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“We didn’t get married,” Dante said flatly, cutting through the chaos. His voice was calm, but hard. “We went to the courthouse, but didn’t get the license.”
“What?” Griffin blinked, stunned. “Why?”
“We’re not a good match for each other,” Dante said coldly. “We don’t know each other well enough. Besides, she’s got noshortage of men around her. It doesn’t matter whether I’m in her life or not.”
Griffin paled. “Wait, what are you saying? You think she’s seeing someone else? Is she… in love with another man?”
Dante didn’t respond.
Griffin looked sick. He rubbed his forehead, his voice quiet. “No… that can’t be. She’s not that kind of girl…”
Janet, however, couldn’t hold back. “What do you mean, ‘not that kind of girl’?” she scoffed. “You picked her up off the street and brought her into this house like some charity project. Did you ever consider that she might be a bad person? You’re too naive, dad. Girls like her? They’re never good.”
She stepped closer to Dante, her voice cutting. “That girl was after you from the start. She had you wrapped around her finger. And now look at her—as soon as she found someone richer, she left you and walked right into another man’s arms. Good thing you came to your senses before it was too late.”
She patted Dante’s arm. “Don’t worry. Now that she’s out of the picture, you can focus on someone better. Annie’s still around—she’s always cared about you. You should spend time with her. You deserve someone like her, not some dirty charity project.”
Dante took a deep breath, his voice a growl. “Even if I don’t marry Anya, I’m not marrying anyone else.”
Then he turned and walked out, the door slamming behind him.
Janet, however, let out a long sigh of relief. A small, satisfied smile curved her lips. ‘Now that Anya is out of the picture, it’ll be easier for Dante to move on and marry Annie.’
***
Two days later, Anya walked into the Kingsley Corporation’s and headed toward the CEO’s office. As she passed the hallway, a new girl she had never seen before stopped her.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?" The girl emerged from behind the counter, offering a smile.
Anya frowned. "No. I work as Mr. Kingsley’s secretary."
The girl chuckled lightly. "No, I’m his secretary." She paused, then added, "Wait. Are you... Anya, Mr. Kingsley’s previous secretary?"
“Previous?” Anya stiffened, her body tensing. "What do you mean?"
“I’m sorry,” the girl’s face turned genuinely apologetic. “Since you didn’t come to the office the last two days, it was assumed you no longer wanted to work here. I was informed that you’d quit, and I was hired to take your position.”
“I didn’t quit this job,” Anya snapped, her body tense with disbelief. “What are you talking about? I never resigned.”
"Anya?" Triston's voice echoed down the hall, causing Anya to turn toward him. Standing beside him, Dante’s icy gaze pierced her.
She turned her questioning eyes to Dante. She marched up to Dante, her voice sharp. “Why did you replace me? When did I agree to quit?”
Tristan grabbed the new secretary by the arm. "Don’t make a scene," he muttered, pulling her away.
Dante walked past them, striding confidently into his office without even sparing a glance.
Anya’s heart pounded as she followed him into the office, her steps sharp with fury. Her body trembled, her anger rising as she glared at the back of his head.
"How could you do this?" she snapped as soon as they were inside, her voice breaking with emotion. "Why did you hire someone when I didn’t quit my job?"
Dante’s expression remained cold, his jaw tight. "Someone like you doesn’t need to work here," he said as he regarded her with a disdainful calm. "You're connected to the most influential people in the world. A job like this is beneath you. You shouldn’t lower yourself to being my secretary."
Anya’s teeth clenched, and her pulse raced. Dante was clearly talking about her relationship with Luca, implying that because of it, she could have any position she wanted.
The nerve of him.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Anya fixed her gaze on him. "You’re still angry about the ring Luca gave me, aren’t you?" She took a step closer to him, eyes burning, voice calm. "I’ve already returned it to him."