"What?"
Sophie blinked.
"You didn’t know?"
"It was all over the news and social media."
I slowly shook my head.
"I stayed away from everything related to Velaridge City."
"And I barely checked my social media accounts during those two years."
Understanding flashed across her face.
"That explains why none of us could reach you."
"So..."
I looked at her.
"Lilian was really hiding with Daniel?"
"Yeah."
Sophie nodded again.
"By then she’d already lost it. She kept demanding they call Alexander."
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
"And believe it or not, that jerk actually refused to help her."
She paused, carefully watching my expression.
When she saw nothing but curiosity, she continued.
"People said that after Alexander cut ties with her, she ran to Daniel Caldwell."
"But then Daniel got arrested."
"A few days later, the police found Lilian hiding in his apartment."
I sat there quietly.
This was all completely new to me.
The only thing I knew was that Daniel Caldwell had been arrested shortly after Nana passed away.
I remembered seeing it on the television after being discharged from the hospital, when Alexander was trying his best to get me to open up again.
How many other things had happened while I was away?
A quiet pang settled in my chest.
Back then...
I had accused Alexander of secretly protecting Lilian.
I believed everything she told me over the phone.
I never imagined she had actually been hiding with Daniel Caldwell all along.
I was still lost in thought when the atmosphere inside the café subtly changed.
The quiet chatter around us gradually died down.
People began turning toward the entrance.
Even the waitresses slowed their steps.
Instinctively, I looked up.
Alexander had arrived.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit beneath a long black coat, he walked inside with his usual unreadable expression and those icy blue eyes that always seemed impossible to read.
No matter how many times I saw him...
His presence always drew every eye in the room.
His gaze swept across the café.
The moment it found mine...
The coldness in his eyes softened almost instantly.
Without hesitation, he walked toward our table.
Aimy was busy playing with her straw and hadn’t noticed him yet.
I deliberately stayed quiet.
If she saw him now, she’d probably shout loud enough for the entire café to hear.
Which was the last thing we needed considering everyone was already watching him.
Beside me, Sophie quietly leaned closer.
"Is he always like that?"
I raised a brow.
"Like what?"
"So..."
She searched for the right word.
"Intimidating."
I couldn’t help laughing.
By then, Alexander had already reached us.
"Hey."
His voice was gentle.
Then he leaned down and kissed my cheek.
Heat instantly rushed to my face.
I quickly looked away, suddenly becoming very interested in the table.
Even now...
I still wasn’t used to how openly affectionate he had become.
The sound of his voice finally caught Aimy’s attention.
She looked up.
"Daddy!"
She shouted excitedly.
I quickly covered her little mouth.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My CEO HUSBAND sign the divorce