?Chapter 1043:


    Alexander turned and found himself staring at Cedric—thinner, almost gaunt.


    Three years had passed since theirst encounter.


    The man standing there was barely a shadow of the man he once knew. Now, Cedric carried an air of icy detachment, his presence sharp and unapproachable.


    His gaze gleamed with something dark and dangerous, as if he were teetering on the edge of violence.


    For three long years, Cedric had vanished from the corporate battlefield. In his absence, Alexander had shed his mask, and with his striking resemnce to Cedric, he had gained many advantages.


    He absorbed the businesses of the eight former key members of the association, along with a significant share of Cedric’s deals. As the president of the association, he now held countless advantages.


    Within a year, hispany had overtaken Cedric’s Phillips Group, rising to the pinnacle of the nation’s business empire.


    Now, with a fortune in the tens of billions, Alexander was the richest person in the country. No one in the corporate world dared challenge him.


    Facing Cedric now, Alexander felt no need to shrink back—those days of humility were over.


    In the eyes of society, between Dani’s two husbands, Alexander had emerged as amanding figure, a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Cedric had spent three years in the shadows, a ghost of his former self, vanishing from the business world. His name, once spoken with respect, was now only whispered in pity.


    The past three years had been a storm of anguish and triumph for Alexander.


    Atst, he had surpassed Cedric.


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    Cedric had always been cold before he married Dani. Now, he was downright cial.


    His presence was sharp, almost lethal—so much so that despite his status as an eligible bachelor, no woman dared venture near him.


    For the first time in three years, Cedric stepped back into the public eye.


    The first reason was that his injured leg had just healed enough to bear weight. The second was that the host of the banquet was a former friend of Dani’s.


    He came to attend the event on behalf of his wife.


    There was one thing that had haunted Alexander relentlessly for three years. He had sought Cedric in every way imaginable—openly, discreetly, and through countless intermediaries.


    His only wish was to have his name etched beside Dani’s on her memorial, yet Cedric had refused, unwavering and cold.


    Not even the weight of his title as association president could force Cedric into a meeting.


    For three relentless years, Alexander had refused to surrender. But tonight, for the first time, he wasn’t concerned about it at all.


    “Mr. Phillips, this is odd,” Cedric’s secretary leaned in, his voice hushed. “Back when you were in the hospital, Alexander showed up every week. But now that you’re here, he’s suddenly stopped. Why?”


    Cedric’s face was sharp, his features hardened by years without a single smile, making him seem even more unapproachable.


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