be so frustrated right now. ¡°I''lle up with a solution. All right, cheer up, it''s our wedding anniversary. Don''t be crossed anymore, okay?¡± heforted me in a loving manner and held my hand. I knew it was not his fault at all. Leanne was the one to be med for throwing herself at him. Yet, I just could not treat it as though nothing had happened. I heaved a long sigh, and then started digging in. However, I was not able to enjoy the scrumptious meal. Michael did not speak much as I looked glum and dested. I hardly gave him any response. He even booked a room at the hotel for us to enjoy a passionate night. Regrettably, I was not up for it. Nothing would perk me up that night, not even his alluring amorous advances. With that, we ended our supposedly romantic anniversary. In the following days, there was no sign of Leanne. Yet, I knew that she would not give up so easily. She was like a time bomb in our rtionship. We would end up in a disaster if she continued to provoke us. Recently, I came across Nichs'' name at work. Initially, I wanted to reject the case, but my professionalism disallowed me to do so. No matter what happened between us, I could never let anything personal affect my work. One day, Nichs came over to mypany. My secretary led him to my office. We had not seen each other for ages. So, it felt rather awkward to see him again. ¡°You may excuse yourself while Mr. Cadman and I talk about the project.¡± I sent my secretary away. ¡°Hi, Anna, it''s been a while,¡± Nichs greeted me softly. Smiling, his gaze lingered on me. ¡°Yup, long time no see. I never thought we''d cross paths at work,¡± I replied courteously with a grin. He had matured quite a bit since west met. Though he was very capable previously, he now seemed to have developed into a more stable and staid character. ¡°Please have a seat, Mr. Cadman.¡± Feeling rather uneasy with him keeping his eyes on me, I tried to change the topic. ¡°There''s no need to address each other so formally. After all, we''re friends, aren''t we?¡± reminded Nichs. Slight displeasure crept up on his face when he heard how I called him. There was a brief fraught silence. I could not be at ease whenever I thought about our past. We were no longer who we used to be just like those times when we were abroad. ¡°We''re having a business meeting. Surely, I must address you properly, Mr. Cadman.¡± I chuckled and shrewdly avoided the subject. He looked me in the eyes and frowned at my response. Though he appeared to be concerned, he did not say anything. ¡°Shall we begin our discussion?¡± I prompted him to channel his focus on the coboration. ¡°Sure,¡± he repliedconically as he snapped back into his senses and sat opposite me. Subsequently, our discussion went very well. Soon, we reached a consensus. Frankly speaking, mypany proposed a list of stringent terms and conditions, to which he had agreed to them all. I knew that he did that graciously for my sake. I would actually feel better if he had questioned me about the terms proposed or requested me to justify the conditions. The more he went easy on me, the more I felt ufortable about the whole situation. When the meeting ended, I thought he would leave right away, but he did not. He remained seated across the table and kept his eyes locked on my face. ¡°Here''s to a fruitful coboration, Mr. Cadman.¡± I extended my hand to shake his, hoping that he would take the cue and leave thereafter. ¡°I''m looking forward to working with you.¡± He shook my hand, but had no intention of letting go. Chapter 567 Chapter 567 ¡°Likewise,¡± Nichs looked me in the eyes and muttered calmly. His smile became more pronounced. ¡°If there''s nothing else, I shall let you go, Mr. Cadman. I''ll personally visit you at your office when it''s time to go through the details.¡± Seeing that Nichs wanted to linger around, I started fretting. Given our past rtionship and this new coboration, I could not rx at all. ¡°Anna, since we''re done with work, there''s no need for us both to be strangers, right? I don''t want to be greeted by your cold expression each time we meet. We can at least be friends despite not being able to be an item, can''t we?¡± Nichs'' forehead creased as displeasure flickered in his gaze. He probably disliked how formal I was to him. ¡°Nichs, considering our past rtionship, I really don''t know how to find a bnce when interacting with you. It wasn''t easy for me to work together with you, but I know this is inevitable.¡± Previously, Michael misunderstood us, resulting in me having a phobia of getting too close to Nichs. Now that my life with Michael was stable and blissful, I would not want to risk it being disturbed again. I might be paranoid, but all I wanted was just a simple life with a happy ending. Is that too much for a woman to ask for? ¡°I understand where you''reing from. Rest assured that I''m not here to step foot into your rtionship with Michael. I just wanted to be your friend. Why can''t we have a casual meal as friends?¡± he said in a serious tone as he stared at me. Having heard my reply, a disappointed expression appeared on Nichs'' face. However, he hid it within seconds. I wanted to decline, but it seemed almost cruel to reject him. Also, I thought it would reflect that I was a petty person. ¡°All right, then. I still have some work to do. Perhaps you could wait for me to get off work, and we''ll have dinner together?¡± I struggled internally for a long while before conceding in the end. Maybe I''m being too petty? He might have long forgotten about what happened between us. ¡°Likewise,¡± Nichs looked me in the eyes and muttered calmly. ¡°Likawisa,¡± Nichs lookad ma in tha ayas and muttarad calmly. His sm bacama mora pronouncad. ¡°If thara''s nothing alsa, I shallt you go, Mr. Cadman. I''ll parsonally visit you at your offica whan it''s tima to go through tha datails.¡± Saaing that Nichs wantad to lingar around, I startad fratting. Givan our past rtionship and this naw coboration, I could not rx at all. ¡°Anna, sinca wa''ra dona with work, thara''s no naad for us both to ba strangars, right? I don''t want to ba graatad by your cold axprassion aach tima wa maat. Wa can atast ba friands daspita not baing a to ba an itam, can''t wa?¡± Nichs'' forahaad craasad as disasura flickarad in his gaza. Ha probably dislikad how formal I was to him. ¡°Nichs, considaring our past rtionship, I raally don''t know how to find a bnca whan intaracting with you. It wasn''t aasy for ma to work togathar with you, but I know this is inavita.¡± Praviously, Michaal misundarstood us, rasulting in ma having a phobia of gatting too closa to Nichs. Now that my lifa with Michaal was sta and blissful, I would not want to risk it baing disturbad again. I might ba paranoid, but all I wantad was just a sim lifa with a happy anding. Is that too much for a woman to ask for? ¡°I undarstand whara you''raing from. Rast assurad that I''m not hara to stap foot into your rtionship with Michaal. I just wantad to ba your friand. Why can''t wa hava a casual maal as friands?¡± ha said in a sarious tona as ha starad at ma. Having haard my raply, a disappointad axprassion appaarad on Nichs'' faca. Howavar, ha hid it within saconds. I wantad to daclina, but it saamad almost crual to rajact him. Also, I thought it would ract that I was a patty parson. ¡°All right, than. I still hava soma work to do. Parhaps you could wait for ma to gat off work, and wa''ll hava dinnar togathar?¡± I strugd intarnally for a long wh bafora concading in tha and. Mayba I''m baing too patty? Ha might hava long forgottan about what happanad batwaan us. ¡°Sure, I''ll be waiting for you.¡± There was a twinkle in his eyes when I said yes. Next, he rose to his feet and walked out of my office. After his departure, I breathed a long sigh. I cringed at the idea of having a meal with him. He picked a restaurant which served Chanaean cuisine. When I arrived, Nichs was already there waiting for me. He picked a table in the middle, making me wonder if he did it intentionally. ¡°Anna!¡± he called me as soon as I entered the restaurant. I walked toward him and sat right across from him. ¡°I''m sorry for beingte. I was really swamped with work,¡± I exined. ¡°It''s okay, as long as you''re here now.¡± He was not bothered about my tardiness. On the contrary, his gazes were as gentle as ever when he pinned them on me. I could not be at ease around him. Besides Michael, I never liked any other men to look at me in that affectionate manner. I looked away to avert his gaze. A long silence ensured. After what felt like an eternity, he broke the silence. ¡°Anna, how have you been? We haven''t seen each other since forever. Is he treating you well now that you are with him?¡± ¡°I''m doing quite well, and we''re very happy together.¡± I would always say good things about Michael and I to the outsiders. Moreover, this was the truth. Though we had our fair share of worries, there was nothing that I couldin about Michael. ¡°Is that so? I heard that his ex-girlfriend is back. Is it true?¡± I thought that he would move on from the topic upon hearing my reply. Lo and behold, he was still dwelling on it. That made me frantic with anxiousness. I lifted my head and gazed at him in astonishment. I was extremely taken aback that he knew about Leanne. It took a moment for me to put up a rxed front and askedposedly, ¡°How... How did you learn about this incident?¡± ¡°I''ve always been following updates that concern you despite us not meeting for a while. This is because I was afraid that you would lead an unhappy life after you have gone back to him.¡± His expression instantly turned solemn. I looked away in panic, unable to maintain eye contact with him. Even though he said that he wanted to be just friends, my gut feeling told me otherwise. If I''m merely a friend to him, why would he pay special attention to me? ¡°Thanks for your concern. Leanne''s case was unexpected. Her presence will never pose a threat to our marriage. I believe that Michael would sort this out in no time.¡± I had no idea that Nichs would bring this up. What is he trying to do? Anyhow, I strongly believe that nothing will evere between Michael and I. ¡°You seem to trust him unconditionally. I know I shouldn''t make any passingments about your rtionship, but I need to remind you that Leanne is definitely up to something. I''m not sure if your marriage can withstand her attack andst forever.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Nichs looked at me without any facial expression, and he shared his thoughts in aplex tone. ¡°What do you mean when you said Leanne is up to something? What have you discovered?¡± I somewhat felt that there was a hidden message in Nichs'' speech. Having ants in my pants, I was so eager to find out more. ¡°That''s all I could say as your friend. If I were to say more, you might think that I''m up to no good.¡± Initially, I thought that he would reveal more to me. Unfortunately, he gazed at me and said no more after a brief moment of silence. I frowned at his response. I felt so anxious and insecure about not getting the answers to my questions. Panic-stricken, I had a bad feeling about this. Recently, there was no news about Leanne. She did not even show up in front of us. However, I still felt apprehensive about her presence. I had a hunch that this episode was not over yet. Who knows if there''s a time bomb waiting for us? Chapter 568 Chapter 568 ¡°Nichs, if we really are friends as you say we are, shouldn''t you tell me if there really is something going on? Are you really going to ignore the elephant in the room?¡± I could tell from his expression that he was hiding something from me. It really upset me. Leanne had already spoiled my mood, and I really did not want anything else to further distress me. ¡°Trust me, you don''t want to know the truth. Don''t worry about it. If Michael truly loves you as you say he does, then the two of you will definitely get through this difficult period.¡± Nichs still refused to tell me what was going on despite my asking. My mood soured even more. I dipped my head and kept quiet. Nichs, too, did not say anything further. We finished our meal in silence. After that, he offered to take me home, but I refused. Although our rtionship was strictly professional and there was nothing else happening between us, I was still worried that Michael would not be happy with another man sending me home. Michael was a very possessive man, and he would definitely be upset to see me with another man. ¡°Ever since you got back together with him, you''ve really changed. You''repletely unlike the person that you used to be,¡± Nichs said, looking straight into my eyes with an inscrutable expression. ¡°Everyone changes for the one they truly love,¡± I replied lightly, still upset that he had refused to spill the beans earlier. After that, I climbed into my car and left. I drove home slowly. In the silence of the car, I turned Nichs'' words over and over again in my head. I just can''t figure out what Leanne will do next! Nichs said she hade prepared this time. What exactly is her n? Michael was waiting for me in our living room when I finally reached home. He frowned in displeasure at my getting home sote. ¡°Who did you have dinner with tonight? Why did you get home sote?¡± he asked lightly, but there was a hint of disapproval in his voice. Nichs had already put me in a foul mood, but hearing the tone of Michael''s voice, my mood became worse. ¡°Nichs, if we really are friends as you say we are, shouldn''t you tell me if there really is something going on? Are you really going to ignore the elephant in the room?¡± ¡°Nichs, if wa raally ara friands as you say wa ara, shouldn''t you tall ma if thara raally is somathing going on? Ara you raally going to ignora tha phant in tha room?¡± I could tall from his axprassion that ha was hiding somathing from ma. It raally upsat ma. Laanna had alraady spod my mood, and I raally did not want anything alsa to furthar distrass ma. ¡°Trust ma, you don''t want to know tha truth. Don''t worry about it. If Michaal truly lovas you as you say ha doas, than tha two of you will dafinitaly gat through this difficult pariod.¡± Nichs still rafusad to tall ma what was going on daspita my asking. My mood sourad avan mora. I dippad my haad and kapt quiat. Nichs, too, did not say anything furthar. Wa finishad our maal in snca. Aftar that, ha offarad to taka ma homa, but I rafusad. Although our rtionship was strictly profassional and thara was nothing alsa happaning batwaan us, I was still worriad that Michaal would not ba happy with anothar man sanding ma homa. Michaal was a vary possassiva man, and ha would dafinitaly ba upsat to saa ma with anothar man. ¡°Evar sinca you got back togathar with him, you''va raally changad. You''rataly unlika tha parson that you usad to ba,¡± Nichs said, looking straight into my ayas with an inscruta axprassion. ¡°Evaryona changas for tha ona thay truly lova,¡± I rapliad lightly, still upsat that ha had rafusad to spill tha baans aarliar. Aftar that, I climbad into my car andft. I drova homa slowly. In tha snca of tha car, I turnad Nichs'' words ovar and ovar again in my haad. I just can''t figura out what Laanna will do naxt! Nichs said sha hada praparad this tima. What axactly is har n? Michaal was waiting for ma in our living room whan I finally raachad homa. Ha frownad in disasura at my gatting homa sota. ¡°Who did you hava dinnar with tonight? Why did you gat homa sota?¡± ha askad lightly, but thara was a hint of disapproval in his voica. Nichs had alraady put ma in a foul mood, but haaring tha tona of Michaal''s voica, my mood bacama worsa. I looked at him evenly and turned around to head upstairs. I refused to answer his silly questions. He had not expected me to react that way. He watched me walk away from him with his mouth open in shock. Then, he strode angrily after me. He entered our bedroom and shut the door behind him. He red at me in displeasure. ¡°I asked you a question earlier. Didn''t you hear me?¡± His tone was sharp, and his eyes were flickering with an angry me. ¡°Do I have to report everything I do to you? Do I question you in this manner when you go out for meals with your colleagues?¡± I retorted in a cold voice, looking straight into his eyes. Our rtionship had be quite tense ofte due to Leanne''s reappearance. I did not have the energy to entertain his silliness that night and neither did I want to argue with him. ¡°I... You are a woman and I am a man! It''s not the same! It''s normal for me to socialize! Don''t forget that you are a woman and that is improper!¡± he shouted in a domineering voice after getting over the initial shock. I can''t believe he''s being so sexist! I felt my temper re. Why is it okay for a man to socialize, but not for a woman to do the same? It''s for work purposes, anyway! ¡°Is it wrong for me to have dinner with a business client just because I am a woman?¡± I took a deep breath and tried to suppress my temper. ¡°Anna Garcia, are you trying to pick a fight with me tonight? Your temper has been very short ofte!¡± Michael red at me angrily. The dissatisfaction and displeasure were clear on his face. ¡°My tempertely is all because of you and the sudden reappearance of your ex-girlfriend! She''s popping up everywhere! Do you really expect me to still be my usual happy self? I''m sorry, but I''m not a selfless saint!¡± In truth, I was not really angry with Michael. My foul mood was all because of Nichs. Lately, Michael and I had been arguing a lot about Leanne. I had no idea what she was nning to do, and that thought distressed me. If we were to carry on in this way, we would eventually grow to resent one another. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Anna, can you stop worrying about her? I have already turned down her advances. Besides, she hasn''t been showing up ofte. What''s the matter with you tonight? Why did you suddenly bring her up again?¡± Michael frowned at the mention of Leanne''s name. A look of disgust crossed his face. ¡°You really don''t understand, do you? She is a ticking time bomb! She could explode in our faces at any time!¡± I truly did not think that Nichs would say things to me just for the sake of scaring me. He was a level- headed man, so he would not make statements like that unless he knew something was going on. ¡°Whatever Leanne is nning to do will not affect us! I promise you that I will never get back together with her. No matter what happens, you''re the only woman for me!¡± Michael dered in a serious tone. He walked over to my side and wrapped his arms around me. I believed Michael''s words, but my heart was still not at peace. I cared for Michael too much, and I was afraid of what might happen. ¡°Forget it. I don''t want to talk about it anymore. I''m very tired. I''m going to take a shower and go to bed.¡± I wanted to say more about the matter, but when I saw the look in his eyes, I swallowed my words and headed to the bathroom. I shouldn''t treat him this way. This entire situation isn''t his fault anyway! Michael watched me disappear into the bathroom. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out of his mouth. I took a cold shower to calm myself down. It was true that my temper had been quite shorttely. I was never like this, but ever since Leanne reappeared in our lives, I had lost my temper with Michael at every turn. Michael had always been a proud man. His patience with metely was more than I could hope for. If he did not truly love me, he would not have tolerated me for so long. Chapter 569 Chapter 569 When I got out of the shower, Michael was seated by the edge of the bed, waiting for me. The cold shower had quenched my temper. I felt guilty when I recalled the way I had treated Michael. Whatever happened earlier that day had nothing to do with Michael. Yet, I had made it like it had all been his fault. ¡°Why aren''t you sleeping yet?¡± I asked, breaking the silence. Michael had been gazing at me silently the entire time. ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± Michael replied lightly. There was a tender look in his eyes as he continued gazing at me. ¡°I''m sorry about the way I acted earlier. I lost my temper with you.¡± I had been very short-tempered with Michaeltely, always looking for his faults, while he has done nothing but try tofort me. Michael had put up with a lot for my sake. ¡°It''s fine. You were in a bad mood. I understand if you needed to vent your anger,¡± Michael said softly. Then, he pulled me into his arms. My eyes teared up, touched by his words. If it were not for Leanne''s sudden reappearance, the two of us would be living in bliss. Sadly, we had been arguing a lottely because of Leanne. Luckily for me, Michael''s affections for me had not changed. Otherwise, it would not be a surprise for us to have separated by then. ¡°Could you please tell me what really happened tonight? Did you see Leanne?¡± Michael asked, circling back to the same old problem again. ¡°No, I just had a little bit too much to drink tonight and felt irritable. That''s all,¡± I lied, barely able to meet Michael''s eyes. I did not want to tell him what happened with Nichs earlier that night. The two of us already had enough trouble with Leanne''s reappearance. If Michael were to find out that I had dinner with Nichs that night, he would definitely be upset. ¡°Stop overthinking, okay? Leanne can''t do any harm. No matter what she does, the woman that I love will always be you. I feel nothing for her,¡± Michael whispered into my ear as he pulled me in for a hug. When I got out of the shower, Michael was seated by the edge of the bed, waiting for me. Whan I got out of tha showar, Michaal was saatad by tha adga of tha bad, waiting for ma. Tha cold showar had quanchad my tampar. I falt guilty whan I racad tha way I had traatad Michaal. Whatavar happanad aarliar that day had nothing to do with Michaal. Yat, I had mada it lika it had all baan his fault. ¡°Why aran''t you aping yat?¡± I askad, braaking tha snca. Michaal had baan gazing at ma sntly tha antira tima. ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± Michaal rapliad lightly. Thara was a tandar look in his ayas as ha continuad gazing at ma. ¡°I''m sorry about tha way I actad aarliar. I lost my tampar with you.¡± I had baan vary short-tamparad with Michaaltaly, always looking for his faults, wh ha has dona nothing but try tofort ma. Michaal had put up with a lot for my saka. ¡°It''s fina. You wara in a bad mood. I undarstand if you naadad to vant your angar,¡± Michaal said softly. Than, ha pud ma into his arms. My ayas taarad up, touchad by his words. If it wara not for Laanna''s suddan raappaaranca, tha two of us would ba living in bliss. Sadly, wa had baan arguing a lottaly bacausa of Laanna. Luckily for ma, Michaal''s affactions for ma had not changad. Otharwisa, it would not ba a surprisa for us to hava saparatad by than. ¡°Could you asa tall ma what raally happanad tonight? Did you saa Laanna?¡± Michaal askad, circling back to tha sama old prom again. ¡°No, I just had a lit bit too much to drink tonight and falt irrita. That''s all,¡± I liad, baraly a to maatC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Michaal''s ayas. I did not want to tall him what happanad with Nichs aarliar that night. Tha two of us alraady had anough trou with Laanna''s raappaaranca. If Michaal wara to find out that I had dinnar with Nichs that night, ha would dafinitaly ba upsat. ¡°Stop ovarthinking, okay? Laanna can''t do any harm. No mattar what sha doas, tha woman that I lova will always ba you. I faal nothing for har,¡± Michaal whisparad into my aar as ha pud ma in for a hug. It looked like Michael did not doubt my words at all. ¡°I know I am the only one in your heart. I shouldn''t have unloaded all my emotions on you tonight.¡± I was still feeling guilty over the way I had treated Michael. After all, I really had overreacted earlier. ¡°It''s gettingte. Let''s get some rest.¡± Michael hugged me close and did not say anything further. Over the next few days, Leanne did not appear at all. It made me doubt what Nichs had said to me that day. I was d that she did not appear. Nobody was trying to destroy my rtionship with Michael. Hence, I began to rx. However, each time I let my guard down, something would happen. I was busy in the office when my phone rang. Then, I saw Leanne''s name on the screen. My heart began to race and I felt paralyzed from panic. After a long while, I finally answered the call. Why should I run from her? I''m the one who Michael loves. Why should I be so fearful? ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted her coldly. ¡°Anna,e meet me. There''s someone I''d like you to meet,¡± Leanne''s voice was equally cold. ¡°I''m not interested,¡± I said simply. I wanted to hang up the phone there and then. Why should I do whatever she wants me to do? Why should I meet someone just because she says so? I snorted in disdain. I would not let her seed in whatever evil n she had masterminded. ¡°Well, the choice is yours. However, if you refuse to meet him, then I will bring him to Michael directly. I believe Michael will be very surprised to see him,¡± Leanne threatened in a smug voice. Panic shed through me. I was sure that whoever she wanted me to meet was no ordinary man. ¡°Who is it that you want me to meet?¡± My mind would not allow me to rx until I met this person. ¡°You''ll find out when you get here. I''m at the caf¨¦ not far from your office. You have ten minutes. If you''re not here by then, I''ll be gone, and you will regret it.¡± After those final threatening words, Leanne hung up the call without giving me another chance to speak. I listened to the empty, beeping tone and frowned in distress. My heart started beating wildly. Could this be the beginning of the n that Nichs said Leanne had masterminded? Who is this person that she is so desperate for me to meet? My mind was a mess, but I quickly pulled on my jacket and headed to the cafe. When I arrived, I caught sight of Leanne almost immediately. She was dressed in a light pink sundress and was sipping on a cup of coffee leisurely. She sneered when she met my eyes. Then, she stood up and walked toward me. ¡°Let''s go then,¡± she said coldly once she had stopped in front of me. She turned and led the way. ¡°Who is this person?¡± I asked anxiously. I had been following along behind her for a short while and could no longer suppress my distress. ¡°Don''t be so impatient. You''ll find out soon enough. I believe you will be very surprise once you meet him.¡± The more anxious I felt, the more Leanne refused to reveal the identity of the person to me. There was a cruel light in her eyes when she looked at me. She seemed sure that she would seed in hurting me today. I frowned, trying my best to suppress my temper. Nobody would be happy in my shoes at that moment. I had no choice but to y along with the games of my rival. I waspletely in the dark of what was coming. I followed Leanne into a residential area. She led us into a small three-bedroom apartment. ¡°Leanne, what are we doing here? What exactly are you trying to do?¡± I asked her in a steely voice. I could no longer suppress the anger boiling in me. Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Leanne did not take offense at my hostile tone; instead, she knocked on one of the bedroom doors and said gently, ¡°Melvin, there is a guest here. Doe out for a while.¡± I looked at Leanne in confusion, wondering what she was up to. I just could not figure her out, today but, deep inside, I had a bad premonition. Instantly, my eyes were glued to the bedroom door and in a short while, a little boy of about five or six years of age emerged. My heart skipped a beat. His face showed a strong resemnce to Leanne''s. It did not take a rocket scientist to know that the two were rted. After taking a deep breath, I tried my best to calm down. Then, I turned my gaze to Leanne and asked in a in tone, ¡°Is this your child?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Leanne held the little boy named Melvin in her arms, her face a picture of tenderness. ¡°I didn''t expect you to have a child this age. Since you are already the mother of a child, why would you want toe back for Michael?¡± When I said this, I turned my attention to her child. Actually, I was a little afraid that Leanne would suddenly tell me that this child was fathered by Michael. In fact, I thought that was highly probable. If this child was her child with someone else, then she had absolutely no reason to let me know. ¡°This child is mine and Michael''s. For so many years, I have been raising him alone but he needs a father''s love. As a mother, I want him to have all the love he needs. Sure enough, her words confirmed my suspicion. Although I had mentally prepared myself, when I heard what she said, my heart could not help but tremble fiercely, as if it had been shed by a knife. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It turned out that they had a child between them. This was something I found difficult ining to terms with. Nheless, I had always been strong, especially in front of my rivals. I stared at Leanne icily and after a deep breath, I was able to calm myself. ¡°Since this child is Michael''s, I shall inform him that you have a son fathered by him when I go back tonight. I shall respect his decision. If he wishes to support the child, I have no objections. In fact, I shall take care of him well for you.¡± I said this nonchntly, pretending not to mind, but, in reality, I was feeling very bad. Leanne was looking at me with a triumphant gaze, but when she heard what I said, her face turned pale. ¡°Anna, what do you mean by this?¡± Leanne looked at me angrily. ¡°Have I not expressed myself clearly enough? Didn''t you say that a child needs a father''s love? I shall be kind enough to fulfill that need. During this period, I shall discuss with Michael and take Melvin home for a few days to adapt to us. Knowing what was on her mind, I felt indescribable pleasure in seeing Leanne turn ashen-faced. Even though I could not ept Michael having an illegitimate child, I would not let her carry out her ns. ¡°Little boy, is your name Melvin? I''m Anna. Perhaps, I''ll be your other Mommy very soon.¡± I put on a friendly face and looked at Melvin, smiling broadly. I could not tell for sure if the child was Michael''s. Even if he was, I would feel no fondness for him. After all, he was Leanne''s son. Nheless, children are innocent, no matter what the parents have done. Therefore, I have no reason to hold any grudges against him. Perhaps, he was scared by what I said all of a sudden. A little fearfully, he hid behind Leanne, peeping at me from behind her. I am not sure if I was mistaken, but from the first time I set my eyes on this child, I had a feeling that he was not an intelligent boy as if he was born this way. ¡°Anna Garcia, don''t go overboard!¡± After Leanne heard my words, her whole body trembled with anger. I had made it very clear that if Leanne insisted on giving the child back to Michael, then I would be the child''s stepmother. I would never let her rece me. ¡°I think it''s very reasonable of me to tolerate my hubby having an illegitimate child outside. Anyone else will think that I''m being very generous, won''t they?¡± With a sneer, I turned my gaze upon Leanne. Do not imagine that I am ignorant of what''s going on in your mind. You are trying to force your way back to Michael using your son. If this child were really Michael''s, I did not know what he would do, but I could be certain that he would never let this woman take my ce. At most, he would bear the responsibility to support the child. Even though I was very upset, I could understand that they had been together and done what lovers do, naturally. However, the fact that he did not know about his child was quite puzzling to me. ¡°Anna! How dare you!¡± Leanne red at me angrily as if wanting to say something but I was struggling to control myself and had no wish to hear any more nonsense from her. ¡°I''ll discuss this with Michael tonight. I have already met the child you wanted me to see. If that is all, please excuse me. I have to leave now.¡± Having said that in the coldest voice I could manage, I turned around to leave, ignoring her. After I had walked some distance away, I could no longer control myself, and my whole body started to tremble. All of a sudden, I had discovered that my husband had an illegitimate child. In front of Leanne, I concealed it very well, but the heartache I felt deep inside was known only to me. After returning to the office, I was not in the mood to work at all, and my mind was full of Michael''s illegitimate child. Now I understood what Nichs meant when he told me that Leanne hade prepared, this time. To me, this was really a nasty shock. I could never have imagined something so outrageous actually happening. Today, Leanne had brought me to meet the child which meant that Michael did not know of his existence. After work, when I went home, Michael was not back yet. Absentmindedly, I greeted the Shaw family and returned to my room. I was not quite good at hiding my emotions and I was worried that they would see through me. They were very smart and were able to read me very well. Chapter 571 Chapter 571 I was alone in my bedroom, feeling terribly disturbed. I did not know how to ask Michael about this matter, as I was afraid that the answer he gave would be uneptable to me. I really could not ept any replies that would be damaging to our rtionship. In the evening, when Michael came home, he saw me walking to and fro in our bedroom. His handsome brows knitted and he looked at me with a puzzled expression. ¡°What''s the matter? Are you ill?¡± Michael put down his attach¨¦ case and walked up to me, looking at me with concern in his eyes. Looking at his handsome face, I was reminded of the child Leanne wanted me to meet; instinctively, I pushed him away. ¡°Why are you acting crazy again? Are you having another episode?¡± My moods have been weirdtely and when Michael saw me acting this way, he became angry quite obviously. ¡°Michael, there is something I want to talk to you about.¡± If he lost his temper with me for no reason, I would definitely be angry, but now I was not in the mood to disagree with him over anything. What I cared about was the problem with Melvin, and what concerned me was the question of the child Leanne had with him. Michael could see that I was serious, so he did not say anything else even though he was angry. He looked into my eyes and asked quietly,¡± What''s it about?¡± I looked him squarely in the eyes, and asked him in a serious tone, ¡°Have you ever slept with Leanne?¡± Presumably, he did not expect such a question. Michael was at first surprised, and then, angry. ¡°Anna Garcia, will you stop harping on that? Leanne has disappeared from our lives,tely. Why do you keep talking constantly about what happened in the past between her and me? What''s the use in questioning that?¡± Michael''s brows were knitted tight and he looked at me with displeasure in his gaze which I could discern. He was really upset with the question I asked. ¡°I am not harping about that, am I? Now, between the two of you, there is suddenly an extra child. Shouldn''t I figure out what''s going on? My man has an illegitimate child with his ex-girlfriend, and I only found that out only today. Do you know what a huge blow that is to me?¡± At his words, I replied in a voice choked with emotion. At the same time, my eyes were blurry with tears, and my heart was broken into fragments. I do not know why things turned out this way, or why our rtionship was always under threat. In fact, I was also a very possessive woman, so when I thought about my man once making love with other women in bed, my heart ached as if being squeezed tightly by someone''s hand. ¡°Child? What child?¡± Michael had detected the main point in my words. Looking me directly in the eyes, he asked in a serious tone. ¡°Leanne met me today. She showed me the child you two had. It''s a boy, about five or six years old. Michael Shaw, you owe me an exnation.¡± I took a deep breath and tried my best to calm down, as I looked into Michael''s eyes and questioned him in a cold voice. This was no trivial matter for the both of us. I believed that Michael owed me an exnation. The sudden appearance of an Illegitimate child was a threat to our rtionship. ¡°Impossible! We could never have had a child.¡± On hearing my reply, Michael immediately denied it, with a determined look on his face. ¡°There is already a child. How could I believe you when you say that you two could not possibly have one? Michael, I suddenly feel that I am such a fool. This is such an important issue. Do you know that when I found out about this matter today, I felt like a zombie? Do you know how much I had to bear in order to stay calm in front of Leanne and not flee in fright? When I saw the child today, my whole mind went nk. If I hadn''t calmed myself, maybe I would have fled in a hurry.¡± ¡°We have never touched her. How could we have a child?¡± Michael yelled out these words in reply. Presumably because of my distrust, he was furious. His voice was very loud, filled with fury, leaving me inplete shock. I stood there,pletely unmoving, staring at his eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Perhaps, he, too, felt that there was something wrong with his attitude. Michael looked at me with an expression full of guilt. Then he put his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes solemnly, ¡°I have never slept with Leanne, so she could not have been pregnant with my child, let alone have my child. Are you satisfied with this answer?¡± ¡°I cannot believe that you two were in a rtionship but have never been in bed together. Are you trying to console me, Michael? Do you know that this type of consoling is useless? What I want to know is how you are going to handle this matter.¡± Even though the words hade from the horse''s mouth, I did not believe what he said. They were together as a couple, each with needs and desires. How could they have refrained from having sex? ¡°Anna Garcia, listen to me. I''m telling the truth. I''m not consoling you!¡± At my words, Michael red at me angrily with displeasure in his gaze. I could see that he was truly solemn and my heart jumped uncontrobly. I just did not know if he was telling the truth or not. From the time we were together, Michael had never lied to me about anything. So, I should trust him. Yet, I had seen the child today with my own eyes. If they had never been to bed before, would Leanne be stupid enough to just find any child and put on this charade? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Leanne was a smart woman and so she would never do anything so foolish. Hence, I was torn apart. What was going on? Did Michael father that child? Did they ever have sex when they were together? ¡°Can you confirm that you did not have sex with her during the time you were together?¡± With tearful eyes, I looked into Michael''s eyes and sorrowfully asked this question again. Of course, I hoped that their rtionship was not sexual. After all, no woman would want to know that her man had had an intimate rtionship with another woman. ¡°I''ll say it again for thest time. I''ve never slept with Leanne! I''ve never touched her! Anna Garcia, if you ask this kind of question again, I''ll be really angry!¡± Michael replied to my question with a firm voice and a steady tone. Chapter 572 Chapter 572 ¡°Are you sure you never slept with her? If what you''re saying is true, why did she let me see the child and say it''s yours? Leanne would never be this dumb, would she?¡± I stared at Michael dismally, not knowing what on earth was going on. If he were telling the truth, there was no way Leanne would be so stupid as to im a random boy as their child. If Michael had never even touched her, there wouldn''t be a kid in the first ce. What the hell was going on now, then? At that moment, I waspletely lost. I didn''t know what was happening; all I felt was that there was something else behind the scenes. ¡°I''ll look into this, but I''ll make it clear to you¡ªthe boy isn''t mine.