Chapter 229: Chapter 229

"Being petty? I didn’t."

"You did! Ever since we left the stele forest, you’ve barely talked to me. You weren’t receptive to the flowers I gave you. Later, during the wedding photoshoot, you seemed uninterested. Was taking photos with me such a grievance for you?"

"Maybe it was just the heat today. I get bad-tempered in hot weather, so I didn’t want to take photos. It wasn’t about you," Anna explained.

Earlier, she was chatting away with the photographer yet intentionally distanced herself from Conrad, the groom in the wedding photos.

President Sterling had specially arranged this surprise for her, yet Anna was indifferent even while choosing a dress. Though outwardly cooperative during the shoot, she dodged the photographer’s request for a kiss by switching to other poses. Could it be Conrad didn’t sense her inner rejection and distance?

"Anna Thornton, marrying me was your own decision; no one forced you! So, stop showing me that face. I don’t have time for your tantrums."

"I’m acting my own way. I’m sorry if that bothered President Sterling. Maybe I should just distance myself once I get back, or you could simply ignore me."

Anna truly felt exhausted today, traveling from Veridia to the island, then returning to Aethelgard after the photoshoot, topped with a bad night’s sleep yesterday.

She lacked the energy to continue entangling with Conrad, but as she tried to leave, he held her wrist tightly, pulling her back into his control.

"Anna! Thornton! Say what you have to before you leave!"

"I have nothing to say to you."

"What’s this attitude?"

"I already mentioned the heat foulness, told you not to bother me... uh!"

Before Anna could finish, the man suddenly bent down and sealed her lips.

She widened her eyes, wanting to push away, but both hands were pressed against Conrad’s shoulders, unable to move him in the slightest.

Yet the more she resisted, the more forceful Conrad’s kiss became.

Anna wasn’t unaware of what Conrad wanted; given his character, the only option was to comply at times .

Especially today, after paying respects to her parents and the child she lost back then, Anna was extremely averse to intimacy with Conrad.

Putting in all her strength to push away couldn’t work, so Anna resorted to a vicious bite on his lip until the taste of blood spread between their mouths.

Her fists pounding, venting her anger or resisting—it didn’t matter.

After all, her unwillingness couldn’t force Conrad to back down.

Conrad realized he had been too accommodating to her, even allowing discussions on living arrangements, resulting in her lacking any awareness of being a wife.

Throwing fits with him? Maybe she’s forgotten whose temper is the worst?!!

Just as he planned to teach her a good lesson, the underground parking lot, originally filled only with their breath, suddenly resounded with the screeching friction of car tires on the ground.

Conrad swiftly pulled Anna from the trunk area over to his side.

Simultaneously, his car was hit, moving half a meter away.

Conrad’s sharp gaze turned to the sports car that collided, glancing at the license plate, already having a knowing frown.

Anna instantly shook off Conrad, opening the car door to check on Pop.

Luckily, when Conrad put Pop in the car, he had properly buckled the child into the safety seat.

Pop was unharmed, just awoken by the jolt, Fatty rubbed his eyes dazedly at Anna: "Mommy?"

Anna finally relaxed, taking the child out of the car.

At this moment, the person stepping out of the sports car ahead was Marilyn Ford!

Marilyn’s gaze swept over Anna and Pop, then turned to Conrad, eyes full of shock and disbelief.

In her eyes was the longing and reluctance for the man during their separation: "Conrad... why are you here? And why are you with Anna Thornton?"

Conrad didn’t care to answer her: "Can’t you drive properly?"

The man’s sharp indifference pierced Marilyn, now all he expressed toward her reckless approach was blame.

"Sorry, these days I’ve been on business trips, I’m exhausted."

After breaking up with Conrad, Marilyn couldn’t let go, so her agent took a lot of work for her during this time.

But only now Marilyn realized that no matter how packed the schedule was, it couldn’t fill the emptiness inside. She began questioning her past decisions, why she shifted her focus from love to career. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs Nove1Fire.net

Actually, this time Marilyn was abroad for a business event, with two days left on the schedule.

She came back early due to Holly Sutton’s revelation.

Holly contacted Marilyn, saying she saw Conrad and Anna together in Veridia, behaving intimately.

At first, Marilyn didn’t believe it; she specifically flew back wanting to understand it clearly.

Little did she know, she would meet Conrad and Anna at the airport, and even catch them in a kissing scene.

It was this impactful scene that led Marilyn to slam the accelerator and crash into them.

Yet even now, she refused to believe.

"Impossible! This can’t be!" Marilyn scrutinized Anna again, clearly still not fitting Conrad’s dislike.

Back then, when Anna returned to the country, she clutched her child claiming paternity, but Conrad never even glanced at her, nor recognized the daughter she bore!

No matter how beautiful Anna was, overly brazen and purposeful, not Conrad’s type at all.

But now, Conrad gently took the daughter from Anna, carefully checking if Pop was hurt from the collision, already a far cry from Marilyn’s familiarity.

"Conrad, you still haven’t answered me, why are you with Anna Thornton?"

"Do I need to explain my company to you? What relation do you have with me now?" Conrad asked in return.

Marilyn typically knew boundaries well, never putting herself in embarrassing positions, but today she couldn’t control the pursuit: "Don’t tell me, the woman my dad saw coming out of Sterling Residence that morning was her? Are you living together?"

Catastrophe struck as Marilyn, such a proud person, faced exposure with her man taken by Anna, now losing face terribly in front of them, certainly won’t let this rest.

Watching Marilyn leave red-eyed in her car after confirming the truth from Conrad’s lips, Anna seemed to foresee her own future.

Whether in the company or entertainment circle, she’ll undoubtedly become Marilyn’s target!

"President Sterling, I defied you just now, you want to punish me this way?" Anna protested as Marilyn left, "Why did you tell her we’re living together?"

"She already saw, denying it would be pointless."

"Aren’t you afraid she’ll gossip?"

Marilyn assumed she knew Conrad well, when in fact, she didn’t.

But on the contrary, Conrad understood her very well.

She wouldn’t let anyone know about Conrad and Anna being together, since as an heiress of the Ford Family and an Actress Ford, how could she hold face?

Marilyn wouldn’t accept losing to Anna at all!

However, Conrad is aware of what’s worrying Anna.

"If she troubles you in the company from now on, just report to me!"