Ch. 261..270

Chapter 261

“Just friends? Do you think that I'm foolish enough to believe you, Anna?”

Not believing my explanation, Michael became more agitated. While he stammered, a sharp glint flashed across his eyes.

He was doubting my relationship with Ronan.

While I looked into his dark eyes, my gaze flitted. However, in the next second, anger surged through me.

“It's none of my business whether you believe me or not. Neither does my relationship with Ronan have anything to do with you! What right do you have to interrogate me, Michael?”

Since he was already going to marry Emma, he had no right to ask me all these questions.

“Anna Garcia!”

I spoke coldly and clearly. However, my words only served to make Michael more enraged. He glared at me angrily, his expression becoming grim.

I met his gaze calmly, unwilling to give in. Since he was about to marry Emma, there was no reason why I should endure his domineering acts. He had no right to treat me like this.

Just when I thought that Michael would lose his temper, something unexpected happened—he leaned his head on my shoulder and fell asleep.

It was as if it was another person being enraged earlier.

A surprised look flashed across my eyes. When I returned to my senses, I realized that he had actually fallen asleep.

I stared at Michael's handsome face, which was merely inches away from me. He looked so quiet when asleep. Perhaps, I would not have any opportunities to look at him from such a close distance in the future.

Extending my arm, I wanted to caress his face. However, just when I was about to touch him, I froze. Although I yearned to stay by his side quietly like this, I could not do that. It had been a tough struggle for me to control my emotions. I was afraid that once I touched him, my rationality would disappear.

Hence, I turned around and averted my gaze from Michael. Exerting all my force, I pushed him away from me. Although he wasn't a huge guy, he was still exceptionally heavy to me.

I had to use a lot of force before I managed to shove him away. Standing up, I glanced down at his face. It had been ages since I had looked at him so intently.

I wished to stay by his side until he wakes up, but I knew that he should not stay at my place. After all, he was about to get married. If someone found out that he had stayed overnight at my place before his wedding day, both of us would become the gossip of the town again. Furthermore, this would impact Michael's reputation.

I deliberated about it for a long time before whipping out my phone and giving Emma a call.

She was the one whom I was the most reluctant to contact. However, she was also the only one who could bring Michael away. After all, she was his wife-to-be.

While the call was going through, my heart pounded. Calling Emma made me feel very uneasy.

“What's the matter?”

Emma's voice sounded cold when she picked up. In front of Michael, she might still put up a friendlier front toward me. However, when he was absent, her true colors would shine through.

“Michael's drunk and he's at my place. If you're free, come here now and bring him away. I don't want to cause any misunderstandings.”

Although I felt annoyed at how cold she sounded, I had no choice but to suppress my fury and reply in an equally curt manner.

“What? Michael's at your place? Anna, what dirty tricks have you played to lure him there? Why haven't you given up?” demanded Emma coldly upon hearing that Michael was with me, her voice bristling with fury.

As long as Michael had something to do with me, Emma would assume that I had resorted to unscrupulous methods to seduce him. To her, I was nothing more than a despicable woman.

“Stop thinking of everyone in such a horrid way. If I haven't given up, would I still call you and ask you to bring Michael away? I've already called you. It's up to you whether you want to come or not.”

Even though I called Emma to clarify my relationship with Michael, it did not mean that she could

humiliate me however she liked. I did not owe her anything, so I would not endure her bullying.

I hung up after speaking, not giving her a chance to speak.

Looking at Michael, who was fast asleep on the couch, I was slightly reluctant to let him leave just like that.

As he had drunk a lot, his face was flushed. I grabbed a wet towel and wiped his face attentively.

“Anna, you're my woman... You're mine...” mumbled Michael drowsily, still groggy with sleep.

Perhaps, he could sense my presence beside him.

My heart pounded when I heard what he said. Michael's still calling out for me when he's drunk. Is it because he loves me?

But if he loves me, why would he still be together with another woman? Why is he marrying someone else?

I thought that I understood Michael well. However, I now realized that I knew nothing about him. Other than his company's future, I did not know what else was important to him.

Although he did not like Emma, he chose to marry her. Regardless of whether he made the choice for the sake of his company, or if his family forced him to, I still could not understand it. Are these superficial things more important than his happiness for the rest of his life?

I gazed at Michael, who was still mumbling my name. Every time he called out my name, my heart

would skip a beat.

Knowing that Michael would never change his mind as long as he had made his decision, I tried my best to not let my resolve be swayed by his drunken words.

Just when I was staring at his handsome face, letting all those wild thoughts rush through my mind, I heard the urgent clacking of heels outside.

Since I did not close the door, Emma barged straight into my house. When she spotted me wiping Michael's face, her eyes blazed with rage.

She strode toward me and roared, “Anna, you b*tch! What are you doing?”

Still not satisfied after yelling at me, she shoved me aside. As I was caught off guard, I collapsed onto the floor.

My first instinct was to shield my stomach with my hand. After being pushed by Emma, I was equally furious. Now that I was pregnant, I would not let anyone do anything that could harm my baby.

“Anna, how shameless can you be? Michael's going to be married to me soon. Everyone in the nation knows about our wedding! Yet, you're still seducing him in the middle of the night. It seems your shamelessness knows no limits!”

 

Chapter 262

Standing up, I was about to rebuke Emma when she interrupted me. She pointed her finger at me, her body trembling with fury.

I was just an ordinary person. Having been provoked by her over and over again, my fury surged. I stared at Emma coldly without feeling a single hint of guilt.

“This is my home and Michael is the one who came looking for me. Instead of accusing me of seducing him, isn't it more accurate to say that you've failed to win him over? Emma, you know very well that Michael doesn't love you at all!”

When I said that, Emma widened her eyes angrily. Her body trembled vigorously, but she could not find the words to rebuke me.

“Don't cross the line, Anna! He agreed to marry me. If he doesn't like me, would he have chosen to be with me? You should erase all those nonsensical thoughts from your mind. It's impossible for you to be together with Michael!”

I had hit Emma at the spot where it hurt the most. However, she forced herself to calm down and retaliated coldly while glaring at me.

“I called you here to bring Michael away, not to argue with you. Since you're here now, you can take him with you.”

As I could not be bothered to waste my time with Emma, I evicted her coldly. I did not want to meet her anyway, so I wished for nothing more than for her to disappear immediately.

