My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 45

An hour had passed since breakfast.

I figured Grandpa must have woken up by now, so I went to the hospital with Alexander.

When we entered the room, we found two more people—Alexander’s second aunt and a more distant cousin. In the corner, there were several boxes of gifts, clearly from visitors who had come to pay their respects.

"Ah, Alexander, Vivienne’s here."

"Second Aunt, Cousin," I greeted them as I walked in with Alexander.

Looking around, it seemed Grandpa still hadn’t woken up.

"Why don’t you sit next to Nana?" Alexander said softly to me.

There was a table and two chairs between us, but he was worried I wouldn’t be able to see clearly, so he guided me over and sat me down on the sofa next to Evelyn.

"The young couple really gets along well," Alexander’s second aunt teased, smiling at us.

She’d probably seen the news about Alexander and Isabella, but she didn’t take it seriously. After all, men were like that, right? No matter how involved they were with other women, they always came home in the end.

"That’s true. Alexander and Vivienne make the perfect match," the cousin chimed in with a smile, adding a hint of flattery.

Her relationship with the Hawthorne family was more distant, but thanks to the company’s support, she’d been able to run a small business. When she heard that Chairman Hawthorne was in the hospital, she came over immediately to show her concern and make sure Grandpa and Grandma saw her gesture.

Alexander smiled faintly and exchanged pleasantries with her. "How’s Uncle doing? I heard he recently registered a small factory..."

The cousin, seeing that Alexander wasn’t reacting negatively and was engaging with her, immediately brightened. "Yes, yes, he’s trying to expand into the handbag business..."

After a few exchanges, the cousin became noticeably more cheerful.

Without realizing it, the conversation shifted.

The cousin’s gaze moved between me and Alexander. "Alexander, you’re almost thirty, and Vivienne isn’t exactly young either. When are you two planning to have a child?"

At that, both the second aunt and Evelyn looked at me and Alexander.

The second aunt added, "Yes, it’s about time you two had a child. Vivienne’s at the right age."

I subconsciously placed my hand on my abdomen.

I was already pregnant, but I couldn’t let the father of the child know.

Alexander smiled faintly. "We’re not planning to have a child just yet."

I tightened my fingers slightly, keeping my composure as I nodded in agreement.

"I understand. Young people, you still want to enjoy your time together," Evelyn murmured. "I’ve mentioned it to them a few times, but they always brush it off. I just want to hold a grandchild, but who knows when that will happen!"

Neither Alexander nor I said anything.

We sat in the room for a little longer before the cousin stood up to leave. Evelyn urged Alexander to go to work and not stay at the hospital all day.

...

Grandpa had been in the intensive care unit for three days, and after Dr. Whitaker confirmed his improvement, he was finally moved to a regular room.

I had been at the hospital the whole time, trying to spend as much time as I could with Grandpa, chatting with him whenever possible.

My vision had also been slowly improving, and I could see much more clearly than before.

Evelyn had mostly stayed at the hospital as well, keeping Grandpa company.

Grandpa didn’t like staying in the hospital, and as soon as he left the ICU, he started asking to go home.

It took a lot of effort from everyone, including Dr. Whitaker, to convince him to stay for a few more days.

"You’re something else. It’s just a few more days in the hospital. What’s so bad about it?" Evelyn sat by the bed, peeling fruit while talking.

Grandpa muttered, "I don’t like staying in the hospital. I know my own body."

At that moment, Alexander entered the room. "Pop-Pop, you should listen to Dr. Whitaker. Stay here for a few more days, or else we’ll all be worried."

Grandpa fell silent.

Alexander glanced at me on the sofa, walked over to my side, and placed what he was holding on the table. "I passed by Silverwood Plaza and brought this for you."

It was the Black Forest cake from my favorite bakery.

I smiled up at Alexander and said, "Thank you."

I eagerly unwrapped the packaging and started enjoying the delicious treat.

As I ate, Alexander watched the smile on my face, and his lips unconsciously curled up. He sat next to me and softly said, "Eat slowly."

I looked up at him, suddenly remembering that he didn’t like sweets.

