Chapter 172
Anthony’s brows furrowed, disbelief evident on his face. “Are you saying my brother is picking on you?”
Alina nodded vigorously, stepping closer to Anthony and clutching his arm for effect. “Yes! They ju
won’t stop bullying me!” She glanced at Lirian and me, hiding behind Anthony like a damsel in distress.
Anthony’s patience snapped. Without hesitation, he grabbed her arm firmly, lifting her slightly off balance. His voice was sharp and commanding, a stark contrast to his usual gentle tone. “You’d better explain. What exactly did you do to my brother and sister–in–law?”
Alina’s eyes widened in shock. “I didn’t do anything! I swear!” she stammered, but her protests lacked conviction.
Anthony’s gaze turned cold. “If Lirian called me here, it’s because you caused trouble. Don’t even think of fooling me.”
Her charade faltered under Anthony’s unrelenting stare. “I… I didn’t mean to upset them,” she muttered, trying to salvage her act.
Lirian, however, wasn’t one to let things slide. He crossed his arms, his voice calm but firm. “She came here claiming she was doing Sofia a favor by allowing her to invest in their project. She also said that you were her boyfriend and warned us not to offend you. I’d really like to know what would happen if we did offend you.”
Anthony froze, his expression tightening. He turned to Alina, who was looking anywhere but at him. The weight of her actions hit him, and he sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. “Brother, I swear, she’s just an online friend. We’ve only played games together. She’s not my girlfriend.”
Aise
Alina’s face turned crimson, her lips parting in shock. “Anthony! How can you say that?” she blurted out, her voice shrill with indignation.
Anthony shot her a glare, his tone icy. “How about you stop talking before you dig yourself an even deeper hole?”
Alina shrank back, stunned into silence.
I decided to step in, my voice calm but firm. “Anthony, if she really is your girlfriend, you need to talk to her. I don’t have an issue with you dating, but her dismissive attitude is unacceptable.”
Chapect Fra
She’s not my girlfriend!” Anthony’s voice cracked with frustration, his face turning red. “I don’t even know how this”
Anthony was on the verge of losing it. He felt like crying but somehow restrained himself, knowing it would only make this situation even more absurd. How had things escalated so badly? And why couldn’t he seem to clear this misunderstanding?
Lirian, as composed as ever, turned to me and said in his usual calm yet commanding tone, “Let’s go.”
Anthony, desperate to salvage whatever dignity he had left, hurriedly said, “Brother, sister–in–law… don’t worry. You definitely won’t see her again in the future.”
Neither Lirian nor I responded. We walked past him, leaving his words hanging in the air. Without looking back, we got into the car, and Lirian started the engine. Anthony stood rooted to the spot, watching the car disappear into the distance, feeling a mix of frustration and relief.
As the silence around him grew, Anthony turned slowly to face Alina. He studied her, his face a storm of disbelief and irritation. How had this seemingly polite, well–mannered woman turned into such a headache? He let out a sharp, humorless laugh, shaking his head.
The laugh wasn’t out of amusement but sheer disbelief at how blind he’d been. Alina had always seemed so composed, so agreeable. If he had known she was capable of causing this much trouble,
would have never gotten involved with her.
Alina, sensing the shift in his demeanor, sauntered up to him. Her pout was exaggerated, and her tone was filled with mock indignation. “Baby, you were so mean to me just now. I’m really upset.”
Anthony’s patience snapped. His voice was cold, sharp as a blade. “Let go.”
Startled by his tone, Alina quickly dropped the arm she had been clutching. Her wide eyes searched his face for some sign of the soft, easygoing Anthony she was used to. But he was gone, replaced by someone who looked like he was barely holding himself back from walking away entirely.
Still trying to salvage the situation, she tried to play it off, her voice tinged with forced cheerfulness. “Come on, they’re gone now. You’ve done enough acting. No need to keep pretending, right?”
Anthony’s expression turned cold as he stared at Alina. His voice carried a dangerous calm. “Who told you I was acting with you?”
