Chapter 154 You Were Too Young to Understand Then, What About Now?
Alexander tenderly wiped away her tears, his voice steady as he confessed, "I've never harbored any affection for her; it's all been a misunderstanding."
Victoria recoiled, her voice laced with bitterness, "A misunderstanding? You're merely envious because Miss Montgomery has been keeping other man’s company, plotting to divorce me and marry her instantly, then abruptly you're playing hard to get. What do your disputes and silent battles have to do with me? Why thrust me into the center of your turmoil?"
Her disdain for him was palpable.
Had he ever spared a thought for her feelings?
Did he feel obligated to marry her? To provide her with a home?
How absurd was that notion of home to her?
If she was the sole occupant of that home, why should he retain the title of her husband?
She was perfectly capable of fending for herself.
She wasn't a liability; she didn't require him for survival.
She possessed the ability to live independently.
She had merely assumed... that he had developed feelings for her.
A unilateral presumption...
She felt like an imbecile.
"I apologize for marrying you without ever inquiring if you harbored any affection for me..." Her voice trailed off, her face streaked with tears, her words abruptly muffled by his lips.
She shivered, her hands clenched tightly behind her.
Why did he feel the need to kiss her?
It was merely a kiss.
Did he derive pleasure from kissing others so recklessly?
Alexander kissed her with a fervor that was almost overpowering, growing increasingly passionate as if he intended to kiss her until the world ceased to exist. As her sobs echoed and tears streamed down her face, he gradually ceased his actions.
The hawk-like intensity in his eyes softened as he tenderly wiped away her tears, his voice deep and captivating as he whispered, “When you consented to marry me, I assumed you had feelings for me. But tell me, Victoria, do you genuinely harbor any affection for me?”
Victoria stared at him, her words swallowed by her relentless tears.
What did he mean by assuming she had feelings for him?
“The paternity of the child in Isabella’s womb will reveal itself in due course. Yet, everyone believes you have feelings for me, but you told grandmother otherwise. I never asked before, but now, Victoria, have you ever harbored any affection for me?”
His question left her stunned.
Alexander let out a bitter laugh, his voice filled with desolation as he murmured, “Or perhaps you were too young, too naive to comprehend what it means to have feelings for someone.”
She wasn’t.
She understood perfectly well.
She had always excelled in her studies, earning numerous certifications while her peers were still attending college, which was the sole reason she could hold the position of a secretary at such a tender age—a position she obtained through her grandmother's influence.
Yet, it was her own determination and hard work that had propelled her from the bottom rung of the company's ladder to her current position.
Why had Isabella’s predicament become insignificant in his eyes, while his concern over whether Victoria had feelings for him held such importance?
“If you were too young to comprehend then, what about now? At twenty-three, you’re an exceptionally intelligent woman.”
Was he praising her intellect?
She was taken aback, completely thrown off by his sudden commendation, by the abrupt change in conversation. Her gaze was fixed on him, speechless, momentarily forgetting why they were together in the elevator.
“I won’t pressure you, Victoria, but don’t judge me based on a few words, okay?” His voice was sincere and soft—as if they were negotiating a ceasefire. He had always been autocratic, never allowing anyone a moment of respite.
What game was he playing now?
What did he want from her?
Victoria felt her ability to reason slipping away.
Until he said…
“If you harbor even the slightest affection for me, then stay. Stay and find out who fathered that woman’s child, okay?”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
