Chapter 179 We Broke Up
The scariest thing about Casey was that he didn’t need long to figure out what one’s weaknesses were; that held true even if they were newly acquainted with each other. Moreover, he would hit where it hurt the most without mercy.
Just moments ago, Casey had mocked the turbulent relationship between Courtney and Alexander. The problem between them was never about his sister because their relationship itself was not strong enough in the first place. That was why it fell apart so easily.
On the other hand, Courtney had simply rolled her eyes at him. She also jokingly ridiculed him for falling for a straight man and being so delusional that he believed he could turn a straight man gay. In short, both refused to back down—their sharp tongues were equal in this respect. At least, that was the case until Alexander appeared and was stopped by Mrs. Lewis.
“Does it feel uncomfortable to watch the harmonious relationship between the man you love, his ex-fiancée, and his ex-fiancée’s family?”
“You can shut up now.” Courtney glanced at Casey. “If I knew what your relationship with Mikayla was, I would have ignored you back in Eastbrook.” This family of scoundrels.
Casey didn’t seem bothered by her words. Raising his eyebrow at her, he teasingly said, “If you want me to, I can help you turn this around.”
“How will you do that?”
Before she heard his answer, Alexander had finished greeting Mrs. Lewis and was walking toward them.
“Why are you here?” Alexander stood in front of Courtney with an imposing aura.
Courtney unhappily retorted, “Why do I need to report my whereabouts to you? Don’t forget; I’m no longer working at the hotel.”
“You’re suspended; you didn’t resign,” he corrected her coldly.
“What follows my suspension is my resignation; it makes no difference—”
He was just about to lose his temper when he noticed Casey out of the corner of his eye. He barely managed to suppress his temper as he grabbed her arm. “Come with me.”
“Wait.” Casey’s voice rang out from behind Courtney. “Alexander, where do you plan on bringing somebody else’s girlfriend?”
Girlfriend?! Courtney’s expression changed as she looked at Casey in bewilderment. However, that man’s expression revealed nothing—he lied without even batting an eye.
“If that’s a joke, I will pretend I never heard it.” Alexander glared at Casey; the look on his face was rather hostile.
“Calm down. I didn’t say that she is my girlfriend,” Casey said calmly. “It’s just that Shay just told me that she is his girlfriend.”
Courtney felt a chill in her heart. Casey is a black-hearted fox indeed. He doesn’t want to cause trouble for himself, but he is planning to stir the pot!
Sure enough, Alexander’s expression darkened. Regardless of how many people were watching, he couldn’t help dragging her into a lounge. He closed the door behind him and threw her on the sofa.
She gasped in pain as she hit her tailbone during her fall. Her tied-up hair was a little messy as she lifted her head and snapped, “What are you doing?!”
“I recall you telling me that you and Shay are nothing but brothers and sisters.” He put his arms on both sides of the single-seat sofa, encircling her within his arms. His condescending look was rather scary.
Swallowing nervously, she stubbornly said, “We are brothers and sisters. Even if we aren’t, it has nothing to do with you. We broke up.”
“I. Didn’t. Agree. To. That.” Those words were uttered firmly, leaving no leeway for her to refute. He leaned down, his shadow looming over her face. A light perfume drifted through the air. It made Mikayla’s innocuous face instantly appear in her mind’s eye, and her expression sank. “Stay away from me.” Her slender arms shoved against his chest as she angrily said, “I don’t like the scent on you right now.”
He studied the look of disgust on her face and seemed to realize something. He did not explain anything. He simply got up and sat down nearby, regaining his composure. “What about Casey? How did you meet him?”
“I went on a trip and met him on the plane.” Her answer was very perfunctory.
A barely noticeable hostility flashed through his eyes. “He never approaches anybody without an ulterior motive. Stay away from him.”
“Did you think that your ex-girlfriend approached you without any ulterior motives?” Courtney vented her emotions slightly as she counter-questioned him, “Did you think she rescued Jordan without regard for her own safety because of her feelings for you?”
He scowled. “Something is going on behind the scenes. I’m investigating it.”
“Of course, I know that you’re investigating it.” The look in her eyes turned cold as she gazed at him. “Nothing escapes your notice so easily. But, your first reaction was to doubt me. Isn’t that right?”
She did not doubt his intelligence and his judgment. After the incident, he would surely conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. He is no fool. If I can notice something suspicious about the incident, then he will surely notice it too. Therefore, she wasn’t worried that the truth would be hidden forever. Unfortunately, his first reaction was to blame her for that incident—that broke her heart. Moreover, how he handled it afterward placed their relationship in an awkward position.
“What happens after you finish investigating? You know that it wasn’t a coincidence for Mikayla to appear at the entrance of the kitchen. So? What are you going to do? Are you going to pursue her for masterminding this incident?” She lowered her head. Then, she stood up and smoothened out the creases in her dress. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and turned away. “You won’t. Even if it’s just out of respect for her mother… you won’t.”
When Casey mentioned that they were ‘like mother and son’, she understood that this was the indisputable outcome. No matter what Mikayla does, she will always be forgiven by Alexander. The relationship between Mikayla and him is based on emotions. On the other hand, the relationship between him and me is based on cold logic. That’s the difference between us.
Alexander was sitting up straight as he lifted his head slightly to look at the person standing in front of him. “The relationship between Mikayla and I is not that complicated. You don’t need to use that as an excuse for your irritation. I was at fault for blaming you without understanding the situation beforehand. But, I would like to ask you something.”
“Ask away.”
“If, one day, Jordan and Tina were caught in an accident at the same time… Who would you save?”
“You should ask yourself this question,” Courtney replied brusquely. “Who would you save?”
“Jordan,” he replied without hesitation.
Even though she had guessed what his answer would be, it still broke her heart when she heard it herself. The immense disappointment washing over her felt like a freezing cold wind sweeping through her very bones.
“The question you asked is cruel in and of itself. I don’t know if you will believe me when I say that I truly consider Jordan as my own son. So, I have a hard time answering this question.” She looked at him with a gaze that was clear and cold. “But, you are different. You are so decisive in your answer. It shows that you have never regarded Tina as your own daughter.”
Courtney’s words held no resentment in them. She was doing her best to stop herself from telling Alexander the truth. She thought to herself, Will he regret asking this question if I told him that both Jordan and Tina are his biological children? Perhaps, it might render him speechless for a while.
Maybe even make him feel angry and remorseful. But, telling him the truth will bring about other risks. I can’t afford those risks; at least, not right now. “Whatever goes on between me, Shay, Casey, or any other man for that matter, has nothing to do with you. I told you; we broke up.”
