But just then, notifications from every major platform began flooding my phone one after another.

Twitter.

News apps.

Entertainment headlines.

No matter which one I opened, the story was the same.

And attached to every article... was a photo of Alexander.

He sat outside the emergency room, leaning forward in a chair, exhaustion and worry written all over his face. The background behind him was blurred, but the tension in the image was unmistakable.

He was still wearing the same clothes he had left in earlier that morning.

My breathing caught.

So... he really had gone to the hospital.

Then why didn’t he tell me?

Why did no one tell me?

My eyes burned instantly.

I sniffed hard before hurriedly sitting upright.

"Maria!" I called out anxiously. "Tell Jim to come pick me up! I need to get to the hospital!"

I had to be there for Nana.

Maria quickly entered the room, clearly having already seen the news herself.

"Alicia," she said gently, trying to calm me down, "Mr. Alexander called earlier. He specifically asked that you stay home and rest. He said you shouldn’t go anywhere right now—you need to take care of yourself first..."

"I have to go!" I cried, tears suddenly spilling uncontrollably down my face.

Without waiting for Maria to respond, I grabbed my phone and immediately called Alexander.

The moment the call connected, I spoke before he even had a chance to say anything.

"Alexander," I choked out through tears, "tell Jim to come pick me up. I need to go to the hospital."

"Alicia, your health—"

"Don’t try to stop me!" I interrupted emotionally. "If the driver won’t come, then I’ll go by myself!"

Since my father’s death, my grandparents had been my only family.

Now Grandma was in surgery.

As her granddaughter... as the wife of her grandson...

How could I possibly stay home?

A brief silence came from the other end of the call.

Then Alexander’s voice lowered, serious and steady.

"Stay where you are. I’ll come get you myself."

"Please hurry..." I whispered weakly, tears slipping down my cheeks.

"Don’t cry," he said softly. "I’ll be there soon."

I bit down hard on my lip and nodded, muffling another sob before hanging up the call.

After quickly changing into something presentable, I sat anxiously on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to arrive.

Soon, I heard the sound of a car pulling into the entrance.

My heart tightened instantly.

I hurriedly slipped on my shoes and rushed out of the bedroom.

The moment Alexander stepped into the living room and saw me standing at the top of the stairs, his expression changed.

"Don’t move!"

He strode over immediately and scooped me into his arms before I could take another step.

His brows furrowed the moment he noticed my swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Why did you get out of bed?"

"I only walked a few steps," I murmured weakly. "I’m fine."

"That’s not fine."

This time, I didn’t argue.

Instead, I quietly asked,

"How’s Grandma...? Is it really that bad?"

Alexander fell silent.

And in that silence, I understood everything.

My chest tightened painfully.

"Grandma was fine just a few days ago..." My voice trembled. "How could things suddenly become like this?"

Alexander paused for a moment, his gaze lowering slightly.

Then he finally spoke.

"The last time Grandma was hospitalized, Dr. Harrison already warned us that he couldn’t guarantee how much longer her condition would remain stable."

His voice was calm, but heavy.

"Her health has been declining for a while now. All we can do is hope for the best."

The moment he finished speaking, tears blurred my vision again.

Alexander sighed softly before carefully placing me into the car.

He leaned closer, gently wiping away the fresh tears on my cheeks with his thumb.

"Don’t cry," he murmured. "Grandma wouldn’t want to see you like this."

His hand instinctively moved to my stomach.

"She’s been looking forward to meeting our baby. So for her sake, you and the baby need to stay strong."

"Mm..." I nodded weakly.

But my throat felt painfully tight.

Everything had happened too suddenly.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop crying.

Alexander gently pulled me into his arms, softly patting my back like he was comforting a frightened child.

"If you keep crying like this," he said quietly, "your eyes will swell up, and Grandma won’t like seeing her favorite granddaughter looking like a little kitten."

Despite myself, I let out a shaky breath.

Soon, the driver brought over the wheelchair before getting into the front seat.

The car headed straight for St. Victoria Medical Center.

When we arrived, Uncle Steve was already sitting outside the emergency room.

Seeing him there startled me slightly.

Had Grandma’s condition worsened that long ago?

Otherwise, how could Uncle Steve have made it to Velaridge City so quickly?

"Uncle..." I cried softly as I immediately tried to stand from the wheelchair.

Alexander instantly stopped pushing it.

"Shh... don’t cry," Uncle Steve coaxed gently as he pulled me into an embrace and patted my head.

"Mum wouldn’t want to see you like this. That’s why I asked Alexander not to tell you earlier."

I looked up at him, tears gathering in my eyes again.

"But Uncle... Grandma is sick. You shouldn’t have Hidden it from me."

"You’re not stable yourself, Alicia," he said softly, guiding me toward a nearby chair. "Don’t cry anymore."

Beside us, Alexander stood quietly, watching everything in silence.

We waited outside for several more minutes before the emergency room doors finally opened.

Dr. Harrison stepped out, slowly removing his mask.

All of us stood up immediately.

"How is she?" Uncle Steve asked, his voice calm despite the tension in his eyes.

Dr. Harrison fell silent for a moment.

His gaze lowered slightly before he finally spoke.

"The Chairwoman’s condition has been deteriorating for the past few months," he said quietly.

Then his eyes shifted toward Alexander.

"And as I mentioned before... she didn’t have much time left."

My breathing stopped.

"The shock she suffered last night..." Dr. Harrison continued carefully, "was simply the final push."

Silence filled the hallway.

Then—

"I’m sorry."

His voice softened.

"There’s nothing more we can do now. Continuing treatment will only prolong her suffering."

The moment I understood what he meant, it felt as though something inside me shattered.

My chest tightened painfully.

It hurt so much I could barely breathe.

Just a few days ago, Grandma had been smiling while sitting beside my hospital bed.

Just a few days ago, she promised she would wait to meet my baby.

She said she wanted to hold the child in her arms.

So why...

Why was this happening so suddenly?

No...

No, this couldn’t be real.

My knees nearly gave out beneath me.

If Uncle Steve hadn’t been holding onto me, I would have collapsed completely.

Dr. Harrison stepped forward and gently patted Uncle Steve’s shoulder.

"You should all go say your goodbyes," he said softly. "She wants to speak with you."

Uncle Steve glanced toward Alexander.

Alexander immediately understood and stepped forward to support me in his arms.