Part 29

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?