Chapter 72

Chapter 72

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For a while, the two of them gazed at the stars without saying another word. The cold air of Chicago made its presence known,

causing Sofia to shiver. Almost immediately, she felt his coat around her.

“Thank you” she said, looking at him before adding, “For everything

He said nothing in response. Instead, he merely stared at her, his gaze unreadable. For a moment, the world around them

seemed to stop, and her heartbeat grew louder as it drummed against her chest.

he air crackled with unspoken tension. Their eyes locked, and a magnetic pull seemed to draw them closer. Sofia felt a ngling

sensation, a subtle electricity that charged the space between them. The silence held a promise, and the intensity of heir gaze

spoke volumes.

Without breaking eye contact, he leaned in slowly, closing the distance between them. The moment hung in the air,

suspended in anticipa

shared connection.

Sofia’s breath caught, and the cold night seemed to ignite with a warmth that radiated from their

their lips met.

Well that didn’t actua, nappen.

Just as she closed her eyes, she heard someone clear their throat behind them. Almost immediately, the tension around the

air broke.

It was as if a cold bucket of water was poured into her soul as she realized what was about to happen.

They were about to kiss!

“Chairman...” It was Josef. Thankfully, it was only Josef! “Young Master Daniel- Before he could finish his words, someone

suddenly pushed him to the side.

To Sofia’s surprise, the perpetrator was none other than Daniel.

Daniel's eyes narrowed into icy slits. The anger that had simmered beneath the surface for weeks, fueled by the sting of rejection

and the sight of Sofia with another man, erupted in an instant.

He whipped his head around, his voice sharp as a knife. “Josef,” he hissed, the single word dripping with venom. “Get lost.”

Josef, taken aback by the sudden hostility, stammered, “B-but Young Master-

Daniel cut him off before he could finish. “I said, get lost! This doesn’t concern you.” His voice boomed.

Sofia watched in stunned silence as Daniel turned back to her. What is this man doing here?

“And you,” he turned his harsh gaze toward Alexander, his voice laced with barely contained rage, “what do you think you're

doing with my fiance?”

Alexander, surprised by the audacity of the accusation, smirked. You mean ex-fiance, don’t you?” he pointed out.

“What are you doing here, Daniel?” Sofia asked. “I don’t remember sending you an invite.”

Daniel ignored her, his full attention fixated on Alexander.

“| always knew you were out to hurt me. You already took everything away from me, and now.... you wanted Sofia too?”

“Josef, call security. Have them escort Daniel out,” Sofia said. Luckily, Josef immediately made a move.

Daniel snorted in response. “So, the reason why you refuse to even talk to me was because of this man?”

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Chapter 72

“Isn't it funny how you can easily turn things around?” Sofia hed. “It was you who cheated on my sister How dare you drag Alex

into the trouble that you made yourself?”

“Alex?” Daniel uttered, his gaze dark. He had warned her not to dill him Alex!

“We're done, Daniel. | don’t want you ruining my birthday party Please leave now.”

“Done? You can’t just throw away years like that, Softa! We were meant to be together!”

“That was unnl you cheated on me Sofia’s voice shook. At the es! of the day, it wasn’t her who threw away the years they

pent together. It was him!

And yet, he really has the audacity to act like she did something wrong?

“It was you...” Daniels are focused on Alexander “You did this didn’t you?” Daniel's face contorted. Before Alexander- could say

another

nel suddenly approached them and grabbed Sofia’s wrist. “Let’s go... let's talk in private. This

man-

“Let me go

“Let's”

“Let her go!” Alexander hissed

Before Sofia could react. Daniel suddenly lunged towards his brother, his fist clenched tight. But Alexander was faster. He

sidestepped the blow with case, twisting Daniel's arm behind his back. A surprised yelp escaped Daniel's lips as he struggled

against the hold.

“Let go of me!” he roared, his face contorted i

“Not until you calm down,” Alexander said calmly, his voice firm but steady. He wasn’t trying to hurt Daniel, just to prevent him

from hurting anyone else.

Just then, the balcony door swung open with a bang. Two security guards rushed in with Josef.

