Chapter 142 Why Did You Lie to Me?
Alexander's gaze remained fixed on Henry.
He seemed unable to get up.
Alexander had hit him hard just now.
But if Henry dared to stand up again, Alexander would strike again, until Henry could never get up.
This was the conquest instinct carved into his bones, the raw power dynamic he lived by.
Grace simply didn't understand him.
In the business world, amid corporate warfare and cutthroat competition, he was merciless toward his enemies. He had always lived by one rule: showing mercy to an enemy was tantamount to digging your own grave. Outside the boardroom, he operated the same way.
Only after confirming Henry had no ability to stand did Alexander pull his gaze away, gripping Grace's hand firmly and striding toward the exit.
Jeremy finally breathed a sigh of relief, immediately rushing over to Henry.
Henry felt dizzy and disoriented, his vision blurry with double images. He looked up to see Alexander's long legs disappearing through the doorway, and he tried to struggle to his feet.
Jeremy quickly pressed him down. "Mr. Phillips, don't push yourself..."
Having worked alongside Alexander for so many years, no one understood him better than Jeremy. With Alexander's military training and combat skills, Henry—a bookish intellectual—stood no chance.
After all, Alexander had served in special forces.
Outside the restaurant.
Alexander led Grace by the hand, striding toward his car with long, decisive steps.
Grace stumbled behind him, struggling to keep up. His legs were long, his strides wide, making it difficult for her to match his pace.
"Alexander... slow down..."
Alexander tugged her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, practically carrying her toward the vehicle.
At the curb, his Maybach was surrounded by several police officers—he'd been illegally parked.
Seeing Alexander approach, one officer called out, "Is this your car?"
Alexander walked up to him, towering over the officer by half a head, forcing the man to crane his neck upward.
"My car," Alexander said coldly. "What about it?"
The officer swallowed nervously, then regained his composure. "You can't park here. This is illegal parking. We're issuing you a citation with fines and points on your license..."
"Is the ticket ready?" Alexander asked.
His presence was intimidating, his eyes lethal.
The officer had already prepared the citation and handed it over. "You have fifteen days to pay..."
Alexander took the ticket, ignoring the rest of his words, and led Grace to the passenger side. He opened the door and gently guided her inside.
Despite his restraint, his arm muscles were visibly tense. As Grace settled into the passenger seat, he leaned down to fasten her seatbelt.
Grace held her breath, frightened by his rigid expression.
She had never seen Alexander look so terrifying, making him seem almost like a stranger. "Alexander... you're scaring me like this..."
"Scared?" Alexander narrowed his eyes. "What are you afraid of?"
"Your expression is terrifying..."
"You're not like him," Alexander said.
Grace stared at him in bewilderment.
"I won't use the same methods on you that I use on him."
With that, he slammed her door shut and returned to the driver's seat.
The officers instinctively stepped back as Alexander got in, started the engine, and gunned the accelerator, leaving them in his dust.
The car switched to sport mode, transforming into a performance beast with a thunderous engine roar.
One officer snapped back to reality. "He's speeding!"
But by then, the car was already several hundred feet away.
The Maybach raced through the streets at high speed, avoiding the city center and heading toward the interstate highway.
Alexander floored the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel tightly, taking several turns with aggressive drifting maneuvers.
The speedometer shot from 50 mph to over 110 mph, far exceeding legal limits.
Grace's breath caught as she watched the rapidly climbing tachometer, her heart pounding faster. Wind howled past the windows as the city's neon lights and noise faded into the distance.
During several high-speed turns, she lost control, nearly screaming but only managing broken syllables: "Ah... ah..."
Her throat felt blocked by invisible hands. Terrified but afraid to make noise, she held her breath, her breathing and heartbeat nearly stopping.
Fast!
Too fast!
Grace closed her eyes, hearing only the deafening engine roar as the RPMs hit seven thousand.
"Alexander... slow down... please slow down..."
Another sharp turn.
Alexander expertly steered one-handed while Grace squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look outside. A powerful centrifugal force made her feel like she was being pulled apart.
Her internal organs churned like a storm-tossed sea.
Grace opened her eyes fearfully and saw through the rearview mirror that the car's rear was only inches from the guardrail.
Beyond the barrier lay a steep drop to the river gorge below. Any miscalculation would send them flying over the edge, resulting in certain death.
"Slow... slow down..." Her thoughts were completely scrambled.
Alexander kept staring straight ahead.
He felt consumed by rage with nowhere to vent it, his foot pressed to the floor.
Speed limit signs flashed by continuously as Alexander accelerated again, taking the exit ramp onto a mountain road.
The steep, winding road was paved but full of sharp elevation changes. Combined with their excessive speed, it was more thrilling than any roller coaster.
Grace felt her heart leap into her throat, her soul nearly departing her body.
"Alexander!!" Grace gripped her seatbelt tightly, crying out in terror. "Too fast... I'm scared..."
He was angry.
But she didn't understand what he was angry about!
"Are you insane?" Grace couldn't take it anymore. "This speed... we're going to crash!"
Without looking at her, Alexander kept his eyes on the road. "Are you worried about me?"
Grace swallowed hard, hearing the screech of tires. She looked in the rearview mirror to see smoke rising from the rear wheels' friction against the asphalt.
"I'm scared..." Grace said. "I'm scared, really scared..."
"Why did you lie to me?" Alexander asked.
He hated being lied to more than anything.
"I didn't lie to you..."
"You said you were meeting a friend. But why were you really seeing him?"
"I only think of him as a friend..." Grace realized his reaction seemed like jealousy, and she shouted desperately, "I didn't lie to you! I swear I didn't lie... I really only consider him a friend..."
Alexander frowned slightly, easing his foot off the accelerator.
The car gradually slowed down.
Grace was still shaking with fear. Seeing the speed decrease, she quickly explained, "Alexander... please go slower. I need to talk to you..."