Chapter 64 Dont Misunderstand, Mr. CEO
Alexander's eyes reddened.
"Elsa, enough!"
Three years of marriage. Countless nights in each other's arms.
She had reduced all of it to something ugly and transactional.
Elsa laughed through her breakdown, tears spilling down her face.
"For old times' sake, I'll give you a discount. Fifty million for three years. Forget the interest, I'll repay the principal, and we divorce."
She handed the card to Margaret.
"Mom, that fifty million is what your daughter earned by selling herself. You can't give it away."
Then she stumbled into her bedroom and locked the door.
Her suppressed sobs came through the wood.
Alexander's eyes were red as he pounded on the door.
He even tried to ram it with his shoulder.
"Elsa, open the door!"
Noah came out at the noise.
The moment he saw Alexander trying to force his way into his sister's room, he grabbed Alexander's collar with his uninjured hand and punched him.
"Noah!"
Margaret rushed to stop her son before the fight escalated.
Harold ran into the kitchen and came back holding a cleaver, eyes bloodshot.
"All of you, get out!"
Alexander stumbled toward him, panic in his expression.
"Dad, Mom, Elsa is my wife. I have never thought of her that way."
He had allowed his grandfather to calculate the money because he wanted Elsa to confront reality—to understand what divorce would cost and abandon the idea.
It was true that he had not married her for love.
But he had never regarded her as cheap or unworthy.
He had believed that if both families sat down and spoke honestly, Elsa would eventually return home with him.
He had never imagined the meeting would become this.
Eleanor had never seen her son lose control like this. Her eyes held both disappointment and pain.
Charles pointed at Harold.
"Touch my son and I'll bury the entire Winters family with you!"
Harold's hand shook around the cleaver.
He stood in front of his wife and children.
"I'm old and I don't have much power. But if anyone harms my children, I'll fight them with everything I have."
Old Mr. Horton gave Carson a look.
The butler opened the door and signaled to the bodyguards outside.
"Let go of me!"
Alexander was a capable fighter, but several men rushed him at once. With Carson and his own father in the middle, he couldn't use full force.
When the bodyguards still struggled to restrain him, Carson took advantage of one opening and struck him unconscious.
They carried him out.
Charles gave Elsa's parents one last threatening look and left in fury.
At this point, Eleanor knew nothing she said could repair the damage. She left without another word.
Before departing, Old Mr. Horton delivered his final decision.
"Since that girl has gone this far, the interest will be waived. I'll have lawyers handle the divorce. From now on, the Horton and Winters families have no reason to see each other again."
Margaret kept her back to him.
"Nothing would please us more."
Once the Hortons were gone, Margaret knocked on Elsa's door.
Elsa opened it and collapsed into her mother's arms, repeating "I'm sorry" again and again.
Working outside the home had taught her how difficult it was to earn money.
It had also shown her how much she still had to learn in her field before she could support her family through her own career.
For now, she could not provide enough for her parents and Noah.
That meant she had to leave them some savings.
For the first time in her life, Elsa had thrown away her pride for money.
Even her parents had been forced to witness it.
Elsa cried. Margaret cried with her.
Noah and Harold stood at the doorway with red eyes.
More than an hour later, Alexander woke at the Horton estate.
Old Mr. Horton sat silently in the living room while Alexander's parents argued violently.
Alexander looked terrible.
He ignored the argument and tried to leave.
His grandfather stopped him.
Alexander came to stand in front of the old man without speaking.
"We've reached an agreement with the Winters family," Old Mr. Horton said. "After next month's signing ceremony with Avery Group, you and Elsa will divorce. Until then, settle Serena Whitmore and her son properly. Even after your divorce, you are not to publicly acknowledge them."
Charles believed his son had done nothing wrong.
"Alexander, this is how a man should behave. You're the heir to the Horton family. The weight on your shoulders is enormous. Feelings are worthless when compared with reality. The one thing you cannot afford is emotional weakness."
Alexander answered tiredly.
"I understand."
Eleanor was trembling with anger.
She pointed at her son, disappointment filling her eyes.
"Elsa gave up her career and stayed home for three years because she trusted you. You betrayed that trust and she asked for a divorce. What did she do wrong that you had to treat her this way?"
Alexander remembered Elsa's red eyes, trembling lips, and hopeless expression.
Pain twisted through his chest.
He lowered his head.
"Mom, I never said she was wrong."
Alexander dropped onto the sofa, exhausted.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers threading into his hair.
Eleanor stood in front of him.
"Son, Elsa is willing to leave you with nothing because she doesn't want to make things harder for you. She wants to preserve your dignity. She can choose to take nothing. But you cannot choose to give her nothing."
Her voice sharpened.
"You control her at every turn. You calculate every dollar your family spent on hers. You demand she leave with nothing because, somewhere inside you, you think she doesn't deserve anything."
Alexander shot to his feet.
"Mom, I don't!"
He could no longer sit there.
He turned and left.
Three afternoons later, Elsa prepared to return to Taren.
Despite two days of rest, she still looked pale and exhausted.
Noah had returned to school. Margaret and Harold walked Elsa to the entrance of the residential complex.
"Go back inside," Elsa urged them. "Julian will be here soon."
Her parents reminded her to eat, sleep, and call them before finally turning back.
Elsa stood beside the road and messaged Julian.
When she looked up and saw Alexander getting out of a car, her face immediately hardened.
He looked noticeably worn after three days too.
He walked toward her and reached for her suitcase.
"I'll take you to the airport."
Elsa stepped back with the luggage, avoiding his hand.
Even if she had been blind before, she understood now.
When the Winters family collapsed, Alexander had married her because she was easy to control.
All these years, he had been waiting for the woman he truly loved to return.
The title of Mrs. Horton had only turned Elsa into respectable cover for whatever life he wanted to lead outside their marriage.
Something moved in Alexander's eyes.
He stepped forward and reached for her hand.
Elsa avoided him again and moved closer to the road.
A black luxury car pulled up.
Julian Reyes got out.
The driver placed Elsa's suitcase into the trunk while Julian opened the rear door for her.
Elsa was about to get in when Alexander caught her wrist.
His face turned cold.
"Why are you getting into his car?"
Elsa looked back at him, freed her hand, and got in without hesitation.
Julian adjusted his glasses with one finger and offered Alexander a polite smile.
"Don't misunderstand, Mr. Horton. Elsa and I are colleagues. I'm simply looking after her. Our relationship isn't what you think."