Chapter 322

Chapter 322

The name 'Daniel' caused Alexander's expression to change instantly.

Everyone knew the bitter rivalry between the two men had ended with Alexander's victory years ago.

But Daniel's very existence was a reminder that Alexander had once been abandoned—an indelible stain he could never forget.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to Sophie, his gaze filled with warning.

Her eyes reddened slightly. "Alexander, am I wrong? We all know exactly how Daniel managed to return to the Foster family back then."

"Oh? You know, but I don't quite understand. Why don't you explain what really happened?" Emily suddenly interjected, causing Sophie to frown. Clearly, this conversation wasn't going according to her plan.

"What's wrong? I'm not familiar with the details. Could you explain it to me?" Emily pressed. "Or is it something you can't discuss in front of me?"

By now, Emily understood Sophie's tactics. It was nothing more than a distraction—an attempt to sow doubt between her and Alexander.

With someone constantly driving wedges between them, even the strongest relationship would fracture, let alone theirs, which had been problematic from the start.

Sophie stared at Emily in bewilderment, taking a moment to recover. "What are you implying? You know better than anyone what happened back then. Now you're pretending..."

"I remember Alexander was in a car accident saving me, and somehow, you suddenly disappeared. While I was worried about his position at the Foster Group during those negotiations, you were already clinging to Daniel."

The room fell silent, the air growing thick with tension.

"That's slander! Complete slander!" Sophie sputtered, realizing her tone was too agitated. She quickly turned to Alexander. "Alexander, I only approached Daniel because I was afraid he would hurt you. Everything I did was for you!"

Regaining her composure, she redirected her attack toward Emily. "As for her, she quickly became involved with Daniel. Surely you remember how openly he pursued her back then?"

"You acknowledge it was pursuit, then," Emily blinked, feigning innocence as she glanced between Sophie and Alexander. "If I really had something going on with him, wouldn't we have naturally gotten together? Why would we need such a complicated arrangement?"

Emily tilted her head. "Oh, were you concerned about our marriage status? One of you had an affair, the other knowingly became involved with a married man—neither of you seemed bothered by those issues, so why would I be?"

Her words effectively condemned both Sophie and Alexander in one breath.

Sophie's expression turned rigid and grim.

Finally, she managed to force out. "You and Daniel were involved. Don't try to smear me!"

"Smear you?" Emily laughed again, though the sound was chilling. "When you and Alexander got engaged, didn't you know he was still married to me? How does that not make you the homewrecker? Please, explain what a 'homewrecker' is, if not that."

Before Sophie could answer, Emily continued, "Oh, are you suggesting that only the unloved one is the homewrecker? Well, that would make you even more of one, since Alexander doesn't love you. Should we ask him to confirm that right now? I don't mind, but can you handle it?"

Each word, though delivered in a soft, gentle tone, landed like a slap across Sophie's face, leaving her nowhere to hide.

The realization that she had never truly gained Alexander's love—that even her position beside him might have been stolen—was devastating.

How could this not cut her to the core?

The more pained Sophie's expression became, the more casual Emily appeared.

She nudged Alexander with her elbow. "Aren't you going to say something? She looks like she's about to fall apart. Maybe you should comfort her?"

His face remained impassive, making it impossible to read his thoughts.

But Alexander could see beyond Emily's bright smile to the coldness underneath, mixed with a hint of mockery.

"Was it you who held the board of directors at bay while I was unconscious?" he finally asked.

"Shouldn't that be easy enough to verify?" Emily paused, then suddenly smiled, though her eyes remained cold. "Oh, I understand. You trusted Sophie so completely that you never felt the need to investigate. You never even considered checking the facts, did you?"

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. After a long moment, he said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You were injured saving me. What I did was simply repaying that debt. We're even now." She made it sound simple, but how could it be?

Each time she spoke of past events with such casual detachment, Alexander realized just how much he had missed—and how many mistakes he had made.

When he turned to Sophie, his gaze grew involuntarily cold. "I was unconscious at the time, unaware of the situation. Were you equally in the dark?"

"She... I..." Sophie stammered incoherently, making the truth of the situation clear.

Alexander didn't want to watch her fumble any longer. "Sophie, I don't want to dwell on the past. But you've gone too far. Leave Bellevue!"

"No!"

Emily and Sophie spoke simultaneously.

His eyebrows rose slightly. Sophie's refusal was expected, but Emily's?

Meeting his eyes, Emily quirked her lips in a cool smile. "You think one word from you will make her leave because you're worried I might seek revenge? But after all the humiliation I've endured, why should she get away unscathed? Alexander, protecting her is your business. But my revenge? It's only just beginning."

"Emily..."

"What? You want me to forgive her? To be magnanimous?" She let out a derisive laugh, the coldness in her expression deepening. "Then do you know how I felt when I learned she was pregnant? How I felt when you believed I betrayed you, after everything I'd done for you? None of that matters, right? What if I told you I was pregnant back then?"

"Impossible!" Sophie immediately shook her head in denial.

Alexander's expression transformed dramatically, a whirlwind of emotions flickering in his eyes before settling into a heavy sigh. "I know you're angry, but this isn't something to joke about."

"I never joke," Emily tapped her finger lightly on the table, her voice tinged with wistfulness. "Whether three years ago or now, you habitually dismiss what I say without even checking."

His heart jolted. Sophie's mocking voice broke the silence. "How would you verify that? With a pregnancy test from back then? Don't tell me you still have something like that. Even if you did, what would it prove?"

"True, it wouldn't prove much. But I had breast cancer at the time, so I had regular checkups. The pregnancy was discovered during one of those examinations. The medical records should be quite clear."

Seeing Alexander's stunned expression, Emily gave a soft laugh and delivered her final blow.

"But my condition was too severe, and with the repeated shocks from both of you... the baby didn't make it."