Chapter 18 Keep Your Hands To Yourself

Anna took her seat beside Grandmother Dawson. In front of her sat Liam, and beside her was Bryan.

Bryan forcibly curled his stiff lips into a smile, holding down the discontent in his heart.

In a soft tone, he inquired, “Anna, you just came out of surgery. Is there any food you need to avoid?”

Having such a compassionate fiance made Anna the envy of many women.

Even so, Anna simply replied with a short mumble.

Among the guests, someone whispered, “That’s a Hamilton for you. Already stepping over our heads the moment she arrived.”

“Haha, well, she’s the successor of Lincoln Group after all. Although the Lincoln Group has been a little shaky these few years, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. That’s where her status lies.”

“Ah, so that’s what makes her so special.”

A profound look appeared in Liam’s eyes. His complex expression made it hard to decipher his true feelings.

Sitting opposite of Liam, Anna felt immensely nervous and uncomfortable.

The dining table was not wide—if Anna were to lean forward a little, she could already see the individual pores on Liam’s attractive face.

Liam noticed Anna’s anxiety. His lips curled up into a playful smirk. He cleared his throat.

Anna instantly looked up to be met with Liam’s crescent eyes. It was as if his cunning gaze were saying, ‘You’ve stepped right into my lair.’

Anna felt the urge to run away. She shuffled in her seat. Her palms were coated with cold sweat.

Grandmother Dawson smiled and said, “At this table, we’re all family. No need to be so formal. Having all of you by my side is the greatest blessing I can ask for.”

“Grandma, you said it yourself! When we come visit you everyday, don’t shoo us away for being annoying!” Amelia teased.

“Grandma, I’ll come visit you everyday too!” Chloe hastily yelled out. She saw the opportunity and took it.

A distant relative joked, “Now that Bryan has a fiance, he’ll be too busy pampering her to spend time with you, Grandma. Let me accompany you instead.”

Chloe smiled and said, “Grandma, I can sing, I can dance. I’ll make sure your every day is full of joy!”

Seeing her grandchildren fighting over the chance to spend time with her made Grandmother Dawson grin ear-to-ear.

“Alright, alright. You’re all such good children…”

The atmosphere at the dining appeared to be full of laughter and joy, but in reality, many ladies still had their eyes fixed on Liam, sending all signals at him.

Nevertheless, Liam did not bet an eye at them. This made the ladies even more convinced that Liam was, in fact, gay.

Dejected, the ladies began to lose interest and were all brooding over it.

Meanwhile, Liam’s gaze was fixed on the woman in front of him—he had no time to look at any other.

One after the other, guests came up to the main table to have a toast with Liam and Grandmother Dawson.

Grandmother Dawson was already 70, so Liam became the main target of the guests. After all, who would not want a chance of wedding their daughter to the Ackman prince.

Even so, Liam’s indifferent attitude discouraged many of the guests from making such advances. The aura he gave off was clearly telling them to stay away.

There were still some who were brave enough to have a toast with him, but Liam only responded half-heartedly. It seemed like his glass of red wine would last him through the entire night.

When it was Anna’s turn to make a toast, Grandmother Dawson smiled and took off the emerald bracelet on her wrist. She clasped it around Anna’s wrist.

“Anna, this bracelet is a Dawson family heirloom. I know you and Bryan aren’t married yet, but I want to give this to you now!”

Everyone at the table was stunned. They all knew what it meant to receive the bracelet from Grandmother Dawson.

It was an indication that Grandmother Dawson officially acknowledged her as her granddaughter-in-law. It also proved that the union between these two families was not as simple as a marriage of convenience.

It seemed like the Dawson and Hamilton family had a bright path ahead of them.

Chloe’s eyes were brimming with envy and resentment.

She believed that it was her who should have been the granddaughter-in-law of the Dawson family, not Anna!

She turned to Anna. ‘I am the person that Bryan loves the most! Anna Hamilton, everything that you have now will eventually be mine!’

Flames of envy roared within her heart. Chole felt as if she might explode.

“Hey, Anna. Hurry up and thank Grandma. Keep it safe, alright? It’d be horrible if you break something so valuable.” Nicole, too, had trouble hiding her bitterness.

Anna was going to decline, but Bryan suddenly thanked her in Anna’s stead.

“Thank you, Grandma. We will surely take good care of you in the future.” Bryan even held Anna’s hand as he said that, gazing at her with affectionate eyes.

Anna wanted to run, but Bryan held on firmly to her.

Softly, he whispered, “Grandma’s bracelet is like a shackle—once you put it on, there’s no escape! Anna, I’ll love you with all my heart.”

She felt a sharp pain in her heart.

If this had happened any earlier, Anna’s eyes would have welled up with tears as her beloved fiance say such romantic words in front of so many guests.

At that moment, her eyes were also filled with tears, but they were not tears of joy, but tears of pain and sorrow.

“Ah, our little Anna’s eyes are turning red with delight!” Grandmother Dawson’s eyes were curved into crescents.

Anna quickly looked up, fighting back the tears in her eyes. She smiled and said, “Thank you, Grandma.”

The second she looked up, she was met with Liam’s chilling eyes again.

At that moment, his gaze was like a pair of icy daggers, sharp as a knife. It gave Anna quite a scare.

She quickly removed her hand from Bryan’s grasp.

Only then did Liam’s expression soften. However, his deep eyes were still fixed on her, as if sucking her into an abyss. It was hard to turn away…

“Congrats, Bryan. You better hold on tight to Anna’s hands though. Treat her well. Don’t forget that she’s precious gold,” Amelia teased in a sarcastic tone that was filled with contempt.

She had always thought that the emerald bracelet on her grandmother’s wrist would eventually become her dowry when she got married. To her surprise, it was given to Anna even before she married Bryan!

She was also the precious daughter of the great Dawson family—what made Anna any better than her?

Amelia grasped firmly onto the wine glass in her hand. She downed the entire glass at one go.

“Nice joke, Amelia. Anna loves me very much. Besides, we’ve already made a promise to get married once she graduates.” Bryan spoke in a loud voice to ensure that everyone heard him—he did not want anyone thinking his relationship with Anna was at a rough patch.

Bryan wrapped his arm around Anna’s slender waist.

Anna froze, but she could not push him away when so many people were watching.

Liam’s indifferent eyes were fixed on the arm around Anna’s waist. His gaze turned even colder.

Suddenly, Liam yelled, “Keep your hands to yourself!”

‘That’s my woman!’