I Became the Billionaire's Fake Lover to Get My Revenge
Chapter 75: The Best Revenge is Living Well

Chapter 75: The Best Revenge is Living Well

"I can’t believe you named him Sgt. Pepperoni," Anna said, barely able to contain her laughter as she gently brushed the back of her hand over the puppy’s velvety head. He promptly rolled onto his back, exposing his soft belly in an open invitation for tickles.

"What do you have against the name?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise at her amusement. "I think it’s perfect for a lad like him!"

As if voicing his disapproval, the puppy gave a sharp bark, making Anna burst into full, unrestrained laughter. The sound was bright and genuine, almost childlike in its innocence—so unlike the woman she had been lately. Gabriel watched her, and despite himself, he smiled.

It was a relief to see Anna happy again. Since that awful night when Marienne killed Susanne, she had moved through the world like a ghost—her eyes hollow, her skin unnaturally pale, her presence dimmed. It had taken days for her to start returning to herself, and even now, something dark still lingered in the corners of her expression, like a shadow clinging to her skin.

"It’s probably strange to say this," Gabriel mused aloud, his voice low, "but you’re absolutely glowing when you’re with this dog. When I see you like this—just being you, enjoying the moment—I can’t help but wonder..."

He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly regretting that he’d spoken at all.

"What is it?" Anna looked up at him, a little taken aback by his sudden shyness.

Gabriel let out a long breath and sat down beside her on the blanket. The afternoon breeze stirred his blond curls, catching the sunlight in just the right way—it made him look like he’d stepped out of a Renaissance painting, all warmth and quiet intensity.

"Do you really need to do all this... I mean, your revenge?" Gabriel finally asked, his voice calm, yet laced with an undercurrent of chill restraint.

Anna offered a soft, almost wistful smile, her gaze drifting down to the Dalmatian puppy curled beside her leg. "Gabriel..." she began gently, as though weighing each word before releasing it. "You know my circumstances better than anyone. Of course I have to do this. I’ve put everything on the line—my whole life. Or rather, this new life I’ve been given."

"Yes," Gabriel replied, his voice now tinged with something close to desperation, "you have a new life—that’s the point! You could just walk away, Anna. Start fresh. They say the best revenge is living well, don’t they?"

Anna let out a quiet laugh, though the sound held no joy—only a trace of bitterness. "You’re missing the most important part, Gab," she said, her fingers gently stroking the puppy’s spotted head. "This life isn’t truly mine. I’ve borrowed it. It was lent to me by someone incredibly generous, and the least I can do is use it well—use it until it runs out. After that, I’ll go back to being who I was when William found me... the same Anna who died at Marienne Rochester’s hands."

"William..." Gabriel echoed, the name catching in his throat as he bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the words he feared would escape if he wasn’t careful.

He hated how completely Anna seemed to depend on William—how she clung to his protection like a lifeline, even when Gabriel could see she had every potential to be happy without the man’s controlling, almost suffocating presence in her life.

He refused to accept that their relationship was just a simple arrangement. No matter what they claimed, Gabriel was convinced there was more—something deeper, unspoken, and perhaps even unacknowledged by the two of them themselves.

Gabriel knew that William wasn’t merely obsessed with Anna—he was using her as a pawn in his own hidden game of revenge. But was Anna even aware of it? What exactly was going on between them?

Gabriel was desperate to understand, because knowing the truth behind their arrangement would finally answer the questions his heart had been quietly begging for.

"Anna," he said again after a long pause, his voice more tentative this time, "how do you feel about William?"

Anna blinked several times, momentarily caught off guard by the question. "You know it well," she replied, her tone serious. "We’re in a contract relationship. He provides me with the means to get my revenge, and in return, I... well, I pay him back with whatever he needs from me."

"And you’re alright with that?" Gabriel’s frown deepened, and his voice dropped to a level of coldness that sent a shiver down Anna’s spine. "Doesn’t it seem... unfair to you?"

"I don’t think so," Anna answered, shaking her head slowly. "He’s giving me so much, while I have so little to offer in return."

"What do you mean, ’so little to offer’?" Gabriel’s voice suddenly rose, his frustration bleeding through. The shift in his demeanor caught Anna off guard—it was a rare sight for someone as easygoing as Gabriel to sound so angry. His outburst was both unexpected and a little intimidating.

"You’re giving him everything—everything that you are! That’s more than he could ever offer you! Don’t you want—" He faltered, his voice softening as he lowered his gaze, the emotion on his face twisting into something almost sad. "Don’t you want something you don’t have to pay back?"

"What...?" Anna’s voice barely escaped in a whisper, the weight of his words sinking into her chest, leaving her momentarily speechless.

"Real feelings. Affection. Respect. Unconditional help... love. Once you’re done with your revenge, don’t you want to live normally again? With someone... who doesn’t want anything from you, as long as you’re happy?"

Anna’s eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding so loudly it seemed to drown out everything else. Love? Happiness? She couldn’t even imagine having those things anymore. In fact, she had convinced herself that she was quite content with the relationship she had with William.

It was clear, it was simple. He couldn’t betray her as long as she didn’t betray him. No heartbreak. No sadness. No tears. She didn’t know what kind of life awaited her once her mission was over, but she knew one thing for sure: it would never be the same miserable existence she had once lived as Anna Hyde.

Never again.

"Gabriel, you—"

"You’re talking nonsense," a man’s voice rang out through the garden—loud, stern, and cutting through the air, making both Anna and Gabriel flinch.

"Will?"