Chapter 306 Call Giorgio or Brother-in-law?
In the antique shop filled with rare calligraphy and treasures, Giorgio lifted his eyes upon hearing their entrance, observing the two who had just walked in, his gaze narrowing.
A cold chill spread through the air.
Katherine, too, slightly darkened her expression.
After Giorgio angrily made her leave the car last time, she thought there was no turning point between them, that their relationship would only get stiffer.
Unexpectedly, these past few days, Giorgio had been coming home from work and spending time with Charlie. Charlie, for his part, behaved impeccably and didn't bother Anna, who seemed to have vanished from their world altogether as if she had never been a part of it.
If things continued this way, forgetting Anna would just be a matter of time.
But now, was she making her presence felt again today?
Well, it was fine. Giorgio was ignoring Anna because he and Giuseppe had made their relationship official. Now that they were face to face, it was an opportunity.
Thinking this, Katherine broke into a smile, "Giuseppe, Anna, are you guys also here to pick out a birthday present for Grandma?"
Anna was silent. She had no relationship with Giuseppe, and Katherine knew this very well, yet there she was, deliberately playing dumb. It was quite shameless.
However, Katherine wanted Giorgio to detest her, and ironically, so did she.
Without glancing at Giorgio's cold and gloomy face, Anna gave a noncommittal "Hmm" in agreement.
Giuseppe, of course, was aware of Katherine's intentions.
But when she pushed him toward Anna right in front of him, it irked him just a bit.
He had given her so much more than Giorgio ever had. What was so good about Giorgio anyway? The more agitated he became, the more affectionately he tightened his grip on Anna’s hand, smiling courteously, "As Charlie's future wife, Anna should naturally take part in Grandma's birthday celebration. Giorgio, Katherine, a question just occurred to me. Our relationship is quite complicated. What do you guys think Anna should call Giorgio? Should she call him Giorgio or brother-in-law?"
Giorgio or brother-in-law?
The question made everyone's face stiffen.
For Giorgio, either option was grating and vexing.
Anna felt the same, considering their past. If it were up to her, she wouldn't want to call him anything...
Giuseppe pressed on, "Giorgio, what about you? Should you refer to Anna as your sister or your niece by marriage?"
He spoke with grace and ease, as though this was just friendly banter.
Giorgio's expression darkened. In a deep fury, his strikingly handsome eyes bore into Giuseppe:
"If you’re wondering how to address her, you might as well ask your girlfriend here. She probably has a preference."
His tone was chilly yet mocking, suggesting an indifference laced with curiosity.
Anna felt her heart flutter and her breath grow warm. She didn't want to discuss this topic anymore, "It's just a title. Call me at whatever is convenient. Sister, why don't you go ahead? Mr. Vittorio and I will check out the exhibits over there."
With that, she took Giuseppe's hand and walked toward the inner gallery, murmuring discontentedly, "Why did you do that? Wouldn't it be better to stay quiet and clear of them?"
Giuseppe gave her a deep look, "What’s wrong? Did that question make you uncomfortable?"
"No! I just think you're out of your mind, Giuseppe. You have that kind of relationship with Katherine and ask those kinds of questions. Why don't you ask Katherine what she prefers to be called — 'dear' or just 'Katherine'?"
Giuseppe frowned, "Out of my mind? What does that mean?"
"Um... That's just some local slang where I'm from. It doesn't mean anything." Anna didn't want to admit she was cursing at him, nor did she want to deal with him further, so she headed inside.
From behind her, Giuseppe suddenly asked, "Does Georgio have a way with women?"
Charisma.
Anna paused mid-step, finding herself unable to refute the notion immediately.
As a man, Georgio had good looks, a successful career, and plenty of patience with kids, matching most girls' fantasies of a powerful CEO.
Before she knew him, when she saw him on television or in the news, she also thought he was perfect, untouchable.
But the truth was...
That was a hasty judgment.
She was about to respond, but Giuseppe laughed, "Silent for five seconds. I got my answer."
Anna turned to look at him, "You know nothing. He has no appeal to me."
"Really?" Giuseppe obviously didn't believe her.
Then, with a touch of mockery, he added, "Your sister, though, she's utterly devoted to him."
Anna was startled.
She got it! All this talk was purposefully aimed at provoking Katherine? Was it a performance for her benefit?
Poor her, used as a pawn.
She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, "Whether she's hopelessly devoted or not, you stay away from her. If you two pull any more shady moves, I won't be the one to cover for you."
With those words, she turned and left him there.
Giuseppe was taken aback. "…"
She was so blunt in the same environment?
He glanced over at Georgio and Katherine, and seeing they weren't looking their way, he relaxed a bit and stepped forward.
During the day, all the windows were open in the antiquities store, which didn't use air conditioning in order to preserve every item properly. A draft came through, chilling to the bone.
Once again, Anna cupped her hands together and blew on them for warmth.
Giuseppe approached and took off his suit jacket, draping it over her shoulders.
Before she could refuse this time, he said, "Keep it on. With Georgio around, there will always be paparazzi. I'd get criticized for not being considerate, accused of mistreating you."
Anna didn't know what to say.
Alright, she was truly cold. If she caught a cold, she wouldn't be able to care for Penny, and she might even pass it on.
She bundled up in the jacket and continued looking at gifts.
Through the wooden lattice, Georgio captured this tender moment between them, and a frost settled in his gaze.
"Georgio?" Katherine's gentle voice pulled him back to reality as she realized that the man at her side wasn't paying attention to her but was instead fixated on Anna.
That woman was somehow enchanting, Giuseppe! And now she had stolen Georgio's attention too!
Shameless, absolutely shameless!
Katherine clenched her fists in frustration.
"Miss, I'm sorry, but antiques are valuable items that should be handled with care," a nearby clerk said in a friendly reminder.
Katherine snapped out of it, put down the gift, and said to Giorgio, "Giorgio, I'm going to the restroom. You take your time looking around."
With that, she quickly walked toward the back.
No sooner had she left than Giuseppe's phone chimed with a text message. He glanced at it, his eyes narrowing slightly, then put the phone away and said to Anna, "You take a look around. I'm going to the restroom too."
"Oh," Anna said, not particularly concerned. She quietly marveled at each priceless item on display, thinking to herself:
‘Rich folks really know how to live it up - buying a gift to put on display is like a lifetime’s worth of wages for some folks, or even more than they could earn in their lives.’
The gap between rich and poor is massive these days.
'Crash!' Suddenly, she bumped into someone else, and a burning sensation shot through her wrist!
"Ah!" Anna cried out instinctively, turning to see that she had collided with a clerk carrying a pot of hot tea.
The teapot spilled over, scalding her wrist with hot water. No wonder it hurt so badly!
"I am so sorry, it wasn't on purpose. Are you alright? Oh no, what do I do?"
The clerk, probably a recent graduate on her first job, had never encountered such an incident. She was both apologetic and jittery, clueless about what to do next.
Anna wanted to say she was fine, but the searing pain on her wrist and back of her hand wracked her face with anguish, furrowing her brows tight, and she couldn't utter a word.
Right then—a tall and lean figure suddenly stood before her.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
