Page 79 of Merciless Billionaire's Savage Desire

“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, sonowyou 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’mnotlistening,” she shot back, her voice trembling with rage. “You should take more time calming down. You don’t have to rush it. Take a fewyears—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 youreplacedme?! You got another secretary without even waiting 24 hours!”

Her voice trembled, not just with anger but with hurt.

“And you want to accusemeof 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 inmy woman’slife!”

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!”

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