¡± Michael spoke firmly as he gazed into my eyes, looking slightly frustrated. I furrowed my brows. Deep down, I knew I trusted him. I was just so confused as to what this was all about. ¡°Okay, fine. I believe you. Are you happy now?¡± Michael was ticked off by my distrust toward him, and I could see the rage in his eyes when he looked at me. ¡°Am I that untrustworthy of a man to you, Anna?¡± The man ced his hands on my shoulder as he stared at me unhappily. Indeed, I was furious when I just came back until Michael exined things to me. I still felt a little doubtful after that, but I decided to believe him. Hence, I felt slightly at fault for his anger. Sometimes, I would be so ovee by anger that I would lose my temper at him without thinking things through. ¡°I''m sorry, okay? I didn''t mean it. I was upset only because I care about you. Could you please just let this go?¡± While speaking coquettishly, I threw myself into the man''s arms and wrapped myself around him. It really was my fault today. I was too distrusting of him. Although I knew that Michael only had feelings for me now, I couldn''t be sure how much he used to like Leanne. That was why I feared that the past woulde between us one day. ¡°Are you sure you never slept with her? If what you''re saying is true, why did she let me see the child and say it''s yours? Leanne would never be this dumb, would she?¡± ¡°Ara you sura you navar pt with har? If what you''ra saying is trua, why did shat ma saa tha child and say it''s yours? Laanna would navar ba this dumb, would sha?¡± I starad at Michaal dismally, not knowing what on aarth was going on. If ha wara talling tha truth, thara was no way Laanna would ba so stupid as to im a random boy as thair child. If Michaal had navar avan touchad har, thara wouldn''t ba a kid in tha first ca. What tha hall was going on now, than? At that momant, I wastaly lost. I didn''t know what was happaning; all I falt was that thara was somathing alsa bahind tha scanas. ¡°I''ll look into this, but I''ll maka it ar to you¡ªtha boy isn''t mina.¡± Michaal spoka firmly as ha gazad into my ayas, looking slightly frustratad. I furrowad my brows. Daap down, I knaw I trustad him. I was just so confusad as to what this was all about. ¡°Okay, fina. I baliava you. Ara you happy now?¡± Michaal was tickad off by my distrust toward him, and I could saa tha raga in his ayas whan ha lookad at ma. ¡°Am I that untrustworthy of a man to you, Anna?¡± Tha man cad his hands on my shouldar as ha starad at ma unhappily. Indaad, I was furious whan I just cama back until Michaal axinad things to ma. I still falt a lit doubtful aftar that, but I dacidad to baliava him. Hanca, I falt slightly at fault for his angar. Somatimas, I would ba so ovaa by angar that I would losa my tampar at him without thinking things through. ¡°I''m sorry, okay? I didn''t maan it. I was upsat only bacausa I cara about you. Could you asa justt this go?¡± Wh spaaking coquattishly, I thraw mysalf into tha man''s arms and wrappad mysalf around him. It raally was my fault today. I was too distrusting of him. Although I knaw that Michaal only had faalings for ma now, I couldn''t ba sura how much ha usad to lika Laanna. That was why I faarad that tha past woulda batwaan us ona day. ¡°That''s it? You misunderstood me like that, but you''re not doing anything to make things up to me?¡± Michael raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at me with displeasure. I must have angered him for real. ¡°What else should I do, then? I''ve apologized, no?¡± I asked dejectedly while gazing back at him. I was really in the wrong today, but why was he being so petty? It wasn''t like I did it on purpose. I was mad only because he mattered so much to me. ¡°Since you''re aware that I never touched Leanne throughout the three years we were together, you should know how terrible it must have been for me. So, don''t you think you should do something to satisfy my needs?¡± Right after he said that, I noticed the hint of lust in his eyes. Of course, I knew what he was thinking given all the time we had spent together. Still, I couldn''t help but be dumbfounded at how he could easily change the subject right after we had just gotten into an argument. ¡°You know, I don''t think you were even angry. I''d say you were just waiting for a chance to bring this up.¡± I shot Michael a re. How was I supposed to be in the mood for such activities when my blood was boiling like this? Besides, Leanne was like a ticking time bomb for us. Was he not worried about that at all? ¡°You know me so well. God knows how many times you''ve turned me down just because you ''weren''t in the mood.'' But no matter what you say today, you''re going to have to satisfy me, or I''ll be p*ssed off for real. You''re the one who misunderstood me first this time.¡± Michael nced at me unscrupulously, having no intention to hide his true motive. This man always said what was on his mind, and that really bothered me. Couldn''t he at least mask his feelings a little? Despite being annoyed by the smug expression on his face, I felt sorry for misunderstanding him. Thus, I didn''t turn him down although I wasn''t in the mood. I had indeed been a little cold to him these days, and the fact that he didn''t lose his temper over what happened today showed how patient he had been with me. With that in mind, I removed my clothes, walked toward the man, and began to seduce him. Michael arched a brow at how seductive I was today. With a devious look in his eyes, he pinned me down to the bed immediately. He had always taken the lead in bed, and this time, he was like an unrestrained horse¡ªjust like usual. I lost count of how long this tormentsted. I was already exhausted from work today, so honestly, I had no idea how I managed to make it all the way until the end of this session. When Michael was done, he sprawled on top of me and panted heavily. Meanwhile, I no longer had a single ounce of strength left in me. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± I pouted in response to the man''s question. I had no clue as to how he had so much energy for lovemaking. ¡°If you''re not satisfied, we can always go for another round,¡± added Michael as he gazed at me mischievously. ¡°No, it''s fine,¡± I hurriedly answered. ¡°It''s gettingte. Get some rest.¡± The only thing I had in mind now was to sleep. If we were to have another round, we would only wrap up by midnight. I certainly wasn''t up for that. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Are you sure? We hadn''t done it for such a long time. Is once really enough for you?¡± The smile in his eyes grew wider as he deliberately drew circles on my chest as though trying to tempt me. ¡°Yes, I''m sure. Go to sleep. You haven''t taken care of things with Leanne. I was already kind enough to satisfy you once.¡± I intentionally dropped Leanne''s name, hoping to ruin his mood so that he wouldn''t think of having another go. I was already in a sour mood today, so I was already being benevolent to have satisfied him once. There wouldn''t be a second time. Chapter 573 Chapter 573 ¡°Are you deliberately trying to p*ss me off, Anna?¡± Michael''s voice wasced with fury as he turned to me. I had been feeling a little guilty over what happened earlier tonight, but now, all the wrath I felt inside vanished as soon as he said those words. It appeared that I wasn''t the only one who felt restless at the mention of Leanne''s name; in fact, Michael seemed to grow even more irritated than I did. I said nothing more, and neither did he. He merely gave me a cold nce before rolling off me and pulling me in an embrace. The two of us stayed silent for the rest of the night. I guessed that he, too, knew that Leanne would be an obstacle for us to ovee. It was only after waking up the next day that I remembered it was the weekend, so Michael didn''t have to go to work unless something important came up. As soon as I opened my eyes, I noticed him staring at my body with a faint smile. ¡°It''s the weekend. Aren''t you going to sleep in?¡± I asked nonchntly. ¡°I''ll be meeting Leanne in a bit.¡± My heart jumped at his words as I turned to him in shock, an inexplicit feeling of difort in surfacing in my chest. ¡°For what?¡± I asked in a slightly peeved tone. Michael and Leanne hadn''t met in a while, and even though I knew that he no longer had feelings for her, my selfish side didn''t want them to have anything to do with each other. ¡°What else? To take care of things, of course. Would you ever be at ease if I don''t get to the bottom of who that child belongs to?¡± The man''s brows creased slightly as he shot me a downcast gaze. He must have remembered what I had told himst night. Despite feeling a little troubled, I didn''t think I was at fault. Rather, I felt this way all because of this man''s ex-girlfriend. None of these issues between us would have urred if she had never shown up. In other words, it was his fault. If he had never been with Leanne, none of this would have happened. ¡°Are you deliberately trying to p*ss me off, Anna?¡± Michael''s voice wasced with fury as he turned to me. ¡°Ara you dalibarataly trying to p*ss ma off, Anna?¡± Michaal''s voica wascad with fury as ha turnad to ma. I had baan faaling a lit guilty ovar what happanad aarliar tonight, but now, all tha wrath I falt insida vanishad as soon as ha said thosa words. It appaarad that I wasn''t tha only ona who falt rasss at tha mantion of Laanna''s nama; in fact, Michaal saamad to grow avan mora irritatad than I did. I said nothing mora, and naithar did ha. Ha maraly gava ma a cold nca bafora rolling off ma and pulling ma in an ambraca. Tha two of us stayad snt for tha rast of tha night. I guassad that ha, too, knaw that Laanna would ba an obsta for us to ovaa. It was only aftar waking up tha naxt day that I ramambarad it was tha waakand, so Michaal didn''t hava to go to work uss somathing important cama up. As soon as I opanad my ayas, I noticad him staring at my body with a faint sm. ¡°It''s tha waakand. Aran''t you going to ap in?¡± I askad nonchntly. ¡°I''ll ba maating Laanna in a bit.¡± My haart jumpad at his words as I turnad to him in shock, an inaxplicit faaling of difort in surfacing in my chast. ¡°For what?¡± I askad in a slightly paavad tona. Michaal and Laanna hadn''t mat in a wh, and avan though I knaw that ha no longar had faalings for har, my salfish sida didn''t want tham to hava anything to do with aach othar. ¡°What alsa? To taka cara of things, of coursa. Would you avar ba at aasa if I don''t gat to tha bottom of who that child balongs to?¡± Tha man''s brows craasad slightly as ha shot ma a downcast gaza. Ha must hava ramambarad what I had told himst night. Daspita faaling a lit troud, I didn''t think I was at fault. Rathar, I falt this way all bacausa of this man''s ax-girlfriand. Nona of thasa issuas batwaan us would hava urrad if sha had navar shown up. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. In othar words, it was his fault. If ha had navar baan with Laanna, nona of this would hava happanad. ¡°I''ming with you. I don''t feel good about you going alone,¡± I dered with a huff. I wanted to find out about the child no matter what. Although I was already aware that the boy didn''t belong to Michael, there had to be more to this story. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Michael easily saw through me and agreed, albeit frowning slightly. He then gave Leanne a call after breakfast. ¡°Michael? You have finally called! I''ve been trying to reach you but to no avail! Do you have any idea how much I''ve missed you?¡± Not waiting for the man to speak, Leanne began to bber away in excitement as soon as she picked up. ¡°Where are you now, Leanne? I need to see you.¡± Michael remained stone-faced; there was no change in his expression regardless of what Leanne had said. I sat down next to him and made him switch to speakerphone just so I could hear what Leanne was saying. I felt goosebumps upon hearing those words. This woman simply had no self-respect. Michael had clearly rejected her so many times, and yet she continued to go after him and talk to him in such a way. ¡°You''re finally taking the initiative to see me. Let''s meet at our usual caf¨¦ in twenty minutes. I''ll be waiting for you.¡± From the way she spoke, I could tell how ted she was. The call ended, and my heart stung at the thought of what Leanne had just said. I didn''t think these two used to have a usual dating spot. Michael kept silent after hanging up. I did, too, although I felt extremely bitter considering my man was about to meet his ex at their ¡°usual ce.¡± To say I waspletely fine would be a lie. We soon arrived at the entrance to a caf¨¦, and I felt even more vexed over the fact that the ce looked like it was meant for dates. ¡°I didn''t think you''d still remember your old date spots so clearly¡ªeven after not contacting each other all these years. She really is your first love, huh?¡± I remarked bitterly while remaining in the passenger seat. Michael, who had already unbuckled his seatbelt and was about to alight the vehicle, stopped in his tracks and turned to me. ¡°I''m here to solve the problem today. If you''re going to be jealous, can you at least wait till we get home?¡± he asked, sounding rather helpless. Embarrassed flooded me as the man easily guessed how I felt, and my first instinct was to put up a front no matter how obvious my feelings may have looked. ¡°Who says I''m jealous? I''m not jealous. You''re thinking too much.¡± ¡°All right, sure. You''re not jealous, and I''m just thinking too much. Whatever you say.¡± I then quietly followed him out of the car. What mattered most right now was to deal with Leanne and the child. Truthfully, I was really curious. If this child wasn''t Michael''s, whose was it? Judging from the boy''s appearance, he did resemble Leanne quite a bit, so he was definitely her biological son. He didn''t look very much like Michael, though. I shook my head and forced these thoughts out of my mind. It didn''t matter who the child belonged to, anyway. It would just be a matter of time until the truth dawned on us, and we would soon find out what Leanne was up to. Taking a deep breath, I walked closer to Michael, held him by the arm, and leaned slightly onto him. I wanted Leanne to see me and know that Michael was mine. I knew I was deliberately taunting her, but I didn''t care. I was Michael''s woman in the first ce, after all. Leanne was just a third party trying to ruin our rtionship. I spotted Leanne''s silhouette as soon as we walked into the store, and I bet Michael did too. The woman wore a pale blue dress, which made her look ever-so-innocent. Anyone who didn''t know her true colors would have been fooled by how demure she looked. ¡°Michael!¡± Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Leanne''s face lit up as she saw Michael, but I saw the hatred in her eyes the moment she realized I was next to him. ¡°What are you doing here, Anna Garcia?¡± There was an interrogative tone in her voice. ¡°Why can''t I be here? My husband''s here, so isn''t it only natural that I''m with him? Are you mad that I''m interrupting your alone time with him?¡± My lips curved into a disdainful smirk upon seeing how infuriated she became, and I gazed at her frostily. ¡°You!¡± Leanne was no match for me whenever we argued. I was no pushover. She could probably eat me alive if we were only with Michael, but I would never back down if there were other people around like now. ¡°Why are you always so persistent, Anna? Why do you have to butt in every single time I meet Michael? Don''t you know how annoying you are?¡± the woman demanded in exasperation. There were many couples enjoying their date here, and all of them turned to us with strange looks on their faces as they heard Leanne''s words. With a slight frown, Michael shot them a nce, causing them to turn away hastily. ¡°Those words should being out of my mouth instead. You''re the one who can''t get over Michael, and you keep going after him. If you have the slightest bit of self-respect in you, you''d best not show up in front of Michael again,¡± I replied icily with no regard for the other patrons'' gazes. Leanne was the homewrecker here, after all; why should I have to care about what others think when I''d done nothing wrong? ¡°That''s enough. Let''s get down to business.¡± Just as Leanne was about to respond, Michael finally jumped in while giving her an impatient look. The three of us sat at a table. Seated next to Michael, I hugged his arm affectionately. The more furiously Leanne red at me, the more ecstatic I felt. Leanne''s face lit up as she saw Michael, but I saw the hatred in her eyes the moment she realized I was next to him. Laanna''s faca lit up as sha saw Michaal, but I saw tha hatrad in har ayas tha momant sha raalizad I was naxt to him. ¡°What ara you doing hara, Anna Garcia?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Thara was an intarrogativa tona in har voica. ¡°Why can''t I ba hara? My husband''s hara, so isn''t it only natural that I''m with him? Ara you mad that I''m intarrupting your alona tima with him?¡± My lips curvad into a disdainful smirk upon saaing how infuriatad sha bacama, and I gazad at har frostily. ¡°You!¡± Laanna was no match for ma whanavar wa arguad. I was no pushovar. Sha could probably aat ma aliva if wa wara only with Michaal, but I would navar back down if thara wara othar pao around lika now. ¡°Why ara you always so parsistant, Anna? Why do you hava to butt in avary sin tima I maat Michaal? Don''t you know how annoying you ara?¡± tha woman damandad in axasparation. Thara wara many cous anjoying thair data hara, and all of tham turnad to us with stranga looks on thair facas as thay haard Laanna''s words. With a slight frown, Michaal shot tham a nca, causing tham to turn away hastily. ¡°Thosa words should baing out of my mouth instaad. You''ra tha ona who can''t gat ovar Michaal, and you kaap going aftar him. If you hava tha slightast bit of salf-raspact in you, you''d bast not show up in front of Michaal again,¡± I rapliad icily with no ragard for tha othar patrons'' gazas. Laanna was tha homawrackar hara, aftar all; why should I hava to cara about what othars think whan I''d dona nothing wrong? ¡°That''s anough. Lat''s gat down to businass.¡± Just as Laanna was about to raspond, Michaal finally jumpad in wh giving har an impatiant look. Tha thraa of us sat at a ta. Saatad naxt to Michaal, I huggad his arm affactionataly. Tha mora furiously Laanna rad at ma, tha mora acstatic I falt. Michael certainly noticed what I was doing. He always did, anyway. But instead of brushing me off, he even gave me a tender nce. He no longer had feelings for Leanne, and that was why it didn''t matter to him if the way he looked at me hurt her. The malice in Leanne''s eyes grew stronger, and I could see her trembling slightly. ¡°Leanne, I''m here to talk about the child,¡± Michael said coolly, breaking the silence. His voice brought Leanne back to Earth, and her eyes sparkled in response. ¡°So, you''ve decided toe back to me and the child? You haven''t met him, have you? Let me take you to him.¡± The woman couldn''t help but smile at the mention of the child, and there was nothing but joy in her eyes as she spoke. Michael''s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Okay. Take me to him,¡± he answered coldly before getting up and heading outside immediately. Meanwhile, Leanne nced at me triumphantly. ¡°Did you see that, Anna? I told you he''de back to me one day!¡± she taunted. Then, she strode out of the venue and caught up to Michael. I frowned. Isn''t it still too early for you to be gloating like this, woman? Did you not realize how cold he''s being with you? About twenty minutester, we arrived at the same ce Leanne had brought me to yesterday. The woman quickly headed into the bedroom and brought the child out with her. ¡°Melvin, this is your father. Say hi!