“Anthony,” I called out to him.
“Yes?” Anthony was laser-focused on the task at hand.
“We promised we wouldn’t lie to each other. I need to know the truth. I don’t want to find out from anyone else.”
He paused in the middle of peeling. A moment later, he continued moving the knife as he removed the peel completely. Only then did he lift his head to look at me. Passing the apple to me, he said, “When we’re in M Country, those men knew they couldn’t afford to offend John, so they lied about the toxin’s lethality. They pretended that it could be cured with medication so that it would give them time to escape. In truth, the medication can only temporarily inhibit the toxin’s effects on your body. It can’t get rid of it.”
The apple in my hand suddenly weighed a ton. I felt at a loss of what to do.
Though I was still in a haze before I opened my eyes earlier, I could clearly hear the word “fatal” from John’s mouth.
No one was ever really ready for death. The nearer the moment loomed, the more chilling it felt.
When he noticed the fear on my face, Anthony took my hand and placed it over his heart.
“I will always be with you, for better or worse. And I promise to get you treated no matter what. Do you trust me, Sienna?”
Even though he was almost whispering, Anthony’s voice reverberated loudly through my heart.
Anthony was someone who made me feel like I could take on the whole world. With him around, I never needed to fear.
I gripped his hand tight, all my worries vanishing in that instant as I whispered, “I trust you.” Even if it was my last day on earth, I wanted to spend it with no regrets.
Anthony stayed with me at the Stanhope residence until the wee hours of the morning. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness and insecurity as I watched him leave. Without him around, the world seemed a little harsher and colder.
I was starting to space out when I got pulled back into reality by my phone’s ringing.
It was odd that anyone would call at two in the morning. But since I couldn’t fall asleep, I picked up my phone to check who the caller was.
Alas, it was Zander. Not quite the call I had expected, I decided to let him wait for a while more before answering.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Hoffman?” I asked harshly.
Ever since I found out that Zander was in cahoots with the people who poisoned me, I had lost all respect for him. As such, I saw no need to be polite toward him.
“What happened today was my fault. You were right. I’ve indeed gone too far. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
An apology? Is that necessary? Did he want to make peace because he’s worried about me leaving Tinsel Group and ruining their plan?
“Oh, that? I don’t remember it anymore. But Mr. Hoffman, are you sure it’s appropriate to call your female coworker this late at night? Aren’t you afraid of gossip?” I was on the brink of death and didn’t care if I offended anyone. Besides, after everything Zander had done, he deserved to feel my wrath.
As if pondering his choice of words, Zander replied after some hesitation, “I’ve been most inconsiderate. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”
“Get out of my life if you’re really sorry. Oh, by the way, you’re fired. Goodbye.”
With that, I hung up the phone before he could even react or protest against it.
In my current condition, neither John nor Anthony would want me to return to Tinsel Group to fish for information. The work intensity there would be too much for my body to bear.
The next day, Emery called to ask if I could accompany her to a ribbon-cutting ceremony. She didn’t know about my poisoning incident and just wanted to hang out with me. Naturally, I agreed.
The Moores were born entrepreneurs, and Emery was no exception. She was a talented trader who always knew what stocks to buy. Rather than continue being in the employment of her previous company, she decided to start her own, which turned out to be the best investment decision she ever made.
Indeed, all entrepreneurs were scheming. Emery wouldn’t have gotten to where she was today if she wasn’t crafty enough.
When I arrived at her office, Emery was in a meeting with her staff. The flair of a young, successful leader came naturally to her as she mentored and instructed her team.
Upon seeing me, Emery dismissed them and made her way toward me. “Where’s Emma? Didn’t I invite her too?”
“Oh, she got called back for an urgent meeting by her editor. She said she’s very sorry about missing the opening ceremony.”
The truth was Emma wanted to avoid Emery at all costs. She was worried that her tongue might slip and spill the beans about Hunter.
“Which magazine publisher is she in again? The audacity of them to snatch her away from me,” she muttered. However, she soon got over it as she dragged me around the office to make introductions.
It was almost ten when everyone gathered downstairs for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Even though he was slightly late, Hunter still confidently strode through the crowd toward Emery. After planting a kiss on Emery’s forehead, he looped his arm around her and smiled at the reporters who were eagerly waiting for them.
Hunter and Emery seemed like the picture-perfect couple, much to the envy of others around them. However, the more Hunter smiled, the more I found it fake and off-putting. I finally understood why Emma decided against attending the ceremony. After having known the truth about Hunter, there was no way she would have been able to feign ignorance in front of him.
Meanwhile, Hunter was being the perfect gentleman. Ever so charismatic and impeccably dressed, even the female reporters couldn’t help but steal glances at him.
“Alright, since everyone’s here, we can begin the ribbon-cutting ceremony! Let’s… “
“Wait!” Emery interrupted before the emcee could go on. “We’re still waiting for someone.”
The words had only just left her mouth when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd and waved eagerly at him.
Everyone followed her gaze till their eyes landed on Anthony, who was looking as cool as a cucumber.
He swiftly made his way toward them and stood beside Hunter. The ribbon-cutting ceremony went on as scheduled to roaring applause.
While the reporters were busy taking photos, Emery gently elbowed me to get my attention. “So, what about it?” she whispered, a polite smile still plastered on her face.
“What about what?” I replied in confusion.
“I’m talking about Anthony.” Emery sighed as she rolled her eyes. “You should take this chance to talk to him. You’ve gotten your kid back, so why not just restore your marriage?”
Oh, so that’s what she’s trying to get at.
I had almost forgotten that other than the Stanhope family, no one else knew that Anthony and I had faked our divorce. Still, it warmed my heart to see Emery being so concerned about me, even on such an important day.
A sudden wave of guilt washed over me. I knew that sooner or later, I would have to find an opportunity to tell her the truth.
I was still mulling over it when the ceremony ended. Emery left to entertain the reporters as she showed them around the office. As a member of the Moore family and a prominent figure in the business world, it was doubly important that her business got good coverage to increase her brand exposure.
As the guests and reporters gradually made their way into the office, a woman emerged from the crowd and gracefully made her way toward Emery and Hunter.
I held my breath as soon as I recognized her. She was the woman whom I had seen with Hunter the other day. Who exactly is she?
“Hello, Mrs. Zane, I’m Delilah. I’m here on behalf of our Economic Society to congratulate Professor Zane and yourself.” There was a charming lilt to her voice as she handed a gift to Emery.
Unbeknownst to others, I could see the deviousness behind that fake, innocent smile of Delilah’s. I had seen the same expression far too often on Rylee, and the memories that flooded back only irked me even more.
I had a sudden urge to step in and protect Emery from this vile woman, but before I could make any move, a hand shot out from behind to stop me. When I turned around and came face to face with Anthony, he shook his head lightly to remind me not to do anything rash.
Even though I wasn’t sure what his intentions were, I nodded back to indicate my understanding. Anthony seemed a lot more relieved after that and stepped away.
Emery accepted the gift from Delilah happily before handing it to Hunter. “Thank you, Delilah. Please, do come in.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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