"You can''t terminate our contract, Alexander. You can''t." udia says frantically. udia''s voice broke as she turned back to Alexander. "Please, just give me another chance." Alexander''s smirk faded, and his expression turned cold. He looked at her, no longer amused. "I don''t care," he said tly. "Honestly, I''m d you''ve finally shown your true colors."


    udia blinked, stunned by his harsh words. Before she could respond, Alexander turned and walked out of the office, his steps deliberate and unhurried. Outside, he spotted ire striding down the hallway. He quickened his pace, catching up to her, and grabbed her elbow gently. ire spun around, her face immediately settling into her usual cold, unreadable mask. She frowned, pulling her arm free from his grip. "What?" she asked, her tone icy.


    Alexander opened his mouth to say something clever, maybe something to match ire''s sharp edge, but nothing came out. His mind went nk. He stood there for a second, his tongue tied, before he finally managed to blurt out, "Uh, I just wanted to thank you." ire raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "Thank me?" Her voice dripped with skepticism. "I didn''t do it for you, Alexander."


    He blinked, confused. "You... didn''t?"


    "No," ire snapped, her tone sharp as a knife. "I did it for Metacortex. Mypany is partnered with Harris Hotel, and I can''t afford for that partnership to tank because of your ipetence. I''m protecting my interests, not you."


    Alexander stared at her, his surprise genuine. But after a second, he nodded. "Still," he muttered, looking down awkwardly. "I don''t know how to deal with people like udia. So, thank you."


    ire''s gaze didn''t soften, not even a little. She simply stared at him coldly. "You need to be smarter about choosing your business partners," she said, her voice firm. "If you don''t want to end up in a mess like this again." Alexander nodded, unsure of what else to say. "Right. Got it."


    ire gave him onest look, clearly unimpressed, before turning and walking away without another word. Alexander stood there for a moment, feeling a strange mix of relief and frustration. He had won this round, sure, but ire''s words stung. He couldn''t deny that she was right.


    Inside the office, udia was still standing, frozen in ce, staring at the door Alexander had just exited through. Her mind raced, unable to process what had just happened. It wasn''t supposed to go like this. She had a n. A perfect n. And now... it was all ruined. She copsed onto the floor, her knees hitting the hardwood with a thud. Tears streamed down her face, and she let out a strangled scream, the sound raw and full of rage. How could this have happened? How could it all have gone so wrong?


    She mmed her fist against the floor, her breathing in ragged gasps. "No, no, no!" she cried, the words barely coherent through her sobs. "This can''t be happening!"


    The door creaked open, and udia''s secretary poked her head inside, her eyes wide with concern. "Madame Wright? I heard you screaming... Is everything alright?" udia''s head snapped up, her face twisted in fury. "Get out!" she shrieked, her voice hoarse from crying. "I don''t want to see you!"


    The secretary recoiled, startled by the outburst. "But-"


    "I said go away!" udia screamed, her voice breaking. She threw her phone across the room, watching as it shattered against the wall. "Just leave me alone!"


    The secretary hesitated for a moment, clearly unsure what to do, before quickly retreating, closing the door softly behind her.


    udia remained on the floor, sobbing, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Everything she had worked for, everything she had nned-gone, just like that.


    As ire and Alexander stepped out of the building, the cool Paris air hit their faces. Alexander, walking alongside ire, nced at her, trying to figure out how to break the awkward silence.


    "So," Alexander stated, "since you helped me with this whole udia mess... what can I do for you?"


    ire shot him a sideways look, her


    eyes full of disdain. She rolled her


    eyes and sighed. "I don''t need anything from you, Alexander," she replied coldly. "All I want is for you to clean up the mess you made. That''s it. No favors."


    Alexander blinked, caught off guard by her bluntness. Before he could respond, a familiar voice called out, "ire!"


    ire turned toward the sound, and a warm smile spread across her face as Adrian approached, grinning like he hadn''t a care in the world. "Is everything going well?" he asked, his tone light. "Everything''s settled," ire replied with a satisfied smile. "Just need to sweep up the dust."


    Alexander frowned, his eyes darting between ire and Adrian. Seeing Adrian here, in Paris, made his stomach twist. He hadn''t expected Adrian to tag along on this trip, and it irked him more than he cared to admit. "Adrian," Alexander said with a strained smile. "What are you doing here?"


    Adrian casually shrugged. "I''m here to apany ire, of course." He smiled brightly, but Alexander''s frown deepened. Hearing Adrian say that made his annoyance spike.


    ire, sensing the rising tension,


    tugged gently on Adrian''s sleeve. "We should go," she said softly, her eyes flicking back to Alexander.


    Alexander with a pointed nd


    you," she added, looking at


    "don''t forget to handle the rest of the cleanup. I don''t want to be dragged into another mess because of you."


    With that, ire and Adrian turned and headed toward the waiting car, leaving Alexander standing there, watching them go. His mind was a whirlwind of frustration and


    exhaustion, mostly from dent


    with udia. His energy was sapped, and seeing Adrian with ire wasn''t helping his mood. As


    they disappeared into the car,


    Alexander just stood there, unsure of


    what to think anymore.


    In the car, ire leaned back into the plush seat, letting out a long, tired sigh. Adrian, sitting beside her, turned to look at her with concern. "You okay?" he asked gently.


    "I''m fine," ire replied, her voice quiet. "Just tired. It''s been a long day."


    Adrian watched her for a moment, his mind working on a n to cheer her up. ire had clearly been through a lot recently, and he wasn''t about to let her leave Paris in such a mood. Suddenly, Adrian leaned forward and spoke to the driver. "Take us to the Eiffel Tower, please."


    ire blinked, looking confused. "The Eiffel Tower? Why?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "We have to get back to London, Adrian. There''s no time for sightseeing."


    Adrian turned to her, a mischievous smile ying on his lips. "Rx, ire. It''s not that far, and we have time. London and Paris are practically neighbors."


    She raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced. "I''ve got a lot of work to do, Adrian. You know that."


    He chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "ire, you''re always working. You need to take a break now and then, let your brain recharge. Otherwise, how are you supposed to stay youthful and sharp?" ire couldn''t help butugh, rolling her eyes at him. "Youthful, huh?" she said with a smirk. "Fine. But just this once."


    Adrian grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "That''s the spirit!" he eximed, leaning back in his seat, looking quite satisfied.