The Villains Must Win-Chapter 59: Alexander Vale 9

Celeste blinked.

Next time?

Something warm and unfamiliar stirred in her chest.

She covered it quickly, rolling her eyes in amusement. "Look at you, Mr. Vale, already planning our next date?"

Alexander didn’t answer right away. His gaze had settled on something—something small yet striking.

The tiny mole beneath her left eye.

For a moment, he was mesmerized.

Celeste noticed the slight change in his expression—the way his golden eyes darkened, the way his gaze lingered a second too long.

She raised an eyebrow. "Something on my face?"

Alexander snapped out of it, his lips curling into a smirk. "Just . . . noticing something."

Celeste hummed, taking another sip of wine. "I know I’m beautiful, but don’t make it so obvious."

Alexander was used to Riley’s kind of beauty—soft, warm, and undeniably pure. Her smile was light, effortlessly pulling people in, making them want to protect her.

But Celeste?

Celeste’s beauty was dangerous.

Her smile wasn’t meant to reassure—it was meant to lure you in. Like a puzzle begging to be solved, like a secret tempting you to uncover it.

It didn’t invite you.

It challenged you.

And for the first time in a long while, Alexander Vale found himself wanting to take that challenge.

A few minutes later, a waiter approached their table, carefully setting down a luxurious red jewelry box in front of Alexander.

The deep crimson color gleamed under the restaurant’s golden lights, the intricate gold embellishments on its edges indicating just how expensive it was.

Celeste’s brows lifted slightly. Even before opening it, she could already tell—this was no ordinary necklace.

Alexander flipped the lid open with a flick of his fingers, and Celeste’s eyes widened.

Inside lay the biggest ruby she had ever seen.

A sixty-carat ruby necklace, glistening like frozen fire beneath the lights. The gemstone was cut to absolute perfection, its deep red color richer than the finest wine. The diamonds surrounding it were just as mesmerizing, catching every bit of light and scattering it in dazzling reflections. freēnovelkiss.com

She wasn’t exactly an expert on luxury jewelry, but this?

This had to be worth hundreds of millions, right?

Her mouth went dry. "W-what . . . what is this?"

Alexander gave her a flat look. "Didn’t you say you wanted a necklace?"

"Yeah, but . . . this big?!" she sputtered, barely resisting the urge to touch the massive gemstone.

I don’t do half-assed things, Celeste," Alexander said smoothly. "So, should I just leave it on the table?"

Celeste scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Romantic." Then she smirked playfully. "No, you have to put it on me. And not just slap it on—do it properly."

Alexander raised a brow. "Properly?"

"Yes," she said, grinning. "Romantically. Gently. And make sure that while you’re looking at me, you’re madly in love with me."

Alexander stared at her like she had just asked him to recite wedding vows.

". . . Have you ever done this for another woman before?" Celeste asked, tilting her head, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

Alexander’s expression darkened slightly. "No."

"Not even for Riley?"

"She doesn’t like these things," he said flatly. The truth was, she had never cared for grand gestures. And as for the others? They were fleeting distractions, not worth the effort. He had never lingered, never indulged them. At most, he’d leave a gift on the bed after taking what he wanted—nothing more, nothing less.

Celeste chuckled, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "Well then," she murmured, running a teasing finger down his fingers. "Looks like I’ll be your first."

Hearing it from his mouth, though, was something else.

She nearly laughed at the irony. Alexander Vale—the ruthless villain—had only ever pursued Riley Evans, while the so-called "male lead," Ethan Carter, had enough women to fill an entire contact list.

Life really did have a sense of humor.

Alexander exhaled, rubbing his temple as if questioning all his life choices, before rising from his seat. With quiet grace, he stepped behind her, lifting the heavy necklace.

His fingers barely grazed the back of her neck as he fastened the clasp—a light, fleeting touch.

Celeste froze.

A soft, unexpected shiver ran down her spine. She was about to brush it off when she noticed something—the entire room had gone silent.

Or rather—all eyes were on them.

Including Ethan and Riley’s.

It wasn’t just because of the staggering beauty of the necklace. It was because of the way Alexander looked at her.

His expression was softer than usual, his golden eyes lingering on her just a second too long. To any outsider, it would have seemed intimate. Loving.

Women at surrounding tables were openly gaping, their envy palpable. A few even whispered among themselves, their eyes flickering between the ruby and Celeste, unable to decide which was more stunning.

And Riley?

Riley wasn’t one for jewelry—Celeste knew that. She wasn’t the type to care about riches or material things.

And yet.

The way her fingers twitched. The slight clench of her jaw. The way her blue eyes darkened ever so slightly as she watched Alexander softly brush Celeste’s hair aside, letting his fingers graze her skin just a little too long.

Jealousy.

It wasn’t about the necklace. It was about who gave it.

Riley wasn’t sure if this was staged—if this was some elaborate scheme to make her jealous. Or it just so happened that her ex was dating Ethan’s ex.

But then she saw Alexander’s eyes. And for the first time, she couldn’t tell if he was acting.

Ethan, on the other hand, was having a very hard time swallowing his pride. His brows furrowed, his grip on his glass tightening.

He had given Celeste a lot over the years—but nothing near the price tag of that necklace.

That woman—that gold digger—was just wasting Alexander’s money.

He should be glad.

And yet—deep in his chest, something twisted.

Celeste was supposed to be loud and tacky, with a vulgar sense of fashion, but the woman sitting with Alexander—the woman commanding the entire room’s attention—was nothing like that.

Even Riley paled in comparison.

Riley was beautiful, yes—but Celeste? Celeste owned the space around her.

She wasn’t just beautiful. She was irresistible.

There was an undeniable shift in Ethan’s gaze as he studied her, suspicion creeping in.

Was she faking this?

Was this the real Celeste? Or had she been pretending all along?