Chapter 165
Anthony could feel Charlotte watching him. He quickly set his phone aside, let his cold expression fade, and reached over to take her hand. His gaze softened, filled with that warmth only she ever saw.
“How’d the test go today?” he asked.
Charlotte stretched, her voice lazy. “Not bad. I definitely wasn’t dead last.”
Anthony’s lips twitched with a helpless kind of smile, a mix of fondness and surrender. He brushed his thumb gently along the edge of her tired eye. “You’re smarter than you think,” he murmured, his voice rough and quiet.
Charlotte scrunched her brows, her lips barely moving. “What if I come second to last? Not worried about that?”
“That’s still an improvement.” With him here, even dead last wouldn’t matter.
Charlotte just stared at him, lost for words. If Andrew ever heard this, he’d probably start questioning his whole life.
Before she could say anything else, the car suddenly jolted hard.
“Anthony, Ms. Main, hold on!” Hans shouted from the front, panic sharp in his voice.
Almost immediately, the car whipped around a sharp turn. Charlotte, completely unprepared, was thrown toward the door.
Anthony’s eyes went cold in an instant. He reacted so fast, pulling Charlotte onto his lap and holding her close, his hand steady on the back of her neck, tucking her face safely against his chest.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. Don’t be scared.”
Their bodies were pressed so close together she could feel the heat of his skin and the wild thumping of his heart, right there with hers. His scent surrounded her, calm and clean, and suddenly the world outside didn’t matter anymore.
Charlotte heard his voice, calm and steady as always. She barely moved, just turned her dark eyes to the window. Behind them, two SUVS were coming from both sides, slamming into their car without care for anything. This wasn’t random. They were going for a kill
Her arms tightened around Anthony, her eyes turning cold and sharp.
“Lottie, hold on tight. It’s okay, I promise. Don’t be afraid.” Anthony’s hand brushed her cheek, his voice gentle, softer than she’d ever heard. There wasn’t a hint of fear in him.
“Leave one alive,” he ordered, his tone cold enough to send chills through anyone listening. There was no question who would come out on top.
At his words, Charlotte’s anger eased. She looped her arms around his neck,
burying herself against him, letting the chaos outside turn into just another scene to watch.
The car got hit a few more times,
but Anthony never let go of her. His
men were trained like soldiers, and Hans was the best of
them Anthony had taught him everything himself. With Hans in charge, nobody was going to get to Anthony. No way.
“Anthony, Ms. Main, brace
yourselves! Hans shouted again, his jaw clenched, eyes locked on the rearview mirror. He slammed his foot down and yanked the wheel The car spun in pellect circle and
with a bone-rattling crash, they hit the SUV on the left, sending it
spinning off the road and out of commission.
The other SUV tried to escape, but Hans was relentless. He chased them down, lined up the car, and hit them hard enough to end it.
When the dust finally settled, Hans checked his watch. The whole thing had taken less than three minutes.
“Anthony Hans started, but Anthony cut him off.
“You handle it,” he said, scooping Charlotte into his arms as he stepped out of the car. She clung to him, quiet now, maybe even a little shaken by everything that just happened.
Anthony’s face turned even darker. “Take them alive,” he ordered, his voice so cold it was almost scary. “I’ll deal with them myself.”
When Anthony said he’d handle something personally, everyone knew it was going to be bad news for the other side.