Chapter 191

"You don't want to quit?" The man's voice turned icy cold as he stood up and closed in on her, the atmosphere instantly growing heavy and oppressive.

Anna Ross hadn't expected such an intense reaction. She hurried to explain, "No, it's just that—"

Her words were cut off by his sharp interruption. "Enough! Ultimately, it's because Lucas Evans is the client for this collaboration, isn't it? That's why you're so reluctant to leave."

"You avoided participating in the project before by making all sorts of excuses. Now you're eagerly throwing yourself into it. Do you really think I can't see what's on your mind?" He let out a cold laugh, each word like an ice pick stabbing into her heart.

Anna's fingers trembled. She clenched the documents in her hand, the paper crumpling under her grip. So this was what he thought of her.

She lifted her head stubbornly, meeting his gaze. "You've misunderstood!" She was desperate to defend herself, but nervousness made her momentarily speechless.

Surprisingly, he fell into an unusual silence, waiting quietly for her to speak.

Anna steadied her breathing and spoke clearly. "I want to stay not because of Lucas Evans. It's because I've taken on this project, and I need to see it through to the end. I also need this kind of opportunity to develop my skills."

"Now that something has gone wrong with the project, if I suddenly quit, what will everyone think of me? I have to find out the truth."

...

Her words were met with a long, heavy silence.

After saying so much in one breath, the sudden quiet in the air felt deeply uncomfortable.

What was wrong with him today? Throwing a tantrum for no reason was one thing, but now he was interfering with her work too?

He was so difficult to deal with!

In her mind, Anna had already pinned him to the ground and rubbed it hundreds of times, but it still didn't feel satisfying. She wanted to grab his ears and yell at him even more.

Maybe that would be more effective.

The thought almost made her laugh out loud. She forced herself to hold it in, her expression twisting slightly.

Adrian Sinclair watched her rapidly changing expressions, his brow furrowing tightly. What was this woman thinking about now?

He rapped his knuckles sharply on the desk. Anna immediately composed herself.

"You can continue your investigation," he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "But you must hand over all liaison duties with Lucas Evans to someone else." The thought of her interacting with Lucas filled him with an inexplicable irritation.

Since when did anyone else get to covet what was his?

The temperature in the office seemed to plummet. Looking at the "iceberg" before her, Anna had no doubt that if she refused again, she would be torn to pieces in the next second.

Fine. Better to avoid trouble. It was wiser not to provoke him further.

Right now, she just wanted to focus on uncovering the truth peacefully. As for Lucas Evans, not seeing him was probably for the best. It would help curb his expectations.

"I agree. I won't be involved with this project anymore." Anna finished speaking and lowered her eyes. There was no point looking for any kindness in his expression anyway.

She suddenly thought of Chloe Valentine and hesitated, on the verge of speaking. But without any evidence, saying anything now would be pointless.

Seeing his continued silence, Anna ventured cautiously, "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now." She had just started to turn when her wrist was seized in a strong grip. A powerful force pulled her, and she was suddenly pinned against the edge of the desk.

Anna whirled around in alarm. His grip was so forceful she nearly fell back onto the desk, only managing to steady herself by bracing her hands against the surface just in time.