Why did she even bother? He didn’t need anything.

Without turning to face him, she stroked Cade’s soft head and replied softly, “I had business in Averibon. I was just resting there that night. Don’t worry—I’ve got better things to do than stalk you.”

Caden pursed his lips into a thin line.

Stalking? That wasn’t what he had thought at all. He just found it all too coincidental, and his gut told him that Yolanda had something to do with it.

But Alicia didn’t linger on the topic. She walked out the door without another word.

After dropping Cade off at the groomer’s, she gave the staff an address.

“Please drop Cade off at this address afterward. Thanks.”

By mid-afternoon, Caden had returned to Joy Mansion.

He wasn’t one to delay when things got serious, and Dorian needed to hear about Yolanda’s condition directly from him.

Handing over a sleek, white business card, Caden’s voice was steady.

“This is the contact for a top doctor in Averibon. He’s highly skilled. I’ve gone over the treatment plan, and if Yolanda follows through, she has a solid seventy percent chance of recovery.”

Dorian had already seen his daughter earlier that day.

There had been faint traces of her allergy, but there was something else—she seemed quieter, more withdrawn than usual, as if she was hiding something.

Now, hearing Caden bring this up so abruptly, suspicion gnawed at him.

“What exactly happened between you and Yolanda?”

Caden’s reply was cool, almost indifferent.

“If you want the full story, I suggest you ask her yourself. After all, you’re her father; communication should come naturally.”

Your imagination begins with gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s﹒ç𝗈𝗺

Dorian furrowed his brow, sensing something deeper.

“Does this have anything to do with Alicia?”

At the mention of Alicia’s name, Caden’s gaze sharpened, a dark edge flashing in his eyes.

“Tell me, Dorian—are you worried about Yolanda, or are you more interested in Alicia?”

Dorian’s eyebrows shot up, taken aback by the sudden shift in Caden’s attitude.

The icy look Caden was giving him was unnerving, but what bothered him most was Caden’s implication.

Him? Interested in Alicia? Absurd!

He shook his head in exasperation, sighing. “I’m old enough to be her father! I’m just asking because you three are a tangled mess of drama!”

Caden’s jaw tightened, but of course, he never actually thought for a second that Dorian was interested in Alicia. His concerns lay in what Dorian would do for his daughter.

“I’ll deal with it,” Caden said, his voice firm. “What you need to focus on is calming Yolanda down. And move out of Joy Mansion—soon.”

Dorian blinked, momentarily stunned by the cold finality of Caden’s words. The ruthlessness wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it still shook him.