Caden despised drinking warm water, but his throat was too uncomfortable to care. It quickly became dry again.

He waved down a server, asking for another glass of water.

Meanwhile, Alicia hadn’t found a chance to approach Rachel, so she stood to the side, idly passing the time. When Caden came near, she didn’t move. Instead, she gave him a polite smile. “Mr. Ward.”

Caden, offering the same insincerity, replied, “Ms. Bennett.” An awkward silence followed.

Alicia glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

The room was packed with people, yet Caden’s striking appearance still drew attention. His face appeared pale from his illness, but it didn’t make him look weak. If anything, it made him even more captivating.

Their eyes met briefly, and his expression was detached. They weren’t standing too close, nor too far apart, but his gaze lacked any warmth, as if they were nothing more than strangers.

It felt entirely different from the heated passion he had shown the previous night.

Alicia felt a wave of unease wash over her. She glanced around the room to compose herself and then decided to walk to a nearby table to grab a dessert.

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Just then, a familiar figure appeared beside her. Before she could reach for the tart, Caden’s hand swiftly intervened and grabbed it instead.

She paused for a moment, turned to him, and asked, “Why are you eating sweets when you have a cold?” Her tone was more annoyed than concerned.

Her irritation only seemed to encourage Caden. He calmly took a bite of the tart and said, “Why shouldn’t I eat it?”

She instinctively responded, “Eating sweets when you’re sick can cause inflammation. You don’t want to end up with a high fever.”

Caden stared at her intently.

Feeling uneasy under his gaze, she added, “I’m not showing concern. I’m just making an observation.”

Caden didn’t respond. Instead, he tossed the untouched tart into the trash can.

His unexpected action made Alicia feel uneasy. She couldn’t understand why he was suddenly being so agreeable. Something didn’t add up.

After wiping his hands, Caden commented in a cool tone, “It was awful.”

The dessert had been excessively sweet, and Alicia was left speechless.

She knew his behavior wasn’t because he had taken her advice—he never listened to her in the past.

Caden took a sip of water to cleanse the sugary taste from his mouth, then turned to her and asked, “Since sweets are off the table, what should I eat instead?”

Alicia picked up a cookie, giving him a curious look. “Do you really need to eat anything at all?”

“I can’t taste anything,” Caden complained. “Why don’t you think of something I could eat?”

Alicia stared at him in surprise. “And why should I do that?”

She wasn’t his caretaker, after all.

“Ms. Bennett, have you forgotten that I caught this cold because of you?” Caden countered.

Alicia was momentarily speechless, then, determined not to fall into his trap, she muttered defensively, “You were the one who kissed me first that day.”

She glanced around nervously, worried someone might overhear them. People occasionally walked by, casting curious glances in their direction.

Still, she reassured herself that their conversation wasn’t loud enough for others to hear.

Caden, however, seemed unfazed. In a steady voice, he said, “I doubt that a single kiss could make me this sick.”

He stepped closer to her, reaching out to take the cookie from her plate. Their clothes brushed softly against each other.

To anyone watching, everything appeared normal. But Alicia knew that Caden was seizing the moment to tease her.

“Only a deep kiss could make me catch a cold like this, right?” Caden played with the cookie in his hand, his eyes fixed on her increasingly flushed face. “And it must have lasted quite a while. Miss Bennett, do you remember how soft you were when I kissed you? How much of your sweet saliva have I tasted?”

Alicia’s heart raced, afraid he might say something even more provocative.

Alicia quickly cut him off. “Please, shut up.”

She didn’t dare raise her voice, so her protest came out more like a plea.

Caden smirked, looking like a cat toying with a cornered mouse.

Just then, a man approached them.

“Mr. Ward,” the man greeted politely. “It really is you! I thought I might have been mistaken. I’m…”

After introducing himself, the man clinked glasses with Caden. Caden shifted effortlessly into a serious demeanor, engaging in brief conversation.

Watching from the side, Alicia couldn’t help but admire how smoothly he switched roles. He was exceptionally adept at this.

After exchanging pleasantries, the man handed Caden his business card and departed with a courteous nod.

Seizing the opportunity to make her escape, Alicia tried to slip away unnoticed.

But Caden stepped into her path, his tall figure blocking her exit. “Leaving without taking responsibility?” he asked.

She glared at him, feeling quite frustrated.

Knowing he was difficult to deal with, she realized that confronting him directly wouldn’t work. She needed to take a different approach.

“Alright,” she finally conceded. “I’ll get you something to eat.”

Scanning the spread on the table, she intentionally picked some mild snacks.

He smirked. “It’s too dry. I can’t swallow that.”

Irritated, she searched for something more suitable.

“Try this,” she said, handing him a different option.

Caden glanced at the plate and explained, “Eating fried food will only worsen my condition.”

“How about this one?” she asked, frustrated but still trying.

He examined it briefly before responding, “It doesn’t seem very appetizing.”

Undeterred, she presented another choice. “And this?”

Caden shook his head, asking, “Does it look appealing to you?”

Alicia was left speechless by his continuous refusals. As his excuses became more unreasonable, she finally stopped trying to accommodate him and firmly asked, “Are you going to eat or not?”

Without hesitation, Caden simply replied, “No.”

Alicia chose not to give in to his requests. Frustrated, she deliberately stepped on his toe to show her displeasure.

It was a well-known fact that people, much like vending machines, responded predictably to certain stimuli. If the right actions were taken, individuals would react accordingly.

However, Alicia had encountered someone who was different.

Caden remained completely calm, showing no signs of being bothered by her actions.

In a sudden moment of realization, Alicia spoke, her tone shifting. “Caden, you have a cold, and you can’t taste anything, so what you actually want isn’t snacks at all, is it?”