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Auto’s voice cut through the phone like a blade of ice, each word carefully chosen to inflict maximum damage. Tervis Tyler, you have exactly one minute to explain yourself before I call the police”
What exactly am I supposed to explain?” Pervis replied, his voice remarkably calm despite the accusations being hurled at him.
“Don’t play innocent with me,” Anna snarled. “You broke into my home, assaulted my mother, stole my jewelry, and God knows what else. And that’s not even mentioning your sordid affairs with multiple
women”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When Pervis finally spoke, his voice carried a weight that Anna had never heard before.
“Anna, the days when you could accuse me of anything you wanted are over.”
“Excuse me?” Anna’s voice rose in pitch, shock evident in her tone.
“I said those days are over,” Pervis repeated firmly. “If you want to accuse me of crimes, you better have proof. Real proof, not just your mother’s hysteria or Noah’s convenient stories.”
Anna’s hand tightened around the phone so hard her knuckles went white. “How dare you speak to me
like this?”
“I’m speaking to you like an adult who refuses to be treated like a child anymore,” Pervis replied evenly.” You want to accuse me of theft? Call the police and file a report. You want to accuse me of assault? Have your mother press charges. But I’m done with your baseless accusations.”
“Baseless?” Anna shrieked. “My jewelry is missing! My mother has a handprint on her face!”
“Then you should have evidence,” Pervis said calmly. “Security cameras, fingerprints, witnesses. If I’m quilty of what you’re claiming, proving it shouldn’t be difficult.”
The line went quiet for several seconds, Anna’s breathing the only sound audible through the speaker.
“You’ve changed,” she said finally, her voice carrying a mixture of confusion and rage.
“Yes, I have,” Pervis agreed. “Goodbye, Anna.”
The call ended with a sharp click, leaving Anna staring at Noah’s phone in disbelief.
“He hung up on me,” she whispered, as if speaking the words aloud would make them less real.
Justina, who had been listening to every word of the conversation, stepped closer with an expression of barely contained fury
“Anna, tell me honestly,” Justina demanded, “did you really divorce that worthless man?”
Anna turned to face her mother, her expression still dazed from Pervis’s unexpected response. “What?
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No, of course not! What kind of question is that?”
“He told me yesterday that you were already divorced, Justina said accusingly. He said the TWICE signed”
“That’s impossible,” Anna snapped, her voice regaining some of its earlier fire Teves signed my divorce papers I never even discussed divorce with him
“Then he lied to me“” Justina exploded. That conniving bastard looled me right in the eye and led Win does he think he is?”
Anna felt a headache building behind her temples as the events of the past two days seemed to op further out of control Everything about Pervis’s behavior had been completely unlike him confidence, the defiance, the mysterious woman, and now outright lies about their
Noah stepped forward at exactly the right moment, his face a picture of concerned sympathy
“Anna, you look exhausted,” he said gently, placing his uninjured hand on her shoulder Mate should sit down for a moment?”
“I’m fine,” Anna replied automatically, though she allowed him to guide her to the nearby sofa
“No, you’re not fine,” Noah insisted softly. “You’ve been through so much stress lately First the hospital incident, then discovering Pervis’s affairs, now this theft it’s too much for anyone to handle
Anna sank into the cushions, suddenly feeling every ounce of the emotionall tell the past day had taran on her. “I just don’t understand how everything fell apart so quickly.”
“Some people show their true colors when they think they can get away with it.” Noah said philosophically. “Maybe Pervis was always like this, and you were too good–hearted to see in”
Before Anna could respond, her phone rang with the sharp, professional tone she used for business calls.
“Anna Morrison,” she answered, her voice automatically shifting to her corporate persona
“Ms. Morrison, this is Jennifer Walsh from Metropolitan General Hospital administration” came the cri voice through the speaker. T’m calling to inform you that a shareholders meeting has been scheduled for this afternoon at two o’clock”
Anna frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall “A shareholders‘ meeting? Way want I notified earlier?
“The meeting was called in accordance with our standard procedures following a significant change in ownership structure,” Jennifer explained professionally.
“Change in ownership?” Anna’s voice sharpened “What kind of change?”
“A majority acquisition of the hospital’s shares occurred yesterday,” Jennifer continued. “As a result, all! shareholders are required to attend this emergency meeting to discuss the transition”
Chapter Thirteen
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Anna’s mind reeled. “Yesterday? Who acquired the shares?”
There was a slight pause before Jennifer responded. “I’m not at liberty to discuss specific details over the phone, but I can tell you that the acquisition was completed by a representative of the Coleman family”
The Coleman family?” Anna gasped, nearly dropping her phone.
“Yes, ma’am. The meeting will provide all the relevant details. Will you be attending?”
“Of course I’ll be attending,” Anna said quickly, her heart racing with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
The Coleman family was legendary in business circles, and their mysterious heir–a brilliant young woman who had built an empire before she was thirty–was someone Anna had admired from afar for
years.
“Excellent. The meeting will be held in the main conference room. Please arrive by one–forty–five for preliminary discussions.”
“I’ll be there,” Anna confirmed, ending the call.
Noah, who had been listening intently to every word, could barely contain his excitement.
“Did you say the Coleman family?” he asked eagerly. “As in the Coleman business empire?”
“The very same,” Anna replied, still processing the information.
“Anna, you have to take me with you,” Noah pleaded, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. “I’ve always wanted to meet someone from that family, especially the genius daughter everyone talks about. Please?”
Anna looked at Noah’s eager face, noting how animated he’d become at the mention of the Colemans. Under normal circumstances, she might have questioned why he was so interested, but her own excitement about potentially meeting her business idol was clouding her judgment.
“I suppose you could come along,” she said slowly. “But you’ll have to promise to behave yourself.”
“I promise!” Noah said enthusiastically. “I’ll be the perfect gentleman. Oh, this is incredible! Wait until I tell everyone I met the Coleman heiress!”
“Go get changed then,” Anna instructed. “We need to leave in an hour if we want to arrive on time.”
Noah practically bounced out of the room, his injured hand seemingly forgotten in his excitement.
As she watched him disappear up the stairs, Anna’s expression grew thoughtful. Something about Noah’s behavior over the past few days had been nagging at her, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
Reaching for her phone, she dialed a number she rarely used.
“Detective Williams? This is Anna Morrison. I need to report a theft and request an investigation into
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some suspicious activity”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
