Chapter 1294

Lily's feet were only slightly red, and she wasn't fragile. The pressure on her shoes was likely due to slight weight gain or pregnancy edema. Her shoes were fine, but Alexander noticed. His thoughtful actions moved her; it was often the intention behind a gift that truly touched her heart.

Afterward, she slipped off her old shoes and put on the new pair. Wiggling her toes, she felt the softness and perfect fit. They were incredibly comfortable. Seeing her delight, Alexander smiled. "How are they?"

"I love them!" she exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically. "You know how to pick out a gift!"

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "Better than that pot of… what do you call them… your agarwood?"

Lily was speechless. This man! It’s only been a few days, and he’s still upset about that?

"I like them both equally!" she said after a moment's thought.

"You like them both?" His dissatisfaction was evident in his frown.

Had he not been driving, Lily would have smoothed his brow. "All right, all right. These are the best gifts you've ever given me, and they fit perfectly. Are you happy now?"

Alexander's lips curved upward, but his head tilted slightly. "Why do you sound so forced?"

"Enough, don't push your luck!" she retorted, then noticed a small gift box in the back seat, previously hidden by her shoebox. "Another gift?"

Alexander glanced back. "That's not for you."

"Is it for Galen? I knew I wouldn't be the only one getting gifts!"

Stopping at a red light, Alexander turned to her, smiling. "Are you jealous?" He knew she wasn't jealous of her son, but found her pout endearing.

"I didn't buy it," he said. "It's a gift from Mike."

"Mike?"

The mention of Mike instantly brought to mind today's events. "By the way," Lily said, "did you know that after La Beaute Group pulled out of the project and withdrew their capital…"

"Mike invested, didn't he?" The light turned green, and Alexander resumed driving.

"You know about that?!" Lily was astonished. She'd only learned about it today. "When did you find out? Did you know beforehand?"

"No, he came to see me today." After a pause, he said, "We'll talk about this at home."

Discussing work while driving was unwise; Alexander might be distracted. Lily understood and nodded, falling silent. The drive home was quiet, but Lily eagerly anticipated their arrival. She'd devoted over half a year to the project, pouring her energy and effort into it. Honestly, she was reluctant to quit, but the problems left her no choice.

Now, with Mike's involvement and Thompson's persistent encouragement, even Austin's interference made it difficult to withdraw gracefully. This wasn't the end.

Reaching home, Alexander saw Lily's impatience but couldn't ignore their grinning son, who'd rushed to greet them. He scooped up Galen and turned to Lily. "Shall we talk in the playroom?"

Lily hesitated, then, seeing Galen's innocent smile, nodded. "Sure."