Chapter 81:
Alicia bit back her frustration. “If I were good at sweet-talking men, do you think Joshua would’ve left me?”
Suddenly, Caden chuckled. “Fair point.”
To keep her interested, he added, “When Joshua was building his business, he needed serious financial backing, so he worked closely with the banks. A lot of his dealings went through Randolph.”
Alicia asked, “Did Randolph take his cut and cover things up for him?”
“Yes,” Caden replied.
Her heart sank, confirming what she had feared. Randolph had indeed been involved in shady dealings. Getting close to him and Rachel had been the right move after all. She leaned in closer to Caden and asked, “Can the deleted transaction records be recovered?”
He gave her a knowing smirk. Alicia’s heart skipped a beat under his gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, feeling a bit unnerved.
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“I wasn’t sure why you were trying to get near Randolph, but now I get it,” Caden replied.
Alicia was speechless once again. Damn, he tricked me into showing my true intentions, she thought.
Her face tightened. “You said you could help me. That means you know something, right?”
“I did consider that, but at first, I thought you were just interested in Randolph.”
Alicia instinctively responded, “Why would I settle for less? I’ve been with better men.”
Caden remained composed, almost humbly. “I appreciate the compliment.”
Once again, Alicia found herself speechless. She blushed, turned away, and thought, I really should stop talking.
Later, Caden sent something to her email. Alicia quickly checked her inbox. “What’s this?”
“I sent you some info on Randolph.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re giving this to me just like that?”
Caden spoke with a pointed tone. “What do you think?”
Alicia clutched her phone tightly, feeling uneasy.
He tried to sound hopeful. “You’ve already given it to me. Isn’t it too late to set conditions now?”
“I only handed over a third,” she replied, her frustration growing. She hadn’t expected him to hold back some information, and she shot him a sharp glance.
Caden’s voice remained calm. “Do you want to know the rest, Ms. Bennett?”
Alicia narrowed her eyes, biting her lip as she stared at him. Of course, she wanted the rest of the information.
Her plan had been to go after Randolph through Rachel, but Rachel’s complete devotion to him made that impossible. Rachel wouldn’t help; in fact, she might even defend him against Alicia.
Caden wasn’t a good person either. He clearly had his own agenda. But, for the most part, he was always honest about his deals. Compared to Rachel, he was the better option.
Alicia wasn’t naive. She understood exactly what Caden wanted. She twisted her fingers in silence for a moment before slowly replying, “Yes.”
“Prove it,” he answered.
His words left Alicia momentarily speechless. Then, in a quieter voice, she replied, “Alright.”
Caden smirked, clearly pleased with how quickly she adjusted. “Do you know what I’m asking for?”
Alicia’s eyes flicked toward Hank, who was still driving. She felt uneasy, struggling to find her voice. “Shouldn’t we discuss this somewhere more private?”
Caden chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction.
Once they reached the apartment building, Hank left, but Caden didn’t seem in any hurry to take Alicia upstairs.
“Did we forget to buy something?” Alicia asked, feeling a wave of nervousness despite it being the middle of the day.
“What is it?” Caden didn’t answer directly. Instead, he let out a light cough.
Alicia’s eyes were drawn to the movement of his Adam’s apple, her thoughts drifting to places she hadn’t intended. She quickly rubbed her forehead, avoiding eye contact. After a pause, she said, “I’ll go get whatever it is. You head up.”
“Where exactly are you planning to buy them?” Caden asked.
Alicia paused for a moment before replying, “The supermarket?”
Caden raised an eyebrow.
“That’s a bit far. There’s a pharmacy close by.” He then gave her his apartment number and walked away.
Afterwards, Alicia made her way to the nearby pharmacy. Despite their previous encounters, she couldn’t shake the nervousness that gnawed at her.
What was about to unfold with Caden felt like opening Pandora’s box.
She knew it was dangerous, but the temptation was far too strong to ignore.
She wanted to open it and claim whatever was inside.
The shop assistant greeted her with a warm smile. “What can I help you with, Ma’am?”
Alicia didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the most expensive box of condoms, focused more on the protection than the experience.
When she arrived at Caden’s apartment, the door was unlocked, so she stepped inside.
It was her first time here, and the massive floor-to-ceiling window immediately caught her attention, reflecting the bright sky like a giant mirror.
Nearby, a desk sat under a tall bookshelf, which stretched upwards, filled with books and scattered machine parts.
The apartment’s design reflected Caden’s personality—sleek, minimalistic, luxurious, and impressive.
But for some reason, it also felt distant and cold.
There were barely any signs of someone living there. Alicia figured Caden probably didn’t spend much time in this space.
Maybe he only stayed here occasionally. Had he ever brought women here? She had no clue.
Alicia opened the shoe cabinet, searching for a pair of slippers, but it was completely empty.
She decided to walk around barefoot. The dark floor tiles made her toes stand out even more. Caden stood nearby, silently observing the contrast of her skin against the dark floor.
“If there are no slippers, you don’t have to take your shoes off,” he said.
She hadn’t noticed how close he had gotten.
“Aren’t you concerned about the dirt my shoes would leave?” she asked.
Caden didn’t seem interested in continuing the conversation. “Did you get them?”
Alicia’s unease returned, and she gripped the bag tighter. The soft rustle of plastic was the only sound that filled the silence.
“Yes,” she said, her voice tense but her words bold. “I bought the extra-large ones.”
