I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 72: Feel Everything

Chapter 72: Feel Everything

Anna watched as two shadows moved stealthily through the darkness, their faint whispers blending with the rustling of the leaves.

She had been right—the man Marienne referred to as her "friend" was none other than Sebastian Welling. And now, the two of them were burying Susanne’s body in the soil of Anna’s vineyard.

"That was a smart move," Gabriel said quietly, standing beside her as they observed the grim task from a distance. "It saves the trouble of transporting the body while the party’s still in full swing."

"Thank you for handling that," Anna murmured, offering him a faint smile, though her gaze never left the macabre scene unfolding in the distance. They stood far enough away not to draw attention, but close enough to see everything clearly.

"This land is my private property," Anna continued, her tone calm and measured. "And since the soil’s still soft from the recent tilling, no one will suspect anything. Even if Sebastian tries to come back to check on the body, he won’t get far—not with the new security system in place."

Anna let out a slow sigh, closing her eyes briefly in a weary attempt to collect herself. "I’m creating the illusion that Marienne and I are now bound by mutual secrets—she believes I’m covering for her, hiding the fact that she killed Susanne. At the same time, she thinks she’s protecting me by having the body buried on my property."

"But in reality," Gabriel added, his voice laced with quiet amusement, "we’ll relocate the body later without either of them knowing. So even if Marienne tries to use this against you, she won’t have anything to hold over your head."

He smirked, the dim light catching on the edge of his grin like the glint of a blade in the dark.

When his words faded, a heavy silence settled between them. Anna didn’t want to speak anymore, and Gabriel, sensing her exhaustion, chose not to press her.

As Marienne and Sebastian neared the end of their grim task, shoveling the last of the earth over Susanne’s body, Anna finally turned to Gabriel. Her voice was soft but resolute."Please take care of the rest for me, Gab. I want to go home."

"Of course," he replied, giving her shoulder a light, reassuring pat. His expression remained composed, carefully detached, as if none of this touched him."Leave the rest to me."

***

Anna sighed and downed yet another glass of wine, though her mind was already too numb to feel anything from it. Hours had passed since she’d returned to the mansion and locked herself in her bedroom, shutting out both the outside world and her own emotions.

She felt... strange. She had witnessed the murder of her ex-sister-in-law, yet sadness eluded her. There was no grief, no horror—no pity, even. Just a hollow stillness.

In truth, she had always anticipated something like this. Marienne had once tried to kill her, so Anna wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d tried again. What she hadn’t expected was for Marienne to turn on Robert’s sister instead.

Was it wrong that she felt nothing? She couldn’t tell. And the fact that she didn’t know—that scared her.

"Anna." William’s low, steady voice startled her. She nearly dropped the glass in her hand.

"You’re drinking again."

He appeared as if out of thin air, calm as ever, acting like nothing was out of place. Normally, Anna would’ve resented his detachment—but not tonight. Tonight, she welcomed it. It was something solid in the chaos, a steady anchor in a sea of confusion.

"I’m still not the kind of person who can watch someone get killed and buried without batting an eye," she said at last, pouring herself another glass with a trembling hand.

William frowned. Without a word, he stepped forward, took the glass from her, and placed it gently on the coffee table behind them. Then he knelt before her, cupping her face in both hands, his gaze steady and solemn.

"I helped Susanne get there because I thought you could uncover Marienne’s secret," he said quietly, "and have her arrested again for trespassing. I didn’t expect her to be killed either."

"Yeah..." Anna whispered, sniffling as tears welled in her eyes. "But I helped her. I helped Marienne bury the body... and I even came up with a plan to make sure I got off easy."

William sighed softly, brushing her hair back behind her ears. He offered her a gentle smile, the kind that tried to hold her together even as she unraveled.

"Is that what’s bothering you? That you were finally able to be cold-hearted and level-headed when it mattered most?"

"No," Anna choked out, her voice barely audible. "I’m afraid that this is who I’m going to be from now on—cold-hearted. Soulless. Empty. I’m scared I’m becoming just like them."

Without hesitation, William took her trembling hands in his and covered them with soft, lingering kisses. His eyes never strayed from hers. "You will never be like them, Anna. I won’t let you."

"You... won’t?" Her voice quivered, her lips trembling as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

He nodded, brushing another kiss against her knuckles.

"No matter what happens, I’ll make sure the warmth in your heart never fades."

Then, slowly and deliberately, he released her hands and leaned forward, pressing a light, tender kiss to her shoulder.

"Whenever you feel level-headed, I’ll make sure to send your head spinning again."

His lips traced upward, warm and damp against the curve of her neck.

"And whenever you feel cold... I’ll set your heart on fire."

And then, without warning, his mouth crashed onto hers, stealing the breath from her lungs in a deep, hungry kiss. His lips and tongue moved against hers with urgency, with a kind of desperate passion, as if he couldn’t get enough—like he was trying to remind her what it felt like to feel everything.

Anna was growing breathless, her chest rising and falling with each shallow inhale, just as she was about to push him away. But then he broke the kiss himself, pulling back with a gasp, his frantic breathing grazing her face in hot, uneven strokes.

"Chloe Dumas is the one who doesn’t care," he murmured, his voice low and raw. "And once she’s done with her revenge... you’ll go back to being the same Anna you used to be."

It looked like he wanted to say more—his lips parted slightly, his eyes flickering with unspoken words—but instead, he leaned in and captured her mouth again.

The same Anna you used to be, he thought darkly, sliding his hot tongue past her lips, his arms coiling around her like twin serpents. Only now... you belong to me.