Chapter 62 Thinking About It for Eight or Nine Years

Charles glanced at Michael, "You still in, Mr. Tudor?"

Michael's vibe was icy, lips sealed tight, not a word coming out. Charles smirked, a hint of mischief in his eyes, "Then I should thank you for your stepping down, Mr. Tudor."

In the end, Charles snagged the raw pink diamond for a jaw-dropping $280 million.

In the hallway, Charles wrapped an arm around Anna's waist and walked off. Michael, trailing behind, watched them leave, his face growing darker by the second. Thalia, though annoyed, knew better than to complain to Michael right now. She gently tugged at his sleeve, trying to hold his hand, "Michael."

Michael shook her off without a second thought. In the crowded hallway, he didn't bother hiding his disdain. "I've got other things to do," he snapped and stormed off.

A few feet away, Austin watched the whole scene unfold. Tina came out, spotted Austin, and held out a crystal in her hand. Austin glanced at it, then at Tina.

"It's for you," Tina said, pushing the crystal towards him. "You go on missions a lot, and I heard this can keep you safe."

Austin's brow furrowed slightly. "I don't need it," he said flatly.

The place was buzzing with people. Austin, used to dealing with fugitives and criminals, wasn't a fan of such noisy spots. He got up and walked out, Tina trailing behind him.

Once they were in a quieter area, Tina stopped him. She handed the crystal to him again, "Austin, I know you might not like it, but this crystal is really effective..."

Austin frowned and cut her off, "Miss Green, do you like giving people stuff?"

Tina raised an eyebrow, her eyes locking onto his. "I don't like giving people stuff; I just like giving you stuff," she said.

Austin's frown deepened, "I've told you before, saving you was just a coincidence. No need to repay me like this."

Tina stepped closer, leaving barely any space between them. She grabbed Austin's hand and forced the crystal into it.

"You're misunderstanding, Austin. I'm not giving you the crystal to repay you for saving me," she said bluntly.

Austin looked up at her. Tina met his gaze head-on, "I like you, Austin, and I want to get to know you better."

Her words were so straightforward that even Austin, who had faced countless life-and-death situations, was momentarily taken aback. Before he could refuse, Tina continued, "I know you don't like me now, but that's okay. Feelings can grow over time."

She glanced at the crystal, "A cop's salary isn't much, but that's fine. I'll take care of you in the future!"

Austin, caught off guard by her boldness, looked at Tina with a mix of emotions.

At that moment, Tina couldn't read Austin's expression. But not long after, when she found out who Austin really was and remembered her confident promise to take care of him, the usually unflappable Tina wished she could just disappear into the ground!

At the auction, word spread like wildfire about Charles dropping a fortune on the pink diamond, totally overshadowing the buzz about Michael and Thalia's wedding on social media.

Everyone's attention quickly shifted to Charles and Anna, and even Tina, who was busy chasing after Austin, got dragged into the spotlight a few times.

That day, in the VIP room of Neon Nights Bar, Sawyer, scrolling through the buzzing online posts, joked, "Charles, you don't actually have feelings for Anna, do you?"

Ethan, lounging on the opposite sofa, heard the question and, suppressing a smile, glanced at the relaxed and lazy Charles, thinking to himself, 'Is it just a little bit of liking? Nah, he's totally head over heels.'

He knew that, Charles, who acted all nonchalant every day, would go to the hospital at noon just to be close to Anna. Now, whenever it was around 11:30, if Ethan was at Radiant Life Hospital, he would always leave the third-floor emergency department early, so he didn't have to witness his friend chasing after his colleague like a love-sick puppy.

This time, Charles didn't dodge the question. He lifted his eyelids and said, "Yeah, I like her. So what?"

Sawyer was so shocked he tossed his phone aside and stared at Charles with great interest. "Has our Mr. Percy had a change of heart?"

Charles glanced at him. Casually swirling the wine in his glass, listening to the gentle clinking of the liquid, he lazily said, "I've been waiting for my wife since we were kids. Now that I've finally got her, of course, I have to cherish her."

Mark and Sawyer were a bit taken aback. "You've been thinking about her for that long?"

So, his marriage was premeditated!

Charles didn't hide it anymore and nodded, "Yeah, I've been thinking about her for about nine years."

He curled his lips slightly, showing a hint of affection, and added, "Day and night."

Mark and Sawyer were very shocked.

"About nine years? So, you had feelings for Anna even before Michael?" Mark asked. "If that's the case, why didn't you act eight years ago?"

If Charles had brought Anna back eight years ago, there wouldn't have been any room for Michael.

Charles's eyes darkened slightly. "I wanted to."

Charles regretted, "But I was in the military at the time and missed the chance."

During those years, Alice saw him becoming more and more rebellious and forced him into the military. The military had strict discipline and was isolated from outside news. By the time he heard about the Howard family's incident and rushed over as quickly as possible, it was already too late. Michael had already taken Anna abroad.

Charles had thought about forcibly taking her back, but Michael's influence on her was too deep. Even if Charles could keep her by his side then, he wouldn't have her heart.

Moreover, Charles had always sensed a steely determination within Anna. Imprisoning her and controlling her wouldn't work on her at all. It would only backfire.