From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea ) novel Chapter 232

The vinegar bottle slipped from her grasp.

The glass shattered on the pavement, a sharp tang of vinegar filling the air.

"Oh my goodness, are you alright?" Anthea blurted out an apology.

"I'm fine." The man brushed off his black trench coat nonchalantly.

That voice, it sounded oddly familiar.

Anthea looked up, and it was Alex.

Alex hadn't expected the person he bumped into to be Anthea, "Ms. Yeager, I'm sorry about your vinegar."

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault. I wasn't watching where I was going. I'll just pop back to the store for another bottle," Anthea said. But instead of heading straight back to the store, she squatted down to pick up the broken pieces, tossing them into a nearby bin to prevent any passersby from getting hurt.

Alex crouched down too, helping Anthea with the cleanup.

Two pairs of elegant hands accidentally reached for the same shard.

Their fingertips grazed each other lightly.

A spark, quick and unexpected, and they both paused.

Anthea didn't show any awkwardness, simply releasing the shard and grabbing another.

Nor did Alex's face betray any emotion.

It was as if nothing had happened at all.

Once all the pieces were collected, Anthea headed back to the supermarket for vinegar.

But as she went to pay, Alex beat her to it.

"Mr. Peterson, you really didn't have to. I could've managed."

Alex just smiled faintly, "It's only a bottle of vinegar, Ms. Yeager. No need to fuss."

"Well then, I won't fuss." Anthea lifted the vinegar bottle and pointed in a direction, "My place is just over there. Since it's the holiday, I won’t keep you long."

"Sounds good," Alex nodded slightly.

"I should get back, my mom's waiting for this vinegar for the cooking."

"Take care, Ms. Yeager." As she turned to leave, Alex seemed to remember something, pointing at Anthea's arm, "It looks like you got some vinegar on your sleeve. I have a handkerchief here if you want to roll up your sleeve and wipe it off?"