Alicia laid everything out, finally putting Monica’s suspicions to rest.

Monica laughed. “Look, lots of men may be lacking in personality, but plenty have good bodies. If it’s just physical, don’t hold back. Pleasure is something you can pay for.” It was like hiring a gigolo. There’s a type for every fantasy.

Alicia sighed, frustrated. “This all started because of that damn gigolo.”

Because of him, she had ended up in the wrong room, slept with the wrong man.

And now, she had to deal with the fallout.

A sudden thought crossed her mind. “Hey, could the drug Lilliana gave me have any side effects?”

“Biologically and medically speaking? No,” Monica answered.

Alicia wasn’t convinced. “I don’t trust that.”

Monica looked puzzled.

Fresh updates loaded gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․cøm

It was at this point that Alicia came to a decision.

Alicia kept her thoughts to herself, not daring to tell Monica just yet. She feared her friend’s impatience would lead to something extreme, like tossing two men into her bed just to “help.”

Monica broke the silence. “Now that things have settled a bit, don’t you think it’s time we made our move?”

Alicia stated, “I’m planning to reach out to lawyer Jeffery Benson. At the same time, I’ll start collecting evidence to use against Joshua and Lilliana for slander.”

Monica raised an eyebrow. “Jeffery Benson? He’s tough to get. I’ll see what I can do to help with that.”

After ending the call with Alicia, Monica was pulled back to reality and decided to ring up her father, Lennon. Their recent cold war had kept them from speaking, and the tension hung in the air.

When his phone buzzed, Lennon was secretly thrilled to hear from his beloved daughter. He answered coolly, “Oh, so you remembered you have a father, did you?”

Monica muttered, “Dad, I’ll come by for lunch today. I’ve been craving that special dish of yours.”

Lennon scoffed and said, “You think you can just show up and I’ll cook for you? I’m not going to make you anything.”

By noon, when Monica arrived, the table was overflowing with dishes, looking like a holiday feast.

“Wow, Dad, you went all out!” she teased. “This could feed us until Christmas!” she added, chuckling.

Lennon proudly brought out his signature dish, still steaming hot and cooked to perfection.

Monica smiled and offered him the first bite, catching him by surprise.

Lennon’s mood softened at the gesture. “Look at you, acting all grown-up. It used to be me trying to get you to eat.”

Monica hesitated for a second, then said, “Dad, you know Jeffery Benson, don’t you?”

Lennon was just about to take a bite when he paused, sensing something fishy. “Why are you bringing him up?”

“I need you to set up a meeting with him. Alicia’s filing a lawsuit.”

He placed the piece of meat right back on her plate. “I knew you had an agenda!”

Monica playfully put the meat back on his plate. “Oh, come on, Dad, you’re the best! Help me out! I’m even offering you meat, so you have to say yes!”

Lennon raised an eyebrow. “I’m the one who cooked this!”

“Dad, I’m begging you!” Monica pleaded. “Please help Alicia. I owe her my life.”

Lennon looked confused. “How did a young girl like her manage to save your life?”

“Uh… remember during exams? She always helped me cheat. If I hadn’t gotten her help, you’d have killed me for those awful scores. Isn’t that life-saving enough?”

Lennon stared at her for a second before jumping out of his chair, grabbing a few branches from the nearby vase. “Damn it! It’s better late than never. I’ll give you the beating you deserve now!”

Monica bolted, dodging him as they ran around the house.

When they both finally collapsed in exhaustion, Monica sat down, her tone serious as she pleaded, “Dad, Alicia’s my best friend. I really need you to help her.”

Seeing his usually headstrong daughter humbled and asking for help, Lennon felt his resolve weaken.

Lennon let out a deep sigh. “You always come to me with the hardest requests. Jeffery signed an exclusive contract with someone overseas six months ago. He only takes cases for that one client now.”

Monica raised an eyebrow. “Who on earth could lock down a lawyer of his level? Who has that kind of pull?”

“Caden Ward,” Lennon said simply. “I’m sure you’ve heard of him. If you want Jeffery’s help, you’ll need Caden’s approval first.”

Monica sat there, stunned into silence.

Lennon added, “There’s really nothing I can do about it.” Getting Alicia to approach Caden for help felt like a long shot, almost impossible.

Monica knew this conversation was one she’d have to have with Alicia face-to-face.

They agreed to meet at a specialty restaurant.

Before they could even get started, Monica’s attention veered off toward the gym across the street.

“Oh my gosh,” she gasped. Even through two layers of glass and across the street, the sight of countless well-built men was mesmerizing. “This place sure knows how to choose a spot. Great food with a side of muscular men. What more could you ask for?”

Alicia laughed at that.

“No wonder it’s always packed. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by handsome, muscular men?”

Monica watched for a moment longer, then fell oddly silent. She pulled out her glasses to get a better look. Alicia’s curiosity spiked at the change in her expression.

“Who are you staring at like that?”

She turned to follow Monica’s gaze, and her smile dropped.

Oh no.

It was Caden.