Chapter 98: Confrontation and Reflection
By the time midnight came, the grand banquet was over, and the guests began to file out. As the hostess, Galatea naturally stayed behind with Alaric until the very end. Ambrose, who had been chatting with a few colleagues, turned toward them as he prepared to leave. “It’s late now. Mr. Alaric and Mrs. Knight should go back and rest,” he said casually, his tone a touch too neutral.
Galatea, still processing the surreal encounter with Ambrose, couldn’t shake the indifference he had shown her. Despite everything, it almost felt as though he truly didn’t recognize her. A strange mix of relief and sadness filled her heart. After years of imagining how a reunion might unfold, it seemed like their past had become nothing more than a distant memory to him. It was as though they were complete strangers, brushing past each other without any trace of their former connection.
After seeing off the last of the guests, Galatea followed Alaric into the car. The silence between them was almost palpable. Galatea had expected a confrontation, perhaps questions, maybe even anger. But Alaric remained calm, not pressing her for any explanations. Instead, the soothing music playing in the car added to the quiet, making it all the more unnerving for Galatea. The tension in the air lingered, but neither of them spoke. It was as if Alaric had already figured everything out, and he was choosing not to press her on it, at least not yet.
When the car pulled up to her house, Alaric looked at her and softly said, “It’s been a tiring day. Go back and get some rest.”
“Okay, you too,” Galatea replied, though she couldn’t help but feel an unsettling sense of uncertainty as she stepped out of the car. She stood by the side of the road for a moment, watching his car disappear into the night. Alaric’s silence had unsettled her, and it weighed heavily on her mind.
Inside her home, Galatea found Mia still awake, sitting by the window with a cup of tea. “It’s so late. Mia, aren’t you going to rest?” Galatea asked, surprised to see her still up.
Mia glanced over, offering a warm, knowing smile. “As I’ve gotten older, my sleep has gotten worse,” she replied. She eyed Galatea’s elegant attire with pride. “Stellan, you look beautiful in that dress.”
Galatea smiled faintly, still processing the evening’s events. Mia’s next question cut through the tension in the air. “So, how was the banquet? After so many years of not attending such events, was it comfortable for you?”
Galatea hesitated for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh. “There wasn’t anything uncomfortable, but…” she trailed off, the weight of the evening coming back to her. She was reluctant to discuss the details, but Mia wasn’t just anyone—she was the one person who knew Galatea’s past and could be trusted with the truth.
“I saw Ambrose,” Galatea said softly.
Mia’s expression immediately shifted to one of disbelief. “What?” she gasped. “How did that scumbag suddenly come back? And he went to the banquet too?”
Galatea nodded. “Not only that. He’s now Alaric’s business partner. I overheard something—he seems to be a high-level executive at Far East Construction.”
Mia’s anger flared. “That scumbag would do anything to climb up the ladder,” she said bitterly. “He was with you because you were the daughter of Storm’s family. That’s how he got ahead in the company. Though your father wasn’t fond of him at first, Mr. Storm ended up valuing him later. When things went south, he ran off. He’s heartless.”
Galatea let Mia vent, knowing the anger was justified. But she didn’t want to dwell on it. “What was his reaction when he saw you?” Mia asked, her voice softening as she turned to look at Galatea, worried about how her friend might be feeling.
Galatea shrugged, trying to appear composed. “No reaction at all. As if he didn’t recognize me.” She smiled faintly, though the sadness behind her eyes was hard to hide. “Maybe he’s pretending, or maybe he truly doesn’t remember. But either way, treating each other as strangers feels like the best outcome.”
Mia paused, taking a long look at Galatea. “It’s good if you can be open-minded about it, Stellan. Mr. Alaric treats you well, and that’s what matters. Don’t make any mistakes.”
“I know,” Galatea replied, a touch of gratitude in her voice. Alaric’s silence had left her feeling unsure of what to think, but she was grateful that he hadn’t pushed her for answers. She knew that when the time was right, she would tell him everything about her past. For now, she would focus on the present.
Later that night, Alaric didn’t return home. He stayed in the company’s lounge, his mind racing. He stood by the window, looking at the lights in Galatea’s bedroom, his thoughts consumed by her words about “Alistair” and the mention of her deceased husband. The confusion, the lingering questions—he couldn’t push them aside.
His thoughts were a whirlwind, and the more he tried to focus, the harder it became to silence the doubts swirling in his mind. Did the sight of his old love keep him awake all night? The thought made his anger flare, and he abruptly closed the curtains, as if to block out the thoughts haunting him.
The next morning, Alaric was already at his office when Silas arrived with a report. “Good morning, Mr. Alaric,” Silas greeted him, holding out a supplementary agreement. “This is the supplementary agreement signed with Far East Construction. Please take a look.”
Alaric glanced over the document. It looked fine at first, but something about it nagged at him. “There are some issues with this agreement that need to be addressed,” he said coldly. “Call Ambrose. Have him come over.”
Silas didn’t question it. “Okay, Mr. Alaric.” He quickly dialed Ambrose, who arrived shortly after.
“Which clauses in the supplementary agreement did Mr. Alaric find inappropriate?” Ambrose asked, sitting down across from him, his demeanor calm and composed.
“There aren’t any major issues,” Alaric replied, passing the document over to Ambrose. “Just some minor details that need adjustment.”
Ambrose nodded. “I’ll have them fixed right away.”
Then, Alaric casually added, as if they were simply chatting, “I remember you mentioned that your ex-girlfriend is in Arizona?”
Ambrose’s expression remained neutral. “Yes,” he answered simply.
Out of curiosity, Alaric pressed on. “What kind of woman could make CEO Ambrose remember her so fondly?”
Ambrose smiled faintly, the kind of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just an ordinary girl. But love is blind, I thought she was perfect.”
Alaric leaned in, his voice turning colder. “And how would you compare her to my wife?”
For a split second, Ambrose’s expression stiffened, but it was barely noticeable. He responded smoothly, “In terms of appearance, figure, and elegance, she can’t compare to Mrs. Knight.”
Alaric smirked, his lips curling into a cold smile. “Is that so?” he muttered, the words laced with a quiet challenge.
Ambrose, trying to regain his composure, forced a smile. “Anything else, Mr. Alaric? If not, please go ahead with your work while I make the necessary changes.”
Alaric paused, then leaned back in his chair. “No rush. Let’s have lunch together today. It’s on me.”
Ambrose, though a bit thrown off, agreed. “Alright.”
“I have a meeting coming up, so please wait in my office,” Alaric said.
“Of course, Mr. Alaric. Take your time,” Ambrose replied politely.
As Alaric left the office, he glanced back, a thought crossing his mind. He’s quite stubborn.
On his way to the elevator, Alaric dialed Galatea’s number. She had barely slept the night before and was still groggy when she answered. “Hello, Alaric,” she greeted, her voice slow and sleepy.
“Still sleeping?” Alaric asked, though he knew it was likely the case.
“No, I’m awake,” she responded, her voice still thick with sleep.
“Good. Come to my office now, we need to talk about what you mentioned last time.”
“Are you not busy right now?” Galatea asked, surprised.
“Not busy.”
“Alright, I’ll come over right away,” she said, before hanging up the phone. Alaric felt a small pang of guilt after the call, but his thoughts quickly returned to Ambrose and his behavior.
Galatea quickly prepared herself and rushed to Nexus Innovations. When she arrived at Alaric’s office, she didn’t bother knocking—she simply opened the door. But to her shock, it wasn’t Alaric waiting for her. Instead, it was Ambrose.