Chapter 32 Andrian received the video from Aliana. 71 20 vouchers He stared at his phone screen for a long time. The video wasn't long-less than a minute-but it was enough to shift everything in his mind. In the footage, Bianca was seen standing in her oflice-anxious, angry, then calmly picking up a shard of glass. Not with panic, but with precision. When she cut herself, there were no tears. No fear. Just a controlled expression. Calculated. The recording came from Bianca's own private CCTV system. Andrian didn't know how Aliana got it, and he didntoure What mattered was that Bianca had slipped again-just like with the hotel video. And this was enough to destroy remnants of trust he had left. Andrian clenched his fist, slipped the phone into his pocket, and stood up. He walked to the door of the hospital room without a word. "W-Where are you going?" Bianca's voice called out. She had woken up and was now sitting on the bed, still holding a half- eaten bowl of fruit. Andrian didn't turn around. "I have something I need to take care of." "But... I'm still hurt," Bianca said softly, feigning weakness. Andrian paused. His shoulders tensed, but he still didn't look back. His voice was low and flat. "Your injury seems to be healing. You look fine to me." Bianca tried to get out of bed, but just as she moved the blanket aside, Andrian's voice came again. "You know what I need from you, Bianca. You didn't need to use dirty tricks just to make me stay." Bianca froze. Her face went pale. "I won't leave you for another woman. This time, I'll let it go. But... if you hurt yourself again just to keep me around, I'll be the one to remove you from my life." Silence fell over the room. Bianca bit her lip, her hands trembling. She hadn't expected Andrian to find out. She wanted to deny it, but no words came. His presence, so firm and cold, left her speechless-even too afraid to make an excuse. Andrian didn't wait for her reaction. He turned, opened the door, and disappeared without another word. Bianca could only sit frozen, staring at the slowly closing door. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she held her breath. She knew... she had failed to keep him. "Damn it! How did he find out?" Bianca hissed. Inside, a new fear began to take root. She worried Andrian would never trust her again. Velor Family Mansion At exactly seven in the evening, a long black car stopped in front of the Velor family's pavilion. Several house staff in the hallway turned, surprised by the scene unfolding before them. 1/5 0 8:18 pm D Chapter 39 Andrian had come to pick up Aliana. 20 vouchers He had left Bianca, still hospitalized. That in itself was shocking-Andrian had never once left Bianca during a crisis. Not like this. "Miss, Mr. Andrian has arrived, Elena announced, hurrying to Aliana's room. Aliana simply nodded. She picked up a small silver clutch from the table and stepped out. Her footsteps were light and confident as she exited the pavilion. The black satin gown shimmered under the garden h casting a graceful silhouette with each step along the stone path. Up ahead, Andrian had already exited the car. He stood tall in a sharp black tuxedo, satin tie perfectly knotted at His hair was slicked back-slightly messy at the front, revealing he hadn't fully recovered from exhaustion. Yet, h remained sharp. Aliana stopped two meters from him and offered a faint smile. "Glad to see you're not late." Andrian didn't respond. His expression was unreadable. Without a word, he opened the rear car door, signaling for her to get in. Aliana lifted her chin, unfazed by his cold demeanor. She stepped into the car and sat on the right side. Moments later, Andrian followed, sitting across from her. The door closed, and the car began to move. Inside, silence reigned. Only the gentle hum of the engine and the soft roll of tires filled the space. The scent of expensive cologne lingered in the air-but it did nothing to ease the tension. Minutes passed before Andrian finally spoke. "Delete the video you sent me." Aliana turned to him calmly. "Which video?" Andrian's gaze sharpened. "All the videos of Bianca. Delete them. Now." Aliana leaned back against the seat. "You really care about that woman, don't you?" Andrian took a deep breath and replied without turning to her. "I don't care how you got that video. I know it was illegal. I'm letting it go this time. But if you target Bianca again, I won't hesitate to retaliate." "You're threatening me?" Aliana narrowed her eyes. "A warning," Andrian replied coolly. "If you do it again, I'll hit back the same way. Trust me-I know how to uncover your family's secrets." "I already told you. I don't care about them." Andrian scoffed, then his expression hardened again. "Exactly because you claim you don't care, I know you care deeply." Aliana clenched her jaw. She turned sharply to meet his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. You don't know anything about me." Andrian raised a brow slightly. "We're the same, Aliana. I never cared about the Velor family either. But here I am, still 2/5 8:18 pm 0 Chapter 39 fighting to protect it." Aliana was taken aback. She looked at Andrian intently, searching for a lie in his words-but he seemed sincere. 