Chapter 180 That Anonymous Text Message Was From Him
Alexander frowned slightly. "Don't talk about yourself like that, Arabella. His voice softened. “You’re incredible. Kind, brave—gentle, but strong. You treat people with genuine warmth. You have the courage to love wholeheartedly, and the strength to walk away from a marriage that was hurting you.”
He held her gaze. To me, you're incredible. Truly."
He reached out and gently covered her hand with his. Her fingers were ice-cold. A knot of worry tightened in his chest. Things had already come this far. The only way forward now was to explain everything—clearly, honestly—before misunderstandings grew any deeper.
“Arabella,” he said quietly, “I married you because I liked you. Because I love you. Maybe those words sound simple, but please don’t doubt that I mean them. Everything I’ve done… it’s all been to help you accept me.”
Everything I’ve done… it’s all been to help you accept me.” "You're not gay?"
Alexander pressed his lips together briefly before shaking his head. "No."
She studied him for a moment.
“So… you’re not just some top-performing insurance salesman?”
He let out a quiet breath.
“The insurance company is only a small branch of my holdings.”
Arabella blinked.
"You and Mr. White..."
“Blake is a close friend,” Alexander said. “He’s one of the best attorneys in the country.”
"My dad's leg..."
“Frank arranged for the best specialists overseas,” Alexander replied. “It took some effort, but it was done.”
Suddenly, she didn’t feel like asking any more questions. All the little things that had never quite made sense before… the things she had unconsciously explained away in her mind… they were suddenly obvious.
The answer was simple.
Alexander came from money. Big money.
When someone had that kind of wealth, problems that seemed impossible to others became solvable.
After a long silence, she finally asked the question that mattered most.
“Why me?”
Alexander hesitated.
Then he asked quietly, "Do you remember living in Springside Village when you were little?"
Arabella froze.
After a moment, she shook her head slightly.
“I was in a car accident when I was in middle school,” she said slowly. “I don’t remember much from before that.”
Alexander smiled faintly, his gaze drifting as memories resurfaced.
“When I was young, I was being groomed as the heir to the FitzRoy family. There were people who wanted me dead.”
His tone remained calm, as though he were talking about someone else’s life. “My grandmother took me to Springside Village in Majestic City so we could hide. We lived under different names.” He looked back at her.
“Back then… we were neighbours.”
Like a flash of lightning, fragments of memory burst through Arabella’s mind.
A boy standing beside her.
And a childish voice ringing with excitement—
“Alex, come on! Let’s play hopscotch!”
“Alex, why are you always so quiet? If you keep this up, you’ll never make any friends.”
"Alex, don't be scared. I'll protect you. I won't let anyone bully you!"
The memories came rushing back.
That narrow alley.
That crumbling old building.
Now Arabella finally understood why Chloe’s apartment had felt so strangely familiar.
Alexander continued reminiscing. “I had just gone through something traumatic back then. I almost died. My parents were overseas, living their perfect lives, and the only person who stayed with me was my grandmother. She hid me away in Springside Village.” He paused briefly.
“At the time, I felt like my life had no meaning. I barely spoke to anyone. But you were the one who dragged me outside to play. You kept telling me I had to be brave, no matter what happened.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“We even made childish promises. We said we’d go to college together, work at the same company… and eventually get married.”
He chuckled softly.
“We even planned our future kids—one with your last name, one with mine.”
Arabella’s face flushed with embarrassment.
Had she really been that naive as a child?
Alexander sighed quietly and continued.
“Eventually, my family took me back to the FitzRoy estate. After that, my uncles and other relatives began pressuring me constantly. I had to fight to secure my position in the family.” Over the years, I focused on building my influence and strengthening my power. I didn’t want to drag you into that mess, so I forced myself to stay away.” His voice lowered slightly.
“By the time everything was finally settled… I came back to find you.”
He looked at her.
“And you were already in love with Anthony.”
No one knew how devastating that moment had been three and a half years ago.
He had returned full of hope—only to find that her world already revolved around another man.
So he stayed in the shadows.
He watched from a distance as she fell in love.
Watched her laugh, watched her kindness, watched the quiet happiness in her life.
And he told himself he had no right to interfere.
It was during that time that he began to suspect something strange about the car accident that had taken her parents’ lives.
So he pushed himself harder.
He established a branch office in Majestic City and personally oversaw its operations. Officially, he was there to manage the company.
Unofficially, it allowed him to remain close enough to watch over her.
Most of the time, though, he didn’t even dare look at her directly. He refused to investigate her life too deeply, because every piece of information hurt. She and Anthony looked so happy together.
Every update—where they went on dates, how close they were, the news of their engagement—felt like a needle slowly driving into his heart.