“Do you think that I want to argue with you? It's beneath my status to quarrel with a woman like you.”

Emma shot me a look of disdain before walking toward Michael. She bent down and stroked his face affectionately.

When she looked at Michael, her eyes were filled with affection—completely different from how she looked at me. I could tell that she genuinely like Michael. However, a vicious woman like her did not deserve to be with him.

“If I find out that you're seducing Michael again, I won't spare you! Anna, don't be shameless enough to covet another woman's man!” spat Emma at me after taking another look at Michael.

The contemptuous look in her eyes did not go unnoticed by me.

I clenched my fists. Having endured every humiliating remark she made toward me earlier, I could not stand it anymore. How can this woman speak so viciously?

“Anna, that's enough. If you insult me again, I might change my mind and stop you from bringing Michael away,” I rebuked coldly as I shot a furious glare at Emma.

Actually, I was merely trying to threaten her. As I knew that she cared about Michael the most, the only way for her to shut up was to bring him up.

“How dare you? Seems the previous lesson I've taught you isn't enough. Don't force me to be even more ruthless!”

Emma became furious the moment she heard my warning. She glared at me angrily, her eyes blazing with unbridled fury.

However, I was not bothered by her gaze. What caught my attention was what she said about having taught me a lesson.

“So you're the one who sent those people to cause trouble in my house?”

I had always suspected that Emma was behind that, but I did not have any proof. Although Michael promised to investigate this matter, he did not say anything till now. It was as if he had forgotten about it.

“Looks like other than your ability to seduce men, you're quite smart too.”

Emma smirked coldly when she heard my question. Although she did not reply to me directly, it was clear from her attitude that she was indeed the culprit.

After finding out that she was the one who did that, my hatred for her deepened. How can she be so cruel to do such a thing?

Since I was pregnant now, the consequences would be dire if those people harmed my baby.

“How can you be so cruel? Aren't you afraid that Michael will find out about what you've done? If he realizes that the woman he's going to marry is a wicked and schemeful woman, he'll resent you even more!”

Emma did so many things to harm me because she was jealous of Michael's feelings for me. However,

if he found out, he would hate her even more.

Emma's expression changed when she heard that. But, in the blink of an eye, she glanced at me coldly again.

“Do you think that a capable man like Michael can't find out that I'm the culprit? So what if he finds out? Do you think that Michael will cast everything aside just for you?”

Emma shot me a disdainful glance. It was clear what she was trying to say—Michael had already found out about it long ago, but he took no action.

As I initially assumed that he had not found out the truth yet, what Emma said was a huge blow to me. Perhaps, I had thought of myself too highly and thought that Michael would set the record straight if he knew that Emma did it. However, it turned out that I was just deceiving myself.

Unable to conceal my emotions anymore, I turned around and averted my gaze. Trying my best to sound indifferent, I ordered, “Leave! I don't want to see you anymore.”

Emma stared at me gloatingly. With some difficulty, she tugged Michael to his feet and walked toward the door.

Just before she stepped out, she halted in her tracks. Suddenly remembering something, she glanced at my stomach and said coldly, “Don't think of trapping Michael by using your baby. I won't let you succeed.”

A vicious glint flashed across Emma's eyes when she said that. I could even detect a murderous look in her gaze.

My heart lurched as I stared at her in shock, not expecting her to know about my pregnancy.

“How... How did you find out?”

I had been keeping it a secret. Other than Ronan, no one knew about it. There was no way Emma could find out unless Ronan told her that.

“Considering my capabilities, do you think that it's difficult for me to investigate you? Anyway, as I said, it's not a wise choice to trap a man with a baby.”

As she spoke, she stared at me gleefully before sweeping her gaze over my belly.

“I've never thought of using my baby to trap Michael. Don't worry, I have no intentions of letting him find out that I'm pregnant!”

No matter what it was, Emma would always assume that I was trying to seduce Michael. Anger rose within me.

Since I had never planned on letting Michael find out about my baby, I spat my words out in fury.

 

Chapter 263

“That had better be the case!” rebuked Emma before leaving with Michael.

Once both of them disappeared from my sight, I walked to the door and slammed it behind me forcefully. I would be lying if I said that Emma's words had not angered me in the slightest bit.

I knew that any woman would find my past relationship with Michael unacceptable. However, all the things that Emma had done made me detest her greatly.

It also turned out that Michael already knew that Emma was the one who destroyed my house. However, he did nothing about it and news of their marriage was announced shortly after.

I wondered how important I was to Michael. Could all those outrageous things that Emma have done be forgiven so easily?

I was furious and saddened by Michael's actions.

Recently, as my morning sickness had become more severe, I stayed at home almost every day, not wanting to go anywhere. It was only after my pregnancy that I realized how tough life was for mothers.

There were only ten days left till Michael's wedding with Emma. Every day was like torture to me and my agony only increased as their wedding day approached.

I prepared a simple breakfast that morning. After eating, I planned to go to bed and rest. Regardless of what I ate, I had no appetite. All I wanted to do was to lie on the bed.

Before I reached my bedroom, the doorbell rang. Frowning warily, I opened the door. To my surprise, it

was Ronan.

“Why are you here?”

When I spoke to Ronan the previous time, he had left furiously. After he found out how much I had hidden from him, I thought that he would never contact me again. Hence, it caught me by surprise when he suddenly looked for me.

“I'd like to talk to you.”

When Ronan saw me, his expression became awkward. A long time passed before he said anything.

Not knowing what he wanted to speak to me about, I felt quite unsettled. Nonetheless, I turned aside and let him in.

Ronan sat on the couch in the living room, while I sat opposite him. After what happened the previous time, it felt like we could no longer start a conversation anymore.

Previously when we met, Ronan would always act very casually. The atmosphere had never been so awkward before.

I raised my head and glanced at Ronan's face, wanting to diffuse the awkward atmosphere when I spotted some bruises on his face, which looked like those on Michael's.

“What happened to your face?”

That day, Michael's face was also injured. However, Ronan's bruises looked more severe than his. Did both of them get beaten up at the same time?

When Ronan heard my question, he touched his bruises and chuckled embarrassedly. “It's nothing. I just fought with someone.”

With a personality like his, I was not surprised that he would get into a fight. However, as Michael's face was also injured that day, I felt suspicious.

