Chapter 18 Jealousy
Janet’s eyes widened, but her pride wouldn’t let her back down. “Charles, is something wrong? Why are you so upset today?”
Charles' eyes darkened, and he took a deep breath. "It’s nothing. Just not a good time. Please leave.”
He turned away and headed into the house, giving a curt order to the maid. "Close the door once she leaves."
Janet, humiliated and angry, huffed loudly.
She wanted to lash out at Charles, but she knew better. If she wanted to secure a future with Dante, she needed to keep a low profile. So, swallowing her pride, she glanced back into the house one last time before stepping outside, her glare burning a hole in the door as it shut behind her.
Upstairs, Anya had been listening to the entire exchange. When she finally came down, Charles’ stern expression softened the moment he saw her. His anger faded, replaced by a tenderness that only Anya could bring out.
"Come here," he said softly, lifting his hand toward her.
"Hey, Dad," she said softly, walking up to him.
He smiled and lifted a hand to gently pat her head. "How was your first day?"
"It was alright," Anya answered, her tone casual, but her eyes lingered on him with concern. "But you don’t look alright, Dad. What’s wrong?"
Charles’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. His skin was pale, and there was a shadow of exhaustion on his face that hadn’t been there before. It made him look older than he was, as if the weight of something heavy was pressing down on him.
"I’m fine," he said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Don’t worry about it. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you again, I promise."
Anya’s concern deepened. "Dad, what’s going on?"
Charles exhaled deeply, brushing a hand over his face before giving her another forced smile. "Nothing. I just miss your mom," he said quietly, his voice breaking just a little. "You need to study hard and take over the company soon, so I don’t have to worry about you anymore, okay?"
Anya nodded, but her eyes were still filled with worry.
He smiled at her, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He turned and walked away, his shoulders slumped, his steps slow. Anya’s heart tightened as she watched him go, the unease growing in her chest.
***
Triston walked into Dante’s office with a slight frown on his face, his eyes scanning the room.
"Where’s Anya?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion. "She still hasn’t come back?"
Dante didn’t look up. His focus remained on the stack of papers in front of him, his finger mechanically scrolling through them, but his mind was elsewhere, swirling with thoughts that had nothing to do with work.
“You’re really going to fire her and just leave it like that?” Triston asked, frowning at Dante’s silence. “Last time I was here, your secretary said Anya took two days off for a sprained ankle. And when she finally came in, she found out you’d fired her.” He paused, disbelief in his voice. “I thought you’d bring her back by now. Don’t tell me you actually let her go for good.”
Dante’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. "What?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper. "She took two days off because she had hurt her leg?"
Triston stared at him, his face shifting from concern to disbelief. "You didn’t know? Why are you looking at me like that? Why do you look so surprised?"
Dante stood up, his eyes fixed on Triston, though he wasn’t truly seeing him.
His mind was spinning, replaying that day at the courthouse—how he’d walked away from her, seething. And when she didn’t show up at the office for the next two days, his anger only deepened, pushing him to impulsively replace her with a new secretary without a second thought.
But he hadn’t known she was hurt.
Triston let out a sharp breath as realization hit him. "Wait… you fired her because she didn’t talk to you, and also took two days off without telling you? And you didn’t even check on her for two days?"
Dante didn’t answer. He just stood there, the reminder of what he’d done sinking in, heavy and unforgiving.
Dante gritted his teeth, his head dropping as he stared blankly at the table.
“Are you regretting firing her now?” Triston asked, half-teasing.
Dante’s eyes slowly lifted to meet his, cold and sharp. The dark intensity in his gaze instantly wiped the smirk off Triston’s face.
He cleared his throat, growing serious. “It’s too late anyway. She’s already joined Carter’s company.”
Dante’s eyes immediately burned at the name. His entire body stiffened as he looked at Triston, barely masking the anger rising inside him.
“She already started working for others?” he muttered, jaw tight.
Triston gave a casual shrug. “Yeah. She’s working at Carters’ company now. I heard about it a few days ago.”
With every word, Dante’s face darkened, his eyes burning with rage.
Triston raised a brow. “You know what’s even more surprising? Luca, who’s always kept his distance from women, hired her as his personal secretary.”
“His personal secretary?” Dante’s tone dropped, low and dangerous. He scoffed, rage flaring in his eyes. “She’s working as his personal secretary? Personal fucking secretary to that—”
Triston leaned back against the table, a deep frown settling on his face. “Now that I think about it… why would he make an exception for her?”
