Aunt Angela went to the kitchen to check on the dinner preparations, leaving Alexander and alone in the living room.
Alexander noticed that I hadn’t touched the cup of coffee in front of and frowned slightly.
"Why don’t you drink coffee anymore?" he asked, looking at curiously. "You used to like it."
I froze for a mont, caught off guard.
But I recovered quickly.
"The doctor said I shouldn’t have anything too strong anymore because of my stomach."
Alexander didn’t look convinced. He seed about to say sothing when the front door suddenly opened.
A burst of quick footsteps echoed through the hallway.
"Uncle Alexander!"
A small figure ca racing into the living room and launched herself straight at him.
Alexander caught her easily, lifting her onto his lap as she laughed.the little girl smiled brightly, shouting, "Uncle! You ca to see !"
"Yes, Uncle ca to see you. Did you miss ?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick Peck on the cheek. Her soft voice replied, "Yes I did."she said dramatically
Alexander chuckled softly before setting her down.
"You’re taller again," he said.
"Because I’m growing," she replied proudly.
Bella’s bright eyes imdiately shifted toward , where I sat quietly beside him.
She tilted her head and stared at for a mont, her little lips pursed in confusion.
"Who are you?" she asked bluntly. "Why are you sitting beside Uncle?"
My smile faltered—
but only for a second.
Alexander spoke imdiately.
"Bella, this is my wife, Alicia."
Bella’s eyes widened.
"No way!"
"You should call her Aunt Alicia," he added.
Her pout was so adorable I might have laughed under different circumstances.
"So... you’re Uncle’s wife?"
I forced a smile and kept my tone calm.
"You must be Bella. Nice to et you."
I held out my hand.
"Go on," Alexander urged. "Say hello to your aunt."
Bella hesitated, then shook my hand seriously.
She stepped closer and studied for several long seconds before nodding to herself.
"You’re very beautiful."
This ti, I couldn’t help smiling for real.
With her round face, wide eyes, and solemn little expression, she was too adorable.
She looked around six years old, yet strangely mature for her age.
Then she turned back to Alexander with complete seriousness.
"Uncle, why didn’t you tell about your wife?"
Alexander’s smile faltered.
He glanced at , then at Bella.
Before he could answer, Aunt Angela returned from the kitchen.
"Bella dear, you’re back."
Bella imdiately pointed at .
"Grandma, Uncle Alexander’s wife is so pretty!"
Across the room, Angela’s expression stiffened.
"Bella," she said sharply. "Co here first and wash your hands."
"I already washed them at school."
"Now."
Bella sighed dramatically and began trudging toward the stairs.
"I’m going!" she shouted before running up anyway.
The room fell silent again.
Watching how carefree she was, the corners of my lips lifted faintly.
But deep inside, I couldn’t push the thought aside.
Alexander ca here often on business trips.
He was clearly close to Bella.
Yet this was the first ti she had ever heard of .
Then I rembered the conversation I had overheard earlier.
Two years ago, Angela had opposed our marriage.
I had always wondered what Alexander said to make her stop interfering.
Now I knew.
He had assured her that he would divorce .
Since the beginning, I had been the only one truly inside this marriage.
To Alexander, I had only been an obstacle he intended to remove sooner or later.
Perhaps that was why even Bella knew nothing of my existence.
I had never been worth ntioning.
Never truly his wife.
Never soone important.
If that was true—
then why was he changing now?
Did he simply feel guilty for how he had treated all these years?
Was everything that had happened between us these past few weeks only an attempt to make ands?
If it was just guilt—
Then what place did I hold in his life now?
Aunt Angela glanced at with open disdain before turning and walking back into the kitchen.
Alexander and I were left alone.
He turned toward , clearly about to say sothing.
But I noticed a staff mber passing by and stood up imdiately.
"Could you please show the bathroom?"
The woman nodded politely.
"This way, ma’am."
I followed her without looking back, though I could feel Alexander’s gaze on the entire way—until I was certain he could no longer see .
Once inside the downstairs restroom, I took a mont to steady myself.
I stood before the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
My face looked slightly pale.
I turned on the tap and splashed cool water over my skin, then smoothed my hair and adjusted my blouse before stepping back out.
As I made my way toward the living room again, I could already hear a small voice chattering nonstop, followed by Alexander’s calm replies.
When I entered, my steps slowed.
Bella sat beside him on the sofa, speaking excitedly with both hands moving as she told so story.
Alexander listened patiently, his expression softer than usual.
A loose curl had fallen across Bella’s cheek.
Without hesitation,he reached over and gently tucked it behind her ear.
The movent was instinctive.
Careful.
Tender.
I stopped walking without realizing it.
For one brief mont, a thought flashed across my mind—
Would he accept my child the sa way?
His child.
Our child.
Would he look at them that way too?
Would those hands be just as gentle?
Would that cold man everyone feared beco soft so easily... for soone so small?
My fingers unconsciously moved to rest against my lower stomach.
Before the thought could go any further, Alexander looked up and t my gaze.
I quickly lowered my hand and looked away, forcing my feet to move again.
He stood up imdiately and helped Bella down from the sofa.
"Alicia, you’re back," he said. "Let’s go have dinner."
At the sound of my na, Bella ran straight toward and grabbed my hand.
"I want to sit with Aunt Alicia today!"
I looked down at her bright little face and smiled.
But deep inside ,all I could think about was the fate of the baby in my womb.
"Aunt Alicia, do you want to sit with ?" Bella asked, looking up at with that adorable expression.
"Why not, Bella?"
Bella bounced happily.
"Yay! Let’s go!"
She tugged my hand forward.
"Careful, Bella," Alexander said calmly as he followed behind us.
Bella slowed down slightly but didn’t even bother looking back at him.
The dining room was elegant, the long table set with polished silverware and warm candlelight.
Aunt Angela sat at the head of the table.
Alexander pulled out a chair for , and I sat down, murmuring a quiet, "Thank you."
He took the seat beside .
Bella deliberately dragged her chair to my other side.
Aunt Angela noticed imdiately and frowned.
"Bella, sit properly."
"I am sitting properly," Bella replied casually before reaching under the table to hold my hand.
"Aunt Alicia, can you braid my hair later?" she asked, pouting slightly.
I was a little taken aback by how quickly she had grown attached, but seeing her hopeful expression, I nodded.
"If you’d like."
"I’d like it!"
Angela set down her utensils with a little too much force, but said nothing.
Throughout dinner, Bella asked endless questions.
What food did I like?
Did I know how to paint?
Could I bake cakes?
How long would I stay here?
Each answer I gave seed to brighten her mood.
And with every childish question, sothing inside softened too.
For a while, everything else faded.
It felt as though Bella and I were the only two people at the table.
A little soup spilled onto Bella’s cheek.
Without thinking, I reached for a napkin and gently wiped it clean.
"Thank you," she mumbled before continuing to eat.
I also turned to my plate, but just then
I felt a gaze on .
When I looked up, I t Alexander’s eyes.
He was watching us quietly.
There was sothing unreadable in his expression—sothing deep and strangely tender.
His gaze was softer than usual.
So soft that, for a mont, I forgot how to breathe.
And I couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking.
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