?Chapter 328:


    He scrutinized her features, desperate to decipher any trace of emotion beneath herposed, distant demeanor.


    Yet, he found nothing—no warmth, no hint of regret, nor the slightest glimmer of the affection that once filled her eyes when she looked at him.


    As he continued to stare, his disappointment deepened, fueled further by the alcohol swirling through his veins, intensifying his emotions. He knew he was supposed to walk away, salvage the remnants of his pride. But he waspelled to stay, driven by an insatiable need for answers.


    The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, palpable to the silent spectators gathered around.


    Alexander’s frustration reached a boiling point. Never had he imagined a time when they wouldmunicate across such a void—she seemed utterly unattainable now.


    “Dani, did you ever love me?” His question lingered, suspended in the heavy air. A hush descended over the room.


    Even Joyce, previously absorbed in her game, halted and turned to gaze at Alexander, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.


    Joyce’s brow furrowed in confusion. She tugged at Alexander’s sleeve.


    “Alexander, what are you implying? Why would you ask Dani that? Aren’t you supposed to have feelings for me?” Was it because of the child she had with someone else? Was that why Alexander stopped liking her?


    Disheartened, Joyce pressed on, seeking rity in her turmoil.


    “But Alexander, weren’t your feelings for me meant to be evesting?”


    Her innocent inquiry struck a chord with Alexander, sparking a harsh realization. Didn’t Dani promise to cherish him endlessly, holding on to that love forever?


    Yet, reality often scoffed at such ideals.


    A sudden pallor washed over Alexander’s face as the weight of the moment settled on him.


    Nheless, his eyes remained steadfastly fixed on Dani. Since he had asked the question, he was determined to get an answer.


    Alexander pulled his sleeve free from Joyce’s grasp, turned to Dani, and demanded, “Tell me, Dani, was there ever truly love for me in your heart?”


    Silence enveloped the room once more.


    Alexander braced himself for her possible answers.


    “Yes, I loved you.”


    “My love for you was profound.”


    “Why else would I have married you?”


    Alexander’s heart held a secret hope: to see a flicker of struggle, a sh of regret cross Dani’s face, or even provoke her to a point of exasperation so intense she might strike him in a fit of passion—anything to give voice to the storm of emotions he believed raged within her.


    At times, a question was nothing more than a desperate search for affirmation.


    Alexander longed to hear Dani confess, “I loved you.” Yet, her response was nothing but silence.


    The room, crowded with silent onlookers, mirrored her quiet stillness.


    All eyes in the living room fixated on Dani, who remained wordless.


    Alexander’s expression grew cold and distant.


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