I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 28: A Cruel Method

William didn’t even spare him a glance. His dark eyes remained fixed on the closed door, his fingers interlaced under his chin as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

After their visit to the crematorium, Anna had been as pale as a ghost the entire ride back to the hospital. But William had dismissed it as another necessary shock—one she had to endure if she was ever going to strengthen her resolve.

Yet, the moment she stepped out of the car, her legs buckled beneath her, and she nearly collapsed onto the pavement. It had taken Daniel and a nurse hours to soothe her frayed nerves, to coax her out of her state of despair.

"I know you’re listening," Daniel pressed on, looming over William, his voice tight with frustration. "She was getting better, but you just had to break her all over again! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

William didn’t dignify him with a response. Instead, he stood abruptly and strode toward Anna’s room, pushing the door open before locking it behind him.

Anna flinched at the sudden intrusion, her body tensing as she instinctively pulled the blanket higher, clutching it to her chest. She could hear the quiet rustle of fabric as someone settled beside her on the bed.

"Anna."

William’s voice was low, steady—strangely calm. There was something else in it too, something softer. Maybe even... affectionate?

She didn’t answer. Instead, she curled into herself, hugging her knees tightly as if shielding herself from whatever was coming next.

William watched as she shrank into herself again, retreating like a wounded animal, and his brows drew together in frustration.

What was he supposed to do? Every time she seemed to be getting better, he convinced himself she was ready to move on. But then, the sharp, jagged edges of her past would cut through, dragging her back into the darkness—and he would have to start all over again.

"Anna," he tried again, his voice quieter this time. But she remained silent, her words buried somewhere deep inside her chest, too heavy to be spoken.

Just as he parted his lips to say more, Anna shifted slightly, and her voice finally broke through the silence—small, weak, almost desperate.

"I know. You don’t have to say anything. I get it. I’m weak. I’m useless. Maybe... maybe I can’t do this after all."

William stilled. He didn’t even feel angry anymore. If anything, he felt lost, as if he were staring at something fragile and broken, something he didn’t know how to fix.

There was so much pain in her expression—so much hurt she had kept locked away, and now, it was rising to the surface, threatening to consume her whole. If she let it, she wouldn’t even leave behind ashes to be collected in an urn.

Had he really been too harsh? Had he not given her enough time?

He had never experienced something like this before. Hell, he had never cared enough about anyone to feel this kind of devastation after betrayal.

Well... that was a lie.

But still. He had gotten over it. So why couldn’t she?

"I should hate them," Anna sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks in thick, glistening streams as she wiped at them with trembling hands. "I should be excited about ruining them. I should be grateful that you saved me. So why... why do I feel like dying all over again?"

"Anna."

William leaned in, gently pulling her hands away from her tear-streaked face. His touch was firm but careful, as if coaxing her out of the darkness she had buried herself in.

"It takes incredible strength to overcome betrayal and heartbreak. Whether it takes a week or a year, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that healing requires courage, resilience... and support."

He hesitated for a moment, his thoughts slipping into unfamiliar territory. Where were these words even coming from? Were they drawn from his own experiences, or were they simply things he had once wished someone had told him?

"Yes, you’re weak right now," he admitted, though there was no harshness in his voice—only quiet understanding. "And you’re scared. But at least you have something now that you didn’t before—unwavering support. You poured all your love, all your strength, into the wrong person, and that left you vulnerable. But you’re not alone anymore. You have people on your side now. You have... me."

Anna’s breath hitched. Her unfocused gaze drifted into the empty space before her, longing—desperate—to see the expression on his face, to read the truth in his eyes, to watch the way his lips moved as he spoke those words.

"You have me."

She repeated the phrase in her mind, something inside her shifting, settling. Her lips no longer trembled.

"William," she finally said, his name slipping past her lips with a warmth that made his chest tighten.

He swallowed hard, unprepared for the effect she had on him. "Yes?"

Anna hesitated only for a second. "You said you could help me forget them. Did you really mean it?"

His jaw tensed, but his voice remained steady. "I did. Every single word."

"I want it..." she whispered, her hands softening in his gentle grasp. "I... need your help."

William felt something tighten in his chest, as if an invisible knot had lodged itself in his throat. His gaze darkened, locking onto hers with almost desperate intensity. "Are you sure?"

There was no hesitation. Anna nodded. "Yes. Just for tonight, I don’t want to think about anything else."

A slow grin curved across William’s lips. He eased her hands down to her sides, his touch lingering for just a moment before he leaned in, his presence enveloping her.

"Your wish is my command, Ms. Dumas."

And then, without another word, he closed the distance between them, claiming her lips in a deep, unyielding kiss.