I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 74: Dangerous Secret

Chapter 74: Dangerous Secret

Anna flinched, her expression twisting into a mixture of unease and distaste. She had hoped that after last night’s incident, Marienne would be more cautious around her—especially now that they were bound by a dangerous secret.

It would have been the reasonable thing to do: avoid provoking one another without cause and keep a healthy distance to prevent drawing unwanted attention. But of course, Marienne had other ideas. As always.

"Marienne," Anna greeted her stiffly, casting wary glances at Constantine, who also looked somewhat taken aback by the other woman’s familiarity. "What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here today."

And that was the truth. When Constantine had invited her out for brunch, Anna had deliberately chosen a quiet coffee shop on the first floor of a department store—an unassuming place, far removed from the usual haunts of her new social circle.

Today, she had craved distance from judgmental eyes and whispered rumors. But fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor—because Marienne was the one person Anna couldn’t seem to escape, no matter how carefully she planned.

It was as if life itself was mocking her, weaving irony into every carefully constructed effort to remain composed and detached.

"You two seem to know each other well," Constantine remarked, rising to his feet and extending a hand with polite curiosity. "Constantine Greenfield. Pleasure to meet you."

"Marienne Rochester," she replied smoothly, her smile as poised and artificial as ever as she shook his hand. "Yes, Chloe and I have recently bonded over... a certain affair."

"Please, join us for a light drink," Constantine offered, pulling an empty chair toward Marienne with a charming smile. "Any friend of Miss Dumas is a friend of mine."

Anna barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his unwavering politeness. Damn you and your impeccable manners, Mr. Greenfield.

"That’s so kind of you, thank you," Marienne replied sweetly, sliding into the seat beside Anna. "As expected of Chloe—her friends are just as charming as she is."

"So," Constantine continued as he signaled for the waiter to bring another drink, "you’ve somehow managed to bond with Miss Dumas? Do tell, Miss Rochester. I’m dying to learn the secret to becoming good friends with this delightful lady."

Marienne cast a quick glance at Anna, her eyes practically begging for help, laced with a silent plea to play along. But Anna remained still, expression unreadable. If Marienne truly didn’t care about sabotaging their fragile arrangement, then Anna wouldn’t stop her.

In fact, if she had no interest in pursuing revenge anymore, Anna could very well expose her right here and now—tell Constantine that Marienne was a murderer, and she had witnessed it herself.

But she didn’t. Not yet.

"It’s a secret," Marienne said with a playful wink as she accepted the glass the waiter handed her. "The quickest way to become someone’s most trusted friend is to share a big, dangerous secret."

"Dangerous?" Constantine raised a curious brow, clearly intrigued. "I didn’t expect such lovely ladies to have anything dangerous in common."

"You’re quite the silver-tongued man," Marienne chuckled, then shot a strange, lingering look at Anna. "But it’s true—beautiful women stick together. We all have something dangerous to hide... and somehow, we all know it."

Anna cringed at the response. It felt almost deliberate—like Marienne was testing her patience, slowly chipping away at her composure.

Thankfully, she was spared from responding when Constantine’s personal assistant approached the table, leaned in, and whispered something into his ear. Constantine’s expression immediately hardened, and with a curt nod, he dismissed the assistant.

"My apologies, ladies," he said, rising from his chair with a polite smile. "It seems I’m needed elsewhere on urgent business. I’ve taken care of the bill, so please, stay and enjoy the rest of your conversation. Until next time."

With a gentlemanly bow, he turned and walked away. The moment he was out of sight, Anna’s pleasant mask dropped. Her gaze sharpened, and she turned to Marienne with a frown, no longer bothering to hide her irritation. Marienne, however, remained unfazed, refusing to acknowledge the cold stare directed at her.

"He’s a nice man," she commented idly, sipping from her cocktail. "And, fortunately, very dull."

"What are you doing here, Marienne?" Anna finally asked, forcing a light smile as she attempted to steer the conversation in a safer direction. The last thing she wanted to dissect right now was Constantine’s unfortunate inability to recognize a murderer when he saw one.

"Oh," Marienne replied with a sweet, practiced smile, "I’m just running an errand. My future mother-in-law is expecting some guests from abroad, and she asked me to pick up a few welcome gifts on her behalf. It’s exhausting." She sighed dramatically, pouting as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders. "Mrs. Hyde is notoriously hard to please."

Ah, Anna thought, her lips curling into a knowing grin. Must be Colette’s friends from Spain again, if she’s spiraling over gift baskets.

She remembered them with a painful pang in her stomach. Anna loathed those women—they were arrogant, greedy, and insufferably rude. But what she despised even more was how Colette would bend over backward to impress them every time they visited.

Whenever she saw them together, Anna felt like she was back in high school, watching the least popular girl desperately cling to a group of cheerleaders, laughing at jokes that weren’t funny, begging for scraps of attention.

She pitied Colette more than she cared to admit. But now, for once, she was grateful it was Marienne who had to endure that pitiful display.

"Well, I hope you find something your mother-in-law approves of," Anna finally said, rising from her seat.

She was ready to walk away and reclaim her peace. But just as she was about to take her first step, Marienne’s hand shot out and closed around her wrist. Her eyes gleamed with a sharp, unreadable intensity, though her lips remained curled into a perfectly pleasant smile.

"Please, don’t feel anxious around me," she said, her voice soft—almost pleading. And that was what unsettled Anna most of all: how terrifyingly sincere Marienne sounded in that moment. "You don’t have to avoid me just because we share a secret."

"A secret?" Anna arched a brow, carefully slipping her hand free from Marienne’s grasp. "I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about, Marienne. But do think about that lovely lunch you mentioned last night. I’m looking forward to it."