Alicia couldn’t bring herself to refuse him.

After a passionate round of lovemaking, he swept her into his arms, cradling her tightly as he carried her upstairs. The apartment had undergone a full renovation, but Alicia hadn’t been back in a while.

As they entered the room, her gaze wandered to the newly installed, floor-to-ceiling mirror in the living room. Still dazed and hazy from their intimacy, she blinked in confusion.

“Why is there a mirror there?”

There were already plenty of mirrors in the cloakroom, so this one seemed unnecessarily large and out of place.

Instead of explaining, he carried her toward the mirror.

After all, actions spoke louder than words.

Though he’d already satisfied his desires earlier, he wasn’t finished.

Now, he felt even more aroused than before.

The atmosphere between them thickened, the room pulsing with an unspoken hunger.

He reached for a bottle of red wine, pouring himself a glass. Taking a slow sip, he let it coat his throat before tipping the rest over her skin, the cool liquid cascading over her like silk.

Alicia gasped, a shiver running down her spine.

“Too cold?” he rasped, his voice heavy with desire. His lips brushed her collarbone as he licked the wine from her skin, the sensation sending sparks through her.

Alicia shook her head, her breath catching.

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“No… just ticklish,” she whispered.

The sensation of the wine trickling down her neck, combined with his heated kisses, was almost too much to bear. Soon, her knees buckled, and she could barely stand.

She wanted to pull away, but her body craved more. Her heart pounded in sync with his every touch.

He made sure not a single drop of wine went to waste, her body glistening with droplets.

“Like the mirror?” Caden asked, his voice laced with mischief as he watched her surrender to the moment. Alicia stayed silent, her lips parting but no words escaping.

She couldn’t answer, not like this.

“I like it,” he murmured, a playful gleam in his eyes. “It reflects everything… so clearly.”

Alicia was beyond frustrated, her nerves frayed from the whirlwind of sensations.

Without a word, Caden scooped her up effortlessly and carried her straight to the bedroom.

His breath was warm against her ear as he whispered, “I have many more surprises for you, and I’ll show you all of them, one by one.”

In the bathroom, the sink had been lowered to the perfect height for her to sit comfortably as he entered. Additionally, a sturdy handle had been installed in the shower.

After what felt like an eternity spent in the steamy bathroom, Alicia collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained. As she cracked her eyes open, her heart lurched at the sight above her.

“Caden, you pervert!” she exclaimed, burying her face into the pillow.

There was yet another mirror—this time, on the ceiling! Heat flooded her cheeks, and she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to face the reality of it.

Caden, however, seemed fascinated, his smirk growing wider.

He wasn’t done with her yet—not by a long shot.

There was something about her that drove him insane, pushing him to heights he’d never explored before.

In fact, things in bed got so intense that they inadvertently activated the smart bed’s security system.

An alarm blared, and a bright red beam of infrared light swept over them.

“Warning—potential danger detected,” the AI system chimed in a mechanical voice. “Mr. Ward, do you need me to call the authorities?”

Alicia stifled a giggle, barely managing to keep her composure.

Even Caden couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. He wanted to shut it off but refused to pull away from Alicia’s soft, warm body.

“Shut up,” he commanded, trying to hold onto what little dignity remained. “Don’t you dare say another word.”

“Mr. Ward, your voice seems strained. Are you in need of assistance?”

Grumbling, Caden muttered, “What a useless system… Can’t you see? I’m just… enjoying myself.”

The AI paused, as if processing his statement, before replying, “I’m sorry, Mr. Ward. I don’t understand.”

Caden was left speechless, his frustration growing as Alicia’s quiet snickers turned into full-blown laughter. Her smooth, soft legs slipped from around his waist as she collapsed onto the mattress, breathless.

He caught her ankles swiftly, giving her a playful smack on the buttocks. “What’s so funny? And who said you could let go?”

“Mr. Ward, please clarify what you mean by ‘let go’,” the system chimed in again, ever helpful.

Caden groaned, shaking his head in disbelief.

Alicia was a giggling mess, gasping between uncontrollable bursts of laughter, “I’m… I’m dying…”

The AI system, picking up on the trigger words, responded in its usual mechanical tone, “Understood. Initiating emergency call.”

Unable to stop herself, Alicia burst into laughter again, the sound grating on Caden’s nerves.

Already on edge, he shot her a sharp look before finally taking matters into his own hands. He flicked his fingers, manually shutting the system down.

The next moment, the room settled into a tense silence. “At last,” he muttered, his deep voice breaking the quiet as he regained his focus. “I’ll have someone take it down tomorrow.”

Later that night, as Alicia drifted off to sleep, Caden glanced at his phone and saw he had two missed calls.

The familiar number made his jaw tighten, instantly cooling the embers of desire that had been burning through him moments ago.

Stepping outside, he dialed the number back.

“Uncle Blake,” he greeted.

On the other end of the line, Blake Langstaff’s voice was steady and serious, cutting straight to the point. “The Moss family is willing to negotiate with us.”

Caden wasn’t surprised. He leaned against the railing, his eyes scanning the quiet night.

“What were their terms?” he asked, his tone calm and composed.

“No terms. They just asked when you’d be available to come to Devarlton and meet them,” Blake answered. After a pause, he added, “Remember Yolanda?”

Caden’s brow furrowed. The name stirred a distant memory.

He replayed it in his mind until a flash of recognition hit. “Yolanda Moss? The youngest daughter?” he murmured.

“Exactly. You met her once when you were five. There was some joke about marrying you off to her back then.”

Caden’s throat tightened for a split second. Absentmindedly, he lit one of the scented candles nearby—the one Alicia had made.

Its familiar, soothing fragrance filled the air, subtle and calming, like her presence. He had grown accustomed to falling asleep to that scent.

“We were kids,” he said, his voice laced with indifference. “That joke means nothing now.”

Blake’s tone became more measured. “Maybe to you. But her father, Dorian Moss, has always liked you. He’s been cozying up to Ciara.”

Caden twirled the lighter in his hand, his eyes distant. “I respect the man’s preferences, but I’m not into men.”

Blake sighed in exasperation. “Come on, be serious. He wants you as his son-in-law.”

A ghost of a smile touched Caden’s lips. “I’m not into women either.”

His patience running thin, Blake cut to the chase. “What if the deal is on the condition that you marry Yolanda?”