As soon as Hank settled into the car, he grumbled, “Warrington is colder than anywhere else I’ve been.”

In other cities, winters were filled with endless snowstorms. The snow piled up so high that when someone ventured outside, their shoes would disappear beneath it.

But in Warrington, it was different.

In other places, the cold was dry and bearable, but here, the sleet drenched everything, leaving a damp chill that seeped into one’s bones.

Caden wiped the droplets of rain from his coat and stared out the window, his expression distant. “I can’t find anything appealing about this city,” he remarked. “Not the people, not the weather.”

If it weren’t for his late mother, he would have never come back here.

Hank chuckled. “That’s a bit unfair. Isn’t Ms. Bennett quite pleasant?”

A hint of softness appeared in Caden’s eyes, but he quickly frowned, as a thought crossed his mind. “She’s quite a handful,” he muttered.

Hank noticed that, although Caden’s expression remained stern, there was a hint of indulgence in his tone. Even though Caden complained about Alicia, he clearly tolerated her and listened to her.

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Hank couldn’t help but chuckle. “Isn’t that a good thing? She challenges you and scolds you, but she also stirs your emotions and makes you happy. It’s better than you burying yourself in work all the time.”

“Who says I’m happy?” Caden retorted.

“Aren’t you?” Hank pressed. “Yesterday, when Ms. Bennett came to pick you up at the airport, you must have known she was coming. You were excited the moment you boarded the plane. I’ve never seen you so eager for a business trip.”

Caden didn’t have a response.

His excitement hadn’t been because Alicia came to meet him; in truth, he was just expecting a surprise.

But he refused to admit it, so he kept his gaze fixed on the window.

Suddenly, Caden remembered something important. He pulled out his phone and called Alicia.

“What is it?” Alicia asked.

“I had a new bed delivered. Has it been set up yet?” Caden asked.

“The workers just arrived and are assembling it now,” Alicia replied. “How are the long johns? Are they comfortable? The workers’ hands are red from the cold. Is it very chilly today?”

Caden knitted his brows. “No,” he answered.

“Really? So is the weather not cold, or are you warm because of the long johns?” Alicia pressed.

Caden closed his eyes, unsure of how to respond. Having nothing left to say, he decided to end the call.

Hank couldn’t resist asking, “Didn’t you just replace the bed in your apartment? Did it break after only one night?”

Caden glanced at him. “Did you choose that bed?”

“Yes,” Hank replied. “I thought about selecting one of our company’s products, but I figured you might be bored with it. So, I picked one with top market reviews for you to try.”

Caden coldly responded, “Among all the people I know, your taste is the worst.”

Hank was left speechless.

He was astonished at the idea of a new bed breaking after just one night. Could things between them have been that intense? If so, Alicia must be quite remarkable. The bed didn’t survive, but she did. She truly seemed like the perfect match for Mr. Ward.

After wrapping up their meeting with Mr. Wade, it was already noon. Caden and Hank decided to have a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Before they began eating, Caden arranged for an extra meal to be delivered to the apartment.

Hank glanced over with a sly smile. “That’s very considerate of you, Mr. Ward,” he remarked.

Caden didn’t bother responding.

Alicia had cooked for him countless times, yet today he was simply sending her some takeout. It wasn’t the most thoughtful gesture. Besides, the food from this place wasn’t as good as Alicia’s cooking.

Later in the afternoon, the sky became filled with overcast clouds.

Surprisingly, the jewelry advertisement on the massive screen became even more captivating. Caden found himself glancing at it several more times. Inside the display cases, exquisite pieces of jewelry were showcased—pink diamond necklaces, jade pendants, and sparkling diamond rings.

Under the gleaming lights, each piece seemed to tempt passersby. Caden noted the prices, ranging from 80,000 dollars to 5 million dollars. To him, these amounts weren’t particularly high. He believed anything worth his attention should be priced at least 10 million dollars. So, to him, Joshua had hardly bought anything of real value for Alicia during their two years of marriage. A plain ring worth only a few hundred dollars was practically worthless.

“Package all the bestsellers over 100,000 dollars,” Caden instructed, handing his card to the store clerk, making no attempt to hide his wealth.

The clerk stood momentarily stunned, but her excitement quickly took over as she hurried to fulfill his request.

The delivery boxes piled up outside the apartment, forming a small mountain. Alicia wasn’t home to receive them; she was at the studio attending her self-defense class.

After finishing his work, Caden headed to the studio and found her engaged in a sparring match. He didn’t announce his presence and chose to watch quietly from the sidelines. Her opponent was a man a full head taller than she was, with shifty eyes that made him seem untrustworthy. They exchanged formal bows, and Alicia immediately threw a punch.

Despite her slender frame, Alicia had quickly mastered her techniques, targeting her opponent’s weaknesses with precision. Before long, she had taken control of the match. With a decisive final strike, the man collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain.

Surprised by the outcome, Alicia hurried over to him. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” she asked.

Just as the words left her mouth, the man suddenly lunged, grabbing her in a chokehold.

Unable to break free, Alicia found herself powerless, struggling in vain against her attacker. As her face grew pale, the others finally noticed the danger and quickly pulled the man away from her.

Alicia staggered to her feet, stepping aside as she coughed, her eyes red from the strain. After catching her breath, she placed a hand on her chest, deep in thought. Something was clearly bothering her.

Caden lifted his hand and tapped on the window. Alicia looked up and met his gaze. He immediately noticed the redness in her eyes.

She was surprised to see him.

“Caden?” she asked, her voice soft.