The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 396

It was four in the afternoon when their plane landed at Cabinda Airport.

Charlotte had spent most of the flight half asleep, lulled by the steady hum of the engines and the way Anthony held her close. When the landing chime sounded, she woke slowly, stretching in his arms and savoring the moment. As she moved, a cool touch brushed her wrist, making her pause.

She glanced down. Alongside the carnelian bracelet her mother had given her, she now wore another, one she didn’t remember putting on. This one was coral, the pieces uneven and organic, each about the size of her thumb, strung together on a red cord laced with delicate gold threads. Against her fair skin, the bracelet glowed under the cabin lights, impossible to miss.

Charlotte lifted her wrist, letting the coral catch the light, and then looked up at Anthony. She blinked, pretending to be innocent. “Did you put this on me?”

Anthony’s arm circled her waist, his chin dropping to her shoulder. He studied the bracelet on her wrist, a small smile curving his lips. “Yeah.”

She knew exactly what that meant. Charlotte watched him for a few seconds, her own lips curling with amusement. “Three hundred million, and you just slip it on my wrist like it’s nothing?”

The story behind the bracelet was well known. Over a century ago, it had been found in a mine struck by a meteorite. The coral was clear and flawless, considered priceless, and people said it could soothe the mind and help you sleep. It disappeared from the world for years, only for Anthony to track it down and give it to her as if it were just another trinket.

“Wear it,” Anthony said, his voice low and teasing.

Charlotte glanced at the bracelet again, warmth blooming in her chest. She arched a brow, pretending to think it over. “Alright.”

She couldn’t help smiling. Her mood was bright, lighter than it had been in days.

“Come on,” Anthony said, taking her hand and leading her toward the exit.

She let him hold her left hand while she fished out her phone with her right. The moment she powered it on, her screen exploded with notifications. Missed calls and messages piled up—some from Parrish and Shirley, but most from Andrew.

[Where are you? Anthony’s back this afternoon and told me to pick you up.]

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