Page 77 of Merciless Billionaire's Savage Desire

“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 thecourthousethat 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 herjust beforeyou were about to get that license?” Triston’s voice was rising with disbelief. “You’re telling me you turned your back on herat 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 someoneelse. 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.

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