Chapter 375

The words struck Isabella like a blade—sharp, merciless, drawing blood.

"Alexander," she said, her voice trembling with restrained fury, "I never once trampled on your pride. After the divorce, wasn’t it you who kept chasing after me? Every. Single. Time?"

Tears welled in her eyes, but her lips curled into a defiant smirk—beautiful yet heartbreaking. "You threw away your own dignity, and now you’re blaming me? Have you lost all sense of shame?"

She shouldn’t have cared.

She shouldn’t have given him another thought.

She should’ve let him drown in his own misery.

Alexander's breath hitched. A wave of dizziness crashed over him, making his tall frame sway slightly.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Whoosh!

Before she could finish, a small stone flew through the air, striking Alexander squarely on the back of his head.

He winced, his brows knitting together in pain.

In an instant, Daniel was striding forward, reaching to grab the man’s collar.

But Alexander was faster.

With a swift sidestep, he dodged, leaving Daniel stumbling forward like an uncoordinated insect, limbs flailing.

Isabella, still seething, bit her lip to suppress a laugh at the ridiculous sight.

Tilting his head, Alexander rubbed the back of his neck, his expression darkening with dangerous amusement. "That’s your idea of a sneak attack?"

"I may be sneaky, but at least I’m not the one acting like a thug in the middle of the night!" Daniel dusted himself off, still shaken by Alexander’s reflexes. "You’re divorced, yet you still lay hands on her. Is this how the CEO of Kingsley Group behaves?"

"And what exactly is your relationship with her?" Alexander’s gaze turned icy, his voice laced with menace.

This weak, sniveling man had the audacity to attack him—for her.

Clearly, he cared for her too.

Before Daniel could answer, Isabella spoke softly, "This is Daniel Carter. A neurosurgeon I brought from overseas."

A neurosurgeon.

Alexander understood immediately but said nothing.

"I came here for one reason," Isabella said, her tone clinical, detached—like a doctor assessing a patient. "Your condition."

That cold, indifferent look infuriated him.

"I’m not sick."

"Don’t lie to yourself. No one knows better than you how bad it is." Her gaze was steady. "After that head injury, even though I operated on you, the procedure wasn’t perfect. Now, when your emotions flare, your body trembles uncontrollably. If this continues, you’ll start hallucinating, fainting—eventually, paralysis. Do you really want that? Do you think your grandfather could bear seeing you like that?"

Daniel stared at her in disbelief.

She had performed Alexander’s brain surgery?

"Dr. Carter is one of the top specialists in the field," Isabella continued. "I brought him here specifically for your post-op recovery."

"Leave. I don’t need it." Alexander’s refusal was immediate, his voice flat.

"Do you think I’m here to negotiate with you?" Her eyes flashed.

"And do you think I’m here to negotiate with you, Isabella?" His gaze was glacial. "My life is none of your concern. Stay out of it."

"If you want to return to the party, go. If you’re only here to argue, then take him and leave."

With that, he turned and walked away without another word—as if they had never known each other at all.

"Bastard! Do you have a death wish?!" Isabella shouted after him.

He didn’t stop.

"Alexander! Stop!"

But his figure disappeared into the darkness.

Isabella stood frozen, the cold wind biting into her skin, seeping into her bones.

A crushing sense of loss settled over her.

"Once, someone offered me ten million dollars for a consultation," Daniel mused, leaning against a tree with a smirk. "I refused. And now, here I am, offering my services to Mr. Kingsley—only to be ignored." He chuckled. "Should I call him stubborn or just plain stupid?"

"Stupid," Isabella muttered, her eyes rimmed red.

"Yeah. Thought so. Just didn’t want to say it out loud."

Daniel watched her trembling silhouette, then asked softly, "Hey. Are you still in love with him?"

Her heart clenched as if pricked by a needle. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you’re still in love with Alexander."

"What’s it to you?"

"You are." His smile was knowing. "The fact that you didn’t deny it says everything."

"Daniel," she said slowly, turning to face him, "let me make one thing clear. I did love him. So much that I thought my heart would beat for him forever. Even if he never loved me back, I would’ve stayed by his side for life." Her voice wavered. "But now? All I feel is guilt. I just don’t want to owe him anything anymore."

