Chapter 80
Chapter 80:
When Helena returned the materials to Betsey, an inexplicable pang of guilt twisted in her chest.
Fortunately, Betsey didn’t detect anything amiss, her confidence radiating as she announced her plan to meet with Alden on Friday for the follow-up interview.
“Mr. Wilson will likely be preoccupied these days managing the aftermath of the accident,” Helena suggested carefully.
Besides, this Friday, Alden and she were scheduled to visit his grandmother—he couldn’t possibly make time for the meeting with Betsey.
Betsey’s gaze hardened with undisguised contempt. “Helena, just because you’ve exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Wilson, you imagine you understand him completely p>
She whipped out her phone and dialed Alden’s assistant, Xavier, who answered immediately. As fate would have it, Alden stood right beside him.
“Hello, Mr. Ashton,” Betsey purred in her most captivating voice. “This is an anchor from Nexus TV. I’d like to arrange a follow-up interview with Mr. Wilson p>
Xavier cupped the phone and murmured to Alden, “Mr. Wilson, Nexus TV is requesting an exclusive interview p>
Alden’s work screeched to a halt. “Is Helena joining as well?” he inquired, his tone tinged with awkwardness.
Catching on, Xavier said to the phone, “Mr. Wilson would actually prefer coordinating with the anchor who handled the press conference coverage yesterday p>
Betsey’s smile crystallized momentarily.
She’d overheard Dominick mention that Helena and Alden weren’t on good terms.
Helena had even refused Alden’s offer of transportation, so why did he still want her?
“Certainly, we’ll all be there,” Betsey said swiftly, the lie flowing effortlessly.
As long as she secured face time with Alden, she remained confident she could outmaneuver Helena.
“Excellent. Wilson Group will dispatch a car for you,” Xavier said. “However, Mr. Lloyd’s presence won’t be necessary p>
Betsey’s eyes sparkled with glee. “If Mr. Wilson has reservations about him, I’ll ensure he remains uninvolved p>
She swiveled toward Dominick, declaring, “Mr. Lloyd, you’re relieved of all future assignments concerning the Wilson Group. Apparently, Mr. Wilson harbors some grievances against you p>
“Suits me fine. But remember this, Betsey—Alden adores his wife. You don’t stand a chance.” Dominick shrugged, utterly unruffled.
With her true motives exposed, Betsey simmered with momentary rage. Helena grew increasingly perplexed. Wasn’t Alden supposed to visit his grandmother on Friday? And why did this continued vendetta against Dominick persist?
“Are you certain Mr. Wilson verified his availability for Friday’s interview?” Helena ventured quietly.
Betsey scoffed. “Obviously. Don’t imagine you can scheme your way into taking my place.” She barged past Helena with a deliberate shove, her expression blatantly provocative.
Helena yearned to confront Alden directly, but regarding professional matters, they maintained strict boundaries.
Even during the recent emergency press conference, Alden hadn’t offered Helena the slightest warning before his address.
She hesitated to breach that tacit agreement.
Back at home, she intended to delicately probe Alden’s Friday schedule, only to discover his absence without explanation.
At the very spot where she’d left her note yesterday, Alden had placed one of his own. “Heater’s fixed. We head back to our own rooms. Ensure you store the spare keys securely p>
Beside these words sat an enigmatic smiley face, too.
The longer Helena stared at the cryptic note, the more frustration simmered beneath her skin.
She stormed into Alden’s bedroom, where the pillow and quilt had been meticulously restored to their original positions.
She was frustrated. She had spent a night shivering in the cold, only to have her husband vanish without explanation, and the exclusive interview slip through her fingers.
As she stood in the hollow silence of their empty home, a wave of hurt crashed over her unexpectedly, leaving her breathless.
Meanwhile, at Alden’s office, Dorian couldn’t resist needling Alden further. “So you even have to manufacture work excuses just to see your own wife? Watching this marriage of yours is better contraception than any medical intervention p>
Alden swirled the amber whiskey in his crystal glass, ice cubes chiming like tiny bells against the pristine surface.
A glimmer of amusement flickered in his eyes. “Anyway, we’re visiting my grandmother on Friday,” he declared.
The memory of Helena’s and his separate rides still prickled at his pride; he wouldn’t allow such distance again.
Dorian changed the subject. “Will your grandmother give you a hard time over this accident? I’ve heard from my family that your grandmother is a real stickler for separating business and personal matters p>
“That’s precisely the point,” Alden countered. “She recognizes better than anyone who truly threatens the company’s stability p>
The warmth in his eyes evaporated, replaced by glacial calculation. Following the accident, Rylan had orchestrated a clandestine campaign among shareholders, attempting to force Alden to abandon the redevelopment project entirely.
Alden wouldn’t need to utter a syllable; his grandmother would immediately identify the puppet master pulling strings from the shadows.
“Rylan has never appreciated his privileged position,” Dorian remarked with a derisive snort. “If you hadn’t sworn to your grandmother to maintain peace during her lifetime, he would have been gone by now p>
“I’m prepared for whatever game he chooses,” Alden replied darkly. “But truthfully, what happened all those years ago couldn’t have been orchestrated by merely a boy and a mistress p>
He drained the whiskey in one fluid motion, embracing its familiar burn.
The brutal tableau from years past remained etched in his consciousness with terrifying clarity—his own deafness to the girl’s desperate pleas despite her proximity, the helpless horror of watching as she was dragged away…
The true architect of that cruelty, who had cowardly hidden behind a woman and a child, was the one who awakened Alden’s most profound contempt.