Lilliana pushed Joshua away. “Joshua, I’m being serious!”

Joshua touched her belly, tenderness in his eyes. “I am, too. In just a month, we’ll feel the baby move. It’s my first time being a dad, and I value our life together. Lilliana, you need to trust me. I’ve never cheated on you. You are the only person I’ve ever loved. Do you understand?”

Lilliana’s tears had drained her, leaving her eyes empty. His mention of the baby moving soon struck her deeply. As a mother, she wanted to provide her baby with a happy and complete family.

Because of that, her heart began to soften.

“Joshua…” She felt moved, and her doubts began to fade. With tears still in her eyes, she said, “Joshua, promise me you won’t let me down.”

Joshua felt relief wash over him when he heard her response. He ran his hand gently along her back. “I promise. I won’t go into the office for the next few days. I’ll be right here with you every moment. Does that sound good?”

Lilliana nodded in response.

Lаtєst chαptєrs in g𝗮l𝗻ov𝗲ls.ｃοm

Once Joshua had managed to get Lilliana to sleep, his gentle expression faded.

Meanwhile, Alicia opened the bag Caden had given her. Inside, she found several types of underwear. Some were disposable, and others were made of soft cotton. The designs were simple, nothing fancy, but well-made.

Alicia changed into the cotton ones, a strange feeling settling over her. She touched her cheek and noticed it was flushed. She gazed out the window, and the view of the autumn landscape pulled her thoughts elsewhere.

Before she realized it, sleep overtook her once again.

When Alicia woke up, she felt someone holding her close. Whoever it was, their scent was familiar.

Still half-asleep, she instinctively pushed the person away. “We’re in a hospital. Don’t be so reckless… Wait.”

All of a sudden, her hand felt something unusually soft. She opened her eyes groggily and realized she was gripping a soft breast, likely a C-cup. Startled, she opened her eyes fully and looked up. “Monica?”

Alicia turned away, trying to recover from her embarrassment. “When did you get here?”

Monica squinted at her and leaned in closer. “Who exactly did you think I was?”

Alicia found herself speechless.

She had felt comforted by the scent, thinking it belonged to Caden.

“I… ” Alicia turned her head, avoiding Monica’s gaze. “No one. I was just having a wet dream.”

Monica didn’t seem convinced.

“Right, because I’ve had wet dreams too,” she said sarcastically. “You looked way too guilty for it to be a mere wet dream.”

Monica’s expression hardened. “Who’s this mystery man you’re hiding?”

Alicia responded smoothly, “Definitely not Joshua. You can be sure of that.”

“Did you sleep with that man?” Monica pressed.

Alicia groaned and closed her eyes. “Suddenly, my head is killing me.”

Monica stared at her, exasperated.

Frustrated, Monica gave Alicia’s butt a few light slaps.

Monica then looked at her seriously. “Are you truly happy with him?”

Alicia paused for a moment to ponder.

In some ways, yes. Especially when it came to sex.

Caden had a touch that was hard to forget.

“Yeah, I suppose,” she muttered.

He had come to her rescue more than once.

And even if his intentions weren’t entirely selfless, it didn’t change the fact that he had helped her a lot.

Seeing that Alicia seemed content, Monica decided to let it go.

“So, how long do you plan to keep pretending with Joshua?”

Alicia sighed. “At first, I planned to gather stronger evidence through the Gray family, but it turned out to be far more challenging than I expected. I had barely started, and now I’m stuck here in the hospital,” she said solemnly.

Monica gave her a concerned look. “For now, avoid anything too dangerous. Try to find other evidence.”

“I’ve already hired someone to dig up proof of Joshua’s affair with Lilliana during our marriage. Maybe that’ll be enough,” Alicia replied.

“Joshua is a crafty man,” Monica warned. “And even if you manage to get all the evidence you need, what then? Have you thought about how you’ll handle retaliation from the Yates and Green families?”

Alicia had once been fearless, feeling invincible because nothing had happened before. But now, with her injuries, she realized just how dangerous these people truly were.

Monica knew they had to plan carefully.

Alicia tightened her fists, determination etched in her eyes.

Caden’s image surfaced in her thoughts.

Facing both powerful families alone would be impossible, but with a strong ally, she had a chance to change the outcome.

Once Monica was sure Alicia was alright, she slipped out of the hospital, avoiding any trouble with the nurses.

Shortly after Monica left, Hank entered the room, carrying a fruit basket and flowers.

“Ms. Bennett, are you okay?” he asked.

Alicia accepted the gifts with a polite smile. “They’re just a few minor injuries. Thank you.”

“I’m terrible at picking gifts, and I wasn’t sure what you’d like. Mr. Ward chose the fruit basket and flowers,” Hank said, glancing around the room. He relaxed when he saw only a nurse in the single-occupancy ward. “It’s getting late. I’ll be on my way now. Rest well.”

Alicia nodded. “Alright. Take care on your way back.”

Once Hank left, she eyed the luxurious fruit basket, feeling confused.

Since when had she gotten so close to Hank?

As soon as Hank left the hospital, he sent Caden a message. “Mr. Yates didn’t spend the night at the hospital.”