Ronan tilted his head up. His eyes shone with worry when he stared at me.
All I could think about at the time was Michael, so I paid no attention to what Ronan was saying. I simply kept my head down as my heart thumped wildly. Shoot! I can’t believe we bumped into each other here!
“Anna?”
Ronan called out to me again when he noticed that I wasn’t reacting at all. His handsome brows were frowning slightly, and his gaze carried a hint of worry.
“Huh? What?” I blurted in surprise while shifting my attention to him.
“Something seems off about you. What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m fine. I just need to go to the ladies’ room real quick.”
Ronan’s expression changed after he heard what I said, and confusion started glowing in his eyes.
I had tilted my head up and snuck a peek at Michael. Anxiety ran wild in me when I saw that he was staring at me, so I excused myself and quickly got out of my seat. After that, I rushed to the washroom.
Inside the washroom, I washed my hands and looked at my own reflection. I looked so nervous that it was ridiculous.
What are you worried about, Anna Garcia? He’s on a date with another woman, whereas you’re having an innocent meal with a friend. Why are you scared?
I glared at my reflection as regret donned my face. Michael is the one at fault; he agreed to go on a date with that woman. Why do I have to feel guilty?
I splashed some water on my face before I exited the washroom. Unfortunately, I was pushed to the wall as soon as I walked out of there. My back was hurt, and my first instinct was to cuss aloud, but I never had the chance to do so. When I saw that the perpetrator was Michael, my heart started thumping wildly, and I was nervous once more.
“W-What are you doing here?”
Isn’t he supposed to be on a date with that beautiful woman? Why is he here? Did he also come to use the washroom?
“I’m the one who should be questioning you. Anna Garcia, how dare you? I can’t believe you’re going behind my back and seeing another man. How freaking brave of you!”
Michael’s handsome face was so grouchy that he looked scary. His words and tone brimmed with fury as he spoke like he was interrogating me.
“What the hell are you talking about? We’re just friends. It’s not what you think!”
When I learned that Michael had misread the situation, I was angry and worried at the same time. I didn’t want him to see me like that.
Moreover, Ronan and I were really just friends. In fact, he was actually a few years older than me. So, I only saw him as a younger brother. Hell, did he think I am a cougar? I am not into younger men.
“You’re having dinner with him! How could I have misread the situation? Seriously, do you think you can fool me, Anna?”
Michael didn’t believe a word I said because his anger had clouded his judgment. My explanation was to no avail as he was already intent on the notion that Ronan and I were an item.
I wanted to explain myself again, but then I recalled how he was out on a date with a beautiful woman. I didn’t even complain about his date! Why should I reassure him when I’m only having a meal with a friend?
The thought fired me up. I glared at Michael and spoke in a distant tone when I pointed out, “You’re on a date with a beautiful woman, so what’s wrong with me being with a handsome dude? It’s not like there’s anything you can do about it.”
“Anna Garcia!”
Maybe it was because he never expected me to change my stance so abruptly, but Michael was stunned for a second. His gaze instantly filled with fury when he looked at me again.
Michael was dying of anger. The rage in his eyes was burning wildly, but my words had cornered him, and there was nothing he could say. All he could do was glare at me, and I could tell that at that moment, he was already at the edge of going off.
“Mr. Shaw, if there is nothing else you’d like to share, I’d like to return to my seat. My friend is waiting for me.”
I put on a brave face, but the pressure exuded from Michael’s eyes made me incredibly uncomfortable. All I wanted was to run away from him as quickly as possible.
At first, I wanted to flee as soon as I finished speaking, but Michael grabbed my wrist and glared angrily at me.
“Anna Garcia, how dare you cheat on me that blatantly? You really have gotten gutsy!”
Michael had no intention of letting me go. He had always been a possessive man. Now that he saw me having a meal with another man, he was probably too angry to be hungry.
“Have you forgotten we are not in a relationship, Mr. Shaw? So it’s a little inappropriate to say that I cheated on you.”
Michael’s attitude toward me had changed drastically over the past two days. I refuted and said those words because I wanted to test the water and learn who I was to him.
My words touched a nerve once again. His dark brown eyes burned with rage so wild that it felt like it would turn me into ashes.
His grip became tighter, and I felt like my bones were being crushed. I frowned in pain, but my gaze remained distant when I looked into his eyes.
“Let go of me, Michael. You’re hurting me!”
I used my other hand to push him and try to get away from him. Unfortunately, his hand was as strong as a pincer and had locked me in place. It didn’t matter how I fought back. His grip remained strong.
“I know you’re pushing my buttons, Anna, but I’ve told you a million times—you are mine!”
Michael had always been ridiculously possessive. It didn’t matter how he felt about me. All that mattered was that I belonged to him and must be blindly loyal to him.
“Let go of me, Michael. Let go!”
He was strong, and my wrist hurt so much that my tears were gathering in my eyes. Darn it. If I had known that I’d bump into Michael tonight, I would never have come out for dinner. Fate can be such a b*tch!
“I will shout if you don’t let go, Michael, and I will tell everyone that you attempted to rape me!”
I couldn’t help threatening him when I saw that he was not budging at all. This man is unreasonable. I’ve explained the situation to clear the misunderstanding, and I’ve fought to get away from him. Neither worked!
“Rape? Have you forgotten that you belong to me?”
Michael’s tone remained distant, and his eyes shone with taunt when he heard my threat.
“Except no one knows about our relationship. If I were to shout and frame you as a rapist, people will believe me. You are a prominent figure, after all. Are you not worried about tarnishing your own reputation?”
Truth was, I had nothing to back up my words. I was honestly worried that Michael would ignore my threat completely, but I had to fight back. Who knows what he will do to me if we keep staying here?
Michael glared evilly at me, but he refused to let go. I parted my lips to shout. At that moment, he let go of me abruptly. His sharp gaze glared over as he threatened, “You win this time, Anna Garcia, but I will deal with you when I get home tonight.”
Michael turned around and left after saying his piece.
My wrist still hurt from being gripped like that, but I sighed a breath of relief. My relief didn’t last long, though, because I started worrying about what I’d have to deal with that night.
