Chapter 142

Alexander watched as Daniela nodded without a moment's hesitation.

It felt as though she had never loved him in the first place.

In that moment, the cold wind brushed against his face, sharp and cruel, as the sound of his heart breaking echoed loudly within him.

Women were the most unforgiving,cold-hearted creatures!

Alexander was caught between pain and a strange sense of relief. At least when Daniela had been chasing him desperately, hehadn't shown her an ounce of mercy.

If he had let his guard down, he would've been a complete fool by now. 2

Someone like Daniela, so heartless and calculating,wasn't worthy of love.

She didn't deserve it!

His fists clenched, his face twisted by rage, Alexander shot Daniela a chilling glare. "Fine, Daniela. You've got courage. Don't come crawling back later!"

Without a flicker of hesitation, Daniela nodded again,her voice steady and uninterested. "Alright."

He had anticipated her to second-guess herself, to show a hint of regret-but there was nothing.

He gazed at her composed, emotionless face, and something inside him shattered even further.

His voice rose, now filled with fury and shame."One day, you'll be begging me to take you back. You'll regret treating me like this."

Daniela nodded again, her expression almost mockingly sincere. "Alright. I'll wait for that day."

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "This isn't over, Daniela.Don't think for a second I'll let this go. What Cedric did to me-it's practically mutilation. Either you compensate me now, or I'll go straight to the police.I don't care about my reputation anymore. Let's see if Cedric can deal with the fallout. You don't care about me? Fine. Let's see how you feel when Cedric's name is dragged through the mud!"

At last, Alexander's true nature had come to light.

Daniela's gaze sharpened instantly, the calm demeanor she once held replaced by an unmistakable icy chill. She straightened, her stance stiff and commanding."If Cedric hit you,why don't you go straight to him?"

The implication was clear-he still saw her as an easy target.

He was too afraid to confront Cedric, but had the audacity to come to her, hoping she'd pay him off.

Alexander yelled, "I came to you because all of this is your fault. You're the cause of it all. You're the one responsible."

Daniela let out a light, mocking laugh. It had been a while since she'd come across someone so utterly shameless.

She used to think Alexander was a man of pride and respect, but now? "What do you want me to do?"

"Give me the airport project!" Alexander demanded without a hint of shame.

"That's impossible," Daniela replied firmly. "The project's already been assigned. At Elite Lux, we keep our word. Any company that fails inspection three times is permanently blacklisted."

Alexander grasped his face in frustration, his voice rising with anger. "It's because Cedric sabotaged us!" Daniela remained silent, her cold, emotionless gaze locked on him. Her expression seemed to say,"And?So what if he sabotaged you?"

But her silence only made Alexander's frustration grow."So you're going to back him no matter what,huh?Fine! If the project is off the table, then just give me money instead!"

Daniela raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with disbelief. "You want me to give you money?"

Fuming with rage, Alexander didn't realize that Daniela had leaned back in her chair, her fingers casually grazing her phone.

"Yes!" he snapped, his voice brimming with indignation.

To his surprise, Daniela nodded without a word of protest. "How much do you want?"

Alexander froze, his eyes locked on her, confusion swirling in his mind.

Why was she being so compliant all of a sudden?

"Three hundred million!"

"Three hundred million?" Daniela echoed, her voice incredulous.

"Yes!" Alexander affirmed, his conviction strong. "Are you certain?" Daniela's gaze narrowed as she let the words sink in, stretching them out deliberately."Three hundred million?"

A flicker of excitement flashed in Alexander's eyes as Daniela reached for her checkbook from the desk drawer. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Three hundred million!"

He hadn't anticipated Daniela would be so agreeable.

In that instant,one thought crossed his mind-he should've asked for more.

He stole another glance at Daniela, watching as her pen hovered above the check, poised to write.

Suddenly, a deep, steady male voice broke the silence in the room. "That's enough."

Daniela stopped mid-motion, lowering her pen Without a second look at Alexander, she shut the checkbook and slid it back into the drawer.

"What? Who's speaking?" Alexander instantly tensed,his eyes darting across the room.

Before he could ask any more questions, a knock echoed at the door. The door opened, and Elite Lux's attorney entered, holding a small recorder in his hand.Without a word, the attorney pressed play. Alexander's voice blared out, loud and unmistakable,demanding three hundred million from Daniela.

The attorney's voice remained composed but carried a sharp edge. "Mr. Bennett, I strongly advise you to leave right now. Given the sum you just demanded from Ms. Harper, this is nothing short of extortion.If you continue down this path, I assure you, the rest of your life will be spent behind bars. Moreover, should you ever make any public remarks or take any actions that tarnish the reputations of Ms. Harper or Mr.Phillips,we will pursue legal action with every tool at our disposal. I suggest you consider your next move very carefully."

Alexander stood frozen, his mind reeling from the unexpected twist. He turned to Daniela with disbelief written all over his face. "You set me up?"

All the words she had spoken earlier? They hadn't been an attempt to negotiate. They had been bait-and he had walked right into the trap.

Alexander's chest constricted, the weight of realization crashing down on him like a sledgehammer.

He had come here today, swallowing his pride,hoping for one last chance to make things right. He was convinced that Daniela still cared and that they could work things out. But she had turned her back on him-coldly, without hesitation-all for Cedric.

"Fine!" Alexander spat, his voice shaking with both fury and heartbreak. "Call the police! Do it! Go ahead!"

The attorney turned to Daniela, awaiting her instruction.

Without lifting her gaze, Daniela opened her drawer,took out her phone, and dialed it right in front of Alexander.

The moment the call connected, Alexander's resolve shattered. His fists clenched, his voice trembling as he muttered, "Fine! You win!"

Daniela hung up the phone.

Alexander gasped for air, his hand pressing against his chest as he staggered back. "Daniela, they always say when a woman stops loving a man, there's no going back. I used to believe you were different. I thought you weren't like those cold, shallow women. But I was wrong. You're just like them. No. You're worse. It's not you walking away from me, Daniela. It's me walking away from you!"

His eye reddened with so much emotion that, to anyone watching, it might have seemed like he was the one who had been betrayed.