Alexander was in New York on a business trip, while I was there mostly to explore.

During the day, when he went to the branch office, I wandered around the city on my own. Occasionally, when he finished early, he would join me for shopping and dinner outside.

They say intimacy can strengthen a relationship.

That saying isn’t without a reason.

Since that night, our relationship had grown much closer. Almost every night for the past few days, we had been in each others arms. It got to a point that I started getting worried about the child in my womb.

It was as if something between us had finally broken open—a barrier that had stood there for too long.

Everything felt peaceful.

Too peaceful.

So peaceful that I couldn’t help wondering whether it would remain the same once we returned to Velaridge City.

A few days later, we began preparing to head back.

Alexander asked our other four companions to return first, while he and I made a stop in Washington to visit his aunt, who had settled there.

Grandfather and Grandmother had three children.

The eldest was Alexander’s father, who passed away when Alexander was still young.

The second was Uncle Steve, a shareholder in Blackwood Dominion Enterprises. Though he rarely involved himself in company affairs, preferring to focus on his own businesses.

The youngest was Alexander’s aunt, Angela Blackwood, who lived in Washington.

As the only daughter and the youngest child, she had been doted on all her life. Even now, in her forties, traces of that spoiled temperament still remained.

She had never married.

Grandfather and Grandmother had once worried endlessly about her future and tried introducing her to countless men, but Aunt Angela rejected every one of them. Eventually, they gave up and allowed her to live as she pleased.

Recently, she had adopted a child.

I had lived with the Blackwoods for six years, yet in all that time, I had only seen Angela a handful of times.

From the beginning, I knew she disliked me.

The first time she visited the family home and saw me, she treated me as if I were invisible.

Later, after I married Alexander, her hostility became even more obvious.

She looked at me with the kind of disdain people reserved for enemies.

Once, she even pulled me aside privately.

What she said was nothing but a demand for me to step aside and leave Alexander, insisting I wasn’t worthy of him because of my background... and because of my father.

Angela had never truly gotten along with Grandmother. And when my father first became close to Grandfather and Grandmother, Angela grew resentful.

She believed he had only approached the Blackwood family for their wealth.

Even after his death, that resentment remained.

Somehow, it had passed down to me.

At the time, I had been overjoyed to marry Alexander, full of hope for the future.

How could I have been swayed by Angela’s provocations?

In the end, Angela and I had parted on bad terms.

I was sure she had gone to complain to Alexander afterward.

I never knew what he said to her, but after that, she never came back.

So when Alexander suggested we visit her now, I felt a little nervous.

But he simply held my hand and said he would stay by my side.

For some reason... that reassurance calmed me more than I expected.

Third person POV

Angela had always been particularly fond of Alexander.

So when she learned he was coming to visit, she was delighted. She even sent a driver to pick them up from the airport herself.

Throughout the ride, Alicia sat quietly, her mind running through countless possibilities of how Angela would react upon seeing her arrive at the villa.

Although Angela lived abroad, like the other Blackwood siblings she still held shares in the company and owned several businesses in Washington.

The moment they stepped inside, Angela’s face lit up.

"Alexander!"

She moved forward warmly at the sight of his tall figure. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

But the instant her eyes landed on Alicia standing beside him, a flicker of displeasure crossed her face.

It lasted only a second.

But Alicia saw it clearly.

Still, Alicia offered a polite smile.

"Auntie."

Angela merely glanced at her before turning back to Alexander.

"Come in."

Alexander cast Alicia a brief look, then took her hand and led her inside.

The villa was elegant without being ostentatious—luxurious in the quiet way old money often was. Warm lighting, tasteful décor, and soft neutral tones made the place feel refined yet lived in.

Angela led them into the living room.

Alexander, still holding Alicia’s hand, guided her to the sofa before sitting beside her.

Soon, a staff member arrived with coffee, and Angela poured three cups herself.

"Alexander, I’m so glad you came to see me."

"Auntie, it’s really been a while," Alexander replied, his gaze drifting around the room. "Is Bella at school?"

Bella Blackwood was Angela’s adopted daughter.

Alicia had heard of her, though they had never met.

Alexander, however, knew the little girl well.

Whenever he came to Washington for business, he always made time to visit. If Angela had somewhere to be, Bella was often left in Alexander’s care alongside the household staff.

Over time, the two had grown close.

He found the clever child unexpectedly endearing.

"Mm." Angela nodded. "She’ll be back soon. She’s been asking about you."

Alicia sat quietly beside him, feeling slightly out of place as Alexander and Angela continued talking.

Angela asked after Roseline’s health, mentioning she had not visited in some time, then moved on to asking how Alexander had been lately.

Just then, Alexander’s phone rang.

He stood and stepped toward the entrance of the living room to answer it.

The room immediately fell silent.

Only Angela and Alicia remained.

The warmth that had existed moments ago disappeared entirely.

Angela sat across from her, eyes sharp and cold, glancing at Alicia with barely concealed hostility whenever she could.

Alicia lowered her gaze and remained silent.

Yet despite herself—

a chill slowly ran down her spine.

Alexander’s POV

Angela stood up and walked toward the entrance, clearly waiting for me to finish my phone call.

"Aunt."

I slipped my phone back into my pocket. "What happened?"

She glanced toward Alicia in the living room before lowering her voice.

"I wanted to ask what your plans are."

It was obvious what she meant.

Our marriage.

I lifted my gaze and met Alicia’s eyes from across the room.

"Nothing in particular."

Angela’s expression shifted in surprise.

"Isn’t Lilian Summer back?"

"She is," I replied evenly.

"Then you’re not divorcing Alicia?"

"Aunt, I have my own plans for that."

Her face hardened.

"I just don’t want you to suffer. You’re the heir to the Blackwood family. That low-class girl doesn’t deserve you. How could you publicly acknowledge a wife like that? Your grandmother was ridiculous—bringing all kinds of people into the family and even arranging this marriage. It’s absurd."

My jaw tightened instinctively.

The hand holding my phone clenched slightly.

But I kept my voice calm.

I knew Angela well.

The more emotional I became, the more unreasonable she would grow.

"Aunt, I don’t feel wronged. Please don’t bring this up again."

She frowned, still dissatisfied.

"But didn’t you once say you would definitely divorce her?"

"Aunt."

My tone sharpened.

I cast a quick glance toward Alicia, hoping she hadn’t heard.

Angela finally noticed my warning look.

"Hmph. You’re grown now. You have your own mind."

With that, she turned and walked back inside.

I remained where I was for a moment.

It had been two years, yet she still remembered that conversation.

Back when Alicia and I first married, Angela had asked about my intentions.

I told her I would divorce Alicia soon.

At the time, I had still been trapped with the guilt of what happened to Lilian and then the aftermath of her leaving.

Or at least, that was what I thought.

Now I understood something I hadn’t back then.

I don’t want to separate from Alicia.

I walked back into the living room and sat beside her.

"You know how Aunt Angela is," I said quietly, taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze. "She’s always been like this. Don’t mind her."

It’s been really hard before I was able to bring Alicia closer to me again.

I couldn’t allow old mistakes—or careless words from the past—to drive her away now.

Alicia smiled faintly.

"I know."

Her tone was gentle.

But the smile never reached her eyes.

And I knew my aunt’s coldness had already affected her.

My only hope now... was that she didn’t hear our earlier discussion, and that nothing would ruin the peace we had finally found after so long.