For a moment, everything around the two of them completely froze as they stared at each other. Anthea had imagined this moment countless times since the day she decided on her vengeance; however, none of that imagination could ever compare to the things she was feeling right now. Five years! Five fucking long years later, she was once again standing in front of the man who ruthlessly broke her heart and destroyed her life. All the past memories of betrayals, heartbreaks, and sadness flashed through her, making it almost impossible to stand on her feet. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, making her blood pressure and heartbeat rise. However, Anthea fisted her palm in a tight grip and mentally pushed herself to stay calm and act normal around him. She couldn't let him see her real emotions at any cost. "He doesn't matter to you, Anthea. Don't let his presence affect you. You are stronger than this." She chanted the sentences in her mind like a mantra while forcing herself to stay calm
Anthea slowly shifted her eyes back to Benjamin before letting out a small chuckle. The old man stared at her with a neutral expression, trying his best to mask his real emotion. Even though he was still coping with the shock because of her new identity, he couldn't let it affect his business. Not a project like this. They couldn't lose something like this. He needed to handle this situation here first and then find out what was going on. Why was Lily Wisley pretending to be Anthea Morin? To find his answers, Benjamin needed to stay calm and handle everything here first."It seems like Ms. Jones is already not fond of me. I wonder what did I do to offend her on our first meeting!" She twitched her lips before saying those words with a regretful expression. Her words made Alexander's brow crease as he glanced at Benjamin, trying to tell him to handle the situation. Benjamin got the message clearly, which made him purse his lips."It's not like that. I think there's some kind of misunde
Anthea was walking through the crowd while silently scanning the room for Emilia and Silas, who, despite her pleadings, decided to come. She already told them that she'd manage everything, but they wouldn't listen to her, especially Emilia. Her first purpose had already been served; now she only needed to mingle with a few people to get them to remember her face. She already knew most of the people around her. She wouldn't jump into her revenge plan without a proper plan, would she? A few men came towards her and offered her drinks on her way, which Anthea politely declined with a smile. A frown took over her face when she couldn't spot Emilia or Silas in the crowds. "Maybe they didn't even enter the venue." She mumbled to herself with a sigh before turning around. However, once she turned around, she almost bumped into someone, making her immediately take a step back. Her lips curled up in annoyance as she glanced at the person while narrowing her eyes slightly. Rayan, who almost b
Anthea finally spotted Silas and Emilia in a corner of the ballroom; their eyes were clearly looking for her. A genuine smile bloomed on her face as she approached them. She waved her hands a little when her eyes met with Silas, making him draw a sigh of relief. He then quickly patted Emilia's back and gestured for her to look ahead. "Thea!" She exclaimed before pacing up towards Anthea, making her grin widen. "I finally found you! We have been looking for you for 10 minutes and couldn't even reach your phone. Where have you been? Do you know how worried I was?" Emilia gushed out in a low voice as soon as she reached Anthea. Anthea smiled at her rambling with a smile on her face. "Calm down, Emi. Breathe out, because everything's fine. I was also looking for you as soon as you texted me." Anthea answered softly while trying to calm Emilia down. "She almost broke her heels on her way and hurt her feet." Silas, who stood behind Emilia, informed Anthea while putting his hand in his po
"Hey guys, come over here." Joseph waved his hand enthusiastically at his friends. At this moment, Anthea suddenly wanted to leave this place because she felt like she already had enough of their presence on her first day. The more she saw him, the more her insides burned with her thirst for revenge."Hey, what's up, bro? Who are these two pretty ladies?" Lucas was the first one to greet; however, when his eyes shifted to Anthea and Emilia, he passed a flirtatious smile. Typical Lucan Murphy. Anthea had already heard of his infamous Playboy character. He was the type who was never serious in a relationship and changed women like clothes. Anthea wanted to scrunch her nose in disgust, but she controlled her urge before throwing a fake smile."This is Silas Harrington, Emilia Morin, and Anthea Morin." Joseph introduced himself quickly without noticing the sudden shifting in the air. Anthea could feel Emilia and Silas tense beside her. Both of them already had a hostile expression on thei
Anthea sat behind her desk in her office, trying to review some draft models sent by Allen Enterprise. However, no matter how hard she tried to focus, she couldn't bring herself to finish a single paper. She was going to have an important meeting with the CEO of Allen Enterprises, aka the devil, Rayan Allen, in an hour regarding the finalization of their project models. Her mind kept drifting to the party night two days ago. Nevaeh! She couldn't get the name out of her system, no matter how hard she tried. It's just stuck in there, without any possible answers.That night, Anthea didn't try to ask any of his friends who Nevaeh was or what her relationship with Rayan was; however, Emilia did. She asked who Nevaeh was as soon as Caroline mentioned her name. However, all of them suddenly seemed to freeze when Emilia asked that. What surprised Anthea was how Joseph quickly excused his wife from the group, and then Nathan completely changed the subject by saying,"She's one of his family m
Anthea's heart raced as Rayan's piercing gaze locked on her. She maintained a composed exterior, but inwardly, a storm of emotions churned inside her. Silas, sensing the tension, subtly stepped closer to her side, offering a silent support that eased some of her apprehension.Rayan's secretary shuffled uncomfortably, exchanging glances with the executives, sensing the palpable tension in the air. The way the two of them were staring at each other didn’t look normal at all. Anthea, however, maintained her gaze with unwavering determination, refusing to be intimidated by the man who once held a significant place in her life. Did he really think he could intimidate her with those cold looks?Breaking the silence, Rayan spoke, his voice cold and detached."Ms. Morin, we meet again." His words hung in the air, laden with unspoken history. Silas shot a quick glance at Anthea, silently trying to convey a message of encouragement. The small act didn't escape Rayan’s eyes, as he had been obser
When Rayan ordered everyone to leave the room instantly, Anthea didn't refute it; instead, she stood on her ground calmly while observing everyone hurrying to leave. Silas, however, was hesitant to leave her alone.“I'm not leaving you here alone with him.” He announced it as his face mirrored the seriousness in his voice. Both Anthea and Rayan turned to glance at him at the same time. Rayan’s blue orbs held a glare directed towards him, while Anthea just smiled at him calmly.“It’s fine, Silas. Let me hear what Mr. Allen has to say.” Anthea assured him, stepping a bit in his direction. Silas pressed his lips in a thin line as he narrowed his gaze at her.“Anthea!” He warned her, making Anthea shake her head slightly before heaving a sigh.“Please excuse us, Silas.” Anthea requested calmly, yet her voice held strong authority. Silas was aware of her stubbornness, and there was nothing he could do about it. So he heaved a dejected sigh before shifting his eyes to Rayan, who was looking