Chapter 9: Another Union

"Anna! What the hell, you just slapped me?" Thalia's voice shot up, with a mix of rage and embarrassment.

"Why wouldn't I?" Anna shook her slightly numb wrist and stepped forward. Facing Thalia's furious glare, she smirked coldly.

"Thalia, watch your mouth!" She grabbed Thalia's chin with her fingers.

Her voice was calm, but the icy look in her eyes made Thalia shiver. "If you try that again, as your cousin, I'll personally teach you some manners!"

With that, Anna let go of her chin. She walked past her, got into the car, and drove off.

Thalia clenched her fists, her eyes turning vicious.

The Tudor Group.

Top floor, CEO's office.

"Sorry, Mr. Tudor, I couldn't bring Mrs. Howard back," Nolan said, head down.

Michael finished signing a contract before speaking, "What did she say?"

Nolan hesitated for a second. Seeing Michael's gaze turn slightly annoyed, he quickly said, "Mrs. Howard said she has nothing left now, so what can you use to threaten her."

Hearing this, Michael slammed the document shut.

"She's got guts!" Michael's face darkened.

Nolan didn't dare to look up, keeping his head down.

After a while, Michael calmed down and opened another document, "You can go."

Nolan nodded and was about to leave when the door suddenly opened.

It was Thalia.

Nolan didn't stick around, nodded at Thalia as a greeting, and quickly left the CEO's office.

After Nolan left, Thalia ran towards Michael. But when she got close to the desk, she stopped, not daring to throw herself onto Michael. She covered her face, crying as she looked at Michael.

Thalia had been playing the weak card for over a decade and was a pro at getting a man's sympathy fast. But right now, Michael just frowned and glanced at her.

He ignored her pitiful look but paused when he saw the clear slap mark on her face. He looked at her, his eyes unreadable, "Did Anna do this?"

Thalia nodded while covering her face, tears silently falling.

She wanted to gain his sympathy and deepen his hatred for Anna. But unexpectedly, Michael didn't say a word of comfort. He just looked back at his document and coldly said, "Stop provoking her in the future."

Thalia's face was full of sadness, and she emphasized again unwillingly, "Michael, she hit me..."

"Enough!" Michael's voice carried a hint of impatience, "I have things to do, you should go back."

Thalia didn't move. If she left now, Michael wouldn't see her for a long time.

She had worked hard to drive a wedge between Anna and Michael, and she couldn't let Michael dislike her at this moment.

"Michael." Dropping her weak act, Thalia whipped out her phone and showed Michael the marriage post on the Apex Holdings Group's website.

"Anna and Mr. Percy just announced their marriage. Why don't we announce our engagement?"

Michael stared at the glaring wedding certificate image on the phone screen, gripping his pen so tight his knuckles turned white.

Seeing him stay silent, Thalia softened her voice and spoke gently again, "Michael, since Anna already knows about us, we might as well take this chance to announce our engagement. This way, Anna will realize her feelings, and she might come back to you out of jealousy."

This time, Michael didn't brush her off. His gaze shifted from the phone screen, his expression cold and indifferent, his lips barely moving, "Have Nolan handle it."

Hearing this, Thalia's eyes lit up instantly.

Suppressing her inner excitement, she kept her expression in check, still looking weak and understanding.

"Then I won't bother you, Michael. Don't overwork yourself. I'll head back now."

Michael didn't respond.

After Thalia left the CEO's office, she immediately found Nolan and used the Tudor Group's official account to announce the upcoming union of the two families.

Anna and Michael's previous issues were never a secret in Crystal City. Now, suddenly, Apex Holdings Group announced Anna and Charles's marriage. This move left everyone puzzled, especially those closely watching Michael's reaction.

At this critical moment, the Tudor Group suddenly announced Thalia and Michael's engagement.

The impact was huge.

Within just two or three minutes, countless posts flooded social media. The top ten trending topics on Twitter were all about the tangled love and hate among these people. Countless people discussed fervently, their imaginations running wild, speculating on the developments.

However, Anna, one of the main parties involved, was completely unaware.

On her way back to Regal Retreat, she stopped by a supermarket to grab some ingredients for dinner and picked up two boxes of condoms at the checkout.

Around six in the evening, Charles returned to Regal Retreat. As soon as he walked in, he smelled the rich aroma of food.

Two dishes were already set on the dining table, and a slender figure could be vaguely seen through the kitchen's frosted glass door.

The kitchen door wasn't fully closed. Charles walked to the door and watched Anna busy inside through the small gap.

Two minutes later, the last dish was done. Anna turned off the stove.

Just as she was about to turn around, the kitchen door swung open.

Instinctively, Anna turned her head, but before she could see who it was, a pair of strong hands grabbed her waist and pressed her against the counter.

The next moment, a scorching kiss landed on her lips.