Chapter 2

Alexander suddenly leaned forward and grabbed her throat hard!

Lila struggled to breathe, her eyes glistening with tears.

Alexander looked at her flushed face and sneered, "Now you're scared?"

Lila nodded stiffly, "Let... let go of me..."

"Still dare to talk back to me?"

"No... I don't dare..."

As the words left her mouth, tears born from fear and terror slid down from the corners of her eyes and landed on Alexander's hand.

The hot tears brought Alexander back to his senses. Looking at Lila struggling to breathe, he suddenly let go.

Finally free, Lila gasped for air, tears now flowing even harder.

She curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees and crying silently.

Alexander watched coldly from the side.

A phone ringtone broke the heavy atmosphere in the living room.

He quickly answered the call, his voice softening, "Any news about Celeste Phillips?"

Hearing Alexander's words, Lila remembered what Gaia had said before.

"Alexander has only been in love once. His experience is simple, and Celeste hasn't shown up in two years. She won't come back."

She seemed to understand something.

That girl named "Celeste" must be Alexander's ex-girlfriend, right?

So his heart belongs to someone else.

Lila now understood why Alexander hated her so much—hated her enough to almost strangle her to death.

She didn't stay in the living room to listen to Alexander's conversation. Silently, she picked up her suitcase and went upstairs.

After hanging up, Alexander's expression was grim.

Because there was still no news about Celeste.

Two years ago, he was targeted by enemies and got into a car accident, falling into a coma for a month.

When he woke up, Celeste had disappeared.

Alexander knew Gaia had never liked Celeste, so he assumed Gaia had driven her away.

But he couldn't forget Celeste.

So for the past two years, he'd been searching everywhere for news about her.

But with so many countries and regions in the world, finding one person in a sea of people was just too hard.

Even though the Sinclair Group had businesses all over the globe.

Another phone ringtone sounded.

Alexander snapped back to reality and saw that the caller ID showed "Gaia."

He frowned and answered, "I've already got the marriage certificate. What else do you want?"

"Is this how you talk to your grandmother?"

"Is there a grandmother who fakes illness to force her grandson to get married?"

Gaia snorted, "I'm eighty years old, eighty! You won't get married, you keep waiting for Celeste—you're deliberately making sure I die without holding a great-grandchild. Since you don't care about me, why should I care about your feelings? I'm forcing you! Not only am I forcing you to marry, but I'm forcing you to have kids. Let me tell you, stop wasting your energy looking for that Celeste. When Lila gets pregnant with your child, Celeste will naturally come back!"

Alexander's blue eyes darkened. "Grandma, what do you mean by that?"

"Haven't you always thought I was the one who drove Celeste away? Now you don't understand what I mean?"

"You really did hide her away?!"

Gaia laughed mockingly, neither confirming nor denying, only saying, "Guess?"

Alexander fell silent.

He felt helpless, tiredly raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, "I will never have a child with a woman I have no feelings for!"

"Then build feelings first, then have a child. Lila is a good girl. If you just get to know her properly, you'll definitely fall in love with her. You two are perfect for each other."

"Aren't you afraid I'll make Lila pregnant and then get rid of it?"