I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 102: The Patient

Chapter 102: The Patient

"I’m surprised to hear from you after all this time," Anna remarked as she stepped into the private room of the Blue Velvet restaurant and joined Constantine at his secluded table. Her eyes swept across the dimly lit, elegantly decorated space. "And this secrecy..." she added, lowering her voice as she took her seat, "do we really need to meet in such private conditions?"

Constantine offered her a charming grin as he uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured her a generous glass, sliding it gently across the table.

"Yes," he said, his tone calm but deliberate. "I thought it best to have this conversation in complete privacy—no interruptions, no ears that shouldn’t hear."

A flicker of unease passed through Anna. Her body tensed, and she rubbed her palms discreetly against her skirt, feeling the faint trace of sweat. There was something unsettling about the way he said it—something that made her worry that whatever he wanted to say might not bode well for her.

"Alright..." she replied, forcing a thin, polite smile. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"You know," Constantine began, a peculiar smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "when I met Marienne Rochester and learned that the two of you were friends, I found it... curious. Surprising, even. I hadn’t heard much about her before, but once I started looking into her background, let’s just say my suspicions about your sudden friendship only grew stronger."

Anna raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and guarded curiosity. "Really? And why is that?"

He leaned back slightly, as if settling in for a story. "It’s her connection to the Hydes that made me wonder about the nature of your relationship. She’s engaged to Robert Hyde, isn’t she? The same man who announced his new engagement barely a week after his wife passed away. That kind of haste—it tells you something about a person’s character, don’t you think?"

Anna’s composure faltered for a brief moment. Every time someone mentioned that death—her death—the pain surged through her like a wave crashing against jagged rocks. It never came gently. It always brought with it the storm of memories she fought so hard to bury.

This time, however, Anna managed to recover quickly. Her curiosity had been piqued, and despite the strange tension in the air, she was determined to find out exactly where this conversation was heading.

"Well, I’m not exactly familiar with—"

"I’m not saying I blame you, Miss Dumas," Constantine interjected quickly, his tone attempting to sound reassuring. "But what I’m trying to say is—be careful. Especially around Marienne. Or anyone from the Hyde family, really. There’s always been something off about the way Anna Hyde died. And when I realized you were getting involved with Marienne, I thought it would be wise to give you a heads-up."

Now, Anna leaned in slightly, her interest deepening. There was something strange and deliberate in his wording, something that hinted at buried truths and unspoken threats.

"And what exactly should I be worried about?"

Constantine exhaled slowly and took a long sip from his wine glass, as though the liquid might ease the weight of his next words.

"I’ve been digging into some of their family history—looking beneath the polished surface, if you will—and I came across a few... intriguing details. For instance, did you know that before Marienne got involved with the Hydes, she had quite a close relationship with Lilian Adler?"

My aunt? Anna’s fingers instinctively curled into tight fists beneath the table. I never knew that.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Constantine went on. "I couldn’t uncover the full extent of their connection, but Lilian Adler herself turned out to be a rather fascinating woman. Did you know she’s been widowed four times?"

What? Anna barely managed to keep her expression neutral, though the shock pulsing through her made her want to widen her eyes in disbelief.

She had always believed that Lilian had three deceased husbands, but four? How had that slipped past her completely? How had no one else known?

"Four dead husbands... that’s—impressive," she said, struggling to mask the mixture of disbelief and unease in her voice.

"Indeed," Constantine replied, a slow, almost sinister smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "But you know what’s even stranger? Her fourth husband—the one whose very existence was never made public—was also the father of Lilian’s son."

"She has a son?!" This time, Anna couldn’t contain her shock. Her voice rose, incredulous. A secret husband and a child? It felt like the ground beneath her was shifting, like she’d been plunged into a mystery she hadn’t even realized she was part of.

"You’ll be even more surprised when you hear where this young man is now," Constantine said, his tone lowering as he leaned in conspiratorially. "He’s locked away in a mental institution."

