?Chapter 762:


    But then Briley came to mind—and the weight of what had happened. The Wall family’s branch had sparked the chaos that pulled the Howe family into scandal.


    As the head of Wall Group, she knew she couldn’t ignore that.


    With a quiet sigh, she set the pen down. “Alright. Let Mr. Howe know I’ll be there on time.”


    “Of course, Ms. Hudson.” Samuel gave a small bow of acknowledgment.


    That evening, Sadie arrived at the upscale restaurant as scheduled. A waiter greeted her with a courteous nod and led her through the elegant dining space to a private room tucked away from the noise.


    As she pushed open the door, she saw Alex already inside, rising from his seat the moment he heard her enter.


    He greeted her with a familiar, gentle smile.


    Sadie’s gaze drifted briefly across the table. Almost every dishid out was something she liked. Alex hadn’t forgotten. The same old attention to detail.


    But that kind of attentiveness wasn’t something she wanted.


    She took the seat opposite Alex, careful not to meet his eyes directly.


    After a brief pause, she chose to speak inly. “Mr. Howe, I want to begin by apologizing for what Briley did.” She finally met Alex’s gaze, her expression serious. “She and her father acted without responsibility or restraint. Their actions dragged the Howe family—and you—into a mess you didn’t deserve. I don’t know what their motives were. But surely they had a reason behind fabricating such a story, didn’t they?”


    That was the real reason she had agreed to meet. She needed to know what Coyle and Briley had been after. What did they want from Alex?


    Alex’s smile faltered, reced by something bitter. His posture rxed slightly as he lowered himself back into his seat, his voice quiet when he replied, “It was Briley.”


    He recounted the night when Briley had approached him while he was drunk. After that, she had faked her pregnancy to force him to marry her. He spoke as if narrating someone else’s story—detached, controlled.


    Sadie lowered her gaze, a pang of guilt tightening in her chest. Briley and her father had gone after Alex not randomly, but with purpose. It was because of the Howe name and his connection to her. In the end, it all traced back to her. Another debt. Another wound.


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    She looked up, her voice quiet but sincere. “I’m sorry, Mr. Howe. This mess began because of me. I should be the one treating you tonight, not the other way around.”


    Alex stared at her across the table, the warmth in his eyes dimming at the formal distance in her words. Her apology, while genuine, felt like a wall. It made him restless. “Sadie,” he said. “Can… can you forgive me?”


    Sadie blinked, caught off guard. Forgive him? For what?


    Her expression softened with confusion. After a pause, she spoke, her tone steady. “Mr. Howe… you have nothing to ask forgiveness for. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.”


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