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Chapter 3: The Danger Zone

I hugged my silk scarf against my chest, suddenly feeling that something was very wrong with this situation.

According to normal logic, at this exact moment, he should have been at the club with Clara. He should have stayed to finish dinner, have another drink, and then come home late with a complicated, guilty expression. He shouldn’t be returning early and standing, blocking my dressing room door, looking at me like he just caught me committing a crime.

I sighed softly, turned around, and tried to make my voice sound calm and understanding. “Clara is back.”

Alexander looked at me, his face unreadable. “So what?”

I almost choked. So what? He even asked me what? At this point, he should have used a cold, indifferent tone to tell me to pack my things and make room for her.

I forced a very gentle, understanding smile. “It’s nothing, Alexander. It’s just that she’s back, and I guess you don’t need me in this position anymore.”

His thick eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Which position?”

I put the silk towel down, taking another deep breath. “The position of your wife.”

The atmosphere in the dressing room suddenly became eerily, dangerously quiet. Only the sound of the suitcase wheels rubbing very softly against the marble floor could be heard.

“If we divorce,” Alexander said, his deep voice growing colder and colder with every word, “The things you like, the designer bags you haven’t finished ordering, the new jewelry sets… even the private art studio I am preparing for you in the new building—they will all be gone.”

I froze. What? A private art studio? A new building? Why hadn’t he ever told me about that?

But more importantly, his tone didn’t sound like he wanted to chase me away. It sounded exactly like he was fiercely threatening me not to leave.

I was a little confused, but I immediately remembered the luxury watch on Clara’s wrist. I remembered the private dinner tonight. I remembered that for three years, this gorgeous, untouchable man had never truly said the words, “I love you.”

So I gritted my teeth and told myself to stay perfectly calm. “Alexander, I don’t want to continue a loveless marriage.”

Alexander let out a short, incredibly cold laugh. “Loveless.”

He repeated the word, his voice very soft. But the softer it was, the more frightening it became.

I bit my lip. “You don’t love me.”

“I have raised you, protected you, and lived with you for three years,” Alexander said, his jaw clenching. “And you have come to such a pathetic conclusion.”

He walked toward me. One step. Two steps. Getting closer and closer. He took off his expensive watch and threw it onto the table. His slow, deliberate, incredibly masculine movements made my head go numb. For some reason, looking at him stalking toward me like a panther, I suddenly felt like I was about to be devoured.

Seeing Alexander standing right in front of me, I took a step back, but my back hit the heavy wooden cabinet door. There was no way to retreat.

I swallowed hard. “Alexander, you… you mustn’t do anything reckless.”

He bent down, placing one large, powerful hand on the cabinet door right beside my head, trapping me. A cold breath mixed with the familiar, intoxicating scent of expensive cedar wood and bergamot enveloped me completely.

“Doing something wrong?” he smirked, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. “You just told me to divorce you. And now you tell me not to do anything wrong?”

Before I could even think of a way to save myself from his intense proximity, his phone rang loudly in his pocket.

Alexander frowned, clearly annoyed, and took it out. I glanced at the glowing caller ID screen: Clara.

In that instant, I thought I was just going to breathe a sigh of relief. But for some inexplicable reason, my chest tightened painfully. I quickly stepped back from the danger zone, pointing at his phone.

“Answer it,” I said quickly. “Don’t miss anything important.”

Alexander stared at me for a long moment. He answered the phone, putting it on speaker.

Clara’s voice, as gentle and sweet as flowing water, echoed in the room. “Alexander, have you arrived home yet?”

“Yes,” he replied shortly.

“I just remembered it’s my birthday tomorrow,” Clara said softly.

Just like every single year. Every year, I look up at Alexander, and my heart races. For the past three years, on this exact date, he always claimed he was going on a sudden “business trip.” I always suspected he was secretly flying to Paris to celebrate her birthday.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself of my true goal. Fifty million dollars. Stay calm. The money is more important than jealousy.

Alexander glanced at me, his voice softening slightly as he spoke to the phone. “Okay.”

On the other side, Clara was clearly much happier, smiling softly through the receiver. “Then I’ll wait for you.”

“Goodbye,” Alexander said, hanging up the phone. He put the device down on the table.

I quickly flashed the most generous, understanding, perfect smile of my entire life. “It’s okay, Alexander. I completely understand. It’s normal for old friends to wish each other a happy birthday. You should go. Have fun tomorrow.”

Alexander was silent for a few seconds. His eyes darkened into a storm of absolute fury.

“Seraphina,” he said, his voice a lethal whisper. “You really know how to make me angry.”

After saying that, he turned around and walked straight out of the dressing room. The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind him, making the glass cabinets shake violently.

I stood frozen in the middle of the room. Clearly, I should be the one who was angry! He was going to his ex’s birthday party! But oh well. Thinking of the fifty million dollars, I immediately patted my chest to calm my racing heart.

I just have to endure it. Just endure another year, wait for the company to go public, and I am free. A year will fly by quickly.

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