My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 176

Vivienne’s POV

Alexander’s mouth was covered by my other hand, halting whatever he was about to say. A faint smile flickered in his eyes.

I exhaled slowly, my cheeks flushed with a soft pink as I shot him a glare. "I’ll let go of you, but you better not say another word," I warned.

Alexander’s expression remained neutral, neither nodding nor shaking his head, the amusement still playing on his face.

Frowning, I was about to speak when I suddenly felt an itching sensation in my palm, followed by something warm and wet.

"Ah—!" I jerked my hand away, pulling it as far from him as I could, disgust clearly written on my face as I wiped it against my sleeve. "Alexander, that’s disgusting!"

Alexander, however, remained completely unfazed. "How is it disgusting? You’re the one who put your hand there. Besides, I’ve touched every part of you, haven’t I? Even in the hospital room that time..."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" I interrupted, my ears burning red with embarrassment.

The nerve of him, bringing up things like that... especially the hospital room. I hated how that memory came rushing back the moment he mentioned it.

"You’re thinking about it now, aren’t you?" Alexander’s voice dropped, laced with a dark, enticing edge.

"Don’t say that!" I shot back, my voice sharp like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. My ears were burning so hot, I felt like they might catch fire.

Alexander chuckled softly, his laugh deep and confident, sending a shiver down my spine. It was as if he knew I was lying, as if he had me exactly where he wanted me.

I wasn’t sure how much more of this teasing I could stand. Straightening my back, I tried to regain some composure. "Alexander, if you keep this up, I’ll report you for sexual harassment."

"Alright, I’ll stop," he said smoothly, releasing a gentle sigh as he tugged at my sleeve. "You hardly ate anything for dinner. Sit down and eat something. You’ll like it."

The sudden change in topic caught me off guard.

I’d already had a bite or two, and the food here was definitely good. But the thought of eating with him—no, that felt wrong.

Our relationship wasn’t something that should involve too much interaction anymore.

"What’s the matter? Now that we’re divorced, you don’t even want to eat with me?" Alexander’s voice held a trace of something that might have been hurt, though it was carefully concealed. "You really want to cut ties with H. Dynasty too? Nana’s been worrying about you..."

His words froze me for a moment.

I remembered how he’d taken the brunt of the injuries in that car crash to protect me after our divorce. That alone made it hard to stay angry at him, despite everything. Reluctantly, I sat down at the table. "Fine, I’m only doing this for Nana’s sake." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He then ordered a few of my favorite dishes, and I could tell that, even if the reason didn’t matter to him, my sitting down was enough.

He seemed satisfied with my gesture. After the past few days of travel, I was finally starting to feel like myself again.

I leaned my elbow on the table, propping my cheek up with my hand, still unable to understand how I’d ended up sitting across from Alexander, sharing a meal. I’d come here intending to confront him, to catch him in the act.

But here we were.

Alexander poured me a glass of warm water and casually began listing the restaurant’s specialties.

As the waiter brought out the dishes, I asked, "Where’s Frederick? You should call him back. He should join us."

Alexander’s face darkened. "Don’t bother with him."

"But I said I’d treat him to a meal. He’s your friend; you can’t just leave him out like that."

"Why am I acting like this toward him? Don’t you understand?"

I froze for a moment and pointed at myself. "Me? Why would I understand?"

"Who was it that just said they wanted to be his girlfriend? Who said he’s handsome, in great shape, and planned on not going back to the hotel tonight? Who was it that thought of using my wallet to take care of him?"

I fell silent, my lips twitching. "That was obviously a joke... I was just testing everyone."

"It’s because I care too much, Vivienne. I’m afraid."

He was afraid—like a dragonfly disturbing the stillness of my heart.

I looked up at Alexander.

He continued, "I’m afraid. I’m afraid you might really fall for him, that you’ll insist on being with him. I’m afraid you’ll leave me, and I’ll never have a chance to win you back. I live in fear every single day."

"So when I saw Julian holding you earlier, I couldn’t hold myself back. I had to get out of the car and see you. I’m scared—scared that in the blink of an eye, you’ll become someone else’s wife, and I’ll just be a useless ex-husband."

Alexander’s eyes were deep, dark like the winter night in Virellia City.

His tone, his gaze—they held an intensity, a raw love for me.

But how could that be?

All I could think was that Alexander’s acting had gotten even better. If he were in the film industry, he’d probably win an award for Best Actor.

But I’d been fooled by his charms before, endured all sorts of heartache. Now, I was wide awake and not about to fall for it again.

"We’re divorced..." I said quietly.

"I know." Alexander interrupted. "And that’s exactly why I’m so afraid. I’m not asking you to remarry me, Vivienne. I’m just telling you how I feel."

I lowered my gaze.

"Alright, let’s drop it for now. Let’s eat," he said gently.

Alexander placed a slice of salmon on my plate.

We didn’t bring up the earlier topic again. Instead, we discussed the food on the table. The atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful.

Halfway through, Alexander suddenly asked, "How did you know Frederick’s friend was me?"

I lifted my cup of hot water and took a small sip. "When we first met, he nodded at me, but I didn’t recognize him."

Suddenly, something clicked, and I looked up at Alexander. "The new boss of that travel agency on the first day... Was that you?"

Alexander didn’t deny it, replying with concern, "I was worried the regular van wouldn’t be warm enough. Your health has only just recovered."

Hearing that, I lowered my gaze, a complex emotion flashing in my eyes. "Thank you."

I hadn’t expected that after all this time, Alexander’s care would still move me.

But whether I was moved or not, I would remain rational.

No matter what his intentions were, I wasn’t going to remarry him.

Maybe there was still a place in my heart for Alexander, but it was just a place—nothing more. My heart was beginning to make room for someone else.

"Thank you for what?" he said softly. "Even though we’re divorced, I should still look out for you."

I gently shook my head. "Alexander, I don’t need your care. You should go back tomorrow. I don’t like having someone watch over my life from the shadows, as if all my secrets are laid bare in front of you, with no privacy left. Besides, it’s not good for you to stay here. You’ve got work, family, and Nane is waiting for you to return."

Hearing this, Alexander’s expression grew more serious, his tone tinged with bitterness.

But I still insisted on pushing him away.

I looked into his eyes and continued, "You keep saying you love me. Fine, if you really do, then respect my wishes. Don’t disturb my life now, alright?"

Alexander was speechless.

He never expected that, at the end of this meal, my words would leave him with no room to argue.

He was silent for a long time, then finally smiled. "Vivienne, you win."