I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 45: Do I Need to Remind You?

Chapter 45: Do I Need to Remind You?

Although the chaos of the ruined silent auction was finally behind them, it seemed as though a storm was still brewing inside William’s heart.

After Amelie Bennett brought the event to a swift end, forcing the guests to disperse, William asked if Anna would ride back to the Garrel mansion with him. She had assumed he wanted to discuss the success of her first mission.

The adrenaline from putting Susanne in her place still lingered, making her heart race with excitement. William, on the other hand, appeared grim and remained silent throughout the entire ride back to the mansion.

Mrs. Bennett had said that Susanne would be charged with fraud and deported, forced to face a hearing back home. Anna thought for a moment, reflecting on the outcome. Normally, I wouldn’t consider this a win. The Hydes have enough money to pay off anyone who would let Susanne slip away unnoticed...But this time, the stakes were different. With influential families like the Bennetts involved, Susanne would never escape this mess unscathed.

Not even Robert’s money will save her now. There’s a difference between Robert’s money and the Bennetts’ money.

A small, satisfied smile tugged at the corner of Anna’s lips. This was her first little victory against those who had wronged her. While it wasn’t perfect, the result was clear—Susanne Hyde was finished.

When the car finally pulled up to the grand entrance of the mansion, William still hadn’t spoken. Anna, sensing his mood, decided to keep it brief. She thanked him quietly and wished him a good night, letting the silence linger between them as she exited the car.

"Thank you, Will... It’s been a long evening, so I’ll head straight to bed. Have a good night."

Expecting to be ignored once more, Anna turned to walk toward the mansion’s entrance. But before she could step inside, she felt William’s large hand gently grip her arm, guiding her forward as he marched purposefully through the hall and toward the stairwell.

Is he taking me to my room?

A wave of nervousness crept over Anna. William’s icy silence and the blank, emotionless expression on his face were unsettling, especially when she wasn’t accustomed to them. It was like standing before an angry stranger—she felt small and vulnerable, like a child about to face a scolding.

The moment he ushered her into her bedroom, William locked the door with a sharp click behind him. Without a word, he turned and grabbed her by the shoulders, his dark eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat.

"What the hell were you thinking back there?!" he demanded, his voice rising in a mix of anger and frustration.

Anna’s eyes widened, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

He thrust his finger toward her, his voice tight with exasperation. "The camera footage you insisted on seeing. You followed her—you were in the footage, too! What would’ve happened if Susanne had agreed to watch it? You’d be in just as much trouble!"

Anna nodded, accepting his reprimand, but her gaze never faltered. Her eyes met his with unwavering confidence. "I know. It was a risk I had to take, but I was sure Susanne wouldn’t agree to view it."

"And why were you so sure about that?"

Anna exhaled, a sense of relief washing over her. The more she reflected on her actions, the clearer it became that, in the end, she had been incredibly lucky tonight.

"Susanne gets some sort of twisted thrill from all this—stealing, cheating, committing fraud... But she’s hopeless when it comes to confrontation. She has no idea how to handle it, how to face the consequences. Mostly because her mother was always there to shield her from any fallout."

She paused, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at her lips. "But Colette wasn’t there to save her this time. I could see it in Susanne’s face—the way she froze, helpless and vulnerable. She was the one who had to face us. So I took the risk, saw the opening, and acted. I got lucky, but it worked. Isn’t that what really matters?"

William continued to study her face in silence, as if searching for something hidden beneath the surface. But after a moment, he exhaled deeply, running his fingers through his brown hair in an attempt to calm the frustration still simmering beneath his composed exterior.

"Please run these things by me beforehand in the future," he said, his voice low but calmer now. "We were lucky this time because I had something else up my sleeve to throw Susanne off balance and distract her from the footage. But next time... we might not be so fortunate."

"I promise," Anna nodded earnestly, her expression turning serious. "I’ll discuss everything with you next time."

William’s dark eyes remained fixed on her, the intensity of his gaze unwavering. Then, with a surprising gentleness, he cupped her chin between his fingers. His lips curled into a strange, almost mischievous grin.

"I must admit, I liked that. I was worried you’d slip up or break under the pressure, but you were surprisingly brave. It suits you."

Anna leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them by a few inches. "I stayed brave because I knew you were watching. I had to be, for you."

William frowned, his fingers brushing her forehead as he flicked it lightly, sending a sharp jolt of pain through her head. "You’re doing this for yourself, Anna. How easily you forget."

Before she could react, William bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the throbbing spot on her forehead. His warm breath brushed against her skin, sending a shiver through her as he murmured, "Do I need to remind you every time? Do I have to keep pulling your mind away from distractions? Or..."

He wrapped his other arm around her waist, drawing her closer to his body. His hand slid from her chin, gently tracing down her neck and collarbones, his touch light but electric as he whispered, "Or is this the only thing you can do for yourself?"

Heat rushed to Anna’s cheeks, making her skin flush. She was so flustered that, for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Despite having been intimate with him twice before, every time he pulled her in like this, her mind went blank, leaving her no choice but to be a fool for him.

Her lips parted in a shaky breath as she finally exhaled, "I–I’m not sure."

A sly smirk curled at the corner of William’s lips as he tipped her chin up again. "Well, if that’s true, I don’t mind at all. I suppose one night wasn’t enough to make up for the ten months we spent apart, was it?"