My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 89

The sky had grown dim, and the shops lining the road as well as the tall buildings were lit up, casting a warm glow across the city.

I understood Alexander’s intentions, and I knew he genuinely wanted to make up for his past actions.

But whether his kindness towards me stemmed from love or guilt, I couldn’t quite tell.

And Isabella’s presence felt like a ticking time bomb to me.

I knew that as long as she was around, Alexander and I would never return to what we once had.

...

We went for a meal before heading to the club.

The car drove into the underground parking garage of the club.

We got out one after the other and made our way to the private room we often visited.

The room was dimly lit, and our friends were chatting among themselves.

Alexander pushed the door open.

All eyes turned to us.

Jasper laughed, "Alexander, that’s not fair. None of us brought a date, and here you are, bringing Miss Isabella? Showing off, huh?"

I stepped back, and Alexander instinctively blocked half of my body with his.

The hallway was brightly lit, while the room was dim. With the backlighting, Jasper couldn’t clearly see my face and, assuming the woman beside Alexander was Isabella, he spoke without thinking.

Maximus raised an eyebrow and immediately recognized me, glancing at Alexander in surprise.

Victor Sinclair cleared his throat, "Ahem..."

The atmosphere froze for a moment, and my face paled.

Alexander squeezed my hand as we entered, snapping, "Isn’t the 1982 Lafite enough to shut you up?!"

It was only then that Jasper saw clearly that the woman with Alexander wasn’t Isabella, but me.

He quickly stood up and apologized, "Oh, it’s Vivienne! Sorry, I didn’t recognize you. Come on, sit down. I’ll drink three shots to make up for it. Don’t take it the wrong way."

As he spoke, Jasper poured three shots for himself.

It wasn’t just Jasper. A few other friends also mistook me for Isabella at first.

It wasn’t that we looked alike, but because, at these gatherings, Alexander never brought a date.

Since Isabella had returned to the country, Alexander had brought her along twice.

They had subconsciously assumed that the only woman Alexander would bring to meet his friends was Isabella.

Except for Maximus, to these friends, Alexander and I had always seemed like the most casual of siblings—just polite greetings and maintaining a cordial face.

No one could have imagined I’d be here with Alexander, in a place like this.

"It’s fine. I won’t take it to heart. It’s not your fault. If anyone should be blamed, it’s my Second Brother. If he’s always bringing Miss Isabella along, he should keep it consistent," I said, settling onto the couch, flashing Alexander a half-smile.

Alexander caught the sarcasm in my tone but didn’t get upset. He sat next to me and asked, "You’re not angry I brought her here?"

"Why would I be angry? I even call her ’Second Sister-in-law.’"

"From now on, I’ll only bring you. Don’t be angry, okay?" Alexander leaned in closer, his right hand resting casually on the back of the couch behind me.

Everyone in the room wasn’t blind.

Alexander had clearly brought me here today, and from the way we interacted, it was obvious that something had changed.

For someone like Alexander, to hear him say "Please" wasn’t something you’d expect easily.

Jasper and the others exchanged glances, but didn’t show their surprise too much. They continued chatting, but it was clear their minds weren’t fully engaged.

They were struggling to process what they had just witnessed. It was hard for them to reconcile Alexander and me in their minds.

To these second-generation wealthy elites, Vivienne had always been an exception.

Everyone treated her with respect, but no one really took her seriously.

Vivienne knew her place. She didn’t see herself as someone important, and she didn’t often come to the club to indulge in food and drink. Instead, she focused on studying and working. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Much like the "bad boy" and the "top student" in a class, they rarely interacted—just acquaintances, neither interfering with the other.

They knew Alexander was doing this on purpose—bringing me to meet his friends, acting affectionate in front of them.

When Alexander had brought Isabella before, it was never like this. He’d talk to his friends while Isabella quietly sat by the side.

It was clear to everyone that Alexander treated me differently.

The people sitting around us were all the same type: they changed dates every day, never bringing the same woman twice. But those women were just flings, nothing serious.

But Vivienne? Her position was clearly not to be taken lightly.

Otherwise, Chairman Hawthorne of The Hawthorne Dynasty wouldn’t be too pleased.

But what about Isabella?

Victor Sinclair couldn’t help but worry about her.

"Victor," Alexander suddenly called out, drawing Victor’s attention. "Aren’t you supposed to apologize to Vivienne?"

Bringing up my past again reminded Alexander that it was Victor who had goaded me into calling Isabella "Second Sister-in-law" back then.

Victor Sinclair felt a chill run down his spine at Alexander’s gaze. He approached with his drink in hand. "Vivienne, I was reckless the other day. I spoke harshly and offended you. I apologize. For Alexander’s sake, please don’t hold it against me. Let me drink this first as a gesture of respect."

He downed the glass in one gulp, then held it up to show the empty bottom.

Jasper and the others exchanged glances before looking our way.

It was obvious to everyone that Alexander had brought them here today for this apology.

Everyone knew how close Victor Sinclair was with Alexander. The two had been friends for years and were also college alumni. Though Victor had strayed from a conventional path, he had never really left Alexander’s core social circle.

Now, for Alexander to have Victor Sinclair apologize to Vivienne—its significance was clear.

I glanced around the room before reaching for the bottle of wine nearby, pouring him another full glass. “I understand that you’re close with Miss Isabella and that you’re on her side. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably support my friends too, wouldn’t I?”

Victor Sinclair twitched his lips. That question was a trap—no answer would be completely right.

"Vivienne, at the time, I didn’t know what was going on. I shouldn’t have said those things. Please don’t take it personally."

He downed his drink in silence.

I filled his glass again. “So, are you blaming me for Second Brother keeping things from you?”

Victor Sinclair’s face stiffened. He shot a quick glance at Alexander. “No, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s all my fault. Every bit of it.”

He stared into his glass before drinking again.

“One more?” I asked, topping off his glass once more.

Victor Sinclair’s face grew slightly pale, and he glanced at me with a subtle, wary look before reluctantly finishing his drink.

“Alright,” I said, setting the bottle down and leaning back on the sofa with a smile. “Look at you, going out of your way to apologize. It wasn’t even that big of a deal. I won’t hold it against you.”

“Heh.” Victor Sinclair forced a smile, his inner thoughts clearly rolling their eyes at me.

He knew I was deliberately making things difficult for him because of Alexander. After making him squirm, I pretended to soften up, which only made him dislike me more.

He didn’t understand why Alexander had chosen me over Isabella.

If it was about looks, the two of us were equally matched.

But when it came to character, Isabella was undoubtedly the better choice. She was gentle, considerate, elegant, and sociable—always perfectly poised in every interaction. A smile from her made everyone feel at ease.

Unlike me. I always wore a cold expression, dull and uninteresting. If I really were as aloof as I seemed, that would be one thing, but I wasn’t. I only pretended to be, using Alexander as my shield—acting haughty, while my true nature was laid bare.

I didn’t flinch.

I knew Victor Sinclair didn’t like me, but I had no intention of changing his mind. A simple apology, an acceptance—that was all I needed. As long as everything seemed fine on the surface.

Alexander glanced at Victor Sinclair, his gaze intense, before turning to me with a smile. “Still calling me Second Brother?”