One hour earlier.
Antony was busy with the reports in front of him, including the tasks that should have been handled by Altezza, who was currently still in Italy. Antony didn't mean to complain about the increased workload since he was used to it; it's just that lately, he had been feeling bored with work and tired of spending time with inanimate objects that were actually depositing a lot of dollars into his account.
He looked up when he saw the door to his office open without a knock and frowned when he saw his secretary, who was staring at him in fear because she couldn't stop Anastasia from entering.
"Sorry, Sir. This young lady keeps insisting on seeing you," his secretary said with a scared expression. Antony waved his hand, signaling her to return to her place while Anastasia strutted in like a queen and sat down on the sofa.
"What do you want now?" Antony asked coldly.
"Nothing. I came here purely for business. I want to discuss our breakup. As an agency owner, you surely understand the risks if we part on bad terms," Anastasia replied flatly. "You wouldn't want to be seen as someone who takes advantage of his artists by dating them and leaving them after getting bored. Such negative news would tarnish your reputation, and I'm sure you wouldn't want your child to see bad news about their father."
"What do you mean? Are you challenging me?" Antony asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No. Of course, I'm not that foolish. I actually came here to propose that we work together," Anastasia replied nervously. "I have to maintain my image, Antony. If reporters ask me about our relationship, I clearly don't want to be seen as the one at fault or as a victim. I don't want to be labeled as the woman who was discarded after being enjoyed or accused of using you. I want to be seen with you after we break up so that the public knows our relationship is still fine, that we are still friends, and that I remain with Kralligimiz. This way, I won't be viewed as a scandalous actress. At the very least, this will reassure employers that they can work with me, and my career will remain safe, as will your reputation as a company owner."
Damn it. Antony muttered to himself. Just because of his plan to be seen as a "normal man" among his business associates, he now had to face this complicated problem. And who knows where Anastasia got her ideas, but the woman had a point. As a company owner, Antony couldn't be seen as someone who merely exploited the actresses under his agency for sexual gratification—because that was probably what people would think about his relationship with Anastasia, even though he had never taken her to bed.
Moreover, Antony didn't want to spread bad news about himself that would eventually be read by Flavia and Claire, the woman he was currently pursuing. Especially after hearing Claire's comments yesterday, if bad news about him circulated, it would make it even harder for Antony to win her over later.
"What else do you want now?" Antony asked, wanting everything to be resolved quickly.
"I want us to agree on the reason for our breakup," Anastasia replied, thinking that Antony was now open to negotiation.
"Just say our relationship is over because we're both too busy with work, and that has made it difficult for us to meet, so we've decided to focus on our respective careers," Antony said casually.
However, Anastasia shook her head. "I've thought about those words, but when I said them to a reporter I know, he said that reason wasn't enough. Especially after our chance meeting yesterday at the mall."
"I was there because of my duties as an agency owner and producer."
"I know. I was there to support my friend, not to meet you. But I don't want people speculating that you have someone else on the side."
"What do you mean?"
"There's someone who knows you and took photos of you when you were out with your daughter and another woman. Also, when you were sitting in the theater corridor with a woman." Anastasia replied, causing Antony to frown. Anastasia sent a photo to Antony's phone, and his brow furrowed further. It was clear that this was no random person taking his picture; he was certain it was one of Anastasia's goons, and the woman was pretending to have obtained the photos from someone else to blackmail him.
Unfortunately, proving his suspicions would take time. So rather than waiting, Antony chose the instant route by playing along with the woman's game.
"So, what do you want?" Antony asked, and he could see a faint smile on Anastasia's face, confirming his suspicions.
"I want us to appear a few more times in public as friends. If necessary, we should be seen in crowded places so the public knows there's no problem between us."
Not a big request, Antony thought to himself. Even if he could manage the news that was circulating, as a businessman, it was better to anticipate and be cautious than to deal with a complicated problem later, right?
After all, it was Antony who had initially taken the step to present Anastasia as his girlfriend in public for his own benefit. So it was no trouble to offer this small favor to Anastasia; consider it paying her back for her services.
Anastasia lifted the corners of her mouth. She knew it wasn't easy to manipulate Antony. Besides, from the very beginning, she had been aware of her position as a contract girlfriend, paid to make the public believe that Antony was a single man with normal sexuality. At first, Anastasia played her role professionally, without feelings. However, the more she met Antony, the more she was captivated by the charm of the billionaire widower and the more she desired something deeper.
Yes, Anastasia changed her dreams from becoming a famous model and actress to being the wife of the billionaire widower. She hoped that through their frequent interactions, she could make Antony fall in love with her.
