Caden remained silent for a moment before abruptly turning on the light. The room brightened suddenly, causing Alicia to squint and shield her face.

“Why did you suddenly turn on the light?” she asked.

“To see the face of a narcissist,” Caden retorted mockingly.

Alicia lowered her hand, ready to respond, but paused as she noticed the bite marks and sweat on his chest. She quickly covered them with the blanket.

“How am I narcissistic? You admitted it, didn’t you?” she challenged.

Caden hesitated, choosing his words carefully to avoid hurting her feelings.

Alicia exhaled deeply. “Since you’re so fond of me, maybe I should keep you. I could afford to give you $20,000 a month.”

Caden shot her a frosty look. “With my looks, I could become the richest man in the world in three days. And you offer me $20,000 a month?” he scoffed.

Alicia rolled her eyes at his response, realizing he had taken her joke seriously. “Forget the agreement,” she said, dismissing the previous topic. “It’s almost Christmas. It’s bad luck to even talk about ending things.”

During an intimate moment, Caden whispered in her ear, “We’ll discuss this after Christmas.”

Ł@ŧє$τ ¢ђαþ†êяş ίη galñøνêļş.çøм

Alicia was left without words.

After they freshened up and went to bed, Alicia nestled into Caden’s arms, quickly drifting off to sleep.

“Why did you choose to sleep on the sofa tonight?” he asked softly.

Yawning, she replied, “I couldn’t sleep. I’m still getting used to the new bed.”

Caden watched her dozing face, a warm smile spreading across his lips.

“Is it the bed, or are you just not used to me not being here?” he asked gently.

Alicia remained silent, only snuggling further under the covers, with just her pink ears peeking out.

Caden was charmed by her reaction and drew her in closer. Soon, she was sound asleep.

He chuckled softly as he observed her face, illuminated by the soft light of the bedside lamp. Alicia looked like a work of art. Her features were delicate and aesthetically pleasing. Caden lost track of time, admiring her, until his phone buzzed, breaking the peaceful moment.

Turning away, he checked the notification. It was a WhatsApp friend request.

“Caden, I’m Yolanda.”

Freed from the constraints of their agreement, Caden’s approach in their intimate moments had unexpectedly softened.

As Christmas approached, both were swamped with work, as every sector was hitting its busy stride. Alicia managed her time meticulously, sacrificing sleep to fit everything in.

One day, Hank brought her a small robot.

“Ms. Bennett, based on your ideas, we developed this model. It’s already gaining popularity on the market. Give it a try,” he suggested.

Alicia was pleasantly surprised. Was she this fortunate?

She activated the robot with enthusiasm. Immediately, a face appeared on the wall screen, smiling warmly at her.

“Hello, I’m K-bot. I’m at your service.”

Taken aback for a moment, Alicia turned to Hank. “Do I speak directly to it?”

Hank nodded. “Yes, it’s designed to respond to your voice commands.”

Alicia, having only seen such technology in films, was thoroughly impressed. She couldn’t help but admire Caden’s ingenuity.

Hank beamed with pride. “This is just the beginning. Mr. Ward’s goal is to develop a robot that perfectly mimics human behavior.”

Puzzled, Alicia tilted her head. “Mimic human behavior completely?”

“Yes, completely,” Hank affirmed.

Alicia remarked instinctively, “Society wouldn’t tolerate that.”

“If Mr. Ward actually succeeds in creating it, he’d likely keep it for himself,” she mused, her imagination running wild.

“Keep it for himself?” she muttered, deep in thought. “Could Caden be harboring unrequited love? Is that why he’s making a replica?”

Hank quickly reassured her, “No, you are his one and only.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Alicia replied, “No need to exaggerate.”

With his duties calling, Hank excused himself and left.

Alicia spent some time with the robot, impressed by its capabilities but also recognizing a few areas for improvement, which she noted down to share with Caden.

Their schedules had been so packed that their encounters were limited to brief meetings at night, and even then, intimacy was rushed. Alicia felt as though it had been ages since she had truly seen him.

After organizing her thoughts, she decided to go directly to Blizzard Group. Familiar with the location and having direct access thanks to Caden, she bypassed the need to sign in.

She hadn’t informed him of her arrival.

Exiting the elevator, she caught sight of Hank escorting a strikingly dressed woman in a chic mini-skirt into Caden’s office.

Alicia froze, struck by the woman’s confident, alluring presence.