20 vouchers "I truly will expose your family's weakness if you continue to go after Bianca. So, I suggest you keep your hands off her." Silence settled between them again. Tension thickened. Aliana growled inwardly. She knew Andrian wasn't bluffing. He was serious. With a steady hand, she opened her small purse, took out her phone, and accessed an encrypted app to locate the video file. Andrian didn't look away. He waited. Aliana pressed the delete button. "Happy now?" Andrian didn't respond, but the slight drop at the corner of his lips signaled a quiet satisfaction. She had complied. They arrived at the event. Crystal chandeliers shimmered from the grand ceiling of the Velor Grand Hall, where the Velor family's Charity Gala was held. That evening, all eyes turned toward one point-the door of Andrian Velor's luxury car as it slowly opened. From behind it, a poised pair of feet stepped out. Andrian Velor, dressed in a sharp black tuxedo and dark gray satin tie, stood confidently beside Aliana, who looked elegant in a black satin gown. Their arms lightly linked-just enough to appear romantic, but still distant enough to suggest invisible boundaries. Their arrival immediately drew the attention of all attendees. Camera flashes went off in a frenzy, capturing the couple who had dominated news headlines for the past several days. "Mr. Velor! Is the rumor about your divorce true?" "Mrs. Velor! Does this mean you've reconciled with your husband?" "What's your comment on the video circulating?" Questions fired rapidly, but neither responded. Andrian merely offered a polite nod and a faint smile. Aliana lifted her chin, confident, and gave a light smile-ambiguous, cordial enough not to invite follow-up. Some prominent guests started whispering. "That's Andrian Velor's legal wife, right? They look fine... maybe the scandal was fake." "Could just be a media trick." While the press continued to buzz, on the other side of the hall, members of the Titan Group board watched their entrance with various reactions. Among them was Charlotte Delacroix. She glanced at her assistant behind her. "Bianca Lorraine didn't attend tonight?" she asked softly. The assistant nodded. "It seems not, Madam. Miss Bianca is still in the hospital." Charlotte smiled faintly, eyeing Aliana with a curious gleam. "Hmm. I didn't think Aliana could sway Andrian this quickly. Even Bianca, who's always been by his side, was cast aside so 3/5 8:18 pm Chapter 22 easily," 20 vouchers "Excuse me?" asked a middle-aged man nearby, Victor Grantham, another board member. "What do you mean by that, Madam Charlotte?" Charlotte offered a bland smile. "Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking out loud. Maybe I've been watching too many dramas lately. Her soft chuckle couldn't completely mask the sarcasm in her tone. With graceful steps, Charlotte left the group and walked toward Andrian and Aliana, who had just passed the welcome area and were now standing near the VIP guest table. "Hello, Mr. Andrian," Charlotte greeted with calm authority. "We're pleased you came. We weren't sure you would give someone's current condition." Aliana turned to her, her expression composed. Andrian looked sharply at Charlotte but offered a cool smile. "I never miss important matters, Madam Charlotte." Charlotte glanced at Aliana, then back at Andrian. "Of course. And you've brought your lovely wife. It's good to see you both together." Her words sounded sincere. Aliana smiled faintly. "Pleasure to see you too, Madam Charlotte." Charlotte observed them a moment longer, then nodded slightly-as if weighing something known only to her. "You're a striking couple." With that, she walked away. Behind her, several high-ranking guests continued to watch the Velor couple. Some were impressed. Some were skeptical. But one thing was clear-their appearance had reshaped public perception. Aliana leaned toward Andrian and whispered, "See? The world is easily influenced by appearances." Andrian didn't respond. His eyes scanned the crowd, reading every subtle glance and hidden whisper. "Don't provoke anyone," he said quietly. "We're here to save our reputations and the company." Aliana turned to him. "I can save more than that, if you'd stop getting in my way." Andrian didn't reply, but his sharp gaze warned her to stay quiet. He didn't understand why Aliana seemed to enjoy testing his patience. Aliana got the message. She said nothing else, only smiling occasionally-appearing to flirt with her husband. Many were watching. Many wanted to see them fail. Aliana knew they had to put on the perfect performance-so no one could find a single flaw in either of them. 4/5 Freelance photographer Violet Beck is forced into an engagement with CEO Roy Payne. He is everything her wild heart rebels against: proper, predictable, and painfully kind. But love has a way of devel...