¡± she introduced while leading the boy toward Michael. Melvin seemed to be a very timid boy, and he couldn''t help but hide behind Leanne and peek at Michael upon seeing him. Michael frowned as he stared at the boy. I couldn''t see a single trace of affection in his eyes. Maybe he felt nothing for the child. Leanne''s face turned grim at the sight of how silent the little boy was. ¡°Don''t be afraid, Melvin. This is your daddy. I''ve told you this, remember?¡± she prompted gently. Yet, Melvin continued to hide behind her, causing the woman''s scowl to deepen. ¡°Melvin! Have you forgotten what I taught you? How could you be so rude to your father?¡± Leanne had wanted to use Melvin to make Michael give in, but from the way the child was behaving now, she knew he would only end up irritating thetter. ¡°That''s enough. Don''t make things difficult for him,¡± Michael said expressionlessly after giving the boy another nce. ¡°I''m sorry, Michael. Melvin''s been a timid child ever since he was born,¡± the woman exined, seemingly worried that Michael would be upset at the boy. ¡°You may be his father, but this is his first time meeting you, so he''s rather afraid. Don''t take it to heart, okay? He''ll grow closer to you once you spend more time with each other.¡± ¡°Let him return to his room for now. I need to talk to you,¡± the man stated coldly, not sparing the child another look. ¡°Okay. Please excuse him.¡± Leanne brought the child back into the bedroom. ¡°Anyway, Michael, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?¡± she then asked with an eager smile on her face. ¡°He''s not my kid, Leanne,¡± Michael answered solemnly. The woman''s face immediately fell as soon as she heard that, and she looked visibly hurt. ¡°Do you have any idea what you''re saying, Michael? Are you not going to acknowledge Melvin as your son?¡± asked Leanne in a shaky voice, her face had turned pale. I listened to their conversation while remaining silent. This matter was between the two of them, and I didn''t n to intervene. All I came here for was to find out the truth. Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Staring into Leanne''s eyes, Michael dered earnestly, ¡°Leanne, let me make it clear to you, this child isn''t mine!¡± I wasn''t surprised by Michael''s response, for he told me that he had neverid a finger on her before. Consequently, there was no way they could have a child. Instead, I was curious to see how Leanne would react. Given how scathing Michael''s remarks were, Leanne''s face lost all color. Staggering backward in shock, she looked at Michael with a painful expression. ¡°Michael, how can you be so cruel to me? Melvin is your son, why do you refuse to acknowledge him? Do you realize he is just a child? No matter what, he is still your son. How can you say something so heartless about the boy?¡± Just as she spoke, Leanne''s face grew increasingly pale, while her eyes were glistening with sorrow. After giving her an indifferent look, Michael stood up and approached her before looking down at her with a frown. ¡°Leanne, I know with utmost certainty that this child isn''t mine, and so do you. However, why are you doing this?¡± Michael asked coldly as he stared at her in displeasure. ¡°Michael, what do you mean by that? Melvin is obviously your child. It''s one thing if you refuse to acknowledge him, but how can you malign me like that? Are you still the Michael that I know? In the past, you would never treat me so heartlessly!¡± When Leanne began to behave hysterically, I stared at her with an emotionless expression. At the same time, I wondered what was wrong with her, and what was causing her to insist that the child was Michael''s when he had already denied it. In fact, I began to suspect if there was more to it than met the eye. ¡°Leanne, you are well aware that I have never touched you before. Since we have never slept together, where did that childe from?¡± Michael demanded with a frosty tone as he stared daggers at Leanne. ¡°Michael, are you saying all these just because Anna is here? How can you im that nothing happened between us? During my twenty-second birthday, I clearly gave myself to you. Why don''t you dare admit it? Are you not man enough to do so?¡± Staring into Leanne''s eyes, Michael dered earnestly, ¡°Leanne, let me make it clear to you, this child isn''t mine!¡± Staring into Laanna''s ayas, Michaal darad aarnastly, ¡°Laanna,t ma maka it ar to you, this child isn''t mina!¡± I wasn''t surprisad by Michaal''s rasponsa, for ha told ma that ha had navarid a fingar on har bafora. Consaquantly, thara was no way thay could hava a child. Instaad, I was curious to saa how Laanna would raact. Givan how scathing Michaal''s ramarks wara, Laanna''s faca lost all color. Staggaring backward in shock, sha lookad at Michaal with a painful axprassion. ¡°Michaal, how can you ba so crual to ma? Malvin is your son, why do you rafusa to acknodga him? Do you raaliza ha is just a child? No mattar what, ha is still your son. How can you say somathing so haarss about tha boy?¡± Just as sha spoka, Laanna''s faca graw incraasingly p, wh har ayas wara glistaning with sorrow. Aftar giving har an indiffarant look, Michaal stood up and approachad har bafora looking down at har with a frown. ¡°Laanna, I know with utmost cartainty that this child isn''t mina, and so do you. Howavar, why ara you doing this?¡± Michaal askad coldly as ha starad at har in disasura. ¡°Michaal, what do you maan by that? Malvin is obviously your child. It''s ona thing if you rafusa to acknodga him, but how can you malign ma lika that? Ara you still tha Michaal that I know? In tha past, you would navar traat ma so haarssly!¡± Whan Laanna bagan to bahava hystarically, I starad at har with an amotioss axprassion. At tha sama tima, I wondarad what was wrong with har, and what was causing har to insist that tha child was Michaal''s whan ha had alraady daniad it. In fact, I bagan to suspact if thara was mora to it than mat tha aya. ¡°Laanna, you ara wall awara that I hava navar touchad you bafora. Sinca wa hava navar pt togathar, whara did that childa from?¡± Michaal damandad with a frosty tona as ha starad daggars at Laanna. ¡°Michaal, ara you saying all thasa just bacausa Anna is hara? How can you im that nothing happanad batwaan us? During my twanty-sacond birthday, I arly gava mysalf to you. Why don''t you dara admit it? Ara you not man anough to do so?¡± Leanne looked at Michael in disappointment, for she had never expected him to deny their rtionship. From the way things look, Leanne didn''t seem to be pretending at all, causing my suspicions to be aroused. Consequently, I began to question if both of them did sleep with each other and if Melvin was really their child. After all, there was no reason for her to lie about something like that to Michael at all. Doubt crept into my mind as I turned to look at Michael. Even though I hoped that Leanne was lying, the sorrow on her face told me otherwise. ¡°Your twenty-second birthday?¡± Michael furrowed his brows as if he was trying to recall something. ¡°Michael, do you remember now? That was the night I got pregnant with Melvin. When I first left, I didn''t know I was already pregnant. I had wanted to tell you then, but your mother stopped me from seeing you. Therefore, I had to wait till now before bringing my son back here to see you,¡± Leanne rattled on with a delighted expression. Staring into Leanne''s eyes, Michael finally replied after a long silence, ¡°Leanne, on your twenty-second birthday, I didn''t touch you at all. When you invited me to the hotel that night, I didn''t go because I was busy. If you did sleep with someone as you imed to have, the only possibility is that you shagged a different man.¡± The moment Michael''s words left his lips, Leanne''s smile froze. With an ashen face, she looked at Michael in disbelief. ¡°No, that''s impossible! Michael, how can you say something like that just to reject me? Do you know how important honor is to a woman? Even if you don''t want to be together with me, there''s no need for you to say such harsh words to hurt me!¡± As Leanne continued to backpedal, she gave Michael a sorrowful look, for she had not expected to receive such a response from him. Having heard what transpired, I had a good grasp of what was going on. Even though I still had no idea what exactly happened, I knew I trusted in everything Michael had said. Hence, I stepped forward and suggested calmly, ¡°If you don''t believe it, you can take Melvin for a paternity test. I''m sure the truth will be known very quickly.¡± By now, I was sure that Melvin wasn''t Michael''s child. However, the one who couldn''t ept reality was Leanne. If she wasn''t shown the truth, she would definitely refuse to give up. Therefore, the matter would be resolved once a paternity test proved that Melvin wasn''t Michael''s son. Upon hearing my voice, Leanne turned and glowered at me with her bloodshot eyes, as if she was filled with the desire to kill me. ¡°Anna, this is all your fault! You''re the reason Michael is treating me this way. It must be you who taught him to say all that, isn''t it? You truly are a wickeddy!¡± Leanne was brimming with hatred as she pointed her finger at me. The gentle aura she emitted earlier was now overwhelmed by the vicious expression on her face. Leanne''s reaction had infuriated me. Giving her an icy stare, I retorted, ¡°I''m not. Michael is telling you the truth when he says that Melvin isn''t his!¡± Even though I pitied Leanne in my heart, Michael''s exnation had caused me to heave a sigh of relief. After all, there was no way I could ept the fact that he had an illegitimate child. ¡°That''s impossible. Melvin is Michael''s child. Both of you must have agreed to set me up. Michael, I can''t believe what an irresponsible man you are. Back then, you told me that you would love me for the rest of your life. But now, you end up with someone else. Does your promise to me not mean anything at all?¡± My words had obviously fallen on deaf ears. Given that she was stuck in her belief that Melvin was Michael''s child, there was nothing either of us could say to make her see the truth. Evidently, she just wasn''t able to ept it. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Chapter 576 Chapter 576 ¡°Leanne, since you refuse to believe us, you should go ahead with the paternity test. Only by doing so would you know if both of us are really telling the truth.¡± At that moment, I found it pointless to continue arguing with Leanne, for nothing we said could get through to her. As a result, the only way to change her mind was to rely on science, hence the paternity test. After hearing my argument, Leanne fell silent while her face lost all color. Evidently, what happened today didn''t go ording to her n. She must have assumed that Michael would return to her side once he saw Melvin. Unfortunately, the matter had developed in a manner that deviated significantly from her expectation. ¡°As of now, the paternity test is the only way to determine whether the child is mine or not. If he really is, I''ll definitely take responsibility for both of you. If the result says otherwise, you had better make sure you disappear from my life.¡± Michael, who had been silent throughout, finally stated his stand while staring at Leanne with an indifferent expression. The fact that he said those words supported my conviction that the child wasn''t his. That led me to let out a long sigh of relief. After staring at Michael''s face, Leanne finally replied with an expression that was filled with anguish, ¡°Do you really think Melvin isn''t your child? Why do you resent the fact that he is our son so much?¡± ¡°My feelings and hopes are irrelevant to this entire saga. Isn''t the paternity test the only way to determine whether the child belongs to me? Leanne, don''t you want to know for certain if I''m the father?¡± Michael met Leanne''s sorrowful gaze with his usual emotionless expression. In spite of the usations she hurled at him, there was barely a minute change on his face. A long silence ensured before Leanne locked gazes with Michael and replied firmly, ¡°Fine. I''ll prove that Melvin is our child. If the paternity test shows that he is your son, I hope that you''ll keep your promise when the timees!¡± The only reason she dared to agree to it was that she truly believed Melvin was Michael''s son. Nevertheless, I sympathized with Leanne when I saw how she reacted to the matter. Since she was unwavering in her faith that her son was Michael''s, I wondered how she would take it when she finally realized she had no idea who the father truly was. In fact, I wasn''t even sure if she could take the shock of such a revtion. ¡°Leanne, since you refuse to believe us, you should go ahead with the paternity test. Only by doing so would you know if both of us are really telling the truth.¡± ¡°Laanna, sinca you rafusa to baliava us, you should go ahaad with tha patarnity tast. Only by doing so would you know if both of us ara raally talling tha truth.¡± At that momant, I found it poinss to continua arguing with Laanna, for nothing wa said could gat through to har. As a rasult, tha only way to changa har mind was to raly on scianca, hanca tha patarnity tast. Aftar haaring my argumant, Laanna fall snt wh har faca lost all color. Evidantly, what happanad today didn''t go ording to har n. Sha must hava assumad that Michaal would raturn to har sida onca ha saw Malvin. Unfortunataly, tha mattar had davalopad in a mannar that daviatad significantly from har axpactation. ¡°As of now, tha patarnity tast is tha only way to datarmina whathar tha child is mina or not. If ha raally is, I''ll dafinitaly taka rasponsibility for both of you. If tha rasult says otharwisa, you had battar maka sura you disappaar from my lifa.¡± Michaal, who had baan snt throughout, finally statad his stand wh staring at Laanna with an indiffarant axprassion. Tha fact that ha said thosa words supportad my conviction that tha child wasn''t his. Thatd ma tot out a long sigh of raliaf. Aftar staring at Michaal''s faca, Laanna finally rapliad with an axprassion that was fid with anguish, ¡°Do you raally think Malvin isn''t your child? Why do you rasant tha fact that ha is our son so much?¡± ¡°My faalings and hopas ara irrvant to this antira saga. Isn''t tha patarnity tast tha only way to datarmina whathar tha child balongs to ma? Laanna, don''t you want to know for cartain if I''m tha fathar?¡± Michaal mat Laanna''s sorrowful gaza with his usual amotioss axprassion. In spita of tha usations sha hud at him, thara was baraly a minuta changa on his faca. A long snca ansurad bafora Laanna lockad gazas with Michaal and rapliad firmly, ¡°Fina. I''ll prova that Malvin is our child. If tha patarnity tast shows that ha is your son, I hopa that you''ll kaap your promisa whan tha timaas!¡± Tha only raason sha darad to agraa to it was that sha truly baliavad Malvin was Michaal''s son. Navarthss, I sympathizad with Laanna whan I saw how sha raactad to tha mattar. Sinca sha was unwavaring in har faith that har son was Michaal''s, I wondarad how sha would taka it whan sha finally raalizad sha had no idaa who tha fathar truly was. In fact, I wasn''t avan sura if sha could taka tha shock of such a ravtion. However, that was no longer any of my business. All that mattered to me was having the paternity test prove that Melvin wasn''t Michael''s son. Michael looked into Leanne''s eyes and dered earnestly, ¡°If you can prove that he is my son, I''ll take responsibility for the two of you.¡± Locking gazes with him, Leanne felt tears welling up in her eyes. Coupled with her ashen-looking face, she looked extremely haggard. Subsequently, I walked up to Michael''s side and took his arm before suggesting softly, ¡°Let''s go.¡± Learning of the truth behind the matter came as a mental release for me. As for Leanne, there was no way a woman like her could be a threat to my rtionship with Michael. After shooting Leanne a nce, Michael turned around and left with me in tow. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After getting into Michael''s car, I heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°I didn''t expect both of you to have such aplicated history. When she wanted to give herself to you during her twenty-second birthday, were you frustrated that you never took her then?¡± The thought that Michael never took Leanne''s virginity due to being bogged down by something else gave me a sense of inexplicable relief. Even though I had long prepared myself mentally for the fact, I would still feel saddened by it. ¡°I think you''re the one who seems more frustrated by it. That smug expression on your face says it all!¡± Michael replied in resignation after rolling his eyes at me. Nevertheless, he was right. Whatever crossed my mind would never escape his notice. As if he could read my mind, he would always see through all my thoughts. ¡°So what if you know what I''m thinking? I just can''t help my delight in knowing that nothing happened between both of you despite being together for three years.¡± At that moment, I just couldn''t contain my emotions, but it barely mattered for there was no need for me to do so in front of Michael. When he saw how delighted I was, Michael simply shook his head before driving off. Upon returning to the Shaw residence, the entire family was sitting in the living room waiting for us. The stern faces on every single one of them filled me with a sense of dread. I walked up to them and greeted them with a smile, ¡°Dad, Mom, Grandpa, why are all of you gathered here?¡± Looking at Michael with a grim expression, Andy was the first to broach the topic. He asked coldly, ¡°Michael, what''s all this about Leanne''s child? Is it really yours?¡± Taking his seat on the couch nearby, Michael exined in a nonchnt tone, ¡°No, it has nothing to do with me at all.¡± ¡°How can you still say that the child isn''t yours when Leanne has brought the child out here?¡± It was obvious Andy didn''t buy Michael''s exnation as he gave thetter an angry and disappointing look. Furrowing his brows, Michael retorted with a tone that was tinged with rage, ¡°I just told you that the child isn''t mine!¡± Right when I saw Andy about to say something, I interrupted at once, ¡±Grandpa, Michael really has nothing to do with the child. We have gone to see him today and persuaded Leanne to take him for a paternity test.¡± I was well aware of the disdain the Shaw family had for Leanne. Therefore, their expressions darkened at my mention of her. After all, they too didn''t wish for the child to be Michael''s. ¡°Is the child really not Michael''s?¡± Just as I spoke, Andy gave me a skeptical look. Evidently, he wasn''t convinced that the child didn''t belong to Michael. When it was clear to me that Andy didn''t believe both of us, I dered at once, ¡°Grandpa, I guarantee that the child is undeniably not Michael''s. The result of the paternity test will definitely prove the matter beyond any doubt. Unless, of course, you don''t trust the two of us?¡± In truth, I was cognizant that the Shaw family didn''t want Leanne''s appearance toe between Michael and me. That was the reason why they treated the matter with such gravity. Hence, I was deeply grateful to them for their concern. Ever since I got back together with Michael, they had treated me exceptionally well. When Josephine saw that Andy was still angry, she stepped in to defuse the situation. ¡°All right now, Dad. Everything will be cleared up once the results of the paternity test are out. It''s pointless for you to be angry or worry about it right now. Anyway, Michael has always been sensible in whatever he does. Hence, you have to trust him when he says that Leanne''s child is not rted to him at all.