I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 30: The Devil

Chapter 30: The Devil

Marienne pushed open the heavy glass door of the diner, her gaze darting around nervously, as if afraid she might see someone who knew her.

When Sebastian had texted her earlier that morning, ordering her to meet him for lunch, she’d been on edge for hours, dreading the moment they’d come face to face. Anna’s murder had been a disaster—no, it had been a complete failure.

And now, because of the promise Marienne had made, she was the one who would be held accountable for everything that went wrong.

If only I hadn’t told him everything...

The thought flickered through her mind just as her eyes landed on the man she was supposed to meet. He sat in a booth near the kitchen, lazily flipping through the menu, though the slight tremble in his long, bony fingers betrayed his effort to suppress the urge to fidget.

Marienne frowned, chewing on her lower lip in irritation. Fuck.

"Why didn’t you order anything?" she asked, sliding into the seat beside him and grabbing a menu of her own. "You look like you could use some food."

She shot him a sharp, irritated look, her eyes narrowing as she took in his appearance. He looked pale—sickly so—and the dark circles beneath his eyes were nearly black. His gaze seemed unusually heavy, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. His messy black hair was unkempt, hanging in disheveled strands like a pile of burnt hay.

"I’m having withdrawals," Sebastian snarled, throwing the menu back onto the table with a flick of his wrist. "Just get me a bottle of red wine."

"Tsk," Marienne clicked her tongue in annoyance, snapping her fingers to catch the waiter’s attention. "Is that why you wanted to see me? Because you’re out of drugs? What about your little minions?"

Sebastian leaned back against the wall to his right, his lips pressed tight in a grim line as the waiter stood next to their table, waiting for his order.

"A bottle of Merlot, a glass of Pinot Noir, and the meat plate. And throw in some crackers, too," she ordered, her tone clipped and uninterested.

The waiter nodded and picked up the menu, leaving the two of them alone. Sebastian plucked a napkin from the holder and dabbed at his forehead, soaking up the tiny beads of cold sweat that had formed there.

"I need the money you promised me last week," he spoke again, his voice strained and almost groaning with frustration. "I’m out of everything because I didn’t get my payment, Mary."

"Ugh, stop calling me that!" she snapped, forcing a smile as she turned to thank the waiter for bringing the wine. Her patience was clearly running thin.

"What did you expect me to do? That bitch ran off, and we had to figure something out to bury her. At least until we could sort out the rest. Get your men to search the damn forest! She couldn’t have survived on her own, especially with an acid burn on her face."

Sebastian grabbed the bottle of wine, discarding all pretense of manners as he tipped it up and began drinking directly from it. His throat worked as he gulped the rich liquid, downing it as though it were nothing more than water.

When he’d drained nearly half the bottle, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned his dark, piercing eyes toward Marienne, watching her with an almost predatory intensity.

"I’m tired of giving you chances, Mary," he emphasized her name deliberately, his wine-stained teeth flashing in a cruel grin. "If I don’t get enough money for my drugs by the end of the week, I’m coming to your house. Your new house. I’m sure your fiancé will be thrilled to meet your best friend."

Marienne gasped, her eyes darting around the room in a frantic search for any sign that they had attracted unwanted attention. "Are you insane?!" she hissed, her voice low but filled with panic. "Don’t you dare come anywhere near that house, or I’ll turn you over to the police!"

A dark chuckle escaped Sebastian as he scoffed, his fingers suddenly curling into her hair. He jerked her toward him, pulling her so close that their noses almost brushed. She recoiled, repelled by the sour stench of alcohol on his breath as he spoke in a voice that was as cold and sharp as ice.

"Threaten me one more time, and you’ll end up just like Anna Hyde. Though, this time, I’ll make sure your vision stays clear. I want you to see every single horror that will torment you until the very end. Am I making myself clear?"

Marienne’s throat went dry, her pulse pounding in her ears. Anxiety gripped her like a vice, shaking her body so violently it felt as though an earthquake were ripping through her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her tongue refused to obey, as if it had been replaced by something cold and lifeless.

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, but she managed a slight nod. Her body trembled, a mix of fear and helplessness, and Sebastian grinned darkly at the sight of her broken display of emotion.

At last, he yanked his hand away, shoving Marienne’s head back with a rough push before reaching for the half-empty bottle of wine. His grip tightened around the neck of the bottle as he brought it to his lips, pausing only to glare at her with dark amusement.

"Send whatever you have to my account tonight," he ordered. "One of my men will meet you here tomorrow at the same time to collect the cash. I don’t care how you get it—just make sure you have it. Or I’ll let your dear fiancé know exactly who he’s about to marry." He leaned in slightly, his lips curling into a smirk. "Mary."

With that, he jerked his chin, silently commanding her to move. Marienne obeyed, stepping aside as he grabbed the bottle and staggered lazily toward the exit, his movements sluggish yet dripping with arrogance.

Her entire body burned with barely restrained fury, her blood seething beneath her skin, threatening to consume her in its violent heat. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to stay composed.

No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, there was no escaping the past.

She had clawed her way out of the depths of hell to stand where she was now, to become the woman she had so desperately wanted to be. Yet the devil who had dragged her into the darkness still had his claws in her.

And even now, he refused to let her go.

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