Chapter 97 My Boyfriend
ANNA'S POV
The knock that came at the door as I was dressing up made me flinch a little. I exhaled shakily before asking the person to come in. I frowned when Daniel walked in, running his hands through his hair.
“Are you okay?” I asked, looking away from the mirror.
He shook his head slightly, before wrapping his arms around me. I chuckled awkwardly. He was an emotional person, but not like that.
“Are you okay?” I asked immediately. “What's wrong?”
“I'm so sorry about what happened with the family heirloom, Anna.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I've totally forgotten about it. Mom and Dad don't suspect me. Wait… did you do it?”
He moved away from my touch immediately. “No, I would never.”
“Then why are you apologizing?” He stood upright again, like he just didn't remind me of the one thing that might have chased me out of the house.
“Because no one ever really did. There's a surprise waiting for you at the party.”
I cocked my head to the side. “If it's Ryan related, then get rid of it immediately. His eyes lit up, and I felt less tense.
“No, it's not him. Just take it like me, fulfilling my promise to you.”
I was already racking my brain as I tried to remember what he promised me. All thoughts came to no avail, and I looked back at the mirror. I ran my hands through the leaf green dress that screamed elegant. My emerald green jewelry sat on my neck and ears. My hair was done in a stylish rough bun at the top of my head.
I peeked downstairs through my window, and I saw the different exotic cars that were starting to pull up at the house. Isabel really outdid herself with the invite list and decor.
My mom was heading down the stairs just at the same time as me. She was wearing the same dress, but in another shade of green.
She grinned immediately when she saw my dress. “Looks like we're twinning.” She said, and I nodded, wrapping my arms around her.
“Happy anniversary, mom,” I whispered, and she smiled.
“I'm more than glad that your dad and I have actually come this far. This is the best anniversary because we managed to find you.”
“It's not like the anniversaries were incomplete without her, Mom,” Isabel said, coming down the stairs. “We've managed to do this every year, and it has always been good. Maybe even better than this year.”
Even my mom noticed the sarcasm in her voice, but she didn't mention it. “It doesn't matter. My daughter is here with us this year.”
I forced myself to a small smile as I headed downstairs with my mom. Isabel was closely behind the both of us.
“Where are you going?” My mom asked her, as soon as she headed towards the entrance.
“My boyfriend is here. I think it's about time you all meet him.”
At the mention of him again, my throat seemed to close up. I pushed the thought aside, plastering another smile on my face as I navigated through the crowd with my mom, greeting the dignitaries who came for the small event.
“I'll be back,” my mom said, pressing my forearm a bit, before walking towards my dad. I looked around for Daniel, but he was nowhere to be seen. And Isabel was the last person I was going to look for, to keep me company. I was already tempted to pick up my phone and call Ryan. I could at least talk to him. I wasn't in the mood to make new friends.
A few girls walked towards me, with smirks on their faces. I quickly grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the passing waiters. The liquid burned slightly as it slid down my throat.
“You're Anna Quinn, right?” One of them asked, and I gave her a small smile.
“Yes, how may I help you?”
She looked at me from head to toe, before her lips curled in distaste. “A pauper will always be a pauper. It doesn't make a difference if you put a rat in gold.”
My grip tightened around the flute of my champagne glass.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, and they looked at each other, snorting.
“You know exactly what we're talking about, Anna Quinn.” I hated the way they were saying my name in an exaggerated manner, but I wasn't ready to react just yet.
One of the girls took a step forward, but I didn't take one back. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction that she wanted. My feet were rooted to that spot with all the confidence that I could muster.
“You got pregnant for James, and ended up losing the baby. Is that why you are a part of this family? To take everything from Isabel?”
It was suddenly starting to make sense. My confidence was immediately restored.
“Are you her little puppets?” I asked. “Did she send you guys here to try to send me out of the house?” They quickly brought their gaze down, staring at their shoes.
They were mumbling something, but I wasn't even ready to hear it.
“If you don't have something better to do, then you can as well excuse me. I have better things to do. This is a family gathering, so you may as well keep your cheap theories to yourself.”
My dad called out to me, and I gave him a small smile, as I started to walk up to him.
The bright lights were focused on one particular spot in the garden and gained my attention immediately. As I turned around to look, it was no other person than Isabel.
I smirked, shaking my head. She just had to come in with quite the entrance.
Her arms were wrapped around a man's, making me frown. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a glimpse at the person.
The both of them finally stepped into the light, and I froze immediately.
It was… James.