Chapter 242 Let Me See Who Dares Touch Me and My Daughter

Chapter 243 Have You Investigated Her?

Anna shook her head.

Aurelia's face froze.

"Jake..." Her voice cracked. "You know her?"

Jake turned to Aurelia. His tone was polite, but his eyes held no warmth.

"Miss Blake, this is Anna Rivers, Mr. Gray's fiancée."

The whole restaurant went quiet for a second.

Then it blew up.

Everyone turned to stare at Aurelia, their faces full of shock and excitement.

The girl who had been stirring things up quietly backed away, like she wanted to disappear.

Aurelia's expression was beyond upset.

She looked at Jake, then at Anna. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.

"Miss Rivers." Jake turned back to Anna and lowered his voice. "Miss Blake was hurt in Mr. Gray's car accident. She's young and doesn't know better. Could you... let it go this once?"

Anna looked at Jake. "Is this your idea, or Ethan's?"

Jake's face stiffened.

He opened his mouth, but Anna already saw the answer in his hesitation.

She didn't ask more.

Everyone in the restaurant was watching them. This wasn't the place to talk.

"I don't want this to happen again," Anna said.

Jake nodded fast. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

Anna didn't look at Aurelia again. She took Hopie's hand and walked out.

Behind them, Aurelia's voice came out low but sharp: "Jake, who is she really? Mr. Gray is married? How did I not know?"

The door shut behind them, cutting off the noise.

Hopie stayed quiet the whole way.

In the car, she leaned against Anna and whispered, "Mom, was that sister holding Dad's card?"

Anna patted her hair. "Yes."

"Why did Dad give her the card?"

"I don't know," Anna said. "When Dad gets home, I'll ask him."

Hopie was quiet for a moment, then looked up. "Mom, you're really strong."

Anna looked at her serious little face and smiled. "Scared?"

"A little," Hopie said after thinking. "But I know Mom will protect me, so not too scared."

Anna pulled her close, resting her chin on the little head.

That night, Ethan came home after Hopie had fallen asleep.

He quietly opened the bedroom door and saw Anna leaning against the headboard, staring at her phone screen.

She wasn't reading or watching anything, just zoning out.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Ethan changed into pajamas and lay down beside her.

Anna set the phone on the nightstand and turned to him.

Her face looked calm, but Ethan knew her well enough to sense something underneath.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Today at the restaurant, a girl had your card," Anna said evenly. "She made the waiter hold me and Hopie and forced us to apologize."

Ethan frowned. "Which girl?"

"Aurelia." Anna watched him.

Ethan's face changed. "Did she hurt you two?"

"No," Anna said. "But I'm wondering how she got your card."

Ethan didn't hesitate. He told her the full story about the car accident.

"Her leg was my fault, so I paid for everything. I didn't think she'd come after you like that."

Anna paused. "Did you check her background?"

People who suddenly show up like this are rarely good news.

"My assistant looked into her. She's clean—an orphan studying at Summit Academy."

"This feels off. You should stay away from her."

Ethan looked at her.

"Do you remember Emma?" Anna asked.

Ethan's face darkened.

Anna kept her voice steady. "I'm afraid she'll turn into another Emma and come after you."

"I won't let that happen."

Anna watched him for a moment, then dropped it.

"Let's sleep." She lay down with her back to him.

Ethan stared at her back, started to reach out, then pulled his hand back.

He turned off the light and lay awake in the dark.

He hadn't ignored what Anna said.

But he didn't take Aurelia seriously. A college girl in her early twenties couldn't cause real trouble.

What worried him more was who had messed with his car.

The brake line hadn't failed on its own. Someone had cut it.

Not many people knew his schedule or could get near his parking spot.

Figuring out who that person was and what they wanted mattered more.

Summit Academy girls' dorm.

Aurelia lay on her bed, texting.

[I ran into his wife today.]

The reply came fast: [What wife? They never registered.]

[How do you know?]

Aurelia snorted.

[I checked. Ethan and Anna have no marriage record. Legally, she's nothing.]

A smiley face came back.

[No wonder you're not worried. Is tomorrow set?]

[All set,] Aurelia replied. [But when is the thing you mentioned?]

[What's the rush? Keep Ethan steady first. I'll tell you when it's time.]

Aurelia put the phone down and stared at the ceiling.

Moonlight came through the window and landed on her casted left leg.

She touched the leg, and a small smile slowly formed on her face.

Everyone else in the dorm was asleep. No one saw it.

The next afternoon.

Ethan was working in his office when his assistant knocked and came in.

"Mr. Gray, Miss Blake's in trouble again."

Ethan set down his pen. "What happened?"

"She got into a fight at school and scratched another girl's face. The school wants a parent. She called your assistant, but she insists you come yourself."

Ethan tapped the desk.

The assistant stood there, not speaking.

"What if I don't go?" Ethan asked.

"She said..." The assistant braced himself. "If you don't come, she'll post online that you hit her and then ignored her."

Ethan leaned back and gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Fine." He stood and grabbed his jacket. "Let's see what she wants."

When Ethan reached the school, the admin office was already tense.

Aurelia sat in the corner with her left leg propped up. Two faint nail marks showed on her face.

Across from her, a messy-haired girl sat crying hard, her face covered in worse scratches.

Jake stood at the door and looked relieved when he saw Ethan. "Mr. Gray."

Aurelia looked up, eyes red. "Mr. Gray, you're finally here. They bullied me."

The scratched girl turned, saw Ethan, froze, then cried louder. "She started it! I didn't say anything!"

"You didn't say anything?" Aurelia sneered. "You called me a cripple behind my back. Want me to show everyone your posts?"

The girl's crying stopped, her face turning red. "I didn't name anyone..."

"There's only one girl in class on crutches. You know who you meant."

The teacher quickly cut in. "Alright, both of you calm down. Since Aurelia's guardian is here..."