His expression tightened. “I always thought Luca would be more interested in wooing the Carter family’s daughter. They’re family friends, and he already handles most of their business. It just made sense.”
Then he paused. A thought suddenly hit Triston.
“Wait a fucking minute…” Triston’s eyes widened as something suddenly clicked into place. His voice dropped, filled with disbelief. “What if… what if Anya is actually Annie?”
He looked at Dante, whose expression had turned to stone.
“That would explain everything,” Triston went on, his words rushing now. “Why she never told you where she’s living… why she suddenly got close to Luca… and that million-dollar ring he gave her? Doesn’t that seem a little too much for a ‘just friend’?”
His thoughts spiraled faster. “Now that I think about it, didn’t they find Annie right around the time Anya got kicked out by the Foxes?”
The silence that followed was suffocating.
“Shit,” Triston muttered, voice low. “It’s her. It has to be.”
Dante’s expression went blank for a moment, his mind working furiously to process what Triston had said. He remembered the day she left, the frustration he felt, and now the reality of her being so close to Luca was gnawing at him like acid.
“Luca’s always been this disciplined, uptight guy. No women, no distractions. And now, suddenly, he hires her? No way. She’s gotta be someone he’s close to. She’s probably been under his radar this whole time.”
Dante’s fists clenched at his sides. His emotions were a storm inside him—rage, jealousy, confusion. The thought of Anya being so close to Luca made him uneasy. He couldn’t stand it.
“Anya told me he’s her friend,” Dante muttered, his voice low and dangerous.
Triston snorted. “A friend? Seriously? The Fox family’s so irrelevant they can’t even get past the security gates at the Carters’ place. Hell, they wouldn’t make it through your front door if it weren’t for James and Griffin being long-time friends. Then how can Anya have any connection with Luca? And you think Luca—who’s never had a single scandal his whole life—would make an exception for a random friend?”
His voice dropped, more serious now. “There were always rumors that Luca and Charles were looking for Annie together. She’s the one who grew up with him after his parents died when he was just a few months old. Luca lived with Charles from a young age, and Charles made sure Luca inherited his parents’ shares in the company. Luca also had control of their company, and they were both focused on finding her.”
Dante’s hands clenched into fists at that. ‘That bastard.’ He swallowed the curse, jaw tightening.
The thought that Anya and Luca shared a bond from the time they were children made Dante feel sick. He hated it. He wanted to be the only man in her life, the only one who ever mattered to her—past, present, and future.
“Luca was seven when Charles lost Annie,” Triston muttered, pacing now, thoughts racing. “And she was only two. But Luca remembered her. Charles always said that when Luca was young, he’d always thought he’d grow up and marry Annie. And now that she’s back…”
He ran a hand through his hair. “So, here’s what I think. Anya’s gone back to Charles and Luca. They’re giving her everything she needs, grooming her to take over eventually.”
Then he stopped and turned to Dante. “But we need to confirm. Right now, it’s all just guesswork. You haven’t seen Annie in all these months, have you?”
Dante rubbed his eyes, frustration and anger making his vision blur. “She never showed up… not on the date, not when we went to her house, not even when we invited her out,” he muttered. “Charles kept saying she had some kind of rare skin allergy—that it was contagious, so she’s been locked in a room or something.”
Triston frowned, then scoffed, disbelief flashing in his eyes. “Dude, what kind of fucking sickness or allergy lasts for months? That sounds like bullshit.”
Dante met his eyes, his own frown deepening as the thought settled over him, making him even more agitated.
Triston crossed his arms. “I think it’s time you stop waiting for answers and see the truth for yourself. Maybe it’s time to let Anya reveal who she really is.”
Dante’s jaw tightened. He clenched his fists, teeth grinding. “I even went to get a marriage license with Anya,” he admitted, voice low and bitter. “She kept saying she had something to tell me.”
Triston’s eyes widened. He stared at Dante, stunned. “She was at the courthouse that day to get a marriage license with you?”
Dante nodded, his tone hardening. "We almost got it, but then I saw the ring Luca gave her. I lost my mind and walked out."
“God damn,” Triston muttered, his jaw dropping in shock. “You seriously walked away from your wedding? Five minutes before the marriage?”
Dante’s face tightened.
“When you told us that day you were going to get a marriage license but didn’t go through with it, I thought maybe you broke up in a hotel room, or some office, or some shit. But you left her just before you were about to get that license?” Triston’s voice was rising with disbelief. “You’re telling me you turned your back on her at the goddamn courthouse ?”
