Chapter 234

"Be careful on your way. Contact me anytime if something happens." Julian Garnache didn't try to stop her further, though his eyes couldn't hide his concern.

Anna Ross nodded gently and followed Adrian Sinclair out of the bar.

The air inside the car was stagnant.

Adrian stared straight ahead, his jawline tight.

His breathing was heavy, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.

Anna turned her face toward the window.

She knew he was angry.

Any explanation would only make things worse.

She bit her lip and remained silent.

"You are not allowed to sing at bars anymore." His voice was cold and hard, laced with suppressed fury.

Anna's fingers tightened.

"Impossible," she blurted out. "This is my job. I love singing. My part-time work doesn't affect my main job. You can't interfere."

A vein throbbed at Adrian's temple.

He gripped the steering wheel fiercely.

"Why must you be like this?" The words seemed forced through his teeth.

Anna lowered her gaze.

He would never understand her struggles.

The amount he could casually wave away was a sum she had to fight desperately to earn.

"I need to live. I need money," she said softly. "Please show some mercy, Mr. Sinclair."

Her eyelashes fluttered as she waited for his outburst.

The car came to an abrupt stop.

She looked up and realized they had arrived at her apartment building.

She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed the door open.

Her back was straight, her steps hurried.

Adrian watched her disappear into the building entrance.

That small, slender figure seemed as if it could be swallowed by the night at any moment.

What was the real reason she was working so desperately for money?

Was she truly that short on funds?

Anna rushed into her apartment and locked the door behind her.

She held her breath, listening for any sound outside.

Silence.

She let out a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the sofa.

The ceiling was blindingly white.

Her current life was exhausting, but it was full of hope.

Just the thought of escaping Howard Lowell's control made it all worth it.

She suddenly sat up.

That look in Adrian's eyes...

Would he target Julian Garnache?

He was capable of anything.

She grabbed her phone, then put it down again.

She hugged her knees and curled up on the sofa.

She understood him less and less.

Even though they were no longer lovers, he acted like a beast guarding its territory, closely watching every male around her.

That intense hostility was almost undisguised.

It was strange.

If not for the clear hatred in his eyes, she might have thought he still had feelings for her.