My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 88

After work, I had planned to take a taxi to the club, but unexpectedly, Alexander came to pick me up.

Once inside the car, Alexander, unusually, began to explain, "The event wrapped up early this afternoon, so I thought I’d come get you."

I heard him, but my gaze remained fixed on the street outside the window, watching the scenery pass by.

When I finally came to my senses, the car had already stopped.

I looked around and realized we hadn’t reached the club yet.

Just as I was about to ask, Alexander opened the door and stepped out.

"What’s going on?" I asked as I followed him out of the car.

Alexander took my hand and led me toward a nearby jewelry store. "We’re buying something."

Buying something? What exactly?

Curious, but not wanting to ask too many questions, I stayed quiet.

The moment we stepped through the door, the store manager, beaming with excitement, rushed over to greet us. "Mr. Alexander Hawthorne, Miss Vivienne Sinclair, please, come into the VIP room. If there’s any jewelry you’d like to see, I’ll have them bring it to you."

The manager’s surprise was evident.

Just yesterday, entertainment outlets were reporting Alexander’s presence at Isabella’s birthday party, and now here he was, holding another woman’s hand while shopping.

The love lives of the rich were truly a mystery.

Surprised or not, the manager masked his thoughts well, his face a picture of politeness and respect.

Alexander sat down on the sofa in the VIP room. "Bring out the latest matching wedding bands."

"Of course, Mr. Hawthorne, Miss Sinclair. Please, just a moment." The manager quickly instructed the staff to bring tea and water while he rushed off to fetch the rings.

Wedding bands?

Did he have friends getting married?

I sat on the sofa, sipping warm water, casually scrolling through WhatsApp to respond to some work messages.

The manager returned with a selection of new wedding band designs and placed them on the table in front of us. He began explaining each one. "Mr. Hawthorne, these are some of our brand’s latest designs for the year. They’ve been very popular with young couples, especially this one here. It’s unique—elegant yet bold. We’ve had several orders for it already."

As he spoke, the manager carefully slid the women’s band onto his own finger and held it up for Alexander to see.

"What do you think, Mr. Hawthorne?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Alexander turned to look at me.

The manager quickly shifted his gaze toward me.

I set down my phone, glanced at the ring on the manager’s finger, and nodded. "It’s nice. It would make a great gift."

"..."

Seeing my indifferent response, Alexander took my phone from my hands and turned it off. "It’s not for a gift."

I gave him a confused look and took the phone back. "Then what is it for?"

Alexander pressed his lips together, taking my hand in his and intertwining our fingers.

He looked at our left hands, studying our ring fingers. "Don’t you think something’s missing?"

I froze for a moment, then it dawned on me—Alexander wanted us to buy matching wedding bands for ourselves.

I looked at the selection of diamond-encrusted bands in front of me, but strangely, I didn’t feel the excitement I had expected. I didn’t even feel much desire to choose one.

If Alexander had given me a matching band on our wedding anniversary, even if it had been a simple one, I would’ve been overjoyed.

But that day, it had been a bracelet.

And now, it was broken.

Just like our relationship, a crack had formed in our emotional bond.

That night’s memory had become a thorn in my heart.

It was lodged deep, occasionally reminding me of its presence with a dull ache.

The harmony between us now felt forced.

Like a cigarette butt that had been burned—touch it, and it crumbles to ash, scattered by the wind.

The manager was taken aback but didn’t seem entirely surprised.

Vivienne had been adopted by The Hawthorne Dynasty, lived with them for ten years, and was close to the elders. It wouldn’t be strange if they had arranged this for them.

As for Isabella, she was just a celebrity. Alexander probably wasn’t serious about her.

Alexander watched me in silence as I seemed lost in thought. Then, picking a women’s band from the tray, he lifted my left hand and slid the ring onto my finger, examining it from different angles.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

I snapped out of my trance and looked up to meet his gaze.

The chandelier in the VIP room was delicate and bright, reflecting in Alexander’s eyes, making them seem especially gentle.

I quickly looked away, turning my attention to my left hand.

Under the bright lights, the diamond—large as a pigeon’s egg—sparkled brilliantly, almost blinding.

The store manager immediately chimed in, "Mr. Alexander Hawthorne has great taste. The design and craftsmanship of this ring are top-notch, one of a kind. Miss Vivienne Sinclair’s fingers are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen—fair skin, long fingers. Wearing this will truly highlight your elegance."

I looked at my left hand and gently shook my head. "It’s too extravagant. It’s not something I’d wear every day."

Alexander said, "You could get two pairs—one for special occasions, one for everyday use."

The manager’s eyes lit up, quickly agreeing with Alexander. "Miss Vivienne, Mr. Alexander is so thoughtful. This ring looks absolutely stunning on you—it makes your hands look even fairer and more delicate. It’s a reflection of how much Mr. Alexander values you. The matching men’s ring is equally elegant—simple yet refined. If you find this one too extravagant, we also have a new design that’s perfect for daily wear."

The manager picked up another, more modest ring, and strongly recommended it.

Alexander took the large diamond from my hand and slipped on the more modest one. “How about this?”

Although it was considered more of an everyday ring, it still had a one-carat diamond.

I glanced at the other rings in the display case and nodded. “This one will do.”

“Great, I’ll just measure your finger size,” the manager said with a smile.

He discreetly glanced at Alexander, silently lamenting the loss of the large diamond not being sold.

Then he heard Alexander say, “We’ll take both.”

“Yes, yes, of course!” The manager’s face lit up, practically treating Alexander like royalty. “Mr. Alexander Hawthorne, Miss Vivienne Sinclair, would you like an engraving on the rings?”

“No need,” I replied.

Just in case Alexander and I ever divorced, the rings would be worth quite a bit if sold.

“Alright, Mr. Alexander, Miss Vivienne, we’ll get started on your custom order and contact you once it’s ready.”

Alexander nodded casually and turned to me. “Is there anything else you’d like? Want to look around?”

The manager quickly jumped in. “Miss Vivienne, we’ve just received some new necklace designs. Would you like to see them?”

I shook my head. “No need. Let’s go.”

Alexander took my hand, stood up, and we left the store.

“Take care, have a great day!” the manager called as he saw us out.

We got back in the car.

The car started moving.

“Why the sudden interest in buying wedding rings?” I glanced at Alexander.

“It’s nothing, just realized we’ve been married for three years and still don’t have rings.”

He took my hand, fingers interlaced with mine, and in the dim light, he looked at me deeply. “Vivienne, I know I haven’t been the best husband these past three years, but you’ve always been forgiving. From now on, I’ll make it up to you, and we’ll get back everything we’ve missed.”

Though Vivienne had said she would wait and see how he acted,

Alexander could sense that, despite Vivienne seeming like her usual self,

there was an invisible barrier between them.

A crack had already formed, and it would be hard to fix.

She could no longer trust him fully like she once did.

I smiled at him, then turned to look out the window.