Chapter 86 the Old Flame

Mandy didn't give a damn about Anna's cold shoulder.

She just dove right into her story. "I met Charles ages ago. We went from strangers to friends, fell in love, and thought we'd found our happily ever after. Everything was perfect, and we were expecting our first baby. But then, Charles's mom threw a bitch in our plans."

When she brought up Alice, Mandy shot a look at Anna and said, "You know Alice, right? She's something—bossy and doesn't take no for an answer. Even though Charles and I had a kid on the way, we couldn't stay together because of her. I ended up losing the baby."

Mandy's voice was dripping with bitterness by the end, making it sound almost harsh.

After a bit, she took a breath and her tone softened. "You've been with Charles for a while now. You know he can cook, right?"

Anna glanced up at her.

"Maybe you don't know this, but Charles learned to cook for me and our baby. It's a shame that baby never got to be born." She touched her nose, looking like she was about to cry. "Anna, as women, you get how it feels to lose a child and be torn away from someone you love."

From the moment Mandy started her tale, Anna just watched her, calm as ever.

But somehow, Anna's blank stare made Mandy feel more and more uneasy, like she was just a performer whose act was getting old.

Even though it seemed unlikely, Mandy's heart started racing.

Her words came out faster and faster. "I won't drag this out. I'm here to tell you one thing: Charles is mine! He should've been my husband, the father of my child! You're in my spot. Now that I'm back, I want you to divorce Charles and give me back my place as Mrs. Percy!" 

With that, Mandy stood up, ready to leave.

Before she turned around, she glanced at Anna's desk, took a deep breath, and said flatly, "You're smart and capable. You don't need to be a homewrecker, right?"

Anna just gave a faint smile.

Just as Mandy was about to walk out, Anna called after her. "Hold on, Mandy."

Mandy stopped and turned back.

Anna was still sitting, but even from her chair, she seemed to overshadow Mandy completely.

Charles's wife wasn't some fragile flower; she was tough.

Mandy's face stayed neutral. "You got any advice?"

Anna spoke calmly, "You've been talking for fifteen minutes. Now that you're done, don't you think it's my turn to say something?"

Mandy gripped her bag tightly. "Go ahead."

"First, my marriage with Charles has nothing to do with you," Anna said, her tone calm as she stared at Mandy. "Second, even if we were to divorce, Charles should be the one to tell me, not you."

Mandy's lips pressed into a thin line, but before she could say anything, Anna pulled out her phone. "Third, I don't like letting misunderstandings linger. If something can be sorted out face-to-face, it's better that way."

She found Charles's number and, under Mandy's shocked gaze, called him. 

"Since you claim to have this deep love with Charles and keep bringing up your child, I'll do you a favor and call him over so you can talk face-to-face."

Anna's lips curled into a slight smile as she watched Mandy's face go pale. "If I were you, I'd rather see Charles than the woman who supposedly took your place."

Panic surged through Mandy, and she instinctively wanted to bolt.

But then her phone buzzed with a message from Michael, letting her to stay put.

Michael texted that he had Charles tied up and he couldn't come over right now.

But if she left, Anna wouldn't believe a word she said.

The whole plan would fall apart.

Seeing Michael's message, Mandy felt a bit more at ease.

Earlier, when she had shown Anna the time, Mandy had secretly called Michael.

For the past ten minutes, Michael had been listening in on everything between her and Anna.

Mandy put her phone away and looked at Anna behind the desk.

Anna's phone was on speaker, sitting on the desk.

Seeing that the call hadn't connected yet, Mandy's anxiety faded completely.

She was about to make a snide comment, but then Charles picked up just before it went to voicemail. "Anya, it's rare for you to call me."

Hearing Charles's voice, Mandy froze.

Anna glanced at Mandy and said calmly, "Charles, do you have a minute? Your old flame is here and wants to see you."

In the Apex Holdings Group conference room, Charles's brow furrowed instantly. "What old flame?"

He had only ever cared about one person; where did this old flame come from?

"Mandy," Anna said. "She's in room 308. Can you come over?"

Hearing that name, a cold light flashed in Charles's eyes.

He left the executives behind and walked out. "Anya, give me ten minutes. I'll be right there."

Henry, who was trailing behind him, looked confused.

He jogged to catch up.

He caught up with Charles at the elevator. "Mr. Percy, where are you going? Today's meeting is really important."

"Postpone or cancel it!" Charles said, stepping into the elevator.

As the elevator doors slowly closed,

Henry couldn't help but worry about the future of Apex Holdings Group.

With a leader who always put his wife first, could Apex Holdings Group really keep its top-notch reputation?