Chapter 116: Seth’s Warm Embrace

Seth’s Warm Embrace

Anna’s POV:

I was shaking uncontrollably when Seth bent down and wrapped his arms around me.

Surprisingly, he was trembling more than I was. The usually arrogant, cocky Seth Price was at a loss for words, mumbling incoherently as he tried to comfort me.

His strong arms engulfed me completely, and I could feel his racing heartbeat against my cheek.

This embrace meant more than a thousand words. I'd resigned myself to facing the social media storm alone, waiting for the internet to eventually "forget" about me.

But in that moment, with the weight of public shame crushing down on me, I realized I wasn't alone. Seth was here, offering silent support when words failed.

This hug gave me warmth that even my husband couldn't provide—or wouldn't. The realization stung.

Seth was like a night light for me—not particularly bright or dazzling like Blake's blinding spotlight, but enough to illuminate my path home when everything else had gone dark.

"I'm fine now," I said, patting his shoulder lightly.

"Yeah, I knew you would be. You are a strong woman," Seth replied with his trademark smirk, but his eyes remained concerned.

As we headed to my place, I found myself thinking that having a childhood friend wasn't so bad after all, even if that friend was my lifelong nemesis.

But before I could even finish that thought, Seth said, "It's not a big deal. You've got a perfect body!"

When the elevator arrived at my building, I tried to close the door on him, jabbing the "close door" button repeatedly.

"Hey! Have you no conscience? I just rescued you!" he protested, jamming his foot in the door and wincing dramatically.

"Get out! A man and woman alone together? You're not coming to my place," I said, trying to push him away, my palm flat against his chest.

"What man? You've never even treated me like a man!" Seth forced his way in, his shoulder bumping against mine.

We fought over the elevator buttons like children—him pressing every floor, me trying to stop him—until a warning sound blared. The noise startled us both into a momentary truce.

At my apartment door, Seth looked around the hallway with a critical eye and said, "So this is where you live? I have an empty apartment across the street in Back Bay. I could buy it for you to live in. We were neighbors as kids anyway. Or you could just move in with me and save me some money."

"Shut up. Do you even hear yourself?" I rolled my eyes, fumbling with my keys. "You sound ridiculous."

His face turned serious, all humor vanishing. "Tell me about the photo. What happened?"

The question dragged me back to the hospital, to Blake's cold stare boring into me, to the shock that paralyzed me when I realized what was happening.

I tried to push away the memory, but Seth noticed my expression changing. He reached out and messed up my hair, like he used to do when we were kids.

"What's wrong with you?" I snapped, swatting his hand away.

"Was it Blake?" His eyes flashed with murderous intent, his jaw tightening.

I shook my head. "It was Claire."

He paused, confusion crossing his features. "I didn't say I don't believe you. I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with a woman!" Seth said, looking genuinely perplexed, running his hand through his curls.

"Forget it. I've already handed her over to the police," I told him, turning to unlock my door.

Seth's head snapped up. "You went to that Michael?"

"Michael's just my friend," I explained, hearing the defensiveness in my voice.

"Anna!" His voice echoed in the hallway, restrained but intense. "You have no idea what I care about! What I care about is—when will I be the first person you think of when you're in trouble?"

I stood there speechless, watching him transform before my eyes.He looked defeated and lost, his face half-hidden in the dim light of the hallway, as if he might disappear at any moment. I said nothing as he turned and left, vanishing as the elevator doors closed with a soft ding.

Maybe keeping my distance was the best thing for both of us.

Half an hour later, photos of Seth hugging me surfaced online. A trending topic appeared: "Wright's Wife's Messy Private Life."

The pictures showed me clinging to Seth, my face buried against his chest, his arms around me protectively. Seth's trademark curly hair made him instantly recognizable.

The Price family quickly intervened, and the trending topic was removed shortly after. Some users posted thinly veiled jabs at Blake: "Why doesn't the Wright CEO consider expanding into ocean conservation? Not interested in the ocean?"

Internet users were fascinated by wealthy family drama and speculated wildly. Some painted me as a victim, others as a calculating adulteress. I pretended not to care, focusing instead on my career, but each notification on my phone felt like a tiny dagger.

Emily checked on me repeatedly, assigning me a critical coral reef conservation project while I worked from home as online gossip intensified. Blake remained impassive, and Michael confirmed Claire wasn't pressing charges.

The following week, my professional life collapsed. After Emily reassigned me, I threw myself into preparation with sleepless nights and endless coffee.

But one by one, potential partners refused to work with me—some canceling meetings upon hearing my name, others visibly uncomfortable in person.

Several clients even demanded refunds, citing the "controversy" as compromising our work.

At EcoMarine, I overheard colleagues in the restroom:

"Why is she still coming here? Doesn't she know how much damage she's caused the company?"

"Exactly! Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting in the office with no projects!"

"Emily seems close to her though. But we can't keep going like this. I'm sending out resumes. You guys shouldn't just sit around either—you need to plan your next move."

I was stunned, frozen in place as their words washed over me. My personal issues weren't just affecting me; they were hurting the entire company.

I went straight home and made a decision. I tweeted: [My contract with EcoMarine Group has ended. Moving forward, I'll continue to dedicate myself to marine conservation, staying true to nature and my direction. Today's departure is for a better beginning tomorrow.]

Emily called immediately, furious I hadn't trusted her. But the facts were clear—I couldn't let EcoMarine lose all its researchers because of me.

"Something's not right about this," Emily said, her voice cracking. "Give me some time. I know the people who took over some of our canceled projects—met them at an environmental summit. We got along well. Let me see what I can find out."

"Emily, don't waste your energy," I sighed.

I understood what she meant. After being turned down repeatedly these past few days, I had a lot on my mind. I could handle rejection from others, but why were my colleagues affected too?

And why hadn't Blake gone to the detention center to pick up Claire after all this time? Maybe he really wanted her to learn a lesson, but he was definitely out to get me too.

Just like he said, he believed I didn't deserve to be someone he could negotiate with. A little manipulation was all it took for him to make that clear, so why would he hold back on teaching me that lesson?

"No, I’m not wasting my energy. Blake's assistant has called several times this week. I didn't answer," Emily said.

Then she suddenly fell silent.