Chapter 64: Chapter sixty four:"I don’t love her"
Lilian blinked, caught off guard. "I did it myself."
"Impressive," Sophie replied warmly. "It’s much better than Miss Lisa’s, don’t you think?"
For a split second, Lilian stiffened, a strained smile forming on her lips.
Sophie’s smile didn’t falter, but her words turned sharp. "If your taste isn’t quite refined, Miss Lilian, perhaps you should listen to others’ opinions. Don’t be blindly confident. If sothing goes wrong, you can always bla soone else."
Lilian’s face turned pale, and she bit her lower lip.
"Let’s go, Alicia," Sophie said, gently pulling her away.
As Alicia adjusted the shopping bags in her hands, her purse slipped and fell to the floor, its contents spilling out. She quickly set the bags aside and crouched down to gather her things, with Sophie helping her. Once everything was packed, they left.
Behind them, Lilian’s trembling voice rang out.
"Alexander, I didn’t know... I really didn’t know it would turn out like this. Sophia was in charge of the PR that day—we didn’t expect her to do sothing like that. I’ll apologize to Alicia. If she wants
to leave you, I will. I shouldn’t have co back... I shouldn’t have returned. I’ll leave now..."
Her voice broke, frantic and unsteady.
Alexander pulled her into his arms, gently patting her shoulder. "Lilian, it’s not your fault. Don’t bla yourself. You haven’t wronged Alicia."
He paused, then continued, his tone firm.
"It’s . I don’t love her. I’m the one who wants a divorce. Even if you weren’t here, I would’ve divorced her. I only married her to appease my grandmother."
—
As Alicia and Sophie walked away, Alicia suddenly realized sothing.
"My card..." she muttered, checking her purse. "It’s missing. Sophie, wait here—I’ll go check near the entrance."
"Okay, hurry," Sophie replied.
Alicia retraced her steps.
As she approached the spot where her purse had fallen, Alexander’s voice reached her ears—
"It’s not your fault. It’s
who doesn’t love her. I want a divorce. Even if you weren’t here, I would’ve divorced her. I only married her to appease my grandmother."
Her steps halted.
She froze completely, as if every drop of blood in her body had turned to ice. The cold seeped deep into her bones, leaving her unable to move.lilian noticed her and asked, hesitant and trembling. "Is that true? You don’t love her... you love ?"
"Yes," Alexander replied quietly. "I don’t love her. I love you."
The words struck Alicia like a crushing blow.
Her heart trembled violently.
She had always known.
She knew Alexander didn’t love her. She knew his heart belonged to Lilian.
But hearing him say it out loud...
It felt as though her heart was being torn apart, piece by piece. The pain was suffocating, as if her chest had split open, every fragnt of her bleeding.
So he had always planned to divorce her.
Maybe he had already decided on it after returning from his business trip—ready to file the papers.
Lilian’s return had only accelerated what was already inevitable.
Alicia had once clung to the hope that their marriage might last... that perhaps he would never bring up divorce.
But those were just illusions.
Even if he never said it, deep down, she had always known—
One day, they would reach this point.
She had once wondered...
If Lilian hadn’t returned, would Alexander have learned to love her?
Now she had her answer.
Even without Lilian, he never would have.
A staff mber approached her politely. "Excuse , miss. Were you looking for a card? I saw it slide away when your purse fell, so I picked it up."
Alicia took the card. "Thank you."
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
—
Behind her, Alexander suddenly turned, catching sight of her retreating figure.
All he saw was her slender back—lonely, distant, and resolute.
A strange discomfort stirred within him.
"Alexander, what are you looking at?" Lilian asked softly.
"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head as his gaze dropped.
Alicia tightened her grip on the card, took a deep breath, and walked back toward Sophie.
Alicia’s POV
A staff mber approached and led us to our table. We sat down and placed our orders, though my mind was far from the present mont.
After a while, the dishes began to arrive, and we started eating. I forced myself to act normal, doing everything I could to keep Sophie from noticing the turmoil raging inside .
As I absentmindedly dipped a slice of at into the broth, my thoughts drifted even further. Suddenly, the hot broth splashed onto my hand—but I felt nothing at first.
"Alicia—oh no! How could you be so careless?" Sophie exclaid, quickly grabbing a napkin and dabbing at my hand.
By then, my skin had already turned red and swollen from the burn.
"Does it hurt? Is it bad? Should we go to the hospital?" she asked anxiously.
I gave a small smile and shook my head. "It’s fine. I’ll just put so ointnt on it when I get back."
Sophie frowned, muttering under her breath, "How did you even manage to burn yourself like that?"
"I was distracted... not paying attention," I replied quietly. "I’ll rinse it off in the restroom."
With that, I stood up and walked toward the sink, letting the cool water run over the burn.
As I turned off the tap, I caught a glimpse of soone standing behind
in the mirror.
I stepped aside, intending to walk past her.
"Alicia, I need to talk to you about Alexander."
Lilian’s voice carried a faint, knowing smile.
I paused, glancing at her. "What about him?" I asked evenly.
She took a step closer. "I only found out a few days ago that you two are married."
I raised a brow, letting out a soft, disbelieving laugh. "And? Are you expecting
to leave him?"
I didn’t buy her words for a second. She claid she had just learned about our marriage, yet from the very beginning, Kendra had been targeting . They were business partners—none of this added up unless there was sothing more between them.
Lilian’s expression stiffened for a fraction of a second.
"So... you’re not planning to leave him?" she asked, tilting her head as though my reaction surprised her.
I t her gaze calmly. "What exactly are you trying to say? Or do you want
to step aside for you?"
She inhaled slowly, composing herself before that polished smile returned.
"Alicia, don’t be so quick to judge. What Alexander and I have... isn’t sothing you can reduce to a few words."
I smiled back, though my patience was thinning. "I’m not interested in whatever you think you have with him."
"Oh, it’s not that you’re uninterested," Lilian replied, her smile widening. "You’re just afraid to face the truth."
She took another step closer, her voice soft but deliberate.
"What I share with Alexander is different. You admire him—look up to him. But with , it goes far deeper. We went to college together. We grew from na??ve teenagers into who we are today. We faced hardships side by side... our lives are intertwined in ways you could never understand."
My fingers tightened against the fabric of my clothes as a bitter wave rose in my chest.
She wasn’t entirely wrong.
I had always looked up to Alexander.
When I first entered the Blackwood family, I could only steal fleeting glances at him whenever he returned to the mansion from his apartnt. I would linger by his study, watching him from afar, my heart swelling with a quiet, secret joy.
And back then... the one who stood openly by his side, proud and unafraid—
was Lilian.
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