Chapter 77

The thought of staying by Adrian Sinclair's side while also trying to persuade him to return to New York gave Anna Ross a headache.

The car stopped in front of the hotel.

Anna pushed the door open and hurried inside.

After the last incident, she didn't dare waste a single second.

As she entered the lobby, she saw Adrian speaking with a man.

They stood relaxed, chatting happily.

The man's back looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't place him.

She walked closer.

Adrian glanced up.

The man turned around simultaneously.

Their eyes met.

Both exclaimed in surprise.

"You!?"

"You?"

The man quickly covered his face and ducked behind Adrian, glaring at her. "What are you doing here?"

Alarm bells rang in his head—had this woman tracked him down just to hit him again?

Anna waved her hands hastily. "Don't misunderstand, I'm here for work!"

The man's expression clearly said, "Yeah, right."

Adrian's cold gaze swept over them. "You know each other?"

He turned to Anna, his eyes darkening. "Finished seeing your friend off? Back so soon?"

Before Anna could speak, the man exclaimed, "Adrian, you know this woman???"

His expression was overly dramatic.

Adrian gave him a cool look. "She's my executive assistant, Anna Ross."

"Executive assistant?"

The man raised an eyebrow, looking Anna over before grinning at Adrian. "Not bad, Adrian. Hiring such a feisty assistant now?"

Anna frowned.

Feisty? What kind of description was that?

A flicker of amusement passed through Adrian's eyes. "How do you know each other?"

He looked at Anna, his gaze meaningful.

Anna's scalp prickled.

Oh no, he's getting the wrong idea again.

"We don't!" the man said first. "But she slapped me out of nowhere this morning and called me a creep!"

Anna wished she could disappear on the spot.

Losing face like this in front of Adrian was social suicide.

She forced an apology. "I'm sorry, it was all a misunderstanding…"

Adrian's lips curved slightly, a faint smile playing on them.

The man waved a hand. "Forget it. I'm too much of a gentleman to fight with a lady. Let me introduce myself—Marcus Hill, Adrian's childhood friend."

Anna was secretly shocked.

So he was Adrian's friend!

The two resumed their conversation.

Anna tactfully stepped aside to wait.

After a moment, Marcus said pitifully, "I came to see you without even eating. Shouldn't you treat me to a proper meal?"

Adrian's gaze shifted to Anna on the sofa.

He turned and walked outside, gesturing for Marcus to follow.

Anna's heart lifted.

They were having a friends' meal—surely he'd let her go now?

She had just stood up to slip away when Adrian's cold voice cut through the air. "You're coming too."