Chapter 19 A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Bryan staggered. His shock was evident in his expression.

When Bryan saw Liam’s ice-cold eyes, he felt a chill down his spine. Bryan hastily removed his arm from Anna’s seductively thin waist.

The scene confused everyone. The garden instantly fell into pin-drop silence. Liam’s expression was colder than ice.

It was as if every living thing had been rendered frozen by him.

Anna was also taken aback. What was Liam thinking? Was he intentionally arousing the suspicion of others?

Even the smile on Grandmother Dawson’s face turned rigid. She curiously looked Liam up and down.

“Liam?” she called out softly.

Liam did not reply. His expression remained dark and his eyes were still fixed on Anna.

The atmosphere suddenly turned tense; everyone could feel the heaviness in the air.

The guests exchanged glances, then came to an epiphany…

Liam Ackman was gay—he was not used to seeing intimacy between men and women. It must have been a terribly uncomfortable scene for a gay man like him to watch!

In the eyes of gay men, women were nothing but disgusting animals.

Bryan seemed to have made this realization too. He slowly settled down and put on an awkward smile. He spoke in an effort to ease the atmosphere.

“Grandma, it’s your birthday today. I wish you a long and healthy life filled with blessings and joy!”

Bryan raised his glass and everyone else followed. Finally, he was able to lead the party into a more relaxed mood.

Even so, the pressure surrounding Liam was every decreasing. Although he appeared elegant and composed on the surface, the people around him were still pale as chalk. No one dared to utter a word.

Anna quickly lowered her head, taking a big sip from her juice to ease her anxiety.

Suddenly, a numbing sensation spread from her leg—someone way gently kicking at her shin.

Shocked, Anna’s body froze up. Her gaze shifted onto the man sitting across from her.

The man was sipping at his glass of wine. The expression on his handsome face was calm and composed.

“Mmm!”

She was most afraid of a sudden silence among the guests.

“Mmm!”

She felt it again.

Anna hastily grabbed a glass of water from the table and gulped it down, accidentally choking herself in the process.

“Look at this child, choking on her food. What happened to the lady in you? Are you trying to make me laugh?” Grandmother Dawson teased as she laughed merrily.

“Perhaps Anna forgot her manners because she’s too happy today,” Chloe commented in an ambiguous tone.

“Cough, cough… I’m sorry. Cough, cough…”

Tears were welling up in her eyes.

Bryan wanted to help pat her back but was instantly reminded of Liam sitting opposite them. He gazed at Liam with high alert.

Alas, he could only ask, “Anna, are you alright?”

Bryan continued in a whispered tone that only Anna and himself could hear.

“There are a lot of guests today, so can you please watch yourself a little? Don’t let them think you’re a joke.”

Anna took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her coughs. Anna shot a glance at Liam. To her surprise, the culprit behind her choking was still leisurely savoring his wine as if nothing happened!

While no one was paying attention, Anna took aim under the table and kicked without mercy.

Oof…

It seemed Anna’s aim was too sharp. Why were his legs spread so wide during dinner!

Liam’s thin lips were pressed tightly together, twitching a few times. His expression made it clear that a particular part of his body was in great pain.

Satisfied with herself, Anna retracted her leg. Just then, Liam closed his legs, seizing her fair leg between two of his.

Anna’s expression changed. Worried that someone at the table would notice, Anna did not dare to use too much strength. She struggled lightly for a bit, but Liam had no intentions of letting her go. He was even staring at her with piercing eyes that were as sharp as a thousand arrows.

All the guests had noticed Liam’s dark expression. Moreover, they knew that it was directed toward Bryan’s fiancee, Anna Hamilton.

Suspicions started to arise among the guests.

Why did Liam Ackman hate Anna so much? He had been staring at her with an indifferent expression the whole night.

Could it be…

Everyone’s gaze fell onto the elegant, loving and handsome man beside Anna—Bryan Dawson.

Anna did not dare to make any large movements. She did not want Grandmother Dawson or Bryan to notice anything out of the ordinary.

Anna’s leg constantly struggled beneath the table. Suddenly, she felt a large hand running across her calf.

Her entire body shivered. His nimble fingers danced across every inch of her skin—sometimes with just his fingertips while other times with the entire length of his fingers.

His touch made Anna’s body melt. Her breathing became uneven.

Anna quickly clenched her teeth and tensed up her body. She lifted her head to be met with Liam’s ice-cold expression.

‘Humph!

‘You’re no business genius, or ice-cold general! Nor are you an Ackman prince!’ Anna raged internally.

‘Liam Ackman, does your aunt know how vile you are!’

On the surface, everything appeared calm and controlled, yet under the table, the battle raged on.

She was trying her best to retract her leg while he playfully gave her no chance to escape.

Grandmother Dawson whispered, “Anna, why is your face so red?”

Anna tried her best to ignore the numbing sensation coming from her leg. She quietly replied, “Spicy… It’s spicy.”

Liam caught a glimpse of Anna’s glowing red face. A satisfied look appeared in his eyes. Finally, he opened his legs and let go of hers.

“Hah…”

Anna let out a sigh of relief.

She glared at the man sitting loftily in front of her. In her heart, she cursed, ‘Truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing!’

Grandmother Dawson was tired after the meal. She returned to her room to rest, leaving the young bunch in the garden.

After Grandmother Dawson left, the atmosphere instantly became more relaxed. It was as if everyone had switched on their socializing radars as they looked around for targets to strike up a conversation with.

Chloe put on a honey-sweet smile as she approached Liam. With a cheerful smile, she introduced herself.

“Hello, Uncle. I’m Chloe Hamilton, Anna’s little sister.”

Chloe followed up with some flattery. “Uncle, how old are you? You don’t look like an uncle to me at all! You’re clearly more like an elder brother. Have a toast with me?”

Chloe blinked her eyes at him coquettishly as she gracefully raised her glass of red wine.

Liam glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. His expression remained aloof. Without a word, he stood up and left.

Chloe’s grip around the wine glass tightened. Her face was turning green.

Just then, Bryan’s gentle voice sounded from beside her ear. “I didn’t expect you to seduce even my uncle.”

Liam’s cold eyes scanned the surrounding. When he finally spotted Anna among the crowd, he slowly sautered toward her…