Caden was at home, engrossed in work when Jerald’s call came through.

Alicia lay on the sofa next to him, preparing her lessons. When she heard Jerald’s voice, she discreetly moved to the balcony to give Caden some privacy.

The balcony door was soundproof, ensuring they wouldn’t disturb each other.

Alicia settled in, hoping to concentrate on her preparations.

However, it wasn’t long before her notes became disorganized and chaotic.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to the room.

Unable to resist the temptation, she stole a glance inside.

Although she couldn’t hear the conversation, Alicia could see Caden’s expression quite clearly.

His lips occasionally moved, indicating he was responding with a few words.

For the most part, his expression remained unchanged. However, after spending so much time with him, she could sense his displeasure.

It was clear that Jerald’s words were particularly harsh. Alicia was well acquainted with Jerald’s temper. No matter how successful Caden became, he always remained the unappreciated son in Jerald’s eyes. True to form, Jerald was not content with merely scolding Caden; he resorted to physical violence. He struck Caden so forcefully that it seemed he didn’t care if he caused serious harm.

Alicia absentmindedly flipped through her book, but her attention was drawn back to the room when she noticed Caden had hung up the phone.

He appeared as composed as ever and quickly returned to his work.

Alicia touched her nose, opened the door, and stepped into the room.

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Uncertain about Caden’s mood, she refrained from asking him directly and instead occupied herself with various tasks.

She fiddled with a vase for a moment.

Then she turned her attention to the bookshelf, browsing its contents.

After that, she filled a glass with water.

Caden remained deeply focused on his work, not even lifting his gaze.

Alicia observed him quietly. She assumed it wasn’t anything serious; if it were, he would have already lost his temper.

Hold on.

Why was she even worried about his mood?

She shouldn’t care about it.

Feeling like she was intruding, she began slicing some fruit.

After taking a bite, she stepped outside and leaned against the wall to glance at the desk, only to find that Caden was missing.

Alicia felt puzzled. Where could he have gone?

Just then, she sensed a presence behind her.

“What are you looking for?” Caden’s deep voice echoed.

She turned around, clearly displeased. “Can’t you make some noise when you walk?”

“Am I walking too quietly, or are you just too distracted to notice?” Caden asked casually as he picked up a piece of fruit and popped it into his mouth. “Why are you sneaking around?”

“I’m not sneaking around,” Alicia countered.

Caden relished the sweet flavor of the mango as he lifted Alicia and settled her onto his lap at his desk, inviting her to feed him.

Alicia had grown accustomed to his ways, so she happily offered him piece after piece.

As Caden joined an audio conference, his mouth quickly became packed with fruit.

Before he could chew, Alicia stuffed another piece into his mouth, treating it like a factory assembly line.

Maintaining an expressionless demeanor, Caden remarked, “Don’t you just dump the entire plate into my mouth?”

Alicia found herself at a loss for words.

When she noticed his chin smeared with mango juice from her rushed feeding, she realized that she was feeding him too fast and decided to take a piece for herself.

Caden’s hands were busy, so Alicia took a tissue and wiped the juice from his chin.

He tilted his head to one side.

Alicia blinked and reminded him, “You have juice at the corner of your lips.”

Caden turned off the microphone and looked down at her. “There’s no need for a tissue. Just use your mouth.”

Alicia felt a blush creep onto her cheeks.

Though she initially refused, Caden wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

“Why not? Are you worried your tongue might accidentally find its way into my mouth?”

“Of course not! Do you think I lack self-control?” Alicia shot back immediately.

“Not exactly,” Caden replied.

“It’s good that you know that,” Alicia retorted.

“You really have no self-control. Sometimes I don’t even have to lift a finger. Just one look, and you’re already flustered,” Caden teased.

Alicia felt her cheeks heat up.

She whispered, “What are you talking about?”

Caden flashed her a smile.

Determined to show she wasn’t that type of person, Alicia acted quickly.

She leaned in and licked the juice from the corner of his lips.

Caden ceased his teasing and turned up the volume of the meeting.

Alicia was taken aback when she heard someone speak.

“When did the meeting start?”

Caden glanced at her and replied, “It started when I brought you in.”

Alicia instinctively covered her mouth.

“Did they hear everything we said earlier?” she asked him, staring into his eyes.

Caden chuckled, concealing the fact that he had muted the microphone. “Yes.”

Feeling mortified, Alicia tried to escape.

However, Caden wouldn’t let her go. He positioned her between the desk and his chest.

“Just keep feeding me. There’s still fruit on the plate.”

Unable to resist, Alicia playfully punched him and whispered, “Let go!”

Caden replied, “If you don’t feed me, I’ll have you right here.”

Alicia was left speechless.

She couldn’t believe he would make such a bold statement in front of his employees.

Even so, she knew he was capable of pulling off such outrageous antics.

Reluctantly, she complied.

As Caden ate, he turned the microphone back on in front of her.

Alicia was once again at a loss for words.

With a determined expression, she jabbed a large piece of fruit into his mouth.

Caden grunted, momentarily pausing to avoid choking.

Hearing the noise, someone asked with concern, “Mr. Ward, are you alright?”