Chapter 141: Chapter 142: Public claim
The next day, our flight was scheduled for noon.
Since I had already finished the urgent work on my side, I allowed myself to sleep in for once.
When I woke, it was already around nine.
After washing up, I went downstairs.
Alexander wasn’t at the villa.
He had a morning eting and was likely already at the office.
Maria had prepared breakfast and neatly arranged everything on the dining table.
"Thank you," I said as I walked over.
Only then did I notice Maria still standing nearby, looking as though she wanted to say sothing.
"Is sothing on your mind, Maria?" I asked.
She hesitated.
Then, after a mont, she lowered her voice carefully.
"Alicia... has your period been late lately?"
I froze.
She must have noticed that I hadn’t used any of the sanitary products kept in the master bedroom or in the upstairs bathroom for quite so ti.
After a brief pause, I nodded.
"Oh, Alicia..."
Maria sighed anxiously.
"Why didn’t you go to the doctor sooner? It could be—"
"I already went," I interrupted gently.
Her eyes widened.
"And what did the doctor say?"
Her face brightened instantly, as though she were hearing news about her own daughter.
"It’s exactly what you think."
For a second, Maria simply stared.
Then joy burst across her face.
"Really?"
"That’s wonderful!"
She clasped her hands together, visibly delighted.
Then she leaned closer, lowering her voice again.
"Does Mr. Alexander know yet?"
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
I shook my head.
"He doesn’t know."
Then I added quietly,
"Maria, you have to keep this a secret for ."
"What?"
She blinked in shock.
"Why?"
"Because things between Alexander and
are still unstable."
I lowered my gaze.
"There’s still a chance we could divorce."
And truthfully—
Even now, I still felt uneasy about where our relationship stood.
Maria frowned imdiately.
"But if Mr. Alexander knows you’re pregnant, he definitely won’t want a divorce."
Her tone was certain, almost comforting.
I gave a faint smile.
"It’s not that simple."
Maria clearly didn’t fully understand, but after thinking for a mont, she nodded.
"Alright."
"I’ll help you keep it from him for now."
Then she glanced at my stomach aningfully.
"But once your belly starts showing..."
"We’ll deal with that when the ti cos."
Though even as I said it, I knew that ti would arrive sooner than I wanted.
At twelve o’clock, Alexander returned from the office, and we had lunch at ho before leaving.
Afterward, Jim drove us to the airport.
The others were already waiting.
For this trip, Alexander had brought five employees.
Aside from Jane, the Executive Assistant to the CEO, there was Sophia and three other senior staff mbers.
Of everyone present, only Jane knew the true nature of my relationship with Alexander.
When we arrived, the group was standing near the private jet.
Alexander stepped out first, then reached back for .
I took his hand and followed him down.
The mont we approached, Jane imdiately ca forward.
"You’re here, CEO Blackwood. Director Alicia."
I nodded politely.
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes, Boss."
Jim and Jane moved to handle our luggage while the rest of the staff stepped forward one after another to greet us.
"CEO Blackwood."
"Director Alicia."
I acknowledged them calmly.
Then my gaze shifted toward Sophia.
She was standing slightly to the side, her expression frozen the mont she saw .
Clearly, she hadn’t expected this.
I had never been among the originally approved mbers of the New York trip.
Yet here I was.
For a second, she simply stared.
Then she quickly recovered and walked forward.
"CEO Blackwood," she greeted first before turning to .
"Director Alicia... I didn’t know you were part of the trip."
Her tone was polite.
Too polite.
I smiled faintly.
"What a coincidence."
"I didn’t expect you to be replacing Director Simon either."
Her smile stiffened for the briefest mont.
As though she suspected I knew exactly how she had secured her place on this trip.
But she said nothing more.
We boarded the jet one after another.
The cabin was spacious, with individual seats arranged toward the rear and a lounge area in front furnished with wide leather sofas and a low table.
Out of habit, I moved toward the staff seating area.
I was just about to sit down when a firm hand caught my wrist.
I froze and turned.