“Take him with you,” Alexander said as he pushed Daniel toward the guards. “Call the police. We will be pressing charges.”

“What the heck, Alexander!?” Daniel hissed as he held the arm that Alexander twisted.

“Get him out of here,” Sofia spat, her voice shaking slightly. She had been with Daniel for the past few years, yet she had never

seen him that violent! Sadly, it seemed that the commotion already gathered the attention of a few people as she could see a few

of them standing by the door.

This time, Alexander held her hand. He met her gaze. “Let's go.. he uttered, However, before she could say a word, Alexander

suddenly carried her like a princess in his arms.

She let out a surprised gasp.

What is this man doing? Then he strode out of the balcony and walked towards the venue. Under everyone’s gaze. Alexander

carried her out of the place and took her into his car.

“No news of this will go out...” Alexander said as he looked at Josef.

“Yes, sir.” Josef nodded.

Seeing this, Alexander drove away from the venue with the dazel Sofia next to him.

For a while, none of them spoke a word, and to be honest, Sofia preferred it like this. Just as she thought they would stay like

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Chapter 72

this forever, she felt something cold hit her face.

Confused, she looked around, only to realize the familiar sensation of wind whipping through her hair. She glanced up, a gasp

escaping her lips. The roof of the car, previously a solid shield against the night air, was now gently folding back. transforming

the previously enclosed space into an open-air convertible

She turned to him and saw him give her a gentle smile. “Let me take you somewhere...” he uttered, his voice deep.

Where?” she asked.

He didn’t respond for a few minutes before he smiled and said, “A secret.”

Sofia arched an eyebrow. Then her eyes turned towards the road. A smile appeared on her face.

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Chapter 73

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“Happy birthday,” Alexander said as they stood on the Skydeck of Willis Tower. He stood beside her, his arms around her waist

as they stared at the beautiful view of Chicago.

The wind whipped playfully at their hair as they gazed out at the sprawling cityscape below. The vastness of it all took their

breath away, a seemingly endless sea of buildings stretching out in all directions. Directly below, like tiny ants scurrying about,

cars moved along the intricate web of streets, their headlights twinkling like scattered stars.

In the distance, the inky darkness of Lake Michigan met the star-studded sky, making it hard to tell where one ended and the

other began. The cool night air carried the faint hum of the city below, a constant lullaby beneath the vast, glittering spectacle.

“This is beau peaceful this p

“Open it,” he said.

| said, smiling. She never thought that he would take her to this place. However, she liked how s. She looked at him and noticed

a small velvet box in his hand.

She accepted the box and immediately opened it. Almost immediately, her eyes widened. “This is. It was a ring- a simple yet

elegant pink diamond ring. For some reason, this ring made her think about how far she had come. From being with Daniel and

Charlotte to being alone. At one point, she used to tell herself that living alone without her sister and boyfriend would not be

possible.

But here she is.

Alive and well.

And she is with someone like Alexander.

“Thank you,” she smiled. “May | wear this now?”

“Of course,” suddenly, he took the ring from the velvet box and placed it on the middle finger of her left hand. “It suits you.”

“Thank you,” Sofia lifted her head and met his eyes. This man really made her birthday a little more special.

“You should stop that.”

“Stop what?” she blinked, confused.

“Staring at me like that.”

“Huh? What is there something wrong?” she asked.

For a few seconds, Alexander just stared at her, maintaining his silence. However, before the atmosphere turned awkward, he

said, “It is making me want to kiss you.”

Sofia’s heart almost jumped out of her chest. Almost immediately, her heart started racing, and her face turned hot. However, for

some unknown reason, she did not turn her head away. Instead, she stared at his eyes. Her grandmother’s warning echoed

inside her head. “Are you asking permission to kiss me?” she asked.

“| wouldn’t kiss a vulnerable, broken-hearted woman who is only looking for a quick rebound.” His answer came without even

batting an eyelid.

“Who told you that | am looking for a rebound?” she just got married for crying out loud! “I-” Sofia was not able to finish her words

when his lips came crashing against hers. She immediately stilled, her heart drumming so loud against her chest.

The world around them seemed to fade away as Alexander's lips met hers. The unexpectedness of it stole her breath for a

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