He Watched Me Shine Without Him novel Chapter 52

Ryan suddenly slammed his palm down on the table. The loud sound made Anna White flinch. She looked at him in terror.

"The first time I met Rose..." he said slowly.

"Other than you, who else knows about this?"

Anna trembled. "Until now, I'm the only one who knows."

Houston leaned in, his face inches from hers. "Good. Then let this secret rot in your stomach."

Anna stammered, "Mr. Clarke, if something happens to me, Mr. Maxwell will trace it back to you. And when that happens…"

Ryan’s eyes darkened. "Who said I planned to harm you?"

Anna blinked in confusion.

Ryan glanced toward the door. Two bodyguards entered, dragging an old man with them.

"Dad!" Anna cried out, rushing over in a panic.

Her father, Drake White, broke down the moment he saw her. He wailed in anguish.

"Anna, who did you piss off?"

Ryan’s tone was ice cold. "Anna, your father is a drug addict. Tell me, if I call the police, how long do you think an old man like him could last in prison?"

Anna stared at her father in disbelief. Drake sobbed harder. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn’t mean to. Someone set me up."

She glared at Ryan, eyes full of fury. "Mr. Clarke, you…"

Ryan said calmly, "As long as Rose stays safe and unharmed, your family will be left in peace. But if even a single hair on her head is hurt, you’ll all be buried with her."

Tears welled up in Anna’s eyes as she clenched the slip of paper in her palm—Rose’s number—and crushed it into shreds.

"You have my word. I will never reveal what’s in that file."

"Get out," Ryan snapped.

Anna supported her father as they staggered out. The confidence she had when she arrived was gone. She looked ten years older.

By noon, Maxwell summoned Anna.

"Did you find out the nature of the relationship between Rose Marshall and Ryan?"

Anna kept her head down and shook it. "Mr. Maxwell, I only found Ms. Marshall’s academic records. She’s an exceptionally bright girl. As for her connection to Mr. Clarke... it's odd. After breaking up with her ex-boyfriend, Mr. Clarke proposed to her. I think she was emotionally vulnerable and accepted on impulse."

Maxwell narrowed his eyes.

The information Anna provided was useless to me.

I had no interest in Rose’s academic records.

All I cared about was why Ryan wanted to marry her.

She mentioned my clothes are from a luxury brand—ridiculously expensive.

Is he really just a regular office worker working a common job?

She looked at the tag on her clothes and searched for the logo online. When the name translated on the screen, she was dumbfounded.

The brand was ranked number one globally for women’s fashion, and all items were limited editions. My entire outfit alone cost more than six figures.

Maybe it was a counterfeit?

The thought made her restless. She kept glancing at the clock. As soon as her shift ended, she grabbed her bag and rushed out.

She went to the brand's store and asked a staff member to verify whether the clothes she wore were authentic.

The employee examined the outfit carefully, then answered with certainty. "Miss, it's authentic."

Rose then had them check her purse, and even the jewelry Houston had given her. The verdict was the same—everything was real.

When she walked out of the store, she felt unsettled.

The employee had calculated that the total cost of my outfit was about 140,000 dollars. It felt like I'm dragging around the weight of an apartment on my shoulders.

How can Houston be this rich?

And why is he so generous with me?

Just then, her phone rang. It was Houston.