After all, who wouldn't want to be the first and only daughter-in-law in the Quirino family? An Italian family that was clearly very wealthy.
If she became a Quirino daughter-in-law, everything she had ever wanted would surely be within her reach. Diamonds, no matter how expensive, could be hers without a second thought. A luxurious house with plenty of servants. World travel whenever she desired, without worrying about credit card payments or installments. Anastasia wanted it all.
However, now it seemed she had to give all that up because it appeared there was another woman occupying Antony's thoughts at the moment. Anastasia initially didn't know who that woman was, but her instincts told her that the woman Antony was pursuing was in this city. Even though Antony claimed he moved to rekindle his relationship with his daughter, Anastasia's gut feeling told her otherwise.
That's why, with determination, Anastasia sought to find out who the woman was that Antony was chasing, and now she knew who had captivated the billionaire widower.
The girl's name was Claire Hampton, the aunt of Antony's daughter's best friend, who also happened to be an employee of Antony's working on the same floor as his office.
People might think Anastasia was a foolish woman, but they were wrong. Anastasia wasn't the type to easily forget someone's face. She recalled their encounter in the elevator a while ago. It seemed that Antony had fallen in love with that woman at first sight, and it was also this woman who prompted Antony to make the drastic decision to move to Kansas under the pretense of getting closer to his daughter.
This only made Anastasia more frustrated because Antony's path to approaching a woman named Claire was so easy. And as payback, Anastasia would ensure that his advances would be thwarted.
Anastasia would make sure of it.
"So what do we need to do?" That was the question Anastasia had been waiting for Antony to ask.
"First, we need to make the public aware that our relationship is fine even though it has ended. For the time being, both you and I should avoid being seen with the opposite sex to prevent rumors of a third party. I don't mind if the public thinks I'm a victim of infidelity; in fact, that kind of news will only elevate my status. But it would be unfortunate for your boyfriend if the public starts chasing after him."
"Do you think that will work? Who are you trying to fool?" Antony asked with a cold grin.
"Then what about a love story that isn't blessed?" Anastasia countered.
"And drag my family's name through the mud? Make people look down on the Quirino family?" Antony replied, his tone flat, making Anastasia pale. "Stop making excuses, Anastasia. I've had enough of following your whims and being made a fool by you. You and I have already broken up, and as for the clarification, let the agency's public relations handle it. In the future, there's no need for any acting to show the public that our relationship is fine. Do you understand?"
Anastasia looked at Antony in silence. She understood, very well. But she wasn't willing to give in so easily.
"Alright, I understand. I won't complicate things any further. As a farewell gesture, could you join me for lunch?" she asked in a coaxing tone.
Antony stared at the woman intensely, considering. Weighing their relationship and the benefits he had gained while being with Anastasia made him agree to her request. He would consider it a thank-you for the services Anastasia had provided. Antony then nodded and saw the woman's eyes light up.
At exactly twelve o'clock, they left Antony's office for lunch. Just then, Antony spotted Claire with a friend he knew was named Bella. He tried to greet Claire with a friendly smile, but the response he received shocked him.
Claire did smile at him, but it was not the warm smile she had shown him last weekend. It was merely a polite smile from a subordinate to a superior. And Antony didn't like that at all.
And seeing that made Antony have other thoughts. Especially remembering Anastasia's presence beside him and their previous conversation at the cinema. A smile suddenly appeared on his face. Antony instinctively suspected that the girl was now jealous of him and Anastasia. Initially, he had brushed off Anastasia's hand to show that there was nothing between them anymore, but now he let it stay.
Eventually, the soft conversation of the two girls standing behind him reached his ears. A name he didn't want to hear was mentioned by Bella: Yudhis.
Hearing the name of the handsome man who always smiled gently at Claire somehow made Antony feel angry. The new fact he now knew was that they had known each other for quite a while and were getting close, which made him want to turn around and say something to the girl.
But what? What could he say to Claire? More importantly, what right did he have to express his thoughts to Claire?
