The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 823

"What?" Alexander's eyes went cold, the warmth draining from the air around him. "Say that again."

"We found a witness from all those years ago," Nash said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "He was a steward on the cruise ship. He was afraid of retaliation, so he never spoke up."

"He said he saw Nathan and Dean Gresham arguing on the deck. In the end, Nathan lost control and pushed him overboard."

"Afterward, he staged the scene to look like an accident and bribed the crew to stay silent, burying the truth."

Outside the door, Danielle froze, her blood turning to ice.

Dean Gresham's death… it was Nathan's doing. No wonder Alexander had abandoned his research so abruptly. No wonder he'd always been so hostile toward Nathan. There was a secret, a terrible secret, hidden between them.

Her hand pressed against the cool wood of the door as a wave of shock and horror washed over her.

Nathan was ruthless enough to kill a respected mentor like Dean Gresham. What, then, was he capable of doing to Alexander? To her and Niki?

A brief silence fell inside the room. Danielle could hear Alexander's heavy breathing, could imagine the storm of rage and grief on his face.

She took a quiet step back, intending to slip away unnoticed, but the heel of her shoe snagged on the edge of the rug, making a soft scuffing sound.

"Who's out there?"

Alexander's voice was instantly sharp with alarm. A moment later, the door was yanked open.

As the door flew open, Alexander's gaze collided with Danielle's wide, startled eyes.

For a heartbeat, the air seemed to solidify. The only sound was the ragged rhythm of their breathing as a heavy, awkward silence stretched between them.

He slowly walked to the sofa and sat down, burying his face in his hands and rubbing his throbbing temples, trying to rein in the tempest of his emotions.

After a long moment, he finally looked up. His voice was as dark as ink, saturated with a pain that had festered for years. "I love you, Danielle."

Loving someone wasn't always about happiness. More often, it was about pain. Pain he had been willing to endure.

Unconditional love required a person to defy their own nature.

Danielle froze, her pupils shrinking. She thought she must have misheard him.

Alexander's gaze held hers, his eyes swirling with years of suppressed emotion. He spoke each word with clear, unwavering conviction. "I have never hated you."

His voice was a low, heavy rumble. "Danielle, I love you more than my own life."