Chapter 1

Atanna

The only way to acquire Atanna was through an auction house.

"So, Jonathan," she began, "did you see Atanna at the auction house?"

She didn't respond immediately, instead asking, "You went to the auction house?"

Jonathan paused, his expression shifting. He stammered, "I was going to buy some jewelry for you!" Tabitha had prepared such a big surprise for him, and naturally, he should return the favor.

Anna, having calmed her heart, spoke in a steady voice, "I didn't sell it. I donated it."

Jonathan sighed and took her hand. "Anna, I know you're kind-hearted, but if you want to donate something, there are other things you can give. Atanna can't be donated."

With that, he pulled a box from his pocket and placed it in front of her. The black velvet box opened to reveal the Avanza necklace, still gleaming with its unique brilliance.

"I bought it back," Jonathan said. "It is proof of my love for you. It can never be taken off, no matter what." He carefully placed the necklace around her neck.

Anna looked at the necklace, now returned to its rightful place, giving a self-deprecating smile. "Jonathan, how could you act so well? You just rushed back from another woman's side, and now you're telling me how much you love me."

Later that night, just as Anna was about to fall asleep, Jonathan's phone rang. He immediately silenced it and gently patted her back to comfort her. But a few seconds later, the phone rang again.

After more interruptions, Jonathan, worried it might disturb Anna, finally answered the call. The voice on the other end was loud and clear in the quiet room.

"Jonathan, come out and hang with us! We're all here, waiting for you!"

Without thinking, Jonathan rejected the invitation. "I'm putting Anna to sleep. I'm hanging up."

"Hey, hey, don't hang up! Stop being a mile slow! How long has it been since you've hung out with the guys?"

"Yeah, man, everyone forgets their brothers after they get a wife, but you—once you have a wife, you completely forget about us! You're going too far!"

The voices on the other end grew louder. Jonathan covered the microphone, whispering, "Alright, quiet down, I've said it before—no one is more important than my wife. I'm staying with her."

Even after saying that, the people on the other end weren't giving up. One by one, they switched off and kept trying to convince him to come out.

Finally, awakened by the noise, Anna spoke up. "Go out and meet them. You haven't seen them in a while."

Jonathan's face showed reluctance, but since Anna had spoken, he gave in. "Fine, I'll go, but only if you come with me. If you don't go, I won't go either."

On the other end of the line, they immediately encouraged Anna to come along.

"Sister-in-law, come out with Jonathan! It'll be fun, just hang out a bit."

"Yeah, please come, Anna. If you don't come, Jonathan won't come either."

Finally, Anna nodded, and Jonathan agreed to go out.

When they opened the door to the private room, Jonathan saw his friends surrounded by a group of women. His face immediately darkened, and without hesitation, he turned to leave.

His friends immediately understood, quickly shooing the women away.

"Get out, get out, hurry!"

Once the women had left the room, his friends sighed in relief and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Jonathan, you still haven't changed after all these years! Only your wife is allowed near you, huh?!"

Jonathan pushed him away with a look of disgust, brushing off imaginary dust from his shoulder. "I'm married. I need to give Anna a sense of security. You wouldn't understand."

Immediately, everyone in the room started laughing. Though he had come to hang out with his friends, Jonathan's eyes were on Anna the whole time. When someone lit a cigarette, he immediately gave them a threatening look until the cigarette was put out. "Anna doesn't like the smell of smoke."

When someone tried to offer him a drink, he immediately refused, shaking his head. "Anna doesn't like"

When someone started singing karaoke, he frowned and said, "Turn it off. Anna likes quiet."

With a cold expression, Jonathan rejected all invitations to join in, focusing entirely on cutting fruit for Anna. The fruit knife moved skillfully as he prepared a bowl of fresh fruit and brought it over to her, offering it with a smile.

"Anna, please eat."

Noticing her thin dress and the slightly chilly air from the air conditioning, he quickly took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Anna, is this better? Are you still cold?"

Everyone in the room couldn't help but admire Jonathan, joking and laughing.

"Jonathan, you totally deserve to have a wife!"