Jason had been working with Echelon Industries all along... and tried to frame Alicia to retaliate over Sophia’s transfer.

‎"Did you find anything concrete?" I asked.

‎Jane nodded. "Partially. The other party was extremely cautious. They didn’t rely on a single communication method. They used a temporary server that disappears minutes after each exchange."

‎My grip tightened slightly.

‎"The only solid leads we found were traces of the company server used to transfer the file," she continued, "and a series of messages from Jason demanding the other party reveal their identity—but he never received a direct response."

‎"Financial records?" I asked.

‎"We checked those as well," Jane said. "A large sum was transferred into Jason’s account through a private channel. The source traces back to James Bluefield... assistant to the CEO of Echelon Industries."

‎My eyes darkened.

‎Daniel Caldwell.

‎So it was him.

‎The name alone was enough to stir something cold in my chest.

‎The same name... behind everything.

‎"Print all the evidence and bring it to me," I said.

‎"Yes, sir."

‎Jane turned to leave, then paused.

‎"Sir... there’s one more thing."

‎I glanced at her.

‎"We checked Jason’s call records," she continued carefully. "He has been in contact with Lucas Summer."

‎My brows furrowed.

‎Lilian’s brother?

‎Why would he be involved in this?

‎My brows furrowed slightly.

‎Something about it didn’t fit.

‎Not Jason. Not Echelon.

‎The feeling was... familiar.

‎Too familiar.

‎A faint memory surfaced before I could stop it.

‎Three years ago.

‎The same sense of unease.

‎The same pattern of events that looked accidental—but didn’t feel it.

‎My jaw tightened.

‎At that time, I had believed I was making the right judgment.

‎I had suspected Lilian.

‎And that suspicion... had pushed everything out of control.

‎If I hadn’t—

‎I stopped the thought.

‎"Keep tracking his calls and movements," I said. "We’ll uncover the connection soon."

‎Jane nodded.

‎"Also—make sure Jason doesn’t suspect anything."

‎"Understood."

‎She left the office, closing the door quietly behind her.

‎Silence settled in the room.

‎I leaned back slightly, my gaze dark.

‎This time—

‎I will let not history to repeat itself.

‎Not again.

‎Not with Alicia.

‎

Alicia’s POV

The statement released by the company was a standard legal notice used in the entertainment industry—more of a formal warning than an actual lawsuit.

It stated that the rumors involving Alexander Blackwood had violated his right to reputation and demanded the immediate removal of all related posts, a public apology, and an end to the ongoing defamation.

Within minutes, it became the center of online discussion.

And almost instantly, it was met with ridicule.

"Cease-and-desist? My advice—just sue them already."

"Right to reputation? So... it’s true then?"

The influencers involved showed no sign of backing down. Instead, they reposted the notice with captions like: "We’re all going to jail."

I sighed softly.

This wasn’t normal anymore.

And yet—Lilian’s side still hadn’t responded. Not a word.

Things had escalated far beyond what anyone could casually ignore.

Throughout the day, I did my best to keep my distance from Alexander in the office in order to avoid raising any suspicions.

But he, in turn, acted as if nothing had happened.

He still insisted on having me eat with him in his office.

Now, I sat across from him on the sofa, a table full of my favorite dishes neatly arranged between us.

Watching him carefully place everything in order, I felt something tighten in my chest.

An urge rose suddenly—quiet, almost reckless.

Is there still a chance for us to go public?

But before I could speak, Alexander beat me to it.

"Alicia," he said calmly, "I’ve thought about what’s happening online. I did consider making our relationship public. But if we do that, the focus will shift entirely to Lilian. In the entertainment industry, she’ll lose her footing. Her reputation will be destroyed. The public attention won’t fade—it will only intensify. And we’ll lose control of the situation."

"Don’t say any more," I interrupted softly. "I understand."

The food in front of me suddenly lost its taste.

Like wax.

Difficult to swallow.

In that moment, a thought surfaced without warning:

What exactly do I even like about him?

Was it the deception?