¡± Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Andy shifted his attention to me and questioned in disbelief, ¡°Anna, is what you say really true? Or are you just lying to us in order to cover up for him? If he ends up having an illegitimate child, I will definitely break his legs!¡± ¡°Grandpa, I''m telling you the truth. I guarantee that Leanne''s child is definitely not Michael''s. Even if you don''t believe him, are you not going to trust me too? If that was really his child, do you think I would still be smiling right now while talking to you?¡± Despite being stumped by Andy''s reaction, my heart was still warmed by it, for I could feel that he was just trying to stand up for me. ¡°In that case, we''ll talk about this again once the results of the paternity test are out.¡± Andy was finally convinced by my words. Nheless, he still gave Michael the side-eye and snorted at him. Michael furrowed his brows. Even though he was upset, he didn''tment any further. As this was the first time the entire family ganged up on him, I couldn''t resist smiling in amusement. Upon returning to the bedroom, I was in such a good mood that I hummed a tune. After seeing Michael being lectured by his whole family, I felt inexplicably liberated. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Even though Leanne''s child was not rted to him at all, I had been feeling down in the dumps recently due to what was going on with his ex. Finally, I felt as if the Shaw family had given him a piece of their mind on my behalf. ¡°You seem to be enjoying watching me being admonished by my entire family.¡± There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Michael''s words as he came up to me with his brows slightly raised. Sensing how incendiary hisments were, I wiped the smile off my face and denied, ¡°Am I? I don''t feel like I''m in a particrly good mood.¡± Given that he was in a bad mood, I still had to hide my emotions despite how ted I felt. Pulling me into his embrace, Michael remarked with a displeased expression, ¡°Really? Why do I get the feeling that you seem to be gloating!¡± ¡°Erm, I''m happy about finding out that Leanne''s child is not rted to you. It has nothing to do with your family lecturing you.¡± My body tensed up when I felt Michael''s breath brush across my skin. Considering that he was in a bad mood, there was a risk that he would do something unpredictable. ¡°That''s more like it!¡± Andy shifted his attention to me and questioned in disbelief, ¡°Anna, is what you say really true? Or are you just lying to us in order to cover up for him? If he ends up having an illegitimate child, I will definitely break his legs!¡± Andy shiftad his attantion to ma and quastionad in disbaliaf, ¡°Anna, is what you say raally trua? Or ara you just lying to us in ordar to covar up for him? If ha ands up having an igitimata child, I will dafinitaly braak hisgs!¡± ¡°Grandpa, I''m talling you tha truth. I guarantaa that Laanna''s child is dafinitaly not Michaal''s. Evan if you don''t baliava him, ara you not going to trust ma too? If that was raally his child, do you think I would still ba smiling right now wh talking to you?¡± Daspita baing stumpad by Andy''s raaction, my haart was still warmad by it, for I could faal that ha was just trying to stand up for ma. ¡°In that casa, wa''ll talk about this again onca tha rasults of tha patarnity tast ara out.¡± Andy was finally convincad by my words. Nonathss, ha still gava Michaal tha sida-aya and snortad at him. Michaal furrowad his brows. Evan though ha was upsat, ha didn''tmant any furthar. As this was tha first tima tha antira family gangad up on him, I couldn''t rasist smiling in amusamant. Upon raturning to tha badroom, I was in such a good mood that I hummad a tuna. Aftar saaing Michaal baingcturad by his wh family, I falt inaxplicably libaratad. Evan though Laanna''s child was not rtad to him at all, I had baan faaling down in tha dumps racantly dua to what was going on with his ax. Finally, I falt as if tha Shaw family had givan him a piaca of thair mind on my bahalf. ¡°You saam to ba anjoying watching ma baing admonishad by my antira family.¡± Thara was a hint of dissatisfaction in Michaal''s words as ha cama up to ma with his brows slightly raisad. Sansing how incandiary hismants wara, I wipad tha sm off my faca and daniad, ¡°Am I? I don''t faal lika I''m in a particrly good mood.¡± Givan that ha was in a bad mood, I still had to hida my amotions daspita how tad I falt. Pulling ma into his ambraca, Michaal ramarkad with a disasad axprassion, ¡°Raally? Why do I gat tha faaling that you saam to ba gloating!¡± ¡°Erm, I''m happy about finding out that Laanna''s child is not rtad to you. It has nothing to do with your familycturing you.¡± My body tansad up whan I falt Michaal''s braath brush across my skin. Considaring that ha was in a bad mood, thara was a risk that ha would do somathing unpradicta. ¡°That''s mora lika it!¡± Satisfied with my answer, Michael eased the frosty expression on his face. I let out a long sigh, for Michael''s recent mood was just as bad as mine over Leanne''s matter. In fact, he probably felt even more frustrated than I did. The next morning, Michael and I drove to where Leanne was staying because we had agreed the night before to undergo a paternity test at the hospital on that day. Just the night before, Michael called Ronan to give him advance notice about the matter. Upon learning of Michael''s illegitimate child, Ronan widened his eyes in disbelief as his busybody instincts kicked in. Subsequently, he began peppering Michael with questions about Leanne and the child. However, all he got as an answer was the call-end tone when Michael''s decisively hung up on him. After Michael and I waited for a short while outside, Leanne emerged together with her son. She shot both of us an indifferent nce before taking her seat at the back. Expecting Leanne to continue appealing to Michael, I was surprised when she kept mum and didn''t say a word at all. I figured it was probably because of how disappointed she was in him. After all, the man who was once so madly in love with her had barely any reaction now when he saw her. Thus, any self-respecting woman would know that was the time to stop clinging to someone like that. Upon our arrival at the hospital, Ronan was already waiting for us. He raised his brows the moment he saw the child beside Leanne. Walking up to Michael''s side, he patted the former on the shoulder and asked with a nosy look, ¡°Michael, that''s your illegitimate child?¡± ¡°Ronan, do you have a death wish?¡± Michael''s face darkened the instant he heard Ronan''sment. Ever since the kid appeared, Michael hated the words ¡°illegitimate child¡± being mentioned in front of him. ring at Ronan, he looked as if he was going to lunge at the former anytime and beat him up. ¡°Why are you getting so worked up for? I was just going to say that the child doesn''t look like you at all.¡± Ronan retrieved his hand from Michael''s shoulder and shrugged with a nonchnt expression. Having heard Ronan''s words, Leanne''s face lost all color. Even though she didn''t say a word, it was clear that she was just trying to hold back her anger. At the same time, Michael rolled his eyes at Ronan before ignoring him for the fool he was and walking up to my side. ¡°Anna, can you share with me what was going through your mind when you learned the existence of the child? Did you feel the urge to strangle Michael to death?¡± While Ronan was asking me the question, he looked in Michael''s direction with a face filled with a sense of Schadenfreude. ¡°I''m more worried about him strangling you to death if you continue talking about it.¡± I couldn''t resist giggling when I trailed Ronan''s gaze toward Michael only to find Michael ring back at him. Ronan couldn''t be any more brazen. Despite knowing how exasperated Michael was with the matter, he continued rattling off in front of thetter. ¡°Even if he wants to strangle me to death, I''m sure you''ll protect me, won''t you? Considering the fact that we are such good friends, I''m sure you won''t sit idly by and watch your other half kill me.¡± Ronan leaned closer to me with a mischievous smile. As I gave him a speechless look, I noticed that he was back to his usual impudent self after not seeing him for a few days. Hence, I wondered if he had already gotten over me. After giving Ronan the side-eye, I retorted in an irritated tone, ¡°I think I''ll be helping him to suffocate you instead. You brought this upon yourself for incessantly harping on the topic despite knowing how exasperated everyone is.¡± Even if he wanted to make idle chatter, he should have picked a different topic. He obviously knew that we were at the hospital for a paternity test, and yet, insisted on asking such sensitive questions. ¡°Anna, do our friendship mean nothing to you? How can you treat me like that?¡± Ronan threw me a pitiful look, as if he had suffered a grave injustice. In the face of his utterck of seriousness, I was simply lost for words. Meanwhile, Michael walked up to him and snapped, ¡°Ronan, if you dare waste another second of my time, I''m really going to kill you!¡± ¡°All right, all right. I''ve already made the arrangements. All that''s left to do is to take both of you to have your blood drawn.¡± When he finally sensed Michael''s anger, Ronan reined in hisckadaisical attitude and led us to the examination room. Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Even though giving their blood was a quick process, the results of the test would only be known three dayster. Thus, all we could do now was to wait for the results at home. Nevertheless, Ronan assured us that he would inform us the moment the results were out. Right when Michael and I came to the main entrance and nned to leave right away, Leanne called out to him, ¡°Michael.¡± Leanne''s face was visibly ashen as she looked at him with sorrow in her eyes. Stopping in his tracks to turn around, Michael inly asked, ¡±What else do you want?¡± After hearing his response, Leanne gave me a look before continuing, ¡°Michael, I have a question for you. If Melvin is proven to be your child, do you still n to not acknowledge him? All this while, you never had the intention letting us return to your side, isn''t it?¡± Staring into Leanne''s eyes, Michael fell silent for a while before replying in a serious tone, ¡°If he is truly my son, I''ll take responsibility for both of you. However, if it is proven otherwise, I hope that you will stay away from me and never appear in my life again.¡± Michael''s tone was extremely grave, while his eyes were entirely devoid of emotion. Upon hearing his words, tears began to streak down Leanne''s cheeks as the sadness in her eyes intensified. ¡°Fine, if Melvin is proven not to be your son, I''ll leave with him. However, I can tell you with all certainty that he is definitely your son, for I have never slept with any other man!¡± After letting out an emotional rant, Leanne turned around and stormed off. Watching her leaving silhouette, Michael furrowed his brows as if he was deep in thought. I walked up to him from behind and asked in an earnest tone, ¡°Once it''s proven that the child isn''t yours, will you show her some mercy?¡± After regaining his senses, Michael turned to face me and replied in a grim tone, ¡°No! You and our son are the only ones that can make my heart waver.¡± I knew how much our rtionship meant to him all this while. Therefore, my heart warmed after hearing him make such a deration. Even though giving their blood was a quick process, the results of the test would only be known three dayster. Thus, all we could do now was to wait for the results at home. Evan though giving thair blood was a quick procass, tha rasults of tha tast would only ba known thraa daystar. Thus, all wa could do now was to wait for tha rasults at homa. Navarthss, Ronan assurad us that ha would inform us tha momant tha rasults wara out. Right whan Michaal and I cama to tha main antranca and nnad toava right away, Laanna cad out to him, ¡°Michaal.¡± Laanna''s faca was visibly ashan as sha lookad at him with sorrow in har ayas. Stopping in his tracks to turn around, Michaal inly askad, ¡±What alsa do you want?¡± Aftar haaring his rasponsa, Laanna gava ma a look bafora continuing, ¡°Michaal, I hava a quastion for you. If Malvin is provan to ba your child, do you still n to not acknodga him? All this wh, you navar had tha intantiontting us raturn to your sida, isn''t it?¡± Staring into Laanna''s ayas, Michaal fall snt for a wh bafora raplying in a sarious tona, ¡°If ha is truly my son, I''ll taka rasponsibility for both of you. Howavar, if it is provan otharwisa, I hopa that you will stay away from ma and navar appaar in my lifa again.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Michaal''s tona was axtramaly grava, wh his ayas wara antiraly davoid of amotion. Upon haaring his words, taars bagan to straak down Laanna''s chaaks as tha sadnass in har ayas intansifiad. ¡°Fina, if Malvin is provan not to ba your son, I''llava with him. Howavar, I can tall you with all cartainty that ha is dafinitaly your son, for I hava navar pt with any othar man!¡± Aftartting out an amotional rant, Laanna turnad around and stormad off. Watching haraving silhouatta, Michaal furrowad his brows as if ha was daap in thought. I walkad up to him from bahind and askad in an aarnast tona, ¡°Onca it''s provan that tha child isn''t yours, will you show har soma marcy?¡± Aftar ragaining his sansas, Michaal turnad to faca ma and rapliad in a grim tona, ¡°No! You and our son ara tha only onas that can maka my haart wavar.¡± I knaw how much our rtionship maant to him all this wh. Tharafora, my haart warmad aftar haaring him maka such a daration. ¡°All we can do now is wait. Once the results are out three dayster, the truth will beid bare. By then, I believe Leanne will give up on her own ord.¡± Even though both of us knew that the child isn''t his, the paternity test still felt unsettling. Now that I was also a mother, I instinctively sympathized with Melvin. If his birth father didn''t turn out to be Michael, he would then have no idea who it was, which would put him in an extremely pitiful situation. Inside Michael''s car, I was initially tempted to ask about what happened on the night of Leanne''s twenty-second birthday. However, I decided against it in the end because it was pointless to dredge up the past. Three dayster, we received a call from Ronan informing us that the result of the paternity test was out. By the time we arrived at the hospital, Leanne was already there with her son. When we were all gathered in Ronan''s office, I noticed that her hand was slightly trembling. Evidently, she was a bunch of nerves. In contrast to her, Michael was a sea of calm since he was sure that the child wasn''t his. ¡°Ronan, what is the result? Is Melvin Michael''s son or not?¡± When I saw how quiet both of them were, I had no choice but to break the silence, for any dy would cause further agony for everyone involved. After sweeping his gaze across all of us, Ronan finally reported in a solemn tone, ¡°The results of the test show that Melvin and Michael are not rted by blood at all. Therefore, Michael is without a doubt not Melvin''s father.¡± Just as he spoke, Leanne''s face turned pale as she staggered back by reflex. Looking at Ronan in disbelief, her eyes began to redden. ¡°That''s impossible! That''s definitely impossible! How can Melvin not be Michael''s son? I-It must be you who changed the results, isn''t it? All of you must be in on this!¡± Leanne scowled as she stared daggers at every single one of us. Upon hearing Ronan''s announcement, I felt as if a burden had been lifted from my heart. But when I saw Leanne''s reaction, I couldn''t help but knit my brows again. After walking up to her, I stared intently into her eyes and asserted, ¡°Leanne, it''s illegal to fake a paternity test. Do you think all of us here are stupid enough to do it? In truth, you should realize by now that Melvin isn''t Michael''s child.¡± ¡°No, I don''t believe it! You must have tampered with the results on purpose! I demand to take another test at a different hospital!¡± At that moment, my words had fallen on deaf ears for Leanne was behaving in a hysterical manner. ¡°Leanne, wake up. No matter how many times you run the test, the result will be the same. It will not change the fact that Melvin isn''t Michael''s son!¡± The way she was reacting had infuriated me. After going through the hassle ofpleting the paternity test, she refused to believe in its authenticity. Consequently, I spoke to her in a hostile tone. In fact, my eyes were burning with rage as I red at her. After staring back at me with her bloodshot eyes and pale face, Leanne copsed onto the ground butt first. She looked utterly listless, as if her soul had left her body. From there, I could see the despair in her eyes. When she first arrived, she was still brimming with confidence even though Michael had told her that it couldn''t be him. Nevertheless, she just refused to listen. Walking up to her, Michael suggested earnestly, ¡°Leanne, now that you know the result, it''s time to let go.¡± Upon hearing Michael''s voice, she gradually looked up to reveal her teary-eyed face. Grabbing Michael''s arm, Leanne raged, ¡°Why? Why must you do this to me? Michael, tell me, why are you treating me so harshly?¡± ¡°Leanne, when some feelings are gone, they are just not going to return. You should stop this obsession of yours, for it''s not doing anyone any good.¡± Michael''s brows were furrowed, while his words were tinged with resignation. I was cognizant that he had no intention of harming Leanne. Even though he no longer had feelings for her, she still had a special ce in his heart. After all, both of them loved each other once. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 ¡°But I still love you until this day. Back then, you told me that you will love me for the rest of my life. Does your promise not count for anything?¡± As Leanne looked at Michael with tears in her eyes, the words she spoke were a reflection of how heavy-hearted she felt. ¡°If we didn''t break up then, my feelings for you might have never changed. However, many rtionships don''t stand the test of time. What both of us used to have is now in the past and is never coming back.¡± Michael spoke in a serious tone, as this was the first time he had the opportunity to chat with her calmly. ¡°Michael, don''t leave me, all right? I know I was in the wrong when I left you for money back then. Please give me another chance. I''ll definitely help you find the feelings you have for me back then, all right?¡± Leanne pleaded as she grabbed Michael''s arm. As I watched on with an indifferent expression, I didn''t feel anxious at all, for I was confident that Michael wouldn''t reconcile with her. After all, I was the only one who mattered to him. After pulling his hand away from Leanne without any hesitation, Michael gave her an icy stare. ¡°Leanne, now that I''ve said everything that needs to be said, this is the end of the line for both of us. From now on, don''t ever show your face in front of me. I don''t ever want you disrupting my life again.¡± Having given her his ultimatum, Michael stood up and left with me in tow without giving Leanne a second nce. Inside the car, I didn''t know what to say amidst the silence and solemn look on his face. ¡°Are you feeling troubled right now? Does it break your heart to see how much pain Leanne is going through?¡± Even though I wasn''t fond of Leanne at all, my heart began to waver when I saw the despair and suffering she felt. ¡°No. On the contrary, I feel relieved that this matter hase to a close. Going forward, you no longer have to be worried about me having an illegitimate child somewhere,¡± Michael responded to my words without hesitation. ¡°Leanne is your ex. Hence, I don''t believe that you feel nothing for her at all. Even if you pity or sympathize with her, I''m fine with it. After all, I''m not someone who is heartless.