Chapter 22

"I should have asked first before starting," Alden said as he tidied Alice's disheveled hair caused by his actions. He also looked at Alice, who was now lying down, her head propped up on her arm.

"What do you want to ask?" Alice snuggled closer to Alden. The thin blanket wasn't enough to ward off the cold night air, so her bare body sought warmth.

"Before I ask, I want to apologize. I didn't mean to bring up past issues or reopen any wounds between us."

Alice nodded quickly. "You don't need to apologize, Mas. I should have tried to explain everything to you first." She gave Alden's hand, which had been tidying her hair, a brief kiss. "I had no choice. Chloe didn't want to disturb your studies there. She also didn't want you and Grandma to be sad because of her condition. I tried to persuade her many times and hoped that she would tell me. I believed that having you would make everything better. But not for Chloe. Your happiness was the most important thing to her."