The office was bustling when Claire and Bella returned from lunch. The female employees were huddled together, watching a square object that everyone clearly knew about."What are you all doing? Are you gossiping?" Bella asked nonchalantly as she sat back down at her desk. Like Claire, who had already taken her seat, Bella was reluctant to join the crowd and chose to focus on her work instead."There's some breaking news," one of her colleagues replied, quickly showing her phone screen in front of Bella's face. "It says here that Anastasia Moore just broke up with her boyfriend, who's a prominent businessman," the informant continued enthusiastically. Bella leaned in, took her colleague's phone, and read the article. "It's obvious they're still together, so why is this gossip account saying they broke up? From what I can see, their relationship looks very cozy."After handing the phone back, Bella shrugged, leaving it unclear whether she didn't know how to respond or simply didn't car
The status between Antony and Claire was strictly that of a boss and subordinate. The girl wasn't part of the PR team that needed to clarify issues he had created for the public. However, Antony personally wanted to emphasize to her that he and Anastasia had no relationship to avoid any misunderstandings between them. But the fact that Flavia was involved and Claire's reaction to his relationship with Anastasia hit him harder than he expected.Why was Antony being so cruel, not considering Flavia's feelings when Claire had pointed this out just last weekend? What kind of man was he? What kind of father was he?"If there's nothing else to discuss, I'll take my leave, Sir," Claire's words snapped Antony out of his thoughts. He looked at her and reflexively nodded his head.The room fell silent as Claire walked back to her cubicle. All eyes were clearly on her, their gazes filled with curiosity."What did he call you into his office for?" Bella was the first to voice her question, speaki
The car had just entered the parking area behind Antony's parents' house, and as he stepped out, he noticed Flavia sitting with Abigail and another teenage girl he didn't recognize. The three girls seemed engrossed in conversation but paused as soon as they saw Antony."Good afternoon, girls," Antony tried to sound as friendly as possible."Good afternoon, Uncle," Abigail and the other girl replied."You're home early this afternoon," Abigail commented, a remark that felt like a jab to Antony's ears. He had always hidden behind the excuse of "working late" to avoid his daughter."My workload wasn't too heavy today," Antony answered honestly.There was no way he could tell them that he had initially intended to use the girls as an excuse to spend more time with Claire, which unfortunately he couldn't do since Claire had plans with another man. Even if Claire didn't have plans with Yudhis, Antony doubted she would want to go home with him, especially since she had her own car and had sh
Abigail rested her chin on the bar table, her eyes watching her aunt as she prepared dinner for them."Don't you get a headache from just watching me this whole time? Why don't you grab a knife and help me prepare the food?" Claire spoke without taking her eyes off the meal she was making."I'm your guest. Everywhere else, guests get served food, not asked to help make it," Abigail responded casually.Claire could only shake her head at her niece's reply. If she weren't her niece, Claire might have already hit Abigail's mouth with a spatula for her cheeky attitude.Claire turned around and placed the steaming stir-fry on the table. Then she grabbed another plate, which she filled with fried chicken that she had drained earlier. She set the plate of chicken on the same table and then turned back to get the chili sauce."Aunty, what's Flavia's dad like at the office?" Abigail asked, biting into her fried chicken."Why do you ask?" Claire responded, smothering her chicken with sauce."I'
Abigail cheered, clapped her hands, and pinched Claire's cheek. "You're so smart! That intelligence must've come from me."Claire rolled her eyes, then flicked water from her hands onto Abigail's face. Startled, Abigail jumped back, wiping her wet face. "What are you doing?" she shrieked, running away as Claire laughed."Clearing your head so you stop saying weird things," Claire replied, annoyed."I'm not saying weird things. I'm talking after thinking it through carefully.""Thinking about what?""I've been thinking about the pros and cons for you if you marry Uncle Antony. And I'm praying that I'll benefit a lot from your marriage," Abigail answered honestly.Claire rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, staring directly at her niece. "So, after all that thinking, what are the pros and cons you've come up with?""The pro is that I'd get a super rich sister, and that's a guarantee for my future. I'd be able to eat good food, go shopping a lot, and especially buy the latest comic book
The next day, Claire was still upset by Abigail's statement about becoming Flavia's mother. As a result, she glared at Antony every time she saw him. Bella, noticing the change in her friend's demeanor, was too afraid to ask what was wrong for fear of getting caught in the crossfire of Claire's anger. Yes, Claire was that intimidating when she was mad.Meanwhile, Abigail felt sorry for her friend when she told her the truth, as Flavia's expression immediately turned sad.Abigail and Flavia were sitting in the living room of Flavia's home when they heard the front door open, revealing an elderly couple entering and greeting them."Granny! Grandpa!" Flavia exclaimed, immediately jumping up and running to greet her grandparents. She embraced the middle-aged couple with great enthusiasm, relieved to see them after several days apart. "Why are you back so early?" she asked, surprised. It hadn't even been two weeks since they had left, but here they were."i couldn't stand being away becaus
Claire's department was buzzing with excitement due to the announcement that one of their coworkers would be getting married this weekend. "Does that mean there will be a bachelor party?" asked a man from their division."Not at all; the timing is too tight," replied Chand, the main character of the group. "I'm sorry. But as a substitute for the bachelor party, I'll treat all of you tomorrow before I head back to my city." His promise earned cheers from his colleagues."What's going on here?" Shelly, who had just returned from a meeting outside the office with their big boss, looked at her team members in turn."For our beloved Ms. Spencer, I would like to present an invitation." Chand approached his superior dramatically."An invitation? An invitation to what?" Shelly exclaimed, taking the silver invitation in surprise, her smile quickly spreading across her face. "Oh my God, did someone finally take the bait?" she teased, eliciting laughter from her coworkers."This is for you, Sir.
