I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 64: You Bought Me a Vineyard?!

Chapter 64: You Bought Me a Vineyard?!

Anna watched the waiter pour William a glass of wine, but her attention was divided. His dark brown eyes hadn’t left her for a second—intense, unblinking, drilling into her like he was trying to read her mind.

As soon as the waiter finished arranging their table and stepped away with a polite nod, William leaned forward slightly, ready to speak. But Anna beat him to it.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a quiet yet firm voice.

William arched a brow, surprised by her tone. "I should be asking you the same thing."

"I came... to have lunch," Anna replied, her mind scrambling for a convincing excuse. "I got tired of eating at the mansion, and it’s been a while since I last dined here... I missed the atmosphere."

It sounded weak—even to her. And judging by the skeptical look on William’s face, he wasn’t buying it either. He let out a long breath and pulled his wine glass closer, never once taking his eyes off her. Those eyes of his—sharp, intelligent, and unyielding—left her feeling like she was under a microscope.

"This is a great place," he said slowly, lifting the glass to his lips and taking a measured sip. "So great, in fact, that when a certain pretty woman in a headscarf asked the host whether I was still coming for lunch, he panicked and called me—worried that I’d forgotten to inform her of my change in plans."

Damn it.Anna’s jaw tightened, silently cursing the overly helpful host and his excellent memory. But instead of dwelling on her slip, she tried to steer the conversation in a new direction—any direction that didn’t involve her being interrogated.

"Then, since you did change your plans... why are you here?" she asked, tilting her head as if the tables had turned.

William exhaled again, the movement weary as he loosened the knot of his tie.

"Because somehow," he muttered, "I knew you’d find trouble if I left you alone for too long. And what do you know—" he gave her a look, equal parts amused and exasperated, "—I was right."

He grinned broadly, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes, while Anna’s cheeks flushed with a warm, unmistakable hue of embarrassment. She was beginning to loathe how often he was right. No matter how hard she tried, it felt like she never got the upper hand—not even once.

"Stay away from that man," William said flatly, his voice cool and clipped as his eyes locked onto hers again. "He’s far too slick, and he seems to know more than he should. I also didn’t like the way he was looking at you before I walked in... as if he already knows something."

Anna blinked, caught off guard by the intensity of his tone. A subtle chill skittered down her spine.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "There’s no way he could’ve recognized me."

William shook his head, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his doubt. "Maybe not. But now that he’s caught you eavesdropping, I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts digging into your background. Someone like him... he won’t let that go."

Anna fell quiet, chewing on his words.

Yes—Sebastian was an enigma. He kept to himself, always hovering at the edges of the crowd, yet he never seemed able to leave Marienne alone. Even when Marienne had begun her affair with Robert, Anna had hoped he’d finally back off... but he hadn’t.

There was something tying them together—something invisible but persistent—and Anna couldn’t help but wonder what it was.

"He won’t find anything compromising," she finally murmured, though the trace of uncertainty in her voice was hard to ignore. "And as much as I want to do the same to him, it’s no use."

"What do you mean?" William shot her a questioning look, his brows knitting together with curiosity. But all Anna could do was sigh.

"I tried once," she began, her voice lowering to a near whisper. "Well, Robert did, actually. He wasn’t exactly comfortable with Marienne having a ’close’ male friend while she was with him. So, he tried to dig into Sebastian’s background—hoping he’d find something that could scare him off or at least give him some leverage to make him back away."

William’s expression turned more serious. "And? Did he find anything?"

Anna shook her head, her disappointment evident. "Not much. At least nothing useful. Sebastian’s an orphan, and he owns a loan firm... but I suspect it’s one of those shady, borderline-illegal loan shark operations. Still, nothing on paper that could actually get him in trouble. He’s careful—too careful."

"A loan shark, huh?" William echoed, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Alright. I’ll dig into him myself and see if I can find something Robert missed."

Anna nodded slowly, then added, "Sebastian bailed Susanne out. And he used Marienne’s money to do it. I heard him say it when they were talking in the lounge."

William’s lips curled into a cold smirk. "So Susanne gets disowned after that scandal, but Marienne’s still loyal to her. Interesting."

"She even threatened him," Anna continued, her voice tight with tension. "Susanne told Sebastian that if Marienne didn’t give her more money, she’d expose whatever secret they’re hiding. But no matter how hard I think about it... I still have no idea what that secret could be."

"Well, whatever it is, Susanne is done for," William said reassuringly, nudging a fresh glass of wine toward Anna’s plate. "It’s time we shift our focus to Marienne."

"You said I need to get closer to her—how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"It won’t be very difficult," William replied with a knowing grin as he slid an invitation card across the table.

Curious, Anna picked it up and unfolded it, her brows lifting as she read the elegant print. "A vineyard party?"

William nodded. "I bought a vineyard a few months ago. Figured it was time to throw a little celebration for the acquisition."

Anna’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You bought a vineyard?! Why on earth would you do that?"

"Well," he said with a chuckle, "technically, you bought a vineyard."

Her confusion deepened, lips parting as she blinked at him. William leaned forward to explain.

"Chloe Dumas’s late parents were successful vineyard owners. In honor of their legacy, she decided to invest in one of her own, right here. That’s the story we’re telling, anyway. You’re Chloe Dumas now, remember? So this is your vineyard—and the party will be your first public appearance as the new owner. Marienne will be among the invited guests."

Anna stared at him in stunned silence, the weight of his words slowly settling in. Then, like someone doused in a bucket of icy water, she jolted and locked eyes with him, nearly shouting, "You bought me a vineyard?!"

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