Instead, he connected his phone to the projector.
Adeline watched him suspiciously. "What are you doing now?"
Alex scrolled through his phone, his hands slightly trembling.
Soon, the CCTV footage from his office appeared on the screen.
Adeline stared at it, stunned.
"Oh," she said bitterly, "now you want to show evidence of how openly you conduct affairs? With your mistress? With your so-called girlfriend?"
Her words felt like a blade.
Alex flinched as if stabbed. "Please," he said hoarsely. "Just give five minutes. Watch the video. Then decide."
Adeline clenched her fists, anger still burning. Yet as she forced herself to watch, her rational mind slowly returned.
’If they were truly together,’ she thought, ’why would Tanya hide it for months? Why appear only now?’
The footage continued.
She saw Tanya glance sideways before pretending to fall, her eyes briefly glimring as though she had spotted soone outside the door.
Realization struck.
Alex’s jaw tightened. "She planned it," he said. "She saw you coming."
Adeline fell silent for a mont. "It was deliberate," she murmured. "She created that entire scene."
Alex nodded desperately. "Yes."
Adeline took a deep breath. "I understand."
She turned as if to leave.
Alex panicked and held her again. This ti, she did not struggle. Instead, there was a deep, quiet hopelessness in her eyes.
"What is wrong?" Alex asked. "Now that you know the truth, shouldn’t you co back?"
Adeline looked at him for a long mont. "There is sothing I need to confess."
Alex pulled her into an embrace, relief flooding him.
Adeline spoke softly against his chest. "I like you. I like you very much."
For a split second, Alex felt as though the world had burst into light.
Then her next words poured ice over everything.
"But we can never be together."
Alex shook his head imdiately. "If there is another misunderstanding, I will explain it. Just tell ."
Adeline stepped back, her voice calm but resolute.
"There is a difference in our worlds. You are the CEO of a multinational corporation. I am only an intern doctor. My degree is barely complete."
She t his gaze.
"That difference will never disappear. There will always be won throwing themselves at you. Maybe today you can resist them. But what about the future? Years from now?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I will remain just a doctor... or a housewife. You will continue rising higher, and more people like Tanya will appear. At that ti, even if I want to stop it, I will not be able to."
Alex stepped forward urgently. "Then I will give you any assurance you want. Anything."
Adeline shook her head, a bitter smile forming.
"I cannot," she said quietly.
In truth, even with all the reassurances in the world, she could not guarantee that her heart would not ache in the end.
The thought lingered like a dull blade pressed against her chest. ’What if soday Alex falls out of love with ?’
The fear was not loud, yet it was constant, gnawing, impossible to silence.
Adeline looked at Alex with a desperate expression, her fingers trembling slightly as they clutched the fabric of his sleeve.
"There is one thing I can never endure," she said, her voice unsteady. "I cannot stand the idea of my heart being torn apart."
Hearing that, Alex imdiately pulled her into his arms.
His embrace was firm, protective, as if trying to shield her from even an imagined future.
"I can assure you," he murmured near her ear, "I have a thod."
Adeline leaned back, confusion clouding her tear-bright eyes. "What do you an?"
"If you want," Alex continued seriously, "we can sign a prenuptial agreent. If I ever cheat, every single asset I own will be transferred directly to your na."
Tears gathered in her eyes, shimring but unshed. She shook her head weakly.
"Money does not matter. What matters is my heart. I truly could not bear betrayal."
Alex paused, thinking quickly, then added,
"Then how about this? You can keep twenty-four-hour surveillance on ."
Adeline shook her head again, almost helplessly, as though none of these solutions could reach the place where her fear lived.
Alex exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Then there is only one thod left."
She looked at him, puzzled.
Before she could ask further, Alex suddenly knelt down.
From his pocket, he pulled out a ring, the tal catching the light with a soft glimr.
"I promise to marry you, and only you," he said, looking straight into her eyes.
"I am willing to put it in writing. If I ever betray you, all my assets go to you, and I will accept legal punishnt. I will never stand sowhere flaunting another woman while you suffer. I will even draft a will stating everything clearly."
Adeline’s eyes widened in shock. She had never imagined that her simple confession of fear would push him this far.
Suddenly, she rembered another mont from long ago.
When her mother had asked her father a similar question, he had dismissed it without even listening.
But Alex was different. He was not avoiding her fear. He was confronting it head-on, reshaping his entire future just to reassure her.
Tears finally slid down her cheeks.
Looking at the ring, she realized he must have prepared this long ago. This was not impulsive. He had been planning it.
Slowly, she nodded.
Alex’s face lit up instantly.
He almost jumped to his feet in excitent, slipping the ring onto her finger with slightly shaking hands.
The next second, he pulled her close and kissed her deeply, all the restraint he had been holding back dissolving at once.
This ti, there was no hesitation, no careful distance.
After everything, she was finally receiving the certainty she had longed for.
When the kiss ended, Alex gently held her cheeks. "Are you okay now?" he asked softly.
Adeline nodded and hugged him tightly. "Since you promised," she said, her voice muffled against his chest, "you must promise one more thing. In the future, you cannot et another woman privately. There must always be soone else present."
Alex blinked, then finally understood.
She did not want control. She wanted reassurance, a boundary that would never allow suspicion to grow.
"You an," he clarified, "no private etings with won unless there is at least one more person present?"
She nodded.
"I agree," he said without hesitation.
Adeline finally relaxed, the tension leaving her shoulders. "If that is the case," she murmured, "I am ready to beco your girlfriend."
Alex pulled back and looked at her with mock disbelief.
"Girlfriend? I just proposed to you. You are supposed to be my fiancée."
Adeline glared at him instantly.
"If that was your proposal, then I refuse to be your fiancée."
She even pretended to remove the ring.
Alex panicked. "Wait, wait. I was joking."
He laughed, catching her hand before she could take it off. "Keep wearing it."
Then his expression turned serious.
"When I truly propose, it will be grand. Today does not count. I was worried you would run away before I even had the chance. Did you see how fast you were walking earlier? I almost thought you were going to break the elevator door if it didn’t open."
Adeline shot him another glare, but his bright, teasing smile made her laugh despite herself. The tension dissolved completely, leaving only warmth between them.
............................................
The next day, Tanya prepared to leave the house in a rush.
She had heard several rumors circulating in her group chat that Alex and Adeline had already confird their relationship.
It was sothing she absolutely could not allow.
Just as she stord toward the door, anger fueling every step, her father stopped her.
Tanya frowned. "What is it? Whatever you want to say can wait. I am busy."
"You need to sit down first," her father insisted firmly.
With an irritated sigh, she dropped into a chair and gestured impatiently. "Fine. Say it quickly."
Her father looked at her for a long mont before speaking. "It would be better if you gave up."
Tanya’s eyes widened. "What do you an?"
"I received calls from several board mbers," he continued gravely.
"They do not want you forcing yourself onto the CEO anymore. He has taken an entire month’s leave because your actions caused him distress."
"What?" Tanya shot to her feet.
"How can Alex throw a tantrum over sothing so small? Is he not a man? Using such a ridiculous excuse just to stop from visiting the corporation?"
Her voice grew sharper.
"I invested in that company. I have every legal right to question matters there."
Her father sighed deeply, the sound heavy with exhaustion.
"I would not have stopped you if the situation were normal. But our own company is entering a crisis. This is not the ti for willfulness. You must focus here instead of creating further conflict."
The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of reality pressing down far harder than Tanya had expected.
User Comments
0 comments from readers