“I had no idea that you’ve been working at Michael’s company cause I’d have told you about him and also asked him to look out for you otherwise.”
Ronan did not notice the unnaturalness in my inflection, and even if he did, he would have thought that I was just being reserved in Michael’s presence.
“No… That won’t be necessary. It’ll be better if Mr. Shaw treated me just like everyone else,” I cleared my throat and replied in a small voice.
The way things stood, I would have no more freedom to speak of had Michael tried any harder to “take care of me.”
“Rest assured that she is in good hands. Never knew that you are friends with Ronan, Ms. Garcia. This is truly unexpected.”
Michael turned his attention onto me. Even under his even tone, I could sense his repressed rage.
“It was just happenstance that we became acquainted.”
I bowed my head as I dreaded to meet his eyes, and silently prayed for some magnanimity from the petty Michael, who would surely blow his top when we got back—a profoundly worrying prospect, as far as I was concerned.
“Happenstance? Perhaps you should be more careful around Ronan because he’s a notorious ladies’ man.”
Michael’s searching eyes had me wondering what exactly he was implying, but regardless, I knew for certain that he would be upset.
“Hey, could you not ramble on about stuff like that in front of Anna? I’ve already left that old life behind and decided that she will be my one true love.”
Oh God, could you please just shut the hell up! Are you trying to get me into trouble, blabbering away like that in front of Michael? Ronan’s swift protestations against Michael calling him out gave me the urge to smack some sense into him.
“Do you like her and wish to be with her?”
Though not addressing me directly, Michael’s eyes were riveted upon my face the entire time. His gaze was as chilling as swords aimed right at me.
Damn you, Ronan. Did you honestly forget everything I told you over the phone? All thanks to you, my life might be over soon.
“Of course. Anna’s the first woman who has ever made me feel this way, so I wish to court her and be with her, and… Ah!”
Seeing that he was going to blabber on and on, I pinched him out of anger. It would likely be on him should I get killed tonight.
“What’s that for? I’m not done talking yet!”
Ronan glared at me indignantly and sounded quite displeased.
“Shut up, Ronan. You’re going to get me into deep sh*t!” I seethed through my teeth when I saw from the look on his face that he was not going to let up.
There was a shift in Michael’s mood throughout the interaction between Ronan and myself. His expression turned increasingly frosty, and I could distinctly feel the temperature in the surrounding air nosedive.
I lifted my head only to see Michael’s burning eyes regarding me intently.
“Don’t listen to him, Mr. Shaw. It’s nothing like that, ’cause we’re just friends.”
Worried that Michael would misunderstand the relationship between Ronan and myself, I promptly offered up an explanation in a bid to avoid an unenviable fate.
Placed under the scrutiny of the wordless Michael, his dark demeanor had me jittery.
“Can’t you cut me some slack in front of my cousin, Anna? That’s a pretty vicious thing to say to a dashing charmer like myself.”
Not expecting such candor from me, Ronan looked rather aggrieved.
Why would a woman on the verge of her own demise bother to salvage his self-esteem? His mouthiness would be my ruin.
I should have consulted my horoscope before leaving home today, as my agreeing to meet with Ronan must go down as the most lamentable decision ever.
“Would you believe that I would break off our friendship if you continue to speak like this, Ronan Moore?” I threatened under my breath as I glared at him. I must be out of my mind to have a friend like him who would sooner or later be the end of me.
The aggrieved Ronan clammed up immediately at my strong-arm tactic.
“Did you mean it, Ronan?” Michael asked as he turned his attention to his cousin. His voice was so deep and low that no emotions could be inferred from it.
“Of course. Was bringing her to you not proof enough of my sincerity?” Ronan assented to Michael’s queries promptly and without hesitation.
That Ronan had me exhaling in exasperation.
“I’d like to visit the restroom.”
Not wishing to continue to face Michael’s cold stare, I made up an excuse to step away.
While I looked into the mirror at the dour face staring back at me and imagined what Michael might do when I got home, I could not help but feel sorry for myself.
But seriously though, how could Michael and Ronan be related? I simply could not identify any smidgen of resemblance between the two.
Michael was standing outside when I walked out of the restroom. His sudden appearance made my heart skip a beat and filled me with dread.
“Um… What are you doing here?” My eyes were transfixed upon him for some time before I asked meekly.
“I should be the one doing the asking, Anna Garcia. What’s up with you and Ronan?”
To my trepidation, Michael regarded me with a darkened expression and fury stoking within his eyes, so I hastened to explain myself while I averted eye contact.
“We met at the hospital, but it’s not what you think. Ronan has always been frivolous, so you can’t really take what he says at face value!”
Michael was not going to let this slide, so if he were to come after me tonight, I would never forgive Ronan for it.
“Didn’t I tell you not to get close to any guy apart from myself? Are you ignoring what I told you?”
When Michael leaned in reproachfully, that was how I knew for certain that he was bothered by my relationship with Ronan.
“We’re just casual acquaintances. Can’t I even have any male friends?”
I took two steps back and looked upon Michael with a frown.
This man was becoming increasingly unreasonable. I had already promised not to date anyone else until our relationship was over, but surely he couldn’t possibly disallow me from making friends, right? Was wanting to have a social life too much to ask?
