?<strong>Chapter 751:</strong>


    Caden nced up at the elevator panel. The car was descending slowly, stopping at each floor.


    He turned her around so she faced him instead, her cheek against his chest. His shirt carried no cologne, only the faint scent of fabric softener. The simplicity of it feltforting.


    Her morning sickness eased as she settled against his chest, enveloped in his warmth. Alicia didn’t pull away.


    In the privacy of the elevator, Caden’s hand slid down to intertwine with hers. She flinched slightly, her fingers brushing against the ring on his hand.


    His grip tightened as if afraid she might vanish the next second.


    Alicia looked up, noticing the dark circles under his eyes, the tired lines crisscrossed with faint red. She recognized the signs of his exhaustion, and as someone who shared his bed, she knew he was likely stretched to his limit.


    He might have said nothing if things hadn’t reached this breaking point. A pang of bittersweet emotion swept through her.


    Right now, she wanted this closeness… to linger in Caden’s warmth just a little longer, prolonging this moment before the world intruded again.


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    “Shall I take you back to the apartment?” Caden asked when they reached the hospital exit, his fingers stillced tightly with hers.


    “I might leave work early tonight. I want to hold you while we sleep.”


    Alicia avoided looking at the faint redness in his eyes, the silent plea for sympathy in his expression. She knew he was counting on her soft spot for him.


    “No. If you insist on taking me, I can’t stop you. But the doctor said I shouldn’t get too emotional.”


    Caden’s gaze held hers, the weight of her words hitting him, until he finally conceded with a quiet, “Alright.” That single word cut through her heart.


    He had never relented like this before. To change so drastically in such a short time, he must have endured more than Alicia knew.


    Turning away, Alicia said, “Stop buying so much for the baby. It’s cluttering the house and making it hard for me to get around.”


    Caden’s reply was soft, almost vulnerable.


    “I’ve never been a father, so I’m just figuring it out. I’ll buy less next time.”


    Without looking back, she stepped into the waiting car as he took a call and walked away. She let out a barely audible sigh as she watched his retreating figure, then turned to the driver.


    “Take me back to the apartment.”


    Later that day, Caden went to the gallery and finally understood why she had agreed so quickly. Alicia had withdrawn her shares. She didn’t want the gallery anymore. She took only a fraction of their value, just enough to livefortably. She truly intended to leave him for good.


    Caden was stunned for a long time when he heard the news. He sat in her office for a long time, a feeling of helplessness settling over him, the silence filled only by memories of her usual vibrant presence in this very space.


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