Chapter 46: I Don't Love Her

After Charles bailed from the family house, he hit up Ethan. "I heard y'all are heading to the 'burbs for some backup?"

Ethan was busy rounding up docs and nurses at his private hospital. Hearing Charles, he let out a big sigh and griped, "Yeah, man. There was this gnarly landslide in the next city over. Tons of folks got hurt, and the med staff there are drowning. They hollered for help from us here in Crystal City."

Charles was cruising back to Regal Retreat with his Bluetooth on. He asked, "Is my wife tagging along?"

"Dr. Howard?" Ethan was caught off guard. After a beat, he said, "Isn't Radiant Life Hospital taking volunteers?"

Charles got the hint. She probably dipped to the suburbs to dodge him.

Ethan, clueless about the drama between Charles and Anna, glanced at the swarm of med staff at the hospital's entrance and grumbled, "If it wasn't for the director title, I wouldn't wanna deal with this mess either."

Meanwhile, since that day at the hospital when he ran into Anna, Michael's been in a funk. He stopped showing up at the hospital and barely hit up the Tudor Group.

Michael's buddy Brent Morgan, after hearing from Nolan that Michael'd been MIA for a couple of days, drove over to Starlight Pavilion.

Inside the villa, Michael was solo at the bar in front of the liquor cabinet, with a few open whiskey bottles in front of him. As soon as Brent walked in, the booze smell smacked him in the face.

He strolled in and eyed Michael, who looked stone-cold sober despite the booze. Tossing his car keys aside, Brent plopped down across from Michael and kicked things off, "Michael, I heard that chick tied the knot with Charles?"

Michael's eyes flickered. His face stayed the same. But Brent noticed his fingers gripping the glass were turning white.

"Michael, I've told you before, you can't mix hate and love," Brent said. "Eight years ago, when you found her, I told you to use her grief and despair to keep hurting her, make her suffer forever, and get back at your dad. Then it would be done."

"But Michael," Brent looked at Michael downing his drink and bluntly said, "you went soft back then. All these years, I never got why you let her go abroad. You know our power's all here. Once she left, she was out of your reach."

Brent paused, grabbed a glass, poured himself a drink, and went on, "Over the years, you've loved her, spoiled her, flew out to see her every couple of months. You never missed her birthdays; no matter how slammed the company was, you always made time for her. I thought you had let go of the hate."

Michael downed another glass of whiskey, his inner turmoil clear in his eyes. He said, "Brent, I've thought a million times about spending my life with her, but I can't shake the hate."

Every time he saw Anna, he couldn't help but think of Wesley, of how Wesley's selfishness led to his dad's death.

"But you can't let her go either, can you?" Brent asked. "Michael, the reason you're hurting so bad is 'cause you can't let go of either the hate or Anna."

Brent lowered his eyes, a hint of regret flashing in them. "Michael, as your friend, I gotta tell you, you can't have it both ways. If you want revenge, let go of your feelings for her. If you can't stand her leaving, can't stand her with another guy, then drop the hate and take her back from Charles."

After Brent finished talking, Michael stayed quiet for a bit. Just when Brent thought he was mulling it over, Michael suddenly blurted out, "I don't love her."

Brent looked up, surprised, and then heard Michael say, "I just can't stand that she married someone else without a word!"

Brent watched Michael's face closely. After a while, the surprise faded, and he chuckled lightly. "Michael, if you really didn't love her, you wouldn't be hesitating now."

Michael's eyelids twitched, and Brent kept going, "If you didn't love her, you could've used the Tudor's power to crush her. Why wait until she says she loves you to clear things up?"

Brent and Michael had been tight for over twenty years and knew each other inside out. Brent had seen everything between Michael and Anna over the past eight years. So, Brent knew Michael's thoughts better than anyone.

"Michael, you've had countless chances to choose revenge over these eight years, but you chose to do it when she gave up everything abroad to come back for you. Michael, you're just gambling—gambling on her feelings for you, gambling on her love for you, gambling that no matter how you torment her, she won't leave you easily."

But Anna surprised everyone with her strong will. She'd rather marry a stranger than be controlled and imprisoned by Michael. And there was no doubt that she'd choose death over being controlled if things really went that far.

Seeing Michael's slightly softened expression, Brent finally said, "Michael, you need to decide fast whether to choose hate or love. If you choose love, then while Anna still has feelings for you, and before Charles falls for her, get her back ASAP."

Otherwise, if he waited until Charles fell for Anna, it would be too late, even if he regreted it.

Regal Retreat.

Charles got the suburban location from Ethan and was about to go find Anna.

Alice showed up again. Seeing Charles with keys in hand, ready to leave, Alice asked, "Where are you heading?"

"To bring your daughter-in-law back," Charles replied.

Hearing this, Alice's eyebrows shot up. She glared at Charles and pushed him into the hall, "Get in here."

On the sofa, Alice patiently advised, "Charles, remember, Anya lost her parents early. In this big city, she has no one to lean on. Anya lacks love and warmth. If you want to keep her for the long haul, you can't be forceful. Forcing someone to stay only works temporarily, not forever. Isn't Michael a prime example?"

Charles got the point. He looked at Alice, "Did you come here just to say this?"

Alice said, "I'm just worried you'll lose my daughter-in-law!"

Charles knew what he was doing. He was itching to see Anna and didn't wait for Alice to finish nagging before getting up to leave. "Got it, Mom. Go nag Dad. I'm in a hurry to see my wife."

Alice stood up and, looking at Charles' back, reminded and threatened him again, "I'm telling you, if you don't bring back my daughter-in-law, you can get out of this house too."

Charles smirked and said, "Too bad, I'm your only son."

If she kicked him out, who would inherit the Percy family's business?

Unexpectedly, Alice coldly replied, "Too bad? We'll donate everything to charity!"