Chapter 81 Honey, Did You Miss Me?

Anna pulled her gaze away from the window. "Leaving now would make it look like we're scared of them. Aurora, let's hang around a bit longer. I need to shake off his hold on me."

The past was the past.

She could pick it up and let it go. Ultimately, she would gradually erase all the influence he had on her.

Life had to go on. She was resolved not to live out the rest of her life in Michael's shadow after eight years of it.

Not far behind, Neil leaned casually against the back of the sofa, his eyes fixed on Anna.

Because of Neil's good looks, a lot of single women approached him to chat. But he just smiled and politely turned them away, one by one.

Meanwhile, Anna and Aurora were also talking about Neil. 

"Aurora, we don't know him well, so we should be careful."

Aurora glanced back in Neil's direction.

Neil stood there quietly, raising his glass to her with a gentle smile.

Aurora smiled lightly, took a sip of her drink, and turned back to Anna, saying, "I'm not that naive. I still have basic caution."

This reunion was Neil's idea. He had helped her yesterday, and she couldn't refuse him, which led to today's situation.

Around eleven o'clock, everyone started moving towards the dining area.

At a reunion, it was customary to have a meal together.

Anna put down her glass, stood up, and looked at Aurora. "Shall we go?"

Aurora quickly stood up. "Let's go! I'll book a restaurant for lunch."

Just as they were about to move, there was a commotion at the door, and someone in the crowd shouted, "Mr. Percy is here!"

Anna and Aurora looked towards the voice, and the crowd parted to make way for Charles, who was striding towards her.

In the center of the hall, Thalia watched Charles head straight for Anna with eyes full of jealousy.

"Why are you here?" Before Anna could finish her sentence, Charles reached her and, in front of everyone, pulled her into a close embrace.

"Honey, did you miss me?" His voice was not lowered.

Everyone around heard his affectionate words.

Anna looked up to meet his gaze, wrapped her arms around his waist, and replied, "Yes."

Charles was momentarily stunned.

This was the first time she had responded to such a question while sober.

He had asked her this before, and she usually just smiled it off.

But today, she answered him directly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Charles noticed Michael watching them from a few feet away, his expression changing slightly.

Charles tightened his hold on her, kissed her on the corner of her lips, and softly complained, "It's all Henry's fault. That useless assistant needed me to personally oversee a simple deal so that I couldn't come with you."

Anna smiled.

If Henry were here, he would surely cry out in injustice.

A multi-billion dollar deal, wouldn't it have made more sense to have Charles sign it personally?

Watching the couple tightly embracing, Michael's lips tightened.

His cold eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing in them.

He took a few steps forward and said to Charles, "Since you're here, why not join us for a meal?"

Charles held Anna's hand, their fingers intertwined.

Reluctantly, he tore his gaze from Anna and looked around at Michael and the onlookers.

"Sure." Charles nodded lazily. "We're all alumni. Since we're here, we should have a meal together."

With those words, many people suddenly remembered that Charles had also attended Crystal City High School.

He and Michael were the same age, in the same grade, and both were prominent figures at Crystal City High School.

Michael was cold and distant, like ice that never melted. Although many girls had crushes on him, his aura was so intimidating that no one dared to confess.

Charles, on the other hand, was different.

Despite being from the prestigious Percy family, he was carefree and lacked the arrogance of a wealthy child. His roguish charm and approachable demeanor captivated many girls' hearts.

At today's reunion, when everyone first saw Michael, they thought he was there with Thalia and didn't think much of it.

It wasn't until Charles mentioned "alumni" that everyone remembered that both Charles and Michael were graduates of Crystal City High School, making their attendance at the reunion legitimate.Then they went to private dining room. At a dining table, Charles placed a piece of asparagus on Anna's plate amidst.

Before Anna could pick up her fork, Michael's voice rang out. "Don't you know? Anna never eats asparagus."

Hearing Michael's words, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Charles leaned back in his chair, looking at Michael. "You seem to know my wife's preferences well?"

The crowd hadn't yet grasped the meaning behind Charles' public question.

Then they heard Michael reply, "Indeed, I do. Everyone in Crystal City knows I spent eight years with Anna, accompanying her through her youth."

With those words, the atmosphere became tense.

Charles had clearly stated, "My wife," but Michael's reference to the past eight years felt like a blatant provocation, highlighting his long relationship with Anna.

The fact that Michael and Anna had been together for eight years was something no one could ignore.

Everyone thought Charles would be upset.

But to their surprise, he lazily smirked and said, "Is that so? As Anna's 'brother-in-law,' you accompanied her growing up. If this gets out, you'll gain another layer of prestige in the social circle."

Charles met Michael's gaze.

With a slight smile, he said, "How filial."

Aurora happened to take a sip of her drink and, hearing Charles' words, couldn't help but choke!