“Did you fight with Michael?”

Both of them were influential people, so no one in their right mind would dare to touch them. The only possibility was that they fought with each other.

“How did you know?” asked Ronan in disbelief. He widened his eyes when he heard my guess.

Although he did not answer my question directly, his surprised look already confirmed it.

“So, you actually fought with Michael! Why?” I asked worriedly as I gazed at him.

Although they might have very different personalities, they shared a good relationship. I could not figure out why they suddenly fought with each other.

“Nothing. I just think that he doesn't deserve your love.”

Ronan's expression fell when he heard my question. Fury raged in his eyes when he spoke about Michael.

From what he said, I could deduce that they fought because of me. For a while, I was at a loss for words.

I did not want to talk about anything related to Michael. Perhaps, it was best if we just faded from each other's lives like this.

“Why did you come here today?” Feigning indifference, I looked at Ronan and asked calmly.

Ronan, who had always spoken his mind, hesitated. He stole a few glances at me, looking uncertain.

“What's wrong? Just say whatever you have on your mind. It isn't like you to be so hesitant.”

Although I did not know what Ronan wanted to tell me, his reaction made me feel very unsettled. It was less tiring to interact with him when he was more direct with his words.

“I came here to apologize for my rude behavior toward you the other day.”

After a long silence, Ronan finally spoke. He glanced at me apologetically, his tone gentle yet serious.

Not expecting him to apologize to me, I was surprised. After all, I was the one at fault.

“I should be the one to apologize instead. After all, I've kept many things from you.”

When I recalled all the things that I had hidden from him, I lowered my head, embarrassed. The fact that Ronan knew I was Michael's ex-lover made me feel a bit shameful.

“No, you're free to keep your silence. There's no need to confess everything to me.”

It seemed like Ronan was determined to apologize to me, even to the extent of placing all the blame on himself.

He had always been a bold and generous man. Now that he was apologizing to me so seriously, I was at a loss for words. The atmosphere seemed even more awkward than before.

“Let bygones be bygones,” I concluded calmly before lowering my head.

Since I had nothing to do with Michael anymore, it was pointless to be hung up over the past.

“Your pregnant with Michael's child. Are you not planning to tell him?”

Ronan's gaze landed on my stomach after a moment of silence. A complicated look crossed his eyes and I even sensed a hint of sorrow in it.

I did not want to talk about my baby in front of anyone else. However, as I needed Ronan to keep my secret, I could not possibly evade his question.

“I don't want to let Michael know about my baby, so I hope that you can keep it a secret from him,” I said seriously as I shot an anxious glance at Ronan.

“Why? Your baby is his child too. Why would you keep it a secret from him? If you tell him that you're pregnant, he might cancel his wedding with Emma.”

 

Chapter 264

Surprised by my decision, Ronan looked at me, perplexed and with an anxious expression.

Perhaps, he thought that Michael would return to my side because of my pregnancy. After all, that was what a reasonable person would do.

“It's already over between me and Michael. I've decided to raise my child alone. Ronan, if you still see me as your friend, I hope that you won't spill the beans to Michael.”

I stared at Ronan, pleading to him with my eyes. Although I wished to be together with Michael, I knew that he never had me in his heart. Even if I had his child, I would rather he choose to be with me because he genuinely loved me.

Ronan gazed at me for a long time, hesitating to say something. In the end, he merely nodded in agreement.

With his promise to keep the secret, I felt much relieved. Otherwise, judging from his personality, I was afraid that he would confront Michael immediately and tell him about my pregnancy.

“Thank you.”

I thanked Ronan sincerely. Ever since we first met each other, he had helped me significantly. As I know that my relationship with Michael had harmed him, I felt very guilty toward him.

“You've decided that you'll never be together with him ever?” Raising his head and meeting my gaze, he asked in a surprisingly solemn tone.

Although the thought of never being together with Michael saddened me, I nodded my head resolutely. After all, I could not change the dictates of fate.

When Ronan heard that, he cast his gaze downward. I did not know what he was thinking about, but there was a serious look on his face that I had never seen before.

He stood up and walked toward me.

When he approached me, I started to feel flustered. I raised my head and gazed at him, not knowing what he was going to do. Is he going mad again?

“What are you doing, Ronan?”

I looked at him nervously.

Still silent, he stared at me with a serious look before going down on one knee.

When I saw his actions, I jumped up in shock. “What are you doing?”

I was genuinely startled by him. He stared at me intently and said, “Anna, you know very clearly how I feel about you. Since you won't be together with Michael, let me raise your child together with you. I'll definitely dote on your child like my own.”

Standing paralyzed to the spot, I looked at him in utter shock. Is this guy mad? Is he saying that he wants to be together with me?

Despite knowing that my baby is Michael's, and the fact that Michael is his cousin, he still wanted to be with me? How ridiculous!

“Ronan, this joke isn't funny at all. Stand up now!”

Panicking, I gazed at him and tried my best to treat his words as a joke. I simply could not accept what he had just said.

“Do I look like I'm joking? I'm being very serious here!”

Seeing that I was smiling awkwardly at him, Ronan looked at me with a frown. He sounded weirdly serious.

My heart pounded. Meeting his solemn gaze, I did not know what to say. My mind had turned completely blank as if all my thoughts had been thrown out the window.

Ronan's actions were beyond my expectations. The thought that he would make such a decision had never crossed my mind.

“Get up, Ronan. You're making me feel uncomfortable.”

I did not know how to answer him. Furthermore, as he was still kneeling in front of me, I felt even more unsettled.

Frowning, Ronan stood up and sat opposite me.

He stared into my eyes, evidently looking forward to my answer.

I felt uneasy by his intent stare. Averting my gaze, I deliberated about how I should reject him. After all, it was impossible that I would get together with him.

“I know that you're doing this out of pity for me and my baby, but I want to say that I am capable enough to take care of my child.”

Although I knew about Ronan's feelings for me, I had no choice but to deliberately distort the truth and say that he was pitying me. I simply had no idea how to respond to his question.

“It's not pity I feel for you. It's love. Regardless of who your baby belongs to, I don't mind. Anna, don't you know about my feelings for you?”

Before I could finish my sentence, Ronan became agitated. An increasingly anxious look crept into his eyes.

