Chapter 203 Anne’s Special Day
Downstairs, a Maybach rolled slowly into thepound.
<b>70 </b>
+10 Free Coins
Jonathan set the freshly sorted documents aside, leaned back, and shut his eyes for a moment to ease the strain. His lips parted just slightly.
“re–up again?” he asked, directing thement at Zion behind the wheel.
<i>Ever </i><i>since </i><i>Zion </i><i>got </i><i>back </i><i>from </i><i>the </i><i>City </i><i>Hall</i><i>, </i><i>he’s </i><i>been </i><i>all </i><i>twitchy</i><i>–</i><i>like </i><i>he </i><i>wants </i><i>to </i><i>say </i><i>something </i><i>but </i><i>keeps </i><i>swallowing </i><i>it </i><i>down</i>. <i>And </i><i>the </i><i>whole </i><i>drive</i><i>, </i>I’ve <i>lost </i><i>count </i><i>of </i><i>how </i><i>many </i><i>times </i><i>he’s </i><i>checked </i><i>me </i><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>rearview</i>.
Zion was left speechless.
<i>I’m </i><i>hesitating</i><i>. </i><i>Should </i><i>I </i><i>tell </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Fullbuster </i><i>that </i><i>Anneliese </i><i>and </i><i>Zacharias </i><i>never </i><i>even </i><i>spent </i><i>their </i><i>wedding </i><i>night </i><i>together</i>? <i>My </i><i>first </i><i>instinct </i>is to <i>spill </i><i>it</i><i>–</i><i>he’d </i><i>probably </i><i>be </i><i>thrilled </i><i>to </i><i>hear </i><i>it</i><i>. </i><i>But </i><i>then </i>I stop <i>myself</i><i>. </i><i>That’s </i><i>Anneliese’s </i><i>private </i><i>business</i>. <i>The </i><i>fact </i><i>that </i><i>I </i><i>happened </i><i>to </i><i>stumble </i><i>across </i><i>it </i><i>already </i><i>feels </i>wrong. <i>Passing </i><i>it </i><i>around </i><i>would </i><i>just </i><i>make </i><i>me </i><i>look </i><i>crude</i>.
<i>Besides</i>, <i>Mr. </i><i>Fullbuster </i>likes <i>her </i><i>for </i><i>who </i><i>she </i>is. <i>That </i><i>much </i><i>is </i><i>obvious</i>. <i>He </i><i>doesn’t </i><i>care about </i><i>that </i><i>kind </i><i>of </i><i>thing</i>. <i>If </i><i>I </i><i>blurt </i><i>it </i><i>out</i><i>, </i><i>Ms. </i><i>ude </i><i>might </i>twist <i>the </i><i>whole </i><i>story </i><iter</i><i>. </i><i>She </i><i>could </i><i>easily </i><i>assume he </i>only <i>fell </i><i>for </i><i>her </i><i>because </i><i>her </i><i>marriage </i><i>was </i><i>never </i><i>consummated</i>.
Zion had been torn about whether to speak up, but Jonathan’s jab settled it–he mped down on the thought and decided to keep quiet.
<i>Forget </i><i>it</i><i>–</i><i>better </i><i>just </i><i>to </i><i>let </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Fullbuster </i><i>stumble </i><i>onto </i><i>the </i><i>surprise </i><i>himself</i><i>. </i>
“It’s nothing!” Zion said.
Jonathan lifted his eyes, nced at him, then dropped the matter without another word.
…
Anneliese was helping the maid set the dishes on the table when the front door opened and Jonathan stepped inside.
“Grandma? What brings you here?” His voice carried genuine surprise,
With her back to Anneliese, Penelope rolled her eyes at Jonathan. Whoever thought it was a good idea to bring her in as backup clearly didn’t know what they were getting into–Penelope was taking her role way too seriously.
11:59 Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>12 </b>
Chapter 203 Anne’s Special Day
:
<b>70 </b>
+10 Free Coins
“I came to check if you’ve made any progress. Maybe keeping some pretty girl hidden away like a treasure. But look at this ce–no sign of ady, no warmth, nothing that feels alive.” Penelope’s tone was half scolding, half amused.
“Grandma, is that really meant as praise?” Jonathan asked, baffled.
“You hide someone first, then we’ll argue about whether it counts as praise.” Penelope shot back without missing a beat.
Jonathan let out a helpless sigh and turned toward Anneliese, silently asking her for rescue.
Anneliese hurried over. “I just ran into Grandma in the elevator. She invited me to join dinner with you. Go wash up, it’s almost ready.”
“Alright.” Jonathan loosened his tie with a quick tug and headed toward the bedroom.
When dinner was served, Anneliese and Jonathan took their seats on either side of Penelope. The arrangement left the two of them facing each other across the table.
Penelope smiled warmly. “Today is Anne’s special day. Jonathan, bring out one of the vintage bottles. Let’s raise a ss for her.”
Jonathan stayed put. “Grandma, she’s down with a cold and on medication. She really
shouldn’t drink.”
Penelope’s brows lifted in surprise. She turned to Anneliese, who gave a slight nod. Then her gaze swung back to Jonathan, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. “And how exactly did you know she’s sick and taking medicine?”
Her expression hinted at all sorts of implications. Anneliese, worried Jonathan might say something that only deepened the misunderstanding, jumped in quickly.
“Grandma, Mr. Fullbuster, and I both attended the White Family’s dinner partyst night. Something happened on the way back, and I ended up with a fever. He was the one who brought me home.”
That answer softened Penelope’s expression. She nodded in approval, lips curving into a pleased smile. “Good. At least he knows how to look after a girl.” She passed the soup bowl the maid had just handed her straight to Anneliese.
Anneliese was caught off guard by the kindness. She rose at once to ept it. “Let me get a bowl for Mr. Fullbuster, too-”
But Penelope pulled her back. “Drink yours. He doesn’t deserve it.”
<b>11:59 </b>Fri<b>, </b>Sep 12
Chapter 203 Anne’s Special Day
:
<b>70 </b>
+10 Free Coins
Anneliese paused, lips pressing together. Then she shifted quickly. “Then let me serve you instead. This soup smells wonderful.”
Penelope nodded, brushing her fingers across her cheek. “Ugh, can’t even find Jonathan a partner. Anne, you must think I look worn out and old, right? Guess I need more soup to keep me alive.”
Anneliese froze, not knowing how to answer.
She nced at Jonathan with a flicker of sympathy. His thin lips were pressed tight in helpless silence. But then he turned and said to Penelope, “If marriage were that wonderful, Anne wouldn’t have gotten divorced.”
The words blindsided Anneliese. Her sympathy evaporated in an instant.
<i>How </i><i>can </i><i>he </i><i>turn </i><i>around </i><i>and </i><i>shove </i><i>me </i><i>out </i><i>front </i><i>like </i><i>that</i>?
Beneath the table, she instinctively kicked toward the other side. It was nothing more than a knee–jerk reaction, a tiny, impulsive move. She never expected his legs to be so long, stretched almost to her side of the table.
Her foot actually made contact.
She pulled back in a rush, startled–then froze the next second. Her foot was caught, trapped so tightly she couldn’t move it.
Panic shed across her expression before she could stop it. She nearly turned to Jonathan, ready to beg him to let go.
But just then, Penelope turned her way and caught her hand.
Anneliese had no choice but to keep her expression calm, pretending nothing at all was happening under the table.