Chapter 139: Chapter 140: Relationship confirmation
She had been captivated.
But reality had quickly followed.
She was two years older than Alexander.
Without anyone saying it directly, she had long been placed into the category of "older sister."
Even when coworkers joked carelessly about office romance, no one had ever paired her na with his.
As though everyone instinctively understood they were unsuited.
Age felt like an invisible wall she could never cross.
Sophia knew a man like Alexander—young, powerful, accomplished—would naturally choose soone younger.
Soone softer.
Soone easier to place beside him.
So she had quietly excluded herself from his world before anyone else could do it for her.
Afraid of ridicule, she buried her feelings deep inside and publicly claid she already had a boyfriend.
From then on, she could only watch him from a distance.
Silently.
Year after year.
That was why, from the very beginning, Sophia had noticed the subtle tension between Alexander and Alicia.
Their relationship had never felt like that of ordinary siblings.
They often arrived at work together.
At lunchti, when most of the office had emptied out, Alicia would quietly go to Alexander’s office to eat.
If Alexander remained in the office through the afternoon and had no evening engagents, they would usually leave together as well.
Even before Sophia had fully confird anything, Lilian returned to the country.
The news spread through the company like wildfire.
At that point, Sophia believed she finally understood everything.
The woman Alexander truly loved was Lilian.
As for Alicia—
Their relationship remained unclear.
Until now.
Now Sophia was certain.
There had to be a physical relationship between them.
The way Alexander had gently squeezed Alicia’s palm that day had been intimate.
Natural.
Possessive.
Far beyond what siblings would share.
On the surface, Alexander appeared disciplined, restrained, and almost untouchable.
But he was a man nearing thirty, in the pri of his life.
It was only natural, Sophia thought, that soone like him would have won around him.
She had never imagined that even after Lilian’s return—and despite how often Alexander was seen with her—he would still be maintaining sothing private with Alicia.
Yet the more Sophia thought about it, the less surprising it seed.
n with power and wealth were rarely satisfied with only one woman.
Alexander, it seed, was no different from the rest.
That realization stirred sothing dangerous in her mind.
She bit her lip slowly.
If Alicia could have him—
Why couldn’t she?
And this trip to New York...
Would be the perfect opportunity.
Sumr Corporation
"Sir, I’ve gathered the information you requested regarding Alicia Sinclair and Alexander Blackwood."
The assistant stood before Lucas’s desk inside the CEO’s office, holding a file in both hands.
Lucas looked up sharply from the docunt he had been reviewing.
"Good."
The assistant stepped forward and placed the folder on the desk.
"This contains everything I was able to find."
"Show ."
Lucas took the file and began turning through the pages.
The first few pages contained basic personal information on Alicia Sinclair and Alexander Blackwood.
Birth records.
Educational background.
Corporate positions.
Nothing unusual.
Most of it was information Lucas already knew.
But when he reached the final page—
He froze.
Only for a brief second.
Then his expression darkened.
"Are you certain about this?"
His voice turned sharp as he looked up.
"Yes, boss."
The assistant straightened imdiately.
"I verified it personally. The record ca directly from the marriage registry."
Lucas’s jaw tightened.
His grip on the file beca so firm the paper nearly crumpled in his hand.
There, clipped neatly before him, was a certified copy of Alexander Blackwood and Alicia Sinclair’s marriage certificate.
So that was the truth.
Oddly enough, he was not entirely surprised.
The Blackwood family had never truly accepted Lilian.
Even before their breakup, there had always been tension.
They believed the Sumr family had used Lilian’s relationship with Alexander to elevate their business standing.
And in many ways... they had not been wrong.
anwhile, Johann Sinclair—Alicia’s late father—had earned the trust of the Blackwood family to such an extent that they had even taken Alicia in after his death.
Given that history, it was only natural that the Blackwood matriarch would choose Alicia over Lilian especially since Lilian left the country at that ti .
But one detail made Lucas’s expression grow colder.
