My CEO HUSBAND sign the divorce novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Online Scandal

"What is this?" he asked.

"Just some antacids," I said, carefully plucking the bottle from his hands. I resisted the urge to snatch them in fear that he would notice something was amiss. I kept my tone as neutral as possible. "It’s only a minor stomach issue. The doctor said it’s nothing serious."

I met his gaze, keeping as still as possible as Alexander was watching me closely.

Too closely.

His eyes moved over my face as if trying to read every thought I was hiding. I tightened my grip around the cup.

I tried to school my expression. I had to be natural. Anything less, and he might start asking questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

He held my gaze for another moment before finally exhaling.

"I see." A trace of tension left his expression. I lightly exhaled as well in relief. "Take care of yourself."

The quiet concern in his voice caught me off guard.

He moved to the sofa beside me and poured himself a cup of warm water. Then we sat there side by side in silence.

Steam rose from our cups.

Two people close enough for our shoulders to almost touch. Two people farther apart than strangers.

Steam rose from our cups. The television played softly in the background. Neither of us watched it.Each person was lost in his own thoughts.

Why did he look so worried? Did he really care about my health?

For one dangerous second, hope stirred inside me. Then I remembered lunch.

’For Grandma’s sake, I look after her a little.’

I lowered my eyes and smiled sadly.

Of course.

Even his concern had a reason.

"I’m tired," I said quietly as I stood. "I’m going to bed."

He looked up at me but said nothing.

I turned and walked upstairs. Yet even with my back to him, I could still feel his gaze following me. And despite myself, I wondered what he was thinking.

The next morning, the sharp ringing of my phone dragged me out of sleep. I fumbled across the nightstand and answered groggily.

"Hello?"

"Director Alicia, have you checked the trending topics?"

Vicki’s voice was tight with panic.

I sat up immediately.

"No. What happened?"

"The photos of CEO Blackwood and Miss Summer exploded overnight. It’s turning into a major scandal."

Sleep vanished instantly.

"I’ll check now. Thanks, Vicki."

I ended the call, grabbed my iPad, and logged into Twitter. My heartbeat quickened as the page loaded. Headlines flooded the screen. Another photo of Alexander and Lilian had surfaced.

This one was worse.

He was guiding her into a car, one hand firmly at her waist, his body angled protectively toward hers. Their closeness was undeniable, but it wasn’t the photo causing chaos.

The problem was that a story had formed around it. People weren’t calling it romance. They were calling it sponsorship. Some even suggested that it was a sugar daddy arrangement.

Maybe even favoritism.

Someone had already connected Lilian’s sudden appointment as Éclat Beauty’s new ambassador and began stitching everything together.

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