Chapter 3

Alexander gently pinched her nose, his tone doting:

"You silly girl, you can't eat so carelessly anymore. Take something to help you digest, and I'll rub your stomach for you."

I was starving, so I accepted Madison's invitation.

But I had only taken a few bites when I heard Madison's coy, teasing voice:

"Alex, you're so naughty. You promised you would only rub my stomach..."

"Oh, you bad boy! You really can't touch there."

Sitting across from me, Alexander nibbled on Madison's ear and smirked an apology, all while shooting a casual glance my way.

That single glance was enough to wipe the smile right off his face.

He asked me through clenched teeth:

"Blair, where's your engagement ring?"

It was the first gift Alexander had ever given me.

I had never once taken it off.

I took a slow sip of my soup, not even lifting my eyes as I gave him a dismissive answer:

"I threw it away."

Hearing this, the man's jaw tensed, and he pressed his temples with a humorless laugh.

"And then?"

I ignored him and simply said,

"I'm finished. You two enjoy yourselves."

Seeing me rise to leave without a care in the world, Alexander suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

But before he could blow up, Madison beat him to it, pouting pitifully.

“Alex, I accidentally twisted my ankle…”

At her words, the man swept Madison into his arms without a hint of reluctance and rushed her to the hospital.

Just as they left, the moving company I had booked arrived.

After they moved all of my personal belongings into the new apartment I had bought, I placed the villa keys on the entryway table and walked out the front door without a single look back.

Two days later.

I had just stepped out of my studio when Alexander cornered me, forcibly taking me to a restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Candlelight, a river view, delicious steak.

Not only were all the date fantasies I had constantly whispered in his ear coming true at once, but the man also pulled out a Cartier diamond bracelet, taking my hand to put it on me himself.

But I quickly pulled my hand away, saying to him with polite detachment, “This bracelet is too valuable. You should give it to Madison.”

Alexander’s expression shifted.

“I was gone for two days, so what? Who are you putting on this sour face for, Blair?”

“Don't tell me you're actually starting to think of yourself as Mrs. Knight?”

“I wouldn't dare.”

Seeing me shake my head, the coldness in his eyes intensified:

“Blair, I suggest you quit while you’re ahead. Don’t push your luck and test my limits.”

Hearing this, I gave him a truly genuine smile:

“You can rest assured that from this moment on, I will have absolutely no connection to you whatsoever. Because…”

Before I could finish speaking, Alexander suddenly received a call from Madison.

The girl's voice was filled with choked, suppressed sobs:

“Alex, today is your and Blair’s tenth anniversary. I really shouldn’t be disturbing you. But I’m really leaving this time. Please believe me, no one is forcing me to go. Everything is…it's all of my own volition…”

After Madison hung up the phone, no matter how many times Alexander called back, he was only met with a busy signal.

He furiously smashed the bracelet, ignoring my face as it was cut by the fragments.

Losing control, Alexander’s hand closed around my throat, his face cold as he demanded to know what underhanded trick I was playing now.

I met his gaze without fear:

“It has nothing to do with me.”

He laughed through clenched teeth:

“Blair, your ugly display of feigned ignorance and jealousy truly disgusts me.”

With that, Alexander threw me to the floor, his eyes filled with disgust, and strode away.

The moment he was gone, a message from Madison popped up on my phone:

【Blair, so what if you’re a New York City socialite? In the end, my three months still won against your ten years.】

I replied with a simple 【Congratulations】 and then blocked her number.

Using the wall for support, I had just made it to the door when Alexander's bodyguards ambushed me.

They covered my mouth, dragged me into the garage, and locked me in a storage room, torturing me by playing a recording of their most intimate moments on a loop.

Eventually, I was left half-dead, stripped of my clothes, and abandoned on the cold floor.

On the brink of death, I heard Alexander's voice crackle through a walkie-talkie:

“I told you to watch Blair. What do you mean you don't know where she is now?”

“You useless fools! Get out of my way! I'll find her myself!”

Half an hour later, after searching the entire mansion, the man finally found me.

Just as he kicked the storage room door open, the very second his eyes landed on my bruised and battered body, someone rushed to inform him excitedly:

“Mr. Knight, we’ve found Maddie! She rear-ended an Audi at an intersection...”

Before that person could finish speaking, Alexander immediately turned and ran out without a single glance back.

A hospital room.

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Alexander standing by my bed, adjusting the IV bag.

When he saw I was awake, he asked me, his eyes filled with unease,

“Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“The doctor said you just donated bone marrow, so your body will be very weak.”

I stared at him blankly.

“Why would I donate bone marrow?”