Bryan's arms were wrapped around Anna.
He showed affection toward her in front of everyone t o put Grandmother Dawson at ease with their relationship, assuring her that the incident with Ryan did not create any lasting impact. After all, he could not risk Grandmother Dawson calling off the marriage.
Secondly, he wanted to shut Amelia up as Grandmother Dawson was inclined to believe her if she were to spill the secret between him and Chloe.
Lastly, it served as a warning for Chloe to take it down a notch and stop fanning the flames. That day's incident would not escalate further than this.
"Anna, next time, ask me to go with you. It's dangerous for a woman to wander out alone at night. I'm your fiance. You can share your burdens with me."
Anna could see the frost in Liam's eyes. Liam stared at hers as if he were about to gobble them up at any second.
She tried to push Byran away, yet he responded by hugging her even tighter. He even brought his lips close to her ear and whispered softly so that only the two of them could be heard.
"You wouldn't want to ruin this marriage now would you?!"
There was not a hint of warmth in Anna's eyes. She could already guess Bryan's intentions behind his actions.
Grandmother Dawson had always been quick-witted. Moreover, her more traditional views meant she cared about nothing more than her family's reputation. Although Anna had explained that she was at the church the night before, it would not stop the guests from spreading rumors about her.
At the end of the day, there was no way Grandmother Dawson would not mind a girl with a tainted reputation.
When Liam saw that the two were still holding each other, his expression turned so dark it felt as if a storm were approaching.
"Get out, all of you! Aunty needs to rest!" Liam commanded.
Bryan quickly let go of Anna but then grabbed her hand. He nodded toward Liam respectfully and left holding Anna's hand.
Liam clenched his fists. Only when he saw Anna pulling away from Bryan the moment they exited the room did Liam unclench his fists.
No matter how dissatisfied Nicole and Chloe were, they still had no reason to remain in the room.
They glanced at the man sitting next to Grandmother Dawson's bed. Although Liam had not said much throughout the argument and appeared as a neutral party, Anna still could not have gotten away so easily had he not vouched for her!
Was Liam intentionally coming to her aid?
Perhaps it was just their imagination. After all, why would a man like Liam protect Anna?!
Besides, everyone knew that Liam was gay. There was no way he would fall for a girl.
Annoyed, Nicole and Anna left, leaving only Liam and Grandmother Dawson in the room.
Grandmother Dawson held on to Liam's large hand. Her eyes were filled with kindness. "Liam, if it weren't for you vouching for Anna, there would be no end to this dispute.
"You have my gratitude."
"Aunty, don’t say that." Liam's gaze softened. His eyes were no longer filled with the frost from earlier. Even the stiff corner of his eyes had softened.
Grandmother Dawson sighed. "I'm old now. The world belongs to the young! Yet look at Bryan... He's still acting so rash. He can't manage his anger."
Liam did not reply.
Grandmother Dawson patted his hand. "If only Bryan possessed half your composure and wisdom... then, I’ll be able to rest in peace."
Liam knew that there was a motive behind her words— she hinted at him to look out for Bryan.
Perhaps Liam would have agreed without hesitation were it not for Anna.
"Bryan's father left us early. I only have one grandson, so I have no choice but to put all my hopes on the boy. He has lived a tough life... He never had a mother and was bullied as a child. Only when he turned ten was h e taken back into the Dawson family."
Grandmother Dawson sighed again. "Liam, I know you didn’t see Anna leaving last night! You just wanted to put an end to this mess..."
Liam gazed at his aunty's eyes, which were still sharp despite being hazy. His heart could not help but ache.
His heart ached for Anna.
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