Chapter 186

Alexander's lashes fluttered slightly as his Adam's apple bobbed. "That's the decision I regret most in my life."

"The choice was yours, and you picked Annabelle." Evelyn's voice was eerily calm. "It's like being at a cliff's edge—if both of us were falling, whose hand would you reach for?"

"That hypothetical means nothing."

"I've been wondering why I ever agreed to marry you." Evelyn gazed out the window. "Grandma Hamilton and Margaret were so kind to me that I mistook it for happiness. I thought quiet companionship was the purest form of love."

"...I understand."

"You don't." Evelyn whirled around abruptly. "I could've bowed out gracefully and let you two have your happy ending. But that phone call? Alexander, couldn't you leave me even a shred of dignity?"

His gaze burned. "Because I regretted it. Because I wanted us to start over. Does that humiliation you?"

"Shouldn't it?" Her laugh was icy. "I'll always be your backup plan. When Annabelle rejected you, you settled for someone with a similar name. Now that you're tired of her, you remember my virtues. Alexander, you can't have it both ways."

"Yes, I can."

Evelyn found this absurd.

"When someone is the answer, you don't need to choose."

"Enough platitudes." She cut him off. "How do you plan to handle the demolition issue?"

"I purchased the vacant lot behind the hospital."

Evelyn's fingers twitched. That was where she'd lost their child.

"Three underground levels for medical cold storage, thirty floors of residential space above." Alexander held her gaze. "Relocation housing for the displaced residents. Your parents could move there—just ten minutes from your workplace."

She bit her lower lip hard.

"I knew you'd refuse if I offered the property directly." His voice lowered. "This solves both the demolition problem and reunites you with your family. The compensation remains unchanged—every penny accounted for."

"..."

"Now," Alexander stepped closer, "can we finally discuss our future?"