Despite all the excuses that I had prepared, I could not utter a single one of them. Ronan was putting me in a tight spot.

I knew that I wanted to reject him, but I did not wish to hurt him. Although I wanted to turn him down tactfully, I did not expect him to be so stubborn.

“But you know who I like. I can't be together with someone that I don't like, so I'm sorry that I have to refuse you.”

I never wanted to hurt Ronan, but I had no choice. Only by showing my determination would he give up completely. Otherwise, considering his personality, he would stick to his decision as long as there was

a glimmer of hope.

Probably because he did not expect me to give such a cruel response, Ronan stiffened. An agonizing look crept into his eyes.

Perhaps, he thought that if he appeared at my most tormenting and helpless moment, I would fall in love with him. However, I was not that weak. No matter what, I would never be together with someone I did not like.

“But you said that both of you will never be together. So why aren't you willing to give me a chance to take care of you and your child? Do you not trust me?”

Ronan stared at me, still reluctant to give up. I could sense how hurt he was from his indignant tone.

“It's not because I don't trust you. If I agree, it'll be really unfair to you. I can't possibly do that,” I explained solemnly as I gazed into his eyes.

It did not matter whether I liked Ronan or not. Even if I liked him, I could not agree to his request. It would be unfair to him if he had to take responsibility despite me being pregnant with someone else's child.

“I don't need it to be fair. As long as I can be together with you, I'll be happy no matter what!” blurted Ronan as he suddenly grabbed my hand.

Hearing that I was being considerate of him, he beamed happily.

 

Chapter 265

I rarely saw Ronan looking so solemn, so I sensed that something was wrong.

Ronan looked at me and said calmly, “The owner of the car that tried to knock you down is called Drake Hammer. He is a good-for-nothing thug and has many criminal records for being involved in brawls.”

I frowned upon hearing what Ronan said. Why is he telling me all this? What use is that information to me? Have I accused Emma wrongly?

However, I still felt that the car did not rush at me by accident, just that it was hard to explain why I felt that way.

I looked up at Ronan quizzically and asked insistently, “Am I overthinking? Is there nothing else apart from this?”

Ronan seemed hesitant upon hearing my question. His gaze became conflicted.

“There's one more thing...” Ronan started his sentence but did not continue. He seemed to be in a dilemma.

It was rare to see such emotion on his face. I felt even more confused and wondered if my hunch was correct—that this was no accident.

“What else is there?” I looked at Ronan worriedly and was a little desperate to know whether it was an accident or that someone had planned it.

“I sent someone to investigate Drake. A few days ago, he received a large sum of money in his bank

account. The sender is...”

At this point, Ronan paused again and looked at me with a conflicted expression. He still did not say who it was.

From what he said, I knew that things were not that simple. Someone was trying to harm me.

“Is it Emma who transferred the money?” I immediately thought of Emma because I believed no one else in this world hated me as much as she did.

I was calm and apathetic before this, but now I felt a surge of fury burning within me.

Seeing that I had guessed the person behind it, Ronan stopped hiding it from me and answered frankly, “Yes, it was Emma.”

I had always been patient with Emma before this, but now that she tried to harm my baby, she had crossed the line.

It was the first time I felt so much hatred and such a strong desire to destroy someone.

I clenched my fists and focused on controlling the rage in my heart. If I did not control myself, I feared I would rush to confront Emma right away.

Ronan seemed hesitant. It might be because he had never seen me with such a fierce expression before. A moment later, he looked at me and asked calmly, “I did not expect Emma to be someone capable of this. Anna, how are you planning to deal with this?”

“I have tolerated Emma too many times. She has gone overboard this time; I can't allow anyone to harm my baby!” I said coldly.

Although I did not tell Ronan how I would deal with Emma, he could guess from my expression that I would not let go of the matter.

“What are you planning to do?” Ronan asked again after observing me for a long time.

“It's getting late; you should go back. I'm also tired and would like to rest early,” I said.

It was not that I did not want to tell Ronan about my plan. In actuality, I was uncertain what I should do.

Ronan did not expect me to ask him to leave so directly. His expression stiffened as he looked at me. He appeared hurt.

At this moment, my mind was full of thoughts about Emma attempting to hurt my baby that I did not pay attention to Ronan's behavior.

I frowned and remained quiet. Meanwhile, Ronan sat in silence for a short while before getting up and leaving the ward.

After I finished receiving the drip, I wanted to leave the hospital. However, the nurse said I should stay overnight for observation. Therefore, for the sake of the baby's well-being, I took the nurse's advice.

I did not feel like sleeping the whole night. My mind could not stop thinking about Michael and Emma's wedding tomorrow and that Emma hired someone to knock me down. I was at the limits of my

patience.

Suddenly, an outrageous idea appeared in my mind—ruining Michael and Emma's wedding. Since Emma did not want me to be with Michael, I was determined to be with him.

I let her have her way previously, but she was ungrateful and became all the greedier. Even if she married Michael, there was no telling what else she would do to harm my baby and me.

After a sleepless night, I saw articles about Michael and Emma's wedding on the morning news. Their wedding was about to begin.

Michael wore a white suit; his handsome face appeared stern on the screen. Meanwhile, Emma was beaming and holding his arm.

Meanwhile, I had been full of hatred after what happened yesterday. Now that I saw Emma leaning against Michael's shoulder happily, I had to admit that I felt jealous and hateful toward Emma.

I pulled out the needle of my intravenous drip, changed my clothes quickly, and left without informing the nurses.

Then, I hailed a cab in front of the hospital and headed to the wedding venue.

I checked my phone. Time was ticking away, which gave me a sense of urgency. I decided to stop their wedding. I was determined to follow my heart and stop sacrificing my own happiness. Furthermore, I could not allow my baby to be in danger.

Emma was a vicious woman. Even if she married Michael and legally became Mrs. Shaw, she would

never let me go. The baby in my womb would always be a thorn to her, and I was convinced she would always find ways to harm my baby and me.

Thus, to protect my baby, I had to stay by Michael's side. Only Michael's protection could deter her from doing anything.

Although I had decided what I should do, I could not help feeling nervous. I did not know the situation at the wedding and how Michael would react once I told him about my pregnancy.

Soon, the cab arrived at the wedding venue. I got out of the cab quickly and ran in.

