Chapter 443 As the disheartening thought festered in his mind, Anthony turned to Nial and firmly stated,â Donât let Charmine know anything about this whole thing yet.â He could not afford to take any risk before marrying her. Nial frowned. âBro... Are you trying to hide this from Charmine?â âItâs not âhidingâ. Iâll get to it.â He would deal with it accordingly. Anthony patted Nialâs shoulder and left. Nial felt uneasy, but he hoped that Anthony could hide it from Charmine while he got down on the matter. As they both departed from the room, they failed to realize that someone hid in the toilet. It was McKenzie.
Mckenzie came to Anthonyâs office in the morning in an attempt to negotiate a deal with him.â She had photos of him with Charmine, and she would use them as hostages so he would sever their relationship entirely. It startled her that Nial and Anthony came in together, forcing her to hide in the bathroom, though she was rewarded with a shocking discovery. Anthony was still looking for the woman from five years ago...and that woman was probably Annabel Smith. McKenzieâs eyes hardened in jealousy at the thought of her, that penniless girl. Born into a poor farming family, Annabel was pitiable and weak with those doe eyes of hers; the kind of eyes that could lure any manâs soul. McKenzie hated that. She grew up with Anthony and knew him since the sandbox, yet never once was he impressed with her. Worse still, he got unusually close to Annabel when he was 18.
She joined forces with Mdm. Bailey and sent Annabel away many years ago, but she never expected that she would return. Was she truly in Royal Banquet Bar five years ago?
If the woman he slept with was Annabel, then she would be Chrisâ mother... McKenzie clenched her fists tightly. Annabel left Burlington after receiving the five million, yet she gave birth to Anthonyâs child? As McKenzie thought more into it, Chrisâ watery eyes did resemble Annabelâs! Fury slowly built up in McKenzieâs being, but her assistant Miranda was quick to remind her,â
Madam, please calm down. This is a good thing. Think about it: Whatâll Charmine do if she finds out about Annabelâs existence?â
Gradually, McKenzie began to simmer down at Mirandaâs speculation; she had a point. Knowing Charmine, she would do things to Annabel, and even if she would not do anything to her, Charmine would not tolerate Anthony for having another woman on his mind. Once Charmine would leave the picture, well... Annabel was no threat. She was the epitome of a weak and gentle flower that could easily die with just a pinch. âGo check on Annabel,â instructed McKenzie, âand get her before Nial does.â
âYes, Madam.â
Meanwhile... Anthony was on his way back to Violet Villa, the scene from 10 years ago still fresh in his mind as it unconsciously replayed. Back then, Annabel was often bullied by a few rich teenage boys in the university. No matter how much they tried to pay her, she would not give in. She would even fight against them. While Annabel was powerless and had nothing, she was firm in her stance and never wavered. He had never seen such a determined and strong-minded woman, so he sympathized and pitied her. Of course, those feelings had faded throughout the past ten years, and she had never once crossed his mind until Nial brought it up. Would Charmine take it wrongly once she heard about that? When he got back to Violet Villa, he saw Charmine and Chris both dressed in matching cute pajamas as they played checkers. The late afternoon sunlight shone on their backsâ
the sight was beautiful and heartwarming. Instantly, all of his doubts vanished as his gaze fixed on Charmine.