Alexander stood beside , his expression calm as though nothing unusual had happened.
"This way," he said simply.
Before I could respond, he led
toward the front lounge.
For a brief second, I was too stunned to react.
Only when we stopped beside the sofa did I glance back.
Everyone else was looking at us.
Their expressions were carefully controlled, but the surprise in their eyes was obvious.
Even Sophia’s face had stiffened.
Alexander, however, seed completely unaware of the effect he had caused.
Or perhaps—
He simply didn’t care.
He released my wrist only after I sat down.
Then he took the seat next to mine and casually opened a financial magazine.
As if publicly pulling
away from the staff section and seating
beside him ant absolutely nothing.
I lowered my eyes and reached for a magazine of my own.
But inside, my heartbeat had already beco unsteady.
??From the corner of my eye, I felt a sharp gaze burning into .
??I turned slightly.
??Sophia was staring.
??Her expression was dark, restrained, but impossible to miss.
??I said nothing.
??Instead, I opened the magazine in my hand and turned the page leisurely.
??Monts later, the flight hostess approached and served tea.
??The cabin remained quiet.
The journey from Velaridge City to New York only took a few hours.
Soon, our private jet landed.
When we stepped out, several black SUVs were already waiting on the tarmac. Secretaries moved efficiently to unload the luggage while representatives from the New York branch greeted us and coordinated the transfer.
Alexander held my hand as he led
toward one of the vehicles, while the others entered separate cars.
As our car pulled away, I noticed the vehicles carrying the rest of the staff gradually turned onto a different route.
I glanced at Alexander and asked hesitantly, "Why did the other cars go another way?"
He turned to
calmly.
"They’re heading to the hotel."
I frowned.
"Aren’t we staying at a hotel too?"
"They are," he said evenly. "We’re not."
I didn’t fully understand what he ant, but I didn’t ask further.
About twenty minutes later, the car slowed and stopped in front of a private villa.
I stepped out and looked up.
The property stood within an exclusive residential estate—quiet, secure, and immaculately maintained. The detached villa was elegant and modern, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, pale stone walls, manicured hedges, and warm golden lights glowing from inside. A marble driveway curved neatly toward the entrance, where a fountain shimred beneath the evening light.
Luxury without being loud.
Tasteful without trying too hard.
Typical Alexander.
I was genuinely taken aback.
Seeing
stare, Alexander’s lips curved slightly.
"Do you like it?"
"It’s beautiful," I admitted, nodding.
"If you like it, you should co here more often."
"Let’s see about that."
My answer was a little curt.
Alexander raised a brow.
"What? You don’t want to co?"
"No, that’s not it..." I said quietly, before quickly changing the subject. "Does this place belong to you?"
"Yeah. I co here often for business. Staying in hotels wasn’t convenient."
I nodded in understanding, then asked quietly as we walked inside,
"So whenever you co to see Lilian... you stay here too?"
Alexander stiffened.
Then he stepped forward and caught my hand.
"I stay here," he said. "But she’s never been here."
I looked at him.
"Why are you so eager to explain?"
"..."
He said nothing.
Seeing his reaction, I smiled teasingly.
"So when Lilian cos to see you, you don’t let her in?"
Alexander remained silent again before changing the subject.
"Let’s finish unpacking first."
I looked at his expression and let out a soft laugh.
In the past, hearing about him being with Lilian would have broken my heart.
But sowhere along the way—
It had stopped hurting the sa way it once did.
Kessy, the young housekeeper, welcod us warmly and helped bring in the luggage. The villa’s interior was sleek, luxurious, and impeccably clean—but unmistakably masculine, decorated in Alexander’s restrained taste. There was one master bedroom, where our things had been placed, and two guest rooms which were plain with no decorations,kessy said it’s because no one has ever used them .
While Alexander freshened up, Kessy showed
around. Then she smiled shyly.
"Ma’am, you and Mr. Alexander look perfect together."
I frowned slightly. "How do you know there’s sothing between us?"
"You’re the first woman ever brought here in three years," she whispered.
??
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