Chapter 176:
Alicia shrugged and went back to her work.
It wasn’t until after three in the morning that she finally completed her tasks. Feeling utterly exhausted, she could barely keep her eyes open. She took a quick shower and went straight to bed.
The following morning, unfamiliar noises outside startled her awake. Still groggy, she pulled the blanket over her head, hoping to fall back asleep. Just as she was drifting off again, something landed on her chest.
She groaned and tossed the blanket aside in frustration. “Caden, what is going on?”
As she opened her eyes, she saw Caden standing at the door with an indifferent expression. For a moment, she was taken aback. Then she spotted the real culprit on the bed — Cade, the dog, sitting there with innocent eyes and his tongue hanging out.
With a sigh, she picked him up and cuddled him, hoping to get a little more sleep.
However, Caden’s voice pulled her out of her reverie. “He just finished pooping.”
His words jolted Alicia awake. Cade leapt toward her without warning, eagerly licking her face. He trotted around her a few times before sitting directly on her face.
Alicia lay there, too stunned to speak. After washing her face, she stepped out of the bathroom, her irritation with Caden growing.
He appeared completely unaffected, behaving as if nothing unusual had happened.
“Why did you let him into my room so early? Are you trying to ruin my day?” she demanded.
Caden lounged in his chair, casually handling his work. “I had nothing to do with it. He entered your room on his own.”
Your imagination thrives at galnovels puntocom
“Do you expect me to believe he opened the door by himself?”
“Yes. He’s actually quite good at that.”
Once again, Alicia was left speechless.
She simmered with frustration, unable to find an outlet for her anger. After a long silence, she finally burst out, “You’re unbelievably childish!”
Caden regarded her with a cool gaze. “You’re in a bad mood because you didn’t get the invitation, aren’t you?”
Alicia steadied herself and replied, “That’s none of your business.”
“Fine,” Caden said, assuming she was just being stubborn. “If you fail to get it and decide you need my help, I’ll be available until noon. After that, even if you ask, it won’t change anything.”
Alicia scoffed. “Don’t expect me to beg.”
“Suit yourself,” he replied.
Determined, Alicia invited Monica to join her at the art exhibition. She had already selected a dress for Monica and planned to pick it up from the boutique and deliver it to her.
After changing into her own outfit, she left the apartment. Only when she heard the door close did Caden look up. He noticed the untouched breakfast table. She was already gone.
His expression turned cold, and he found himself unable to concentrate on his work any longer. He tossed the documents aside. The papers landed on Cade, the dog resting at his feet, causing him to yelp.
Caden scowled at the dog. “You’re in the way.” Cade felt hurt and wanted to be comforted, but hesitated to nuzzle against Caden’s leg.
Instead, he wandered through the living room, searching for Alicia.
Caden maintained a stern expression. “Come here,” he commanded.
Cade felt afraid and refused to move. He curled up on the pink cushion and lowered his head.
Caden’s scowl deepened. He realized that Cade, despite being a small dog, had quite a temper. The dog reminded him of Alicia.
Caden wondered if he had accidentally hurt Cade. He called out several times without receiving a response and decided to approach him.
The moment Caden crouched down to check on Cade, the door swung open. He looked up and met Alicia’s eyes.
As soon as Alicia stepped inside, Cade’s ears perked up. He rushed over, circling her legs and letting out soft whimpers. She picked him up and gently stroked his fur. Noticing his distress, she turned to Caden. “Did you do something to Cade?” she asked.
Cade whimpered again, as if complaining about mistreatment.
Caden remained expressionless. “You picked a bad time to come back. I was just about to strangle him,” he said.
Alicia stared at him in disbelief. Clutching Cade closer, she glared at Caden. “That’s the most twisted thing you’ve ever said,” she grunted. She headed to the bedroom, grabbed a few belongings, and made her way to the door.
Caden watched her leave. “If you need my help, just say so. No point in wasting time,” he stated.
She ignored his comment, thinking how absurd he was. “If you lay a finger on Cade, you’ll regret it,” she warned.
Caden glanced at the dog. “Once you’re gone, I can’t promise what might happen to him,” he replied.
Anger flared in Alicia’s eyes. Realizing she couldn’t win either an argument or a physical confrontation, Alicia decided to ignore Caden altogether and left the apartment with Cade in her arms. As she exited, she called out loudly, “And you’re not allowed to wear the long johns I bought for you!”
Caden stood there, momentarily speechless.
Alicia chose to leave Cade at a pet store temporarily, planning to pick him up after completing her errands later that afternoon.
When Monica received the dress, she was ecstatic and immediately tried it on.
“Where’s your dress?” Monica asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Alicia, try yours on for me! I’ll even do your makeup.”
“I have important matters to handle today. How I look isn’t a priority,” Alicia replied.
“But it absolutely matters!” Monica stated earnestly. “You’re finally confronting Joshua today. You should look stunning and make him realize what he’s lost.” Her words made Alicia pause.
Yes, today was the day to bring everything to a close. Once it was finished, her agreement with Caden would also come to an end.
These were two significant events worth celebrating.
By the time Alicia snapped out of her thoughts, Monica was already guiding her into the bedroom.
She glanced at herself in the mirror.
There was no joy reflected in her expression. All she could see was her own indifference.
The dress was intricate and difficult to manage. Alicia struggled with it for quite a while.
Just as she was about to zip it up, her phone rang. It was Caden calling.
