My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 140

My heart skipped a beat, then began pounding wildly, uncontrollably.

It had to be a prank, right?

But just then, notifications from every major platform started flooding in. No matter which one I clicked on, the headlines were the same.

The news about Alexander... he was still wearing the same clothes he’d left in this morning.

So, he really did go to the hospital.

Grandpa... Grandpa is really gone?!

The grandfather who’d always spoiled me... he’s gone forever!

The news hit me like a punch to the stomach. My heart felt like it was being crushed, suffocating, and my nose began to tingle. In an instant, my eyes welled up, tears blurring my vision.

Just a few days ago, Grandpa was perfectly fine when he came to see me!

Just a few days ago, he promised he’d wait to meet my child, that he’d hold the baby in his arms!

Why... Why so suddenly?

No... This can’t be real. Grandpa couldn’t have left before meeting my baby!

I sniffed, quickly sitting up in bed. "Gabriella, tell James to come pick me up! I need to get to the hospital!"

I had to see Grandpa one last time.

Gabriella entered from the other room, clearly having seen the news herself. She spoke gently, trying to calm me down. "Vivienne, Mr. Alexander called earlier. He asked you to stay home and rest, to not go anywhere. You need to take care of yourself..."

"I have to go!" I cried, wiping my tears away. Without saying another word to Gabriella, I quickly dialed Alexander.

The moment the call connected, before he could even speak, I choked out, "Alexander, tell James to come pick me up! I need to go to the hospital!" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Vivienne, your health..." he began.

"Don’t try to talk me out of it! If the driver won’t come, I’ll go myself!"

Since my father’s death, my grandparents have been my only family. Grandpa is gone now, and as his granddaughter, as the wife of his grandson, how could I not go and say my final goodbye?

Alexander’s voice dropped, his tone serious. "Stay where you are. I’ll come get you."

"Please hurry," I whispered through my tears.

"Don’t cry. I’ll be there soon."

I nodded, muffling a sob, and hung up the phone.

I quickly changed into something presentable and anxiously waited.

By now, the scab from my injury had fallen off, so I wouldn’t look too awful when I went to see Grandpa.

Soon, I heard the sound of a car engine in the courtyard.

I hurriedly slipped on my shoes and rushed out of the bedroom.

As soon as Alexander walked into the living room and saw me standing at the top of the stairs, he called out, "Don’t move!"

He rushed over to me and scooped me into his arms. His brow furrowed as he noticed the puffiness around my eyes and the remnants of tears on my cheeks. "Why did you get out of bed?"

"I only took a few steps. It’s fine."

"That’s not okay."

I didn’t argue. Instead, I quietly asked, "Grandpa was fine just a few days ago... How could this happen so suddenly?"

Alexander paused, his gaze dropping. "The last time Grandpa was in the hospital, Dr. Harrison Whitaker said he had maybe three months left... Grandpa’s condition had been worsening for a while. This wasn’t exactly unexpected..."

His words made the tears start to fall again.

Alexander sighed, carefully placing me into the car. He gently stroked my cheek, wiping away the fresh tears with his thumb. "Don’t cry. Grandpa wouldn’t want this. He always wanted to meet our child. For his sake, you and the baby need to be strong."

"Mm... W-whoa..." I muttered, dabbing at my tears, but my throat was tight, and my lips trembled from the weight of my grief. I couldn’t stop the tears.

Alexander gently pulled me into his embrace, patting my back as if trying to soothe a child. "If you keep crying, you’ll look like a little kitten."

The driver brought the wheelchair and started the car.

The vehicle headed straight for the funeral home.

Meanwhile, under Sebastian’s arrangements, Grandpa’s body was being transported to the funeral home for preparations. His final appearance was being carefully arranged, dressed in his favorite suit and shoes, just as he’d wished.

The funeral preparations were still in progress.

As we approached the funeral home, Alexander gently took my hand and spoke softly, “Once we’re inside, just stay close to Nana. Don’t worry about anything else, alright?”

"Mm."

Lydia was already waiting by the entrance, and as soon as she saw Alexander and me, she led us in.

She offered to push my wheelchair and said, "Alexander, you take care of what you need to. I’ll look after Vivienne."

"Thank you, Lydia," Alexander replied, leaning down to offer me one last piece of advice, “If you’re not feeling well, don’t push yourself. Let me know, alright? I’ll be nearby handling things.”

"Got it."

Alexander quickly walked off, and Lydia wheeled me toward the lounge. Noticing my red eyes, she tried to comfort me. "Vivienne, don’t let this break you. Everyone has to go eventually. Grandpa wouldn’t want you to be so devastated."

"I know, Lydia. It’s just... I miss Grandpa so much," I said, my voice trembling as fresh tears threatened to spill.

Lydia sighed. "Alexander wanted to shield you from it, but the media made it impossible to keep a lid on things. He was so furious, he actually smashed a camera."

That was classic Alexander.

Grandpa’s passing hurt him just as deeply as it did me, and the media’s intrusion only fueled his anger.

"Something this huge? How could he keep it from me? He should’ve just told me the truth..." I murmured.

"He only wanted to protect you," Lydia replied gently. "The makeup artist is still working on Grandpa’s appearance, and Nana and Emilia are waiting for us in the lounge. Let’s go join them."

"Mm."

Inside the lounge, Evelyn sat quietly, lost in thought.

At Grandpa’s age, with his health deteriorating for so long, Evelyn had been preparing for this moment.

Before Grandpa fell unconscious, he’d held her hand and spoken to her at length. She had already cried the tears she needed to. Now, she grieved in silence, her heart heavy with sorrow.

When Lydia wheeled me in, Evelyn snapped out of her thoughts and waved us over. "Come here."

Lydia stopped beside her.

"Nana," I said, my voice breaking.

Evelyn took my hand and sighed. "Vivienne, why are you here?"

My eyes welled up again. "Nana, I needed to see Grandpa... one last time."

"You’re such a good girl," she said, patting my hand. "Once you’ve said your goodbyes, you should go home. He wouldn’t want you to feel guilty."

Traditionally, the deceased would remain at the funeral home for 48 hours before being laid to rest, giving the family time to mourn.

I shook my head, determined. "Nana, please don’t worry. I’ll be fine."

Not being able to say a final goodbye to Grandpa was my greatest regret.

And with H. Dynasty’s private cemetery high in the mountains, I couldn’t go to the burial site, couldn’t watch him being laid to rest with my own eyes. This was my only chance to be with him as much as I could.

Evelyn, Emilia, and Lydia all tried to persuade me to leave, but I remained firm.

Even Alexander came to try, but he couldn’t change my mind. He only asked Gabriella to stay with me and make sure I rested.

Evelyn squeezed my hand, her voice soft yet filled with emotion. "Good girl. No wonder your grandpa loved you most. Even when he left, he was thinking of you. He said he was sorry he couldn’t help clear things up for you when the media pressure was at its worst..."