Chapter 218: Maybe I was a fool before

[Alex’s Place]

The door clicked open, and Alex stumbled inside, looking completely haggard.

The previous night had ended with him drinking far more than he could handle before eventually passing out outside a bar. It was only the warmth of the morning sun and the faint voices of people walking past that finally woke him.

The moment he realized he had spent the entire night sleeping on the pavement, embarrassment and regret washed over him.

Ignoring the curious looks from passersby, Alex had hurried home.

But the moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by an even bigger headache.

Julianna came storming toward him.

"You idiot! Where the hell have you been all night? Do you have any idea how hungry I was?" she snapped.

She had been cranky since waking up, and seeing Alex finally return only made her anger worse.

After their argument the previous evening, Julianna had assumed Alex would eventually come back and apologize. After all, that was what he had always done.

Alex had spent years running after her, flattering her, and doing everything he could to keep her happy.

But this time, he hadn’t returned.

He hadn’t even answered her calls.

Julianna had spent the entire night waiting, growing increasingly irritated with every passing hour.

"Why are you standing there silently?" she demanded. "Tell me, you useless idiot! Where were you all night?"

Her voice grew louder.

Alex stared at her, his head throbbing from the hangover and his body aching from sleeping outside.

Something inside him finally snapped.

"WHY DO YOU CARE?"

Julianna froze. "What?"

"You heard me!" Alex shouted. "Why do you suddenly care where I was?"

"Because you disappeared the entire night!" she fired back. "I was left here alone, with nothing to eat!"

Alex let out a bitter laugh. "Of course. That’s what you’re worried about?"

"What else am I supposed to worry about?"

"Maybe you could ask if I’m alright!"

Julianna stared at him in disbelief. "Why would I ask that when you’re standing right in front of me?"

Alex clenched his fists. For the first time, he saw their relationship differently.

While he had spent the night drunk, miserable, and regretting the choices that had brought him here, Julianna’s first concern was still herself.

And suddenly, Clara’s face flashed through his mind.

He remembered how she had once cared about him, how she had supported him, and how easily he had thrown everything away for Julianna.

The regret that had followed him throughout the night returned with full force.

"I should’ve never left Clara," he muttered.

Julianna’s expression changed instantly. "What did you just say?"

Alex ignored her and walked straight toward the kitchen. His throat was dry, his head was pounding, and the last thing he wanted was another argument with Julianna.

He needed water. He needed silence. Most importantly, he needed to clear his head.

But before he could reach the kitchen, Julianna grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around.

"I asked you what you just said!"

Alex looked at her hand before slowly raising his eyes.

Julianna was furious. Hearing Clara’s name from him had only fueled her anger.

To her, Alex had always been nothing more than a greedy man who followed whoever could offer him money. She had been his golden opportunity—the woman who could give him the luxurious life he had always dreamed of without requiring him to work for it.

So seeing regret in his eyes now made her furious.

Alex pursed his lips, trying to walk away again.

"Let go of me, Julianna."

Instead, she stepped closer and jabbed a finger against his chest.

"You greedy dog! You lived off my money, followed me around like a pathetic puppy, and now you suddenly remember your love for the woman you threw away?"

Alex’s jaw tightened.

"You chose this life because of me," she continued bitterly. "You gave up Clara because you wanted money. You thought I was your golden ticket, didn’t you?"

Alex finally looked directly at her.

"Enough."

Julianna scoffed.

"What? Did I hurt your feelings?"

"No. I’m just tired of listening to you."

She stared at him.

Alex’s eyes hardened.

"You’re right about one thing. I was greedy. I chose money over Clara, and that was the biggest mistake of my life."

Julianna’s expression faltered.

"But don’t you dare act like you’re innocent," he continued. "You knew exactly what you were doing. You watched me destroy my relationship with her and encouraged it because you wanted to get close to Dominic."

Julianna’s face turned cold. "And now you’re blaming me?"

"I blame myself for being stupid enough to believe you."

Alex already knew that Julianna was only using him to get Clara out of Dominic’s life. Even so, he had knowingly helped her because he believed that staying on friendly terms with her—and continuing their mutually beneficial relationship—would still serve his own interests.

Silence filled the room, but soon Alex walked toward the door and opened it.

"Get out," he said.

He was done looking after a spoiled woman who was nothing but a burden for him now.

Julianna, on the other hand, blinked. "What?" she asked in disbelief. She knew Alex was angry that she shouted at him, but hearing him say, "Get out," left her still.

"You heard me." His voice was firm. "Get out of my house."

Alex made it much clearer now, as his eyes showed no hesitation in them.

Julianna blinked. "You’re throwing me out?" she asked, but Alex’s quick response caught her offgaurd.

"Yes."

She stared at him in disbelief. But soon anger filled her heart. "You’ll come crawling back to me once you realize you can’t live without my money." She warned, still not getting that he was done putting up with her act.

Alex gave a bitter laugh.

"Maybe I was a fool before, but I’m not going to remain one, not when you have nothing to give me now."

And why would he when he had Clara?

Alex was already trying to make his way back into Clara’s life, and it would only happen if he got rid of Julianna once and for all.

He pointed toward the door. "Leave, Julianna. And don’t ever show up at my door again."

Julianna stared at the man who had once been willing to do anything for her. Seeing the one person she had always controlled finally stand up to her filled her with a bitter sense of failure.

"You bastard... How dare you talk to me like that!" Unable to bear the humiliation, Julianna stormed toward Alex, raising her hand to slap him.

Before she could touch him, Alex caught her wrist and shoved her toward the door. He forced her out of the house until she stumbled and fell onto the ground.

"Ah!"

Julianna winced in pain, glaring up at him.

Alex looked down at her coldly.

"And next time, remember—you’re not even worthy of calling me that when you were the one whoring yourself out to me."

Julianna’s face went pale with humiliation. However, Alex didn’t wait for her and slammed the door shut in her face, leaving her seething on the ground.

***

Meanwhile, back at the bakery, Silvia, Lily, and Gen were busy cleaning up the mess the men had left behind earlier. Flour covered the floor, broken pieces of equipment were scattered everywhere, and the place looked like it had survived a small war.

Just then, Clara walked in after finishing her conversation with Officer Ethan.

The moment the three girls spotted her, they dropped everything and rushed toward her.

"Madam!" Lily exclaimed, nearly crashing into her. "Now you really need to tell us. How on earth did you get all that evidence against Crownwell Holdings and manage to get that Kevin guy behind bars?"

Silvia folded her arms, looking equally curious.

"Yes, Madam. Seriously. You walked in with a folder, looked at that man like he was an unpaid electricity bill, and somehow the police arrived with a warrant."

Gen nodded eagerly.

"I’ve been trying to understand what happened since the moment Ethan arrested him. Did you secretly become a detective while we weren’t looking?"

Clara stared at the three of them before letting out a small laugh.

"You girls have quite the imagination."

"Because you refuse to explain anything!" Lily complained. "One minute we’re defending the bakery with flour, and the next minute the bad guy is being arrested."

Silvia sighed dramatically.

"I still can’t believe flour was part of our defense strategy."

"It worked," Gen pointed out.

Lily nodded proudly.

"Exactly. Never underestimate bakery equipment—or bakery women."

Clara couldn’t help but feel relieved. Despite everything that had happened, the girls had stood their ground and done everything they could to protect the bakery.

"Well, I have Dominic to thank for that," she said with a small smile. "He made things much easier for me."

"And here we thought you’d get upset if we involved Master in this mess."

Their words made Clara furrow her brows.