“I suggest you calm down,” Alex said, his tone as indifferent as ever, completely unaffected by the insults and rage she hurled his way. His sharp gaze cut through her like a blade. “If you have time to throw a tantrum, you should be worrying about your debt instead.”
Rose froze mid-step, her fiery expression faltering into confusion. “…My debt?” she repeated, narrowing her eyes in frustration. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Alex didn’t bother responding to her directly. Instead, he turned to Waters, his butler, with a small nod. The man stepped forward, holding a thick folder in his hands.
“Read it,” Alex instructed curtly, his voice cold and commanding. Waters gave a slight bow before opening the folder and clearing his throat.
“During the years of your relationship with Alex Reid…” Waters began, his voice steady and loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly. He held the crowd’s attention as he continued.
“…You received the following: Ten luxury properties, totaling one hundred and thirty-six million, five hundred thousand dollars.”
A murmur rippled through the room, but Waters didn’t pause.
“Designer clothes, handbags, and jewelry, valued at four million, ninety-five thousand dollars.”
Some guests exchanged stunned glances, the weight of the numbers starting to sink in.
“Five luxury sports cars, valued at two million, seven hundred and thirty thousand dollars.”
Now, gasps could be heard. A few people leaned closer to whisper in disbelief.
“A monthly allowance of a million dollars every month, totaling thirty-six million dollars.”
The whispers grew louder, a low buzz filling the air as shock turned to scandal.
“And lastly… uncountable expenses on vacations, private jets, and extravagant parties, beyond calculation.” Waters paused for dramatic effect, letting the room stew in the sheer extravagance of the list before delivering the final blow.
“The total calculable sum… over two hundred million dollars.” The moment the figure left his lips, the entire party hall erupted into murmurs.
“What the hell?! She spent that much money on him?” One guest said in a somewhat loud tone. Just shocked at the amount she had spent from Alex.
“Over two hundred million dollars?! For one woman?!” Said another guest.
“I always knew she was using him, but this…” Another murmur in a unsaid disbelief.
“That’s not even a relationship… that’s a sponsorship.”
For years, everyone had assumed Alex willingly spoiled Rose out of blind devotion, but hearing the cold, hard numbers laid out so plainly made it impossible to deny the truth.
It wasn’t love.
It was daylight robbery.
Even Ethan Carter, the so-called protagonist of the night and a man who prided himself on his wealth, furrowed his brows slightly. He couldn’t hide his shock, murmuring to himself, “I’ve never spent that much on anyone… spent… I haven’t even thought of something like this… not even close.”
Rose stood rooted to the spot, her face pale as a sheet. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides as she struggled to process the accusations being hurled her way.
She tried to convince herself that Alex was exaggerating, that this was some sort of cruel joke to humiliate her. But the weight of the stares and whispers around her told her otherwise.
And then Alex spoke again.
“You heard it,” he said, exhaling slowly. The faint curl of smoke from his cigarette danced in the air as his sharp eyes locked onto her trembling form. “I won’t waste my breath arguing with you.”
He took a step forward, his tone colder than ice. “Over two hundred million dollars. We’re done now, so I’ll be generous.”
Rose’s breath hitched as his words stabbed at her like daggers. She wanted to shout, to argue, but no sound escaped her lips.
“I’ll even let you keep the money of ‘over’ word—consider it a charity donation,” Alex continued, his gaze piercing through her. “But the rest?” His voice grew even colder, filled with quiet authority.
“I want it back. By this afternoon. Send the full amount to my personal account.” The room was dead silent. Every guest, every business mogul, every socialite held their breath.
Everyone was eagerly waiting to see how Rose would react. Rose stood there, completely still, like a statue.
For the first time in her life, words failed her. She wanted to yell at Alex, to throw insults, to convince herself she was still in charge.
But she couldn’t. Deep inside, she knew this was a catastrophe, not just for her but for everyone involved.
While Rose was silent, her parents, Harold and Lillian Winters, were panicking. They knew exactly what Alex’s words implied.
This was about more than just money; it was about the survival of their family business. On the outside, the Winters seemed like a powerhouse of wealth and influence.
But the reality? Their success was all propped up by Alex’s support. Without him, they were nothing.
Their businesses weren’t independent; they only thrived because of their connections to Reid Industries. If those connections were cut off, the Winters would crumble in a day.
Harold practically ran to Alex, his smile shaky. “A-Alex, my boy! This must be some kind of mix-up… Yes! A misunderstanding!!” He rushed, trying to calm the situation with a voice that was both frantic and polite.
“Young folks argue sometimes, we get that! But there’s no need for this to go further, right? We’re family, after all!” Lillian added quickly, nodding her head like a bobblehead.
“That’s right! Rose knows she’s made mistakes, but there’s no need for such drastic steps,” she said, smiling through her own panic.
“How about this? You two make up, we set a date for the wedding, and—” Lillian started to suggest, but before she could finish, Rose exploded at the mention of ‘wedding.’
“Wedding?!” Rose’s rage flared up again as she turned to face her parents with a glare. “Are you out of your mind? After what he did to me today, you want me to marry him?” She pointed angrily at Alex.
(A/N: Soon! Some Golden tickets guys!!! And thank you ‘Bluevirus’ for being the first one to support through Golden Ticket (GT).
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