I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 49: Two Questions

Chapter 49: Two Questions

"It’s not a big deal," Anna blurted out, the first thought that came to her mind. But the deepening frown on William’s face only made her feel more uneasy.

"If it’s not a big deal, then why did you feel the need to wash it down with an entire bottle of wine?"

His question was perfectly valid, and Anna found herself at a loss for words. No quick, white lies came to mind to brush it off. But what worried her most wasn’t the fact that she couldn’t come up with an excuse—it was the unsettling thought that William might now see her as someone with a drinking problem.

Just like the rumors painted me...

"Anna," William began again, his voice softening as he noticed the shift in her expression, the sadness creeping in. "It’s not the alcohol I’m concerned about. It’s the fact that you still turn to it instead of reaching out to someone. You’re not alone anymore."

Anna’s eyes stung with the threat of tears, but she fought them back. She didn’t want to break down—not in front of him. William had already done so much for her, and the least she could do was stay strong, to show him that his efforts weren’t in vain.

But inside, she felt torn. Her heart longed to be vulnerable, to lean on those she trusted, while her mind stubbornly resisted, unwilling to lower its guard.

She wasn’t alone anymore. But for how long?

"Get some rest," William finally spoke again, his voice gentle yet firm as he saw she couldn’t answer. "We’ll start packing tomorrow. I have some urgent business to take care of, and I want us to return together."

Finally, William released his grip on her chin and grabbed the empty wine bottle, along with the glass that still held a few lingering sips of liquor. "I don’t want you poisoning yourself anymore. Nothing is worth it."

He turned on his heel, ready to leave, when Anna suddenly stood, her voice hoarse from the long silence. "Don’t you want to drink with me instead?"

William paused, slowly turning back to face her. "I don’t really drink," he replied, his voice steady but strangely distant. "I don’t... like it."

"Why not?" Anna pressed, feeling the alcohol’s lingering warmth return and embolden her. A spark of courage flickered in her chest.

William sighed deeply, raking a hand through his dark hair, making it even more disheveled than before. "It’s a long story. I don’t think you’d want to hear it."

Anna shook her head, a determined look in her eyes. "I do! I do! I really want to know more about you. You seem to know so much about me."

For a long moment, William stood there, his gaze fixed on her, cold and distant. His silence was heavy, almost suffocating, but eventually, he let out a quiet sigh and walked over to the bed. He settled onto it, then gestured for Anna to join him.

She hesitated but followed eagerly, though she still made an effort to keep a respectful distance as she sat next to him, leaning back against the headboard of her bed.

"Alright," William said, setting both the bottle and the glass on the nightstand beside him. "I’ll let you ask two questions tonight. Fire away."

Anna remained speechless for a long moment, her mind racing through the multitude of questions she could ask. But the fog in her thoughts was too thick, her mind too heavy to make a rational choice. In the end, she repeated the one question that still lingered, unanswered from just a few minutes ago.

"Why don’t you drink?"

William let out a soft chuckle, his expression unmoved by her question. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "My mother was an alcoholic. She, too, was deeply unhappy with her life, and she sank into a severe depression. No one wanted to help her. Or rather... no one wanted to admit that she had a problem, myself included."

He paused, his gaze distant as if recalling a painful memory. "Then, she got her diagnosis—cirrhosis. And she died... from it."

"Oh..."

Anna’s words faltered as she processed what he had just revealed. She had known that William’s mother had died suddenly in the hospital, but she had never imagined the depth of the illness she had battled, nor the silence that had surrounded her struggle.

For a moment, Anna felt an unsettling chill, a strange fear creeping over her. William’s family had been rich and influential even back then. They could have hired the best doctors to care for her, but instead, they had chosen silence—silence to shield their image, to protect their secrets.

How many others, like William’s mother, were still silently suffering, surrounded by people who should have cared for them, yet were left alone to fade away in quiet despair?

"Told you," William said with a brief, forced smile, his brown eyes locking with Anna’s. "You didn’t want to hear that right now."

"N-no!" Anna quickly denied, shaking her hands in front of her face. "It’s not that... I mean, it’s good that you shared this with me. I had no idea... and I’m so sorry."

"That’s alright," William replied softly, his gaze distant. "It’s been a while. There were so many things that happened during that time... everything was just a blur for me."

"Still," Anna pressed, "I won’t believe you if you tell me that you had anyone to talk to about it. Somehow... I feel like you had to carry that burden alone, too."

"That’s... not entirely true," William muttered, shaking his head. A faint, more genuine smile tugged at his lips.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"It doesn’t matter," he replied, his tone shifting. "What’s your second question?"

Anna hesitated for a moment, her mind swirling with thoughts. But this time, after a brief pause, she found the question she truly wanted the answer to. "Why did you offer to help me so eagerly?"

The room fell into another long silence before William let out a soft, almost amused chuckle. He raked his hand through his hair, as if buying time to gather his thoughts.

Finally, he relented, his voice softening once more as he met her gaze. "I guess you really want to know what I meant by that last comment, huh?"

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