She said it casually, but my chest tightened slightly.

Grandma had always hoped Alexander and I would have a child.

And selfishly... 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

I also hoped she could stay by my side long enough to see the baby born safely.

"Who said you won’t?"

We all turned toward the door at the sound of Alexander’s voice.

He walked in wearing gray suit pants and a black shirt.

Jim followed behind him carrying several bags in his hands.

"I’m sure you’ll live long enough to meet the baby, Nana," he said as he entered the room.

Grandma immediately looked relieved seeing him.

"It’s good you’re here," she said seriously. "For a moment, I thought you’d gone back to the company and left Alicia here alone with only Maria."

Jim set the bags down calmly.

And turned to leave.

"I only went home to freshen up and change clothes."Alexander explained,

Then he turned toward me before taking out a food container carefully from one of the bags brought in by Jim.

"I made fish soup," he said quietly. "Do you want some?"

I instinctively wanted to refuse.

But before I could speak, Grandma interrupted immediately.

"Why are you asking like that?" she scolded. "Hurry and feed her properly."

Then she turned back to me.

"Alicia, you need to be extra careful from now on. You’re not alone anymore."

Her tone softened slightly.

"No more overworking yourself. Eat on time and focus on resting properly."

I smiled faintly.

"Understood, Nana."

Over the past few months, Grandma’s health had visibly weakened.

But surprisingly, today she looked much more energetic.

Mrs. Lydia quietly mentioned that ever since hearing about the pregnancy, Grandma’s spirits had improved considerably.

And I was really happy to know that.

Meanwhile, Alexander had already poured the soup into a bowl and sat beside my bed.

As he began feeding me, I looked at the container again in surprise.

"You made this yourself?"

The packaging clearly wasn’t from a restaurant.

Alexander nodded lightly.

"I thought you might want homemade food instead."

"...Thank you," I said softly.

"There’s no need to thank me."

His voice was calm and low.

"It’s my responsibility to take care of you."

I didn’t respond again after that.

I simply lowered my eyes and quietly accepted each spoonful he fed me.

Not far away, I noticed Grandma watching the two of us silently, her eyes filled with tenderness and relief.

Eventually,we were able to persuade Grandma to return home and rest.

Before leaving, Grandma repeatedly reminded Alexander not to let me become stressed or upset.

Then, just before walking out, she paused and looked back at us.

"This child came at a very important time for both of you."

Her gaze softened.

"I just hope the child can grow up with both parents by its side."

She never directly mentioned the divorce.

But I understood exactly what she meant.

She hoped Alexander and I would remain together and raise the child as a family.

At the very least...

I knew, for the next few months, the divorce would have to be postponed.

<<<<<>>>>>>

I stayed in the hospital for another three days.

During that time, Maria remained by my side almost constantly.

I repeatedly urged Alexander to return to work at the company, and though reluctant, he eventually agreed.

Still, he frequently canceled meetings midway just to rush back to the hospital.

Lying in bed all day quickly became unbearable.

Several times, I wanted to get up and walk around properly, but Alexander refused every single time.

After consulting the doctor, the nurses eventually brought in a wheelchair, saying I could go outside for fresh air if someone pushed me.

But I refused immediately.

The bandages on my face still hadn’t been removed.

I didn’t want anyone seeing me like this.

So every evening, after returning from the company, Alexander would carefully help me out of bed and slowly walk me around the room himself.

As though I were something fragile he was afraid of breaking again.

When I was finally discharged from the hospital, I insisted I could walk to the car myself.

But Alexander refused.

In the end, I reluctantly let him carry me out of the room.

As we stepped into the corridor, a strange feeling crept over me, as though someone was watching us from somewhere nearby. I instinctively glanced around several times, but each time, there was no one there.

At some point, Alexander noticed my distracted expression.

"Is something wrong?" he asked softly.

I shook my head lightly. "It’s nothing."

Not wanting him to worry any further, I said no more.

When we arrived back at the villa, Alexander carried me all the way upstairs to the master bedroom while Maria brought our things in from the car.

He carefully lowered me onto the bed before adjusting the blanket around me.

After making sure I was comfortable, he finally prepared to leave for the company.

"I have to deal with a few things at the office," he said quietly, holding my hand in his. "Will you be alright before I get back?"

Lately, I had noticed that whenever Alexander was around, he always stayed close and held my hand, almost as though he feared I might disappear the moment he let go.

"Of course," I replied softly. "Maria’s here. You don’t have to worry. Just focus on your work."

Alexander stared at me silently for a few seconds before leaning down to press a kiss against my forehead.

"If you need anything, call Maria immediately," he murmured. "And if something happens, contact me right away. Don’t keep it to yourself, alright?"

I nodded.

Only then did he finally leave.

The next two days passed quietly.

Whenever he had time, Alexander personally helped me to the bathroom, fed me during meals, and stayed by my side.

I could tell the company was busy and that he had countless matters waiting for him, yet he still returned home early every evening just to take care of me.

Even when I argued that Maria could help me—or that I could manage most things myself—he never listened.

On the third day, a medical staff member came to the villa to remove the bandages on my face.

After checking the wounds and prescribing ointment, he packed up and left.

When Alexander stepped out to answer a phone call, I picked up my phone and looked at my reflection through the black screen.

The swelling had mostly faded.

Only three dark red scabs remained across my face.

One of them sat dangerously close to my cheekbone. If the blade had landed slightly higher, it might have injured my eye.

The bedroom door opened.

Alexander walked back in and immediately noticed me staring at my reflection in silence.

Without saying anything, he sat beside me on the edge of the bed and gently touched my cheek .

"It’s alright," Alexander said softly. "There won’t be any scars."

He even promised to find the best scar treatment available for me.

But surprisingly, I felt calm.

Almost indifferent.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care about my appearance. I simply knew my skin rarely scarred. Once the scabs healed, the new skin would probably just appear slightly paler for a while and could easily be covered with makeup later.

After a moment of silence, I looked up at him.

"I want to visit my dad."

"Alright," Alexander replied immediately. "I’ll go with you."

Before leaving the house, I put on a mask that completely covered the injuries on my face.

Alexander carefully helped me into the car.

As we drove out of the estate, I noticed another black vehicle following behind us.

When we arrived at the cemetery, Alexander opened the trunk and took out a wheelchair.

He carefully settled me into it before pushing me through the quiet cemetery grounds.

Only then did several men dressed in black step out from the vehicle behind us....