¡± ¡°But I still love you until this day. Back then, you told me that you will love me for the rest of my life. Does your promise not count for anything?¡± ¡°But I still lova you until this day. Back than, you told ma that you will lova ma for tha rast of my lifa. Doas your promisa not count for anything?¡± As Laanna lookad at Michaal with taars in har ayas, tha words sha spoka wara a raction of how haavy-haartad sha falt. ¡°If wa didn''t braak up than, my faalings for you might hava navar changad. Howavar, many rtionships don''t stand tha tast of tima. What both of us usad to hava is now in tha past and is navar Michaal spoka in a sarious tona, as this was tha first tima ha had tha opportunity to chat with har calmly. ¡°Michaal, don''tava ma, all right? I know I was in tha wrong whan Ift you for monay back than. asa giva ma anothar chanca. I''ll dafinitaly halp you find tha faalings you hava for ma back than, all right?¡± Laanna adad as sha grabbad Michaal''s arm. As I watchad on with an indiffarant axprassion, I didn''t faal anxious at all, for I was confidant that Michaal wouldn''t raconc with har. Aftar all, I was tha only ona who mattarad to him. Aftar pulling his hand away from Laanna without any hasitation, Michaal gava har an icy stara. ¡°Laanna, now that I''va said avarything that naads to ba said, this is tha and of tha lina for both of us. From now on, don''t avar show your faca in front of ma. I don''t avar want you disrupting my lifa again.¡± Having givan har his ultimatum, Michaal stood up andft with ma in tow without giving Laanna a sacond nca. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Insida tha car, I didn''t know what to say amidst tha snca and smn look on his faca. ¡°Ara you faaling troud right now? Doas it braak your haart to saa how much pain Laanna is going through?¡± Evan though I wasn''t fond of Laanna at all, my haart bagan to wavar whan I saw tha daspair and suffaring sha falt. ¡°No. On tha contrary, I faal raliavad that this mattar hasa to a closa. Going forward, you no longar hava to ba worriad about ma having an igitimata child somawhara,¡± Michaal raspondad to my words without hasitation. ¡°Laanna is your ax. Hanca, I don''t baliava that you faal nothing for har at all. Evan if you pity or sympathiza with har, I''m fina with it. Aftar all, I''m not somaona who is haarss.¡± I assumed Michael said all that because he was worried about me getting angry. ¡°Didn''t I just say that there isn''t any? Do you actually wish for me to still have residual feelings for her?¡± Michael retorted with displeasure written all over his face. In response, I gave him the side-eye and rebutted in exasperation, ¡°Of course I don''t mean that. Unless there''s something wrong with me, why would I hope that you still have residual feelings for her?¡± He knows how sensitive I am toward their rtionship. So, why does he need to say such things to trigger me on purpose? Slowing the car down, Michael looked in my direction and exined earnestly, ¡°Since you don''t hope that, then don''t ever bring up her name in front of me again. To me, she is a nobody. The only people who matter to me are you and Amaury.¡± His words caused my heart to skip a beat as bliss began to emanate throughout my body. Now that the matter had been concluded, both of us would never fight over it again. During the next few days, our lives went back to normal and Leanne didn''t show up anymore. Subsequently, Michael received a call from her. However, she wasn''t trying to cause any more trouble this time. Instead, she was notifying us that she was leaving. Her decision was music to my ears because I couldn''t be any happier that she was finally leaving, never to return. Even though she was no longer a threat to us, just the thought of her was enough to unsettle me still. Nevertheless, Leanne had a final request. She wanted Michael to send her to the airport so that she could say her farewell. Deep down, I was reluctant for both of them to still have any interaction at all. But since she was about to leave, I decided to show some mercy and subsequently agreed. After all, he was just going to send her to the airport, and nothing would likely happen. Thus, there was no reason for me to worry at all. At first, Michael was unwilling to go until I persuaded him to do so. In his words, I was the most magnanimousdy he had seen in his entire life to actually let my own husband send his ex to the airport. When Michael was headed to the airport, I went to visit Alicia. Ever since Leanne''s appearance recently, I didn''t manage to see her at all. Also, I didn''t know how Jte was doing. Since a lot of time had passed since the incident, I wondered if she had managed to recover from it. After buying some fruits, I arrived at Alicia''s home. The first moment I saw her, I felt that she wasn''t having it easy still because she looked more haggard than before. When I saw how exhausted she was, I knitted my brows in concern. ¡°Why do you look so tired? Did you not get enough rest?¡± ¡°I''m fine. It''s Jte. She''s a little rebellious recently.¡± When Alicia sighed in resignation while talking about Jte, it made her look even more drained than before. ¡°What''s wrong with her? Did something happen again?¡± The only person who could cause Alicia to worry was Jte. ¡°I don''t know what has gotten into her recently. She would note home at night and would dress like an escort. In fact, she doesn''t look like a daughter from a proper family anymore. I did lecture her about it a few times, but it has fallen on deaf ears.¡± While Alicia was speaking, tears were already welling up in her eyes. Evidently, she was very much troubled by what was going on with Jte. Upon hearing Alicia''s words, I furrowed my brows in exasperation. After Jte''s incident, both Alicia and I spent a lot of effort helping her recover. Unfortunately, no one expected her to turn out that way, causing me to feel that all our earlier efforts had gone to waste. Patting Alicia on her shoulder, I reassured her, ¡°Don''t worry. When Jtees home, I''ll talk to her.¡± Even though I was cognizant that she wouldn''t listen to me, I still couldn''t resist teaching her a lesson. After all, everyone was doing their best for her, and yet, she repaid us with such irresponsible behavior. Initially, I assumed that she would be all right once she got over the incident. But now, she seemed to have changed into a different person. ¡°Anna, it breaks my heart every time I see Jte acting this way.¡± Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Holding my hand, my mother uttered with a sad face, ¡°I know you must be hurting right now, but just try your best to calm down. I promise I''ll talk to her.¡± I felt terrible when I noticed how troubled my mother seemed. Even though I would rather not get myself involved with Jte and her problems, I could not just sit by and do nothing after seeing my mother like that. Then, I waited at my mother''s house untilte at night before Jte came home. When I checked the time and realized that it was almost midnight, I was slightly irritated. Jte should know better than to stay out sote. And my goodness, she reeks of alcohol! After having not seen Jte for a while, she had turned into apletely different person. Not only was she dressed scantily, but she also wore ridiculously heavy makeup. Because of the way she looked, one could be forgiven for thinking that she was a hooker instead of a properdy. Displeased with how debauched Jte seemed, I immediately stormed over to the woman. ¡°Jte!¡± When I got near, Jte stopped dead in her tracks, and her face suddenly hardened. ¡°What are you doing sote at my home?¡± For some reason, Jte sounded annoyed when I confronted her. ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± I answered coldly as I gazed into her eyes. ¡°Waiting for me? Why the heck would you be doing that? I''m exhausted right now, so thest thing I want is to talk to you.¡± Jte was as unfriendly as she had always been to me then. After brushing me off with those words, she turned around and was about to go upstairs. ¡°There''s something I have to talk to you about. It won''t take long. I''ll go as soon as I''m done talking.¡± I uttered quickly to stop Jte from walking away. At that point, I had gotten even more irritated since I did not understand why she always treated me, her own sister, as though I was nobody to her. ¡°I don''t want to talk to you because we have nothing worth talking about at all. Now, if there''s nothing else, please get out of my house immediately. You''re not wee here.¡± Holding my hand, my mother uttered with a sad face, ¡°I know you must be hurting right now, but just try your best to calm down. I promise I''ll talk to her.¡± Holding my hand, my mothar uttarad with a sad faca, ¡°I know you must ba hurting right now, but just try your bast to calm down. I promisa I''ll talk to har.¡± I falt tarri whan I noticad how troud my mothar saamad. Evan though I would rathar not gat mysalf involvad with Janatta and har proms, I could not just sit by and do nothing aftar saaing my mothar lika that. Than, I waitad at my mothar''s housa untilta at night bafora Janatta cama homa. Whan I chackad tha tima and raalizad that it was almost midnight, I was slightly irritatad. Janatta should know battar than to stay out sota. And my goodnass, sha raaks of alcohol! Aftar having not saan Janatta for a wh, sha had turnad into ataly diffarant parson. Not only was sha drassad scantily, but sha also wora ridiculously haavy makaup. Bacausa of tha way sha lookad, ona could ba forgivan for thinking that sha was a hookar instaad of a propardy. Disasad with how dabauchad Janatta saamad, I immadiataly stormad ovar to tha woman. ¡°Janatta!¡± Whan I got naar, Janatta stoppad daad in har tracks, and har faca suddanly hardanad. ¡°What ara you doing sota at my homa?¡± For soma raason, Janatta soundad annoyad whan I confrontad har. ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± I answarad coldly as I gazad into har ayas. ¡°Waiting for ma? Why tha hack would you ba doing that? I''m axhaustad right now, so thast thing I want is to talk to you.¡± Janatta was as unfriandly as sha had always baan to ma than. Aftar brushing ma off with thosa words, sha turnad around and was about to go upstairs. ¡°Thara''s somathing I hava to talk to you about. It won''t taka long. I''ll go as soon as I''m dona talking.¡± I uttarad quickly to stop Janatta from walking away. At that point, I had gottan avan mora irritatad sinca I did not undarstand why sha always traatad ma, har own sistar, as though I was nobody to har. ¡°I don''t want to talk to you bacausa wa hava nothing worth talking about at all. Now, if thara''s nothing alsa, asa gat out of my housa immadiataly. You''ra not waa hara.¡± Jte, who would rather not look at her sister for even a second longer, went up the stairs after throwing those icy-cold words at me. Initially, I wanted to talk with Jte in a calm and peaceful manner, but her attitude got my blood boiling with anger. I then caught up to my sister and grabbed her by the arm. ¡°I don''t care what you want. You''re going to talk to me whether you like it or not!¡± With that, I forcefully pulled her into her bedroom. ¡°What the heck do you think you''re doing, Anna!¡± Jte roared at me, upset that I imposed my will on her. After closing the door behind me, I looked the woman in the eye and questioned sternly, ¡°Are you ready to talk now?¡± ¡°I don''t know what you''re trying to do here, but if you have something to say, be out with it! I don''t have all night. I''m tired, and I want to sleep.¡± Seeing how insistent I was, Jte softened up a little, even though she continued to treat me as if I was her enemy. It did not bother me, though, because I knew she never liked me anyway. ¡°Just look at yourself! I don''t even know who you are anymore. Are you a hooker or something now? Because the way you dress definitely suggests that,¡± I remarked as I gestured to her skimpy outfit, furious that she would even think it was okay to dress something like that. ¡°Who do you think you are to tell me what I can or cannot wear, Anna? Who gave you the right to meddle in my business?¡± retorted Jte while looking daggers at me. ¡°I''m only saying this for your own good. Do you have any idea how worried Mom is about you? Anything could happen to you out there, especially when it''s thiste! Have you never thought about how your actions affect others?¡± I could not ept the way Jte talked back to me. Why would I waste my time talking to her if I didn''t care about her? But for some reason, she just can''t seem to understand that. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Whatever happens to me is none of your business, Anna. Who do you think you are? My sister? What a joke!¡± scoffed Jte before rolling her eyes at me. ¡°I know that you don''t like me, but I really do care about you. It''s dangerous to be staying out thiste. You, of all people, should be well aware of that. Do you want to live through that nightmare again?¡± Even though I did not like Jte either, I did not deny the fact that she was a beauty. What''s she going to do if a pretty girl like her runs into a bunch of hooligans again? ¡°What''s the big deal? It''s not like I''ve never experienced it before. I don''t give a damn!¡± I thought Jte would reflect on herself after my warning, but instead of doing that, she simply brushed me off once again as if I had overreacted. At that point, I was so furious that I could no longer control my emotions. I then lifted my hand and gave Jte a good hard p to the cheek. ¡°Do you have any idea what you''re saying? How can you just give up on yourself like that?¡± Repulsed by the way Jte acted, I could not believe how far she had fallen. Luckily, I''m the only one who heard Jte. If Mom were here, she would be devastated! Jte was stunned for a while because she never expected me to get physical with her. However, as soon as she returned to her senses, Jte red murderously at me. ¡°How dare youy a finger on me!¡± roared Jte in her sharpest possible voice as the veins on her forehead bulged out. ¡°That''s not all I''m going to do to you if you keep this up. There''s nothing anybody can do to stop you if you want to throw your life away, but nobody should have to suffer for it. If you say you don''t care about getting raped again, then prove it to me!¡± I tried my best to talk to Jte calmly, but she made it impossible for me to do so. Hence, I immediately grabbed her by the hand and started pulling her to the front door. I only intended to scare Jte, but because of how serious I seemed, she began to panic. ¡°What are you doing, you lunatic! Do you seriously want to see me go through that nightmare again?¡± cried Jte as she struggled to break free. Chapter 581 Chapter 581 ¡°I thought you said it was no big deal. Since the idea of getting raped again didn''t seem to faze you, I didn''t think you''d mind.¡± Seeing how afraid Jte was, I decided to keep up the act. I only did so because I wanted to teach her a lesson. For all I care, Jte can live her life however she wants, but I won''t allow it to affect Mom! She''s not getting any younger. That frail body of hers can only take so much before it crumbles under the weight of her worries. ¡°Let go of me, you lunatic!¡± Even though Jte struggled with all her might, I continued to pull the frightened but angry woman. The more fearful she seemed, the more I wanted to teach her a lesson for disrespecting others. I thought it was time she learned how to be more considerate. ¡°You think I''m a lunatic? Have you looked in the mirror recently? I''ve had enough of your self-pity. If you can''t find a reason to live your life properly, I''ll end it for you! Then, Mom won''t have to suffer because of you anymore.¡± Enraged, I pulled Jte even harder because I wanted her to regret the things she had said to me. Convinced that I was serious about pulling her out of the house, Jte summoned all her strength to finally break free of me and hurriedly backed away. ¡°You get out right now, Anna! I don''t want to see you ever again!¡± As Jte shouted those words, she looked warily at me, afraid that I would try to grab her again. Since she was already terrified of me, I saw no point in scaring her further, so I took a few steps toward her and gazed coldly at her. ¡°I don''t have any problem with that, but you have to promise me one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± inquired Jte as her body shivered slightly. From her eyes, I could tell that she had yet to recollect herself. ¡°You have to promise me that you won''t worry Mom again; no more staying outte with questionable men. Promise me that, and I''ll go,¡± I stated sternly before looking Jte in the eye as I waited for a response. ¡°I thought you said it was no big deal. Since the idea of getting raped again didn''t seem to faze you, I didn''t think you''d mind.¡± Seeing how afraid Jte was, I decided to keep up the act. ¡°I thought you said it was no big daal. Sinca tha idaa of gatting rapad again didn''t saam to faza you, I didn''t think you''d mind.¡± Saaing how afraid Janatta was, I dacidad to kaap up tha act. I only did so bacausa I wantad to taach har asson. For all I cara, Janatta can liva har lifa howavar sha wants, but I won''t allow it to affact Mom! Sha''s not gatting any youngar. That frail body of hars can only taka so much bafora it crums undar tha waight of har worrias. ¡°Lat go of ma, you lunatic!¡± Evan though Janatta strugd with all har might, I continuad to pull tha frightanad but angry woman. Tha mora faarful sha saamad, tha mora I wantad to taach har asson for disraspacting othars. I thought it was tima shaarnad how to ba mora considarata. ¡°You think I''m a lunatic? Hava you lookad in tha mirror racantly? I''va had anough of your salf-pity. If you can''t find a raason to liva your lifa proparly, I''ll and it for you! Than, Mom won''t hava to suffar bacausa of you anymora.¡± Enragad, I pud Janatta avan hardar bacausa I wantad har to ragrat tha things sha had said to ma. Convincad that I was sarious about pulling har out of tha housa, Janatta summonad all har strangth to finally braak fraa of ma and hurriadly backad away. ¡°You gat out right now, Anna! I don''t want to saa you avar again!¡± As Janatta shoutad thosa words, sha lookad warily at ma, afraid that I would try to grab har again. Sinca sha was alraady tarrifiad of ma, I saw no point in scaring har furthar, so I took a faw staps toward har and gazad coldly at har. ¡°I don''t hava any prom with that, but you hava to promisa ma ona thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± inquirad Janatta as har body shivarad slightly. From har ayas, I could tall that sha had yat to racoct harsalf. ¡°You hava to promisa ma that you won''t worry Mom again; no mora staying outta with quastiona man. Promisa ma that, and I''ll go,¡± I statad starnly bafora looking Janatta in tha aya as I waitad for a rasponsa. As soon as Jte heard what I had to say, she scowled at me. ¡°Who gave you the right to tell me what to do? So what if I always stay outte to enjoy thepany of men? What does that have to do with you? Just because you''re my half-sister doesn''t mean I have to listen to you!¡± voiced Jte while she continued to re at me. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Say whatever you want about me, but one way or another, I''m going to make you listen to me. If I were you, I wouldn''t piss me off. As you said, I''m a lunatic, and I''m ready to do whatever it takes to get what I want.¡± I learned that there was no way I could get someone as stubborn as Jte to listen to me by being nice, so I had no choice but to take the opposite approach. Although that would make Jte hate me even more, I could not care less because I only wanted to see my mother smile again. The thought of losing a half-sister did not bother me at all. If it were not for my mother, I would not have wasted my time on Jte. After listening to my threats, Jte narrowed her eyes at me and wondered if I was bluffing. ¡°I''d rather not waste another second on you, so give me an answer now. If you refuse, I can''t promise that I won''t do anything reckless again.