CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO – THE FASHION SHOW

"These exposés you've been orchestrating," he murmured, his voice pitched low with careful nonchalance. "They've been quite...illuminating. I can't help but admire the sheer ruthless audacity you've displayed in dismantling Nancy's carefully constructed house of cards." A bit of trepidation slithered down Jasmine's spine at his words. Did he suspect the depth of her involvement in the media firestorm? Lifting her chin in a subtle show of defiance, she held his inscrutable gaze. "That vile woman brought this on herself," she said, keeping her own tone carefully modulated. "I merely opened a few doors, gave truth and justice the space to finally prevail." A faint smile curved Alexander's lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "And there's the spark I so admire – that uncompromising moral compass that renders you so uniquely...irresistible." He took another step closer, his clean, masculine scent enveloping her in a dizzying cloud. "You've always aspired to win, haven't you, my