Michael and Emma were about to exchange rings. She looked blissful and was about to put the ring on Michael's finger.

“Wait!” I called out and strode toward them.

The crowd was shocked to hear my voice. Everyone turned toward me; all were astonished.

Michael was most surprised to see me because he did not expect me to be here. From the way he furrowed his brows, I could see that he was displeased that I had crashed his wedding.

 

Chapter 266

Emma had a panicked expression when she saw me. Then, her eyes widened and she looked at me furiously.

My sudden appearance attracted a lot of attention. Many people began to speculate about my identity and wondered why I had come to disrupt Michael's wedding.

One should know that Michael was the most prominent man in Avenport. And one would have to be crazy to dare to disrupt his wedding.

When Josephine saw me, she frowned deeply and glared at me sternly.

“Anna, why are you here? It's my wedding with Michael!” Emma quickly took a few steps toward me and spoke to me with an undertone of warning as soon as she saw me approach her and Michael.

Previously, I had never thought of ruining their wedding. Instead, I quietly wished them well and hoped that Michael would live happily ever after.

However, after knowing Emma was behind yesterday's car incident, I felt nothing but hatred toward her.

I walked toward Emma and glared at her sternly, saying with the coldest tone I could muster, “The wedding must not proceed!”

“You're here to ruin the wedding?” Emma was furious upon hearing me. There seemed to be a fire burning in her eyes, threatening to engulf me.

Josephine glared at me coldly and said in a tone even more frigid than when we first met, “Ms. Garcia,

have you forgotten what you promised me?”

Josephine cared tremendously about what other people thought. Now that I was ruining her son's wedding, she naturally could not stand it.

“Mrs. Shaw, I'm sorry, but I'll have to break the promise,” I answered.

I knew I promised Josephine that I would not bother Michael. Although I felt guilty about coming here to ruin Michael's wedding, I had no other choice.

“You!” Josephine was too angry to say anything else upon hearing my reply. Instead, she took to giving me the death stare.

I glanced at her apologetically and walked toward Michael. While he had remained silent all this time, his eyes had never left me since I first appeared.

I did not know what he thought of my sudden appearance at his wedding. Although I braved myself to come here, I could not help feeling anxious.

“Anna, you have gone too far. Today is my wedding with Michael. What makes you think you can just come here and ruin it?” Emma gritted her teeth in fury.

She was wearing a pure white wedding dress with exquisite make-up on her face. She looked like the most beautiful bride in the world, yet her gaze was vicious.

“Emma, you have forced my hand. If you hadn't tried to harm my baby, I would never have opted to do

this!” I retorted.

If Emma did not arrange for someone to knock me down, I would probably be crying in a corner alone right now. However, she has gone overboard; it is infuriating!

While I may appear weak, I was not afraid to protect the people I loved. My baby was my everything. Thus, I would never let go of anyone who sought to harm my baby.

At this moment, Ronan was also sitting among the guests. His eyes widened in shock upon seeing me. Since he was an intelligent man, he naturally understood why I had suddenly changed my mind and come here.

Emma's expression changed when she heard what I said. Her eyes glinted with panic as she looked at me. I knew she was feeling guilty, and this guilt proved that she was behind the incident.

I glared at Emma coldly and clenched my fists tightly, trying hard to contain my emotions.

“I don't know what you're saying. What baby? When did I ever try to harm you? Anna, you shouldn't accuse someone without evidence!” Emma glanced at Michael from the corner of her eyes and lowered her voice as she spoke to me.

I knew why she deliberately lowered her voice. She was afraid that Michael would hear our conversation and find out that I was pregnant. Since she did not want him to know about my pregnancy, I was even more determined to tell him.

I walked toward Michael while he looked at me indifferently.

I looked into his cold eyes as I opened my mouth to say something. It was just that I did not know what to say. I could speak without fear when facing the crowd just now, but I suddenly felt so weak standing before him.

“Are you done causing a scene? Get out if you have nothing more to say!” Michael finally broke his silence. He did not seem happy that I had come to disrupt his big day. It made me wonder if he really wanted to marry Emma.

I felt sad and was on the verge of tears as I looked at Michael. Does he think that I am only here to cause a scene? Can't he see that I'm forcing myself to be brave to fight for my happiness?

I looked into Michael's eyes and said firmly. “You must not marry Emma!”

Although my voice was not loud, it was unwavering. I was determined to stop Michael and Emma's wedding, no matter what.

Furthermore, I knew Michael did not like Emma. Most importantly, I could never let a woman who wanted to harm my baby stay by Michael's side.

“Why not? Anna, are you commanding me? Who gives you the right to have a say at my wedding?” Michael questioned.

Before this, I had never spoken to Michael so sternly. Now, I could see his anger flaring up through his eyes. Not only did I crash his wedding today, but I also infuriated him.

“If you marry Emma, what about me and our baby? Michael, are you not going to be responsible for your baby?” I said and looked at Michael in disappointment.

In actuality, I only wanted to tell him that I was pregnant with his baby. However, somehow, the words came out a little differently from my mouth.

“Baby? What baby?” Michael asked.

He looked at me strangely before glancing down at my abdomen. His eyes widened.

“I'm pregnant with your child. It has been two months now,” I answered.

Since I had decided to ruin their wedding, I had no intention of continuing to hide this fact from him. I had only one aim that day: to stop Michael from marrying Emma. I could not allow him to spend the rest of his life with a vicious woman like her.

Furthermore, what Emma did was wrong and I could not bear with her anymore. I loved Michael, so why should I sacrifice my own blissfulness and give their marriage my blessing?

 

Chapter 267

A shocked expression that I'd never seen on him before painted his face. His eyes lit up as he stared at my belly.

Ever since I knew him, he had always been a matured and steady man who could hide his emotion well. Yet, the moment he heard the news of me getting pregnant, an inexplicable gleam flashed across his eyes. Well, is it surprise or excitement?

The gleam faded so fast that I nearly missed it. Meanwhile, silence blanketed the scene as everyone looked at me in utter disbelief.

After all, it was indeed a surprise when I suddenly appeared and dropped that bomb at Michael's wedding. Moreover, Michael had officially announced to the public that he loved me before.

The scene today was undoubtedly a slap to Emma's face.

Josephine, who was standing behind me, looked at me in astonishment as well. The moment she came to her senses, she quickly walked over to my side, her gaze falling on my belly.

