She nodded, her words laced with quiet certainty. “The first time I visited your bedroom, I saw the photo on your nightstand. You put it away later, but I never forgot her face.”

Because Lina was modeled after Caden’s mother. The resemblance was subtle—almost unnoticeable, unless you knew the woman behind the face.

Alicia’s heart ached with realization. “Caden, did you come back for her? For your mother?”

After Alicia asked the question, she realized her voice shook more than she intended. She had always known how much Caden loved his mother. The tragedies he faced during his youth had left wounds that ran deep.

But even after knowing all of that, Caden never allowed himself to show any weakness when they were together. He remained silent, his lips tightening as if he were holding back words he didn’t want to say. Alicia couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She quickly brushed them away, pretending nothing had happened.

The silence hung between them until Caden finally spoke. “Why are you crying?” he asked.

His question caught Alicia off guard, and she felt humiliated by how intense her reaction had been. She hadn’t expected her emotions to get the best of her, and it made her feel exposed.

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“The wind must have blown something into my eye,” she said, quoting a line from a movie as she hurried to wipe the tears away.

Caden, usually sharp, chose to act clueless. “What wind? We’re indoors.”

Alicia couldn’t believe what he was saying. She hit him lightly and said, “Can’t you stay quiet for once?”

Caden caught her hand and brushed away her tears. “I only came back for her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have returned to Warrington at all.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Don’t waste your tears on men. It’s never worth it.”

He then gestured for Lina to move back to her original place.

Alicia asked softly, “Are you not worth it?”

Caden replied, “A man worth crying over wouldn’t make his woman cry.”

Alicia glanced at Lina and noticed that she was far away. Still, she leaned closer to Caden and whispered, “You make me cry in bed. Does that mean you’re not worth it?”

Caden laughed at that remark. “Making you cry out of pleasure is a different story. That only makes me worth more.”

Alicia’s face turned red as she pinched his arm in protest. “Lina is still here. Don’t you have any shame?” she whispered.

The pinch only made Caden react more strongly. His body responded in a way Alicia couldn’t ignore. Without hesitation, he scooped her up and began walking toward the lounge.

Alicia kicked her legs in frustration, trying to wriggle out of his grip. “Put me down! I have so much work to do! I can’t just stop now. I’m swamped!”