Chapter 249 I Will Take Good Care of Her
Armando had been sitting off to the side the entire time, silent from beginning to end.
Alexander had resolved everything in a matter of minutes with a clean, forceful approach that genuinely surprised Armando. For the first time, he truly understood that Alexander had what it took to go head-to-head with Linus.
The fact that Alexander was showing this kind of capability over a woman left Armando slightly irritated, but he had to admit—the execution was flawless. Decisive, thorough, and handled with precision.
For the bigger picture, this wasn't a bad thing.
Armando finally stood and walked over to Damon, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Damon, the Hamilton family is serious about this marriage between Alexander and Caroline. Whatever arrangements or agreements may exist elsewhere, this marriage is going to happen. I'm making that decision for Alexander."
Damon took a deep breath and gave a firm nod.
"If they love each other, then as far as I'm concerned, it's settled."
His gaze shifted to Isabella, still sitting stiffly on the sofa, his voice measured but unyielding.
"Caroline is my daughter. Her happiness comes before everything else."
Alexander's shoulders relaxed, tension draining out of him.
Done.
He looked down at Caroline beside him. Her eyes were still a little red as she looked up at him.
He couldn't help but smile. Without a second thought for the elders in the room, he pulled her straight into his arms.
Armando turned just in time to see it. His brows drew together sharply.
He cleared his throat with obvious intent and stood.
"Since this is settled, we'll be heading back."
Alexander didn't even look up, just waved a hand dismissively. "You go ahead. I'm taking Caroline down to the water tonight."
Only after Armando's footsteps had faded completely beyond the door did Alexander turn back toward Isabella, still pale and frozen on the sofa. He inclined his head politely.
"Mrs. Neville, I apologize for the disruption tonight. But I promise you—I'll take care of Caroline from now on. Better than anyone else could."
Isabella sat motionless. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came.
Alexander straightened, turned, and took Caroline's hand, lacing their fingers together.
"Come on. Let's go to the beach."
As Caroline let him lead her toward the door, she couldn't help glancing at Edith as they passed.
Edith's eyes were a tangle of emotions—jealousy, resentment, loss, and something else Caroline couldn't quite name.
Before she could dwell on it, she felt Alexander give her hand a gentle squeeze.
"What are you looking at?" His voice was low near her ear. "Look at me."
Caroline's face went hot. She dropped her gaze and let him lead her out the front door.
They drove to the marina. The night air smelled of salt and damp wood, and the sound of waves rolled in from somewhere out in the dark.
Alexander held her hand as they walked slowly along the pier.
This time, this place wasn't the shadow of Edith's death. It wasn't the beginning of their tragedy. It was the real start of their story.
"Caroline," Alexander said suddenly.
"Mm?"
"Were you crying earlier?"
"No."
"You're lying. The front of my shirt's soaked."
"...That's your own sweat."
Alexander laughed, stopped walking, and turned to face her.
"Caroline." His expression turned serious.
"Mm?"
"From now on, no one gets to make decisions for you anymore." He took her hand and pressed it against his chest, over his heart.
"Except me."
Caroline blinked, then smiled.
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"It's different," Alexander said earnestly. "Because I'll ask you first."
"Ask me what?"
"Like..." He paused, thinking. "Should we go left and check out the lighthouse, or right toward the rocks?"
Caroline finally let herself smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Left."
"Okay." Alexander tightened his grip on her hand and started walking. "Then left it is."
The days passed. The roses in the garden bloomed and faded. The temperature climbed higher. Summer hit its peak.
With the arrival of summer break, their engagement ceremony was officially scheduled.
Two weeks before the ceremony, Alexander did something that sent shockwaves through the Hamilton Group.
He closed the Briarwick port development deal.
The project had been stalled for three solid months. The other side's asking price was astronomical, and the board had been locked in arguments with no resolution in sight.
Linus had personally led negotiations four separate times. Every time he came back, he said the same thing: "We wait. They'll come down."
But Alexander was done waiting.
He spent three days digging into the other company's background—ownership structure, financials from the past five years—then spent two more days arranging a round of golf with their CEO.
By the time they finished the eighteenth hole, the letter of intent was signed. The terms were even better than what the group had originally proposed.
When word got back to the office, people thought it was a joke.
A high school kid in golf pants closed the deal?
Then what the hell had the rest of them been doing for three months in conference rooms?
Alexander ignored the whispers. The facts spoke for themselves.
On the day of the signing, he made a point of going to the office in person.
He wanted everyone to see, crystal clear, that this project was his.
Linus ran into him at the elevator on his way out. The two of them stood there for a moment, the air thick and tense.
Finally, Linus spoke first. "Congratulations. You did well. Really helped out the Hamilton Group."
The phrasing was deliberate. The word "helped" could mean a lot of things.
If Linus was willing to acknowledge Alexander as part of the group, it meant he'd done his duty. If not, then it was just... a favor.
Alexander looked up, meeting Linus's eyes in the reflection of the elevator doors, and smiled faintly.
"Just doing my part," he said evenly. "After all, I'm part of the Hamilton Group too."
As the words landed, Alexander saw it clearly—Linus's fingers, hanging at his side, curled into a tight fist.