My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 178

Alexander’s POV

“Huh? Why isn’t it clearer?” A shadow flashed across my eyes.

Logically, after spending a whole year there, the impressions should be pretty deep, whether good or bad.

Vivienne rubbed her forehead. “Before returning home after my studies, I had a car accident, and I can’t remember much.”

So it was amnesia from the accident, just as I suspected.

But I still had one question—what happened to the child?

Did the child die in the same accident with Vivienne, or was there something else I didn’t know?

“How did the accident happen? Were you badly injured?”

“I can’t really remember. I hit my head, and when I woke up, everything was a blur.” Vivienne’s gaze grew distant as she spoke, lost in thought.

She had once tried to recall everything, but the more she struggled, the less she could remember. Eventually, she gave up.

I furrowed my brows at her words.

In her account, there was no mention of the child—she seemed completely unaware of their existence.

And the way the accident had happened seemed too deliberate, as if someone had cut everything off abruptly, leaving no trace behind.

Had someone taken the child while Vivienne was unconscious, or had the child already been gone before the accident even occurred?

I racked my brain, then a thought struck me. “So, you told your grandparents you were attending a summer camp, that you’d be back later, to keep them from worrying?”

The whole summer had almost passed by the time Vivienne returned from abroad. She’d told her grandparents she was attending a summer camp at the school there.

I only remember my grandfather mentioning it once. At that time, Vivienne and I weren’t even close—at best, we were just slightly more familiar than strangers, so I didn’t really pay much attention to it.

Maybe mentioning my grandfather made Vivienne’s expression darken. She nodded slowly. “Yes, I didn’t want them to worry.”

A wave of pain washed over my chest, so intense I could hardly contain it.

I wanted to stroke Vivienne’s cheek, but halfway through, my hand changed direction and landed gently on her shoulder, patting it lightly.

Alone in a foreign country, lying in a hospital with blurry memories—how much sorrow and heartache she must have felt, and yet she carried it all in silence.

Maybe to others, these things seem small, but behind the scenes, in places I couldn’t see, there must have been countless little moments like this, all buried deep inside her, quietly endured alone.

I could only blame myself for realizing it too late.

She came to H. Dynasty when she was sixteen, and now, almost ten years had passed.

From a naive young girl to a gentle, graceful woman.

I should have been there for her every step of the way, watching her grow and change—but I missed the chance.

The unassuming jasmine in the corner, ready to bloom—silent and unnoticed. Sadly, I had never paid it any attention.

I couldn’t see her through my eyes.

Even when the jasmine bloomed, I didn’t appreciate it.

By the time I came to my senses, she had already stopped blooming for me.

Vivienne sighed softly. “It’s almost time for your flight. You should go.”

I glanced at my watch, then reluctantly turned to her. “So, I’m leaving now?”

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded.

I stood there, frozen in place, and asked again, “So, I’m really leaving?”

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded again.

“Am I really leaving?”

Vivienne’s patience wore thin, and she gave me a gentle push. “Go on already! Don’t miss your flight!”

I looked at Vivienne one last time, hesitated, then walked toward the boarding gate, stopping at the entrance.

Vivienne waved her hand repeatedly. “Take care, have a safe trip!”

She wore a faint smile, but I could tell she was hoping I’d hurry up and leave.

With a helpless smile, I finally waved at her and stepped into the waiting area.

Vivienne’s POV

As I watched Alexander disappear into the crowd after clearing security, I turned and left the airport.

The image of him turning back three times before he left kept popping into my mind, and I couldn’t help but smile.

He looked like a child reluctantly saying goodbye to their parents at the school gates—unwilling, yet helpless.

I had never seen Alexander like that before. It was almost endearing, a bit silly even, in a way that made him seem... cute.

I smiled at the thought, but then my grin faltered, and I quickly wiped it off my face.

What was I thinking?

How could I possibly think Alexander was cute?

That must have been just another one of his acts.

For the past three years of our marriage, I’d been fooled by his fake tenderness, and now, I’d almost fallen for it again.

Vivienne, why can’t you just learn to be cautious?

I took the bus back to the hotel and immediately told Sophie and Ariana what had happened.

The moment they saw me, Sophie pounced. “Spill it, spill it! What happened last night? Didn’t you go meet Frederick? And what’s going on with Alexander?”

I kept it short and simple. “Frederick’s friend... was Alexander.”

Sophie and Ariana both got it instantly.

Sophie clenched her fists and cursed. “Bitch, Alexander really is sneaky! Using that trick, huh? I knew it! No wonder we kept running into Frederick everywhere. Looks like they’ve been following us the whole time!”

After venting, she asked, “When you two met, he didn’t mistreat you, did he?”

Mistreat me?

For some reason, Alexander’s words echoed in my head: “I’ve touched every part of you.”

I quickly shook the thought off. “No, I made it clear to him. He was on a flight back this morning. He won’t be following us anymore.”

“Let’s hope he keeps his word,” Sophie muttered. “Ugh, what a shame about Frederick. I really thought you were into him...”

As planned, we returned the rented car, boarded a cruise to Svolvær, and then took a bus to the Lofoten Islands.

By the sixth day, we arrived in Saint Petersburg.

Once we returned from Saint Petersburg, this part of the trip came to an end.

Before Ariana left, the three of us had a meal together, toasted, and took group photos.

The next day, we headed to the airport together.

Ariana’s flight was earlier, so Sophie and I saw her off before boarding our own flight to Sydney—a thirty-hour journey in total.

Ariana’s flight took off first, and Sophie and I promised to catch up once we got back home.

Two hours later, Sophie and I took the shuttle to the plane and climbed the stairs to board.

We had economy class seats right next to each other. I had specifically requested a window seat.

As I walked down the narrow aisle toward my seat, I kept an eye on the seat numbers, making sure I was headed in the right direction.

But when I reached my seat, someone was already sitting there—a young woman dressed in high-end fashion. She was wearing an extravagant mink coat, a delicate lady’s hat, earrings from a luxury brand’s latest collection, a limited-edition watch from the same brand, and sunglasses from another top-tier brand—quite the expensive outfit.

I double-checked my boarding pass, confirming the seat number before speaking to her. “Excuse me, miss, but I think you’re sitting in my seat.”