My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 126

Late at night, a black Porsche Cayenne silently rolled into the underground parking garage of the Empire of Shadows film set hotel.

"Sir, we’ve arrived," James Carter said, pulling the car to a stop. He glanced at me in the rearview mirror where I sat, my eyes closed, resting.

"Mm." I replied softly, keeping my eyes shut.

Two minutes later, I stirred in the back seat. Squinting slightly, I fumbled around, pulling my phone from the inside pocket of my suit jacket. I tapped a few buttons, and the sound of dialing filled the car.

Soon, the call was answered, and a tired but surprised voice came through, "Alexander??"

"I’m downstairs at your hotel."

After Alexander had sent bodyguards, Isabella realized that if he no longer indulged her and didn’t want to see her, she’d have no way to meet him! This approach had become ineffective. She had no choice but to act like her condition had stabilized and continue filming, waiting for the right moment.

Unexpectedly, on the second day of filming, in the dead of night, Alexander came to find her.

Isabella was overjoyed, her sleepiness vanishing instantly. "I’ll be right down!"

She jumped out of bed, eager to change clothes, but then paused and walked to the mirror to inspect herself.

Her long hair, just out of bed, was messy, and her eyes were heavy with sleep. She wore a short floral slip dress that barely reached her thighs, giving off a hint of spring-like charm.

After a moment’s hesitation, she quickly swiped on some lipstick, grabbed a short jacket from the closet, and hurried out, keys in hand.

"Alexander!"

Her voice echoed clearly in the quiet underground garage.

I glanced out of the car window, then stepped out, closing the door behind me.

"Why don’t you come upstairs?" Isabella approached me, her eyes sparkling with joy, but her steps were hesitant. She bit her lower lip. "I thought you wouldn’t come to see me again."

"Alexander, have you been drinking?" Isabella noticed the strong smell of alcohol on me. "Do you want to go upstairs and have a cup of hot water?"

"No need to go upstairs. The reason I’m here is to tell you something." I leaned against the car door, my voice indifferent.

The garage was dimly lit, my face partially hidden in shadow, the mood tense and unclear.

Isabella spoke softly, "What is it?"

"Leave. I’ll send you to another country. Don’t come back."

Isabella’s eyes widened in shock. "Alexander, what did you say?"

"I’ll send you to another country. Don’t come back here again."

"No—"

Isabella shook her head violently, her grip tightening on my sleeve. "Alexander, I don’t want to leave here anymore! I don’t want to leave alone. You have no idea what it’s been like for me the past few years! Every night, I wake up from nightmares, unable to sleep, terrified. Only when you’re by my side can I relax. Alexander, I can’t live without you. Please, don’t send me away!"

I pulled my sleeve from her grasp, my movements sharp and detached. "If that’s the case, then why did you insist on breaking up with me and leaving?"

"I... You were so good to me, but my body was violated by bad people. I’m not worthy of you. I couldn’t face you..." Isabella wiped away her tears. "I was too stubborn, but I’ve thought it over. I can’t live without you. You’ve been so kind to me, and I know you wouldn’t care about what happened to me. So, I want to be with you again!"

"Unfortunately, it’s too late. No one stays in the same place forever."

"I’ll give you two choices. First, I’ll send you to another country. The public opinion and the market here aren’t favorable for you. You can continue your career abroad, just like before."

Isabella shook her head. "I don’t want that choice. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave you."

I glanced at her. "Then you’re choosing the second option? Stay here, but from now on, we have nothing to do with each other. I’ll replace you as the lead in Empire of Shadows, revoke your endorsement, and take back all the help I’ve given you. Think carefully about these two choices."

Isabella stared at me in disbelief, unable to speak for a moment.

In today’s entertainment industry, success isn’t just about acting skills but about money and connections. Countless talented actors fail to break through, stuck in minor roles because they lack the necessary connections, while those with no acting talent but a pretty face easily land lead roles in many films. The Blackwood family was still considered a major player in Virellia City.

Isabella understood all too well that her father was useless— a man who only knew how to indulge in pleasure and was prone to boasting about his accomplishments, all while being a reckless spendthrift. Her uncle, though outwardly kind, was, in truth, selfish and self-serving.

Without Alexander’s support, she feared her uncle would no longer offer her any help. She couldn’t afford to lose everything she had now!

Isabella gazed at Alexander, her face betraying a hint of pain. The hatred in her eyes flickered briefly before she clenched her fists, her nails digging crescent-shaped marks into her palms.

"Alexander, do you have to do this? Do you hate me that much? Do you even realize that after your interview aired, everyone started calling me the homewrecker who destroyed your marriage...?"

"Did you never think of that?" I shot her a cold glance.

Isabella froze, the words caught in her throat, unable to speak.

"You knew Vivienne and I were already married, yet you kept feigning illness just to keep me around. You used my guilt to hurt her, time and time again. Didn’t that ever make you feel uneasy?" I said, my voice cold as ice. But inside, all I felt was self-loathing. I knew the person who had hurt Vivienne the most wasn’t Isabella; it was me. I was the one who started all of this. I was the bastard!

Looking at the dazed Isabella, I let out a deep sigh. "Isabella, we both need to let go of the past and move on. Everything that happened before was my fault. I shouldn’t have given you hope, and I definitely shouldn’t have indulged you. I can offer you a bright future, but that’s all. There’s nothing more to give. It’s time for you to make your choice."

"Alexander, please, don’t be so cruel..." Isabella cried out.

"If I were really cruel, I would’ve let you fend for yourself a long time ago!" My voice remained icy.

Had I been cruel to Isabella earlier, none of this would have happened.

Seeing Isabella weep without saying a word, I fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, "In that case, I’ll make the choice for you. Tomorrow, someone will come to take you to the airport. Pack your things."

With that, I opened the car door and got in.

Isabella rushed over, grabbing onto me desperately, tears streaming down her face. "No! Alexander, I’ll do as you say. I’ll go to another country and never come back! Please, just give me a few days... at least let me say goodbye to my parents and friends properly!"

"One week. Seven days from now, someone will take you to the airport."

"Okay..." She whispered, defeated.

I calmly got into the car and closed the door.

The black Cayenne silently pulled away under the cover of night, unnoticed by anyone except Isabella.

The car stopped inside The Crescent Estates.

I leaned back in my seat, motionless, then spoke to James, "Jim, you can head back now."

"Yes, sir. You should rest as well."

With that, James opened the door and stepped out.

Once James had left, I stayed in the car a little longer before getting out, leaning against the car door. I looked up toward the master bedroom on the second floor.

It was pitch black.

She must be asleep by now.

The large bed she once slept in still held traces of me.

Over the course of these three years, how many nights and days had we spent together in that bed— intimate and inseparable?

We had been so happy, so in love.

But all of that... I destroyed it with my own hands.

Shattered.

Leaving only an empty shell.

Just like the empty hole in my heart.

I pulled out a lighter from my pocket and a pack of cigarettes I had taken from Maximus.

I pulled one out, put it between my lips, and lit the end.

The sharp, pungent taste hit my throat, and my lungs felt like they had been struck by something. I quickly pulled the cigarette out of my mouth, bent over, and began to cough.

After I calmed down, I put the cigarette back in my mouth and exhaled a swirl of smoke.