Hank muttered to himself, “Yeah, sure. Keep pretending. You’ve never been this excited about money. It’s obvious you’ve got a certain woman on your mind.”

He started the car and spoke more seriously. “Mr. Ward, I’ve just found out that Mr. Yates made a new move. He got his hands on a painting and sold it to an art dealer from Glarrialand for 200 million dollars. The deposit went through today.”

“Painting? Which one?” Caden asked.

“The details are secret, so no one knows for now. But something’s off. They wouldn’t be this secretive otherwise.” Hank added, “I’ve contacted the buyer. Would you like to meet with them?”

Caden paused to think and glanced at his watch. “All right.”

Hank noticed the slight delay in his response and asked, “Mr. Ward, is something going on at home?”

“It’s just a small matter. Nothing to worry about,” Caden responded. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

Hank slipped and said, “It’s late. Ms. Bennett is probably already asleep.”

Caden gave him a sharp look.

Hank knew a bit about Alicia, but he wasn’t supposed to know they were living together.

“You seem to know quite a lot,” Caden warned.

Hank flinched. “I haven’t been prying into your life, Mr. Ward. I might be curious, but I’ve always followed your orders. I never cross the line.”

“Then how did you figure that out?” Caden asked.

Hank rubbed his nose. “Isn’t it obvious? You smell like Ms. Bennett.”

Ł@ŧëşŧ ÇĦ@þŦèŕş íń 𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Caden didn’t know how to respond to that.

He almost never smoked and he rarely wore cologne. Hank had spent enough time around him to notice something had changed.

The scent wasn’t from cologne. It was the lingering fragrance of fabric softener on his clothes.

It was the same one Alicia used.

From that information alone, it was easy to glean that they were living together.

Hank felt genuinely pleased. “Mr. Ward, you’ve been going after Mr. Yates for Ms. Bennett, haven’t you?”

Caden lowered his head and spoke with an indifferent tone. “It’s not that complicated.”

Hank understood the situation better now, so he didn’t ask any more questions.

Caden’s intimidating presence caused the art dealer to confess quickly under pressure.

“Did you get the painting?” Caden asked.

The buyer shook his head. “Mr. Yates is being very cautious. He only showed me a picture and said I can collect it once I pay in full.”

Caden narrowed his eyes. “Whose painting are we talking about?”

“Mia Eland. She lived as an expatriate in Glarrialand before her death.”

Caden reflected on this.

The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t immediately recall who she was.

Caden directed his gaze towards Hank.

Hank understood what he wanted and went to investigate further with the picture of the painting.

The buyer, aware of Caden’s motives, chose not to challenge him. “Mr. Ward, I didn’t know the painting was obtained illicitly. Had I known, I wouldn’t have collaborated with Mr. Yates.”

Caden responded nonchalantly, “You have plenty of business opportunities. Missing this one won’t hurt. I’ll cover the penalty for you.”

As they left, Hank discovered something significant. His expression revealed his mixed feelings. “Ms. Eland, Ms. Bennett’s mother, gained renown both as a philanthropist and as an acclaimed artist overseas. Following her premature death, few remembered her, and this painting is the sole remaining one attributed to her.”

Caden’s gaze intensified.

“How did her painting end up with Joshua?”

Hank appeared uncertain. “Mr. Ward, please allow me some time to investigate further.”

Caden turned his gaze toward the window.

He vividly remembered Donna.

The first time he noticed her was at school, as Alicia gracefully held Donna’s hand while they headed home.

Having just lost his own mother, the scene struck him painfully.

However, there was no denying Donna’s love for Alicia. The painting had likely been given to Alicia, and now, with Joshua in a bind, he had set his eyes on it. Investigating the details would take time. After delegating the task to Hank, Caden waited patiently.

Soon, Hank drove with careful attention.

“Arrange for someone to buy the painting anonymously,” Caden instructed.

Hank was taken aback. “Isn’t that essentially just handing Mr. Yates money?”

“Let him take it. It’s only 200 million dollars,” Caden responded indifferently.

“Then why did we bother coming to the art dealer? Wasn’t it unnecessary?” Hank inquired.

Caden gave him a chilling look.

Hank was confused. Had he misunderstood something? He didn’t think so.

Their original purpose for coming here tonight was to interfere with the transaction, ensuring Joshua didn’t profit. So, why were they now proceeding with transferring the funds?

Hank paused, then suddenly grasped the situation.

“I get it, Mr. Ward. You’re purchasing the painting for Ms. Bennett.”

Caden remained stoic. “I’m aware of Mia’s esteemed reputation. Her artworks are highly valuable, making this a sound investment.”

Hank blurted out, “Mr. Ward, are we experiencing financial difficulties?”

“Oh,” replied Caden sharply. “You’re asking if we’re running low on funds, correct? Well, if we are, perhaps I should reconsider your compensation.”

Hank was left speechless.

Caden was clearly being a pain again.