After Alexander resolutely put out his statement, the entire table was plunged into silence. At that moment, Eleanor was trembling, staring at Alexander in disbelief. She didn't expect Alexander to speak of their past relationship like that. The implications of Alexander's words were quite clear. She was never his first crush, and their relationship was never his bittersweet love. Everything was nothing more than a figment of everyone's imagination. That revelation left the entire room in shock because then they wondered if everything they saw between Alexander and Eleanor was fake. Everyone was obsessing over it, treating it as the biggest campus teen drama. It was as if the gossip of the business industry high society didn't even exist! The entire place was buzzing with activity. People at the neighboring tables had begun to whisper amongst themselves. “Uhm... It seems like their image as a loving couple was either rumored or only mentioned in forums.” “Thinking back, I honestly don't think I've ever seen the two of them embracing each other on the campus grounds.” “I saw Alexander every day after he broke up, and he never seemed upset. I thought he was emotionally resilient, but he genuinely wasn't upset at all!” “All these fairy tales about love are lies! I'm disillusioned!” Even Isabella couldn't hold back anymore. What's going on? Did he really never love Eleanor before? Were all the juicy details that Ms. Gates revealed all lies? Was she also brainwashed by the shippers? No wonder the rest of the Quirk family never mentioned Eleanor. They even seemed to know very little about Alexander having an ex. Turns out, they were the ones who weren't influenced by the rumors. Alexander paused, then suddenly understood something. No wonder Isabella stubbornly believed Eleanor was my first crush and was convinced we would divorce. Even when I explained myself, she'd say she believed me on the surface, but in her mind, she was calling me stubborn. She must've gotten much gossip about me and Eleanor from Hannah, leading her to believe that Eleanor and I were deeply in love. Then, she let her imagination run wild. So, not only does he feel nothing for Eleanor now, but he also has no love for her from the very beginning! What a monumental mistake! Does this mean the thing I've been waiting for would never actually happen? Oh my god! Isabella thought. Alexander grinned, suddenly feeling a wave of relief and satisfaction washing over him. At that moment, everyone at the table gaped at Alexander, then at Eleanor, clearly reeling from the sudden revelation of the truth. Alexander's gaze swept over the people at his table, almost as if he was silently telling them that his previous words were also meant for them. He was making it clear to everyone that he was defending Isabella against Eleanor. In the past, Alexander merely mechanically fulfilled his obligations toward Isabella. That was something his friends could easily sense. Although they weren't outright hostile toward Isabella, they certainly didn't favor her. After all, she was the woman who had schemed against their friend. Even in the absence of Eleanor, they wouldn't have shown much respect to Isabella. However, when Alexander met them all once again in such a formal setting, accompanied by Isabella, he was sending an important message, which was that he valued Isabella greatly. Being his friends, they had to respect Isabella. Among the group, some were surprised, those who were calm, and those who had anticipated that all along. Naturally, some couldn't accept it, such as Audrey. After all, Isabella had just recently offended Audrey. Seeing that Lily and Eleanor were both so shocked that they couldn't regain their composure, Audrey cursed under her breath at their uselessness.Audrey said, “Alexander, you've gone too far. Even if you can't be with Eleanor for the sake of preserving your current marriage, you can't just deny your past love like that—” Alexander slightly furrowed his brows, interrupting directly, “There's no need to deny a love that never existed. I'm simply stating the facts. Perhaps you can mention a thing or two about it so I can try to recall them here and now?” Audrey was taken aback, not expecting him to say such a thing. At that moment, even Josiah advised Audrey to keep quiet. It was clear as day what Alexander's attitude on the matter was. When Lily regained her composure, she spoke with a shrill voice. “How could you deny it? You were so in love with Eleanor! You did so much for her, like in this photo! That snowy night in our sophomore year...” Lily pulled out her phone and showed everyone a picture. In the picture, Alexander was standing beneath a streetlight under the snowy night sky as if waiting for someone. Eleanor was running toward him. Alexander felt Isabella, in his embrace, moving. In reality, he only embraced Isabella at the start and didn't hug her later. However, he could still sense Isabella's movements. Isabella's emotional state might have been in shambles, but she couldn't resist putting her feelings on hold to enjoy the gossip. To her, not gossiping meant something was wrong. Isabella had already curiously looked at the photo. “Enough, stop talking!” Eleanor suddenly interrupted in a flustered, loud voice. She took a few hurried breaths, her eyes trembling. Then, she lifted her shaky head, her tear-filled eyes gazing at Alexander. She appeared to be enduring all her grievances, a sight that was, for once, not feigned and genuinely pitiful. Isabella gently lifted her eyebrow. Wow, she looks like she's about to fall apart. With such acting skills, if she ever has trouble making ends meet, she can definitely make it in the entertainment industry. She's a natural!Lily quieted down, her eyes reddened. “Eleanor, we should confront him!” Eleanor composed herself by force, taking a deep breath. Here we go again! She's about to put on another performance. How is she going to make a comeback in this situation? I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the show. Action! thought Isabella, which almost caused Alexander to laugh in that serious setting. It seemed he didn't have a knack for acting. Then, Eleanor spoke. “There's no need. Mr. Alexander is right. It was all wishful thinking on my part. I was just deluding myself, not knowing my place.” The expressions of the people around them changed. “I—” Unfortunately for Eleanor, Alexander had run out of patience. “It was you who staged and spread all those rumors about how we were the perfect couple, the most suited pair within high society. During our relationship, you were eager to flaunt our love publicly. You established our personas and image as a couple. I didn't care whether you did it for your own satisfaction or the benefit of your family because back then, we were indeed in a relationship. That's why I didn't mind the rumors. However, your vague actions and attempts at making concessions to gain advantages are disrupting the harmonious relationship between my wife and me. I will not stand for your efforts to make my wife and I appear as the aggressors.” Alexander's logic was clear as he interrupted Eleanor with his calm analysis. Facing Eleanor, who was on the verge of tears, Alexander's gaze grew even more intense. “You're making that face, saying those things, and changing the subject in the hope that people here come to a specific conclusion you want. Do you think I'm a fool?” Eleanor stiffened, almost losing her balance. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality. The man standing before her was a rising star in the business world, undefeated in every venture. How could he possibly not see through her little tricks? The crowd suddenly snapped back to their senses. Indeed, the conclusion they came to almost completely contradicted Alexander's statements. “We had a harmonious relationship, but it was never as intensely romantic as the rumors suggest. You know this better than anyone else,” Alexander stated calmly, not looking at Eleanor's nearly colorless face. He turned to the stunned Lily and glanced at the photo on the mobile phone. “How did this photo get circulated?”