Chapter 135
After she was sure that Michael and Matthew had left the city safely to a hideout in the countryside, Lily returned home just in time for dinner with her grandfather and Viola. Viola was overjoyed to see her mother, eager to tell her about her day. Her teachers had taught her something new, and she couldn’t wait to share it. She had already told her great-grandfather, Caleb, but she was saving the best for her mother.
During dinner, Lily enjoyed time with her daughter, laughing and smiling at every little thing she said. It was moments like these that made her forget her worries, even though she knew that a battle with Ariana was looming.
Once she put Viola to bed, Lily headed to her grandfather Caleb’s study to update him on the latest developments. When Caleb heard about Ariana’s plan to ruin Lily's reputation by accusing her of cheating, he was furious. He refused to sit idly by and let someone destroy his granddaughter’s good name.
Lily had to calm him down, pleading with him to trust her. She assured him that the rumors would only last a few days and that soon enough, everyone would see Ariana for who she truly was. Caleb, although reluctant, eventually agreed to let Lily handle the situation on her own, but he made her promise that if things went sideways, he would step in—and if necessary, he would even involve Alexander Kane.
After their conversation, Lily went to her room, took a bath, and lay down in bed, trying to prepare herself for what the next day would bring.
At precisely 6 a.m., Ariana's plan had gone into full effect. She had successfully planted the fabricated story about Lily and Michael’s alleged affair across all media platforms in the country.
The news spread like wildfire. As people walked the streets, most were glued to their phones, reading the scandalous headlines:
**"The Heiress of the Blake Empire and Wife of Multinational Business Mogul, Lily Kane, Accused of Having an Affair with Longtime Friend and Tech Entrepreneur, Michael!"**
James, Alexander's assistant, was shocked when he saw the news. He was almost certain that Alexander hadn't seen it yet—after all, Alexander wasn't one to check the news first thing in the morning. But James was terrified of how his boss would react once he did see it. Alexander had been under immense stress since Lily left his side, throwing himself into his work and drinking more than usual, trying to distract himself from the loneliness he felt without her.
James could see his boss sitting at the breakfast table, absentmindedly sipping coffee while preparing to head to the office. Anxiety bubbled inside James. How on earth was he supposed to break this news to Alexander?
His hands started trembling, and his foot tapped nervously on the floor. The constant tapping finally caught Alexander’s attention.
“What’s wrong with you?” Alexander’s voice was sharp. He knew that whenever James acted like this, something was seriously wrong.
James stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding. He hadn’t expected Alexander to notice, not with everything on his mind.
"Well? Speak!" Alexander’s tone was authoritative, leaving no room for hesitation.
James swallowed hard, his gaze drifting toward the tablet in his hand. The fear in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Alexander, who immediately realized the problem must be on that tablet.
“Give it here,” Alexander commanded, motioning for James to hand him the device.
“Sir, you’re not going to like this,” James muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he passed the tablet over.
Alexander snatched the tablet, and the first thing that caught his eye was the headline. His brow furrowed, and his face darkened with anger. “Who the hell dared to spread such blatant lies about my wife? Do they have a death wish?”
He was about to instruct James to track down the media outlet responsible and sue them, but something made him pause. He decided to read the article in full before jumping to conclusions.
James held his breath as his boss scrolled through the article, knowing full well what was about to unfold. Alexander read every word, examined every doctored image that served as "evidence" of the alleged affair.
The next sound James heard was the tablet smashing against the wall. He winced as he looked over, seeing the shattered remains of the device lying on the floor. Alexander, seething with rage, immediately reached for his phone.
The fury that consumed Alexander now was the same he had felt when his mother had betrayed his father years ago. He didn’t want to believe the story, but the photos—the photos looked so real. He needed to confront Lily directly, hear it from her before taking any drastic measures.
Lily had already woken up to find 20 missed calls on her phone, but none of them were from Alexander yet. She figured he hadn’t seen the news. Just as this thought crossed her mind, his call came through.
Her heart sank as she stared at the phone, dreading the conversation she knew was coming. After a brief hesitation, she picked up the call, but there was no sound from the other end.
“Alexander?” she said, her voice trembling slightly.
After a long, tense pause, his voice finally came through, but it was cold, devoid of any warmth. “Have you seen the news?”
“Yes,” Lily replied quietly.
“Is it true? Did you cheat on me?” Alexander’s voice was harsh, each word stinging like a whip.
Tears immediately filled Lily’s eyes. Never in her life had she expected Alexander to ask her such a question. But here they were, thanks to Ariana's wicked plot.
“Answer me, Lily!” Alexander demanded, his patience wearing thin.
Lily’s voice shook as she responded, tears streaming down her face. “Alexander, you really think I would cheat on you?”
Alexander had wanted to believe the story was false when he first saw the headline. But the photos—they were so convincing. His mind was clouded with doubt.
"The photos... What do you have to say about them? They look real," he said, his fists clenched tightly.
Lily could hardly breathe through her sobs. “Alexander, I could never do that to you. You have to believe me.”
But Alexander was still not convinced. “If Michael has anything to do with this, he’s a dead man. By the time I’m done with him, I’ll deal with you. I’ll be in touch.” And with that, he hung up the phone, leaving Lily devastated, staring at the screen in disbelief.
She collapsed onto her bed, sobbing uncontrollably. How could the man she loved so deeply now doubt her so much? Ariana had succeeded in poisoning his mind against her.
Meanwhile, Alexander was already on another call.
“Yes, boss?” came the voice on the other end of the line.
“Find Michael and bring him to one of our bases. I don’t care how you do it—just get him. Now.”
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