The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 165

Anthony could feel Charlotte watching him. He quickly set his phone aside, let his cold expression fade, and reached over to take her hand. His gaze softened, filled with that warmth only she ever saw.

“How’d the test go today?” he asked.

Charlotte stretched, her voice lazy. “Not bad. I definitely wasn’t dead last.”

Anthony’s lips twitched with a helpless kind of smile, a mix of fondness and surrender. He brushed his thumb gently along the edge of her tired eye. “You’re smarter than you think,” he murmured, his voice rough and quiet.

Charlotte scrunched her brows, her lips barely moving. “What if I come second to last? Not worried about that?”

“That’s still an improvement.” With him here, even dead last wouldn’t matter.

Charlotte just stared at him, lost for words. If Andrew ever heard this, he’d probably start questioning his whole life.

Before she could say anything else, the car suddenly jolted hard.

“Anthony, Ms. Main, hold on!” Hans shouted from the front, panic sharp in his voice.

Almost immediately, the car whipped around a sharp turn. Charlotte, completely unprepared, was thrown toward the door.

Anthony’s eyes went cold in an instant. He reacted so fast, pulling Charlotte onto his lap and holding her close, his hand steady on the back of her neck, tucking her face safely against his chest.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you. Don’t be scared.”

Their bodies were pressed so close together she could feel the heat of his skin and the wild thumping of his heart, right there with hers. His scent surrounded her, calm and clean, and suddenly the world outside didn’t matter anymore.

The other SUV tried to escape, but Hans was relentless. He chased them down, lined up the car, and hit them hard enough to end it.

When the dust finally settled, Hans checked his watch. The whole thing had taken less than three minutes.

“Anthony…” Hans started, but Anthony cut him off.

“You handle it,” he said, scooping Charlotte into his arms as he stepped out of the car. She clung to him, quiet now, maybe even a little shaken by everything that just happened.

Anthony’s face turned even darker. “Take them alive,” he ordered, his voice so cold it was almost scary. “I’ll deal with them myself.”

When Anthony said he’d handle something personally, everyone knew it was going to be bad news for the other side.