Dinner continued under a cloud of unspoken tension. I tried to engage Nana in conversation, though she seemed distracted. Usually, she would tease me endlessly, asking about our lives and joking about everything.
But tonight felt different.
"Alexander," Nana suddenly said, her gaze fixed on him, "I saw on the news earlier that there's a scandal involving you and that Summer girl."
Alexander stiffened slightly before replying calmly, "It's nothing serious, Nana. We've already taken care of it."
"That's good," Nana said, her tone firm. "But you know you must stay away from her, right? I know you used to date, but that was in the past. You're married to Alicia now. Lilian's return shouldn't affect your marriage."
Alexander's expression grew even more rigid.
"I heard the company is collaborating with her," Nana continued. "Just let Alicia handle it. Don't get involved, or you'll end up hurting your wife."
I lowered my gaze to my plate, not daring to look up or interrupt their conversation.
Alexander slowly set down his utensils and looked at Nana seriously.
"Nana, I've decided to—"
He was suddenly cut off by Nana's violent coughing.
I quickly grabbed a glass of water and handed it to her.
"Are you alright, Nana?" I asked anxiously.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the concern on Alexander's face as well.
"I'm fine," she said quietly after taking a sip of water.
"Have you been seeing the doctor lately?" Alexander asked, his voice filled with worry. "What did he say about your health?"
"That's not what you should be worried about," Nana replied firmly.
She looked straight at Alexander.
"I married Alicia to you so I could rest easy, knowing she was in the right hands. You agreed to this, and now you're behaving like this."
She paused, her breathing uneven.
"If you truly want to see me happy, then you must keep your promise and make Alicia happy. Otherwise…"
She broke into another fit of coughing.
"Calm down, Nana," I said quickly, supporting her shoulders.
After catching her breath, she finally finished her sentence.
"I will never forgive you if you hurt Alicia again."
Her words were firm and unmistakable.
Alexander fell silent.
The atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy, as if her words carried a weight that pressed down on everyone at the table.
"Come on, Nana," I said gently, trying to lighten the mood. "Why are you worrying about us like we're children?"
I smiled softly.
"I already told you earlier that Alexander and I can handle our own problems. You don't need to trouble yourself, okay?"
Her gaze softened as she looked at me.
"You're such a good girl, Alicia," she said warmly. "Unlike some ungrateful fools."
Her eyes briefly shifted toward the quiet Alexander.
"And I don't want you to suffer."
"I know, Nana," I replied gently. "That's why you need to take care of yourself and stop worrying about us. We're adults."
She finally gave a satisfied smile and fell silent.
I glanced at Alexander.
For some reason, his gaze had softened.
He was quietly watching the interaction between Nana and me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
We left the mansion after dinner. As the car drove through the city streets, I couldn't help but glance at Alexander. He looked lost in thought, his gaze distant.
I wondered what he was thinking.
After seeing Nana's condition, I was certain he wouldn't want to break the news of our divorce to her. Even though she hadn't said anything directly, we both knew she wasn't well. And judging by her reaction earlier, it was obvious she would never accept our decision.
"You saw Nana's reaction. What's your plan now?" I asked quietly.
I knew how much he cared about his grandmother. No matter what happened, he would never do anything that would upset her.