"Alexander... there’s no point talking about that right now." I said quietly,

Not long ago, he had still been with Lilian.

Now she was lying injured in a hospital because of him.

And yet he was standing here asking whether I cared for him.

What exactly was he thinking?

"How is it meaningless?" Alexander took a step closer.

"You should worry more about treating your wounds and getting some rest," I replied calmly. "That way, you can go see Lilian tomorrow morning."

The moment her name left my lips, Alexander’s expression changed.

As if realisation just hit him.

His brows tightened immediately.

"I was meeting business associates earlier," he explained quickly. "They left before me. I got attacked afterward. I don’t even know where Lilian came from. She suddenly rushed over and got hurt trying to protect me..."

"So it was just a coincidence?" I asked quietly.

"Yes."

He looked directly into my eyes and nodded without hesitation.

"If you don’t believe me, you can ask Jane or Jim. I really didn’t know she’d be there."

"You don’t need to explain yourself to me."

Honestly, if Alexander wanted to be with Lilian, he could simply do it openly.

There was no need to hide it.

No need to invent coincidences.

And besides...

The fact that Lilian had taken a knife for him was touching enough already, wasn’t it?

All Alexander needed to do was agree to the divorce.

Then I would gladly step aside and fulfill their wishes.

Alexander stared at me silently, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

"You don’t trust me anymore?" he asked quietly, almost as if he had only just realized it himself.

I lowered my gaze.

After a long silence, I finally answered,

"I used to."

"But whether I trust you or not anymore... doesn’t really matter now."

His expression stiffened instantly.

For the first time, Alexander seemed unable to find the right words.

"Alicia, I..."

I interrupted him softly.

"No matter what happened, Lilian was hurt because of you. You shouldn’t leave her alone in the hospital."

After saying that, I turned and walked away.

Behind me, Alexander suddenly reached out, as if trying to hold onto something.

But in the end—

My sleeve slipped through his fingers.

Leaving his hand empty.

Third Person POV

The sharp scent of disinfectant filled Lilian’s senses as consciousness slowly returned to her.

The morning light filtered faintly through the hospital curtains.

When she opened her eyes, only Lucas Summer was sitting beside the bed.

Her lips moved weakly.

"Where’s Alexander?"

Lucas glanced at her calmly. "What do you think?" he replied flatly. "He didn’t come. He sent his assistant instead."

Disappointment washed across Lilian’s pale face instantly.

"Did you ask Jane why he didn’t come?"

She could hardly understand it.

After everything...

She had taken a knife for him.

How could Alexander not come see her?

Was it because of Alicia?

Lucas leaned back slightly, almost amused by her reaction. "Jane said CEO Blackwood is very grateful for what you did. He’ll cover all your medical expenses until you recover fully and make sure the police catch the attackers."

Lilian stared at him in disbelief.

That was it?

She had nearly died for him—

And he still refused to come?

Had he really become this cold?

Lucas continued casually, "I also overheard Jane asking the doctor whether you were fit to fly."

Lilian’s eyes widened instantly.

"Fit to fly?" she repeated hoarsely.

She was lying in a hospital bed after taking a knife for Alexander—

And he was already thinking about sending her away?

Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why didn’t you tell me he planned to send you abroad?"

"I thought..." Lilian clenched the blanket tightly. "I thought he might change his mind after some time."

Exhaustion overtook her as she sank back against the pillows.

"So... what now?" she murmured weakly. "Alexander doesn’t look like he’ll ever change his mind."

Initially, Lilian had believed she understood him.

She thought putting herself in danger again would make him feel guilty—just like before. She thought he would compensate her, soften toward her.

But this time...

Everything was different.

Lucas let out a quiet sigh. "The doctor said your condition still isn’t stable enough for travel. Rest first. Once you recover, we’ll proceed with the next step."

"There are only a few days left!" Lilian’s voice trembled with urgency. "What’s taking you so long?"

The moment her condition improved, Alexander would send her overseas.

Lucas’ patience finally wore thin.

"Panicking now won’t help you," he snapped coldly. "I told you to let me handle things, didn’t I? But you insisted on acting recklessly."

His expression darkened.

"If Alexander investigates this properly and traces everything back to you..."

He stopped abruptly.

A knock sounded at the door.

Jane stood outside the room.

"Miss Lilian, you’re awake?"

"Yes," Lilian replied stiffly.

"May I come in?"

Lucas glanced briefly at Lilian. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

She closed her eyes in irritation, clearly unwilling to deal with Jane.

Understanding immediately, Lucas stood up and said firmly, "She’s still weak. Let her rest."

Jane nodded politely. "Understood. Then I won’t disturb Miss Lilian further."

She paused briefly before adding, "On behalf of CEO Blackwood, I’d like to express his gratitude."

With that, Jane quietly left the room.

Lucas turned to the door.

Lilian looked up immediately. "Brother... are you leaving too?"

"I have things to deal with," he answered flatly.

He stopped near the door before speaking again.

"I’ll try to convince Mom to visit you."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"But remember—don’t let her notice anything about our next move."

Lilian hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.

Without another word, Lucas walked out, leaving her alone in the silent hospital room.

<<<<<<>>>>>

Lilian remained alone in the hospital room for most of the day.

Only the nurses came and went, bringing her meals and handling everything according to Jane’s instructions.

By evening, a knock sounded at the door.

Lilian had been lying in bed absentmindedly, replaying everything that had gone wrong. The moment she heard the knock, she looked up instinctively, hope flashing across her face.

For a brief second, she thought it was Alexander.

But the moment the door opened, the light in her eyes dimmed slightly.

"Mom... it’s you."

Evelyn Summer stood at the doorway silently for a moment before stepping inside.

"Were you expecting someone else?" she asked matter-of-factly.

She carried a thermal food container in one hand and a bag in the other.

As Evelyn set the things down, her gaze swept across the room. It was far too quiet. Too empty.

No flowers.

No visitors.

Not even someone staying behind to keep Lilian company.

A faint sigh escaped her lips.

"How did things end up like this?"

Although she asked the question calmly, Lilian had the strange feeling her mother already knew the answer. She simply wanted to hear it from her directly.

Under Evelyn’s steady gaze, Lilian finally lowered her eyes and began talking....