Chapter 131
Chapter 131:
Betsey’s fury erupted as she unleashed the thoughts swirling in her mind.
Tessa approached the studio to congratulate Helena but, hearing Betsey’s accusations, fired back with razor-sharp precision. “Your ignorance doesn’t extend to the rest of us. The entire flower exhibition streamed live for everyone to see! If you’re so desperate to verify Helena’s presence, perhaps you should watch the replay yourself p>
Betsey stood frozen, her retort dying on her lips.
Just then, Helena emerged from the studio. Betsey rushed over immediately, her voice dripping with suspicion. “A citywide traffic jam paralyzed the streets an hour ago—it even made the headlines. Tell me, how did you magically transport yourself back from the flower exhibition so quickly p>
Helena assessed her with glacial composure. “I wasn’t aware I needed to justify my movements to you p>
“You p>
Betsey simmered with indignation while Helena, dismissing her entirely, descended the stairs with Tessa.
Alone and seething, Betsey suddenly recalled the helicopter that had touched down on the rooftop earlier.
Was that extravagant arrival actually for Helena? Impossible.
Utterly preposterous.
Betsey banished the thought instantly.
Helena occupied nothing more than a minor anchor position. Even if she had someone powerful backing her, no one would go to such extraordinary lengths for someone so inconsequential.
“Helena, your interview was absolutely amazing! Consider me your newest devotee!” Tessa’s face illuminated with admiration.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I present our rising star—the incomparable Ms. Helena Ellis!” Dominick flourished his hand theatrically.
Upon Helena’s return to the office, Tessa and Dominick enveloped her in their playful banter.
She offered them a grateful smile, then caught Dominick’s next words. “You might find this interesting, Helena—Alden watched your entire interview livestream without interruption. Did that little detail reach you p>
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Helena’s composure faltered momentarily.
Dominick instantly registered her surprise.
“Between you and Alden…” he ventured, fishing for information about their connection.
Helena cut the inquiry short. “I had no knowledge Alden was viewing. Perhaps he’s exploring advertising opportunities with the station and wanted to evaluate the new talent.” With practiced ease, she redirected the conversation elsewhere.
Noticing her reluctance to talk about Alden, Dominick abandoned the subject.
Only when Helena retreated to her desk did she surrender to deep contemplation.
Since their marriage, Alden had been orchestrating support for her from the shadows.
But how much stemmed from obligation, and how much from genuine affection?
Helena couldn’t unravel the truth.
Without her noticing, the wall she’d constructed to maintain distance from him had begun to crumble.
The moment her workday concluded, Helena bolted—first through the office doors.
Aboard the bus, she checked her watch repeatedly, finally acknowledging the anticipation buzzing within her—eager to arrive home and find Alden waiting.
Yet when she crossed the threshold, heart quickening with expectation, she encountered only emptiness. Alden was nowhere to be found. Their home echoed with the same hollowness that settled in her chest.
At a bar, amid the clamor and commotion, a pocket of stillness existed at the counter.
Alden perched on a high stool, wordless, downing potent whiskey in succession.
As he tilted his head to drink, the movement of his Adam’s apple lent him an aura of detached magnetism.
Women throughout the establishment cast furtive glances his way, though he remained oblivious. Through his hazy vision, Helena’s image materialized repeatedly.
“Well, well—you pulled out all the stops today, even commandeering a helicopter. Don’t tell me you’re still navigating troubled waters with your little woman?” Dorian couldn’t resist provoking him, amused by the tightness in Alden’s expression.
Alden leveled a frosty stare at him. “Mind your tongue p>
“Fair enough—nothing but reverence for the missus.” Dorian conceded, hands raised in mock surrender. Then, his tone sobered. “But honestly—you two haven’t reconciled yet p>
If they had, Alden wouldn’t be drowning his sorrows here.
The answer hung unspoken between them. Alden released a hollow laugh, his features betraying unusual vulnerability. “Apparently not. I can’t decipher what runs through her mind p>
“After everything you’ve orchestrated for her, she remains unmoved?” Dorian inquired, genuinely perplexed.
Alden responded without hesitation, “My actions toward her aren’t favors—they’re my responsibility. As for her feelings… I never sought her gratitude p>
The bar’s pulsing lights occasionally swept across his features, revealing fleeting shadows of solitude in his gaze.
Dorian clasped his shoulder, recognizing that his friend had fallen into love’s deepest waters.
While he was lost in reflection, an unwelcome figure suddenly materialized in his peripheral vision.
He clicked his tongue with undisguised irritation.
Leonino had arrived.