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Anneliese shut down the Twitter app, only to discover Jonathan had already seen her message.
Acknowledging him felt like the bare minimum of politeness, so she tentatively tapped out a short note of congratulations.
‘Thank heavens that woman is alright. And your PR team handled the fallout perfectly. Well done.‘
She was moments from switching her phone off completely when his reply flashed onto the
screen.
‘We were fortunate to have you there!
Shouldn’t he be swamped right now?
She worried her lower lip, fumbling for a response, when a second message arrived.
‘So, have you chosen your
reward?‘
‘Is anything truly on the table?‘
Considering his vast resources, a minor favor came to mind. She was merely testing his sincerity when his answer appeared.
‘If it’s within my power to give, don’t hesitate to name it.’
Anneliese paused, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. Is it really him on the other end?
After all, this promiscuous generosity felt entirely out of character for a ruthless business
magnate.
‘In that case, I’ll have to give it some serious thought. I can’t waste a golden opportunity like this.’
‘Take your time.
A faint smile touched her lips. Feeling the conversation needed a more natural conclusion, she ventured a different question.
‘Mr. Fullbuster, is the dog in your profile picture Meatloaf? She looks exactly the same.
“You think I stole your photo?”
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14:15 Fri, Sep 5
Chapter 36 A Shopping Trip
Anneliese didn’t know how to respond to that.
Only then did she realize how alike their profile pictures appeared.
Hers showed Meatloaf’s face squashed to one side by a playful hand, while Jonathan’s displayed a clear frontal shot.
To anyone else, it might even look like matching couple photos.
She hesitated, wondering if Jonathan was subtly suggesting she change hers.
“The name’s Azuki,” he said.
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Anneliese hadn’t expected such an odd name. For a moment, she assumed perhaps his wife or daughter had chosen it.
‘That’s a cute name,‘ she replied, still a little surprised.
Jonathan seemed occupied and didn’t reply further.
Anneliese didn’t dwell on it. She parked her car and headed into the mall, planning to buy daily essentials and a few outfits since she was moving out of the villa today.
As she wandered through, an upscale boutique of handmade couture dresses caught her eye. She stepped inside.
Since Jonathan intended to thank her separately, she couldn’t just overlook the fact that she had ruined his suit and car.
Buying him a suit in return felt inappropriate, so she decided instead to purchase gifts for his wife and daughter.
Two couture dresses, with tailoring included, would equal the price of one of his bespoke suits -a fair balance.
She quickly chose a pale lilac dress with delicate embroidery along the waistline for his wife, and a soft pink, more casual style for the little girl, something comfortable rather than restrictive.
“Hello, that will be 166 thousand. How would you like to pay?”
Anneliese handed over her card. A few moments later, the sales associate returned with a troubled look.
“Ma’am, your card was declined. Do you have another one?”
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14:15 Fri, Sep 5
Chapter 36 A Shopping Trip
Anneliese froze, caught off guard. Suddenly, a mocking voice cut through the silence.
“Anneliese, you really do find ways to embarrass me wherever you go.”
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She turned, spotting Christopher with his arm draped around a voluptuous woman–Claudia Brent, a recently popular actress, glamorous and self–assured.
But when Claudia’s gaze landed on Anneliese–barefaced yet stunning enough to outshine her -irritation flickered.
Claudia was already in a heated romance with Christopher, yet the subtle tension between him and Anneliese made her uneasy. Instinctively, she clutched his arm more tightly, staking her claim.
“Chris, who is she? Strutting around like this—it’s pathetic. Honestly, I’m embarrassed for her.”
Christopher’s gaze slid to the declined bank card, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
Zacharias might have refused his proposal outright, but clearly, he’d made sure to cut Anneliese off financially.
With a derisive laugh, he said, “Her? Just a naive girl who doesn’t know her place. How could I possibly know someone like that?”
In his mind, it was perfect–without access to money, she would have no choice but to crawl
back to him sooner or later.
Leaning back comfortably in the boutique’s lounge, Christopher allowed Claudia to take charge. She lifted her chin, pointing at Anneliese as if she were an intruder.
“She’s not even a real customer. Just get her out. For privacy’s sake, I don’t want her standing there while I change.”
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14:15 Fri, Sep 5
Chapter 37 Causing a Scene
