Chapter 182
Chapter 182:
“Why would you think that?” Alden pressed urgently.
He extended his hand, attempting to grab Helena’s, yet she moved back with a gloomy laugh.
“Shouldn’t I assume as much? Your feigned adoration for me only serves to lower Chadwick’s and Rylan’s defenses p>
Her eyes briefly met his earlobes, her smile teetering on the edge of collapse. “Am I anything more to you than your hearing aid—a mere tool to project weakness and harmlessness p>
“You are wrong, Helena. You must understand…” Alden hadn’t anticipated such a grave misinterpretation.
He reached for Helena again, but she had already retreated to the doorway. With a slight nudge, she exited the room.
Alden attempted to follow her, but a group of reporters obstructed the exit. As soon as they spotted him, they advanced eagerly.
Alden observed Helena approaching Dario, who awaited her outside. He longed to shout her name, yet hesitated, fearing that revealing their ties might complicate matters further.
His voice stuck in his throat, leaving him only to gaze as Dario escorted Helena away.
When she had distanced herself from Alden, Helena paused and turned around. Amid the flurry of active reporters, Alden’s gaze found hers immediately, a glimmer of hope sparking briefly.
However, Helena quickly donned her media persona, nodded politely, and announced, “Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for your cooperation with our interview. I assure you, I will detail everything thoroughly in my report.” Then, she promptly turned and strode off with Dario.
As they were leaving, Dario threw a sharp, critical look over his shoulder at Alden—his expression was far from that of a novice anchor.
A weight of concern pressed down on Alden.
Once the reporters dispersed, he turned to Xavier urgently. “Investigate Dario Warren. Learn all you can about him p>
gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝖼0𝗺, 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝒸𝒽 𝒽𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝗈𝗇
Xavier nodded, his concern evident as he glanced at Alden’s injured hand. “Sir, about your hand p>
Alden dismissed his worries with a firm, quiet directive. “Focus on finding out everything about Dario. Prioritize my wife’s safety above all p>
At that moment, inside Dario’s car, Helena sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed forward, her eyes hauntingly hollow. Dario felt a tightness in his chest, and it wasn’t solely about his task. His hands clenched around the steering wheel as he finally spoke softly. “Alden is your husband, isn’t he p>
“What did you just say?” Helena flinched in surprise at his directness and turned sharply to face him.
Dario glanced at her hand and remarked coolly, “The rings you and Alden wear seem to match. I’ve noticed p>
Now, he uttered Alden’s name with a hint of disdain. Reacting on impulse, Helena began to conceal her ring but then stopped midway, realizing it might only raise more suspicion. She relaxed her hand and offered a strained smile.
“Perhaps it’s merely a coincidence. Someone of Mr. Wilson’s stature would wear only bespoke jewelry. It’s not rare for similar designs to appear p>
Dario’s smile carried a hint of sarcasm. “Helena, do you honestly believe a ring is all that’s betrayed you? Your initial response was quite telling p>
“What response? I’ve been preoccupied with how to leverage this story for my article,” Helena said, striving to maintain her composure. Despite her current disappointment with Alden, she remained committed to their agreement to keep their marriage a secret.
With Alden now under the media’s intense scrutiny, she knew Chadwick was likely planning retribution, and the influential circles in Cheson were watching, eager for a mistake. During such a critical time, Helena was careful not to stir up any unforeseen issues.
She was acutely aware that any inadvertent revelation could spell trouble for Alden.