I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 51: Are You Lost?

Chapter 51: Are You Lost?

"Are you sure? We came here in my car, after all." Emma gave her friend a sympathetic look, but Anna responded with a reassuring shake of her head.

"It’s fine, don’t worry about me. I’ll wait here for a little while... I’m sure he’ll come back and apologize soon."

"Gosh, Anna, you..." Emma sighed, unlocking her car door. "Fine, suit yourself. But call me if anything happens, okay?"

"I will. Thanks."

Anna watched as her friend drove away, the basket of pastries still pressed firmly against her chest.

She was lying to Emma. She was lying to herself, too. Robert wouldn’t come back and apologize. He never did. But Anna couldn’t let anyone else know that.

She wandered aimlessly across the campus grounds, hoping that the time alone would give her a chance to calm down and let go of the lingering resentment that had already begun to settle in her chest.

In the past, she’d often visited Robert’s department, though she’d always sensed his irritation. Back then, he never openly expressed his dissatisfaction with her presence, usually only scolding her when they were alone.

But this time—it really stung. He’d allowed others to witness the first crack in their relationship. He’d let them see her humiliation.

"Are you lost?" A male voice suddenly broke through her thoughts, jolting her back to reality.

"Excuse me?" Anna turned around, startled, and froze when she realized the voice belonged to the man Robert had been arguing with—William Stark.

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here," he continued, taking a measured step toward her. "You don’t go here, do you?"

Anna blinked in surprise at how quickly he had pinpointed her as an outsider. "Oh," she stammered, caught off guard. "No, I don’t. I came to visit someone."

"And what’s this?" He nodded toward the basket in Anna’s hands, a slight smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. "Did you fail to find them?"

"Not exactly," Anna murmured, searching for an excuse, but nothing convincing came to her. "That... I just wanted to say, I’m really sorry about your mother." The words tumbled out before she could stop them, making William’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"What?" His voice dropped, the tone turning almost ice-cold as he regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"I... I overheard when I was passing by," Anna quickly lied, her discomfort evident as she shifted from foot to foot. "I’m sorry."

He sighed, his gaze drifting downward as if trying to collect himself. "Well... it can’t be helped."

Anna was at a loss for what to say, so she fell into a heavy silence. William seemed content to do the same. The quiet stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable, until he finally broke it.

"If you’re not lost, I guess I’ll be on my way," he said, turning to leave.

Anna, feeling an unexpected urge to keep the conversation going, quickly took a few steps toward him. "Are you going to visit her?" she asked, her voice betraying a slight urgency, as if afraid he might slip away if she didn’t act quickly.

"Why?" One of his eyebrows twitched suspiciously, as though he were unsure whether to take her seriously.

Anna hesitated for a moment before speaking again, gathering her thoughts.

"If she... if she can eat, I have some pastries here," she said quietly, finally peeling the basket away from her chest. She carefully removed the towel, revealing the treats beneath. "I tried one while I was baking, and it was good. It’s not perfect, but it’s homemade, and I really put a lot of effort into it, so—"

"I’ll take it," William interrupted her rambling, his lips curling into a genuine smile that softened his features. "Thanks."

"Oh... yeah, of course, please," Anna stammered, flustered. She almost dropped the basket in her haste to hand it over. "Well, I won’t keep you then. Your mother is probably waiting for you."

But before she could turn away, William’s voice stopped her. "What’s your name?"

The question caught Anna completely off guard. She blinked, unsure how to respond at first. "Anna," she said, her voice a little shaky. "Anna Adler."

"Nice to meet you, Anna Adler," William said with a smirk, his gaze flickering down to the basket now in his arms. "I’m sure my mother will love these."

***

Anna groaned as she tried to move in the bed, her body feeling heavy and her head pounding with a relentless ache.

"God, I can’t drink the way I used to anymore..." she muttered to herself, her voice hoarse.

"I’ll say," William’s voice came from beside her, a note of amusement lacing his words as he brushed the tangled strands of her hair away from his chest. "Did you sleep well?"

"William?!" Anna jolted upright, rubbing her swollen eyes in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

William frowned, his expression suddenly turning serious. He leaned up on his elbows, his tone a mixture of concern and frustration. "Are you out of your mind? Don’t you remember anything from last night?"

Anna’s eyes widened, a wave of panic rising in her chest. She quickly glanced down to check her body, her heart pounding. "Phew," she breathed out in relief, a small smile tugging at her lips. "We didn’t... do it."

"Are you happy about that?" William’s frown deepened, his voice sharp and laden with a hint of annoyance. The smile that had graced Anna’s lips quickly vanished.

"Oh, sorry, that’s not what I meant! I just—" she stammered, trying to explain herself, but her words trailed off.

"Tsk." William clicked his tongue in disappointment, the sound cutting through the air. Without another word, he swung his legs off the bed, his movements slow as he stood up.

He walked toward the door, dragging his feet across the floor in a way that seemed almost irritated. "Go take a shower and start getting ready. We’re packing today, remember?"

Anna blinked, the fog of her hangover lifting slightly as the reality of the situation hit her. "Oh, that’s right," she mumbled, suddenly recalling that it was finally time to head home.

"Well, get on with it," William grumbled coldly, not sparing her another glance. "Judging by the size of the closet, I’d say Mrs. Garrel gave you quite a few shopping sprees."

Anna felt a little embarrassed by that comment, but as she watched William nearing the door, she called him out again, though her voice still wavered.

"Will!"

He stopped, reluctantly turning around.

"I’m sorry I got drunk," she started carefully, but her voice was sincere. "And thank you... for staying with me. Thank you... for reminding me that I’m not alone."

A faint flicker of a smile flashed over William’s lips though he tried to suppress it as quickly as he could. "You’re welcome. Anna."