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“Sure,” he murmured with a tense frown, then ended the call.
The car rolled to a stop in front of a high-end restaurant.
He stepped out, climbed the marble steps, and entered the lavish place. The moment he entered the restaurant, his eyes scanned the room. The place was almost empty, save for one figure sitting by the window in a purple dress.
His eyes locked on her.
His steps faltered.
His breath caught.
“Anya?”
Chapter 8 Rejected Resignation
His heart thudded violently. It had been over a week since she’d left, vanishing without a trace. He had searched for her everywhere, but there had been no sign.
And now—here she was.
His pulse quickened as he made his way toward her, each step heavier than the last. The tension in his body only grew, and his heart raced as he took in her appearance. She was stunning—more beautiful than he remembered.
He walked up to her, his gaze softening slightly. “Anya, what are you doing here?”
Anya heard his voice and immediately stood up. Her eyes widened as she took in the man walking toward her—Dante, dressed in a sleek black suit that fit him too perfectly, every step of his making her heart clench.
But he didn’t stop walking. He kept coming, his gaze intense.
His eyes scanned her from head to toe, and his expression tightened. “And why are you dressed like that?” he asked, voice low, strained. His heart thumped violently in his chest.
She didn’t look bad.
She looked... too good. So beautiful that it made it hard for him to breathe, made his heartbeat spike. He forced himself to ignore that reaction, but it slipped into his words.
“What’s with all the makeup and jewelry? Why are you so done up?”
Anya stood there, stiffly, by her elegantly set table, flowers in the center, completely taken aback.
“I came here to—” she began, trying to explain.
But he cut her off, stepping closer, tension carved into every line of his face. “Why didn’t you answer when I called?” he snapped. “If I hadn’t run into you here by chance, were you planning to keep hiding from me for the rest of your life?”
His voice was angry—low and rough—but buried underneath was frustration, and something else. Hurt.
“You resigned out of nowhere,” he went on. “What were you thinking? I already rejected your resignation. You’re not quitting.”
Anya just stared at him, completely stunned. Her brain was fogged with disbelief.
‘What the hell?’ she thought. ‘Aren’t we here for a blind date? How does he still not realize I’m the girl he’s supposed to meet?’
Dante reached out and grabbed her hand, his grip firm and warm. He pulled her gently from the table.
“Go outside and wait for me,” he said in a low, commanding voice. “I just have something urgent to take care of, and then I’ll find you right away. It won’t take long.”
Anya looked down at his hand wrapped around hers, then up at his face, her eyes filled with confusion. But then something shifted in his expression—something raw—and his grip tightened as if in panic.
"Don’t run away," he added quickly, almost like a reflex, as if he feared she’d disappear the moment he let her go.
Without giving her a chance to respond, he added, “Come with me.”