CHAPTER 212: CHAPTER 212: HAVING MONEY NATURALLY GIVES THE CAPITAL TO BE CAPRICIOUS

Chloe Simpson stared intently at Alexander Johnson in front of her.

She almost thought she was dreaming.

How could Alexander Johnson possibly let her go?

Since the day they met, through all the entanglements and the countless moments of pain, Alexander had never failed to leave her broken, humbled to the core.

And now, he was casually saying he wanted to let her go.

This wasn’t just unexpected—it was downright unbelievable.

"Why?"

The word slipped out of Chloe’s mouth before she could stop herself.

Of course, it was because he loved her!

Because after searching for so many years, he had finally found her. The misunderstandings of the past, however cruel, were now behind them.

Now that everything had been clarified, of course, he wanted to cherish her, love her, protect her.

But this was absolutely the worst possible time for Alexander to say such things.

Forget Selene Wilson’s sudden presence at Ansun Hospital—even if she weren’t here, the fact that Lucas Hughes was still around made this moment utterly inappropriate.

If Lucas found out, he’d certainly inform Gabriella Dyer.

And once that happened, Gabriella would completely exploit this newfound vulnerability of his.

There had been no problem before when Chloe meant nothing to him.

But now...

Even though his battle with Gabriella was still raging on, intense and relentless...

He was prepared to pay any price to protect Chloe now.

"There’s no why. I do what I want because I’m the Young Master. I change my mind if I feel like it. Do I owe you an explanation?!"

Finally, Alexander forced down the turbulence in his heart, spitting these words as though they meant nothing.

"Right, of course not. Why would someone like you, the Eldest Young Master of the Johnson Family, the Duke Harington, with both wealth and power, need to explain anything to me?"

Chloe nodded heavily, her voice steady, before turning and walking out of Alexander’s office.

Someone like Alexander, so wealthy, so prestigious, certainly had the privilege to act on a whim—doing whatever he pleased with reckless abandon.

Feeling happy? He could soar to unimaginable heights.

Feeling annoyed? A mere flick of his finger could crush someone to pieces.

Chloe truly felt she could no longer stay at Ansun Hospital. She had to resign!

Walking out of Alexander’s office, Chloe headed straight for Tyler Howard’s office to talk about leaving.

However, just as she reached Tyler’s door and raised her hand to knock, a hand suddenly grabbed her forcefully and pulled her away.

"Who are you? Let go..."

Chloe reflexively tried to fight back, only to look up and see Lucas Hughes standing there.

"Lu... Lucas?"

Chloe was stunned, but his name came pouring out in a reflex, a familiar and intimate "Lucas" she hadn’t uttered in ages.

Even now, inside Chloe’s heart, she still believed she had wronged Lucas deeply.

It was she who had betrayed him on their wedding night. She who had remained entangled with Alexander Johnson. She who had pushed for the divorce. She who ultimately damaged their relationship.

In this marriage, the one at fault had always been her.

She owed Lucas Hughes everything!

"Are you planning to resign?" Lucas asked without any preamble.

In his mind, he was already scheming how to maneuver Chloe and Alexander into the perfect intimate crisis.

But when Selene called him, saying things had gotten tense between Chloe and Alexander in his office and that Chloe was adamant about quitting her job, Lucas couldn’t help but rush over.

"...Yes, I’m planning to resign. But, Lucas, this has nothing to do with you. Don’t forget—we’ve already signed the divorce papers!"

Naively, Chloe believed Lucas still cared about her, even now.

She foolishly wanted to keep Lucas out of the situation, fearing Alexander might retaliate against her in some way.

"Chloe, stop saying that. I know everything now. I know why you forced me to sign the divorce agreement. It’s because you borrowed 1 million from Alexander Johnson, isn’t it?"

"Stop worrying about it. I’ve already mortgaged my house to the bank. In a couple of days, the loan will be approved. Then you can use it to pay Alexander back!"

"And about the divorce—I won’t agree to it. Yes, we signed the papers, but the one-month cooling-off period hasn’t passed yet. We haven’t received the divorce certificate, so we’re not divorced!"

"Chloe, I know you love me. I know you’re divorcing me for my sake. But I don’t want a divorce! Chloe, I’m begging you, please don’t leave me!"

As Lucas continued, he leaned fully into his performance, eventually dropping to his knees with a dramatic thud in front of Chloe.

This time, Chloe was truly shocked.

She instinctively stepped back, at a loss for words.

Snapping out of it, Chloe rushed forward, reaching out to help Lucas up. "Lucas, please, don’t do this. Get up. This is a hospital, a public space. There are so many people watching—you’re kneeling here..."

"I don’t care, Chloe. I don’t care where I am or how many people are watching. If you don’t agree, I’ll stay right here on my knees. I don’t care about my dignity, my pride, or even my job. None of it matters if I don’t have you!"

Lucas’s performance was so convincing that even he started to believe in his act.

In the meantime, his mind was already calculating every step of the plan he’d meticulously crafted.

As long as Chloe agreed not to divorce him, everything he desired would soon fall into his grasp.