“Do you want to try some?” I asked.

Alexander nodded, his gaze soft.

I was momentarily taken aback as I picked up a piece of cake with my fork and brought it to his lips.

Alexander ate it.

Seeing our interaction, Evelyn’s face lit up with a smile as she teased, “Alexander, why didn’t you bring something for Pop-Pop and Nana? Did you forget about us?”

“Not just forget to bring us anything, I remember Alexander used to hate eating cake. He wouldn’t touch it if you tried to make him eat it, now...” Grandpa watched us, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

Since Grandpa fell ill, Alexander had been staying with me in the hospital, sharing day and night together, as if we were back in the old days.

There was no Isabella, no Divorce Settlement Agreement.

We were just a regular, peaceful couple.

Alexander noticed the blush on my cheeks, and his eyes curved into a smile.

“Enough, Pop-Pop. Vivienne is embarrassed now. She’s been coming to our house for years and still loves sweet things,” Grandpa chuckled.

Because of the bitterness inside, I longed for something sweet. After so many years, it had become a habit.

“Pop-Pop, please.”

I finished the cake and stood up to toss the wrapper in the trash. I wasn’t sure what I tripped over, but suddenly, I stumbled and fell forward.

Alexander was quick to catch me, his arm locking around my waist as our gazes met. “How careless can you be?”

I leaned against his shoulder to steady myself. “Sorry, I think I got dizzy for a second.”

The truth was, my vision still hadn’t fully cleared.

Alexander gently helped me back onto the sofa. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“I bumped my knee on the corner of the table.”

Without hesitation, Alexander knelt beside me. “Which side?”

“The left.”

He carefully lifted my skirt and saw a bruise starting to form on my pale knee.

Alexander gently pressed on it, but I immediately winced. “Don’t press it, it hurts.”

He stood up, looking down at me. “Stay here, don’t move. I’ll grab some medicine.”

“It’s fine, it’s not that bad.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

With that, he left the room.

I glanced at Grandpa and Grandma, who exchanged a look that made me feel a little embarrassed.

Evelyn cleared her throat. “Well, looks like this boy finally gets it. Vivienne, don’t be shy. You can ask him for anything.”

I blushed and nodded. “Nana, I know.”

“Pop-Pop, I know.”

A few moments later, Alexander returned with some ointment. He knelt in front of me, gently wiping my knee with an alcohol swab before applying the ointment with a cotton swab.

I watched him focus on the task, feeling a swell of emotion in my chest.

His eyes were so intent, like he was handling something precious.

After applying the ointment, Alexander taped a small bandage over the bruise and gently pulled my skirt back down. “All done.”

“Ahem, Vivienne, Alexander, you two can go now. I’ll stay here with Pop-Pop. You two go on,” Evelyn said.

Grandpa chimed in, “Yes, yes, go ahead. I’ve got Nana, the nurse, and the caregiver here. Nothing to worry about.”

“You don’t need to stick around all day. Vivienne’s been cooped up in the hospital for days. Alexander, take her out for a bite to eat, maybe a walk,” Grandpa suggested.

“Pop-Pop, I’m fine,” I protested.

“Vivienne, I know you’re a good granddaughter, but don’t forget to take care of yourself too,” he said with a knowing smile.

I glanced up at Alexander.

He nodded. “Pop-Pop and Nana, we’ll take Vivienne out for a while. If you need anything, just call me.”

Grandpa waved us off. “I’m in the hospital—what could go wrong?”

“Let’s go,” Alexander said, extending his hand to me.

I took his hand. “Let’s go. Goodbye, Pop-Pop and Nana. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hand in hand, we walked out of the hospital room.

Once we were outside, I let go of his hand, and Alexander felt a sudden emptiness.

He clenched his fist before asking, “What do you want to eat?”

“How about the new Lacroix on Stanford Street? I’ve heard it’s really good,” I suggested.

“Sounds perfect.”

We reached the garage, and I climbed into the passenger seat as Alexander drove toward Stanford Street.

During the drive, my phone rang—it was the police.