Chapter 291 Brother-in-law, It's None of Your Business
"Mr. Vittorio!" exclaimed Sara upon noticing Giorgio, surprised and curious.
‘What was he doing here?’
Upon hearing her voice, Penny and Charlie glanced up, and upon confirming it truly was Giorgio, they both huffed, turned their heads, and went back to playing with their toys, ignoring him.
After the things he said this morning, they didn't want anything to do with him.
Giorgio was left speechless.
Penny's disdain he could understand, but why was his own son, Charlie, acting cold?
He walked over and told him, "Come back with me."
"No, I want to stay here. You and Mommy can go back and have another baby," Charlie retorted without any expectation, having clearly rejected Anna's suggestion.
Giorgio's brows furrowed.
‘Have another baby? What nonsense was this brat talking about?’
Katherine, who had followed and overheard the conversation, thought it might be for the best if Charlie didn't go back. It would save Giorgio the trouble of dealing with the clingy kid every night!
She stepped forward, "Giorgio, Charlie likes Penny, and it's good for him to spend more time with her. Plus, my parents will help take care of him, so let's just let him stay here."
Sara watched her with a gentle but affected demeanor and let out a scoff.
Sounds nice, doesn't it? But in reality, is it just that she doesn't want to be bothered with a child?
Wants to enjoy some alone time with Mr. Vittorio?
Unfortunately, this morning, Mr. Vittorio had made his affection for Anna so blatantly clear. What could she say?
Without a man's love, at least having her son by her side was some consolation.
She spoke up, "Yes, Mr. Vittorio, the two kids get along really well, just like real siblings. I'm not working right now, so I can definitely take care of them."
The mention of "real siblings" caused Katherine's expression to tighten, and she shot Sara a cold glance.
‘What does this woman know?'
Under the gazebo, Anna was completely unaware of the tension brewing inside. She confronted Giuseppe on the phone, "Why did you put out that statement? Are you out of your mind? You better come up with a solution quick, or don't blame me for slapping you across the face."
Her tone was frustrated and straightforward.
Giuseppe's mouth twitched slightly.
Over the years, all the girls he knew were polite, gentle, sweet, and cute. Anna was the first one he'd met with such a volatile temper.
"Ahem," he cleared his throat, "Miss, I've been wanting to discuss this very issue with you. Let's meet tonight."
"Meet for what? Just issue a statement, and that'll be the end of it. I don't want anything more to do with you. Understand? I'm giving you two days!" Anna finished, ruthlessly ending the call.
A man who lured married women and messed with married men couldn't possibly be good.
‘He was worse than a bastard!’
Her phone rang again.
‘Daring to call again, huh?’
Anna, seething with anger, didn't even bother to look at the screen before answering, "Do you really have issues? I've helped you out of a crisis, and not only do you not show any gratitude, but you repay kindness with animosity. Believe me, I'll tweet right now that I have nothing to do with you."
Her rapid-fire words were relentless.
On the other end, the man was taken aback, then his voice, warm and tender, responded, "Anna, it's me."
"Huh?"
That voice was magnetic, charming, and tender... it was Simon!
Anna looked at her phone and, seeing that it was indeed Simon, felt a rush of embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I thought it was Giuseppe calling. I didn't mean those words for you."
Simon seemed to understand without explanation, softly replying, "I just saw the news and wanted to check in on you. It seems things are just as I thought.
Anna, have they been giving you a hard time?"
Anna's heart seemed to skip a beat.
She had publicly acknowledged her presence in the video. Although her recent outburst did reveal some of it, those words were meant for Giuseppe.
He didn't ask any questions; he just believed her. The phrase 'as he thought' especially signaled that he had never doubted her from the start. Her cold heart felt as if it was being bathed in a warm ray of sunshine, soft and tender.
"Thank you, Simon. I'm all right. I can handle it myself."
"Handle it yourself, and now it's trending? Anna, I want you to know that even if we are not what we once were, we're still friends. Does it have to be so formal and distant?"
"That's not it. It's just that this is a long story, and really, there's nothing I need help with. You've seen the trending posts; the whole web is watching my situation, and they wouldn't dare treat me badly now. Don't worry, if I need help, I'll definitely give you a call."
Anna's voice was firm and sincere.
Simon couldn't help feeling helpless with her.
She wouldn't even call him for help, and if it hadn't been for his own discovery, she wouldn't have told him about the incident at all.
Frustratingly, he wasn't in a position to protect her as he wished.
"By the way, Simon, I heard from Miss Greco that you weren't feeling well. Are you better now?" Anna changed the subject but was genuinely concerned.
Simon narrowed his eyes.
In fact, when Melinda brought him food before, he recognized the taste – it was Anna's cooking.
Only her meals had the right balance, never too salty or bland.
He didn't confront her about it, thinking that her silent care for him was enough reason to force himself to eat other foods he had no appetite for.
"Yeah, I'm well."
"How do I know if you’re telling the truth? Anyway, you’re a grown man. You have to take care of yourself. And don't forget Miss Greco and the baby. You have to take care of them, too."
Last time, Mirlinda didn't hesitate to contact her on behalf of his health, which showed that she truly loved him.
Simon's eyes dimmed slightly; he obviously didn't want to discuss Mirlinda with her.
After all, if it hadn't been for Miranda, he would have had the proper status to protect her.
And every time she took the initiative to ask about him and Mirlinda, it just emphasized that she didn’t love him.
He shifted the conversation to another topic.
After a back-and-forth chat that lasted a good five minutes, they finally hung up.
Anna felt warm inside.
Even if the world was full of malice, having someone who cared made life beautiful.
She decided to set aside some time to make something special for Mirlinda.
"Thud..." Her forehead unexpectedly collided with a wall of muscle, and the clean, pleasant scent filled her nostrils.
Anna looked up to see Giorgio's handsome, deep-set eyes.
Giorgio!
This was the Stefanelli household; it was inappropriate for her to be close to him, and his words this morning had made his stance clear.
"Brother-in-law."
She greeted him coolly and politely, ready to step past him and leave.
Giorgio watched her attempt to distance herself, his intense gaze locking onto her. He asked, "Are you really dating Giuseppe?"
His tone was cold, serious, and interrogative.
Anna stopped in her tracks.
Her dating life—what was it to him, anyway?
"Brother-in-law, I don't think my personal affairs are any of your concern. I have to take care of Penny now. Goodbye," she stated icily.
Her tone hadn't lost its chill, and she still addressed him as 'Brother-in-law' with disdain. Without further word, she simply maneuvered past him and walked away.
Giorgio stood rooted to the spot, his handsome face clouded over. Wasn't her affair his concern? Such an attitude toward him? Was her lack of response an implicit admission to the truth? The image from that fleeting video they'd both featured in, their affectionate interactions, the scenes—it ignited an indistinct, muddled blaze within him.
Was she truly with Giuseppe?
Could it be an affair long in the making?
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