Dante’s fists clenched. "Yeah, it wasn’t a damn chapel, Triston. It was just the courthouse," he snapped, frustration leaking into his voice.
"Same damn thing!" Triston shot back. "Have you completely lost your mind? How’s that any different from walking out on a bride, standing at the altar, waiting for her fucking groom?"
Dante's eyes burned as the realization suddenly dawned, and his face tensed up.
"In my jealousy, I hadn't even realized the gravity of my actions. I just walked out without a second thought because I wanted to get away from that place... that damn ring from Luca had burned me so much that it made me think Anya betrayed me by accepting a ring from another man." He spoke to Triston with a grim voice.
"You thought she cheated on you?" Triston asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"No," Dante said immediately, then took a deep breath. "No. It wasn’t cheating. It was just... I felt betrayed. Not by cheating, but by her refusing to accept what I offered. She took it from another goddamn man. A man who owns a multi-million-dollar industry and is on the same level as me." Dante muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in tension. "I felt threatened. I don’t know how to explain it, but I lost my mind. I didn’t think about anything except the thought that Anya was going to be stolen by someone else. I walked out first because I didn’t want to be the one left behind when she left me."
Triston put his hands on his head and then looked at the ceiling in silent contemplation.
"Are you even hearing yourself?" Triston questioned.
Dante’s anger flared again. He picked up a paperweight from the table and threw it toward Triston. Triston caught it just in time, holding it in his hands before it could hit him square in the forehead.
Triston finally tossed the paperweight onto the couch and turned to face Dante.
"It doesn’t really matter if she’s Anya, or Annie, or some other goddamn rich heiress hiding things from you. You need to get that girl back. And treat her nicely. Treat her to the fucking world, for God's sake. You walked out on her on her wedding day! Just imagine what was going through her mind when you did that.”
Dante’s jaw clenched, and his eyes burned with intensity. Triston's words hit him like a punch to the gut.
“If she’s willing to marry you at the courthouse with no expectations, no deals, no prenup, think about how much she must like you to marry you. And you walked out on her." Triston shook his head. "Holy fucking Hell, Dante. How can you be this jealous?"
Dante gritted his teeth, his jaw tight as his mind raced.
His chest tightened with the thought that Anya might never come back to him. The terror of losing her forever gnawed at him.
He hadn’t realized it until now, but he had let jealousy and pride cloud his judgment.
***
At the Kingsley Manor, Janet paced back and forth, her eyes darting around the room as unease settled deep in her chest. Something wasn’t right. The pieces didn’t fit, and the more she thought about it, the worse her gut felt.
“That day… the sweater at the Carters’ house,” she muttered under her breath. “And that voice. Right before Charles pushed me out—when he was furious—I heard her voice when that maid closed the doors. It was so familiar… no, identical to Anya’s.”
Her thoughts raced, chasing possibilities she didn’t want to face. “Could it be true? Was Anya really Charles’ daughter? The long-lost Annie?”
She clenched her fists, panic beginning to crawl up her spine. “But I don’t have proof,” she whispered. “How do I even begin to confirm this?” Her lips curled in frustration. “Maybe I should just ask her directly. If it’s true, she wouldn’t hide it from me. She’s probably dying to brag about it. It’s not every day someone finds out they’re a goddamn heiress.”
Her stomach twisted at the thought. ‘If Anya really is Charles’ daughter… if she goes back to them…’
“I’d lose everything,” Janet whispered, her voice shaking now. “If I let her slip away, everything I built would fall apart.”
Without wasting another second, she grabbed her phone. Her fingers hovered over the screen before she straightened her expression and finally dialed Anya’s number.
The moment Anya answered, Janet launched in flatly, “I want to meet you. Let’s meet at Evenlyn Café tonight. Six o'clock.”
“Why?” Anya replied in the same flat tone, not bothering with any greeting.
Janet frowned immediately. “What do you mean why? Because I asked you to.”
“I’m not going to meet you, Mrs. Kingsley,” Anya said coldly. “I have no interest in ever seeing you again—even if we cross paths on the street.”
Janet’s face burned with anger. “Why are you talking to me like this? I really have something important to discuss with you.”
“I’m sure you do,” Anya muttered, her voice sharp. “But what’s important to you isn’t important to me.”
Just as she was about to hang up, Janet blurted quickly, “Are you still angry about that little fight the day you left?”
“A little fight?” Anya scoffed. Her voice rose. “You call that a little fight? That day, you almost had me raped, assaulted, and humiliated. And now you’re seriously asking me this?”
