Anastasia stormed out of the restaurant, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floors. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, shock, and a simmering panic that made her hands tremble. Dante's parting words echoed in her head like a warning bell.
"The next time we meet, you'll be signing your name to be my wife."
What the hell did that even mean?
Her heart pounded as she stepped outside into the cool night air, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt exposed, like Dante had unraveled something inside her that she had buried long ago.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
The blind date had been meant as a sabotage—a clever little scheme she and Caroline had cooked up. A plan to humiliate Theodore fucking Belmont and put an end to the ridiculous wedding her father had arranged. And yet, somehow, Theodore had vanished, only to be replaced by the one man she never wanted to see again.
Dante Alexander Montgomery.
The ex she had spent years trying to forget.
The ex who now had every intention of making sure she paid for their past.
She yanked open the car door and slid inside, gripping the wheel like it was the only thing tethering her to reality. Her fingers fumbled as she grabbed her phone, quickly dialing Caroline's number.
One ring.
Two rings.
Straight to voicemail.
Anastasia let out a sharp breath and tried again.
Still nothing.
She cursed under her breath, her frustration bubbling over. Of all the times for Caroline to ignore her calls, it had to be now? Seriously?
Slamming the car into drive, she sped through the streets, weaving through traffic with reckless determination.
If Caroline thought she was getting away with this, she had another thing coming.
---
By the time Anastasia reached Caroline's penthouse, she was fuming. She stormed through the door, tossing her purse onto the nearest couch as she headed straight for Caroline's room.
She didn't bother knocking.
She shoved the door open, finding Caroline sprawled on her bed, scrolling through her phone as if she hadn't just ruined Anastasia's life.
The moment Caroline saw her, she let out a nervous laugh. "Hey, babe. So, how did it go?"
Anastasia narrowed her eyes. "You tell me."
Caroline's lips twitched, her fingers tightening around her phone. "Uh… why do I feel like you're about to kill me?"
"Because I am."
Anastasia snatched the nearest pillow and hurled it at her. Caroline barely dodged, tumbling off the bed in the process.
"What the hell, Stassi?!" Caroline yelped, scrambling to her feet.
Anastasia took a step forward, eyes blazing. "You set me up, Caroline! I agreed to meet Theodore Belmont, not—" she exhaled sharply, as if saying his name would summon him, "—Dante."
Caroline blinked. "Wait… what?"
"Oh, don't play dumb," Anastasia snapped, grabbing another pillow. "Why the hell was my blind date switched?"
Caroline's expression turned sheepish. "Well… I figured even if there was a switch, you'd still be able to pull it off. I trusted your skills."
Anastasia let out a strangled noise before lunging at her. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Caroline shrieked and bolted.
They tumbled out of the bedroom, Caroline laughing hysterically while Anastasia chased after her.
"I swear to God, Caroline, if you don't start running faster, I'm going to—"
"AHHHH!"
Caroline raced toward the elevator, but one look at the slow-closing doors and she changed direction, sprinting toward the stairs instead.
Anastasia followed, her anger fueling every step. "You better start explaining, or I swear, I'm tossing you off this building."
Caroline panted as she skipped down the steps two at a time. "Oh my God, Stassi, relax! It's not like you were set up with a serial killer—"
"I WOULD PREFER A SERIAL KILLER OVER HIM!"
Caroline skidded to a halt, her eyes widening. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean him?"
Anastasia sucked in a breath before spitting out the name like a curse.
"Dante. Alexander. Montgomery."
Silence.
Then—
Caroline's jaw dropped.
"No. Fucking. Way."
Anastasia ran a hand through her hair, pacing. "Yeah. Fucking way."
Caroline gaped at her, processing the information. "Stassi… don't tell me he is your ex."
Anastasia threw her hands in the air. "That's exactly what I'm telling you!"
Caroline inhaled sharply. "Oh… we're so screwed."
"No shit, Sherlock."
Caroline clutched her chest dramatically. "I need a moment. I'm having heart palpitations."
Anastasia glared. "Oh, you need a moment? I just sat through an entire dinner with a man who wants to ruin my life."
Caroline pointed at her accusingly. "And why didn't you just leave?"
"He wouldn't let me!"
Caroline gasped. "Oh my God, he kidnapped you?!"
"No, you idiot! He just… cornered me." Anastasia huffed, sinking onto the nearest step. "And then he dropped some cryptic, terrifying warning before letting me go."
Caroline groaned, dropping onto the step beside her. "How bad?"
Anastasia turned to her, eyes dark. "He said the next time we meet, I'll be signing my name to be his wife."
Caroline froze.
Then she whispered, "Oh my God, Stassi… you are so screwed."
Anastasia buried her face in her hands. "I know."
They sat there in silence, absorbing the weight of the situation.
Then Caroline cleared her throat. "Okay, so… what are we going to do now?"
Anastasia lifted her head, looking at her best friend with hollow eyes. "I have no idea."
Before Caroline could respond, Anastasia's phone buzzed.
Her stomach twisted at the farmiliar number.
She hesitated before answering. "Hello?"
A familiar, clipped voice came through the line. "Anastasia."
She stiffened. "Mother?"
Genevieve Laurent's tone was sharp. "There's an emergency. Come home now."
Click.
The line went dead.
Anastasia lowered the phone, her blood running cold.
Caroline frowned. "Who was that?"
She swallowed hard. "My mother."
"And?"
"She said there's an emergency."
Caroline straightened. "What kind of emergency?"
Anastasia's grip tightened around her phone.
"I don't know. But I have a really bad feeling about this."