Chapter 24: Who You Like Is None of My Business

Thalia's face went ghostly white. She bit her lip and shot a weak look at Charles. "Mr. Percy, I saw that trench coat first."

Charles smirked, "Doesn't matter who saw it first; what matters is who pays for it first, right?"

This was just like Thalia's earlier stunt to grab the coat.

Seeing Charles step in, the salesperson didn't dare slack off and quickly packed the coat, handing it to Charles and Anna.

Charles handed Anna the shopping bag, "Here, take it."

Anna shook her head, "I don't like this coat."

He didn't push it on her again but held onto it himself.

With his other hand, he grabbed hers, interlocking their fingers so she couldn't pull away.

"If you don't like it, cut it up when we get home and toss it." He said, all casual-like.

With that, he didn't look at anyone else and pulled Anna out of the store.

The folks behind them had all sorts of looks on their faces. Some were curious, others were straight-up jealous.

After Charles took Anna away, Aurora lost her shopping buzz and left after saying goodbye to Tina.

Thalia, though, looked at Tina, who was about to leave, and gave a sly smile, "Miss Green, you've been with Mr. Percy for years. In the few months you were away filming, Mr. Percy suddenly married someone else out of the blue. Don't you think that's a shame?"

Tina stopped and looked at Thalia with a slightly amused gaze.

Tina had been in the entertainment biz for years and had seen it all. She'd also seen all kinds of people.

When it came to presence, Tina easily outshone Thalia. Thalia felt uneasy under Tina's scrutinizing gaze.

Just as she was about to change the topic, Tina lazily spoke, "You have a point; it is a bit of a shame."

Just when Thalia thought she had an opening, Tina's eyes shifted, and she said meaningfully, "But I've always believed that if a man is mine, no one can take him away. If he's not mine, fighting for him is pointless."

With that, she smiled at Thalia, "Don't you think so?"

Thalia bit her lip tightly.

She wasn't dumb. How could she not catch the blatant sarcasm in Tina's words?

Tina, who had dealt with all kinds of people while filming, didn't want to see such annoying folks during her rare days off. After speaking, she couldn't be bothered with Thalia anymore and turned to leave.

After everyone left, seeing Thalia's face getting worse, Ruby glared at Tina's back and tried to please Thalia. "She's just an actress. Does she really think she's high society just because she's won a few awards?"

Although Tina was rich heiress, she had loved acting since she was young. Because her family didn't agree with her entering the entertainment industry, she had hidden her identity and ventured into the film industry alone.

Except for a few close friends, no one in Crystal City knew that Tina was the eldest daughter of the Green family. In the eyes of ordinary folks, Tina was just an exceptionally talented actress who had won the Best Actress award for three consecutive years.

Ruby grabbed Thalia's arm and comforted her, "Thalia, don't be mad. We don't need to stoop to her level."

Thalia coldly shook off her hand, unable to suppress the jealousy and hatred in her eyes, "You can wander off and do your own thing. I'm outta here."

On the other side.

After Charles took Anna out of the store, he headed straight to the third floor.

It was packed with the latest high-end limited edition clothing. Once inside, Charles didn't ask Anna which one she liked. He just scanned the store, and for anything that caught his eye, he swiped his card and had it packed.

After hitting up one store, they moved on to the next. They shopped like maniacs until they’d hit every store on the third floor before finally bouncing from the mall.

Charles had bought so many clothes, it was a hassle to carry them all, so he left the address of Regal Retreat and had the clothes packed and shipped there.

During his shopping spree, he didn’t give Anna a chance to say a word. Nor did he say a word to her. The silent vibe only started to break when they got back to Regal Retreat.

Once inside, Anna casually tied up her long hair. She glanced at Charles, who was lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed, and said calmly, "I already have plenty of clothes. No need to buy more. Send the stuff we just bought to Miss Green."

Hearing this, Charles looked up at her. Her expression was as calm and indifferent as her tone, without any hint of emotion.

At that moment, Charles even thought, if there was even a slight emotional fluctuation in her tone, he could guess that she might be jealous of the recent rumors.

But he had seen her shopping as usual in the mall.

But he had seen her face him and Tina together without any emotional reaction.

He finally got it—the rumors of the past few days were nothing but a joke to her.

Because she didn’t care about him, she didn’t care who he was rumored with.

She didn’t care what he did outside.

She didn’t care that she was caught up in the public opinion he created.

The play he had been acting out for the past few days, enduring his longing, now seemed like a real joke.

A hint of self-mockery flashed in Charles's eyes. His fingers unconsciously tightened around his phone, but in the next moment, he suddenly stood up and grabbed Anna's wrist. She was about to head upstairs but stopped because of his sudden move.

Anna turned to look at him, "What's up?"

Charles looked at her cold eyes, wanting to explain those rumors to her. "Anna, those reports..."

He had just started speaking when Anna interrupted him softly. "Charles, you don’t need to explain these things to me."

Charles tightened his grip on her wrist.

But Anna seemed unaware and continued, "Charles, I’m very grateful that you married me a few days ago. There’s no love between us, and we both understand the nature of this marriage. So, Charles, I won’t interfere in your personal life. Whoever you’re with or whoever you like has nothing to do with me."

Her words were so decisive that all the explanations Charles wanted to give got stuck in his throat. He suppressed his turbulent emotions, not letting them show, and looked at her, raising his lips in a casual smile, asking, "Then, Mrs. Percy, as your husband, can I ask about your personal life?"

His question seemed casual but also very serious.

Anna looked into his eyes, her expression clear, "It's best not to, Charles."

The smile on Charles's lips faded a bit.

In the next moment, he heard her say, "We got married just to meet our own needs. It's best not to get too involved in anything else."

After saying that, she thought for a moment and added, "Of course, whenever you get tired of this marriage or meet someone you truly like, we can get divorced at any time."

Charles pressed his tongue against his teeth, and suddenly, he pulled Anna into his arms. His palm rubbed against her slender, soft waist, and he smiled roguishly.

His voice was low and husky, his fingers caressing her smooth cheek. "Mrs. Percy, you are indeed very considerate. It's just that, we've only slept for a few times, and I'm still very much into our time in bed. I probably won't get tired of you anytime soon."