Chapter 403 Reminding Myself Of My Hatred
“Since you’ve come 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’s late, and I’d like to rest.”
Not in the mood to yak with him, I moved to slam 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 flaring. 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 blamed 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 black 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 occur 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 Nicholas’ voice sounded from behind me.
Before I could answer, he had already come up behind me. When he saw that the person in front of me was Michael, his eyes flickered, and he naturally placed a hand on my shoulder.
As I sensed his touch, my brows furrowed slightly. Nonetheless, I did not shake him off. I knew that he was deliberately acting intimate with me before Michael so that the latter would misunderstand.
“Ah, it’s Mr. Shaw from Joyful Success. Nice to meet you. Why are you here at this hour?”
Looking at Michael, Nicholas wore a slight smile on his face. Then, he courteously extended a hand.
Michael stared intently at Nicholas’ hand on my shoulder, the fury in his eyes blazing all the hotter.
“Who are you, and why are you here?” he demanded frostily without taking Nicholas’ hand, fixing him with a dark expression.
My mood inexplicably took a turn for the better when I saw his hostility toward Nicholas.
“I’m Nicholas Cadman, and I’m also the general manager of Nifty Group. I’m looking forward to our collaboration in the future, Mr. Shaw.”
In contrast with Michael’s dour face, Nicholas wore a half-smile all along.
“A collaboration? I don’t think there’s any need for a collaboration! It’s just a branch office from Anglandur, so it’s of no significance to me!”
Compared to Nicholas’ amiable attitude, Michael appeared callous, and his voice grew increasingly colder.
“Michael! If you’re here tonight to pick trouble, then you’re not welcomed 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?”
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 explain things to him. Besides, a relationship 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 Anglandur. 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 to commit murder. Alas, 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. Nicholas 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 Nicholas 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.”
