"It was simply a matter of incompatible personalities."

His tone was calm and formal.

Just like the response.

"Back then, I was pursuing two majors at the same time, so my schedule was extremely demanding. Later, after joining the company, I became even more consumed by work and gradually neglected her feelings."

His gaze lowered slightly.

"After several failed attempts to reconcile, we eventually decided to separate peacefully."

It was a very official explanation.

Too official.

"I see," the host said with a smile. "But now that the entire Blackwood Dominion Enterprises is under your management, doesn’t Mrs. Alicia have any complaints about how busy you are?"

I noticed immediately how naturally she had changed the way she addressed me.

From Miss Alicia... to Mrs. Alicia.

A faint bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Alexander smiled lightly as well.

"She’s just as busy as I am," he replied calmly. "We often work overtime together, so in a way, it makes our lives feel more fulfilling."

The host nodded before continuing with her next question.

"You mentioned earlier that Mrs. Alicia is exceptionally talented. So does that mean the rumors claiming she relied on connections to obtain her current position are completely false?"

"We don’t tolerate unhealthy practices like that within the company," Alexander answered simply.

His tone was calm, but the meaning behind his words was enough to shut down countless speculations online instantly.

"I also heard that after Miss Lilian Summer returned to Velaridge City, she began collaborating with Blackwood Dominion Enterprises. Were you personally involved in helping her?"

"Yes." Alexander admitted it directly. "She wanted to return to Velaridge City to further develop her career. Since her family and I have worked together before, I offered some assistance to help her establish herself more quickly."

The host smiled knowingly.

"But from what I understand, even couples who separate peacefully usually find it difficult to remain friends afterward. Now that Miss Lilian is back in Velaridge City and you’re still helping her... doesn’t Mrs. Alicia get jealous?"

This time, Alexander was silent for a few seconds before answering.

"As a businessman, it’s rare for relationships to end badly."

His voice remained steady.

"After the breakup, our families still maintained occasional contact, so we naturally remained in touch from time to time."

Then his gaze darkened slightly.

"I don’t regret helping her."

He paused briefly before continuing in a lower tone.

"But I do regret the way I handled things."

The atmosphere in the interview suddenly became quieter.

"I failed to maintain proper boundaries between a man and a woman, and in the process, I neglected my wife’s feelings."

Every word fell heavily into my chest.

"That’s why Alicia was misunderstood as the third party and became the target of online attacks."

Then, for the first time since the interview began, Alexander looked directly into the camera with complete seriousness.

His eyes were sincere, his expression solemn.

"Alicia," he said quietly, "if you’re watching this,then please forgive me for my ignorance. I’m truly sorry."

I froze completely.

The host looked genuinely surprised before smiling warmly.

"So the reason Mr. Blackwood agreed to this interview today... was because of Mrs. Alicia?"

Alexander lowered his gaze slightly before answering softly,

"Mm."

Then he added,

"To me, she’s like the air I breathe. Her presence exists in every corner of my life."

His voice grew quieter.

"I can’t even imagine what my life would look like without her anymore."

When he said those words, Alexander looked straight into the camera again, his gaze unwavering.

Anyone watching would probably think he was deeply in love.

But I had already learned my lesson.

I refused to let myself fall for his words so easily again.

The host smiled helplessly.

"Mr. Blackwood truly lives up to his reputation. You never directly mention the word ’love,’ yet every sentence sounds filled with affection."

At the same time the interview continued airing, Blackwood Dominion Enterprises’ official Twitter account suddenly released a public legal statement.

Attached beneath it was a list of lawsuits against accounts involved in spreading malicious rumors online.

And directly below that—

Was the official marriage certificate between Alexander and me.

The internet exploded instantly.

The comments section that had once been filled with insults and accusations rapidly shifted direction.

Supportive comments began flooding in endlessly.

People apologized.

People praised us.

People condemned those who had spread rumors before even knowing the truth.

Watching the overwhelming change in public opinion unfold in real time, I couldn’t help letting out a faint, almost mocking smile.

How ridiculous.

People’s opinions could change so quickly.

Ariana immediately bombarded me with messages.

Ariana: Did you see the interview?!

Ariana: At least your husband finally acted like a man and stepped up to clarify things!

Ariana: Looks like that so-called "true love" just got slapped in the face. I’m about to post another tweet and see who still dares argue with me now!

I could already imagine Ariana triumphantly fighting people online through the screen.

And unsurprisingly, she really did.

Not only did she post a celebratory tweet, but she also started replying one by one to everyone who had mocked her before.

"Weren’t you all saying Alicia was the mistress? Why so quiet now?"

"Haha, looks like someone got slapped in the face!"

"Didn’t you swear Lilian wasn’t the third party? Go apologize now!"

"Oh? Your name is the on Blackwood Dominion’s lawsuit list too? That’s embarrassing."

A few seconds later, another message popped up.

Ariana: "She’s like the air I breathe. Her presence exists in every corner of my life, and I can’t imagine living without her anymore."

Ariana: I didn’t expect CEO Blackwood to be this smooth with words.

I stared silently at the messages without replying immediately.

Alexander had always been good at controlling situations.

And he had always been good at making people believe him.

Once upon a time... I had believed him too.

But I wouldn’t allow myself to fall for it so easily again.

Soon, Ariana sent another message.

Ariana: But Alicia, don’t let his sweet talk fool you! He’s still protecting Lilian.

I lowered my gaze slightly.

Actually, I understood exactly what Alexander had done during the interview.

He had publicly clarified my position as his wife while also deliberately distancing himself from Lilian. At the same time, he took full responsibility for the scandal himself.

If I hadn’t known the truth about what happened between Alexander and Lilian back then, perhaps I might have misunderstood him too.

But now... I understood enough to know that his actions today were entirely predictable.

And honestly—

If Alexander had chosen to throw all the blame onto Lilian during the interview just to protect himself, I would have completely lost respect for him.

After all, no matter what had happened between them, Lilian had genuinely suffered once because of him.

Alexander was many things, but he was not the type of man who would cruelly push all responsibility onto a woman just to clear his own name.

Alicia: I know. Don’t worry.

I slowly put my phone down.

It was obvious that Alexander had been sincere during the interview.

Every word he said... every apology... every explanation...

None of it sounded fake.

But unfortunately—

His public defense had come far too late.

The word "divorce" had already been spoken aloud between us.

And I don’t regret it.