¡± I got impatient when Jte remained silent for a while, so I threatened her again to quicken her decision-making. ¡°Fine. I promise.¡± Seeing that I was as serious as a doctor, Jte agreed to my condition. I let out a long sigh when Jte finally caved, for I was unsure what else to do had she continued to stand her ground. ¡°You better not forget what you promised me today because if you worry Mom again, I''ll make sure you regret it,¡± I threatened Jte onest time before leaving the house. After reaching outside, I let out another long sigh, relieved that the drama was finally over. If Jte keeps her word, Mom should be able to sleep easier. Michael was already back when I reached home, and his eyebrows were tightly knitted as he watched me close the door behind me. The man probably sat all night in the living room because I did note home until it waste at night. Then, Michael rushed over to me with an anxious look, ¡°Where have you been? I tried calling your phone, but it just wouldn''t go through. Do you know how worried I was?¡± It was only then that I realized I had forgotten to call Michael. When I checked my phone, it was already off since it hadpletely run out of battery. ¡°My phone''s dead,¡± I exined somewhat embarrassedly as I looked guiltily at the man. Even though Michael sounded angry, I knew he was just worried for my safety, so instead of being upset about it, I was quite touched that he cared so much. ¡°So where did you go? Why are you home sote?¡± questioned Michael, whose brows remained furrowed and arms crossed. ¡°I went to my mother''s because of Jte. Hey, I''m fine, aren''t I? Stop worrying,¡± Iforted the man after throwing myself into his arms, trying to turn his frown upside down. ¡°Do you have any idea what time it is now? It was already midnight when I tried to call you. What am I supposed to do if something happened to you?¡± Judging by Michael''s tone, I could tell that my effort tofort him was futile. ¡°I know I should''ve called you, and I admit I was wrong. I promise there won''t be a next time, okay?¡± When Michael refused to settle down, I started to feel indignant. I admitted I was wrong, didn''t I? I even apologized! ¡°If you ever dare toe homete again, I promise you''ll be sorry!¡± Seeing how sad-looking I was, Michael then decided not to say anything else. Even though Michael seemed angry, I knew he was just concerned about me, and I appreciated that. I felt incredibly blessed to have someone worry about me. ¡°It''ll never happen again.¡± I immediately promised the man when I noticed his anger subsiding. Chapter 582 Chapter 582 ¡°That''s more like it! But should there be a repeat of this next time, you can forget about ever leaving the house again!¡± Michael''s rage hadpletely subsided after he received my assurances, but nheless, he continued to regard me in dissatisfaction while he uttered these words. As I understood that his anger stemmed from his concern for me, I could not get mad at him for losing his cool in the least. Had I been in his shoes, I could totally see myself bearing simr sentiments¡ªThat was because I cared. ¡°It''s already sote. Have you been waiting here for my return all this time?¡± I could not refrain from asking as it was already two past midnight, and Michael was still seated in the living room. ¡°What do you think? Do you figure that I''ve nothing better to do?¡± Irked, Michael turned and reacted with annoyance at my inquiry. ¡°Come on. I''ve already apologized just now, so stop being like that.¡± When I saw that he was still upset, I started to act coquettishly. ¡°It is gettingte, and I''m quite exhausted today. Let''s head on upstairs and get some rest.¡± Not desiring to continue this conversation, I held his hand and led him upstairs as soon as I said this. As he too must have figured that I was worn out, he kept his own anger in check and followed me to the bedroom. I felt much morefortable after stepping out of the showers and was nheless in a fine mood in spite of being physically drained. ¡°How has your day gone? Has Leanne finally left?¡± as I recalled that he went to send her off, I could not help but ask. ¡°Yeah. She departed on the afternoon flight at four,¡± replied Michael while he leaned leisurely against the headboard. ¡°Did she really? Did you witness her boarding the ne with your own eyes?¡± Though rather excited at the news of Leanne''s exit, I was still somewhat in disbelief and wanted to verify it again. Leanne had been such a pain in the posterior for us that I was worried she might not bepletely out of the picture just yet. Not that I was being narrow-minded, but I genuinely did not want any further faultlines to appear in our rtionship. ¡°Since when have you be so concerned about Leanne? Are you worried that she might return and try toe between us again?¡± Michael turned and looked me in the eye when he heard what I said, seemingly quite unhappy. ¡°That''s more like it! But should there be a repeat of this next time, you can forget about ever leaving the house again!¡± ¡°That''s mora lika it! But should thara ba a rapaat of this naxt tima, you can forgat about avaraving tha housa again!¡± Michaal''s raga hadtaly subsidad aftar ha racaivad my assurancas, but nonathss, ha continuad to ragard ma in dissatisfaction wh ha uttarad thasa words. As I undarstood that his angar stammad from his concarn for ma, I could not gat mad at him for losing his cool in thaast. Had I baan in his shoas, I could totally saa mysalf baaring simr santimants¡ªThat was bacausa I carad. ¡°It''s alraady sota. Hava you baan waiting hara for my raturn all this tima?¡± I could not rafrain from asking as it was alraady two past midnight, and Michaal was still saatad in tha living room. ¡°What do you think? Do you figura that I''va nothing battar to do?¡± Irkad, Michaal turnad and raactad with annoyanca at my inquiry. ¡°Coma on. I''va alraady apologizad just now, so stop baing lika that.¡± Whan I saw that ha was still upsat, I startad to act coquattishly. ¡°It is gattingta, and I''m quita axhaustad today. Lat''s haad on upstairs and gat soma rast.¡± Not dasiring to continua this convarsation, I hald his hand andd him upstairs as soon as I said this. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As ha too must hava figurad that I was worn out, ha kapt his own angar in chack and followad ma to tha badroom. I falt much moraforta aftar stapping out of tha showars and was nonathss in a fina mood in spita of baing physically drainad. ¡°How has your day gona? Has Laanna finallyft?¡± as I racad that ha want to sand har off, I could not halp but ask. ¡°Yaah. Sha dapartad on tha aftarnoon flight at four,¡± rapliad Michaal wh haanadisuraly against tha haadboard. ¡°Did sha raally? Did you witnass har boarding tha na with your own ayas?¡± Though rathar axcitad at tha naws of Laanna''s axit, I was still somawhat in disbaliaf and wantad to varify it again. Laanna had baan such a pain in tha postarior for us that I was worriad sha might not bataly out of tha pictura just yat. Not that I was baing narrow-mindad, but I ganuinaly did not want any furthar faultlinas to appaar in our rtionship. ¡°Sinca whan hava you ba so concarnad about Laanna? Ara you worriad that sha might raturn and try toa batwaan us again?¡± Michaal turnad and lookad ma in tha aya whan ha haard what I said, saamingly quita unhappy. ¡°Isn''t that what I''m trying to ascertain? Did the both of you engage in any intimate gestures when you sent her to the airport?¡± That was actually what I was concerned about. The thing that worried me the most was whether Leanne had really given up and if she made any further attempts to seduce Michael en route. ¡°You know, I find that you''re bing increasingly narrow-minded, Anna Garcia. Why didn''t you just tag along since you wanted so badly to ensure that nothing could happen between her and me?¡± bbergasted, Michael seemed miffed when he said that. ¡°If your former girlfriend wants to say goodbye to you, surely she doesn''t want me around to y gooseberry. Wouldn''t I appear petty if I won''t even allow you to do that?¡± I said that with a questioning brow. Though I had graciously given my blessing to my man to send his former lover off, it did not mean that I felt good about it afterward. Anyone else would have been ufortable doing that, let alone a petty woman like me. ¡°In that case, do you figure that you areing across to others as being very gracious right now?¡± Michael offered up a swift retort. Pouting in displeasure, I cast my back on him. This man is simply infuriating. Can''t I even ask? It''s not that I''m saying anything much. Since it''s my man that we were talking about, how could I not ask such questions of him, considering the circumstances? I back faced him and switched off to catch some shut-eye as I did not wish to continue wrangling with him. ¡°Are you upset?¡± Seeing that I stopped talking, Michael slipped his arms around me from behind. ¡°No. What have I got to be upset about? It''s your prerogative whether you want to share what goes on between you and Leanne, and I have no right whatsoever topel you to reveal anything.¡± I was surly and went on to ignore Michael after, but to be honest, I was really bothered by whatever went on between them, and his evasiveness onlypounded my unease. ¡°Nothing happened between us. All I asked was for her to take care of herself while abroad. That''s all,¡± he exhaled haplessly upon seeing how upset I was. ¡°Really? Is that all that you''d talked about? Had she not tried to pester you at all?¡± I regarded Michael with scrutiny as I had my doubts about whether he was keeping anything from me. Knowing Leanne, I was sure that she would not quit that easily. Hence, I remained quite skeptical even with Michael''s reassurances. ¡°Really. Have you no trust in me anymore?¡± Michael sighed and regarded me with haplessness in his eyes. Right now, I, too, felt that I had been unduly suspicious and went overboard in showing so little faith in him. ¡°Fine. I''ll take your word at face value this time. Since only the both of you are in the know about whatever goes on between you two, I can''t possibly find out if you decide to keep mum about it.¡± Even though I had already believed him inside, I deliberately remained spiteful. Whoever told him to refuse to answer my questions just now? Michael shook his head and did not try to exin himself further. Instead, he began to probe his way into my nighties with his massive mitts. The sensation of his movements caught me by surprise and caused my body to tense up. What is this man doing? Surely he''s not thinking about... ¡°It''s gettingte. We should turn in,¡± I blurted these out when I met Michael''s eyes before I feigned going to sleep. ¡°You are one to say. For having me so worried today, don''t you think that you deserve to be punished for only just getting back in? Let''s see if you''d dare toe home sote again without informing me after this!¡± Hearing Michael''s voice emanating from behind my ear made my chest pound. This man is practically obsessed with getting some right now... ¡°How about tomorrow night? I''m really tired out today already, and what if we were to end up disturbing other people''s rest?¡± I rambled on stiffly in a bid to avoid intimacy tonight. ¡°No deal. I absolutely have to punish you!¡± With that, Michael gave me no further chance to speak. He leaned in, sucking and stirring and melding my lips with his own. His technique had always been sublime. Under his vicious onught, he quickly had me swooning. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Almost tormented by him through the night, I awoke the following morning battered by soreness. As it waste when I got home andpiled with the lengthy anguish he inflicted upon me, it was almost daybreak when I was able to sleep. Twisting and turning, I then turned to regard the soundly snoozing Michael with profound annoyance. Having gone at me so hardst night, he drifted off to sleep himself with scant regard for my feelings, and that very thought drove me to sit up and shake him. Even though I had been at the receiving end of some serious punishment, it was he who shouldered the bulk of the physical exertion. That ought to have made him more knackered than I was. When he felt my movements, he groggily opened his eyes. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°What''s up? Haven''t you realized it yourself yet?¡± Frowning, I regarded him unhappily when I heard what he said. ¡°Are you not satisfied withst night? Shall we have another go at it, then?¡± Confronted with my look of discontent, Michael did not react with displeasure. Conversely, he beamed a faint smile at me. I was rendered speechless by his nonchnce. How is it that this man''s thought processes always seem to veer in that direction? Since when did I say that I wanted another go at it? After I shot him a look, I paid him no further heed and mbered out of bed to freshen up. For some unfathomable reason, while brushing my teeth, I started feeling nauseous like I did the other day. In spite of going without anything to eatst night, I had gotten through the entire night without difort, so I could not understand the reasons for my own sudden urge to hurl. I supposed that I must have gone at it too hard for too longst night on an empty stomach. Still, I found myself wanting to throw up during breakfast time. That got the other members of the Shaw family unsettled. However, Josephine instead regarded me in glee. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°What''s happening? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Michael asked in concern when he saw me that way. ¡°I''m fine. It may probably just be an upset stomach, so there''s nothing to worry about. A short rest ought to be able to fix it.¡± Although those feelings of queasiness did not go away, I still tried to y it cool just so I might lessen Michael''s worries. Until the conclusion of the meal, I was still feeling quite under the weather. Thus, I went straight back to my own room to rest. Almost tormented by him through the night, I awoke the following morning battered by soreness. Almost tormantad by him through tha night, I awoka tha following morning battarad by soranass. As it wasta whan I got homa andpd with thangthy anguish ha inflictad upon ma, it was almost daybraak whan I was a to ap. Twisting and turning, I than turnad to ragard tha soundly snoozing Michaal with profound annoyanca. Having gona at ma so hardst night, ha driftad off to ap himsalf with scant ragard for my faalings, and that vary thought drova ma to sit up and shaka him. Evan though I had baan at tha racaiving and of soma sarious punishmant, it was ha who shouldarad tha bulk of tha physical axartion. That ought to hava mada him mora knackarad than I was. Whan ha falt my movamants, ha groggily opanad his ayas. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°What''s up? Havan''t you raalizad it yoursalf yat?¡± Frowning, I ragardad him unhappily whan I haard what ha said. ¡°Ara you not satisfiad withst night? Shall wa hava anothar go at it, than?¡± Confrontad with my look of discontant, Michaal did not raact with disasura. Convarsaly, ha baamad a faint sm at ma. I was randarad spaacss by his nonchnca. How is it that this man''s thought procassas always saam to vaar in that diraction? Sinca whan did I say that I wantad anothar go at it? Aftar I shot him a look, I paid him no furthar haad and mbarad out of bad to frashan up. For soma unfathoma raason, wh brushing my taath, I startad faaling nausaous lika I did tha othar day. In spita of going without anything to aatst night, I had gottan through tha antira night without difort, so I could not undarstand tha raasons for my own suddan urga to hurl. I supposad that I must hava gona at it too hard for too longst night on an ampty stomach. Still, I found mysalf wanting to throw up during braakfast tima. That got tha othar mambars of tha Shaw family unsatd. Howavar, Josaphina instaad ragardad ma in a. ¡°What''s happaning? Ara you faaling unwall?¡± Michaal askad in concarn whan ha saw ma that way. ¡°I''m fina. It may probably just ba an upsat stomach, so thara''s nothing to worry about. A short rast ought to ba a to fix it.¡± Although thosa faalings of quaasinass did not go away, I still triad to y it cool just so I mightssan Michaal''s worrias. Until tha conclusion of tha maal, I was still faaling quita undar tha waathar. Thus, I want straight back to my own room to rast. I had barelyid my head down when I heard a knock on the door. Shortly after, Josephine was seen pushing her way in. ¡°What brought you here, Mom?¡± Josephine''s appearance took me by surprise. ¡°You didn''t have much of an appetite at breakfast just now, so I thought I should bring you some fruits,¡± said Josephine with a subtle smile as she looked at me with kindliness. ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled warmly as I met her eyes. Not feeling too good right now and hankering for something sour, the grapes she brought were exactly what I needed. With nary another word, I helped myself to it. As she watched me savor the food, her smile only widened. ¡°When did you start feeling sick, Anna? Have you had yourself checked out at the hospital yet?¡± Josephine''s gaze lingered upon me when she asked. ¡°I haven''t been able to do that yet. I felt a difort in my abdomen and was nauseous when I was brushing my teeth this morning. You needn''t worry yourself because I don''t think it''s anything too serious.¡± Feeling Josephine''s concern for me, I tried to offer herfort in return. ¡°When was thest time you had your period?¡± Just as I thought this conversation had concluded, Josephine''s question caught me quite off guard, but there was no way I could be daft enough to not be able to figure out why she suddenly asked about that. As I reflected upon this, it had been over a month since itst arrived. Before, I had attributed it to hormonal imbnce induced by the stress over Leanne''s affair. Now that she mentioned it, the symptoms of my physiological response suddenly started to make sense. At that instant, I was a bundle of nerves and anticipation, for I could not be sure whether our conjecture could be correct. In spite of us already having Amaury, Michael still very much fancied a little girl. With the both of us kept busy by work, however, we had not gotten around to discussing the matter of trying for a daughter. ¡°Mom, do you mean...¡± I raised my eyes to meet Josephine''s with surprise. ¡°I think that it might be better if you went to the hospital to have yourself looked at, Anna. We''ll know for sure once we have the results.¡± While Josephine spoke, her bodynguage told me that she was already sufficiently confident about the oue. Personally, I also hoped for that to be the case. If I really conceived, then the child in my belly would be Michael and mine. Naturally, that would greatly please me. ¡°Very well. I''d head over there in the afternoon.¡± An eagerness to ascertain whether our conjecture could be spot on left me extremely antsy. ¡°All right then. Take a good rest in the morning and have Michael go in with you for consultation in the afternoon,¡± said Josephine warmly before she exited the bedroom. Though initially fatigued before, this hypothetical scenario got me so excited that I was not able to catch a wink. I could not wait to get myself over to the hospital to be examined right away. Till afternoon, I still had not called Michael and had not asked for his apaniment either because I still was not sure if I was really pregnant myself. Would it not be a waste of his time if it proved to be no more than a simple case of an upset stomach? He had so much work to deal with every single day so I did not want to take up too much of his time. If I was indeed pregnant, I needed only to share this good news with him when the time came. In the afternoon, I drove myself to the hospital. Before I set out from home, I rang Ronan up to enlist his help in getting myself registered ahead of time. When I arrived, I found him waiting for me. Disquiet was etched upon his face the moment heid eyes on me. ¡°What''s wrong? Why are youing in to get a check-up all of a sudden? Are you feeling unwell?