Chapter 248:

Yolanda, a chip technology specialist, had equipped her robot with a self-destruct mechanism. When Alice attempted to play the video, it was completely erased, leaving no trace of its existence. Alicia hadn't recorded Yolanda's call, and Yolanda had been careful to avoid recording anything incriminating. It was as if the incident had never occurred.

Alicia felt uncertain about the future, but fear was absent. Confronting Yolanda was vastly different from facing Joshua. Regardless of Yolanda's intentions, Alicia felt secure enough to defend herself. Gathering her thoughts, she responded to Caden's message. When he finished his meeting, he called. Alicia pursed her lips before answering.

"I misjudged you before. I'm sorry. Do you want to yell at me for revenge?" Caden asked.

"What did you do wrong?" he replied, remembering his earlier anger and sensing something serious had happened.

Alicia explained, "I received a prank package and assumed it was from you. But I just found out who was really behind it."

Caden's voice held frustration. "Whenever something goes wrong, I'm the first one blamed. Why don't I ever get credit when something good happens?"

Alice offered an awkward giggle. "You have to admit you're not exactly trustworthy."

"Are you seriously insulting me to my face now?" Caden asked, his voice low.

"Have I ever insulted you behind your back?" Alice retorted.

Caden fell silent, then shifted gears, casually mentioning dishes he wanted her to cook that evening.

As the call ended, Yolanda emerged from the hallway. "Jeffery is here. He's waiting for you in the office."

Caden replied, "If it was important, Hank would have told me."

Yolanda smiled. "I was passing by and thought I should mention it," she said, holding documents. Adding, "I'll finish this and then I'll go back to the Joy mansion."

"Okay, see you," Caden said. Yolanda watched him leave, suspecting he was speaking with Alicia again. His unusually long phone call was peculiar; only Alicia could elicit such a reaction. Yolanda was surprised Alicia hadn't betrayed her, noting Alicia's calculated silence and patience. A disdainful smile touched her lips. She would ensure Alicia and Caden had no future. Alicia, she mused, was wasting her best years.

Meanwhile, Jeffery waited in Caden's office. When Caden arrived, Jeffery presented the documents.

"Mr. Ward, we discovered that before the Bennetts' accident, Joshua flew overseas to meet them. They had a heated argument, and Joshua ended up in the hospital. Reliable sources confirm the fight stemmed from their disapproval of his relationship with Ms. Bennett. The plane crash was not an accident; we have enough evidence to prove it was murder. Once we hand him over to the authorities, Joshua will not escape justice this time."

Caden studied the documents. "Once this goes to court, the truth will be exposed to everyone."

Jeffery observed Caden's reaction. "For someone like Joshua, public humiliation will be worse than jail."

Caden set the documents aside. "There's already enough evidence to put him away for life. This won't change anything."

"But none of those charges compare to murder," Jeffery countered. "If you push it, he could face the death penalty."

Caden had decided. "A lifetime of suffering is a fate worse than death," he said calmly. "You can drop the case against the Bennett family."

Jeffery complied, yet a thought lingered. "Have you softened, Mr. Ward?"

Caden stared blankly. Softness wasn't the issue; he understood Alicia too well. If she learned of her parents' murder, she would relentlessly pursue Joshua's death. He had endured such pain and knew revenge offered no solace. Alicia shouldn't bear that burden.

That evening, the aroma of food greeted Caden upon entering the apartment. However, the dishes on the table were not what he'd requested. He paused, contemplating the unexpected meal.

Alice entered, placing the final plate down. After washing her hands, she noticed his stillness.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Caden's expression was unreadable. "Did you forget what I asked for, or did the supermarket run out of ingredients?"

Alice sat down. "I didn't feel like making any of the things you mentioned."

"So all that talk of an apology was for show?" Caden asked, pulling up a chair.

Alice gave him a sidelong glance. "Are you going to eat or sulk?" she asked, amusement in her tone. "If you're not interested in dinner, why don't you sit with Cade? Maybe he'll share his food with you."

Caden stared at her. "Look at you. You look awfully proud of yourself."