Chapter 173
Alina blinked, momentarily at a loss. “What do you mean? You… you don’t mean to say you’re actually mad at me, do you?”
Anthony’s gaze hardened.
“You’re quite proud of yourself, aren’t you? You couldn’t even do the one thing I asked of you properly, and now you’ve gone and offended my brother and his Luna. Do you realize the mess you’ve created?”
Alina huffed, crossing her arms. “That’s not your real brother! It’s Sofia who’s being unreasonable. You should just tell him to control his little wife instead of blaming me!”
Anthony’s frown deepened. His voice dropped to a low, icy tone. “What did you just say?”
Alina’s disdainful scoff filled the silence between them. “I heard your ‘brother‘ grew up in the slums. You can’t seriously expect me to respect someone like that.
And now you’re acting like I’ve done something terrible? What, are you going to punish me over some commoner cousin?”
For a moment, Anthony simply stared at her, his jaw tightening.
His eyes were sharp, unreadable. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he motioned for his assistant to step. forward.
“You called for me, Young Master?” the assistant asked, glancing cautiously between Anthony and: Alina.
Anthony didn’t break his gaze from Alina as he spoke. “From this moment, I don’t want to see her name in the entertainment industry. Inform everyone.”
The assistant hesitated briefly, then nodded. “Understood.”
Alina’s eyes widened in shock, her face paling as the meaning of his words sank in. “What did you just say? Anthony, you’re not serious, are you?”
Anthony’s voice turned cutting.
“You just insulted my brother and his wife to my face. Do you think my family will believe I had nothing to do with your nonsense? You’ve humiliated me, Alina, and I won’t tolerate it.”
d 173
Her lips trembled as she tried to regain her footing. “But… but we’re close! You wouldn’t-”
Anthony didn’t let her finish.
“Close?” His laugh was bitter, devoid of humor. “If you think your looks and petty schemes can outweigh my family, you’re delusional. I’ll have nothing to do with you anymore.”
Without another word, Anthony turned and strode out of the hotel. Alina stood frozen, her world unraveling.
That very night, her downfall was swift and merciless. Her social media accounts were suspended, her endorsements vanished, and her name was wiped clean from every campaign she had been part of
Fans clamored online for answers, but their voices went unanswered. Alina had been silenced, erased without explanation.
Back at the hotel, Lirian and I returned to our suite. The tension from earlier had melted away, leaving behind a quiet, shared warmth between us.
As soon as we entered, Lirian’s calm, controlled demeanor shifted. His eyes softened, and his usual restraint gave way to an intensity that left me breathless.
From the door to the bed, his lips claimed mine in a fervent kiss. His hands trailed down my back, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.
I broke away briefly, gasping for air. “Is this what you came for?” I asked teasingly, though trembled slightly.
my voice
He smirked, his fingers gently tilting my chin up. “I love you,” he murmured, his words heavy withi emotion.
My heart fluttered at the tenderness in his voice, and I melted into his embrace. The weight of the day seemed to vanish, replaced by the comfort of his presence
Just as things began to escalate, the sharp trill of his phone shattered the moment.
Lirian groaned in frustration, reaching for the phone with clear reluctance. He answered it, put it on speakerphone, and tossed it onto the nightstand without even looking at the screen.
Anthony’s voice came through the speaker, far too chipper for the hour,
“Brother, I’ve handled everything. Alina’s been blocked everywhere. She’s out of the picture. Also… just to clarify again, she was never really my girlfriend. I broke up with her ages ago-”
Chapter 173
Lirian’s expression darkened. I tried to stifle a laugh at the timing, but the annoyance on his face
was too amusing.
Anthony’s oblivious voice continued, completely ignoring the silence on our end. “Are you still mad at me? Brother, come on, don’t be angry! If you are, just yell at me or something. Don’t hold it in. It’s not good for you-”
“Anthony.” Lirian interrupted sharply, his patience clearly fraying.
“Yes, Brother?”
“Get lost,” Lirian said flatly before hanging up the call with a quick press of the button.
I burst out laughing, unable to contain myself. “You’re mad?” I teased, running my fingers through his hair.
Lirian sighed, his forehead resting against mine. “He’s just so annoying sometimes.”
“Your brother cares about you, though,” I pointed out, trying to stifle my laughter. “He’s doing his best to make amends.”
Lirian’s lips brushed against my ear, his voice low and playful. “Complimenting another man in my presence?”
