Alicia’s POV

We arrived at the mansion at exactly three in the afternoon.

Jim parked in front of the entrance, followed closely by the security vehicle that now accompanied us everywhere.

Alexander and I stepped out of the car and walked inside.

The mansion looked exactly the same as always.

Yet something was missing.

It was quiet.

Far too quiet.

The living room stood empty, and even the staff members were nowhere in sight. The silence wrapped around the house like a heavy blanket, making the absence of one person feel even more obvious.

My gaze drifted toward Nana’s favorite seat.

The place where she would always sit and chat whenever we visited.

A dull ache spread through my chest.

"Come on."

Alexander’s hoarse voice pulled me back to reality.

I nodded and followed him further inside.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the staircase.

I looked up and instantly froze.

Aunt Angela was descending the stairs.

When she reached the bottom, her eyes settled on us.

Something about her seemed different today.

The usual arrogance and sharpness were gone.

In their place were emotions I rarely associated with her.

Grief.

Longing.

Regret.

Beside me, Alexander quietly reached for my hand.

I frowned and glanced at him.

His expression remained unreadable.

"Alexander, you finally came."

Her voice softened noticeably as she looked at him, completely ignoring my existence.

"Yes, Aunt. Alicia wanted to come check something."

At the mention of my name, her gaze shifted toward me.

The softness disappeared instantly.

"Aunt," I greeted quietly.

She didn’t respond.

Instead, her eyes fell to our intertwined hands.

They lingered there.

I instinctively tried to pull away, but Alexander tightened his grip.

My brows furrowed.

What was he doing?

Before I could think further, he turned toward me.

"Go ahead."

I nodded.

Without another word, I walked past Aunt Angela and headed deeper into the mansion.

The familiar hallways stretched before me.

Every step brought back memories.

Some happy.

Some painful.

Eventually, I reached Nana’s room.

My hand trembled slightly as I pushed the door open.

The room remained exactly as she had left it.

Neat.

Elegant.

Warm.

It even carried the faint scent that always reminded me of her.

For a moment, I simply stood there.

Then I slowly walked toward the bedside drawer.

My heartbeat accelerated.

I reached for the handle and pulled.

Locked.

Only then did I remember the keys Uncle Steve had given me.

Taking them from my pocket, I searched for the correct one and unlocked the drawer.

Inside sat a beautifully crafted wooden box.

Slowly, I lifted it out and opened the lid.

But before I could check what was inside,

The door burst open.

I startled and looked up.

Aunt Angela stormed into the room.

Her eyes immediately locked onto the box in my hands.

Her expression darkened.

"What are you doing here?"

I quickly stood.

Before I could answer, her gaze sharpened.

"What is that?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What else are you here to take?"

"Aunt, Nana asked me to come"

"I asked you a question!"

She marched forward.

"You already got more than enough from this family."

Her voice grew louder with every word.

"Isn’t it enough?"

Her eyes dropped to the box again.

"How much more do you want?"

I tightened my grip on the box.

"I didn’t come here for inheritance."

"Oh, really?"

She laughed bitterly.

"Then why are you standing in Mother’s room holding something she left behind?"

"Aunt, Nana ...."

"Stop pretending!"

She grabbed my arm roughly.

The box nearly slipped from my hands.

"Get out."

Her voice trembled with anger.

"Leave my mother’s room."

I pulled my arm free and stepped back.

"I came because Nana asked me to."

For a moment, she froze.

Then she scoffed.

"So now you’re talking back to me?"

"Is it because Alexander is finally siding with you?"

Her eyes dropped toward my stomach.

And something inside me instantly tensed.

"You think carrying that child gives you a place in this family?"

I froze.

"You think because Mother spoiled you, you can do whatever you want?"

"Aunt"

"No."

She cut me off.

"You and that child don’t belong here."

The room went silent.

My fingers tightened around the box.

Angela continued mercilessly.

"Sooner or later Alexander will see your true colors."

"He’ll find a better woman."

"A woman worthy of giving this family an heir."

"And frankly—"

Her lips curled.

"Even Lilian would be a better choice than you."

Something inside me snapped.

Not because of what she said about me.

But because she spoke about my child.

A calm settled over me.

The kind of calm that appears right before something breaks completely.

I lifted my head and looked directly at her.

"Then keep your family."

Angela froze.

"Keep your heir."

My voice remained steady.

"Keep everything."

"But don’t ever speak about my child again."

For the first time, Aunt Angela looked stunned.

My eyes never left hers.

"Because you’re not worthy of speaking about him."

Or her.

"And if being part of this family means growing up surrounded by people who think this way..."

My throat tightened.

"I would rather my child grow up without a father." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The room fell silent.

Neither of us spoke.

I turned around and walked out.

This time, Aunt Angela didn’t stop me.

Alexander’s POV

After Alicia went upstairs, Aunt Angela studied me for a long moment before turning and walking toward the living room.

I already knew she had something to say.

And judging from her expression, I probably wasn’t going to like it.

Still, I followed behind her.

She took a seat on one of the sofas and crossed her arms.

"I assume you’ve already heard about the shares."

"Yes."

I sat opposite her.

"I wasn’t expecting that."

Aunt Angela scoffed lightly.

"Maybe it’s Mother’s way of compensating you for forcing you into that marriage."

My brows immediately furrowed.

"No one forced me."

She looked unconvinced.

"I agreed to the marriage myself."

I held her gaze.

"And I don’t regret it."

The room fell silent.

Aunt Angela stared at me as though I had suddenly become a stranger.

"Alexander, do you even hear yourself?"

She shook her head.

"You don’t need to pretend anymore. Mother isn’t here."

"Just divorce her."

I let out a slow breath.

"We’re not having this discussion again."

My voice remained calm.

"Alicia is my wife."

"And she’s carrying my child."

"I’m not divorcing her."

Aunt Angela’s expression darkened.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then she suddenly asked,

"Do you love her?"

The answer came effortlessly.

"Yes."

There wasn’t even a second of hesitation.

If she’d asked me that question months ago, perhaps I would’ve struggled to answer.

But not now.

Not after everything.

Not after almost losing her.

Not after realizing how empty my life felt whenever she pulled away from me.

I loved Alicia.

I had simply been too foolish to recognize it sooner.

Aunt Angela looked genuinely shocked.

I softened my tone slightly.

"Aunt, I love Alicia."

"And I won’t allow anything to come between us."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

"What has gotten into you?"

She shook her head.

"You’re confused."

"Once you separate from her and find Lilian, you’ll come back to your senses."

My expression instantly hardened.