Chapter 17:
Alicia was taken aback. She glanced at Caden, her eyes wide with surprise and disbelief.
Caden’s expression remained inscrutable as he spoke briefly on his phone. His actions were always decisive and efficient, and this time was no different.
“Mr. Ward?” Lilliana blinked, breaking out of her daze, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
The commotion had already caught the attention of passersby, and a small crowd of onlookers was beginning to gather.
Lilliana attempted to get out of the car, but Joshua grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.
“Stay in the car. There might be paparazzi lurking around here.” He raised the car window, keeping his gaze fixed on Alicia and Caden through the glass. “I’ll take care of this.”
Lilliana was still irritated. She had planned to humiliate Alicia but hadn’t expected Caden to be there. How did the two of them know each other?
Lilliana put her sunglasses back on, muttering in frustration under her breath, “That bitch! It hasn’t even been that long since your divorce, and she’s already with your brother!”
Joshua’s face darkened at her words. As much as he hated to admit it, Lilliana’s remark stung.
His jaw clenched as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.
The first thing Joshua noticed was how Alicia clutched Caden’s jacket around her shoulders. She stood behind Caden, seemingly expecting him to shield her from everything.
The sight fueled Joshua’s anger, and his expression grew grimmer with each step he took toward them.
“Caden,” he acknowledged, then reached for Alicia’s hand.
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“Give him back his jacket,” Joshua chided, his voice sharp. “I’ll take you home.”
Alicia didn’t even give him a chance to touch her. She pulled her hand back, her face indifferent as she asked, “Who are you?”
Caden remained impassive, his face betraying no emotion. The confrontation between Joshua and Alicia seemed insignificant to him, but he stood firm between them, a silent barrier.
“Stop being so stubborn,” Joshua said through gritted teeth. “Your clothes are soaked. You need to come home with me, right now.”
“In your dreams,” Alicia retorted, her voice defiant. “We’re already divorced!”
To emphasize her point, she grabbed Caden’s sleeve and clung to it like a petulant child.
Caden lowered his gaze to her delicate fingers. When he raised his eyes again, he found Alicia staring at him, looking lost and vulnerable.
“Can you give me a ride home, Mr. Ward?” she asked softly.
“Alicia!” Joshua exploded before Caden could respond. “Why the hell are you acting all coy and flirty with Caden?”
Caden’s expression shifted slightly. To everyone’s surprise, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Alicia’s waist, pulling her into his embrace. He looked at his brother with a smile. “You should handle your personal matters, Joshua. I’ll take care of mine.”
He cast a pointed glance toward the car behind them, reminding Joshua of the woman waiting inside.
Joshua’s hands balled into fists, his frustration clear.
At that moment, Hank drove up beside them. Without saying another word, Caden pulled Alicia into his car, and they left, while the onlookers continued to whisper among themselves.
Once the door to the backseat slammed shut, Alicia pulled her hand from Caden’s hold.
In response, he casually smoothed the wrinkles on his sleeves where she had grabbed him. “Tossing me aside after using me to your advantage?”
Alicia slid to the far side of the backseat, sitting up straight with her legs pressed together and hands in her lap. “Not at all. I just know you have an aversion to women. I didn’t want to upset you.”
She pulled the jacket tighter around her body. After a brief moment of thought, she took out her phone and transferred fifty thousand dollars to him.
“What is this for?” Caden asked, his eyes narrowing at the notification from his bank.
“The jacket,” she explained. “It got stained with coffee. You probably don’t want it back, so I’m paying for it.”
Caden’s gaze hardened as he looked at his phone screen. “This is nowhere near enough. That suit jacket is much more expensive.”
Alicia’s jaw nearly dropped at his audacity. Why was he being so petty?
“How much exactly?” she asked, exasperated.
“Send me another fifty thousand,” Caden replied coolly.
Alicia’s eyes widened. “What kind of second-hand jacket costs a hundred thousand?”
Caden leaned back in his seat, his tone lazy. “If you don’t have the money, then you don’t need to pay.”
He had barely finished speaking when Alicia shot back, “Thanks, then.”
It was Caden’s turn to be speechless.
But Alicia wasn’t done yet. She pressed on, “Why don’t you be a dear and send me back my fifty thousand altogether?”
Caden’s upper lip twitched. Without saying a word, he unlocked his phone and accepted the money transfer.
Alicia let out a small gasp of indignation.
As the car cruised down the highway, Alicia leaned her head against the window, feeling sticky and uncomfortable. From time to time, she tugged at her collar to let in some air, trying to relieve the suffocating feeling caused by her wet clothes.
Luckily for her, Caden always kept a change of clothes in his car.
He pulled out one of his extra shirts and tossed it at her. “Change into this.”
Alicia hesitated, unsure of how to feel about his offer. “It’s all right. I’ll take a shower as soon as I get home.”
“The smell of coffee is about to knock me out,” Caden replied flatly, not even glancing at her. “It’s starting to reek in this confined space.”
Alicia gaped at him. Was this bastard trying to insult her, or was he suddenly swearing off coffee for the rest of his life? Still, she felt awkward about changing in the car.
Sensing her reluctance, Caden closed the partition, effectively blocking Hank’s view of the backseat. Alicia gingerly removed the jacket. “Can you turn around as well?” she asked cautiously.
Caden raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on her chest. “Why all the fuss over A cups?”
Alicia’s face flushed with indignation. She looked down at herself for a moment, then boldly pulled her shoulders back, pushing her chest out. “Is there something wrong with your eyes? What A cup?”
Caden’s lips curled into a smirk. He could almost feel the softness of her breasts as if they were nestled in his palms. “Looks can be deceiving. One needs to feel the weight of it to know for certain.”
Alicia’s face, ears, and neck turned an alarming shade of red. With a huff, she turned her back to him and quickly changed into his shirt.
Caden shamelessly watched her, taking particular interest in her slender waist. “Calling it an A cup is generous as it is,” he continued to critique. “If A minus is a thing, it would be a more fitting measurement.”
Unable to take any more of his snide comments, Alicia whirled around and threw the soiled jacket at his face. “Go to hell, Caden!”
Caden casually dropped the jacket to the floor, completely unfazed. “What, can’t handle the truth?”
Alicia rolled her eyes. “Please! Stop projecting your own insecurities onto me.”
Caden shrugged nonchalantly, humming. He saw no reason to defend himself. After all, there was no truth to her claims.
Opening the partition again, Caden happened to glance at the rearview mirror and noticed that Joshua’s car was tailing them. He chuckled under his breath.
Alicia noticed as well, but her reaction was a stark contrast to Caden’s amusement. “Hank,” she said, leaning over to the driver’s seat, “can you please pull over by that trash bin up ahead?”
Hank had no idea what she was planning, but he complied without hesitation.
As their car slowed down, so did Joshua’s.
From behind the wheel, Joshua watched as the rear window of Caden’s car rolled down. Then, a piece of clothing flew out of the car, landing squarely in the trash bin.
Joshua’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Wasn’t that Alicia’s dress?” Lilliana exclaimed in a shrill voice. “Why is she throwing it away? Wait, what is she wearing then? Oh my! Are she and Caden actually… getting it on in the car?!”
Joshua’s grip tightened around the steering wheel, his veins bulging against his skin.
