Chapter 82
Anyone could see that Charlotte had sent Hazel up to investigate. One visit was unlikely to be enough to reassure her. Hazel might even come back again.
Alexander paused for a few seconds, then turned and walked back toward Natalie.
She looked up at him, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. The light summer nightgown she wore one she’d left here years ago-clung to her body, hinting at the curves beneath.
Clad in dark blue silk pajamas, Alexander leaned down slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. “You want me to stay p>
His warm breath was close, his dark eyes intense and magnetic. His deep voice was a soft caress by her ear.
Natalie’s cheeks flushed. She averted her gaze and pulled the comforter up higher, wrapping it around herself.
“I’m just worried Hazel might come back. Since you don’t seem concerned, I have nothing to worry about either. You can go now. I need to sleep p>
She immediately lay down, burrowing under the covers and turning her back to him. Alexander’s lips curved into a silent smile.
Natalie listened intently for any movement behind her, her hands clutching the edge of the comforter.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “If Hazel comes back, I’ll just tell her that if Grandma wants us to have a baby soon, she should stop interrupting us p>
Natalie’s back went rigid. She flipped over to face him, but he was already at the door. “If you say that, you’ll just get her hopes up! You know we’re not going to have a child p>
Alexander didn’t turn around, only glancing back slightly. “Do you have a better idea p>
Her options were to either let him sleep in the bed with her or go with his plan. Natalie wanted neither.
When she didn’t answer, a mocking tone entered his voice. “You can’t have it both ways. This was never real to begin with, and sooner or later, Grandma will find out the truth. It’s all a lie, so why bother splitting hairs over the details p>
With that, he closed the door to the sitting area behind him.
Staring at the closed door, Natalie remained silent for a long time.
Alexander tossed the pillow onto the sofa and walked out onto the balcony, his expression grim. Natalie’s words echoed in his mind: “You know we’re not going to have a child p>
The night was still as water. After a moment, he took out his phone and called Aaron Lee.
“Go find Dr. Main. Tell him I want the truth p>
Sometime later, Aaron called back. Alexander answered, his face an emotionless mask. “Speak p>
“I put the fear of God into Dr. Main, and he finally came clean. He said your grandmother is just pretending to be sick. There’s nothing seriously wrong with her. She put him up to a of this p>
That day at the hospital, Alexander had tried to pull Dr. Main aside to discuss bringing in a specialist secretly, but Charlotte’s reaction had been extreme. More importantly, he had noticed nutshells near the foot of the hospital bed. Intensive care units have incredibly striet hygiene standards; there was no reason for nutshells to be there. He knew his
grandmother loved nuts, though she ate them less now that she was older and her teeth weren’t as strong. A seed of doubt had been planted, and just as he’d suspected, Aaron’s questioning confirmed it.
The next morning, Natalie woke up and glanced at the clock. It was already 7:30 AM. Breakfast at the Ramirez Estate was usually served at this time, and she was still in bed.
She quickly got up to wash and get
dressed. When she came out,
Alexander was sitting on the sofa, dressed in a sharp suit bis long legs,
crossed as he read the financial
news on a tablet.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked.
“I did,” he replied casually. “You didn’t wake up p>
Natalie was speechless. She didn’t believe him for a second. “There’s no way I was
sleeping that deeply. Fine, I’ll just set my own alarm from now on p>
Alexander stood up, and just as he was about to speak, he sneezed.
“Are you coming down with a cold?” Natalie asked, looking at him skeptically.
So much for not being frail.
Reading her doubtful expression, Alexander raised an eyebrow. “Does a sneeze automatically mean I have a cold p>
So stubborn.
Natalie couldn’t be bothered to argue. “If you’re fine, then let’s go downstairs. We shouldn’t keep the family waiting p>
When they arrived at the dining room, Gabriel, Savannah, and Charlotte were already seated at the table.
“I’m so sorry, I overslept,” Natalie apologized.
Savannah shot her a look. “You’re not new to this family. Have you forgotten the
rules of this house p>