Veronica, as if remembering a distant memory, suddenly froze. A tremor ran through her delicate frame, and the color visibly drained from her face.
Her lips quivered, parting slightly as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the words.
She sniffled pitifully, her slender shoulders trembling as if she were struggling against an overwhelming wave of emotions.
Her wide, tear-brimmed eyes darted toward Alexander hesitantly, searching for something—perhaps reassurance, perhaps permission to speak.
But then, as if the weight of her own thoughts became too much to bear, she broke down entirely.
A sharp, gut-wrenching sob escaped her lips, raw and heartbroken. The sound of her despair filled the cold, heavy air of the office, echoing off the walls.
Her hands clutched at the fabric of her dress, twisting it tightly between her fingers, as if that alone could anchor her against the storm raging inside her.
Her breaths came in uneven gasps, her shoulders heaving as more tears streamed down her face, painting a perfect picture of helpless agony.
Alexander’s brows furrowed slightly, his expression unreadable as he watched her crumble before him.
For a brief moment, silence stretched between them.
Then, his voice, cold and steady, broke through the tension.
Veronica hiccupped, nodding weakly, as if gathering the courage to force out the words that had left her so shaken.
"A-actually..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, "m-maybe I know why my mother was kidnapped by Mr. Harrison..."
Alexander looked at her, his gaze sharp and unwavering, silently commanding her to continue.
Veronica trembled under his gaze, her entire frame shaking as if the weight of the truth she was about to reveal was too much to bear.
"He... he wanted to marry Aurora," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, but loud enough to echo in the silence of Alexander’s office.
Alexander’s fingers paused mid-air, the pen he had been holding slipping from his grip onto the desk with a soft thud.
Veronica lowered her head as if ashamed to continue, her lips quivering as another tear slipped down her flushed cheek.
"Before she dropped out of college... before she even married you..." she inhaled shakily, her voice laced with hesitant sorrow, "she was seen with him... at a party."
Alexander’s gaze turned sharp.
A memory stirred. A rumor.
A year ago, whispers had spread like wildfire in the upper circles of Summer City.
It had been everywhere for a moment—Aurora Smith spotted with none other than Calvert Harrison, the notorious man behind the Harrison family.
A man with an unspeakable reputation, someone no respectable family would dare to associate their daughter with.
It was a scandal that had nearly tarnished Aurora’s name, yet it had vanished just as quickly as it had emerged.
Alexander’s fingers tightened into a fist as he recalled something crucial.
The rumor had disappeared overnight.
Who else had the power to erase such a widespread scandal so effortlessly?
The old man had always been unnaturally protective of Aurora, despite her being nothing more than a scheming, weak-willed woman.
Alexander scoffed internally. So that’s why. His grandfather had buried the rumors before they could fully explode. He had protected her. Defended her honor.
And how had Aurora repaid that trust?
Alexander’s mood soured instantly, his jaw tightening as a deep wave of irritation settled in his chest.
He had always despised her, but now... this was a different kind of loathing.
She had dared to involve herself with someone like Calvert Harrison? And after that, she had the audacity to force this marriage upon him?
Alexander’s fingers curled around the armrest of his chair, the leather creaking under his grip. His mind was a storm of cold calculations.
Veronica, sensing his rising anger, pressed on.
"After that incident, someone from the Harrisons would come every day, leaving gifts at our doorstep. My parents were exhausted by it.
It finally ended when she married you... but now, it’s happening again," Veronica said, her voice laced with unease.
A shadow of distress flickered across her face, her concern for her elder sister and parents evident in every word. In that moment, she seemed the very picture of grace—kind-hearted and pitiful, yet burdened by a past that refused to stay buried.
"But... now she’s involved with him again," she sighed, the weight of the truth pressing heavily upon her.
Last week, I overheard my parents arguing—my father was furious. He said he would rather take the consequences than hand Aurora over to that man."
She took a shaky breath before continuing, her voice laced with sorrow.
"And now, with our company facing a crisis and my mother kidnapped by that man..." Veronica sighed, her voice heavy with sorrow.
She clenched her fists, her eyes filled with anguish. "What did my parents do to deserve this?"
"Mr. Brown," she whispered, her voice so fragile it nearly broke. "I don’t know what to do. My mother... she’s in his hands now. And if we don’t do something, I fear what might happen to her."
"Had Aurora witnessed this performance, she would have believed Veronica deserved the Best Actress award."
Alexander exhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing.
There was no way in hell he would let himself be dragged into the filth Aurora had created, but this situation was already entangled with him.
And he owed the Smiths, so he had to help them. But in the back of his mind, a small doubt lingered... Was Aurora really that capable?
He pushed the thought aside. He had seen it himself—how she had changed. She was nothing like the girl who had been married to him for an entire year. It was as if a switch had been flipped. The moment the divorce was finalized, she became someone else entirely.
Nice game, Aurora, he thought bitterly. Nice act—playing pitiful and dumb, only to betray my grandfather in the end.
"I will handle it." Alexander said..
He pulled out his phone, his fingers pressing the call button.
"Derek," he said coldly. "Get in contact with Calvert Harrison. I want to know exactly what the hell is going on."
Veronica bit her lower lip, her fingers trembling as she subtly clenched them into fists.
Good. Everything was falling into place.