Eventually, he forced himself to stop paying attention.
Stop asking.
Stop hoping.
Instead, he buried himself in work. During those years, the branch office's performance skyrocketed. Even the old guard at headquarters were stunned by his leadership. At the annual shareholders’ meeting, even his grandfather publicly praised him.
By then, his position within the FitzRoy family had become unshakable.
Just when he thought his life would continue that way forever—
He discovered that Anthony was cheating on her.
The discovery itself had been accidental.
But with the resources at his disposal, confirming the truth had been easy.
The results of the investigation hurt far more than he had expected. The woman he had quietly cherished for so many years—the one whose name he had once felt unworthy even to speak—had been worn down almost beyond recognition during her two-year marriage to Anthony.
Her relationship with her husband and in-laws had steadily deteriorated. There had been constant pressure about having children, endless criticism, and one hardship after another. Someone as gentle and kind as Arabella had endured all of it alone.
And when he imagined her being bullied like that… he could only picture how helpless and miserable she must have felt.
So, like a meddlesome outsider who had no right to interfere, he acted.
That very night, Arabella caught Anthony cheating at the hotel.
Three days later, Arabella filed for divorce.
What surprised Alexander was that the process dragged on for quite some time—because Anthony refused to agree to it.
But that was fine. If anything, it gave Alexander more room to maneuver.
He had someone quietly whisper a few things into Cassidy’s ear. Once Cassidy began pressuring Anthony, he finally relented.
After the mandatory one-month cooling-off period, the divorce was finalized.
Alexander had long understood the difficulties Arabella faced.
So the day before her divorce was finalized, he appeared in her life as if by coincidence—armed with a carefully constructed identity that fit perfectly into her world. He arranged for them to register their marriage the very next day, closing the gap as quickly as possible. This time, he wouldn’t let anyone get there before him.
Arabella sat there in stunned silence.
A powerful CEO secretly falling in love with an ordinary woman… the kind of dramatic storyline you only saw in novels.
And somehow, it had become her reality.
And she was the heroine.
After a long moment, she finally forced herself to ask the question that had been lingering in her mind.
“When Anthony was cheating… I received an anonymous message. Was that from you?”
Alexander hesitated for a brief moment before nodding.
“Yes.”
Arabella’s emotions tangled together.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Three years ago, he had established a branch office in Majestic City. He had uncovered Anthony’s affair.
Then he had approached her, step by step… eventually marrying her.
Had every stage of this relationship been part of his plan?
Was even her falling in love with him something he had anticipated?
The thought was… unsettling.
But at the same time, everything he had done had been for her. And strangely enough, that didn’t feel entirely wrong.
The man she liked… liked her back.
Even more deeply than she had ever realized. She should feel happy about that.
If he had been an ordinary man, she wouldn’t hesitate to throw herself fully into this relationship.
But now…
Thinking about everything she had just learned, she found herself hesitating again.
Alexander noticed the conflict on her face, and his anxiety deepening. He understood her hesitation. In fact, it was exactly why he had planned to wait for the right moment before revealing the truth.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. That perfect moment never came.
Alexander let out a quiet sigh and covered her hand again, his grip tightening slightly. "Arabella, give me a chance. Let me be with you."
Arabella's heart trembled. She swallowed hard, her throat tight, and after a moment she said hoarsely, "Alex, I need to think about it."
The answer alone was enough to make Alexander feel relieved.
He had prepared himself for the worst—that she would be furious about the deception, believe he had been dishonest from the beginning, and reject him outright.
The answer alone was enough to make Alexander feel relieved.
He had prepared himself for the worst—that she would be furious about the deception, believe he had been dishonest from the beginning, and reject him outright. "You stay here. I'm going out for a while."
Alexander immediately stood as well. "Where are you going? I'll take you."
Arabella shook her head quickly. "No need. I actually already made plans with Daisy for dinner tonight anyway."
Alexander nodded, his expression unchanged. "Be careful."
He watched her figure disappear through the doorway. As soon as the door clicked shut, he pulled out his phone and called Daisy.
Daisy answered almost immediately, her voice cautious. "Mr. FitzRoy?"
Alexander briefly explained what had happened and asked, "Did Arabella contact you?"
Daisy let out a long sigh of relief after hearing the situation. "Oh, so that's why she wanted to meet up. God, I thought something terrible had happened. You scared the hell out of me.”
Alexander frowned. "This isn't serious?"
Daisy thought to herself that nothing could be more serious than Arabella interrogating her about her love life.
But facing Alexander—even over the phone—she quickly adjusted her tone. "Serious. Very serious. But also... not that serious."
She began calmly breaking down the situation for him.
