The Villains Must Win-Chapter 76: Alexander Vale 26

"Oh, he wanted to get back with me."

"What?"

Celeste felt Alexander’s anger radiating off him in waves, his expression darkening like a storm cloud ready to break.

"Don’t tell me you actually said yes to him," he growled, his voice dangerously low.

Celeste shrugged, feigning indifference. This was the final step. The last push. She had to make him realize what—or rather, who—he truly wanted.

"Well, isn’t that the whole reason we got together in the first place?" she mused, tilting her head slightly, watching his reaction carefully.

Alexander’s fury stilled. His brows knitted together, and for the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face.

"Don’t tell me you forgot?" Celeste let out a soft, amused huff, as if she were reminding him of something trivial. "We agreed to be together because I wanted Ethan back, and you wanted Riley back. Well, mission accomplished. Congratulations to us, because Ethan just asked to be part of my life again. I’m sure Riley is devastated by the news, but hey . . ." She flashed him a sweet, insincere smile. "Nothing works better on a vulnerable woman than a well-timed reunion, right?"

She could see the moment it hit him—like watching a controlled explosion behind his eyes.

Anger.

Confusion.

Hurt.

More confusion.

Then jealousy.

His face contorted through so many emotions in mere seconds that Celeste almost wanted to snap a picture. The ever-calm, composed Alexander Vale, completely thrown off his game. It was a rare sight, and she enjoyed every second of it.

"Oh, and . . . Riley’s in the hospital too," she added, almost as an afterthought, though she was watching his every move. "She was driving when another car rammed into hers. The crash must’ve shocked me so badly that I passed out, hit my head on the pavement, and, well—here I am."

She clasped her hands together, forcing just the right amount of tremble into her voice. "So, go, Alexander. This is your moment. The perfect time to be with her and finally get her back."

Alexander just stared at her.

He should be happy, Alexander thought. He should be thrilled.

This was what he wanted, wasn’t it?

For Riley to need him again. For the perfect opportunity to swoop in and rekindle their love.

Yet, he stood there, not moving, not speaking.

Celeste knew why.

Because she had become the unexpected variable in his perfect little equation.

Because she had never been part of the plan, yet somewhere along the way, she had made him forget why he wanted Riley in the first place.

And now? Now that he was being forced to remember his goal—he wasn’t sure anymore.

Celeste knew she had played the perfect hand, but watching the turmoil in his eyes stirred something deep in her chest.

A split second of hesitation before she vanished it. She couldn’t afford to lose this game the second time around. It would be a disgrace to her reputation and perfect track record.

Alexander took a sharp breath and clenched his fists. Celeste almost thought he might grab her, might say something reckless, something that would ruin everything.

But instead—

BANG!

The door slammed so hard behind him that the walls trembled.

The moment he was gone, Celeste let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Well, that went well.

Still, she wasn’t worried. She had seen it in his eyes—the struggle, the doubt.

Alexander would be back.

Probably after brooding for a few hours, maybe punching a wall or two for dramatic effect.

For now, she had time to kill.

Celeste grabbed her phone and opened her favorite otome game. She had been on the brink of unlocking the true ending for one of the male leads, and this hospital stay gave her the perfect excuse to finish it.

She smirked. Ah, sweet distraction.

And so, as she waited for Alexander to come crawling back, Celeste immersed herself in her game—perfectly at ease.

As soon as Alexander stepped out of Celeste’s room, he clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. His emotions surged in a tangled mess of frustration, hurt, and something he wasn’t ready to name. He needed an outlet.

With a sharp exhale, he pulled back his arm and slammed his fist into the nearest wall. The sharp impact sent a shockwave through his bones, but the pain barely registered. He let out a ragged breath, running a hand through his hair before loosening his tie. He needed to think. freewёbnoνel.com

Celeste had pushed him away—forced him toward Riley. She wanted him to make a choice.

Fine.

He turned on his heel and made his way to Riley’s hospital room, his expression unreadable, his mind resolute.

Inside, Riley was propped up against a mountain of pillows, wrapped in bandages but very much awake. She turned toward the door as he stepped inside, her lips curving into a soft, hopeful smile.

"Alexander, you came," she said, her voice carrying a gentle tremor.

Once, that smile had been enough to shake his entire world. Now, it barely stirred anything inside him—just an uncomfortable weight in his chest.

He exhaled through his nose, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I won’t stay long." His voice was cool, detached. "I heard what happened, Riley."

Her smile faltered. "It was an accident—"

"An accident?" Alexander’s eyes darkened. He stepped closer, his presence looming over her. "You almost hit Celeste. If that car hadn’t zoomed past at the last second, she could’ve been seriously hurt—or worse."

Riley stiffened. "I didn’t see her," she insisted, but her voice wavered. "I— I panicked. I hit the brakes too fast."

Alexander leaned down, gripping her chin firmly, forcing her to meet his eyes.

Rile winced. "Ouch. Alex, you’re hurting me."

"Listen to me," he said, his voice a quiet storm. "I’ll let this slide once. But if anything happens to Celeste again—accident or not—you won’t just be dealing with guilt. You’ll be dealing with me. Do you understand?"

Riley swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. "Y-Yes," she stammered.