Chapter 67

Alexander's fury burned like a wildfire, untamed and fierce.

He marched out of the Luxor Tower, his footsteps echoing as he passed a group of security guards huddled near the entrance for a briefing.

The security chief spoke firmly. "Starting now, we'll inspect every ID of anyone coming into the building.Higher-ups' orders-too many unauthorized people have been slipping through. Stay sharp, everyone!"

A crisp and unanimous "Yes, sir!" rang out, reverberating through the entrance.

Following close behind, Alexander's secretary leaned in cautiously and murmured, "Mr. Bennett, do you think this new rule is aimed at us?"

Alexander let out a derisive snort. Block him from entering? Demand his ID for access? Had Daniela completely forgotten who he was? She wouldn't have the nerve to block his path.

Still simmering with rage, Alexander walked away, his jaw clenched tightly in aggravation. Inwardly, he resolved that unless Daniela dropped to her knees and begged for his forgiveness, he wouldn't even spare her a glance.

Observing Alexander's thunderous expression, the secretary hesitated briefly before saying,,about Elite Lux's deal with Clayton Renovation... They're close to finalizing the contract. Your father's been pressing me about your progress with Ms.Harper.How should I respond?"

After a slight pause, he added, "Maybe easing your approach could help, sir. I don't believe Ms. Harper is completely indifferent to you."

Alexander spun around, his piercing gaze fixing on the secretary. "Are you saying she still loves me?"

The secretary blinked, visibly startled by the sudden question. Wait, was that really the point he was trying to make? Under Alexander's unrelenting stare, the secretary lowered his head and replied, "Yes, sir. I think Ms. Harper still holds feelings for you. Otherwise, with such a major project, she would have at least opened it for public bidding. Opting straight for Clayton Renovation without competition-it does feel a bit sudden."

Alexander nodded in agreement. "Exactly! You understand. Daniela is just pulling a stunt to grab my attention. She hasn't moved on from our marriage, and this is her way of retaliating against me."

The secretary was at a loss for words. He couldn't decide whether to laugh or question Alexander's logic.

With a newfound determination, Alexander walked into the Bennett Group building. Once in his office, he placed a call to the appropriate department and, with measured precision, lodged a complaint against Clayton Renovation for alleged fire safety infractions.

Alexander ended the call and leaned back, a smug smile spreading across his face as satisfaction settled in.

His actions would compel Clayton Renovation to launch internal safety reviews, a procedure guaranteed to drag on for at least half a year. Daniela's project was on a tight deadline-she couldn't afford such a setback.

Only Bennett Group had the resources and know-how to handle a project of this magnitude.

Sinking into his chair, Alexander basked in his triumph. He was convinced that Daniela was cornered. Sooner or later, she'd have no choice but to come to him, pleading for assistance.

That evening, a charity gala was the highlight of the city.

As Alexander walked in, Keith was already mingling.

Seeing him, Keith strolled over with a playful grin, givinghim a thumbs-up. "Nice work! I heard Daniela was about to finalize the deal with Clayton Renovation today, but you threw a wrench in it?"

Alexander gripped his wine glass firmly, his expression stormy, as if the world owed him something.

Keith let out a chuckle and glanced across the room at Daniela.

She wore a white gown that hugged her waist. Keith, unable to resist, extended his hand and spread his fingers, picturing how easily her waist would fit within them. "What do you think you're doing?" Alexander muttered, his gaze seething as he shot a glare at Keith.

Keith nervously licked his lips, clearly embarrassed to be caught in the act.

"Take it easy, Alexander. I'm just saying, Daniela's a reaI knockout. No surprise you can't seem to forget her."

Alexander snorted in disbelief. "Me? Can't forget her? That's ridiculous!"

Keith tapped his glass against Alexander's. "Come on, stop fooling around. If you didn't care, would you be going this far? Reporting Clayton Renovation, pulling strings to get a deal with Daniela's company-that's some serious effort, my friend."

Alexander stiffened, his glare as cold as ice. "You think I'm doing all this for Daniela? Don't be absurd. Do you even remember who we're talking about? She used to trail after me like a lost puppy, begging for my attention. She even hand-washed my underwear in the freezing winter. And now you think I'm the one running after her? Unbelievable."

As Alexander continued his heated speech, Keith's attention seemed to drift. His eyes briefly darted over Alexander's shoulder, and his face flushed a deep shade of red.

Alexander's gaze followed Keith's. Standing behind him was Daniela.

Joyce had overheard their conversation about Daniela and, without missing a beat, tugged Daniela over just in time to hear Alexander's harsh words.

Joyce's face brightened with smug satisfaction. Any lingering resentment from the "toilet director" incident had melted away, replaced by pure joy. She lifted her chin with arrogance, sneering at Daniela."See that,Daniela? What good is your success in business if Alexander still doesn't want you?"

Daniela stood there, cradling a wine glass. For the briefest of moments, a subtle shadow of sadness flickered across her features, almost as if a forgotten memory had surfaced. But in the blink of an eye,it vanished, replaced by a smile that was as smooth and practiced as ever. "Oh really/? Well, Mr. Bennett is clearly out of my league. I wouldn't dare aim so high."

With that, she spun on her heel and walked off. Watching her leave, Joyce felt triumphant. She slipped into the seat Keith had left and started ranting to Alexander, whining about how Daniela had mistreated her by making her the toilet director.

As Joyce continued her chatter, Alexander's expression grew colder. His frosty demeanor made her hesitate. After a moment, she excused herself and left.

Keith returned to his seat beside Alexander and let out a deep sigh. "You know, Alexander, that was a bit harsh. No matter what Daniela did before, it was because she cared about you. The world has already used her feelings against her. But for you, someone she once cared about, to pile on? That's low. And she's a woman-women tend to be more sensitive. Maybe you should think about apologizing to her."

Alexander clenched his wine glass, his eyes locked on Daniela, who was now across the room laughing with Cedric.

"Apologize? For what? I just spoke the truth. No matter how successful she gets, she can't stop people from saying what's true, can she?"