Mr. Wade called Caden to inform him of the situation.

When Caden answered, Mr. Wade, carefully avoiding names, simply said, “It’s done. When will you be coming over?”

Caden replied in a flat tone, “Tell him to wait.” Without another word, he ended the call.

At that moment, Caden was seated in the banquet hall. Four people were gathered around a table, including him. Alicia was steadily drinking, finishing one glass after another, while Caden remained expressionless. Gerry and Monica, who had just met, were engaged in nonstop conversation.

Their chatter continued endlessly, leaving Alicia unable to join in. Feeling distracted, she glanced at Caden from time to time. She wondered what time it was and how many drinks she had already consumed. Why hadn’t they started discussing the important matters yet?

Growing impatient, she kicked Caden under the table.

Caden raised his gaze. “What was that kick for?” he asked.

Alicia’s lips twitched slightly. She thought to herself, I kicked you because I can’t say it out loud. Why would you announce it like that?

Just as she expected, Gerry leaned in. “What’s going on with you two now?” he asked.

Alicia touched her nose. “I had a leg cramp. Couldn’t help it,” she said, trying to deflect.

“Some cramp,” Caden said coolly. “You ended up kicking me.”

“It’s a condition where I aim unpredictably. How unlucky of you to be sitting there!” Alicia countered with a grin.

Gerry chuckled at that, amused by their banter.

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Realizing they were bickering again, he decided to stir things up. He nudged Caden and said, “I don’t buy that excuse. Let’s switch seats, Caden.”

Caden looked at him, understanding Gerry’s intention. Despite that, he stood up and moved to a different seat.

Alicia couldn’t bring herself to address the issue with Caden directly, so she turned to her phone and typed a message.

“Has Joshua arrived yet?” she texted.

Caden’s phone vibrated on the table in front of him. Aware that it was from Alicia, he chose to ignore it and casually swirled the drink in his glass.

Frustrated by his indifference, Alicia clenched her teeth.

Determined to get a response, she sent another message.

“The art exhibition is almost over. Are you going to handle the business today or not?”

Caden noticed how aggressively she was typing. It looked as if she might punch through the screen.

He raised an eyebrow, but then closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

Alicia, exasperated, couldn’t hold back any longer. She began bombarding him with a string of angry face emojis.

Caden’s phone buzzed relentlessly. With each vibration, it edged closer to the edge of the table. Gerry looked over, puzzled.

“Caden, someone’s trying to reach you. Aren’t you going to answer?” he asked.

Caden remained motionless. “Don’t bother with it. That phone is cursed.”

“Excuse me?” Gerry responded, baffled. “How could a phone be cursed?”

As Alicia continued to flood him with angry emojis, she suddenly realized how childish she was acting. She turned off her screen in frustration.

Unable to contain herself, she gave Caden another kick under the table, this time with more force.

The sound was loud enough for the two people beside them to hear, yet neither of them spoke a word.

Caden opened his eyes and glanced at her. “What’s your problem now? Another sudden twitch in your leg?”

Alicia responded coldly, “Yes. It seems my leg acts up whenever I’m near obnoxious people.”

Without saying anything, Caden stood up and walked away from the table.

A few moments later, her phone buzzed with a new message.

“Meet me outside,” Caden’s text read.

Alicia bit down on her straw, clenching her teeth in frustration. She stubbornly refused to respond, debating whether she should leave.

Seconds later, another message appeared: “You have two minutes. This is your last chance.”

She stared at the screen, momentarily speechless. Letting out a sigh, she pushed back her chair and headed toward the door of the private lounge.

Caden leaned against the wall, glancing at his watch. “You really can’t stand losing, can you? You showed up at exactly one minute and fifty-nine seconds.”

Alicia skipped the pleasantries and leaned in, whispering, “Where is Joshua?”

“Mr. Wade’s waiting on my word,” Caden replied.

Alicia understood the gravity of the situation. The outcome rested entirely on her actions.

She clenched her fists, frustration bubbling inside her.

“Our agreement clearly states that you can’t threaten me,” she said, her voice firm.

Caden responded calmly, “If that agreement means so much to you, why keep yourself trapped in this endless loop with me?”

This time, Alicia was speechless. Not wanting him to read her thoughts, she turned away, feeling the flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck.

“I never agreed to the marriage my family arranged,” Caden continued.

Alicia remained silent.

Growing impatient with her silence, Caden added, “Give me a quick kiss, and we’ll go. Come here.”

Alicia scowled at him. “Is now really the time for that?”

Caden didn’t answer. Instead, he just stared at her with a stern expression.

With a sigh, Alicia stepped closer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and bit his lips.

Caden drew in a sharp breath, but just as he was about to pull her closer, his phone rang. It was Mr. Wade, calling to discuss the pressing matter.

Caden decided to postpone dealing with her for the moment and focused on business first.

They left the lounge separately—Caden leading and Alicia following closely behind.

Meanwhile, in another room, Joshua was growing increasingly impatient.

He crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, his expression grim. “Mr. Wade, if you have no intention of lending me the money, just say so plainly. There’s no need to play games with me,” Joshua said.

Mr. Wade felt cold sweat forming on his palms. He relied on Caden’s support, but with Caden still absent, he began to worry that Caden might be toying with him. He knew that offending Joshua could lead to serious consequences.

Just as Joshua was about to leave, the door suddenly swung open.

Joshua looked up, freezing in place.

Standing in the doorway were Caden and Alicia, side by side, forming a strikingly handsome couple. The sight was so dazzling that it felt like a direct blow to Joshua’s senses. The anger he had been suppressing surged instantly. He let out a bitter laugh.

“What is this supposed to mean? Are you planning to make your relationship with my ex-wife public?”