Chapter 38 Fooling Zacharias.
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By the time Christopher gathered himself, Anneliese had already walked out with Jameson.
His complexion darkened.
Something about her felt different: she was no longer the woman he thought he understood.
That unfamiliar strength unsettled him, gnawing at him with the sense he was about to lose something he couldn’t name.
“Chris, help me pick out a gown for the red carpet…” Claudia tugged at his arm, but he shoved her aside, irritation flashing in his eyes.
“Why ask me? Can’t you tell what suits you? Or do you enjoy putting your flaws on display?”
Her face burned with humiliation, tears brimming.
Outside the mall, Anneliese glanced at Jameson. “Thanks for earlier. I’ll pay you back later.”
He chuckled. “It was nothing. Are you looking down on me? Besides, I’ve never gotten along with your brother—it wasn’t all for your sake. If you really want to thank me, buy me dinner sometime.”
Back when she first returned to the White family, Anneliese had caught the attention of many
young men.
Jameson had been one of the boldest.
But after her scandal, they all vanished, Jameson included.
She didn’t intend to invite trouble now either. With a faint smile, she replied, “Since it wasn’t just for me, I’d rather return the money directly.”
He clicked his tongue. “Still the same–stubborn as ever.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.” She lifted her hand in farewell and walked away with her bags.
Jameson’s eyes lingered on her retreating figure, lips curving into a sly grin.
Once back in her car, Anneliese unblocked Zacharias‘ number and dialed.
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Chapter 38 Fooling Zacharias
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He didn’t pick up. She knew it was his way of punishing her.
She called again. And again. By the fifth attempt, he finally answered.
“Honey, sorry, I was in a meeting just now and didn’t hear your calls. What’s wrong?”
His voice was warm, even playful.
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Anneliese’s grip on her phone tightened until her knuckles turned white. “Did you freeze my bank card?”
“The card? Oh–look at me, I forgot. You upset me yesterday, so I acted a little rashly… Honey, are you angry?”
Her chest rose and fell, each breath heavy with suppressed fury. “Zacharias, that’s our joint account. My money’s in there too. What gives you the right?”
“Anne, you know that’s not what I meant. Just promise you won’t block me again, and I’ll restore it immediately, alright?
“These days have been exhausting for me. I only want us to be fine again.”
His tone was gentle, coaxing–yet beneath it, she heard the unspoken threat.
Anneliese swallowed hard, her voice breaking as she feigned fragility.
“You know how your mother and sister treat me. Today I went shopping with them, and when I couldn’t pay… Don’t tell me this wasn’t deliberate! You wanted me humiliated!
“Fine, I won’t shop there again. Go pamper your family if you want. Unblock it or don’t—I don’t care!”
Her words shook with wounded indignation.
Standing before the tall glass windows, Zacharias imagined her tear–stained cheeks, His expression softened.
“Honey, don’t cry. It’s my fault. I’ll unblock it right away. I’ll call Mom too, and tell her to stop troubling you. Alright?”
Anneliese let out a cold laugh.
As though to smooth things over, he chuckled softly.
“And don’t forget our little promise, Anne. Come home early today, I’ll leave the office soon,
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Chapter 38 Fooling Zacharias
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too. It’s been ages since we’ve had a candlelight dinner together.”
She didn’t answer. The line went dead with a sharp click.
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Zacharias took her silence as silent consent. Instead of anger, his lips curved in indulgence.
A declawed kitten is always easier to handle.
But after the call, Anneliese’s porcelain features were icy, her gaze sharp as winter glass.
There was none of the fragile sorrow Zacharias pictured.
Within minutes, the bank manager called. Calmly, she transferred a sum to Jameson, then went in person to open a fresh account.
Without hesitation, she shifted twenty million into it.
Leaving the bank, she retraced her steps to the mall, spent over six million without batting an eye, and from there drove straight to a luxury dealership.
Meanwhile, in Clauderias Tech’s boardroom, Zacharias sat through a project meeting.
His phone buzzed nonstop beside him.
Glancing at the screen, he saw one alert after another–massive withdrawals, each larger than the last. A vein pulsed at his temple.
He knew all too well the temper of his mother and sister.
If Anneliese had set them loose, they would surely try to make her bleed.
That suited him just fine–he intended to use their hands to wear down her defiance.
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