I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 71: The Plan

Chapter 71: The Plan

Marienne froze, clearly caught off guard by Anna’s sudden appearance. She instinctively took a large step back—right to the spot where Susanne’s body lay sprawled and motionless on the ground. It was as if she were trying to shield it from view, her wide eyes still dazed with shock.

"Chloe, I—" she stammered, her gaze flicking frantically from side to side, searching for an escape, for a lie that might sound like the truth. "This is... this is not what it looks like..."

But Anna could barely hear her. Her attention was riveted to Susanne’s lifeless body, slumped beneath the row of wine kegs like a discarded puppet. The silence around them was deafening.

How did this happen? Anna’s mind raced. Did Marienne really hit her that hard? Could she have struck her head on one of the barrels? What if... what if she’s—

"No..." Anna finally whispered, her voice so faint it was almost carried off by the wind. "This can’t be..."

Her body moved before her mind could catch up, feet shuffling forward on instinct, hands trembling from the rush of dread. She stopped just inches from Marienne, who stood rigidly in place, refusing to move.

"Chloe, I can explain. I told you... my fiancé’s sister, she is—"

"Why isn’t she moving?" Anna interrupted, her voice hoarse with panic, eyes wide with disbelief. "Is she... is she dead?"

And then it happened—just for the briefest second, Anna could have sworn Marienne’s lips twitched. Not in sorrow or shock... but something disturbingly close to a smile.

Of course, Anna thought grimly, locking eyes with her. She didn’t even flinch when she nearly killed me before. So why would she show remorse now?

That cold, unfeeling stare... that almost inhuman calm... It was still chilling—but somehow, no longer surprising.

I need to think. Anna’s gaze dropped once again to Susanne’s lifeless body. If she’s really dead, this is going to turn into a huge scandal. Police, reporters, gossip columns... Her stomach twisted painfully. Just when I finally started regaining my footing in high society...

She groaned inwardly, pressing a cold palm to her throbbing forehead, trying to push back the rising panic.

"Is she dead?" Anna asked again, her voice more pointed this time, her eyes narrowing at Marienne as if silently urging her to check.

Marienne hesitated, visibly shaken, then slowly crouched beside Susanne. Her trembling fingers reached for the woman’s neck, lingering there for a long moment as silence stretched between them. Then, with a shaky breath, she slid her palm beneath Susanne’s nape—only for the neck to tilt unnaturally backward.

The sound it made was soft, but it was enough. Both women recoiled, horror etched across their faces.

"She must’ve hit her head on one of the barrels," Marienne whispered hoarsely, her tear-filled eyes snapping up to meet Anna’s. "Her neck... it’s broken. She’s dead."

Anna’s heart plummeted. A cold wave of dread crashed over her. What’s going to happen to me now?

Suddenly, Marienne’s voice tore through the air—desperate, almost unhinged.

"I’m going to fix it!" she cried, springing to her feet and grabbing Anna’s arm. Her wide, frantic eyes searched Anna’s face for hope, for trust. "I can fix this! Don’t worry—no one will ever know!"

"What?" Anna gasped, her own eyes now just as wide. "What are you talking about?"

"I have a friend," Marienne said, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced around nervously. She nodded to herself, almost as if trying to convince herself it would work. "He’ll help. He... takes care of things. And he’ll do it for me. For us."

"For us?" Anna repeated quietly, still struggling to follow where Marienne’s frantic explanation was leading.

"You weren’t supposed to be here, right?" Marienne continued, her tone shifting—more confident now, more deliberate. The corners of her lips curled into a faint, unsettling smile. "You saw something you weren’t meant to. That makes you part of this... situation."

She paused briefly before adding, her voice softer but no less intense, "This will become a scandal. We’ll both have to go to the police, and then it’ll be endless interrogations, public trials, media swarming like vultures. But... we could avoid all of that. We could escape this. Together."

Anna couldn’t stay silent any longer. Everything coming out of Marienne’s mouth sounded increasingly delusional. "We can escape this?" she echoed in disbelief.

She opened her mouth to remind Marienne that she had been the one to strike Susanne, while Anna had simply been an unfortunate witness. But then, a thought flickered across her mind—dark, dangerous, but undeniably tempting.

I could send Marienne straight to the police and be rid of both her and Susanne’s twisted world... but something about this feels off. She mentioned a friend—someone who takes care of things. Could it be Sebastian?

Her eyes narrowed as she studied Marienne’s pale, desperate face, searching for the missing piece in this spiraling puzzle.

If this scandal erupts, I’m certain I’ll never be able to approach the Hydes again. They’re already suspicious of me after Susanne’s fraud incident—but if this comes to light? It’ll be over. No... I need to play this right.

If I go along with Marienne, if I help her cover this up, we’ll be bound by this secret. She’ll see me as her most trusted ally—indebted to me, at my mercy... until I decide I’m done with her.

"What do you need from me?" Anna finally asked aloud, her expression softening as she calmly awaited Marienne’s reply.

The answer came quickly, almost too quickly—as if Marienne had already formed the plan the moment Susanne’s body hit the ground.

"I just need you to never speak a word of this. Ever. And..." she hesitated, her voice dropping lower, "let my friend come here and take care of everything quietly."

She threw a brief, scornful glance over her shoulder at Susanne’s motionless body before finishing coldly, "Susanne was done for anyway. Even her own family wanted her gone. So once she really disappears... no one will come looking."

Anna took a moment to process the words. Maybe Marienne was right. Maybe no one would care. But it was still a dangerous gamble—one she wasn’t sure she was ready to take.

Drawing in a sharp breath, she finally nodded, her voice low and razor-sharp. "Alright. Call your friend. But on one condition..."

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