In the past, Alexander would have tried to explain. But now, he was too exhausted to form words.
He only let out a weary, despairing smile.
So in Isabella's heart, he was that cheap?
Everything he did, just to please her, just to scrape for more money from her family?
How laughable.
He looked at Isabella, her disheveled hair, her body marked with wild hickeys, her swollen red lips, her satisfied expression.
And suddenly, he felt like she was a stranger.
His voice broke the silence at last, hoarse and ragged.
"Where did you go last night?"
It seemed Isabella hadn't expected Alexander to suddenly question her like that, and for a moment she was stunned. But she quickly forced a laugh, her voice sharp.
"That's my business."
"Not something you should meddle in!"
Alexander calmly pressed further.
"You were with Adrian, weren't you? Looks like the two of you had quite a passionate night."
His tone was bitter, laced with scorn.
"But what I want to know is, after Adrian abandoned you at your most desperate, when you were paralyzed and hopeless, how can you so easily forgive him?"
He continued his questioning.
"Is your love for him so deep that you can overlook such ruthless betrayal?"
"Isabella, Adrian has never been someone worth trusting."
Alexander's insult toward Adrian made Isabella explode with fury.
Her face twisted with rage as she stormed forward, striking Alexander hard across the face, making his nose bleed instantly. She screamed hysterically.
"Shut up! You have no right to insult Adrian!"
"He did it because he was forced, his family, his parents pushed him away from me!"
"And besides, it was my grandfather who drove him out, just so I'd be forced to become the fiancée of a penniless, useless piece of trash like you!"
Her voice rose higher, as if to justify herself.
"And another thing, Adrian can give me the female lead role in the blockbuster film When I Miss You, helping me climb back to the peak of my career. And you? What can you give me?"
"A worthless pauper like you, what right do you have to speak to me this way?"
A role?
Alexander let the blood drip from his nose without even wiping it away, only smiling in weary resignation.
Could Adrian really give it to Isabella?
Alexander was too exhausted to bother explaining. He sighed, pulled a thin sheet of paper from the drawer, and placed it on the table.
"Fine. Then I'll set you free."
"I'll let you be with your true love."
Alexander spoke bitterly, and only then did Isabella notice the document.
It was the annulment of their engagement, which Adrian had already signed.
Before Isabella could react, Alexander laid a bank card on the table, his voice hoarse and weary.
"This is the money your grandfather and your parents gave me over the years. I haven't spent a single cent."
"Now, I'll return it to you."
"I wish you happiness in the days to come."
Alexander added.
"I've signed the annulment. Our engagement is over."
"From now on, if anyone asks, just show them this document. Tell them I realized I was foolish, poor, and unworthy of you, so I knew my place and annulled it myself."
Alexander gave Isabella one last look, then turned away, leaving behind only his lonely figure.
Isabella's heart suddenly clenched with pain when she saw Alexander's signature on the annulment, but she quickly composed herself. Perhaps this was just another trick Alexander had come up with to force her into choosing him instead of Adrian.
But Isabella didn't care. What mattered was that this wretched engagement was finally over.
She happily signed her name, already thinking about the beautiful days ahead with Adrian, and the female lead role that could restore her fame.
At last, she went upstairs to bathe, preparing for her meeting later with the producers of When I Miss You.
Adrian had promised he would find a way to speak with them and secure the role for her, so she felt especially at ease.
After leaving Isabella Hart's house, Alexander had no choice but to wander the streets on an empty stomach. He hadn't eaten since the night before, and now he was nearly exhausted.
Weary, he stepped into a nearby convenience store and bought a sandwich. Yet before he could take a bite, another customer came up from behind and bumped hard into his shoulder, causing him to stumble forward.
The sandwich slipped from his hand, falling and rolling across the ground.
Alexander looked down and sighed. The feeling that the whole world was against him pressed heavily on his chest.
Just as he turned to pick up the sandwich and toss it into the trash, a hand suddenly gripped his arm.
A warm, cheerful voice rang out above him.
"You… you're Alexander Knight, aren't you?"
"Fortunately, I've finally found you. I've been looking everywhere for you."
The man spoke with delight, leaving Alexander stunned. He was a gentleman in a black suit, his face kind and friendly, his hair just beginning to turn silver.
The face was completely unfamiliar. Alexander had never seen him before, nor did he know how this man could possibly know him.
Instinctively, Alexander pulled his arm back in caution and asked in surprise,
"Who are you?"
The man was so excited he could hardly contain himself. Only when he heard Alexander's question did he let out an "oh," quickly rubbing his head with an apologetic smile.
"It's my fault, my fault. I got too worked up and forgot myself."
He handed Alexander a business card, then introduced himself in a gentle tone.
"Hello, I am Denis Mark, personal assistant to Mr. William Knight."
"According to the information I've gathered, you are Alexander Knight, the long-lost grandson of Mr. William Knight."
"I will help you return to inherit the family and reclaim your rightful place."
Denis let out a relieved sigh and patted his chest as if to reassure himself. But the words sounded far too good to be true, leaving Alexander momentarily unconvinced.
Narrowing his eyes, suspicion flickered across his face.
For a brief moment, he even wondered if this was just another scam.
"Me? The long-lost grandson of Mr. Knight?"