“Are... you really pregnant with Michael's child?” she asked, her voice trembling.

As expected, everyone present was astounded by the shocking piece of news.

“Mrs. Shaw, I will never joke about such a matter. I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, you can have a look at the medical report.”

I took out the pregnancy test report from my bag and handed it to Josephine to prove my words.

She snatched it over and flipped through the report urgently.

Meanwhile, Emma glanced at the people down the stage. When she saw that everyone's attention was solely on me, she couldn't help but feel annoyed. After all, she was the bride.

After looking through the report, Josephine had started to believe me. Seeing that, Emma quickly approached her and persuaded, “Mrs. Shaw, don't listen to her nonsense. She's trying to interfere with our wedding by making up that lie. As you know, things like pregnancy test reports can be forged, so we must not be deceived!”

I looked at Emma coldly. My hatred toward her deepened. She had known about my pregnancy for a long while, yet here she was, lying through her teeth.

“You knew about my pregnancy long ago. Don't you feel disgusted to say now?”

However, since Emma was the daughter-in-law who Josephine acknowledged, the latter, of course, sided with her. Even though the reports were enough to prove my words, she still chose not to trust me. Instead, she looked at Michael to ask his opinion with a frown.

“Michael, what do you say?” she asked, embarrassment coursing through her. “How should we deal with this matter? As for the wedding between you and Emma...”

“Cancel the wedding!”

Michael turned around and left swiftly after saying that.

He must be so angry. After all, I'd ruined his wedding. Moreover, with so many reporters present on the scene, what happened now would surely make it to the news headline the next day and it would affect his image.

Once the people left, Michael's secretary brought me to his mansion. There, he, Emma, and Josephine were sitting in the living room, waiting for me. Emma looked so wronged as she sat beside Josephine, with traces of tears on her face.

Josephine looked at her in distress as she kept comforting her. At that moment, they looked so much like a pair of mother and daughter.

Upon noticing my arrival, they looked daggers at me.

Josephine stood up first, approaching me and stopping right in front of me. Even though she hadn't said anything, I could already sense her immense fury.

“Ms. Garcia, state your price.”

I was taken aback by her request. The moment the realization hit me, I couldn't help but furrow my brows.

“Mrs. Shaw, I don't know what you're saying.”

She might be Michael's mother, but I didn't want to fawn over her. Thus, the least I could do was to respect her.

Seeing that I was acting dumb, instead of flying into a rage, she looked at me calmly and cut to the chase. “I believe that none of us are dumb here. You ruined the wedding today for money, right? Why don't you name your price already? As long as it's affordable, the Shaw family will not let you down.”

I was an idiot if I still couldn't understand her meaning at that point. However, her words were humiliating to me. Is that how they interpret my action today? For money?

“Mrs. Shaw, I think you've misunderstood me. I did all this because I love Michael and want to be with him. It has nothing to do with money.”

Looking at her calmly, I tried to convince her with my sincerity.

I knew that Michael loved me and that he only married Emma for the sake of the future of his company. Despite not knowing if my action would anger him, I had to fight for myself as I didn't want to regret it later.

Josephine was about to say something when Emma suddenly stood up and beat her to it. “How greedy you are, Anna! You said you love Michael, but who will believe that? Do you think I don't know what's on your mind? You don't accept the money because you think you can get more by being his wife.”

My patience for her had totally dissipated ever since I knew she had planned to end my life the previous day. As I raised my head, my icy gaze struck her eyes.

“You know perfectly well the reason I'm doing this. Don't ever think you can do anything you want just because you're wealthy, Emma. If you dare hurt my child, I won't hesitate to bring you to hell with me.”

Remembering the harrowing accident the previous day, I had the urge to strangle her to death. She should be grateful that nothing happened to my child. Otherwise, I would never let her off.

Fear gleamed in her eyes. However, it dissipated within seconds. After all, she came from a rich and powerful family, so naturally, she wouldn't take a threat from an ordinary person seriously.

“Are you threatening me?”

Emma widened her eyes as she glared at me. She sounded arrogant as she knew that I wouldn't dare to do anything in front of Michael and Josephine.

 

Chapter 268

“It's a reminder!” I looked Emma in the eye, not backing down.

“Anna, how dare you!”

She was raging at my retort. Before she could say anything, Michael cut in with a roar, “Enough!”

His deep voice was so cold that both of us instantly shut our mouths.

Even though none of us wanted to back away in the fight, we couldn't help but cower in front of him.

Emma's expression instantly changed. Next, she ran over to his side, looking so wronged as she grasped his arm and choked on her voice.

“Michael, did you see how that woman treated me just now? She's here to ruin our wedding. Can you please chase her away immediately?”

She looked so pitiful that I would pull her into my embrace to comfort her if I were a man.

Unfortunately, her trick was useless to Michael. All she got was an impatient gaze from him as he pushed her away mercilessly.

“Michael...”

Emma had never expected him to give her such a reaction. She widened her eyes in disbelief.

No matter what, it was their wedding that day. It was only natural for her to be upset. Moreover, it

wasn't a secret that Emma had always liked him.

Michael didn't look at Emma at all. Instead, he strode toward me before stopping in front of me with a solemn look. For some reason, my heart trembled uncontrollably upon meeting his gaze.

“Why didn't you tell me that you're pregnant? Anna, am I a fool in your eyes? Is it fun to keep me in the dark?”

He seemed calm on the surface, yet there was an undeniable rage in his voice. I couldn't help but lower my head, feeling guilty.

I didn't dare to meet his eyes or speak because I didn't know how to explain myself. After all, I was so adamant about keeping it a secret from Michael in the beginning. If it weren't for the accident yesterday, I wouldn't have changed my mind.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sabotage your wedding, but I—”

I parted my lips and started to explain. However, I couldn't finish the sentence upon noticing how Michael's expression grew darker midway.

He refused to listen to me as he asked, “You chose to tell me on the day of my wedding to pressure me by using the public, didn't you?”

“No! I didn't! It's not what you think!” I quickly explained, seeing that he had misunderstood me.

How could he think of me like that? It never came to my mind before, not even once.

Standing behind him, Emma smirked smugly upon taking in how he treated me.

“All right, that's enough!”

With that said, he turned toward Emma.

