Chapter 73

Once, Daniela had asked Alexander about it. "Are you the boy from those sketches?"

Alexander's lips tightened, and he responded dismissively, "Why dredge up the past now?"

To Daniela, his evasion felt like a tacit admission. If it were false, surely Alexander's forthright nature would have spurred a direct denial.

Yet, over time, she harbored doubts.

The boy from her past, who had filled that sketchbook with kindness and warmth, seemed entirely unlike Alexander, who was often detached and aloof. How could they be the same person?

She struggled to reconcile the two images.

Eventually, she ceased trying to piece it together, but occasionally, her eyes would drift to the barely noticeable spot near Alexander's eye where a mole had once been.

Alexander had once explained he had it removed because it made him look less masculine.

She had accepted his reasoning without question.

How could Alexander, with his pride and arrogance, fabricate such a tale?

Yet, now, as his dismissive words echoed, her old uncertainties reawakened.

"Are you really the boy I made that promise to beneath the tree hollow all those years ago?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of skepticism.

Already frustrated by his recent business setback, Alexander grew more irritated. "What are you implying?Do you believe I deceived you? Do you see me as someone who would lie about something so insignificant?" he retorted sharply.

His eyes narrowed, his voice sharpening defensively. "Daniela, I've always wondered-if I hadn't been that boy, would your treatment of me have been the same? Is your kindness just because of a few childhood drawings and three months of memories? Are you saying that all our shared experiences, all these years together, mean less than those brief moments?"

Alexander's gaze was piercing, challenging her to respond. "Tell me! Without those three months,would you have cared as much? Would you have been so patient? Would you have supported me as I built my business, or made me scarves to keep me warm?"

"No." Daniela's answer was prompt, her tone resolute and clear.

The word hit Alexander like a physical blow.

"Without those three months, I wouldn't have endured, wouldn't have cared as deeply as I did all these years."

She understood her own suffering and the neglect she'd felt.

Only a profound reason could have sustained her through such hardship.

For Daniela, it was the belief that the boy from her past was the kind, gentle soul she had once connected with.

Alexander scoffed bitterly, stepping back with a wild, nearly deranged smile. "Incredible, Daniela! You really exceed yourself! Now, you say whatever you please, huh?"

Daniela remained composed, her demeanor untouched by his sarcasm.

Alexander's tone became taunting. "So, what now? Continue being kind to me! Hand over the North District project! What happened to all those sentiments from your childhood? Have you forgotten them?"

He glared at her, his eyes aflame with intensity. "Didn't you claim I pulled you from your darkest days as a child? Didn't you vow to repay that debt? Very well, secure the North District project contract for me! Hand it over, and we'll call it square from here on out!"

Daniela remained motionless, a chill enveloping her heart, ice spreading through her veins. She gazed at Alexander, her eyes wide with disbelief.

This marked the second time she had been overwhelmed by her emotions since her return-her earlier turmoil had come when she cut ties with her father, Caiden.

And now, this moment.

She locked eyes with Alexander and demanded,"What did you just say?"

Alexander, now visibly more composed, suppressed the surge of irritation and turmoil within. "If you truly want us to settle all debts, then bring me the contract for the North District project. Otherwise, Daniela, you will forever be in my debt."