Lilliana felt Joshua’s words hit her deeply, but she forced herself to stay composed. “I’m not afraid of her. I just don’t feel like writing the song myself.”

Joshua replied, “Just throw something together and get it over with. Alicia’s been married for two years, stuck at home cooking and taking care of things. She’s forgotten everything. She’s nothing special. Why worry about her?”

Lilliana pouted, clearly unsatisfied. “Are you really not willing to spend the money on me? Fine, I’ll handle it myself.”

In a firm tone, Joshua responded, “Lilliana, you know I’d spend anything on you. It’s not that I don’t want to, but it’s not worth it in this case. Stop acting like this.”

Lilliana bit her lip in frustration. She knew how much Joshua had spoiled her over the past two years. He had spent millions on her without a second thought.

“Alright,” Lilliana agreed, though it was clear she wasn’t entirely happy about it.

Later that evening, when Joshua returned home from work, something unexpected awaited him. As soon as he stepped through the door, a soft figure threw itself into his arms.

The room was dark, but the heavy scent of perfume filled the air, carrying an intoxicating effect that quickly stirred something inside him.

He grabbed hold of Lilliana, kissing her roughly as his hands roamed over her body with clear intent. Knowing exactly what she wanted, Lilliana responded eagerly.

“Turn on the lights. I want to see you, hubby.”

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The word “hubby” triggered something in Joshua’s mind, pulling him back to memories of his early days with Alicia. He remembered how she had shyly called him “hubby,” her eyes filled with sincerity and love. Back then, Alicia’s emotions had been raw and real. All she had ever wanted was his affection.

While caught in the flood of memories, Joshua suddenly gripped Lilliana by the neck. His voice came out rough. “No lights. We’ll do this my way.”

Equally driven by her own emotions, Lilliana responded with a breathless plea, “Just be careful. Remember the safety of the baby…”

Later, Joshua transferred five million dollars in cash to Iris. Along with the money, he left a note that read, “Don’t let me down.”

“I’ll deliver it to you in ten days,” Iris replied.

Upon hearing that, Lilliana was indignant. “Ten days? The movie premieres next month, and Gerry gave me a deadline of ten days! Isn’t that cutting it a little too close?”

Frustrated and exhausted, Joshua ignored Lilliana’s complaint. “Good things come to those who wait. Rushing it will only result in subpar quality.”

After that, Lilliana stopped arguing. “Fine. Just make sure it’s done before the deadline,” she said.

Lilliana had faith in Iris’ skills. “Once I get the company to create a fantastic marketing campaign and release another hit song, my market value will skyrocket. And when I become famous, I’ll personally deliver the first signed copy to your ex-wife. I want to see the look on her face when she sees it.”

Joshua simply gave her a perfunctory response. At that moment, he couldn’t care less about Lilliana’s rise to stardom. What excited him more was imagining Alicia’s reaction once she was overshadowed.

He savored the thought of her humiliation, knowing that when it came, she’d have no one to turn to for help.

This thought lingered in his mind as he returned to the company for work, curious if Alicia would ever ask him for help.

Later that afternoon, his assistant entered with some food. “Mr. Yates, it’s lunchtime.”

Joshua frowned upon the greasy scent of the food.

Lilliana, having grown up in a wealthy household, didn’t know how to cook and had become accustomed to takeout or dining at restaurants.

But back in the day, Alicia had always cooked for Joshua. She tried so hard to win his favor, always taking care of him in every way, including through the meals she prepared.

Joshua realized now how much her cooking had influenced his refined palate. He hadn’t noticed it at the time, but those seemingly trivial moments had become an integral part of who he was.

Later, Alicia was walking down the hallway with some shopping bags when she spotted Joshua leaning against the wall, smoking.

His tailor-made suit and elegant appearance seemed out of place in the building, a stark contrast to his former frenzied self after their divorce.

He let out a puff of smoke, looking mature and sophisticated.

“Did you eat yet?” he asked.

Staring at him as though he were a stranger, Alicia responded coldly, “What do you want from me?”

“Relax. You don’t have to be so wary of me,” Joshua said with a gentle smile. “I’m not here to do anything bad. I just wanted to see you.”

Alicia scoffed, clearly unconvinced. Without responding, she walked past him and headed upstairs.

Joshua followed her, his gaze lingering on the groceries in her hand. “Looks like you haven’t eaten yet. Do you mind if I join you for a meal?”

At his words, Alicia pulled out her phone, her expression cold. “Stay back, or I’ll call the police on you!”

Joshua stubbed out his cigarette and locked eyes with her. “Alicia, I have a proposition for you. All I want is for you to continue cooking for me, and I’ll pay you a hundred thousand a month.”

Alicia didn’t hesitate to dial a number.

Unfazed by her action, Joshua raised an eyebrow. “Is a hundred thousand not enough? Fine, I’ll double it. You can even negotiate the price, and I’ll accept it!”

His offer made Alicia laugh bitterly. Back when they were married, Joshua had always looked down on her. But now, after their divorce, he suddenly seemed so generous.

Was he really just asking for food? Of course not. Alicia wasn’t that naïve.

She held up her phone and let the dial tone ring, her voice sharp. “If you’re not scared of the police, surely you’re terrified of Lilliana, right?”