Yolanda specialized in chip technology, and the robot she sent came with a built-in self-destruct mechanism. By the time Alicia attempted to replay the video, it had already been completely wiped. There was no trace it had ever existed.

Since the call had come directly from Yolanda, Alicia hadn’t thought to record it. Moreover, Yolanda had been careful, steering clear of anything sensitive or incriminating, leaving Alicia with nothing to hold on to. It was as if the entire event had never occurred.

Alicia was uncertain about what would happen next. But one thing was clear: she no longer felt afraid. Facing Yolanda felt entirely different from facing Joshua. No matter what Yolanda’s plans were, Alicia now felt confident enough to protect herself.

Collecting her thoughts, she replied to Caden’s message. After Caden wrapped up his meeting, he called her. Alicia pressed her lips together before answering.

“I misjudged you earlier. I’m sorry for that. Do you want to yell at me to get even?” she asked.

Caden responded, “What did you get wrong?”

He recalled her anger during their previous call and sensed that something serious had happened.

Alicia explained, “I received a prank package and assumed it was from you. But I just found out who was really behind it.”

Caden’s voice carried a hint of frustration. “Whenever something goes wrong, I’m always the first to get blamed. Why is it that I never get credit when something good happens?”

Alicia let out an awkward chuckle.

Stay tuned for updates at gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․cøm

“You have to admit, you’re not exactly reliable. You can’t argue with that, can you?” she teased.

In a low voice, Caden asked, “Are you seriously insulting me to my face now?”

“Have I ever insulted you behind your back?” Alicia shot back.

Caden fell silent, unable to come up with an immediate response.

Unwilling to let her win, he decided to shift gears. He casually mentioned a few dishes he wanted, expecting her to cook them later that evening. Once the call ended, Yolanda stepped out from the hallway.

“Jeffery’s here. He’s waiting for you in the office.”

Caden gathered his composure and replied, “If it’s important, Hank would’ve told me.”

Yolanda simply smiled. “I happened to pass by and thought I should mention it,” she said, holding the documents in her hands. She figured it was time to leave and added, “I’ll finish this up, then I’ll head back to Joy Mansion.”

“Alright, see you,” Caden said.

After he walked away, Yolanda stood there, watching until he disappeared from sight. He was probably talking to Alicia again. Despite his usual calm demeanor, it was unusual for him to engage in such a long phone conversation. Only Alicia could draw that kind of reaction from him.

What really caught Yolanda off guard was the fact that Alicia hadn’t exposed her. It seemed Alicia knew when to stay quiet and wait.

Yolanda smirked, her expression one of disdain. She was going to make sure Alicia and Caden wouldn’t have a future together. Alicia was letting her best years slip away.

Meanwhile, Jeffery had been waiting in Caden’s office for quite a while. When Caden finally walked in, Jeffery handed over the documents and got straight to the point.

“Mr. Ward, we’ve discovered that before the Bennett accident, Joshua flew abroad to meet with them. They had a major argument, and Joshua ended up in the hospital afterward.” He paused, then added, “Reliable sources confirm the fight was over their disapproval of his relationship with Ms. Bennett. The plane crash wasn’t an accident. We’ve gathered enough evidence to prove it was man-made. Once we hand it over to the authorities, Joshua won’t avoid justice this time.”

Caden studied the documents carefully. After a moment, he spoke in a low voice.

“Once this hits court, the truth will be exposed to everyone.”

Jeffery kept an eye on his reaction. “For someone like Joshua, public humiliation will be worse than jail time.” Wasn’t that the perfect revenge? However, Jeffery noticed that Caden seemed hesitant.

Caden set the documents aside. “There’s already enough evidence to lock him away for life. This won’t change anything.”

Jeffery stated, “But none of those charges compare to murder. If you push this, he could face the death penalty.”

Caden had already made his decision.

“A lifetime of suffering is a worse fate than death,” he said calmly. “You can drop the case against the Bennett family.”

Jeffery agreed to the instructions, but one thought still lingered in his mind.

“Have you gone soft, Mr. Ward?”

Caden stared at him blankly. Softness wasn’t the issue. He simply understood Alicia too well.

If she learned her parents had been murdered, she would stop at nothing to kill Joshua herself.

He had lived through that kind of pain and knew that even revenge couldn’t erase it. There was no reason for Alicia to carry the same burden.

That evening, when Caden stepped into the apartment, the rich aroma of food filled the air. The smell was inviting, hinting at a well-prepared meal. However, as he moved closer to the dining table, his eyes swept over the spread of dishes. Not one of them resembled the ones he had requested earlier.

He stood there for a moment, silently taking in the sight of the meal that didn’t match his expectations.

Alicia entered the room, placing the last dish on the table. She washed her hands before noticing his stillness. Glancing up at him, she asked, “Is something wrong?”

Caden’s expression was hard to read. “Did you forget what I asked for, or was the supermarket completely out of ingredients?”

Alicia sat down at the table and replied, “I didn’t feel like making any of the things you mentioned.”

“I see,” Caden replied, pulling out his chair and sitting down. “So all that talk about an apology was just for show?”

Alicia shot him a sideways glance, unimpressed by his words. “Are you going to eat or are you planning to sulk?” she asked, sounding slightly amused. “If you’re not interested in dinner, why don’t you sit with Cade? Maybe he’ll share his food with you.”

Caden stared daggers at her and remarked, “Look at you. You seem awfully proud of yourself.”