Chapter 47: Anya, Are You Avoiding Me?

Charles didn't even bother listening, just hopped in his car and took off. Watching the Koenigsegg zoom away, Alice couldn't help but feel a knot of worry in her stomach.

Charles had always been a bit of a wild card, jumping from one interest to another like a kid in a candy store. Alice was seriously scared he'd treat relationships the same way.

But what Alice didn't know was that Charles had been waiting eight long years to finally hold Anna in his arms and call her "honey" in front of everyone. In this life, he could give up everything, but he would never give up on her.

Over at the Crystal City SWAT team HQ, Austin was tracking an international fugitive with his crew when Patrick walked in, looking all serious with a notice from the higher-ups. "Austin, the main team in Crystal City just hit us up. We gotta head to the neighboring city ASAP to rescue some folks."

One of the teammates, busy tracking the fugitive on the computer, groaned, "We're not their backup squad. Why do they always dump this stuff on us?"

Patrick wasn't thrilled either. "Tell me about it. We've been chasing this fugitive for a month and got nowhere."

The last time they ran into Tina, it was the only lead Austin and his team had after a whole month of chasing shadows. But during the chase, Tina and her team got hurt, and by the time Austin got her to the hospital, the slippery fugitive had vanished.

Thinking back to that mess, Patrick said, "I heard that among the trapped, besides residents and tourists, there's also a film crew."

Austin shut down the computer, stood up, and told the team, "Alright, gear up! We roll out in fifteen!"

Anna and the medical crew from Radiant Life Hospital rolled up to the rescue site at 1 PM.

Even though this was the outskirts of the neighboring city, the place was gorgeous, with mountains and rivers, a real tourist magnet. For decades, nothing bad had ever happened here, but this time, four to five days of nonstop rain had triggered a landslide. Thousands of tourists and tons of locals, along with Tina and her whole film crew, were stuck.

As soon as Anna and her team arrived, they jumped straight into the rescue mission, no breaks.

Several hospitals, including those from Crystal City and the local area, had sent rescue teams, and all the medical staff were working together.

The moment Anna showed up, she turned heads. A lot of folks wanted to chat her up, but knowing she was married to Charles, they all backed off. The Percys' influence was no joke, not just in Crystal City but all over the country.

As evening rolled in, the sky started to darken. After five to six hours of nonstop rescue work, almost all the injured were treated and settled.

Ryan placed the last injured person in a temporary tent and was about to take Anna and the others to rest when a well-dressed male doctor walked up to Anna with a bottle of water.

This guy, a freshly returned PhD from abroad, had no clue who Anna was. After settling his patients, he eagerly approached her.

"Hey," he handed the water to Anna, "I'm Keith Richardson, the new chief doctor. Which hospital are you from? Can we get to know each other?"

Before Anna could say a word, a deep voice suddenly came from behind, "Honey."

In front of everyone, Charles strutted right up to Anna on the grass. With all eyes on them, he boldly wrapped his arm around her waist, meeting Keith's shocked expression head-on.

With a sly grin, Charles glanced at the water bottle in Keith's hand and asked Anna, "Babe, who's this guy?"

Anna met Charles's gaze and said coolly, "No idea."

Hearing that, Charles's grin widened.

Keith's face went pale with embarrassment. He awkwardly lowered his hand, still holding the water bottle. "Sorry, she looked a bit tired, so I thought I'd bring her some water."

Trying to flirt and running into her husband? Talk about awkward.

Luckily for Keith, Charles didn't push it. He gave a slight nod and then led Anna away.

In a secluded pavilion, Charles held Anna close, pulling her into his arms. He looked down into her eyes, smirking as he asked, "Anya, are you avoiding me?"

Anna's eyes flickered, and she denied it, "No, you're overthinking."

His gaze was so intense that Anna instinctively took a step back.

Charles loosened his grip on purpose. Taking advantage of her retreat, he pinned her against the pillar behind her.

Charles bent down, closing the distance between them. He stared at her and asked, "If you weren't avoiding me, why didn't you see me this morning?"

Anna turned her head and explained, "I got the notice this morning; the timing was tight."

Charles, however, wasn't buying it. "What was tight? I called you at 9:30, and you left at 11. That's an hour and a half."

Anna frowned slightly and looked at Charles, "Charles, what are you trying to say?"

Charles looked at her deeply for a couple of seconds and then said playfully, "I just want to be with you, Anya."

He squeezed her waist and said with a roguish smile, "We just got married, and I've been bringing you three meals a day. Now you're suddenly on a business trip, and I don't know how long you'll be gone. As your husband, of course, I want to be with my wife."

Hearing his words, the thought that had been nagging at Anna these past few days came back.

Anna hesitated for a moment, looked into his eyes, and asked casually, "Mr. Percy, could it be that you like me?"

Her question sounded light-hearted, almost like a joke. But Charles saw the seriousness in her eyes.

If he hadn't seen her breakdown while confronting Michael a few days ago, Charles might have admitted it right then.

Although she never said it, in the past two weeks of their interaction, Charles could see that Anna, after Michael's eight years of deceit, no longer trusted anyone. She had built a wall around her heart, keeping herself inside, afraid to step out or let anyone in.

She was scared, scared of giving her all only to face another Michael. So if he confessed his feelings now, she wouldn't gradually fall for him. She'd just push him away.

To Anna, Charles was just a stranger she'd known for only half a month.

Countless thoughts raced through his mind in a second.

Facing Anna's gaze, Charles suddenly tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her firmly into his arms. "Anya, you're mistaken."

"What?" Anna asked.

He held her neck, making her look up. "I like making love to you."

He whispered it, but Anna heard it loud and clear.