Anna tried to keep her face calm, her voice steady. "He's just an ex-boyfriend, nothing worth knowing."
Tina chuckled softly as she walked over, leaning close to whisper in Anna's ear. "Sister, Daniel told me that six years ago, he sent you to Zach's bed. He regrets it now and wants to know how he can contact you."
Her words were quiet, only for the two of them, while a sly smile played on her lips as she lazily watched Anna's reaction.
Anna's body went stiff, disbelief flashing in her usually cool eyes.
If the man from six years ago was Zach, then Sophie and Caleb were his children!
Her hands, resting on her lap, trembled slightly as she struggled to stay composed.
Seeing Anna's reaction, Tina's smile only widened.
Back then, Anna had ended up in Harry's bed and gotten pregnant with triplets!
If Tina hadn't moved fast, stealing the boy and getting rid of the other two, she would never have secured her position as Mrs. Luke.
Now, with Daniel's testimony claiming Anna had been with Zach, and with the other two children gone without a trace, no one would ever suspect that the Luke family's precious child was actually Anna's!
Once Anna married Zach, Tina could finally relax, fully enjoying her life as the proud Mrs. Luke.
Patting Anna's shoulder with a smug grin, Tina returned to her seat.
Anna's mind spun in chaos as her eyes flickered toward Zach.
He wasn't bad-looking, thick brows, a high nose, thin lips, and those alluring, slightly upturned eyes that carried a faintly playful charm.
He wore a reddish-brown suit, sitting casually with his long legs crossed, leaning back lazily in his chair.
Could he really be Natalie and Kyle's father?
Anna's emotions were a tangled mess as she lowered her gaze.
George, though unaware of exactly what Tina had whispered, could sense something from Anna's unpleasant expression.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping low. "The White family is one of the top families in Seaside City. Marrying into them wouldn't be a disgrace."
Anna's lips curled into a mocking smile.
She pulled out her phone, scrolled a little, then tossed it onto the table. "Zach White. Three months ago, he was caught with an underage girl, leaving her severely injured and hospitalized. Now she's stuck living with a catheter for life, her future destroyed. They only managed to cover it up with a massive payout."
As she spoke, Anna raised her eyes at George. "I might have just returned from abroad, but I'm not deaf or blind. While other families worry about the Whites targeting their daughters, you're actually pushing me into the fire."
Zach's expression darkened instantly as his scandal was exposed.
His eyes burned with fury as he snapped, "Anna, you're nothing but a disgrace. My affairs are none of your business!"
Seeing Zach's anger, George quickly tried to smooth things over. "Mr. White, she didn't mean it like that, she... "
But Zach cut him off impatiently, lifting his hand.
If not for the scandal three months ago that left everyone whispering, he wouldn't have even considered marrying someone like Anna.
"Handle it yourselves. Three days from now, at the International Hotel. If it works out, fine. If not, I won't force it, but don't expect me to handle that shipment either."
His cold voice left no room for argument. With that, Zach turned and left.
George's face burned with fury, his whole body trembling as he shouted at Anna, "Zach White is the head of the White family, one of the most powerful businesses in the country! You're just a woman with children out of wedlock, what gives you the right to be so picky?"
Anna looked at his flushed face and laughed lightly. "If Zach White is so great, why don't you have her marry him?" she shot back.
Tina, realizing the spotlight had shifted to her, lifted her chin proudly. "Are you kidding, Anna? Don't you know? I'm already the young mistress of the Luke family in Ocean City! That's a hundred times better than the White family!"
Ocean City Luke family? Anna frowned slightly.
There was only one Luke family in Ocean City with that kind of influence. Since when did Tina have the ability to latch onto them?
Seeing Anna's silence, Tina's smugness grew.
Years ago, when Anna had her child, Tina took the child to the Luke family, claiming credit for saving Harry and having his child.
Using the child as leverage, she smoothly became the young mistress of the Luke family.
Unfortunately, in the past five years, Harry had never touched her. Tina often wished she could truly have borne Harry's child.
"Anna, stop pretending to be so noble. Daniel told me everything. Six years ago, you slept with Zach for money. Now marrying him is exactly what you've always wanted, isn't it?" Tina's words dripped with sarcasm.
Talking about what happened six years ago made Anna feel as if her heart was being pierced by a thousand needles, tightening with pain.
She clenched her hands slightly, her face turning pale.
Back then, she had been in a relationship with Daniel for two years, and they were even discussing marriage.
But he had gotten her drunk for money and sent her to a stranger's bed.
Anna's eyes turned cold as she suddenly stood up. Her gaze was icy, her tone steady. "It's getting late. My grandmother isn't in good health. I'm here to take her home."
"I've already agreed to your marriage with Zach. You're going whether you like it or not," George warned, narrowing his eyes.
Anna tightened her grip, ready to argue back, but then Tina's words echoed in her mind. Was the man from six years ago really Zach?
Back then, she had been pregnant with triplets. Her eldest son died during childbirth, leaving only two behind.
The surviving children were weak and needed constant money for treatment. At that time, Anna had thought about finding the father of her children.
But Daniel refused to say anything, and she had no clues.
Over the years, even though her children never spoke of it, every time they saw other fathers holding their kids on the street, their eyes would linger with quiet envy.
Anna felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, and she slowly closed her eyes.
But if their father turned out to be someone like Zach, a man like that… a scoundrel…
She let out a soft breath. For now, she could compromise.
Once she took her grandmother home, in three days she would get a sample of Zach's hair and do a paternity test with her sons.
Then, everything would be revealed.
"I can agree to meet him in three days, but I want to take my grandmother home now," Anna said, lifting her gaze to meet the person in front of her with a cool, unyielding look.