The certificate stated they had been married for two years.
Two years.
Did Lilian know?
Had she known all along?
Had she hidden the truth from him—
While willingly returning to beco the other woman?
Even claiming everything between her and Alexander was fine?
Lucas set the file down slowly.
"You may leave."
The assistant nodded and quietly withdrew from the office.
Lucas picked up his phone.
His eyes were cold.
Lucas scrolled through his contacts and dialed Lilian’s number.
The call connected quickly.
"Hello, Brother."
Her soft voice ca through the receiver.
"Lilian, how are you?" Lucas asked, forcing his tone steady.
"Are you done with your shoots already?"
"I’m fine, Brother. I just got back from the studio."
She paused.
"You’re calling at this hour... is everything alright?"
Lucas’s expression hardened.
"Lilian, I need to ask you sothing."
His voice dropped.
"And I need you to tell
the truth."
There was a slight silence before she answered.
"...Alright, Brother."
"How are things between you and Alexander?"
Silence.
Complete silence.
"Lilian."
His tone sharpened.
"I asked you a question."
On the other end of the line, a choked sob suddenly broke through.
Lucas’s face darkened.
"Stop crying and tell
what happened."
Though stern, his voice softened slightly.
Lilian began explaining everything—the fire incident, Alexander’s reaction, the distance that followed.
By the ti she finished, Lucas’s expression had turned grim.
"So what you’re telling ," he said coldly, "is that you knew about Alexander’s marriage all along?"
"I’m sorry, Brother..."
Her crying intensified.
"I didn’t an to hide it from you. I was just afraid that if I said it aloud, it would beco real... and Alexander would abandon ."
Lucas’s patience snapped.
"And did hiding it stop him from leaving you now?"
His voice turned harsh.
"Why would you play such foolish gas with Alexander?"
"Do you understand what this ans for us? For the company?"
Lilian sobbed harder.
But Lucas did not stop.
"Wasn’t this your own doing in the first place?"
"If you hadn’t been fooled by that idiot Caldwell and betrayed Alexander, none of this would have happened."
"If you had stayed and married into the Blackwood family, we would be in a far stronger position than we are now."
"Brother..." Lilian cried helplessly.
"Alexander is only confused right now. He’ll co back to —I know he will."
"It’s all that Alicia’s fault."
Lucas closed his eyes briefly, suppressing his irritation.
"How long have you known?"
Lilian’s sobs quieted.
She understood what he ant.
"...A year ago."
Lucas fell silent.
A whole year.
And she had never thought to tell him.
At last, he spoke in a cold, controlled tone.
"It’s fine."
"I’ll handle it."
"...Okay, Brother."she replied her sob subsiding
The line disconnected.
Lucas lowered the phone slowly, his mind already calculating solutions.
The truth was simple.
Much of the Sumr family’s rise in the business world had co through Alexander’s relationship with Lilian.
Without that connection—
Everything they had built could begin to crumble.
Alicia’s POV
There were several things I needed to personally put in order before leaving for New York with Alexander, so my schedule had been a little packed these past few days.
Even though things between Alexander and
had improved, we had simply fallen into a peaceful routine—going to work together and returning ho together each evening without interruption.
Still, I remained cautious.
I didn’t know whether Lilian had been contacting Alexander privately, but I knew one thing for certain—
She would not give up on him so easily.
And I kept that in mind.
Today, I had a eting with a client at a restaurant, so I left the company with my assistant.
Once the eting ended, my assistant went ahead to place the docunts in the car while I followed behind.
Just then, I heard soone call my na.
"Alicia."
I stopped and turned.
Raphael was walking toward .
A smile appeared on my face as I stepped forward.
"Raphael. Are you eating here too?"
He nodded.
"What about you? Did you co with Alexander?.He asked looking around
"No. I’m here to et a client."
Raphael smiled faintly.
"How are things between you and Alexander now?"
"So far... they’re going well."
For now....
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