The silence?

Or the humiliation I kept accepting in place of love?

I had even allowed myself to hope just moments ago.

Pathetic.

The office fell quiet.

Alexander pressed his lips together as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he said nothing.

He stood up and walked toward the bathroom.

The phone on the table rang.

I reached for it instinctively—then stopped myself.

My hand hovered in the air for a second before I pulled it back.

I pretended I hadn’t seen it.

It rang again.

And again.

Three times in total before it finally stopped.

When Alexander returned, I glanced at him casually.

"Someone called you," I said. "Three times. It seemed urgent."

He walked back to the table, picked up his phone, and asked without much expression, "Who was it?"

"I don’t know," I replied, clearing the dishes. "I didn’t check."

For a brief moment, something in his movements paused.

But I didn’t look up.

Since that night of our anniversary, I had already made a decision.

I wouldn’t touch his phone again.

It rang once more.

Alexander glanced at the screen.

Then he rejected the call.

And began helping me clean up.

I finally looked at him.

"Why didn’t you answer it?"

He didn’t respond.

A knock came at the door.

"CEO Blackwood?" his secretary called.

"Come in."

The secretary entered quickly, holding a phone. "CEO Blackwood... Miss Kendra called again. She insists it’s urgent. It’s about Miss Summer—"

He stopped abruptly when he saw me.

The room went tense.

The secretary’s face paled as he quickly tried to correct himself. "I—I’ll handle it immediately..."

But before he could leave, the phone—still in his hand—connected on speaker.

Kendra’s voice filled the room instantly.

"CEO Blackwood! If you don’t want to regret this for the rest of your life, you need to answer me now!"

Silence dropped like a weight.

The secretary lowered his head, frozen.

And I slowly understood.

That earlier call... must have been Kendra.

Good thing I hadn’t touched Alexander’s phone.

Otherwise, this would have become even more complicated.

I looked at him.

"You should answer it."

There was no point pretending not to see it anymore.

The truth was already sitting in the room with us.

Alexander hesitated for a brief moment.

Then he took the phone from his secretary and walked toward the window.

His voice was low and flat.

"What is it?"

‎Third Person POV

‎The secretary stood quietly to the side, sensing the shift in the room.

‎CEO Blackwood wasn’t exactly afraid—but whenever Director Alicia was present, something in him always changed.

‎On the other end of the line, Kendra’s voice came through, sharp with urgency.

‎"CEO Blackwood, I’m at the hospital. You need to come immediately."

‎Alexander’s grip on the phone tightened.

‎A faint tension appeared in his wrist.

‎"...What happened?" His voice dropped slightly.

‎Still controlled.

‎But no longer casual.

‎A brief silence followed.

‎Even the secretary unconsciously held his breath.

‎Kendra’s voice wavered.

‎"She refused treatment again. The doctor said her condition is becoming unstable. If this continues... she may not last much longer."

‎The words settled heavily in the air.

‎Something in Alexander’s expression shifted.

‎Not panic.

‎Not surprise.

‎Something quieter—heavier.

‎Control.

‎Kendra pressed on urgently, "You don’t understand what she’s been going through lately. Please... just come. She needs you."

‎Alexander’s gaze hardened slightly.

‎"Her body is her responsibility. If she refuses treatment, she’ll bear the consequences. Outside of work, I don’t involve myself in her personal matters. Let her handle it herself."

‎His tone was flat.

‎Too flat.

‎Not anger.

‎Just finality.

‎He ended the call.

‎For a moment, he didn’t move.

‎Then he turned his head slightly.

‎Alicia was sitting on the sofa, calm, composed, as if none of it had reached her.

‎After a brief pause, Alexander handed the phone back to the secretary.

‎The secretary quickly excused himself and left the room.

‎Only then did Alicia speak.

‎"...Are you going to the hospital?"

‎Alexander looked at her.

‎His answer came slower than usual.

‎"Do you want me to go?"

‎Alicia’s brows tightened slightly—but she didn’t answer .

Not immediately....