Anna’s breath caught, her heart lurching in her chest. A mental institution? Her thoughts spun. If he’s locked away, he must be in his twenties by now... that makes sense. But what happened to him? What could have driven him to such a place? Was it illness—or something darker?

"Do you think that’s why her last marriage was kept a secret?" she asked, her voice quieter now, but sharper, more focused. Her brows drew together. "Who exactly was her fourth husband?"

"Ah," Constantine said, his grin widening as a glint of something unreadable flickered in his eyes. "Now that’s the most fascinating part. When I tried to look him up, I couldn’t find a single trace of the man. The name listed on both the marriage and the death certificates? Completely fake."

***

Anna stepped out of the car and gazed ahead, her eyes settling on the tall, imposing building of the Open Arms Mental Institution. It stood quietly near the city’s outskirts, surrounded by a sprawling park and bordered by a still, artificial lake that shimmered faintly under the afternoon sun.

It was, in many ways, the ideal location for a facility like this—calm, secluded, and peaceful. Yet, there was something about the heavy silence lingering in the air that made Anna’s skin crawl. The serenity felt almost unnatural, like a quiet that was trying too hard to be comforting.

Inside, a young nurse at the registration desk greeted her with a warm, practiced smile. She was cute and pretty, with large, curious brown eyes that subtly scanned Anna from head to toe.

"How can I help you?" the nurse asked, her tone pleasant and professional.

"Yes, hi. I called earlier today about visiting a patient," Anna replied, returning a polite but slightly reserved smile as she met the nurse’s gaze.

"May I have the patient’s name, please?"

"Illai Solice."

The name seemed to strike a nerve. For the briefest moment, the nurse’s expression faltered—her smile froze, her shoulders stiffened—before she quickly recovered, adopting a tone that was a bit too cheerful to be genuine.

"I’m sorry, but this patient does not accept visitors."

Anna’s eyebrows arched in surprise, even though she had half-expected a response like this. "Why not? Is he unable to?"

"N-no," the nurse stammered, the confident veneer cracking just slightly. "It’s just that his guardian—"

"Mrs. Lilian Adler," Anna interrupted calmly but firmly, leaning in slightly over the counter. "She gave me permission. I’m a relative of Illai’s late father."

As soon as Anna spoke those words, the nurse’s demeanor shifted. Her posture eased, and her thick lashes fluttered rapidly—as if part of some subtle ritual to signal a change in attitude.

"Oh, I see... Well, if that’s the case, then..." she trailed off before nodding. "Yes, I suppose you can visit him."

That was easier than I expected, Anna thought, a flicker of disappointment crossing her mind at how quickly the nurse relented.

"Follow me, please," the woman said, rising swiftly to her feet and heading toward a pair of glass sliding doors. "Just a heads-up—the visiting hours are nearly over, so you’ll need to keep that in mind."

"How is he doing?" Anna asked as she fell into step behind her. She had no clue why Lilian’s son had been institutionalized, but asking directly would raise too many red flags—especially after claiming to be a relative.

"Oh, you know how it goes with patients like him," the nurse replied flatly, her tone taking on a more clinical edge. "He has to be sedated most of the time, so do not be surprised if he seems out of it. Occasionally, he has moments of clarity where he acts perfectly normal—like nothing ever happened. But most of the time... well, he is a lot to handle."

"I see... Does his mother visit often?"

The question felt risky, but the nurse didn’t seem to think much of it.

"Once a month, usually—sometimes even less. I don’t blame her, though. It’s exhausting, honestly. He’s been here for five years now, and before that, he spent several years in a juvenile detention facility. But you probably already know that, so..." she chuckled awkwardly.

Anna, however, went still. Juvenile detention?Lilian’s son had a criminal record too? What had he done?

The questions in her mind were growing louder, colliding with each other—but answers remained just out of reach.

"We’re here," the nurse announced, stopping in front of a stark white door. She knocked gently. "Illai! You have a visitor!"

She pushed the door open and held it for Anna.

As Anna stepped inside, her breath caught in her throat and her entire body froze.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

This can’t be right... He looks exactly like him...!

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