Chapter 137: Shutting her up.

"What the hell is Dante Monterrio doing with Amie?"

Rauf’s gaze remained on the two of them as they walked away.

He had no interest in who Amie chose to spend her time with. She could date the entire city for all he cared.

But Dante wasn’t just any man.

He was a Monterrio.

"Boss, the men are seated." Henson appeared beside him, informing him about the partners they had come to meet.

Rauf glanced at the entrance before taking another look at Amie, who was now seated in her car.

For a brief moment, he saw Dante turn and smirk at him before moving toward his own car.

Yet, surprisingly, Amie didn’t seem to notice Rauf at all as she drove off. All her attention seemed to be on the man who had just left her.

Dante, on the other hand, had clearly seen him.

"Reschedule my appointment with the partners. Something more urgent just came up."

"Okay, boss."

Rauf retraced his steps until he was back in his car. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello," a familiar voice filled his ears from the other end of the phone.

Without wasting time, Rauf told Serena about seeing Dante and Amie together.

"Do you think it’s just a coincidence, or did he approach her willingly?"

Serena sighed. "We can’t be sure. But there’s a possibility he approached her intentionally."

A sudden wave of understanding hit Rauf.

"Are you trying to say he might not be interested in Amie herself, but in the Vassari daughter?"

"I think Mother is right," Chris said. It was a conference call, so he had been connected as well.

If they were right and Dante was actually after the Vassari heir...

It meant June would have been the one in Amie’s position if the Monterrios knew the truth.

Rauf shuddered at the thought of letting June anywhere near Dante.

"Then I guess Mother’s plan must have worked," Chris said.

"Yeah, I think so," Serena confirmed. "But I didn’t know what they planned to do once they believed they had found my daughter. I’ve been waiting for them to make another move. Simply identifying her never seemed like enough."

Rauf thought about it for a moment.

"You should have seen how comfortable she was with him," he said. "Anyone would think they were a couple."

Chris chuckled. "And to think she always claimed the two of you were so deeply in love."

The reminder was a sharp sting to Rauf.

"I’ll soon be rid of her," he said. He didn’t want to continue discussing the subject, so he quickly changed it. "What do you plan to do about Dante?"

"Mother, I think it’s too dangerous to let Amie associate with him," Chris said. "We already know the kind of person she is. What if she betrays us to him?"

There was a brief silence, suggesting Serena was thinking about it.

Finally, she spoke.

"I think it’s best we leave them."

"Mother!"

"I know, Chris," Serena continued. "When this started, I expected the Monterrios to make a move against the woman they believed was my daughter. I just didn’t know what kind of move it would be."

"But this is Dante Monterrio we’re talking about."

"Exactly. If he approached Amie because he believes she’s my daughter, stopping them now would defeat the purpose of putting her there in the first place."

Chris remained silent for a moment.

"That’s what worries me," he eventually said. "Amie has already been trying to get information from one of our executives."

Rauf frowned. "What?"

Chris briefly explained how Amie had approached Arnold in search of information and how they had decided to control what Arnold gave her.

"That only makes this more dangerous," Rauf said. "If she’s already looking for information, what happens if she gets emotionally attached to Dante and starts giving him whatever she knows?"

"That’s why we’ll control what she has access to," Serena replied calmly. "For now, leave them alone."

Rauf didn’t like it.

But this was Serena’s plan, and Amie was inside her company.

After discussing it a little longer, Serena instructed Chris to monitor Amie more closely but not interfere with whatever was happening between her and Dante.

Rauf ended the call and drove home.

His mind wandered back to Serena’s decision.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was taking a dangerous risk.

Amie was already trying to get information about the company. If she became emotionally attached to Dante, what would stop her from revealing whatever she managed to learn to the Vassaris’ greatest rival?

When Rauf got home, he was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice June and Bingo in the compound.

It was one of the rare occasions June wasn’t cooped up in her little office.

With the amount of time she spent there, anyone would think she had forgotten the rest of the house existed.

"Are you okay?"

June’s voice finally caught his attention.

Rauf turned toward them.

Bingo was wagging his tail excitedly as though expecting a treat.

Rauf chuckled and ruffled his fur.

"I’m okay," he responded.

His gaze traveled over June in a familiar way, as though confirming that she was actually standing there in front of him.

"You have a strange look on your face," June said. "I thought something must have happened."

Rauf smiled slightly.

They were supposed to be working together now. There was no reason to keep what had happened from her.

"I saw Dante today."

June’s expression immediately changed.

"Where?"

"With Amie."

Her eyebrows shot up.

Rauf slowly narrated what he had seen.

June listened patiently without interrupting.

When he finished, she stared at him.

"Does she have any idea who he is?"

Rauf shrugged. "I have no idea. But you know how Amie likes to cling to wealthy and powerful people. It probably won’t take long before she starts seeing him as another stepping stone."

June shook her head.

"I don’t think a man like Dante would appreciate being used."

"Well, your mother decided we should watch what happens between them."

June considered that for a moment before something else suddenly occurred to her.

"But is she supposed to fraternize with another man while she’s still married to you?"

Rauf paused.

His eyes narrowed at her.

It had been different when Chris teased him about it, but hearing those words from June made something twist unpleasantly inside him.

"I told you. She was never my wife."

June nodded.

"The certificate says otherwise."

Even though it hurt to say it, she forced the words out.

Rauf closed the small distance between them and leaned toward her.

His gaze moved over every detail of her face, from her eyes to her small nose, before finally settling on her lips.

"What do I have to do to convince you?"

June said nothing.

"Fine." His voice lowered. "Amie should receive the divorce papers soon."

June opened her mouth to tell him it was none of her business.

But before she could say a word, Rauf lowered his head and kissed her.