Mark stared at him calmly. “Where did you see me? It certainly wasn’t at Tremont Estate. You wouldn’t have had the right to set foot in there with your identity.”Alejandro did not mind the barb in Mark’s words. He sent the women out, leaving both of them alone before he replied, “Yes, it wasn’t at Tremont Estate. It was at the condo that my mom and I lived in, downstairs.”At a condo? Downstairs? Mark carefully racked his memories. He had followed his dad to the office for a meeting once and passed by a condo on the way back. His father had asked him to stay and wait in the car, saying that he was going to meet an old friend and would be done very soon. He was not suspicious at that time and did not think much of it. He had only waited for ten minutes. It was probably that time. It felt like a joke now. His father had gone to see his lover, and he had naively waited for his father. If he had known, perhaps, the following events would not have happened. Because of incidents like that
Alejandro immediately lost interest after Mark left. He got up, straightened his collar, and left as well.He returned to Smith Manor, reeking of alcohol. The silence in the manor was unsettling. He was drunk, and his mind was muddled from alcohol. He stumbled his way upstairs, calling out Melanie’s name.Melanie was startled awake. Afraid that the baby would wake up, she put on a robe and hurriedly got up to investigate. She found him at the staircase, drunk beyond comprehension. She was instantly annoyed. “Why did you drink so much? You’re causing a huge ruckus in the middle of the night. Aren’t you afraid of waking the baby? Come on, I’ll help you into the room. How could you possibly feel good after having this much to drink?”As she reached out to grab his arm, he suddenly straightened up and pulled her into his arms. The strength in his grip was unprecedented. She stood on her tiptoes, astonished and unsure if she should push him away or let him hold her. He must have thought
He was the one who left Tiffany. Why would he regret it when things would never return to the way they were? Such regrets were laughable. It was because he was unable to leave his old relationship behind that Melanie’s existence was considered a hindrance. It did not matter if he was Ethan or Alejandro, Melanie had appeared at the wrong time.It was not known how much time had passed before Alejandro fell into a deep sleep.Melanie withstood the pain all over her body as she got up and walked into the bathroom to wash off the tear stains on her face. She knew very well that Alejandro had taken her love for him for granted. Was there a point in hoping that he would come to his senses and love her one day? He was never Alejandro Smith. He was Ethan Connor, and he had unrequited feelings for Tiffany. How was he going to love her with another woman in his heart?After she had showered, Melanie had trouble falling asleep. Her eyes reddened as she looked at her daughter who was sound asle
Soon, Jett had arrived at the airport as well. Fortunately, Jett had brought a few men with him as well. The men scoured the airport and covered as much ground as they could. They seemed like a drop of water in a sea of people. Would they be able to find Melanie and Melissa?Jett was on high alert. After he checked when the next flight to Ayashe was, he walked toward the direction of the departure hall. Soon after, he found Melanie carrying Melissa in the waiting area. Melissa was sound asleep in her mother’s arms. Melanie looked surprisingly calm. She did not look like she was about to leave Alejandro. He sighed in relief and walked up to them. “Madam.”Melanie was startled. She looked at the person who had called out to her. “Did Alejandro… ask you to come?”Jett nodded. “Yes, sir’s here as well, but I managed to find you first. Why are you leaving? If you intend to visit your hometown, you should’ve informed him beforehand. He seems to be… in a bad mood this morning so please don
Jett grabbed Melissa and handed her to Alejandro before forcefully taking Melanie with him and left the airport.When they got into the car, Melanie’s face was stained with tears. “I’m divorcing you!”Alejandro remained silent with a darkened expression as Jett drove them home. Jett broke out in cold sweat. What was happening with the couple? He knew the couple would break one day, but he always thought Alejandro would be the one to leave Melanie. He did not expect the 180-degree turn. Logically, Alejandro should easily agree to the divorce since he had another woman in his heart. Alejandro had unwillingly gotten married after all. Why was there a need for them to argue about getting a divorce? Could be that Don Smith had allocated money for Melanie to inherit after he passed away? That was the only logical explanation he could come up with.Melanie broke down in tears and repeated her words when faced with Alejandro’s silence, “Did you hear me? I want a divorce!”Jett grew tense w
Alejandro’s calm demeanor was the exact opposite of Melanie’s stormy rage. The calmer he was, the angrier she became. “I told you I’m divorcing you. End of discussion!”His expression was calm as he looked at her from the corners of his eyes. “Reason?”Melanie clenched her fists and said through gritted her teeth, “I’ve had enough of this life. It's that simple.”Alejandro scoffed. “In the past, no one heard my pleas when I said I didn’t want this marriage. Now, I’m supposed to accept that you’re tired and let you go? Give me a better reason. Make it more believable. I’ll grant you the divorce if you’re able to give me a convincing reason.”Melanie trembled as she said, “First, you’re still thinking about Tiffany. Second, you don’t treat me well enough. You’re always ignoring my feelings, and I’m thoroughly disappointed in you. Lastly, I refuse to let my daughter grow up in a loveless family. The two of us will never be able to provide her with the family she deserves. I don’t see
Melanie chuckled through her tears. “It’s… nothing. I’m just disappointed in him. He doesn’t love me and never will. I’m exhausted and have lost all will to keep going. I’m not going to change my mind, all I want is my daughter. However, Alejandro refuses to let me have her and says he wants to keep Melissa with him. I will never agree to that.”Tiffany was slightly furious. “Relax, I know how you feel. I understand how important your child is to you since I’m a mother as well. Why don’t you talk to me to clear your head? You’ll feel better. I’m here to listen.”The women continued chatting until Tiffany had to hang up because she had some business to attend to. Tiffany was still in the office after all.While Tiffany was working, she kept thinking about Melanie wanting to divorce Alejandro. After she was done with her work, she mulled over it for a moment before she called Alejandro. “Are you free in the afternoon? Let’s meet up. I have something to tell you.”On the other end, Al
Jett noticed the tears in his eyes when he returned to the car. His jaw dropped. Only Tiffany could reduce him to this.“Drive,” Alejandro ordered, “Back to the office.”Jett quickly turned the car around, too afraid to say another word. At that moment, anything he said would put him on the chopping block.Tiffany watched as Alejandro’s car drove off and heaved a sigh of relief. She hoped that he would listen to her. She was not sure if she made the right decision by meeting him. However, it seemed like she had developed the courage to face her past. It was a great feeling. All of her sadness had turned into a heavy weight, and she would have to let it go at some point. Letting go would be the sign of a new turn for her.She slowly walked away after finishing her cup of coffee. However, when she arrived at the café entrance, she panicked. Jackson’s car was parked at the side of the road near the café! Did he catch her in the act? She was sure he was not there just a few minutes ago