"Are you crazy if you really went to a spa all the way in Thailand? Are you a sultan's child?" Bella commented right after the phone call ended.Claire just laughed. The truth was, they weren't at a spa or getting any treatments at all; they were on their way out of Kansas to attend Chand's wedding, which would take place the next day."I just wanted to throw her off," Claire replied flatly."Are you really fighting with your younger twin?" Bella asked, curious.Once again, Claire shrugged, making Bella shake her head. Bella couldn't force Claire to share if the girl didn't want to. So, she chose to change the subject."Must be nice to be Chan. He chose to get married on a pretty date," she commented while flipping over the invitation card in her hand.Claire, still focused on driving, raised an eyebrow at her coworker."Are you short on vitamin O? What's pretty about that date? It's not even unique," she commented flatly. She turned on the turn signal and took a right. They were alre
The two teenagers turned their heads simultaneously towards the aisle as they saw an ominous aura spread around them. Moreover, people were now looking in the same direction. Where the woman Flavia and Abigail had not expected to see had just appeared."Why is that woman there?" Abigail whispered to her best friend.Flavia who had been engrossed in her digital camera and taking pictures was now holding it languidly. "I don't know." She replied innocently. She looked back at the photo produced by her hand, choosing to ignore Abigail and her suspicions."Shall we go closer to them?" Abigail asked in a challenged tone.Flavia raised her head again and looked at her best friend with a furrowed brow. As Abigail started to take a step, Flavia held her back by holding Abigail's arm tightly and shaking her head."No, Abby." She said.Instead, she pulled her best friend's hand to walk away from the reception room and left the hall by walking in the hotel's garden area to take some photos as a
"Full?" asked Claire with a furrowed brow.Antony deliberately re-emphasized his lower body so that Claire was wide-eyed. "You know what I mean, right?" Antony whispered in the girl's ear that inevitably made Claire shudder in horror.The man's lips teased her, starting to caress the side of her face so that she unconsciously looked up and gave him the opportunity to explore the slender recesses of her neck."Can I ask for my rights now?" he asked in a pleading tone.Claire shook her head."Why again now?" Antony asked in a whining tone."Your body stinks," Claire said as she wrinkled her nose. "Go take a shower." She ordered as she turned Antony around and pushed him into her room until he reached her bathroom.Antony wanted to resist, but seeing his wife's glare, he finally went in.What's wrong with his wife. Why is it so hard to conquer her? Instead of spending time kissing hot and wet, Claire pushed him into the shower. Antony had hoped they would move on to the next stage that h
"Those two women were the answer to my mother's prayers," she said, anger flaring in her voice.Antony was taken aback. "No, darling. Your mother's prayers will never be answered like that.""Alright, they did come with certain intentions. But can't you see me? To me, they are nobody. In my eyes, in my heart, in my mind, there is only Claire, Claire, and Claire. There's no other woman." Antony coaxed her in a soothing tone.Claire couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Don't sweet-talk me," she replied with a hint of amusement.Antony shook his head. He stepped closer to his wife. Claire still had her arms crossed over her chest, and to maintain some distance from him, she leaned her body back."I'm not sweet-talking you, darling. I'm speaking the truth. If only there were experts who could read my mind and heart, you could ask them. I'm sure they would tell you the truth. And if they lied, I would bribe them to say what I want them to say," Antony said again.Claire rolled her eyes. Ant
"Those two women were the answer to my mother's prayers," she said, anger flaring in her voice.Antony was taken aback. "No, darling. Your mother's prayers will never be answered like that.""Alright, they did come with certain intentions. But can't you see me? To me, they are nobody. In my eyes, in my heart, in my mind, there is only Claire, Claire, and Claire. There's no other woman." Antony coaxed her in a soothing tone.Claire couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Don't sweet-talk me," she replied with a hint of amusement.Antony shook his head. He stepped closer to his wife. Claire still had her arms crossed over her chest, and to maintain some distance from him, she leaned her body back."I'm not sweet-talking you, darling. I'm speaking the truth. If only there were experts who could read my mind and heart, you could ask them. I'm sure they would tell you the truth. And if they lied, I would bribe them to say what I want them to say," Antony said again.Claire rolled her eyes. Ant
