The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1824

All the bitter grievances, the entangled hatred, and the crushing tragedies seemed to fall away with the final chime of the clock, fading entirely into the annals of memory.

"Let's go."

Charlotte finally pulled her gaze away from the bed. She slipped her fingers into Anthony's warm palm. Looking up into his strikingly handsome face, the heavy, suffocating weight in her chest instantly began to lift.

"Alright," Anthony murmured. He offered a comforting stroke to the top of her head, wrapping a secure arm around her waist as he guided her out of the room.

Showing up to see the old man one last time was the greatest mercy Lottie could have offered. In a way, she had fulfilled the final filial duty on behalf of Franco, who was currently thousands of miles away in Eldoria.

Just as they stepped out of the doorway, they bumped right into Newell.

Anthony's posture instantly stiffened. Acting on pure, territorial instinct, he tightened his grip on the girl's hand and pulled her flush against his chest, silently staking his claim.

"Heading back already?"

Noticing Anthony's blatant show of possessiveness, Newell's lips curled into a dry smile. His voice dropped to a low, husky register. "You came all this way, and you're not even going to check on your mentor?"

"I suppose it's true what they say. Once a girl gets married, she forgets the man who taught her everything."

"Give it a few more months, and you probably won't even remember my name."

Hearing the dramatic resentment dripping from Newell's voice, Charlotte clicked her tongue, responding at a leisurely pace. "Actually, I did need to talk to you."

"So you only remember me when you need something?" Newell scoffed lightly, though a cool, amused smirk played on his lips. "Let's settle this right now. If Anthony and I both fell into the water, who would you save?"

Charlotte blinked, caught off guard. She studied Newell, feeling like he was acting entirely out of character.

Anthony's gaze grew intense. He looked down at the petite woman in his arms, clearly waiting for her answer as well.

"You!"

Charlotte didn't hesitate for a single second, tossing the answer out casually.

Charlotte looked up at him, utterly bewildered.

"After all, I'm the one who's going to spend the rest of my life with you." Seeing her adorable, fogged-over expression, Anthony didn't skip a beat, feeding into her pregnancy brain with a straight face. "Your mentor was just testing your priorities. He meant well."

"Oh." Charlotte couldn't quite connect the dots, but she nodded anyway. "He's a good guy."

"Exactly," Anthony said, his eyes narrowing slightly in amusement as he continued to effortlessly brainwash his temporarily naive wife. "Make sure you show him plenty of respect in the future."

"In fact..." Anthony pretended to ponder for a moment. "The head of the Churchill family might be a bit older, possess a terrible temper, and have a ruthlessly sharp tongue, but deep down, he's a decent man."

"If we come across any nice single women, we should set him up."

"By the time he finally gets married, our boys will be old enough to be his ring bearers."

Meanwhile, miles down the hallway, the 'older, bad-tempered, sharp-tongued' Newell let out a sudden, violent sneeze.