“Arabella likes you—I told you that already, remember? You like her, she likes you. Now that everything's out in the open and she's not even mad about the things you kept from her… what’s really stopping you two from being together?”
Alexander remained unconvinced.
“My background is her biggest concern,” he said bluntly.
Daisy dismissed the idea with a scoff.
“Look, you might be brilliant in business, but when it comes to women, you’re completely clueless. Arabella is my best friend—don’t you think I know her better than that?”
Daisy thumped her chest confidently, making a solemn promise. "Don't worry. Leave it to me. After tonight, I’ll return a wife who’s completely head over heels for you.”
Alexander couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips, though he quickly composed himself. "If you really can convince Arabella,” he said lightly, “then from now on you’ll have first pick of any script in the entertainment industry.”
Daisy’s eyes lit up. She eagerly agreed several times before finally hanging up.
Alexander, however, wasn't nearly as optimistic. After a moment of hesitation, he placed two more calls—to his mother and to Chloe.
Arabella and Daisy agreed to meet at a newly opened restaurant.
The moment they sat down, Daisy immediately sold Alexander out.
"Alexander really cares about you," Daisy said, watching her carefully. "If you ask me, you should just say yes to him already."
Arabella shot her an annoyed look.
“So I was the last person among the three of us to find out his real identity?” she asked coolly. "When did you and Philip know?"
Daisy lowered her head guiltily, rubbing her fingertips together as she stole a quick glance at Arabella. "Not long after you two got married."
"What?" Arabella stared at her in disbelief. "You knew that early and kept it from me this whole time? I thought we were best friends!"
"We are!" Daisy protested immediately, practically swearing to the heavens. "I really was looking out for you! At first, Philip and I had no idea what Alexander’s intentions were. The other side was too powerful—we didn't dare interfere. And… well… what Chloe offered us was hard to refuse.”
Arabella let out a small laugh despite her irritation."So you sold me out for profit?"
“It wasn’t like that,” Daisy said quickly. “We just didn’t know what to do. We were afraid that if we offended them, you’d end up getting hurt. So we kept an eye on things. But after a while, we realized they were treating you like a priceless treasure. Once we saw that, we relaxed and let things play out.”
Arabella suddenly remembered something. "Philip going abroad—So we kept an eye on things. But after a while, we realized they were treating you like a priceless treasure. Once we saw that, we relaxed and let things play out.”
Daisy nodded matter-of-factly. "Think about it. Every bit of good luck you’ve had since meeting him—he’s probably behind most of it. Normal people don't get that lucky. You leave the workforce for three years, come back, and suddenly orders start pouring in like snow? Come on."
Hearing this, Arabella sighed.
Seeing her reaction, Daisy leaned forward. "So what are you planning to do?"
Arabella hesitated for a moment before answering honestly. "I'm planning to make a clean break with him."
Daisy’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind, or have I? This man is handsome, powerful, and completely devoted to you. He’d move heaven and earth for you—and you’re not interested? He's ten thousand times better than that Watson guy. You tolerated Watson, but now you’re telling me this incredible man still isn’t good enough for you?”Arabella’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“It’s not that I’m ungrateful. I truly appreciate everything he’s done for me. But he’s not the right person for me.”
Daisy frowned in confusion. "Don't you like him? Don't tell me you've already moved on such a short time?"
Arabella shook her head, a trace of bitterness appearing in her expression. After a moment, she said quietly, "Daisy, liking someone doesn't pay the bills. And it can’t sustain a life between two people who come from completely different worlds. I learned that the hard way with Anthony. The most important lesson I took from that marriage was this: don’t deceive yourself into thinking love alone can overcome the problems that come with vastly different social statuses.”
She smiled lightly. When she looked up again, her gaze had become steady and resolute.
“He comes from a noble family. His lifestyle and his future plans will inevitably be completely different from mine. I’m not opposed to another relationship—but I want it to be with an ordinary person, living an ordinary life. I’m not opposed to another relationship—but I want it to be with an ordinary person, living an ordinary life. She paused before finishing calmly.
“Rather than watch the relationship slowly fall apart later, it’s better to end it cleanly now.”
Daisy's mouth hung open. For a moment, she had no idea what to say.
Arabella was too rational.
Precisely because she had thought through every possible problem before making her decision, there was almost no room left to persuade her otherwise.
In a way, that disastrous marriage to Anthony had forced her to become far more pragmatic. And the truth was, her concerns weren’t entirely unreasonable. In fact… the future she feared was entirely possible.
Arabella looked at Daisy with a knowing smile.
"Alexander called you, didn't he? You can tell him my answer now.”
Daisy had come intending to persuade her on Alexander’s behalf —but everything Arabella had just said was really meant for Alexander to hear.
She wanted Daisy to deliver the rejection for her.