Chapter 78:
Caden smiled when he noticed that Alicia actually believed him. “You can keep searching for it when you get home. There’s no rush.”
Alicia took a moment to realize she had been duped. She rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.
Caden glanced toward a nearby spot. “You still have time to argue with me?” he said in a flat tone. “Mrs. Gray is about to walk out the door. Didn’t you just defend her? Aren’t you going to take this opportunity to claim credit?”
Alicia turned towards the door. Her gaze landed on Randolph and Rachel leaving together, looking quite intimate.
Moments ago, Rachel had appeared utterly pitiful, but now she radiated joy from a simple gesture by Randolph. Alicia’s expression turned cold instantly.
“Trying to claim credit now would be a disaster, don’t you think?” she remarked.
Randolph must have charmed her.
In this moment, Rachel was lost in her happiness and certainly wouldn’t heed Alicia’s advice.
Caden smiled and said, “You’re quick to catch on.” Alicia felt a bit constrained.
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After all the bullying Rachel had endured, a single touch from Randolph had made her feel overwhelmingly happy. Alicia chuckled at herself. Before the divorce, Joshua would occasionally make efforts to lift her spirits out of guilt. In those days, she felt a genuine sense of happiness. Did she appear just as foolish to those who were aware of the reality?
After taking a deep breath, she looked around for the temporary actors. She picked up an ice pack and made her way toward them. The group of young people gathered around a table near the back door looked up as Alicia approached. The man in blue was the first to rise.
“How did we do?” he asked.
Alicia responded with a smile. “Great job. Your performance was better than I anticipated.” She quickly assessed the face of the woman in white. It still had a reddish hue.
“Use this ice pack to ease the pain,” she said as she handed it over.
The woman smiled shyly. “It’s nothing. It was loud, but it didn’t really hurt.”
Seeing the eager, sincere expressions of the young workers, Alicia couldn’t help but smile back. Initially, she had promised each of them $10,000, but their satisfaction led her to add another $5,000 to each. Thus, all four of them received $15,000. She transferred the funds directly to them.
They erupted with joy, hugging and kissing her in gratitude.
“Are you doing charity work? You’re incredible!” Alicia chuckled at that.
“My mom used to do charity work,” she said proudly. “Honestly, I’m much stingier than she was.”
The woman in white, who had a great fondness for money, hugged Alicia tightly and planted another kiss on her cheek. The woman in pink joined in as well.
When the man leaned in to kiss her, Alicia raised her hand to stop him. “Let’s not get carried away.” He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m just really happy.”
Alicia had other things to take care of, so she waved her hand. “I need to head out now.”
Across the street, Rachel stood in the jewelry store, watching the scene unfold outside through the glass, taking in everything that had just transpired. She observed the group of young people bouncing around with excitement.
“What are you staring at?” Randolph shouted. “Come over here and choose something. I’ll buy whatever you like.”
Rachel took his hand and pointed at the group of young people outside. “Randolph, look at that.”
Although he was feeling annoyed, he was intrigued by what it was, so he took a closer look.
“Aren’t those the same people who stirred up trouble earlier?”
“Yes,” Rachel replied. “Why are they suddenly wearing the uniforms from the party?”
They quickly understood that the earlier commotion had been set up by someone. Randolph’s expression darkened as it dawned on him that he had been mocked.
“Who set this up?” he grunted. “Was it the host of the party?”
“I think it was Alicia,” Rachel answered. She remembered how she had seen Alicia transferring money to them earlier.
Randolph didn’t expect that it would be Alicia.
“What does she have against me?” he asked with a grim expression.
Rachel felt just as confused. She had always thought well of Alicia. However, what happened today seemed excessive.
Randolph’s anger subsided as he quickly regained his composure. “She’s Joshua’s ex-wife. Do you think she has some hidden agenda?”
Rachel responded, “You’re close to him. What motive could she possibly have?”
“You can never be sure what’s on someone’s mind,” Randolph replied with a dismissive snort, clearly not wanting to dwell on the topic. “Alicia isn’t as naive as she seems. I’ll have to ask Joshua about her. And you, stay cautious around her from now on.”
Rachel naturally agreed with him. She nodded and said, “Got it.”
Randolph gently patted her hand and smiled. “Come on, let’s pick out a few more pieces of jewelry. You’ve had a tough day.”
As Alicia returned to the party to gather her belongings, she crossed paths with Randolph and Rachel. Randolph kept his polite expression.
“Ms. Bennett, it looks like you came by yourself. Why not ride with me? I’ll give you a lift.”
Alicia noticed the forced smile on his face and immediately felt cautious. She responded politely, “Thank you, Mr. Gray, but I’ve already arranged for a car.”
Randolph wasn’t willing to let it go that easily. He needed answers about today’s situation.
“Cancel your ride. What’s the problem, Ms. Bennett? I’m offering to take you myself, and you’re refusing?”
