Chapter 99

To say Alexander was shocked would be an understatement—he was absolutely livid when he saw Ariana standing before him, very much alive. The way she smiled at Lily made him clench his fists tightly.

"How could she be alive after all these 14 years without me knowing? This is unbelievable!" Alexander fumed silently.

Ethan and Richard noticed the fury on Alexander's face. They both knew that given the chance, he wouldn’t hesitate to take revenge on the woman who had the audacity to betray him before fleeing.

Ariana did her best to avoid looking at Alexander, instead focusing solely on Lily, whom she smiled at. Had they met before? The thought made him tighten his fists even more. Lily smiled back at Ariana, which only caused Alexander to raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

Ariana approached and hugged Lily. "Hello Lily, thank you for inviting me," she said with a smile. Alexander's face darkened with rage, and he immediately pushed Ariana away from Lily.

Ariana stumbled to the floor, causing a collective gasp from everyone in the banquet hall. Even Ethan and Richard were taken aback by Alexander’s reaction—they knew how much he despised Ariana for what she had done, but they didn’t expect him to act so openly until the crowd had dispersed.

Lily stared at Alexander with wide eyes, shocked by his actions. Why did he push Ariana, especially in front of everyone, including their child?

"Alexander, what’s wrong?" Lily asked, grabbing his hand.

"She has no business being here! How could you have met her without me knowing?" Alexander demanded, his anger palpable.

Lily let go of his hand and went to Ariana. "Miss Martins, are you alright?"

Tears streamed down Ariana's face as she sniffled, looking at Alexander, who was glaring at her with a deadly intensity. "Why did you do that? What did I do wrong?" she asked, her tears flowing freely.

The onlookers began whispering among themselves. They were well aware of Alexander Kane’s ruthless reputation, but they had never seen him act out like this before.

Alexander marched over and pulled Lily away. "Stay away from her. Do I make myself clear?" he warned sternly.

Lily was more confused than ever. What exactly was happening? Did Alexander know Miss Martins? Her gaze shifted to Ariana, who was being helped up by her bodyguard, Samson.

"Do you know her?" Lily asked Alexander, but he remained silent. It was at that moment that he realized he had never told Lily about his past, so there was no way she could know about Ariana.

"Alexander, talk to me," Lily insisted, her patience wearing thin. While it seemed clear that Alexander knew who Ariana was, it appeared Ariana did not recognize him.

In the background, Peter turned to Caleb, "Father, I think we should leave. Sooner or later, Alexander is going to end this party."

Caleb nodded in agreement, still trying to figure out who the woman was. Judging by Alexander's reaction, she was clearly someone from his past. As they exited the banquet hall and got into the car, Caleb instructed Victor, his right-hand man, to investigate everything about the woman who had just arrived.

Back in the banquet hall, Alexander still hadn’t answered Lily’s question.

"Max," Alexander called out.

"Yes, boss?"

"Tell the chauffeur to take Grandma, Sandra, and Viola home."

"Viola too?" Lily questioned, surprised that Alexander wanted Viola to leave with Grandma Helen.

"Yes, she’ll spend the night there," Alexander confirmed.

Lily was baffled by his sudden decisions.

"Right away, boss," Max responded, then promptly escorted Grandma Helen, Sandra, and Viola out. Viola said her goodbyes to her parents before leaving. Although she was just a child, she could sense the shift in her father’s mood when that woman arrived, understanding that her father must deeply despise her. Viola wasn’t upset that her party was ending early; she was already tired.

Sophia also left with her son, while Sarah departed with Antony, her husband. Sarah was determined to question Antony later because it seemed like he knew who the woman was and why Alexander was so furious.

"The celebrant has left. The party is over, everyone," Ethan announced. Their security team immediately began guiding guests outside. But, as expected, some reporters hid in the corners, eager to capture whatever might unfold between the Kanes and this mysterious woman.

Ariana appeared bewildered as she looked around, seeing only Alexander, Lily, Ethan, and Richard—whom she recognized.

"I'm confused. What’s happening here, Lily? Did I unknowingly cause some sort of disturbance? And why did you push me like that, Mr. Kane? Care to explain?" Ariana demanded, her voice tinged with anger.

"And why did the party end as soon as I arrived? Lily, can you please tell me what’s going on? I didn’t travel all the way from Europe to be humiliated like this," she added, clearly irritated.

Ethan and Richard exchanged puzzled looks. Was she not the Ariana they remembered? Could they have made a mistake? It seemed like she didn’t recognize Alexander or them.

Lily waited for Alexander to respond, but it was Ethan who finally spoke up.

"Miss Ariana Martins," he called out.

Ariana turned to him with a puzzled expression. "Yes?"

