<h4>Chapter 17: Chapter 17 I Didn’t Care Anymore Anyway</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    Back at my new apartment, I ced my time capsule on a shelf. There was no need to destroy it—it contained more than just memories of Xavier. My life had always been bigger than just him.


    My phone rang. Xavier’s name shed on the screen.


    Had he sensed our marriage’sst gasps? Was this the final burst of energy before the me went outpletely?


    I let it ring out, neither answering nor declining. When it stopped, a message notification popped up.


    Rolling my eyes, I opened it—only to discover it wasn’t from Xavier at all. Liam had finally responded.


    Had Sebastian ck finally decided what he wanted from me?


    I opened the message from Liam with trembling fingers.


    "Alpha Sebastian will be meeting a client at Amanson Hotel this Friday. Perhaps you could deliver the suit there, Cecilia."


    Come again?


    I stared at my phone, question marks practically exploding in my mind.


    Sebastian wanted to see me again? At a hotel? And not just any hotel—the Amanson was secluded enough that you could scream bloody murder and no one would hear a thing.


    What exactly was the powerful Alpha up to?


    I didn’t dare make assumptions. It wasn’t that Icked courage to pursue an opportunity handed to me on a silver tter. Rather, I couldn’t read this enigmatic man’s intentions. I simply wanted to focus on my career, not get mixed up in moreplications.


    After thinking it over for several minutes, I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and leave him on read.


    ...


    Two hourster, I drove out.


    As soon as I pulled out of the gate, I saw the familiar Ferrari.


    I mmed on the brakes immediately.


    Xavier was slouched in the driver’s seat, smoking a cigarette that swirled around his face as he brooded.


    I took a deep breath, quickly ran through all possible strategies in my mind, then drove over, got out, opened his passenger door, and slid into the passenger seat.


    "What are you doing here?" I spoke coldly, meeting his eyes directly, "Are you stalking me?"


    He didn’t speak, just picked up his phone from the dashboard and tossed it in myp.


    I looked down and saw that it was the registration form for the residents of the Lantern Garden Community.


    Turned out he was here to interrogate me.


    I didn’t have any emotional reaction, I just calmly handed his phone back to him, my voice as steady as if I was discussing the weather: "I have been working for so many years and bought my own house. What’s the problem?"


    His eyes were ice-cold: "Why are you keeping this from me?"


    "I don’t feel like I owe you an exnation." I said matter-of-factly, "I paid the down payment for this house myself, I didn’t touch a dime of your money."


    He let out a harshugh, as if he had heard some absurd joke, sarcasm shing in his eyes, "When have I ever been cheap with you when ites to money? Every piece of jewelry I gave you costs more than this house."


    I didn’t respond.


    Because he never understood that the jewels were never what I wanted.


    The next moment, he dug into his wallet, pulled out several ck and tinum cards, and threw them on myp. The cards scattered like confetti, cold against my skirt. "You want to buy a house? Go for it. Put everything in your name. You can buy as many as you want. Whatever makes you happy."


    I let out a hollowugh.


    "Thank you, Alpha Xavier, for being so generous."


    Maybe I should ept this "hush money" and continue to y the sugar baby who spent money without blinking, numb and obedient, a pretty ything under his control.


    It would be so easy.


    But I was not going down without a fight.


    I picked up the cards one by one and put them back into his wallet, my movements careful but determined.


    "I don’t need a house right now. I’ll let you know when I do."


    I carefully put the wallet back on hisp, the gesture feeling symbolic, like I was gently ending our rtionship.


    He was speechless for a moment, as if he couldn’t figure out what I was upset about.


    I was about to get out, when he suddenly grabbed my hand, his eyesser-focused on me.


    "You don’t trust me anymore?"


    A bitter smile crossed my face.


    Just figuring that out now?


    I pulled my hand free, my smile bright, but hollow.


    "Trust doesn’t matter. As long as you’re happy."


    Just then, my phone rang.


    I jumped - was it Liam? Was he messaging again?


    Xavier’s face darkened when he noticed my reaction.


    "You ignore my phone calls, and you don’t text back. But the second someone else contacts you, you jump."


    I slowly pulled out my phone.


    The name disyed on the screen was: "Mrs. Green".


    When he saw the screen, he rxed.


    "Answer it."


    I pressed ept: "I’m with your son, want to talk to him first?"


    There was a pause on the other end, then she recovered: "No thanks. I just wanted to ask if you still want the bag you were looking at."


    "Absolutely." My voice was cheerful, "I’ve been getting my bags cleanedtely, and I’m short one."


    "Perfect, I’ll grab it."


    The call ended.


    Xavier frowned, "When did you two be so chummy?"


    "Don’t you want me to get along better with your mother?" I asked, "Or do you prefer that we can’t stand each other?"


    He had noeback.


    I could tell he was more at ease. He thought this was just my little rebellion, getting a house, buying an apartment, paying for it myself, just to show him that I could be independent.


    Just a harmless tantrum.


    "I’ll drive you back." He said.


    "What about my car?"


    "I’ll have someone bring it to you."


    He didn’t wait for me to object, and hit the locks.


    I had no choice but to go along with it.


    ...


    For the next few days, Iid low and hardly went out.


    I anticipated his reaction the moment he learned about the divorce: an explosion, questioning,shing out.


    I wasn’t going to face his fury head-on. I chose to travel abroad afterward to give him time to cool off.


    He would eventually understand that this is not impulsive, but a decision I had already made.


    Cici would definitely pressure him to respond. And me leaving quietly was the easiest choice for him.


    The phone rang, it was Harper.


    "There’s something I need to tell you," her tone was more serious than usual, "watch your backtely. Dora has been up to something and I wonder what she’s plotting."


    I sneered: "Don’t worry. The divorce agreement hasn’t been signed yet, and she doesn’t dare make any big moves."


    She had probably busy spreading rumors right now, saying that Xavier and I were married in name only, that our marriage was on itsst legs, and that he was going to marry Shadow Pack’s daughter.


    Let her say whatever she wanted.


    I didn’t care anymore anyway.