Married to the Cold CEO

Chapter Thirteen

Alex was completely frozen. Scarlett suddenly turned and found Maxwell’s handsome, magnified face right before her eyes. She was too stunned to speak; all she could hear was Maxwell’s velvety, captivating voice echoing in her ears.

Maxwell raised an eyebrow and coolly teased, “What? Cat got your tongue?”

Instantly, Scarlett snapped back to reality, her voice dropping several decibels as she stammered, “N-no… why are you here?”

Gone was the haughty, domineering air she had displayed in front of Alex just moments ago—she had transformed into a timid little rabbit.

Maxwell chuckled, “Why shouldn’t I be here?”

Scarlett puffed her cheeks in resignation, unable to retort.

Alex, still reeling from the shock, stared at Maxwell in disbelief. His face shifted through a range of emotions until, with great difficulty, he managed to choke out, “Mr. Stone, what are you doing here?”

Maxwell looked up coolly and replied, “I heard you were planning to sue our Sterling Jewels designer—how could I not come?”

Alex forced a strained laugh, his expression rigid, “How is that… Scarlett… she’s clearly from OceanSky Jewelers…”

Before Alex could continue, Maxwell cut him off without mercy, “From now on, she’s ours at Sterling!”

Alex tried to argue, “But she—”

Maxwell’s face darkened, his tone impatient: “I said she is!”

Alex’s expression turned ashen as he caught a glimmer of schadenfreude in Scarlett’s eyes. He instantly recalled how, yesterday afternoon, he had coaxed Scarlett into a dinner with Tiffany, only to run into Maxwell. At that moment, everything made sense to him—Scarlett had orchestrated her own downfall. She and Maxwell had known each other all along!

Maxwell wasn’t here to waste time; he was simply there to pick up his person, wary only that Alex might try to complicate matters. After all, his women were not to be trifled with!

He turned to Scarlett and asked, “When are you heading to Sterling?”

Scarlett’s eyes flickered, “Tomorrow.”

Maxwell nodded, “Then can we leave now?”

Scarlett quickly nodded and hurried after him. Just as they were about to exit, Alex shouted, “Scarlett…”

Scarlett paused mid-step, turned slowly with her back to Alex. Maxwell’s eyes twinkled as he stood silently, unwilling to turn around.

Alex glared at Scarlett with a sullen expression, “Today’s events—was it all your plan?”

Scarlett pressed her tongue to her upper lip and slowly smiled, “Yes, didn’t you already know the answer? Why even ask me?”

Alex had speculated countless times, yet he truly never expected that the always self-assured Scarlett could orchestrate something like this. In that moment, a complex mix of anger, humiliation, and bitterness overwhelmed him. His voice, hoarse and creaking like a rusted gate, roared, “Didn’t you love me? Then why did you do this?”

Scarlett burst into laughter as if she’d heard the funniest joke in the world, “Love, huh? Alex, how dare you speak of love now! In these two years, every time you used my design files to boost Tiffany, you never mentioned love. Every time you were by her side, you never said you loved her. And when you went to register your marriage with her, you never uttered a word of love!”

Scarlett’s eyes filled with tears of rage as she thought of how her two years of youth had been wasted. If it were mere heartbreak, she might have borne the pain, but Alex and Tiffany had not only shattered her heart—they made her so sick that she wanted to vomit every meal she’d consumed over these two years!

Alex, knowing he was in the wrong and seeing that Maxwell was clearly backing Scarlett, softened his tone reluctantly, “Scarlett, I’m sorry—I was wrong. Let’s settle our family matters behind closed doors, away from the public eye, okay?”

Before Alex could finish, Maxwell sneered derisively, his voice laced with bitter amusement, “Family matters… huh…”