Chapter 3

Shortly after the car started, Anya slowly regained consciousness in Dante's arms.

She leaned weakly on his shoulder, murmuring things like "I didn't mean to, I was just so scared when I couldn't find Leo."

Dante absentmindedly hummed in response.

Suddenly, Chloe's final look at him flashed before his eyes.

A strange pang hit his heart, but it was quickly replaced by impatience.

Women were such a hassle.

They made a huge fuss over every little thing. Was his personal safety so trivial in her eyes?

His phone suddenly vibrated.

He answered, his tone impatient: "Speak."

On the other end, his trusted subordinate Jax's voice was unusually panicked:

"Mr. King, something big happened with Ms. King…"

Dante rubbed his throbbing temples. "What happened?"

"I don't know, but they say Chloe was covered in blood!"

Dante just froze for a moment, then let out a scoff, "She's really playing the victim, isn't she?"

"Just yesterday you were saying she's too proud, that she'd never tolerate Anya and Leo's presence, right?"

His voice was firm and derisive. "She just wants to blow things up, force me to make a public statement, and completely ditch Anya. Isn't that always how women try to manipulate things?"

"But this time it just feels… off! Did Chloe have a miscarriage? They say her father collapsed right there! The whole place was chaos!"

The stress of the past few days and the current confusion pushed Dante's irritation to its peak.

"Alright, Jax."

Dante cut him off.

"You know how much I've wanted a child with her all these years. She never got pregnant."

Jax tried to say something else, but Dante's voice came again:

"I've just spoiled her too much, that's why she thinks she can manipulate me like this."

"But…"

"Enough. I know what I'm doing. I'll hang up now; I'll deal with this when I'm done here."

Dante hung up without further discussion, tossing his phone aside.

He told the driver to drive carefully, then adjusted his posture slightly to make Anya more comfortable in his arms.

His fingertips brushed away the sweat-dampened strands of hair from her forehead.

See.

Anya was so simple, so obedient, needing his complete protection and control.

And Chloe…

His eyes darkened.

When did she become so cunning, resorting to such methods to compete?

He felt a pang of disappointment.

He'd thought they were soulmates.

He chose to be honest before the wedding because he believed their bond was strong enough.

But she needed to know there were some lines she couldn't cross.

Upon arriving at the mansion, after much coaxing, Leo locked himself in his room, and Anya took a sedative and fell asleep.

Dante sat in his study, an unexplainable frustration simmering within him.

At this moment, he clearly realized that his carefully planned wedding had been ruined.

It could have gone so smoothly…

Anya timidly knocked on the study door:

"Dante, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to. I didn't know the wedding was today, and Leo was just having a tantrum and hid. I just panicked and wanted to see you, I never thought it would turn out like this."

"Did I… cause you and Ms. King trouble again?"

Looking at her fragile, helpless demeanor, Dante's irritation finally dissipated.

He sighed, his tone softening slightly: "It's fine now. Just keep a closer eye on Leo from now on, don't let him run off. You should rest too."

As he turned to handle some business, his encrypted phone rang.

It was one of his men at the hospital.

The man's voice was urgent as he relayed a few sentences.

Dante's face instantly changed. His steps halted for a second, then he clenched his fist violently.

Something truly terrible had happened at the wedding. Chloe had been rushed to the hospital with severe bleeding, and her father had died on the spot…