Chapter 13
Alex’s POV
I was puzzled as to why Julia wasn’t panicking at all. The entire company was at the verge of crashing, scrambling to find solutions after my withdrawal of investment, yet she remained unmoved. Not a single attempt to meet me, no desperate pleas, no anxious calls, nothing.
Something didn’t sit right.
I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping against the surface of my desk, and turned to my secretary, Cornel. “Find out what Julia has been up to these days. I want a detailed report.”
Cornel bowed slightly before leaving my office. I expected to hear something my instinct had been telling me, perhaps she was meeting with new investors, or busy having fun with Lynwood.
When Cornel returned, I was prepared for anything, perhaps hearing how she had been running for help from one company to another.
“She has been shopping, sir,” the secretary stated. “She dined alone a few times,”
I frowned. “That’s all? Nothing else?”
Comel hesitated for a second before shaking her head.
“Has she met with Lynwood?” I demanded.
“No. There has been no contact between them recently. They haven’t met at all.”
I clenched my jaw. That made even less sense. If Julia wasn’t looking for alternative investors, wasn’t seeking financial support elsewhere, then what was she doing? Simply letting her company collapse?
I exhaled sharply, my frustration mounting. “Bring Scarlett over.”
Cornel quickly left to do as I ordered.
Scarlett arrived a few minutes later, her face filled with worry. She didn’t even bother with pleasantries and immediately fell to her knees in front of my desk.
“Alex please, you have to help us! The company…”
I cut her off with a cold stare. “Why isn’t Julia doing anything? The entire company is in chaos, yet she’s not making a move. Does she think she can win against me by acting indifferent?”
Scarlett bit her lip, her desperation evident. “I don’t know. I don’t understand it either. I thought she would come to you, try to negotiate, but she hasn’t…”
! leaned forward, my fingers interlaced. “So you mean to tell me that she’s simply letting everything crumble?”
Scarlett lowered her head. “It seems that way.”
A bitter chuckle escaped my lips. Julia who used to revolve around me, who once used every method imaginable to become my fiancée was now acting as if I didn’t exist. Where was the woman who had clung to me so desperately? The one who had tried so hard to marry me?
I withdrew my investment, That alone should have sent her running to me, pleading for me to reconsider. But instead, she had walked away, called off the engagement, and gone shopping?
Was she playing a game? Was this just a tactic to make me think she didn’t care?
My hands curled into fists. “Get out, Scarlett.”
“But…”
“Out.”
Scarlett flinched at the iciness in my tone. She hesitated for a moment before standing up and leaving, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Lexhaled harshly, anger burning in my chest. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Julla was supposed to be groveling, begging for my mercy. And yet, she hadn’t even spared me a second glance.
I couldn’t stop myself. I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. No answer. I called again, still no answer.
The third time, the call didn’t even go through. My screen flashed with “user busy.” She blocked me
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Chapter S
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Without thinking, I groaned in annoyance and threw my phone across the room, the phone crashing against the wall before falling to the floor with a sharp clatter.
She had actually blocked me. She had the guts.
Just then, the door opened, and Celeste stepped inside. Seeing my expression, she quickly moved toward me, her soft hands landing gently on my shoulders.
“Calm down,” she coaxed. “You’re letting Julia get to you.”
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to control my temper.
“She’s just too arrogant,” Celeste continued, her voice smooth, reassuring. “She thinks she can act all high and mighty now, but just wait. Once she realizes how hopeless her situation is, she’ll come crawling back.”
I said nothing.
After a pause, Celeste tilted her head at me, her eyes narrowing slightly. “But why didn’t you just agree to call off the engagement? You always hated Julia, didn’t you? This should be exactly what you wanted.”
I stiffened.
Celeste’s gaze sharpened. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually started to like her?”
The very idea made my stomach churn. “That’s impossible,” I snapped.
Celeste raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.
I exhaled sharply. “I only have you in my heart, Celeste. You know that.”
She smiled slightly, looking satisfied.
“I didn’t agree to the breakup because I can’t stand being dumped by her,” I admitted, my voice low. “She’s the one who chased after me for so long. She’s the one who wanted to marry me so desperately. And now, she suddenly doesn’t want me? No. Since she doesn’t want to get married anymore, I’ll make sure she does. And once she’s trapped in that marriage, I’ll abandon her mercilessly.”
Celeste’s lips curled upward as she nestled herself into my arms,
“Then when will you marry me?” she asked, her voice soft and sweet.
I smirked, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. “After I make Julia’s life a living hell, I’ll marry you immediately. And I’ll do it in the grandest way possible.”
Her smile widened. Standing on her toes, she pressed her lips against mine in a brief yet pleased kiss.
Just then, my phone buzzed loudly from where it had fallen on the floor. I scowled, picking it up. The screen was cracked, but I could still see the caller ID.
It was from the security department.
I answered. “What is it?”
“Sir,” the voice on the other end was urgent. “There’s a problem with the security system. We need you to come down immediately.” My jaw tightened. “What kind of problem?”
“We’re still assessing, but there seems to have been a breach.”
A breach?
