Chapter 172

At the grocery store, he barely registered the woman hovering nearby; his attention was locked on the cluster of men lingering in the next aisle.
The reason he whisked her away so quickly wasn’t to avoid that woman-he simply didn’t want another pair of hungry eyes landing on her.
He didn’t bother explaining. Instead, he tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and said evenly, “When I’m not with you, don’t talk to strangers.”
Of course, when your husband speaks, you listen.
Anastasia nodded obediently. “Okay!”
Her quick compliance softened Harrison’s expression, though beneath the
surface, a restless anger still simmered, impossible to shake.
All they’d done was take a quick trip to the store, and already there were so many men eyeing her. What about at school?
At school, there were countless young men around, and so many places he couldn’t possibly keep an eye on her…
He pushed down the storm of emotions in his gaze, gripping her hand tightly as they walked through the front door of their house.
Anastasia, meanwhile, was oblivious to his mood. Cheerfully, she unpacked her purchases and found places for each item in the kitchen.
She was especially protective of the groceries, giving the housekeeper strict instructions not to touch them.
After thinking it through, she realized it was already late, and with classes in the morning and afternoon, she’d be busy most of the next day. Tomorrow evening would be the perfect time.
She even made a point to turn and let Harrison know-
“Hubby, I’ll cook for you tomorrow night!”
Harrison’s eyes softened. “Alright.”
…
The next day.
Anastasia stepped into the classroom.
For a brief moment, the chatter died down as everyone turned to look at her, conversations pausing mid-sentence.
But it was different now-the open hostility had faded, replaced by a clumsy, awkward silence. The girls seemed more uncertain than unfriendly.
Anastasia pretended not to notice and headed for the nearest empty seat.
Before she could sit, a girl nearby called out, “Wait! Someone spilled water on that chair, it hasn’t been wiped down yet!” The most update n0vels are published on
Anastasia paused, glancing at the girl. She looked familiar, probably a classmate, but Anastasia couldn’t recall her name-clearly, they hadn’t interacted much before.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.
The girl’s face flushed bright red. “Oh, it’s nothing, really!”
Anastasia simply switched to another seat.
Since it was the start of term, they only had core classes-no electives yet-so her schedule was pretty light. With just two classes that morning, as soon as the final bell rang, Anastasia gathered her things and got ready to leave. She didn’t linger to chat in groups like the other girls, who were already making plans together.
“Anastasia!”
Someone called her name.
She turned to see Maggie hurrying up.
Anastasia raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”
Maggie hesitated, fidgeting with her sleeve. “Oh, um, it’s nothing really… It’s just, you heard the professor say electives open today, right? Some of us are going to the admin building to register-the Wi-Fi’s a lot faster there, otherwise the popular classes fill up fast. Do you want to come with us?”
Anastasia was a little surprised by the friendly invitation, but she shook her head politely. “No, thank you. I’ll just do it from my apartment-the internet’s probably faster there.”
Besides, she preferred picking afternoon or evening classes; if she registered for early ones, she might end up sleeping through them…
Thinking of Harrison’s relentless enthusiasm and stamina, Anastasia blushed, her ears burning.
Her husband really was insatiable…
As she walked away, Maggie looked disappointed.
Sandra, standing nearby, let out a sharp, dismissive snort.
“So you’re all sold just because she treated you to one meal? Guess friendship doesn’t cost much these days.”
Maggie frowned. “Sandra, come on. Those rumors weren’t true-we clearly misunderstood Anastasia
“Oh, the rumors were fake, huh? So my boyfriend being stolen was fake too?”
With that, Sandra grabbed her bag and stormed out, not waiting for anyone else.