"There’s no mirror here," Alexander said softly. "But I can show you with my phone."

"...Okay."

He unlocked his phone and held up the dark screen in front of me.

The reflection staring back looked unfamiliar.

My hair was messy. My face and eyelids were still swollen. White bandages covered both sides of my cheeks, making me look pale and exhausted.

I quietly looked away.

"Put it down."

Alexander lowered the phone immediately.

"Don’t overthink it," he comforted softly. "It’ll heal."

I lowered my eyes slowly.

If Alexander hadn’t arrived in time yesterday...

The thought alone made my chest tighten.

Almost instinctively, my hand moved toward my lower abdomen.

Alexander noticed immediately.

"The doctor said you’re at risk of miscarriage right now," he said quietly. "You need complete rest for the next few days."

My fingertips froze against the blanket.

"So... you know now."

Alexander’s gaze softened slightly.

"For the sake of the baby, stop worrying about everything else for now. I’ll stay here with you."

I looked at him silently for several seconds before lowering my gaze toward my stomach again.

So he had found out after all.

After this...

There was no way he would agree to the divorce easily anymore.

A faint smile touched my lips.

"You’re very sure the child is yours?" I asked softly.

Alexander barely hesitated.

"If it’s not mine, then whose would it be?"

There wasn’t even the slightest trace of suspicion in his voice.

Because deep down, he knew I would never betray him.

I looked away quietly.

"You sound very confident."

Alexander immediately narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You’re deliberately saying this because you still want the divorce."

His fingers tightened around mine.

"But that’s not happening."

I sighed softly.

Seeing my reaction, Alexander’s expression eased slightly.

"Alicia," he said quietly, "you knew about the pregnancy for a long time, didn’t you?"

I remained silent.

"I had the doctor check the medicine bottles in your room. Those weren’t stomach medications at all. They were prenatal vitamins."

His voice grew lower.

"If this accident hadn’t happened... were you really planning to hide the child from me until after the divorce?"

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I finally said quietly,

"I originally planned to tell you."

Alexander’s gaze froze slightly.

"The day you returned from your business trip..."

My voice gradually softened.

"I waited for you for a long time that night."

Back then, I had been genuinely happy.

I wanted to tell him we were having a baby.

But instead...

He returned with Lilian and didn’t come home on time.

The next day, he handed me divorce papers.

The ward fell silent instantly.

Alexander’s expression stiffened completely.

I could feel his grip around my hand tightening little by little.

After a long silence, he finally lowered his head slightly.

"...I’m sorry."

I looked down quietly.

"Later, I tested you once."

I paused briefly before continuing softly,

"I asked what you would do if we had a child."

Alexander’s breathing visibly faltered.

"But after everything that happened yesterday..." I whispered, "I’m glad I kept it secret."

I slowly placed a hand over my stomach.

"If Lucas had known about the baby earlier..."

My fingers tightened slightly.

"...he never would’ve let this child survive."

The color drained from Alexander’s face instantly.

For the first time since waking up, I saw genuine fear in his eyes.

Regret.

Pain.

Self-blame.

All of it surfaced clearly across his expression.

"Alicia..."

His voice sounded strained.

"I promise you..."

He slowly held my hand more tightly.

"...something like this will never happen again."

Alexander... we’re getting divorced."

My voice sounded softer than I expected.

But Alexander only tightened his hold on my hand slightly.

"Alicia," he said quietly, "for the sake of the baby... give me one more chance."

I lowered my gaze slowly.

I had already expected this outcome the moment he learned about the pregnancy.

But what exactly was keeping him here now?

Love?

Responsibility?

Concern?

Or simply guilt after everything that had happened?

And if it wasn’t truly love...

How long could this tenderness last?

I closed my eyes briefly before softly saying,

"Lilian..."

Before I could continue, Alexander interrupted immediately.

"I’ll send her abroad."

His voice was calm and decisive.

"She won’t come back again. Don’t think about her anymore."

I looked at him quietly.

Sometimes, Alexander could be unbelievably gentle.

But when he chose to be ruthless, he could discard people just as easily.

That coldness had always existed inside him.

I didn’t continue the conversation.

There was no point trying to argue with him right now.

At least for the moment, he would never agree to the divorce.

So I simply stayed silent... while quietly making my own decisions in my heart.

The next morning, Maria arrived early with breakfast and some daily necessities from home.

Alexander carefully helped me sit up before placing a soft pillow behind my back.

Then he took the soup from Maria’s hands and personally began feeding me spoon by spoon.

I frowned slightly.

"I can do it myself."

Aside from the bruises left by the ropes around my wrists, my hands weren’t injured.

But Alexander acted as though I might break apart if he let go of me for even a second.

"You’re still weak," he said calmly, refusing to hand me the spoon.

In the end, I could only let him continue feeding me quietly.

"Have some food too" I urged him

"Finish yours first" he said softly.

And we fell into a comfortable silence.

After breakfast, I looked toward him.

"You should go to the company."

I paused briefly.

"Maria can stay with me."

But Alexander shook his head lightly.

"The company can wait."

His gaze remained fixed on me.

"I just want to stay here with you for a while."

I didn’t respond.

The atmosphere in the ward gradually fell quiet again.

Eventually, Alexander finished breakfast as well before returning home briefly to change clothes and freshen up.

Before leaving, he repeatedly reminded Maria to take good care of me until he returned.

Maria watched him leave before sighing emotionally.

"It seems your hardships are finally ending, Mrs. Alicia."

She smiled warmly.

"Mr. Blackwood will definitely treat you well from now on."

She genuinely looked relieved, as though everything had finally returned to normal.

But I simply lowered my eyes quietly.

Because deep down...

I knew some wounds weren’t so easy to heal.

Not long after Alexander left, Grandma arrived at the hospital with Mrs. Lydia and several staff members carrying bags of gifts and supplements.

Since Uncle Steve and his family had already returned abroad, Grandma had come personally instead.

Mrs. Lydia had worked in the Blackwood mansion for decades and was practically family at this point.

"Grandma, you really didn’t have to come all the way here," I said helplessly. "I could’ve visited you after being discharged."

Mrs. Lydia smiled warmly from the side.

"I tried persuading her too, Miss Alicia, but the moment Young Master Alexander told her the news, she couldn’t sit still anymore."

Grandma held my hand gently, her aged eyes full of emotion.

"How could I not come see my granddaughter?" she said softly.

"I’ve waited so many years for this news."

Her gaze slowly lowered toward my stomach, her smile growing gentler.

"Who knows if I’ll live long enough to hold my great-grandchild?"...