When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese) novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Mr Fullbuster’s Thing for Married Women

Anneliese was horrified. What she had just done was definitely not something she wanted anyone else to see.

Please tell me they didn’t hear anything….

Of course, the one thing she feared most was exactly what happened.

That voice came again, full of surprise and excitement. “Thought it was a wife–tearing–into- the–mistress episode, but turns out it’s the wife and the mistress ganging up on the man!

“Honestly, I’m starting to feel bad for the guy. Wait–Zacharias? Why does that name sound so familiar?”

The voice actually sounded pretty nice–smooth and pleasant–but at that moment, Anneliese really wished she could poison it silent.

It wasn’t just eavesdropping–this guy was a total gossip! And he seemed to know Zacharias? If he said anything to him, her whole plan would go up in smoke!

“Tsk, tsk, I remember now. It’s the founder of Clauderias Tech, isn’t it? One of the rising tech stars of Occaton! Right, he got that Top Ten Young Entrepreneurs award last year, didn’t you present it to him?”

“I don’t remember.” Jonathan’s voice was calm and detached as he set his cup down, clearly telling Joel to shut up already.

But Joel was too caught up in the drama to catch the hint. He kept clicking his tongue and two even took a photo together that went viral going on. “How could you not remember?

“If you hadn’t pulled it down so fast, it would’ve hit the trending searches. People were calling you the twin kings of the business world. But d*mn, are women always this ruthless now? The guy’s about to get blindsided with divorce papers and doesn’t even know it?

“I mean, what kind of ace does the wife still have up her sleeve to make Zacharias sign that agreement? He’s not exactly a pushover–I heard he’s got a real vicious streak. Hey, why aren’t you saying anything? And what’s with that face?”

Joel was rambling himself hoarse while Jonathan’s expression remained as blank as ever. Nothing was lonelier than gossiping alone, so Joel picked up his tea to moisten his throat.

Just as he was grumbling internally, a clear and lovely voice–one that also sounded oddly. familiar—spoke up beside him.

“Would you like some peanuts?”

Perfect. Nothing pairs better with drama than peanuts!

Joel turned his head and saw a slender, graceful figure standing by the screen partition. He hadn’t even noticed when she appeared.

The woman had fair, porcelain skin that glowed in the sunlight streaming through the window, her features radiant and delicate.

Most striking were her naturally misty eyes with slightly upturned corners–soft and sweet with an effortless allure.

She was a stunner and couldn’t have been older than her early twenties.

Joel’s eyes lit up in admiration. What a beauty… and she gets me too!

Wait. The moment he recognized her voice as the same one from behind the screen earlier, the coffee he’d just sipped went straight down the wrong pipe.

He doubled over, choking and coughing.

He had assumed the women had left since it had gone quiet on the other side.

Still coughing awkwardly, he glanced at Jonathan–who had remained completely silent the entire time–and glared at him with wordless accusation.

Fullbuster, you b*stard! You totally knew they were still here and didn’t warn me!

Jonathan looked unbothered, eyes never even flicking his way. His gaze had fallen on Anneliese instead. The voice had sounded familiar earlier, but he hadn’t thought much of it- she had seemed so young last night, like a student. He never expected it really was her.

“Uh… Mrs. Shaw, right?” Joel apologized with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about earlier. Talking behind someone’s back was definitely out of line. But, I mean, we were here first. Overhearing. your conversation wasn’t exactly intentional, right? So… how about we start over? Joel Callahan, current CEO of Everfield Capital.”

He was a seasoned businessman–no stranger to awkward situations. After his coughing fit passed, he stood up like nothing had happened and extended a hand to Anneliese.

She hadn’t come looking for a fight anyway. Smiling politely, she stepped forward, ready to shake Joel’s hand–only for Jonathan, who had stayed quiet until now, to speak up.

“Drop the ‘we.“”

The message was clear: he had no part in Joel’s gossip and wasn’t about to get dragged into it.

Anneliese had been focused entirely on Joel–his mouth was a real threat, after all. But at the sound of that familiar voice, she instinctively turned to Jonathan.

And the moment she got a good look at his face–that cold, refined handsomeness–and met his profound eyes, her ankle buckled.

She let out a small cry as she stumbled forward toward the table.

Eyes squeezed shut, she cursed Jessica for insisting on stopping by the mall to get her a pair of four–inch stilettos–just to help her look more imposing in front of Coral.

Now she was about to make a total fool of herself. And she only wished she wouldn’t crash into the kettle and get her face badly scalded.

Yet, the embarrassing scene of shattered cups she’d expected never happened. Instead, a solid arm swept in like steel rebar, blocking her from falling across the table. Anneliese instinctively clung to it like a lifeline, wrapping her arms around it tightly.

When she finally steadied herself and opened her eyes, she let out a breath–only to be hit by a faintly unfamiliar scent. It was laced with the bitter fragrance of coffee, mingled with cool notes of wood and ambergris that lingered in her nose.

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