With that, she forced a careless laugh and waved a hand. "Let it go. The past is the past."

Daniel’s smile faded.

He didn’t believe in love.

But if it existed, he respected it.

Meanwhile, in the underground parking lot.

Scarlett sat in the car, sobbing hysterically, her mascara streaking down her face.

"Enough!" Richard snapped, irritated. "Look at yourself—a pathetic mess!"

"I was humiliated in front of everyone! Can’t I even cry?!" She sniffled, wiping her tears. "Mr. Kingsley didn’t even help me up! He just walked right past me! That witch Isabella has him wrapped around her finger!"

Richard’s jaw tightened. He, too, had seen the way Alexander looked at Isabella—possessive, unapologetic.

"Dad, he’s still obsessed with her! What do we do?!"

"Obsessed? If he were, they wouldn’t be divorced," Richard scoffed. "Right now, Isabella isn’t your only problem. There’s also that girl from the Fairhaven family."

Scarlett’s stomach twisted at the mention of Evelyn.

Rumors swirled about Evelyn and Alexander’s secret hotel rendezvous—and whispers of a potential alliance between the Fairhavens and the Kingsleys.

But Evelyn? She was nothing.

Isabella, though—she was a blade hanging over Scarlett’s head, a constant thorn in her side.

"Yes, there’s her," Scarlett muttered. "I get it if Mr. Kingsley still wants Isabella, but Evelyn? Am I not even comparable to her?"

"You’re usually sharp, but now you’re being dense!" Richard clicked his tongue. "Alexander doesn’t want Evelyn. That hotel stunt was probably her doing—trying to trap him into marriage. If he really wanted her, why hasn’t he announced anything? This ‘alliance’ is far from settled."

Scarlett’s eyes lit up.

Her father was always right.

"If the Fairhavens can play dirty, so can we," Richard said, his gaze calculating. "Now’s the time to strike."

"Dad, what do you mean?"

"Sweetheart, you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the sheep. If you want Alexander, you’ll have to go all in."

Scarlett’s lips curved.

Pride? She had none.

Going all in? Absolutely.

"Dad, tell me what to do!"

Richard leaned in, whispering his plan.

Scarlett’s frown melted into a grin.

"Got it. To be Mrs. Kingsley, I’ll do anything."

Alexander returned to the party, his expression stormy.

Nathaniel approached, studying him. "What happened? Did you and Isabella fight?"

"We had nothing to say to each other." Alexander slumped onto a sofa, downing his champagne in one gulp.

The thought of her suffocated him.

His breathing grew ragged, his eyes burning.

"Man, you couldn’t even try to be nice? She agreed to meet you—that means she’s softened! Why didn’t you seize the chance to win her back? Or do you really want to marry Evelyn? Because I’ll be the first to object!"

"From the beginning," Alexander said coldly, "do you think I was the only one who did wrong?"

Nathaniel blinked. "Are you seriously blaming her?"

"I don’t know."

"Alexander, after everything she’s sacrificed for you, you have no right to resent her. If you love her, then she’s always right. Don’t argue with women—it’s pointless."

Before Alexander could respond, footsteps approached.

"Mr. Kingsley, Mr. Fairhaven, what a pleasure!"

They looked up to see Richard and Scarlett.

Alexander’s gaze turned arctic.

Nathaniel, ever the gentleman, stood with a polite smile. "I’m afraid I don’t recognize you. May I ask who you are?"

"Richard Ashbourne. Managing director at K Group." Richard grinned. "Though Mr. Kingsley might know our family better—given his past with my niece."

"Your niece?"

"My brother’s beloved daughter, Isabella. She’s my dear Scarlett’s cousin—they grew up together, very close!"

Nathaniel’s eyes widened.

So Richard was William’s brother?

Scarlett preened. The Ashbourne name did have its perks.

"Do you need something?" Alexander’s voice was ice.

Richard chuckled. "My daughter was a bit forward earlier. I brought her to apologize. But she’s not some reckless girl—I hope you won’t misunderstand, Mr. Kingsley."

"Mr. Kingsley," Scarlett said sweetly, clasping her hands, "I’m so sorry for my behavior earlier."