Antony stopped his car outside Claire's house and unlocked the gate with the spare key he had kept for a long time.Claire's car hadn't moved from its spot. It was still there since the last time Antony visited his fiancée's home, before Claire's family took her back.Who knows? Maybe Claire could hear the gate opening or maybe not. But one thing was clear: his wife did not welcome him at all because Claire's house felt eerily silent.Was Gladwin playing a trick on him? Who knows if Claire was really back at her house.He opened the front door and stepped inside, greeting her. Once again, there was no response. When Antony noticed Claire's bedroom door slightly ajar, he walked in.Claire wasn't there. All that was left was the small suitcase she had brought from the hotel room."Claire, sweetheart," Antony called out again, but still, there was no answer.Could it be that Claire left again after dropping off her suitcase and saw Gladwin leave? he wondered to himself.Antony continued
Quickly, Anastasia ran after Antony. She called his name repeatedly, but Antony chose to ignore her until her stiletto heels finally brought her close to him. She immediately reached out and grabbed Antony's arm, but he harshly brushed her off."Antony, listen to me. Please. I'm really sorry. I apologize," she said in a whiny tone.The woman tried to grab Antony's hand again, but he pushed her away once more, causing her to fall and kneel on the cold marble floor.Not wanting to give up, Anastasia wrapped her arms around Antony's legs, forcing him to stop."I'm truly sorry," she pleaded again, her voice desperate. She begged for the man's compassion, finally realizing that everything Antony had said in the room earlier was no joke. "I... I..." She couldn't find the words. "I'm sorry, please forgive me," she begged, tears starting to wet her face.Antony looked down at her with a sharp gaze. "Do you realize that what you're doing has crossed the line?" he asked in his cold tone.Anasta
Antony arrived at a luxurious five-star hotel located not too far from his family's hotel. As soon as he parked his car, he headed straight to the room Letizia had mentioned when he contacted his cousin earlier.Inside the lavish room rented by his ex-wife sat Antony's mother, Brianna Quirino, alongside her husband, Mr. Arthur. Meanwhile, Letizia stood with her hip leaning against the bar chair, her arms crossed over her chest.Don't ask where her children and husband were. Antony guessed that his sister-in-law was waiting for them somewhere.The three family members displayed different expressions, surely with different thoughts filled with questions that might mirror what was in Antony's own mind.On the other side of the room, right above the sofa facing away from the window, two women sat side by side. One was Anastasia, a woman he had pretended to date for work purposes. The other was his ex-wife, the woman he once loved deeply, who had given him a beautiful and devoted daughter.
But then Claire tried to clear her mind. She refused to believe that her mother could be so cruel to her; if that were the case, Claire might end up resenting her mother for the rest of her life.Disloyal? She didn't care about that word.Her face was already free of makeup, and her hair had been released from the beautiful tiara she had worn earlier. Now, the makeup artists helped Claire start to unbutton the lovely gown she had worn, which had so many buttons down the back.Once everything was removed, Claire opened her suitcase, searching for clothes. She decided to clean herself up in the bathroom that was in the dressing room.Feeling refreshed after showering and washing her hair, Claire put on the clothes she had chosen: a pair of jeans and a loose shirt instead of the dress Antony had picked out for her to wear on their honeymoon, which they were supposed to take right after the reception she was now reluctant to attend.No, she wouldn't just surrender herself to her husband a
The events proceeded according to the instructions from the host.Happy? Of course, Claire was happy. Especially seeing Bella's silly antics, who didn't hesitate to liven up the event alongside Gladwin and some of his office friends invited to the wedding, which surprised them as well.After all, Claire's absence from the office had already been quite shocking, and now they were suddenly presented with news of a wedding they had never seen any signs of."I had my suspicions when our big boss showed up at my wedding, and it turns out he was after the cheese in the sandwich," Chand whispered when his friend arrived with his wife. Claire could only smile in response to that accusatory remark.A snippet of the song that Adaline was singing on stage made Claire and Antony hold hands tightly, hoping that no obstacles would disturb them in the future.Guests began to dwindle. Amidst welcoming guests, they also took several photo sessions—not just with colleagues but also to capture moments w