I stared at him for a moment before softly asking,

"Then... who became the new CEO?"

"It’s Tristin."

I froze slightly.

"Your cousin Tristin?"

Alexander nodded once.

I furrowed my brows in surprise.

How had I not thought of him?

Tristin Blackwood was Alexander’s distant cousin—the grandson of Grandpa Blackwood’s younger brother. He had inherited a portion of company shares from his father and had worked within Blackwood Dominion for years, though he mainly managed one of the overseas branches.

But after all these years, Tristin had rarely involved himself in headquarters affairs.

At least...

That was what everyone believed.

"But why now?" I asked slowly. "He never seemed interested in competing for leadership before."

Alexander’s gaze darkened slightly.

"He was interested."

I looked at him in surprise.

"Back then, after my father passed away, Tristin was the eldest among the younger generation. He had already graduated while I was still in school."

Alexander leaned back slightly as he spoke, his tone calm and indifferent.

"He originally assumed the company would eventually be handed to him."

"But Grandpa didn’t decide immediately. Instead, he had both of us enter the company and compete based on performance."

I listened quietly.

"After a year..." Alexander paused briefly. "Grandpa decided I was more suitable."

"And Tristin?"

"He was transferred overseas to manage another branch."

I finally understood.

No wonder.

I had never known about any of this before.

Even after moving into the Blackwood residence, I had never paid much attention to the company’s internal matters. At the time, all I cared about was building my own career and surviving quietly within the family.

It wasn’t until Grandma personally arranged for me to join the company that I became more involved.

After a moment, Alexander suddenly looked at me.

"But how did you even find out about the board meeting?"

"It’s already trending online," I replied softly. "Since this morning."

Alexander’s brows furrowed slightly.

"It spread that quickly?"

"Yeah. I was surprised too."

I paused briefly before asking,

"Did you meet Tristin at the company today?."

Alexander’s eyes narrowed faintly.

"Yeah"

"But he wasn’t alone."

"Daniel Caldwell was with him."

The moment the name left my lips, something stirred faintly in my memory.

Daniel Caldwell...

Why did that name sound so familiar?

Then I suddenly remembered the man I had met at the music theatre.

Daniel Caldwell.

I looked at Alexander in confusion.

"He’s the CEO of Echelon Industries, right?" I asked slowly. "What was he doing there?"

Alexander’s expression remained calm.

"Tristin probably doesn’t realize it yet," he said indifferently, "but Daniel is only using him."

"To gain more power?"

"And to bring me down."

I stared at him quietly.

I still remembered the warning Alexander had given me that night at the theatre.

At the time, I hadn’t understood why he seemed so cautious around Daniel.

But now...

Everything suddenly felt more complicated.

"But why?" I asked softly. "Even if you’re competitors, why would he go this far?"

For the first time, Alexander seemed slightly hesitant.

He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something.

But after a moment, he simply looked away.

"Just... some things from the past."

I frowned slightly.

There was clearly more to the story.

But seeing that he didn’t want to continue, I didn’t push further.

"Stop overthinking," Alexander suddenly said as he looked back at me. "Even if I’m no longer the CEO of Blackwood Dominion, I can still support you and the baby comfortably."

I wasn’t surprised.

After leading Blackwood Dominion for years, Alexander had already built countless personal investments and business connections outside the company.

Money was probably the last thing he needed to worry about.

Still...

I couldn’t help asking,

"Are you really okay with giving the company to Tristin?"

Alexander raised a brow slightly.

"I’m not trying to interfere," I continued carefully, "but... what if this was his plan from the beginning?"

I hesitated briefly before speaking again.

"I know you might feel somewhat guilty toward him because he was older and originally expected to inherit the company. But Grandpa chose you because of your ability, not luck."

I looked at him seriously.

"You don’t have to step aside for anyone."

For a moment, Alexander simply stared at me.

Then his expression softened faintly.

He reached over and gently patted my arm.

"Don’t worry," he said calmly. "I know exactly what I’m doing."

His voice carried the same steady confidence as always.

"In business, the only constant thing is interest."

"There are no permanent allies or enemies. The board members may not involve themselves in daily operations, but the moment their interest are affected, they’ll act immediately."

His gaze darkened slightly.

"Whoever can generate profit for them is the person they’ll support."

I looked at him quietly.

"Not everyone can sit in the CEO position of a company like Blackwood Dominion."

I understood what he meant.

The position wasn’t something that could simply be maintained through ambition alone.

After a brief silence, I asked softly,

"But... what if Tristin actually succeeds?"

Alexander looked at me for a moment before giving a faint smile.

"Then I’ll accept losing."

There was no reluctance in his voice.

No anger either.

"Right now," he said quietly, "I just want to spend more time with you."

For some reason, hearing him say that made the heaviness in my chest ease slightly.

Alexander lowered his gaze toward my stomach before gently placing his hand against it.

"Has the baby moved yet?" he asked softly.

I shook my head lightly.

"Not yet."

His brows furrowed immediately.

"Then let’s go for another checkup tomorrow."

His voice was low and careful, filled with concern.

Alexander’s POV

I once read in one of the pregnancy books that statistically, by the seventeenth week of pregnancy, the miscarriage rate drops significantly once fetal movement begins.

For mothers who had already felt the baby move, the risk was extremely low.

But for those who hadn’t...

The chances became far more concerning.

Even in cases of threatened miscarriage, the survival rate remained high if fetal movement was present.

Alicia was already eighteen weeks pregnant.

Yet the baby still hadn’t moved.

The last time we visited the hospital, the doctor mentioned signs of a threatened miscarriage. Although the baby’s heartbeat remained stable, the development was still slightly behind schedule.

The thought alone made my chest tighten.

We needed another examination soon.

No matter what...

I had to protect this child.

Our child.

Our first child.

The entire day, I stayed home with Alicia.

I personally made sure she ate on time, took her medication properly, and rested enough.

Strangely...

I didn’t find any of it troublesome.

If anything, it felt unexpectedly fulfilling.

This was the first time in my life I had ever taken care of someone so carefully.

And for the first time, I realized I actually enjoyed it.

After Alicia fell asleep for her afternoon nap, I went to the study and picked up one of the parenting books I had bought earlier.

Not long after, my phone rang.

It was one of the men assigned to monitor Lilian...