Chapter 584

"Why?" Hackett's voice carried a sarp edge of frustration. After all the effort he had put into persuading Huey to stage the dramatic jump, Alexander was now refusing to go along with it.

Alexander leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed but his tone firm. "Too many things could go wrong.As the head of this association, I can't afford to take reckless risks with our people."

Hackett let out a sharp scoff. "Drop the act, Alexander. We all know you're not doing this out of responsibility. You've got your own motives."

The room fell silent as every eye turned to Hackett, curiosity and suspicion flickering in their gazes.

Hackett's gaze bore into Alexander, his voice cutting like a blade. "You're still not over Daniela, are you? It's obvious. Every move you make is aimed at Cedric, yet whenever there's a chance to bring Daniela down,you refuse to take it. Let me remind you, Alexander-you're the president now. Your duty is to this association, not youur ex-wife, who has long since moved on!"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as understanding dawned.

As they thought back, patterns began to emerge. Time and again, Alexander had maneuvered around Elite Lux, shielding it from any real damage.

Huey narrowed his eyes, suspicion lacing his words. "Alexander,is that true?"

Marcus shifted uneasily, his expression darkening. "You still have feelings for Daniela, don't you?"

Bruno frowned, shaking his head. "Come on, Alexander, that's not like you. You don't seem the type to cling to the past.Were you the one spending three days with that flight attendant?"

Hackett let out a derisive snort.

Alexander exhaled slowly, reclining further. "Fine, I admit it-I still have feelings for Daniela. The thing with the flight attendant? That was nothing. But don't twist this--I'm making these decisions for the good of the association."

Bruno gawked at him in disbelief. "You're serious? You still have feelings for Daniela? She's married,Alexander!"

Hackett's smirk widened, his voice dripping with mockery. "Maybe that's just his type-married women.First Joyce, now Daniela? Listen to me, Alexander-if you don't wake up soon, Daniela's going to be the one who takes you down!"

Alexander's face stayed unreadable, his voice firm. "Say whatever you want; I'm not changing my stance.I refuse to go along with this plan to stage a jumpfrom the Elite Lux building. And tell me, what's so wrong about me having feelings for Daniela? She liked me first. Cedric was the outsider. Besides, if I did reunite with Daniela, she wouldn't pose any threat to the association. In fact, Elite Lux would fall under my control. It would be no different from having Elite Lux as part of the association, don't you think?"

A brief hush settled over the room.

Alexander rose to his feet. "That's final. I won't allow any attacks on Elite Lux, not even the smallest one."

Saying no more, he turned and walked away.

His recent cosmetic surgery left him feeling uneasy-his face constantly itched. When he consulted his surgeon online, he was advised to use face masks regularly during the absorption phase of the procedure.

He decided to head home and follow the instructions.

To him, his face was his greatest weapon-the key to one day replacing Cedric.

With that, Alexander was gone.

The seven who remained sat in tense silence.

Hackett sat fuming, clearly displeased with Alexander's choice.

His company was teetering on the edge of collapse, and he couldn't afford to wait for Alexander's slow-moving plan. He needed someone to stall Daniela's economic sanctions.

"So, what's the plan?" Hackett asked, masking his frustration."My company has the most capital,and I can hold out. But what about the rest of you? Huey..."

He turned to Huey. "Can you afford to wait? The last time we were at Elite Lux, Daniela and Cedric looked inseparable. Do you honestly believe she'd pick Alexander? Be real-would Daniela ever leave Cedric for a man with a surgically altered face?"

Marcus scowled. "Alexander's lost it. Daniela won't even give him the time of day!"

Farley narrowed his eyes. "Anyone else notice Alexander's face looks uneyen? What's going on there?"

Marcus shrugged. "It's the surgery. The longer it settles, the worse it gets."

Farley scoffed. "At this rate, his face will fall apart before he even gets a chance with Daniela."

Huey grew restless. "Then what are we waiting for? The flight attendant scandal is still hot. We should stage the jump at Elite Lux now! Once the media picks it up, we can cry foul about their economic sanctions.

Public opiion will turn against them, and they won't be able to touch us!"

He waved dismissively. "Stop overanalyzing-let's just do it. Alexander isn't the one under financial siege,so of course, he's stalling. Meanwhile, my company is circling the drain. If we wait any longer, I won't be faking the jump!"

Hackett put on an act of concern. "Huey, you better be careful. That rooftop gets windy. If you actually fall, I wouldn't know how to breakit to your family."

Huey brushed him off. "Relax, it's just a tall building. I'll head up, take in the view, and enjoy some fresh air!"

Hackett's lips curled into a sly smirk when no one was watching.

That afternoon, Daniela remained at Phillips Group.

Her phone rang.

She answered, and Nina's panicked voice came through. "Daniela! You need to get back here-fast!Someone's about to jump off our building, and it's going to be streamed live!"