All Chapters of Fated to the Cold and Ruthless CEO : Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

The day Alex had been waiting for had finally arrived—the annual auction in Cameron City.This event only happened once a year, and most of the items on display were rare and priceless artifacts, some worth millions. Many of the elite attended, including well-known business tycoons, celebrities, and high-ranking political figures. It was the perfect blend of affluence and exclusivity, where egos and fortunes collided under dim lights and heavy surveillance.To outsiders, it looked like just another glamorous social gathering. But for those who knew better, that was only the surface.Beneath the glamour lay a darker truth—a carefully curated stage masking an even grimmer performance.After the legal bidding ended, once the cameras stopped rolling and the guests were comfortably intoxicated at the lavish banquet, the true auction would begin—hidden underground. And the centerpiece of this year’s private dealings was none other than Victor Hensley himself.It was Rupert who laid it all b

As soon as the last polite applause died down and the after-party began, several selected guests received quiet instructions through their earpieces. They were told to follow the stewards in black—no questions asked.Rupert nodded at Alex, signaling that everything had already been smoothly arranged. One of the stewards stepped closer and bowed slightly.“Monsieur Croix, please follow me,” the steward said politely, gesturing.Alex nodded curtly and followed the man. As the most distinguished and prominent investor of the night, he was treated above any VIP.The hidden corridor opened into a steel elevator guarded by two armed men. Once inside, the steward entered a private code on the panel—which didn’t escape Alex’s sharp eyes. The elevator hissed, then began its rapid descent. The silence was heavy, the weight of secrets pressing down like the darkness around them.When the doors finally parted, a new world revealed itself.Red-carpeted floors. Curved black walls with inlaid gold.

The moment Victor’s last breath left him and he finally said his last goodbye of acknowledgment, Alex stood beside his brother's dead body in silence for a little while once more—letting the chaos around him dull into a blur.But that quiet didn’t last.He still had to locate wherever his wife had been hidden.Medics had already been evacuating the other guests trapped underground, as well as the dead bodies of Victor's men. When Victor's men’s bodies were already taken away, Alex also followed out of the atrium with Daniel flanking his side.Rupert and John were already outside and talking to the police. When John spotted him, he immediately relayed that the rest of the men had already been dispatched. Without wasting a moment, he gave a single command—short, sharp, and urgent.“Search the Phoenix Hotel. Every floor, every locked room, every goddamn corner. Eve was held there. He said it himself.”John immediately followed and took the lead without another word, while Daniel stayed b

The air blowing at Blackwater Pier was biting and cold—carrying the strong smell of saltwater.Alex stood there alone, the wind brushing past him as waves hit the docks with steady rhythm. His eyes locked on the dark sea ahead.Somewhere out there, Eve was waiting.Somewhere on a ship that shouldn’t even be there, boarded by the last person he ever wanted to see again—Caroline.Earlier that day, everything had already moved into motion. Daniel had successfully breached their surveillance. The system wasn’t easy to crack, but he got in and found the exact position of the ship. It was a disguised cargo vessel, voyaging back to Finnland. It looked ordinary from a distance, but Daniel’s intel told a different story.It was one of Victor's cargo ships that carried their illegal shipments back and forth. In Daniel's estimation, there must be thirty armed men patrolling it day and night, aside from the ship's crew.Caroline wasn’t playing games this time. She had been plotting this for a whi

On the rescue vessel...Eve was already rescued by Earl and Rupert—their ship was already near Caroline's, but just as Rupert dispatched the reinforcement team, the cargo ship exploded—leaving only a hell-like wreckage. The ship was completely blown apart.And Eve watched how it blasted in horror. Her knees gave out witnessing as the ship exploded beyond recognition.She clutched her stomach as tears spilled down her cheeks.Her husband was still there! And so was Jaxon and John.“No… Alex!” she screamed—but her voice was lost in the roar.Her head spun—and everything went dark. She couldn't take the pressure anymore.She fainted, falling limp in Earl’s arms.___Eve woke up in an all-white surrounding, and the smell of disinfectant was the first thing that greeted her. Then came the soft beeping of a heart monitor—and she immediately guessed she was in the hospital.Her eyes were still closed—groggy—but she clearly remembered the explosion of the ship last night.And Alex…Her heart