Chapter 54: Charles Needs to Prepare the Wedding Ring

Clearing his throat and eyeing Alice, Cedric said, "Babe, Charles has his own crew now. We gotta give 'em a heads-up before we drop by next time."

Alice got it, no doubt. She'd been a boss lady her whole life; she knew the drill.

Ever since Anna took off to the 'burbs of the next city, Alice had been on edge. She'd been dropping hints to Charles for days, but he was always dodging her questions. Alice was genuinely freaked out, so she whipped up some grub and decided to hit up Regal Retreat herself to check on them.

This time, she didn't call ahead 'cause she wanted to catch them off guard. She didn't want them putting on a show for her.

Before going in, Alice even knocked, worried she might walk in on something awkward. But after knocking for what felt like forever with no answer, she figured Charles and Anna were out. So she punched in the code, planning to set the food on the table and wait.

Who would've thought she'd walk in on that scene? It was almost noon, and despite all the scenarios Alice had imagined, she never thought they'd still be in bed!

Alice was super embarrassed, and Anna in the Regal Retreat bedroom wasn't feeling much better.

After barging into the bedroom, Anna wrapped herself in the blanket, curled up like a ball, and refused to come out.

Seeing a few strands of hair peeking out from the top of the blanket, Charles chuckled. "Anya, Mom and Dad are gone. Get up, and I'll take you to eat."

Being yanked out of a good sleep and then hit with such a heart-pounding moment, Anna wasn't feeling hungry at all.

The round bundle on the bed shifted a bit, and a voice mumbled, "You go ahead. I'm not hungry. I'll sleep a bit more."

Hearing this, Charles tugged at a corner of the blanket, making a small opening. "Not hungry, Anya? Then..."

Before he could finish, Anna quickly changed her tune. "Hungry, hungry! I'm hungry! Get up quickly!"

Charles grinned, feeling victorious.

After lunch, he let Anna crash again. He walked to the living room window and called Alice. "Mom, why didn't you give us a heads-up you were coming today?"

Alice plopped down on the family house sofa. "I just wanted to see how you and Anya were doing."

Charles sighed, "Didn't I tell you, Mom? You don't need to stress about us. We got this."

Alice snapped back, "If you could do something to ease my mind, would I have to worry about you two every day? Alright, bring my daughter-in-law over for lunch tomorrow!"

With that, Alice hung up.

Charles was already used to Alice's bossy attitude.

The next day.

At noon.

At the dining table, Alice noticed Anna's bare wrist. Casually, she asked, "Anya, why aren't you wearing the bracelet I gave you last time?"

Caught off guard, Anna hesitated for a split second. She glanced at Charles, who was grinning at her, and quickly made up an excuse, "I was in such a rush this morning, I totally forgot to put it on."

Alice smiled warmly, adding more food to Anna's plate as she casually asked, "Do you like the bracelet, Anya?"

Anna couldn't exactly say she didn't, so she nodded right away, "Yeah, I love it."

Alice's smile grew even wider. "If you love it, wear it every day. Anya, that bracelet's made of some special material; it's good for your health if you wear it regularly."

"And," Alice went on, "the bracelet is also a symbol of the Percy family's matriarch. Whether you're working or not, wear it so everyone in Crystal City knows you're the Percy family's daughter-in-law."

Anna could only smile and nod.

She shot Charles a couple of looks, but he just kept smiling at her, not helping at all. He even gave her fingers a gentle squeeze under the table when she looked over.

After they got back from the family house, Charles took Anna upstairs without a word and pulled the bracelet out of the jewelry box.

Holding Anna's wrist, he was about to put it on her. Anna quickly clenched her hand, stopping him. "Charles, I can't wear this bracelet..."

"Didn't Mom say it's for the Percy family's daughter-in-law?" Charles cut her off.

He held her hand and forced the bracelet onto her wrist.

Before she could protest again, Charles continued, "We're not divorced, so you should wear it. Plus, Mom likes you so much. If she knew you hadn't accepted the bracelet, she'd be heartbroken. Do you want to let her down?"

Anna had nothing to say.

Alice was indeed very good to her. So good that it felt like she was treating her own daughter. For Anna, who had been starved of familial love for eight years, Alice had given her a lot of warmth and family affection in the few weeks of her marriage to Charles.

Seeing her no longer resist, Charles let out a small sigh of relief.

Holding her delicate fingers, he gently stroked her ring finger with his thumb. He said again, "And we need to get a ring, too."

Anna frowned slightly and looked up at him.

Meeting her gaze, Charles casually said, "Everyone in Crystal City knows you're my wife. If you don't even have a diamond ring, wouldn't that be a joke?"

Before Anna could refuse, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Looking down at her, he slowly said, this time with a hint of grievance, "Anya, you don't know how many women are after your husband. Anya, since we're married, shouldn't you give me a proper status?"

Anna looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Doesn't our Mr. Percy like those charming women outside?"

"Who said that?" Charles tightened his arms around her.

He lowered his head, his lips close to hers, with a teasing touch.

His expression was lazy and relaxed, but there was a hint of deep affection and love in his eyes. "How could those women outside compare to my Anya?"