¡± His voice was filled with concern, whereas I was brimming with joy inside. ¡°It''s nothing really. I thought that I may be pregnant, and wanted to get some tests done just to confirm whether that could be the case.¡± Seeing that this was his hospital, I made no attempt to hide the purpose of my visit as I would not likely have been able to withhold anything even if I tried. His face stiffened when he heard what I said, and the concern he showed abruptly turned into disappointment. By this time, we might consider ourselves to be no more than ordinary friends. I had been under the impression that he had already moved past it, but the fleeting look in his eyes told me otherwise. Chapter 584 Chapter 584 ¡°You two are really efficient. Didn''t expect that you''ll be conceiving again so soon,¡± chuckled Ronan bitterly as he met my gaze. Having not foreseen this situation when I called Ronan, I began to regret letting him in on this when I saw his reaction to it. If he had not quite moved on, my asking for his help in this matter would be tantamount to the rubbing of salt into his wound. ¡°Uh, if it isn''t convenient, I can go wait in queue myself,¡± avoidant of making eye contact with him, I hastily uttered these words before I tried to step around him. Ronan furrowed when he saw me that way and, in an instant, ced himself in my way. ¡°Come along now. I''ve already made arrangements prior, so you need only head straight in.¡± The subdued smile he wore intimated that he was suppressing his own emotions. I exhaled haplessly as I felt ill at ease inside. Sincerely, I did not want to hurt him, but no matter what I said or how many times I turned him down, his feelings for me had never wavered. That had me deeply moved, but at the same time, profoundly troubled because my love was reserved for Michael and Michael alone, and could never have reciprocated his affections for me. Without speaking further, I made my way directly to the examination room. Upon the release of the test results, I felt that I had wind beneath my wings when the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant. I wonder how Michael might react in response to this news. Ronan stayed with me throughout the process and naturally heard everything the doctor said. The stoic look on his face revealed nothing about what he felt. In his presence, I refrained from expressing my own joy too overtly, and merely slipped the medical report into my bag and strode out ahead of him. ¡°Thanks for your help today. I''ll be making a move first.¡± Right now, I could not wait to break the news of my pregnancy to Michael. ¡°All right then. Take care.¡± Ronan smiled softly at me and said no more. ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied staidly before turning to depart. I could no longer bottle up that grin on my face after I exited his line of sight, and following that, I drove straight to Michael''s office until I arrived downstairs. As many people there already knew about the rtionship between Michael and myself, I was able to reach the CEO''s office unhindered. ¡°You two are really efficient. Didn''t expect that you''ll be conceiving again so soon,¡± chuckled Ronan bitterly as he met my gaze. ¡°You two ara raally afficiant. Didn''t axpact that you''ll ba concaiving again so soon,¡± chucd Ronan bittarly as ha mat my gaza. Having not forasaan this situation whan I cad Ronan, I bagan to ragrattting him in on this whan I saw his raaction to it. If ha had not quita movad on, my asking for his halp in this mattar would ba tantamount to tha rubbing of salt into his wound. ¡°Uh, if it isn''t convaniant, I can go wait in quaua mysalf,¡± avoidant of making aya contact with him, I hastily uttarad thasa words bafora I triad to stap around him. Ronan furrowad whan ha saw ma that way and, in an instant, cad himsalf in my way. ¡°Coma along now. I''va alraady mada arrangamants prior, so you naad only haad straight in.¡± Tha subduad sm ha wora intimatad that ha was supprassing his own amotions. I axhd hassly as I falt ill at aasa insida. Sincaraly, I did not want to hurt him, but no mattar what I said or how many timas I turnad him down, his faalings for ma had navar wavarad. That had ma daaply movad, but at tha sama tima, profoundly troud bacausa my lova was rasarvad for Michaal and Michaal alona, and could navar hava raciprocatad his affactions for ma. Without spaaking furthar, I mada my way diractly to tha axamination room. Upon tha rasa of tha tast rasults, I falt that I had wind banaath my wings whan tha doctor confirmad that I was pragnant. I wondar how Michaal might raact in rasponsa to this naws. Ronan stayad with ma throughout tha procass and naturally haard avarything tha doctor said. Tha stoic look on his faca ravad nothing about what ha falt. In his prasanca, I rafrainad from axprassing my own joy too ovartly, and maraly slippad tha madical raport into my bag and stroda out ahaad of him. ¡°Thanks for your halp today. I''ll ba making a mova first.¡± Right now, I could not wait to braak tha naws of my pragnancy to Michaal. ¡°All right than. Taka cara.¡± Ronan smd softly at ma and said no mora. ¡°Yaah,¡± I rapliad staidly bafora turning to dapart. I could no longar bot up that grin on my faca aftar I axitad his lina of sight, and following that, I drova straight to Michaal''s offica until I arrivad downstairs. As many pao thara alraady knaw about tha rtionship batwaan Michaal and mysalf, I was a to raach tha CEO''s offica unhindarad. Michael''s sensual and maic male voice emanated from the other side of the door when I knocked. ¡°Come in.¡± Pushing my way through, I saw Michael earnestly reviewing a document he had on hand. He did not look up when I entered. ¡°What is it?¡± His head remained bowed and paid me no heed. When I saw that he was not paying any attention to me, I cleared my throat before continuing. ¡°Ahem... I came in today to announce something major.¡± Perhaps that had the desired effect. In the next second, he lifted his head in surprise. His eyes lit up momentarily at first when he saw that it was me, andter on, he broke into a furrow. ¡°What brought you here? Aren''t you feeling unwell and resting at home?¡± Michael stood up and strode toward me with a look of concern about him. ¡°I''m here to tell you something important.¡± I lifted my head to meet his eyes. ¡°What matter could be so important that it couldn''t wait? That you had to make the trip down in spite of feeling sick?¡± Michael was less interested in whatever I had to say and more concerned about the state of my health. I could tell that he was really worried. ¡°This is important enough that I have to break it to you in person. I assure you that you''d also be delighted when you hear it,¡± I looked into his eyes and said this excitedly. ¡°So, what is it?¡± he asked with his brow slightly arched. Hearing me repeat myself finally roused Michael''s curiosity. ¡°I''ve just done a checkup at the hospital. I''m pregnant.¡± Producing the medical report I got from the hospital as I spoke, I then brought it before Michael. His expression froze at the moment of this revtion and regarded me with a look of utter astonishment. ¡°What''s that you say?¡± Michael looked at me and took some time to process this before he replied. ¡°I said that I''m conceiving, and this is the test result.¡± His mannerisms had me quite tickled as I had never seen him behave this way before. Michael took the document from my hands and after he reviewed its contents, his face broke into a smile. Then, he lifted me up and spun me around in situ. ¡°You''re pregnant, and I''m going to be a father for the second time?¡± He seemed even more thrilled than I was, and I could tell that he was looking forward to bing the father to both of our children. I allowed him to spin me round and round, and in that instant, I felt extremely blessed. It was only when a woman truly loved a man that she would experience such joy at carrying his offspring. Only after some time passed did Michael set me back down and carefully caressed my belly. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°I hope that I didn''t hurt the baby by getting too carried away. Tell you what, why don''t you head on back to rest? I''ll go join you at home as soon as I''m done with this bit.¡± Michael smiled as he regarded my still-t stomach. ¡°I''m not tired. There''s no need to get so worked up as I just got pregnant. It''s not like I''m about to go intobor.¡± I found Michael''s demeanor to be quite hrious as it was still early days and, as such, no cause for him to overreact like this. Although I had been experiencing some morning sickness, there was surely nothing for him to be too concerned about. ¡°Of course, I have to take this seriously. I certainly have to take good care of you because you''ve got my future little princess inside there.¡± cing a hand on my abdomen, Michael regarded me with tremendous joy in his eyes. I was bbergasted at how he responded. This man must really be so crazy about having a daughter to automatically assume that the one in my belly must be a girl this early into my pregnancy. ¡°How can you be sure that it''s a girl? What if it''s a boy?¡± I looked at him andughed. ¡°I''ve got a feeling that she''s my lover from a past life. How could I possibly be wrong about that?¡± Michael''s stylish arched brows perked up in affirmation. Lover from a past life, huh. I had no good retort for that. Did he want to see what his lover from a past life looked like? No wonder he wanted a daughter so badly. ¡°I''ll have my secretary send you home. Don''t drive since you''re now with a child. I don''t feel safe about it.¡± Just a moment ago, he wanted me to head home to rest. Now, he would not even allow me to drive and wanted to have his secretary send me back instead. I was speechless at the level of caution Michael was exercising but also overflowing with happiness inside. Chapter 585 Chapter 585 ¡°All right. I''ll go wait for you at home then. Don''t work toote, okay?¡± Preupied with how he wanted to care for the daughter that was forting, Michael was too distracted to listen to anything that I was saying. ¡°Okay. I''ll be home early tonight.¡± Michael smiled in assent. Looking at him now, he might have apanied me home right away had he not been tied down by so much work on his hands. Josephine was already waiting for me when I got back to the Shaw residence. She approached immediately the minute I stepped in and regarded me with jovial anticipation. ¡°Whates of the test results, Anna? Are you pregnant?¡± Josephine looked at me excitedly as though she already had the answer. ¡°Your intuition was simply spot-on, Mom.¡± I smiled broadly. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh my. This is simply wonderful. Now our little Amaury is going to have himself a little brother or sister.¡± She was all smiles, and the joy was also palpable in her eyes. I shook my head in disapproval. Being the one who was pregnant, I thought that I ought to be the one who was happiest about it. Yet, it would seem that the members of the Shaw family were even more over the moon than I was. ¡°I''m tired, Mom. I think I would like to head upstairs to rest.¡± After I cast a smile at Josephine, I went on to make my way upstairs as I was genuinely in some degree of difort. ¡°Go on ahead then. I''d have the housekeeper prepare something nutritious for youter.¡± Owing to my status, Josephine did not mind my manners. On the contrary, she eagerly went on to get the housekeeper to make something nice for me. I was not sure whether it was because of my pregnancy that Michael came home very early this day. He even walked in clutching a huge bouquet of roses in his hands. Thinking back, it had been a while since he had gotten any flowers for me. ¡°Are those for me, or for that lover from your past life?¡± I purposefully projected a stern demeanor as I looked him in the eye. ¡°Both. I''m presenting this to the both of you.¡± Michael wore a yful expression on his face when he heard what I said. Speechless, I rolled my eyes at him. For us both? Hmph. When this news reached the ears of the rest of the Shaw family, all of them treated me preciously and refused to even allow me to return to the office. In my own esteem, I thought that it was not necessary for them to coddle me like that. However, since all of them were unanimous in that decision, I had no choice but to put my own career on hold. I applied for maternity leave with my boss and would wait until the baby had been delivered before returning to work. ¡°All right. I''ll go wait for you at home then. Don''t work toote, okay?¡± ¡°All right. I''ll go wait for you at homa than. Don''t work toota, okay?¡± Praupiad with how ha wantad to cara for tha daughtar that was forting, Michaal was too distractad to listan to anything that I was saying. ¡°Okay. I''ll ba homa aarly tonight.¡± Michaal smd in assant. Looking at him now, ha might hava apaniad ma homa right away had ha not baan tiad down by so much work on his hands. Josaphina was alraady waiting for ma whan I got back to tha Shaw rasidanca. Sha approachad immadiataly tha minuta I stappad in and ragardad ma with jovial anticipation. ¡°Whatas of tha tast rasults, Anna? Ara you pragnant?¡± Josaphina lookad at ma axcitadly as though sha alraady had tha answar. ¡°Your intuition was simply spot-on, Mom.¡± I smd broadly. ¡°Oh my. This is simply wondarful. Now our lit Amaury is going to hava himsalf a lit brothar or sistar.¡± Sha was all sms, and tha joy was also palpa in har ayas. I shook my haad in disapproval. Baing tha ona who was pragnant, I thought that I ought to ba tha ona who was happiast about it. Yat, it would saam that tha mambars of tha Shaw family wara avan mora ovar tha moon than I was. ¡°I''m tirad, Mom. I think I would lika to haad upstairs to rast.¡± Aftar I cast a sm at Josaphina, I want on to maka my way upstairs as I was ganuinaly in soma dagraa of difort. ¡°Go on ahaad than. I''d hava tha housakaapar prapara somathing nutritious for youtar.¡± Owing to my status, Josaphina did not mind my mannars. On tha contrary, sha aagarly want on to gat tha housakaapar to maka somathing nica for ma. I was not sura whathar it was bacausa of my pragnancy that Michaal cama homa vary aarly this day. Ha avan walkad in clutching a huga bouquat of rosas in his hands. Thinking back, it had baan a wh sinca ha had gottan any flowars for ma. ¡°Ara thosa for ma, or for that lovar from your past lifa?¡± I purposafully projactad a starn damaanor as I lookad him in tha aya. ¡°Both. I''m prasanting this to tha both of you.¡± Michaal wora a yful axprassion on his faca whan ha haard what I said. Spaacss, I rod my ayas at him. For us both? Hmph. Whan this naws raachad tha aars of tha rast of tha Shaw family, all of tham traatad ma praciously and rafusad to avan allow ma to raturn to tha offica. In my own astaam, I thought that it was not nacassary for tham to cod ma lika that. Howavar, sinca all of tham wara unanimous in that dacision, I had no choica but to put my own caraar on hold. I appliad for matarnityava with my boss and would wait until tha baby had baan dalivarad bafora raturning to work. As my boss had business contacts with Michael, he readily approved of my request when I tabled it. At first, I thought it might have been a difficult ask but seeing how understanding he was much improved my esteem of him. That was. Until I found outter that Michael had already called on him beforehand, and also ced a huge order with him. Things were getting increasingly tough for us at ourpany for a while now, but with Michael''s help, we were quickly able to get back on our feet. The benefit of getting in Michael''s good graces had been an unquestionably good return for granting one year of maternity leave. Thus far, my time with the Shaw family had seen its fair share of trials and tribtions, but now, the family had me on a pedestal and would not allow me to do anything. Whether it be wanting to do a bit of exercise or just some simple cleaning up, they would be sure to get in ahead of me. I could very well be considered the biggest bum within the Shaw residence. As I had never received this manner of treatment before, it took some getting used to. Alicia was also delighted to learn of my pregnancy, and she visited the Shaw residence, bearing many gifts. ¡°Why do you need to bring me so much stuff for a casual visit, Mom?¡± The sight of the maternity supplements my mother had prepared for me made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Even though I had vehemently resented her previously, through our interactions over this past period, I had already forgiven her since. After all, blood is thicker than water. No matter what happened in the past, we were still family. Over this past period, I, too, had only grown more appreciative of the love she had for me. ¡°Anna, y-you''re finally willing to call me Mom...¡± Alicia''s tear ducts burst like a dam and her eyes were filled with jubtion when she heard me address her as such. Seeing her so emotional made me feel terrible and even remorseful at having said such mean things to her before. I bet that she would never in her life expect that I would ever change the way I addressed her. ¡°I was wrong, Mom. I shouldn''t have said such hurtful things to you before. I''m so sorry.¡± As I regarded her, my own eyes too, puffed up. In the next second, Alicia threw her arms around me and her tears flowed ceaselessly. I understood then that she only said what she said to me because she cared. Jte arrived alongside Alicia, but it was for the first time that she did not regard me with scorn when she saw me and waited till Alicia and I settled ourselves before she came over. ¡°I was wrong to treat you the way I did previously, Anna, and am here expressly to apologize to you. Thank you for having done so much for me, and also, I hope that you''d be able to forgive me,¡± said Jte in earnest when she came before me. I was surprised by the change in her attitude. Never had I expected for a willful scion like her to humble herself before anyone. Is this the Jte Campbell that I used to know? I was starting to wonder whether my own ears were ying tricks on me. To think that she would apologize to me? ¡°It''s okay, as it''s all water under the bridge, so long as you do not have Mom constantly worrying so much for you.¡± Since Jte took the initiative to offer an olive branch, I could not continue to be petty with her, as in my eyes, she was but an immature child. Jte smiled at me, and gone was the antagonism she had for me in the past. At this moment, I felt that she could still be a very lovable girl if she could keep her own imperious ways in check. With everything going so swimmingly in my life, it would seem that only good things could happen to me. Basking in the reconciliations with both Alicia and Jte and adoration from the Shaw family made me feel like I was the luckiest woman in the world. A few monthster, the second child that I conceived with Michael was born, and she really turned out to be a girl. For a moment I thought Michael was just making a wild guess, but his prediction turned out to be unexpectedly urate. After the birth of our daughter, Michael had turned into such a doting father toward her. He would unfailingly smother her with kisses every single night after he got home, so much so that it sometimes made Amaury green with envy. Though our lives might still be littered with sporadic doses of bickering from time to time, most of our days together would be spent in sheer blissfulness. Hence, I believe that our happiness would continue forever and ever... The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!