His attitude just now made me believe that my effort that day had all gone to waste and that he wouldn't cancel his wedding due to my pregnancy. Yet, to my relief and surprise, he wasn't that cold-hearted.

“Our wedding is canceled!” His voice sounded firm as he spoke to Emma coldly.

The smile on Emma's face dissipated as she froze in place upon hearing his announcement. Soon after that, she went into a panic.

“Why? Is it because of this woman? Are you going to call off our wedding just because of her words? Don't you know that everyone in the country is looking forward to it? How am I going to face the others in the future if you cancel it as you wish?”

Emma could no longer suppress her emotion at that point. She looked at Michael in agonizing pain, her eyes teary.

Indeed, everyone knew about their wedding. If Michael canceled it, she wouldn't be able to hold her head high in front of others again. It was undoubtedly an utter humiliation for her.

“That is your problem to handle. How can I leave Anna now that she is pregnant with my child?”

Emma's cry did not affect him at all. His gaze on her was still as cold as before. He did not care about how his action would influence her.

Emma shuddered when she heard that. Her face turned pale instantly as she had never expected him to be so cruel to her.

Even Josephine panicked at that moment. Quickly, she rushed over to his side, trying to talk some senses into him. “Michael, have you considered the consequences?”

“I've made up my mind, and I won't change it,” the man said with finality.

It seemed that this time, even his mother's persuasion couldn't change his mind.

I had thought that he would never be with me even if I was pregnant with his child, yet in the next moment, he surprised me again with the unexpected decision he made for our child. I couldn't help but feel touched upon hearing what he said to Josephine and Emma.

Perhaps his career isn't the only important thing in his heart.

“Michael, do you believe in her so much? She lives a promiscuous private life and mingles with several men at once. Who knows if the child in her belly is truly yours? It may be someone else's who she slept around with before!”

Fury had overtaken Emma at that moment. Even though she didn't direct the malicious comments at me, they still sounded awful.

Unable to stand the humiliation, I flew into a rage. Just as I was about to refute, a loud slap stopped me

abruptly.

To everyone's surprise, Michael had slapped her across the face. His dark eyes were blazing as his temper flared up.

Emma's head jerked sideways with the force of the slap. As soon as she recollected herself, she stared at him in shock. It never came to her mind that Michael would slap her one day.

“Michael, how dare you hit me!”

He might seem aloof and merciless on the outside, but he had always tolerated women. Regardless of how horrible Emma had treated me before, he had never been so ruthless toward her. It seemed that she had totally infuriated him that day.

“Emma, I'm warning you. Mind your language. My woman isn't that indecent as what you described!”

Michael had always been protective of what belonged to him. In his heart, I was his, so naturally, he couldn't stand someone humiliating me.

 

Chapter 269

Michael shot daggers at Emma. His dark eyes glinted with fury.

“How could you hit me for this b*tch? Michael, have you forgotten I'm your fiancée? This woman is here to ruin our wedding, yet you're defending her! Don't you care about my feelings?”

Emma became more and more emotional as Michael stood up for me. Pointing at my face, she yelled at him bitterly.

“As I said just now, the wedding is canceled. Don't make me repeat myself for the third time.”

The man's gaze grew frigid as Emma kept calling me a b*tch. I could sense his hostile vibe.

He was indeed enraged this time.

“Before I make any decision, scram!” Michael bellowed in a low, croaky voice.

His gaze on Emma was as cold as ice. The man had always been quick-tempered. Now his patience was wearing thin because of her actions.

“Michael, what are you doing? No matter what, Emma is your fiancée. How can you speak to her this way?”

Michael's harsh attitude toward Emma put Josephine on edge, who hurried over to ease things up as she glared at him angrily. However, due to the crowded setting, she could not fully express her annoyance.

“Mom, I've said it just now. The wedding is canceled, so she's no longer my fiancée.”

His brows knitted together. Though his expression softened up when he turned to look at his mother, he remained adamant about calling off the wedding. He had made a decision, and that was final.

“Michael, cut the nonsense! Our family has business collaborations with Emma's family. How can you call off the wedding just like that? You must take the bigger picture into consideration.”

Josephine gave him a death stare. Her voice was not loud but everyone present heard her clearly.

I did not know Michael and Emma's marriage was based solely on business interests. Suddenly, I sympathized with him.

He had always been an iron-willed man. No one could ever convince him otherwise once he had made up his mind. Yet, a man like him had to sacrifice his happiness for his family's interests.

“Even without the collaboration with the Joneses, I can expand our business and bring the company to new heights.”

He cast Emma a disdainful glance as he spoke.

Michael was an incredibly competent man. That was why nobody doubted his capability. He could no doubt make his company flourish without the Joneses.

Looking at his resolute expression, Josephine breathed a helpless sigh. She was rendered utterly speechless. Since Emma and I were around, she could not discuss with him freely.

“Mrs. Shaw, look at how Michael treats me. You said you like me and want me to be your daughter-in- law.”

Seeing that Josephine had relented, Emma felt a pang of anxiety and clutched Josephine's hand while looking aggrieved.

Her pitiable look could tug at anyone's heartstrings, including Josephine's.

“Emma, don't worry. Michael must have said that out of anger. I'll talk to him. He'll come to his senses once he calms down.” She consoled Emma, patting the back of the latter's hand with a kind smile.

“Really? He's canceling the wedding only out of anger?” Emma asked gingerly and softly as she peeked at Michael pitifully.

Despite Josephine's consolation, she still felt troubled.

Michael's brows drew together when he caught her glance but he said nothing. His expression obviously showed that he was vexed with her.

Seeing her worried look, Josephine quickly assured her, “Trust me. I'll talk to Michael. He's usually very obedient.”

As a snobbish woman, Josephine knew the commercial benefits that Michael and Emma's marriage could bring. For this reason alone, she would try her very best to match-make the two.

She continued to comfort Emma. Glancing at her son, she decided to leave with Emma for the time

being.

Though the latter was reluctant, she knew her presence would only make Michael feel more disgusted.

As Josephine strutted past me, she stopped in her tracks all of a sudden and glared coldly at me. Her gaze was filled with fury.

“Whether your baby is Michael's or not, I'll never let you marry into our family. You'll never be a Shaw!”

The woman had made herself clear. She would never accept me or let me be with Michael, no matter what.