"That’s your name, correct?" Ethan asked as he stepped closer to her.

"Yes, it is."

Ethan stopped just in front of her. "Then you’re the Ariana from years ago."

Ariana’s face was blank with confusion. "What are you talking about? This is my first time in Country A. I may be from here, but I grew up in Europe."

"Liar!" Ethan shouted at her.

"Don’t yell at me!" she snapped back.

"So you’re saying you don’t recognize me?"

"This is the first time I’m meeting you."

"Alright," Ethan nodded, then gestured towards Richard. "What about him? Do you recognize him?"

Ariana looked at Richard, but her expression was blank. "I don’t know him. For heaven’s sake, this is my first time in Country A."

"And what about him?" Ethan pointed at Alexander, who was still holding Lily tightly.

Ariana turned her gaze to Alexander. "Yes, I know who he is. He’s Alexander Kane, Lily’s husband, and as a businesswoman, I’m well aware that he’s one of the wealthiest men in Country A."

Ethan shook his head. "Look at him closely, Ariana. Do you not remember Alexander from university and how you betrayed him?"

"University? Betrayed?" Lily murmured to herself. She glanced at Richard, who nodded, confirming her suspicions. Richard had previously mentioned the woman Alexander first loved and how she had betrayed him. Now it turns out Ariana was that woman. But how could she still be alive? Richard had told her she died in a plane crash while fleeing after Alexander discovered her betrayal. Lily was shocked that she had unknowingly befriended the same woman.

Now she understood Alexander’s anger. She looked at him and saw that his rage had not subsided, and from the look on his face, it seemed he would rip Ariana apart if given the chance.

Ariana studied Alexander again, this time more intently, feeling a wave of emotion but maintaining her composure. "I don’t remember. What exactly are you talking about? I studied in Europe, and I have no idea what betrayal you’re referring to."

"Try again," Richard urged.

Ariana acted as if she were trying to recall something, clutching her head as if in pain. "I’m sorry, but I can’t remember anything. Ahh, my head hurts!" she screamed, holding her head in agony.

"Ma’am!" Samson, who had been standing nearby, rushed to support her before she could collapse. "Ma’am, are you alright?"

"No, please get me out of here," she said weakly.

"Yes, ma’am."

Samson lifted her and carried her out of the hall.

It felt as if they were watching a drama unfold before their eyes. Ethan was speechless. Was she pretending, or had she genuinely lost her memory?

He turned to look at Alexander, who was glaring at the exit, his fists clenched tightly.

"Alexander, I think it’s time you told me everything you’ve kept from me," Lily said to him.

Alexander gazed at her and nodded. "I will when we get home," he promised, then turned to Ethan.

Ethan understood immediately and nodded. They needed to investigate Ariana thoroughly—how she was still alive after all these years and why they were unaware until she appeared today.

Samson placed Ariana in the backseat of the car before getting into the driver’s seat and driving off. Once they were away from the hotel, Ariana removed her hand from her head and sat up straight, a smile playing on her lips as she stared out the window.

"Ma’am, should I take you to the hospital?" Samson asked, still concerned.

Ariana smiled. "I’m fine."

Samson glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "What you did in there was something else, ma’am. You had me convinced for a moment that you had really lost your memory. I thought you were suffering from temporary amnesia, but it turns out it was all an act."

"So should I head back to the hotel?"

"No."

"Where to, ma’am?"

"The hospital."

"But you said you’re fine."

"Yes, I’m fine."

"Then why are we going to the hospital, ma’am?"

"Because I need to keep playing the victim. Alexander pushed me to the floor, and the reporters stayed until the end to record everything, including when you rushed me out," Ariana said, having noticed the reporters hiding in the corners.

"Reporters?" Samson asked, surprised since he hadn’t seen any.

"You need to be as observant as I am, Samson," she smiled.

Everything that happened today had worked in her favor. Now, Alexander and Lily would undoubtedly have a heated argument, especially since it seemed Alexander had kept his past a secret from her.

"But ma'am, was it necessary to pretend you lost your memory? What if they find out?" Samson was concerned, knowing the whole story and realizing that his boss was in the wrong for having betrayed Alexander.

Ariana smiled confidently. "Like I said, the reporters and the guests witnessed everything. By tomorrow morning, the news will be all over it, portraying Alexander as the villain while I come off as the victim. When they learn I'm in the hospital, the entire city will be buzzing with interest. All of Alexander and Lily’s detractors will criticize them for treating me poorly, which will cause their stock to plummet and create chaos in their respective companies.

"And when the whole city discovers that they bullied a woman who lost her memory and recently woke up from a 12-year coma, they’ll despise them even more. That’s when I’ll step in as their hero by doing an interview," Ariana smirked as she revealed her plan to Samson.