My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 66

"You did well at the press conference today. Really, good job."

The compliment was gritted out through clenched teeth.

As expected, he was here to reprimand me.

I sat up straight and looked at him, explaining sincerely, "I’m sorry, but I did it for the good of the V&R brand. Since we already have built-in traffic and buzz, why not use it to generate even more hype for the brand’s products?"

"And?" he asked.

"And... I shouldn’t have arranged those interactive games for you. You’re not like those celebrity influencers."

"Anything else?"

Anything else? What else?

I honestly couldn’t think of anything more.

I blinked, looked at Alexander, and stayed silent.

Alexander, exasperated, let out a bitter laugh. "Why did you set up an interactive game between me and Isabella?"

"Didn’t you like it?"

His face darkened. Was this really about whether he liked it or not?

I replied truthfully, "You have a lot of OTP fans. Giving them a little treat just boosts the buzz even more."

Alexander let out a helpless laugh, his lips twitching as if he didn’t know what to say.

Vivienne was really something—she could find an angle for everything.

Seeing that Alexander had fallen silent, I spoke more confidently. "Today’s press conference created a lot of buzz. I’m confident about how the product launch will go. I don’t think CEO Hawthorne should be upset with me."

"You think you have a reason?"

"I’m just doing what’s best for the company."

"Don’t you worry about being criticized?"

"I’m not afraid. I’ve never been afraid."

"Don’t let this happen again."

"Thank you, CEO Hawthorne." I smiled at him.

Alexander went downstairs for dinner, then returned to the master bedroom to shower and get ready for bed.

A short while later, the sound of running water from the bathroom stopped, and he emerged wearing a bathrobe. He quickly dried his hair and then walked around to the other side of the bed. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Noticing me staring at my phone, he leaned over, resting his head on my shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, just scrolling through," I quickly closed my phone.

I had been using a secondary account to browse the OTP fan-created Twitter hashtags.

The interactions from the press conference had already been clipped and shared on those hashtags.

Seeing my guilty expression, Alexander narrowed his eyes. "If it’s nothing, why are you hiding your phone?"

His hot breath brushed against my neck, and I instinctively shrank back, pushing at his chest. "Don’t be so close."

Alexander grabbed my phone out of my hands, and I lunged to grab it back. "No!"

He knew my password.

If he entered it, he’d see that I’d been browsing those OTP fan hashtags!

I couldn’t let him see that.

Alexander raised the phone high, his long arms and legs just out of my reach. I struggled, trying my hardest to pull it down.

After a brief battle, I managed to pull his arm down, but the phone had already switched to his other hand.

What a wasted effort.

I was livid. "Give me back my phone!"

Alexander smirked as he saw my face flush with frustration, unable to hide his amusement.

Then, his gaze dropped lower, noticing that my loungewear had shifted while I was scrambling for the phone.

His throat bobbed as he leaned closer, whispering in my ear, "How about tonight?"

We had been sharing the bed as usual, but lately, with my busy schedule, I’d fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed—too tired for anything else.

Now that the promotion period was over, I finally had some time to relax.

I shook my head and pushed him away. "No, I’m too tired. I want to rest early."

"You don’t have to do anything."

"Even then, no."

"How about I help you relax?"

I fell silent. Alexander knew I had given in.

This little girl knew how to enjoy herself.

Afterward, I lay in bed, exhausted and unwilling to move. Alexander cleaned up.

I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Half-conscious, I was awakened by the sound of my phone ringing.

The ring lasted only a few seconds before someone picked up, and for a moment, I wondered if I was still dreaming.

Then, I heard soft, intermittent noises—the door opening and closing.

I suddenly snapped my eyes open. The room was pitch dark. I glanced at the bed beside me—it was empty.

It turned out it wasn’t just a dream—someone had called Alexander.

Not long after, the door handle turned quietly, and Alexander tiptoed inside. He glanced at me, still sound asleep, before heading to the closet to get dressed.

After changing, he quietly left the room.

The door clicked shut, and the room returned to its stillness.

Before long, the sound of a car engine echoed from downstairs.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling in the dark.

I had a feeling the call Alexander had taken was from Isabella.

I wanted to ask, but I didn’t dare.

I was a coward, unwilling to humiliate myself further.

Even if I tried to stop him, I knew Alexander wouldn’t stay.

I closed my eyes, unable to find any more sleep, tossing and turning.

Just before dawn, the engine sound from downstairs returned.

A moment later, the door opened, and Alexander, looking worn out, came in and lay down beside me, as if he’d never left.

I played along, pretending I didn’t know he’d been out.

At 6:30 AM, Alexander got up on time and went downstairs for a run.

After he left, I slowly opened my eyes, my gaze clear but bloodshot, as if I hadn’t rested well.

I stayed in bed a little longer, finally getting up to freshen up just before 7.

I dressed and went downstairs to find Alexander already waiting for me on the sofa, ready for breakfast.

"Up already? Let’s eat," Alexander said, setting down his newspaper and standing up. He studied my face. "Didn’t sleep well last night?"

I gave a vague response, "I’ve just been really tired these past few days."

Alexander didn’t say anything more.

When I arrived at the office, Director Penelope from the secretarial department suddenly invited me to join a WhatsApp group.

The group was named "Beach Resort Vacation."

The group announcement read: "As a token of appreciation for the hard work of the V&R, M&F, and M&E departments, CEO Hawthorne has decided to personally sponsor a two-day vacation at the beach resort for everyone."

V&R, M&F, and M&E were all brands under Vanguard Global Enterprises—M&F was a cosmetics brand, and M&E was a skincare line. The two departments had always maintained a strong working relationship.

This wasn’t a company-wide chat, though.

Feeling a bit more relaxed, employees started sending emoji reactions: "Thanks, CEO Hawthorne!" "CEO Hawthorne is so handsome."

I sent a similar emoji, then scrolled through the Status Updates.

Suddenly, my finger paused.

Isabella had posted a Status Update at 3 AM: "Thanks for the company at dawn."

The photo showed two hands intertwined—one large, one small, clearly belonging to a man and a woman.

The man’s hands were unmistakable—fair, with long fingers. After being married to Alexander for three years, I recognized them instantly.

I had a feeling this Status Update was only visible to me.

I couldn’t help but find it a little amusing—Alexander and Isabella, one trying to hide things from me, and the other slyly letting me know.

I considered screenshotting it and sending it to Alexander but quickly stopped myself.

Forget it.

It felt like something a grade schooler would do. I had already confronted Alexander about Olivia’s behavior toward me, but he hadn’t believed me. I had told him about Isabella’s actions, but he didn’t trust me.

In his eyes, Isabella was gentle and kind, incapable of posting something so provocative.

And she was the woman he adored.

Of course, Alexander would never believe it.

He might even accuse me of slandering Isabella.