Page 291 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

She glared at him. “You heard me. I’m not going.”

“And you think you get to make this decision?”

“I’ll make a fuss at the airport and security will arrest me.”

Greg grinned. “We’re taking the family’s new jet. There won’t be security to alert.”

Anna crossed her arms. “I’m still not going. I don’t want to see him.”

“See who?” Matt asked. “Where are you going?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Anna snapped.

“Germany,” Greg said, looking at Matt in the rearview mirror. “Frankfurt, to be exact. To see a friend. Someone who can help Anna.”

Anna snorted. “Like he wants to help me.”

Greg sighed. “He doesn’t hate you, Anna. I don’t know where you got that idea.”

“Maybe because he left. Because he didn’t even bother to call me when Ben died. Because—‍” Anna didn’t finish her sentence. Because so many things.

“You’re rather rebellious for someone in your situation,” Greg said dryly.

She huffed and crossed her arms, staring defiantly out the windshield into the cloudy gray morning. She wouldn’t go to Germany and that was that. Yes, it might be nice to see Wilhelm and Kurt, but she wouldn’t get to spend time with them like she did when they visited her. She adored Wilhelm and it would be horrible to not be able to curl up next to him anytime she wanted to.

She supposed because Greg said “we” that he was coming with her. Or so he thought. Maybe she could get away. Hide? Not go home after the performance? She could go to Travis’ house, maybe. Then Greg wouldn’t be able to find her. He would have to tell Alex that he’d failed. The idea brought a smile to her lips.

“You need to make sure you pack warm clothes. It snows in the winter.”

Anna didn’t respond. She didn’t need warm clothes because she wasn’t going.

Greg sighed. “Jenna, can you take her shopping and make sure she has a warm coat and other things you need for snow? Alex says they’re expecting a cold winter.”

“Sure,” Jenna said.

“And she needs a formal dress, too.”

“For what?” Anna asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

Greg looked at her out of the corner of his eye, a smile twitching at his lips. “For New Year’s.”

Anna grunted and turned away again. “I’m still not going.”

They stopped at a light and Greg grabbed her chin and turned her to face him. “Alex has ordered me to take you to Germany, and I never fail to follow his orders,” he said in a low voice. “You will go if I have to drag you kicking and screaming onto that plane.”

Anna narrowed her eyes. “He ordered you? Are you his slave too?”

“What?” Matt exclaimed.

“Don’t worry about it, Matt,” Jenna said softly.

Anna glared into Greg’s calm face until the light changed and he released her. He didn’t speak again, which suited her just fine.

He pulled into a parking lot about ten minutes later. Just as he did, thunder cracked and the sky unleashed torrents of rain onto the world. Anna slumped lower into the seat. It fit her mood, she supposed. Greg offered her an umbrella before she got out, but she whipped her head around and got out of the truck without it, getting drenched in the process.

She ducked her head and hurried toward the entrance of the church, but unexpectedly the rain stopped falling on her. She looked up and saw Greg matching her steps with his long strides, the umbrella over her head.

“I don’t need your help,” she snarled and stepped sideways back into the rain.

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