I felt a twinge of sadness at her words. I had expected this, yet her uncompromising stance still bothered me.

“Mrs. Shaw, I...”

Although I knew my sudden appearance was detrimental to the Shaw family's reputation, I had no other choice. I parted my lips to try to say something but as soon as I attempted to explain myself, she interrupted me. She did not give me even the slightest chance to speak up.

“You don't need to say anything and I don't want to listen to you. Ms. Garcia, you're not worthy of marrying into the Shaw family.”

Josephine remained stern as she spoke assertively. Judging from her expression, I could tell that she would never change her tune.

I hung my head. I was at a loss for words. The courage that I had while facing off against Emma vanished in front of Josephine.

Emma looked at me smugly; the malice in her gaze intensified. Soon, she held Josephine's hand and left.

The living room was left with only Michael and me. Sitting on the couch, the man remained silent with a scowl on his dashing face.

Like a child who had done something wrong, I stood near him and did not dare to utter a word.

“I'm sorry, Michael...”

I did not know what else to say. After ruining his wedding today, something just felt different between us. I wondered what he thought of me now.

“Anna, do you know what you've done today cost me tens of millions?”

He glowered at me. If he hadn't had feelings for me, he would have given me a tight slap, just like how ruthlessly he had treated Emma.

“Tens of millions? Why is that so?”

My heart skipped a beat at the astronomical number. Instantly, I turned to gape at Michael in astonishment.

Only then did I realize I had stirred up huge trouble.

“My marriage with Emma is the foundation of the collaboration between our families. Anyone who calls off the wedding must compensate the other fifty million.”

His chest heaved vigorously. I knew he was on the verge of losing his cool. It must have taken him a great deal of patience to stifle his wrath and explain things to me.

 

Chapter 270

Shocked, I gawked at Michael with widened eyes. I felt lost. A compensation of fifty million...

“I'm sorry. I didn't know it would be so serious...”

My body quivered all over. I was rendered speechless and felt guilty. It never occurred to me that wreaking havoc at his wedding would bring about such a serious consequence.

If I had known it, I would not have done so.

“What's the use of apologizing now?”

Staring at a perturbed me, he frowned slightly. His expression softened but his tone remained aloof.

To me, fifty million was a whole lot of money. Clenching my fists, I made a decision despite my fear. “I'll look for Emma and bring her back now.”

However, Michael apparently knew why I suggested looking for Emma. “Stand right there!” As soon as I turned around, his indifferent voice sounded. His dark eyes were smoldering with rage as he marched over to me.

Sensing his irritation, I felt my heart racing wildly. I did not know how to deal with his mood swings.

My attempt to look for Emma infuriated him. His voice became much huskier. “Do you think I'm someone who would go back on my words? I said the wedding is canceled, and I mean it.”

Didn't you say that you're losing fifty million because I've crashed your wedding? I'm going to get

Emma back so you won't have to lose so much money, and the collaboration can go on as well.”

Lowering my head slightly, I nursed a grievance because of his words. I knew I had caused him a substantial loss but the indignation that I had been harboring in my heart was unbearable.

“Anna, am I such a timid man in your eyes? Do I look like I need a woman to help support my company's development?”

Michael could read between the lines and noticed the contempt in my words. Nevertheless, I did not know why he was mad.

Holding back the raging emotions within me, I looked right into his eyes and asked impassively, “What do you want me to do, then?”

He glanced nonchalantly at me and answered coldly, “Hold a wedding two weeks later.”

Without sparing me another glance, he strode away.

Baffled, I stared blankly at his back as he made his way upstairs. What does he mean by holding a wedding two weeks later? Is he going to marry me or Emma?

I had a hunch that he was referring to me. My heart leaped at this thought of mine.

Does Michael really want to marry me? Am I dreaming?

It felt so surreal. Did he really say that just now?

I stood rooted to the spot for a long time before I finally pulled myself together. I then glanced in the direction of the staircase with a slight hesitation before turning around and leaving.

I believed Michael was still irked by today's incident. If I lingered around, it would only provoke him further, so I'd better leave now and only apologize to him after he simmered down.

On the way home, I still found it hard to believe that Michael wanted to marry me. That was beyond my wildest dreams.

Even as I crashed their wedding, I never expected him to marry me. All I could think about was to stop the vicious woman from being with him and that I refused to live in agony anymore.

I shed tears of joy along the way, which drew the attention of numerous passersby. Some recognized that I was the woman who crashed Michael's wedding earlier. Many pointed fingers at me, criticizing me for being the third wheel and ruining their wedding.

If this had happened in the past, it would have made my blood boil. But now, I could not care less. They were not me, so they could not understand my feelings.

Once I got back to my place at Birchwood, I saw Ronan sitting at the entrance with his head bowed.

My heart trembled at the sight of the man. Standing there, I did not know how to greet or face him.

Right then, he lifted his head and saw me. His expression was grim and his usually clear eyes were now lackluster.

“W-What are you doing here?”

Since he had already spotted me, I could no longer keep quiet. Still, I could not find the right words to say.

Jumping to his feet, Ronan strode toward me, grabbed my shoulders, and bellowed, “Why did you go to the wedding today? Why did you crash Michael's wedding? Didn't you tell me that there's no way you two would get together? You said you wanted to cut ties with him!”

It was the first time he shouted and glared at me so angrily. Taken aback, my body stiffened. Never had I thought he would react this way.

“Ronan, listen to me. At first, I had no intention to do this, but Emma was too much. I had no choice but to...”

I knew full well about Ronan's affection for me. He could even accept this baby, which was not his, just to be with me.

However, he could not take me turning up unexpectedly at Michael's wedding. Because of my actions, we would not be able to even have a relationship.

“Stop making up excuses. You did that solely because you love Michael and want to be with him! Emma and whatever she has done are only excuses!” he yelled again before I could finish speaking.

Staring at me with bloodshot eyes, he seemed consumed by fury.

My shoulders were hurt by his iron grip. Scrunching my brows, I tried to bear with the pain.

“Calm down, Ronan. I know you're mad. This is entirely my fault.”

I had broken his heart, so it was only fair that he was fuming. If I were he, I might be even more resentful.

“Why? Why must you do that? No matter what I do, you just won't consider me! How am I not comparable to Michael?”