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I’ve made everything crystal clear, haven’t I? But since when have you ever trusted a single word out of my mouth?” Alex snapped.
“You should’ve laid it all out for me, at the very least! How am I supposed to believe you when you never freat anything with real seriousness?” Sophia fired back, her anger seething.
“So it’s my fault again,” Alex muttered, feeling a
s of
exhaustion wash over him.
“I’m always in the wrong, no matter what I do. And you? You’re forever right. Fine. Have if your way–you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right,” Sophia retorted in a sharp burst, then instantly regretted her words.
“I’m done caring,” Alex growled, jerking his arm away from her grip with deliberate force.
“We’re finished here. Let go of me.”
His eyes bore into her as though she was a complete stranger.
No–she was staring at a man who’d been pushed too far, who’d had enough.
She sensed that if she let him go, he might never return to her side again.
“What do you want from
me, Alex? Can’t y
t you quit acting so impulsive all the time? Can’t you look at yourself and see there might be something wrong with you? Instead of blaming all to me?”
“Me?” Alex scoffed, almost choking on his own disbelief. “Something wrong with me?”
“All I’m asking is for you to act more maturely and sensibly! Am I wrong for wanting that for your own good?” Sophia raised her, voice.
She didn’t even believe her own words, but the fear of losing Alex this time was real.
“Mature and sensible?” Alex let out a cold laugh.
“Do you know the biggest mistake I ever made? I fell in love with you. I loved you with everything I had. I was fucking crazy about you. And that-” he paused, voice quivering with bitterness.
“That was my downfall. So here it is–I’m done. No more hoping. No more hurting. I’m walking away–for good.”
“You-” Sophia tried to speak, but the words collapsed in her throat.
She stood frozen, trembling, her fingers clinging to the corner of Alex’s shirt like it was the only thing keeping her from falling
apart.
“Let’s be honest, Sophia. From the first day we met, no matter what I did, I was always just some worthless braggart in your eyes. You never once believed in me, not even for a single second!
“You sure had plenty of faith in Charles or any rich guy who strutted by. You’d prop them on a pedestal every time, while I was barely worth a glance.”
“Just admit it, Sophia. You never believe me. You never gave a damn about me!”
Sophia stood frozen in shock, her whole–body trembling. “I… I…”
“That’s enough,” Alex said icily.
“I’m done. No more games, no more pretending. I should’ve seen it all along–you were never going to love me. You couldn’t. You wouldn’t. And now… I’m just trying to stop the bleeding before there’s nothing left of me.”
He drew in a ragged breath.
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“Let’s part on good terms. This is the last time I’ll help you. I hope your life turns out fine, but let’s never see each other again. All we do is hurt each other and believe me, it hurts like hell.”
With that, Alex climbed into a waiting taxl and was gone in a flashi
Sophia stood there as though lightning had struck her, silent for a long, agonizing moment.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered brokenly.
“I’m sorry, Alex–God, I’m sorry. I never thought it would end like this,”
“I only wanted to spare youmy family’s contempt, to make them see the man I see.”
“But I was a coward–I let their voices drown out my own, and now you’re gone because I was too afraid to stand beside you in daylight.”
“I was terrified, yet I love you–God, I love you so fiercely.” 1
“When you fought for me, when you faced Bella, I should have shouted your name to the sky,” Sophia sobbed.
“If only I’d been brave enough to love you openly…”
“Alex… please, Alex. I’m still hopelessly in love with you. I can’t bear the thought of you turning your love off. It hurts too damn much.”
‘My heart isn’t stone; it’s yours. I see that only now, when I’ve already lost you.”
“If you can still hear me, even faintly, please come back.”
“Alex… I need you in my life.”
Sophia sobbed painfully.
“The greatest distance in this world is not between life and death,
but between two hearts that love each other deeply-
lost among billions of reasons and fears,
yet unable to find even one strong enough to bring them together.
When she finally staggered back to her hospital ward, Sophia felt like a hollow shell.
Her face was expressionless, her eyes blank.
She barely noticed the fresh blood seeping through the bandage on her hand.
Alex’s wounded gaze flashed in her mind- a look that cut deeper than any wound,
like a blade twisting in her chest.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Honey, I just heard-” Florence stormed into her the moments she entered.
“I just heard that Alex poisoned Bella Kane, using her antidote as leverage to force the Kane family’s apology. That scoundrel threatened someone’s life! He’s nothing but a terrorist!”
“That’s right!” Jack chimed in.
“This Alex guy, all he wanted was a shortcut to make a name for himself! So he used filthy methods with no concern for decency. It’s a good thing he’s out of our lives now–we can’t ever let him near our family again.”
They had been shocked to learn Alex was the one helping them, but upon digging deeper, realized the Kanes weren’t afraid of
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him by nature–he had simply backed them into a corner with underhanded tricks.
So while he might’ve seemed powerful, he was really just using blackmail to get what he wanted.
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“When Bella gets her antidote and the poison’s cleared up, we’ll still be in danger if we keep close to the Kanes or Alex,” someone warned.
“Mom, can you all please leave? I just want to be alone,” Sophia said quietly, her voice hollow.
“Honey, even if we misunderstood Alex, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s at fault,” Florence insisted.
“I’m tired, Mom,” Sophia repeated weakly. “I just want to rest now. Go outside.”
“But-“Florence began.
“Get out!” Sophia snapped, her voice raw and shaking.
Everyone froze, For the first time, the quiet, kind Sophia had broken–completely.
Chapter 242