Janet took a deep breath, forcing her voice to stay calm. “Alright, alright—I get it. Maybe it was my fault. I shouldn’t have tried to scare you. But look, we’re talking now, right? You stayed at our house for some days. Can’t we meet once and forget it? Start fresh?”
Anya’s response was colder than ice. "I’ll think about it."
“There’s nothing to think about. You just have to come and talk to me. A quick chat tomorrow at the café—”
“I said I’ll think about it,” Anya said firmly. “If I want to meet, I will.”
And with that, she hung up, jaw clenched in frustration. Just as she slammed her phone on the table, it rang again. Dante’s name flashed on the screen.
She picked up the call anyway.
“What now?” she snapped. “Did your mother send you to convince me?”
On the other end, Dante frowned. Her voice was sharp, tense. “My mom called you? Why?”
Anya let out a long breath and shut her eyes briefly, seemingly realizing he had no idea about Janet’s call.
“What do you want, Mr. Kingsley? What did you call me for today?"
There was a pause, and Dante’s voice dropped, a little darker. “You started working at the Carters’?”
“Yes,” she answered plainly.
“As Luca Stanson’s assistant?”
“Yes,” Anya answered bluntly. “And what’s it got to do with you?”
Dante’s jaw twitched at her words, his lips tightening in anger. She was treating him like a stranger—like he was just some annoying caller.
Anya continued, the bitterness in her tone clear.
“You fired me, remember? And since you left me at the courthouse—right before we could get married—there’s no romantic relationship left either. In fact, there’s no relationship between us at all anymore. So, why are you suddenly so concerned about my life updates?"
Dante’s hand clenched around his phone. His eyes darkened as he stared out the window at the cold, distant night sky.
“Let’s calm down,” he said quietly. “Don’t escalate things. I need us to talk—patiently and calmly—”
“Oh, so now you want to calm down?” she scoffed bitterly. “Really?”
Then her tone turned sharp, unforgiving.
“I’m not interested in calming down. Goodbye. Don’t call me again!”
She moved to hang up when his voice snapped through the line again.
“You have to listen to me when I’m talking to you!”
“I’m not listening,” she shot back, her voice trembling with rage. “You should take more time calming down. You don’t have to rush it. Take a few years —and when you’ve finally calmed down to death, then maybe call me.”
“I’m trying to have a fucking conversation with you, but you keep arguing!” Dante hissed, his breath catching in frustration.
“Why should I listen?” she barked. “You didn’t listen to me when I tried to explain! You left me— left me —alone at the courthouse like I was nothing. You didn’t even glance back! I called out to you, and you walked off! So how fucking dare you call me now, you asshole!”
“Hey!” Dante growled, his teeth grinding as he began pacing back and forth in his office. “You don’t know why I walked off?! You already knew Luca from before, didn’t you? But every time I was around, you pretended like you didn’t know him!”
His voice was cracking with fury now, the image of her laughing and sitting close to Luca in that photograph flashing before his eyes, eating at him, gnawing at his control.
“And then you accepted expensive gifts from him? Am I dead to you? Why didn’t you ask me for anything? Why didn’t you accept that ring when I tried to give it to you? How the hell can you blame me for walking away when you did all that so thoughtlessly?”
Anya let out a sharp, shocked laugh, nearly breathless. “You’re one to talk?” she snapped. “Dante Kingsley, I didn’t come to the office for two days, two damn days, and you replaced me?! You got another secretary without even waiting 24 hours!”
Her voice trembled, not just with anger but with hurt.
“And you want to accuse me of not thinking about you? I could just as easily accuse you of having women lined up behind my back, considering how quickly you moved on. Who knows what you were doing to already have someone ready to take my place?”
“Anya, you’re not making any sense,” Dante gritted out, spinning his chair around in frustration and slamming a hand on his desk. “I’m asking you all these things clearly because I don’t want any other man in my woman’s life!”
Anya’s eyes flashed with anger. "So you’re just going to just walk away every time there’s something you don’t like?" Her voice rose, getting sharper.
“Great. Good to know that. I don’t want to be with someone like you. You’ve already found yourself a new secretary—now go and find another damn woman to marry!”
She slammed her fingers on the phone, pressing the red button until it disappeared completely.
Dante stood there, the line going dead in his ears. He tossed the phone to the table.
His already dark expression somehow turned even darker. He slammed the phone down onto the table, his frustration bubbling over. Without a word, he grabbed the vase from his desk and hurled it across the room. It slammed into the wall with a deafening crash.