Chapter 97
Grace's POV
Alex's eyes found mine first, scanning me from head to toe with the intensity of a man checking for injuries. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw was set. He'd clearly driven here at dangerous speeds despite my assurances over the phone that I was unharmed.
"Grace." His voice was rough with barely controlled emotion. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
Before I could respond, Violet's mother's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Violet risked her life to protect Miss Wilson today, and you don't care about the patient at all?" Her tone dripped with indignation.
She turned to face Alex fully, her maternal fury evident. "Do you remember when you were children? When you were sick and Violet often visited you? When you were being bullied at school and she stood up for you?" Her voice grew stronger with each memory.
Alex's expression remained carefully neutral, but I felt the tension radiating from his body. He walked toward the hospital bed, his arm sliding protectively around my waist.
"Thank you, Violet," he said, his tone polite but distinctly distant.
Violet's pale face lit up when she saw him, though her eyes immediately dimmed when she noticed how close Alex and I stood together. Her arm was wrapped in thick white bandages, and she looked fragile against the hospital pillows.
"Don't mention it," she whispered, her gaze never leaving Alex's face. "Grace is... my partner. I couldn't just stand by and watch her get hurt."
But her eyes told a different story—they followed Alex's every movement with desperate longing.
"This debt—both Grace and I will remember it," Alex replied, deliberately emphasizing our unity. The message was clear: we were a team, a unit. There was no space for anyone else.
Violet's face crumpled slightly at his words, but she managed a weak smile. "Alex... could I speak with you privately? Just for a few minutes?"
She looked at me with something close to pleading. "Miss Wilson, would that be okay? Just a few minutes?"
I started to step away, but Alex's grip on my waist tightened, keeping me firmly beside him. I leaned close to his ear, my breath warm against his skin.
"It's okay," I whispered. "I trust you."
Violet's mother's voice rose again. "Alex, Violet has been closest to you since childhood. Surely you can grant her this small request, given what she's been through today?"
Violet's father joined in, his tone heavy with implication. "Alex, Violet is stubborn. She's suffered so much today... surely you understand what she went through, and for whom?"
The pressure was mounting, but Alex remained unmoved. He listened to their appeals with the same calm expression, his arm never loosening around me.
Finally, he spoke, his voice steady and clear.
"I've always been grateful for the Cooper family's kindness, and for Violet's friendship over the years. If there's ever an opportunity to repay that debt, I won't hesitate." He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. "But that repayment cannot and will not be built on any personal relationship between Violet and myself. I won't allow misunderstandings or... complications."
The room fell silent. Their faces flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"Violet, if you have something to say, you can say it here. Grace is my fiancée—I have no secrets from her. If you find that inconvenient, Lucas can handle whatever you need."
Violet's composure finally cracked. Tears welled in her eyes as her whole body began to tremble. The public rejection was devastating—being treated like a potential threat in front of her own parents.
"Alex, you don't need to treat me like some kind of... dangerous person," she said, her voice breaking. "I just wanted to tell you... let's put the past behind us. From today forward, we're just ordinary friends. I don't want every meeting to be this awkward, like I'm some kind of threat."
Alex's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "You're overthinking this."
I could see the brief flicker of sympathy in his eyes as he noticed her pain, but his resolve didn't waver.
I placed a gentle hand on Alex's arm. "Miss Cooper doesn't need to worry. Alex is a man of principle—he won't distance himself from you because of the past. As for your recovery, I'll ensure you have the best medical team available. Focus on getting better and recover soon."
I looked at Alex meaningfully. "We should go. Let's not disturb Violet's rest."
Alex's hand found mine, intertwining our fingers as he nodded to the Cooper parents. Together, we walked toward the door.
Behind us, Violet's emotional dam finally burst.
---
In the car, Alex was unusually quiet, holding me close but saying little. I could feel the weight of the evening pressing down on him—the confrontation, the guilt, the painful necessity of hurting someone who'd once meant something to him.
I remembered Violet mentioning that Alex had been emotionally hurt because of her.
I didn't need explanations or justifications from Alex. My trust in him was complete. I just wanted him to be okay.
---
The phone rang just as I was settling into bed, Alex's arm still warm around my waist. Julie's name flashed on the screen, and something in my gut twisted. She never called this late unless it was urgent.
"Grace, I'm sorry to call so late, but I found out who attacked you tonight." Julie's voice was tight with exhaustion and some other emotion.
I slipped out of Alex's embrace carefully, padding to the living room. "What did you find?"
"The attacker is a bankrupt entrepreneur whose company went under three years ago because of a business evaluation your father conducted." Julie's words came out in a rush. "Robert Wilson's assessment led to the investors pulling out. The man lost everything—his business, his house, his wife left him and took their kids."
My blood ran cold. Dad's business decisions had destroyed this man's life.
"He blamed everything on your father," Julie continued. "When he found out about your identity, he's been planning this for months. Grace, he didn't just want to hurt you—he wanted to destroy Robert Wilson's daughter as revenge."
Alex appeared in the doorway, his hair tousled, wearing only pajama pants. His eyes immediately found mine, reading the tension in my posture.
"Julie, thank you for finding this out. We'll handle it from here." I ended the call and looked up at Alex, whose expression had turned deadly serious.
"What happened?" His voice was low, controlled, but I could see the storm building behind his eyes.