<div> Chapter 58: Alexander Vale 8 
 It wasn’t hard to see how Ethan had climbed the corporate ladder so fast. He had used his handsome face to charm wealthy heiresses—securing deals and climbing the ranks through connections rather than pure skill alone.
 Celeste didn’t judge him.
 In fact, she thought Ethan was smart. Resourceful.
 He was using everything at his disposal—his charm, his connections, his looks—to rise to the top. That wasn’t just manipulation; that was ambition. Pure, relentless dedication.
 And honestly? She could respect that.
 But the real question was—how Riley would react? Would she understood why Ethan had to do all those to rise on the top?
 Ethan wasn’t reckless. If there was one thing he was good at, it was maintaining control. He would have carefully hidden his affairs, severing ties with women the moment they became a liability. Riley was never supposed to know.
 Of course, no plan was perfect.
 Somewhere along the line, one of his carefully curated secrets slipped through the cracks. And that crack? That’s where Riley and Ethan’s perfect love story began to fracture.
 Oh, they would fight about it, argue, and break each other’s hearts a little—but they would always find their way back.
 Because in the end, Riley Evans and Ethan Carter were fated.
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 </div> At least . . . they were supposed to be.
 And what about her? Celeste Hart?
 Well, her fate had never been kind.
 The moment Ethan decided she was a loose end, she was discarded without a second thought.
 She lost everything.
 Blinded by rage and betrayal, the Celeste of the past tried to blackmail him—threatening to expose his dealings with those women to Riley.
 But Ethan Carter? He didn’t tolerate threats.
 Instead of paying her off, instead of begging her to keep quiet—he shut her up the hard way.
 He crippled her.
 Stripped of her job, her money, and her reputation, Celeste Hart was buried alive.
 Drowning in debt, abandoned by everyone, she was thrown in prison—a nobody, erased from the world before she could ever get her revenge.
 She never got to tell Riley the truth.
 Never got the chance to rewrite her own story.
 But now?
 Everything had changed.
 Celeste sat back in her chair, a slow smirk forming on her lips as she twirled her wine glass between her fingers.
 She was no longer a disposable side character.
 This time, she was the one holding the pen.
 And she was eager to see how the story would unfold.
 Alexander’s jaw clenched slightly as his gaze followed Ethan and Riley’s figures.
 His golden eyes darkened.
 "This is a great opportunity," Celeste said, tapping her nails against her glass. "Since they’re here, we might as well take advantage of it."
 Alexander’s gaze snapped back to her.
 Celeste smiled sweetly. "Let’s make Riley jealous."
 "And how exactly are we going to do that?" Alexander asked, swirling the wine in his glass, his golden eyes narrowing. "Riley’s too pissed right now. She just found out about Carter’s little harem."
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 </div> Celeste smirked. "Oh? Are you mad that Riley got jealous over his women?"
 Alexander’s fingers tightened around the glass. His jaw clenched slightly.
 "It means she still loves that man." His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it. "It means that I don’t mean anything to her when we were together."
 Celeste shrugged, taking a sip of her own wine before setting the glass down with a soft clink. "I think we already established that from the beginning. Which is why we need to do something about it."
 Alexander tilted his head slightly, watching her. "And what exactly is your brilliant plan?"
 Celeste leaned forward, a playful glint in her eyes. "While they’re secretly watching us—which they are, by the way—give me something."
 One of Alexander’s brows arched. "You want money?"
 Celeste laughed. "For a grown man who has everything, I would have thought you’d know exactly what a woman wants. But it seemed that you only focus on Riley."
 Alexander wasn’t laughing. Not even a little.
 If looks could kill, Celeste would be six feet under.
 "Jewelry," she clarified, ignoring his glare. "Give me jewelry."
 "Jewelry?" he repeated, clearly unimpressed.
 "You can’t?" she taunted, tilting her head innocently.
 Alexander let out a slow exhale, his expression unreadable. "Do I look like a man who carries women’s jewelry on hand?"
 Celeste tapped a manicured nail against the table. "You’re the Alexander Vale—the almighty billionaire who can get anything with a snap of his fingers. I’m sure you can figure it out."
 Alexander narrowed his eyes, clearly skeptical.
 "It won’t work," he said after a pause. "If your plan is to make Riley jealous over some jewelry, I hate to burst your bubble—she doesn’t care about luxury or material things."
 Celeste’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk.
 "I know that," she said. "But it’s not about the jewelry, darling. It’s about the gesture."
 Something flickered in Alexander’s eyes—something dangerous.
 For a brief second, Celeste wondered if she had pushed too far.
 But then—
 Alexander let out a slow, deep chuckle. "You really are something else."
 Without another word, he pulled out his phone and made the call.
 "Yeah. I want the Volcano’s Heart. I don’t care how much—deliver it here within ten minutes."
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 </div> Celeste leaned back, her smile growing, curious.
 After the call ended, their food arrived, and the two of them ate in comfortable silence.
 Alexander noticed how Celeste took small, almost indifferent bites. She wasn’t savoring the meal—she was merely eating.
 "How’s the food?" he asked, watching her carefully.
 Celeste shrugged. "It’s fine."
 Alexander’s brows lifted slightly. Fine?
 "You’re dining in the finest restaurant in the city, and that’s all you have to say?"
 She smirked, spearing a piece of steak with her fork. "Well, I’m not exactly a steak kind of girl."
 She was an instant noodle kind of girl, but saying that in front of the world’s most powerful billionaire felt . . . off-brand.
 Instead, she said, "I prefer sushi."
 It wasn’t a lie. She did love sushi—she was just too lazy to leave her apartment to get it, and none of the food delivery apps had a place that did sushi right.
 Alexander leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Then I’ll take you to a good Japanese restaurant next time."</div>
 

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Chapter 58: Alexander Vale 8

Chapter 58: Alexander Vale 8 It wasn’t hard to see how Ethan had climbed the corporate ladder so fast. He had used his handsome face to charm wealthy heiresses—securing deals and climbing the ranks through connections rather than pure skill alone. Celeste didn’t judge him. In fact, she thought Ethan was smart. Resourceful. He was using everything at his disposal—his charm, his connections, his looks—to rise to the top. That wasn’t just manipulation; that was ambition. Pure, relentless...

The Villains Must Win

Chapter 58: Alexander Vale 8

The Villains Must Win - Chapter 58: Alexander Vale 8