Chapter Twelve: Seeds of Doubt

The drive to the hospital was tense, filled with silence and worry. When they arrived, the doctors rushed grandma into the emergency room. Alexander paced anxiously in the waiting room, his mind racing. Jessica sat nearby, her hands clasped together, but inside she was reveling in the chaos she had caused.

At the hospital, the silence was suffocating. Aria sat on the edge of a plastic chair, her fingers tightly wound around the hem of her shirt, replaying the events over and over. Alexander stood at a distance, his arms crossed, his jaw set in stone. He hadn’t said a word since they arrived, the tension between them thick and unspoken.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally emerged, pulling down his mask. “She’s stable now. You got her here just in time,”A few more minutes, and we might have lost her. She had a severe allergic reaction, but she’s stable now.” he said, offering Alexander a small nod. “But you need to be more careful in the future. Her body is weak, and another reaction like that could be fatal.”

Alexander breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, doctor.”

"But I’d advise you to be more careful in the future," the doctor continued. "She’s very frail, and her body can’t handle this kind of stress. Make sure you’re aware of what you feed her. I’m sure you know about her nut allergy.”

Aria’s heart sank as the doctor’s words hit her like a ton of bricks. Alexander’s eyes slowly drifted to her, a question lingering in them, one she couldn’t bear to face.

“I didn’t—" she started, her voice trembling. “I’ve never given her nuts. I don’t understand how this happened.”

Jessica, sitting with her arms crossed, gave a small, mocking laugh. “Oh, Aria, come on. It’s obvious you slipped up. Maybe you’re just not cut out for this. After all, it’s not like you come from a family that actually cares about people.”

Aria flinched, her words dying on her lips.

Alexander turned to her, his face unreadable. "Didn’t the housekeeper inform you about grandma’s allergy?” his voice low and controlled asked.

"Of course, she did," Aria replied, her voice filled with frustration. "I’ve never cooked anything for her that contains nuts. I don’t know how this could have happened. but I swear I would never hurt grandma.”

Jessica sighed dramatically. “Isn’t it convenient? First, you marry Alexander, and now grandma almost dies after you serve her food, is it just a coincidence or do you have something up your sleeves?

Aria’s eyes widened. “What?”

Alexander’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he turned away from them to answer. His assistant, Lucas, spoke quietly on the other end, his voice almost hesitant.

“Sir, I’m not sure if this is the right time, but I just found something. Grandma updated her will recently—most of her assets have been transferred to Aria.”

Alexander’s blood ran cold. “Are you certain?”

“Yes, sir,” Lucas confirmed. “I don’t know if she did it willingly or if… well, if she was influenced.”

Alexander slowly lowered his phone, his gaze locking on Aria. His mind raced as doubt began creeping in. Had Aria known about the will? Was all of this part of some plan?

Jessica, standing by, already aware of what the phone call is about could practically feel the tension between them. Her heart swelled with satisfaction.

The silence between Alexander and Aria was palpable as suspicion flickered in his eyes for the first time.

Aria's POV

Aria could practically feel the weight of Alexander’s gaze burning into her. His eyes flickered, a mixture of emotions swirling behind them—doubt, anger, and something she couldn’t quite place. It was like the space between them had turned into a battlefield, the tension thick enough to slice through.

He doesn’t trust me.

And why would he? He had every right to be angry, every reason to suspect her. After all, he was paying her handsomely to take care of his grandmother, and here they were—grandma in the hospital, barely saved from an allergic reaction that happened under her watch. She couldn’t even bring herself to look him in the eye any longer, afraid of what she’d see reflected back.

The phone call he’d just received didn’t help. Whatever was said, it had changed something in the air between them. The silence grew heavier, more suffocating by the second. Aria’s heart pounded in her chest, a wave of guilt washing over her even though she knew deep down that she was innocent. She hadn’t done anything wrong. But how could she convince him of that?

“I didn’t put nuts in the soup,” Aria said softly. “I know about the allergy. I would never be so careless.”

Aria’s eyes burned, but she forced herself not to cry, not in front of him. She couldn’t afford to look weak now, not when Jessica was standing right there, feeding into the doubt already swirling in Alexander’s mind.

Alexander's silence was unbearable. He stood there, his posture rigid, his eyes darker than she’d ever seen them. She could tell his mind was racing, probably trying to piece together everything—Jessica’s accusations, the doctor’s warnings, and whatever he’d just learned from that phone call.

Jessica, as if sensing the questions in her heart chipped in. “How else do you explain what just happened? Grandma almost died, Aria. You were the one feeding her. And now, we find out that her will’s been changed? It all seems a little too convenient, don’t you think?”

The world seemed to spin around Aria as Jessica’s words sank in. The will? What was she talking about? She had no idea grandma had made any changes to her will.

“I didn’t know about the will,” Aria said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked at Alexander, hoping he would believe her. “I didn’t…”

Alexander’s jaw tightened, and he rubbed the back of his neck, frustration evident in his stance. “Lucas just told me,” he said, his tone cold. “Grandma’s assets have been transferred to you, Aria. Everything.”

Aria’s heart plummeted. She felt like she had been punched in the gut. “I—I don’t know anything about that,” she stammered. “I didn’t ask her for anything. You have to believe me!”

"I know it looks bad," she admitted, trying to keep her voice steady despite the sinking feeling in her chest. "But I didn’t do this. I have no reason to. Grandma has been more of a family to me than anyone ever has. You know that.”

He didn’t respond right away. His eyes met hers, searching for something, answers, maybe, or the truth he so desperately wanted to believe. She could tell he didn’t want to doubt her, but yet… this was his grandmother.

Alexander’s jaw tightened, and he finally let out a deep breath. "I’ll wait until she wakes up," he said, his voice low, as if making a final decision. "I can’t make any decisions until I hear from her directly.

Aria nodded, biting her lip as he turned away, his shoulders stiff with the weight of everything still unresolved. She wished she could break through the walls he was building, show him that he didn’t need to doubt her, but for now, all she could do was wait.

Jessica, with her smug little smile, the one she wore whenever things went in her favor, followed Alexander out of the room but not before giving Aria a triumphant smile as if saying “This is only the beginning”.