Chapter 46

Alicia finally laid everything out, dispelling Monica's suspicions. Monica laughed. “Look, many men may lack personality, but many have great bodies. If it's purely physical, don't hold back. Pleasure is something you can pay for. It's like hiring a gigolo. There's a man for every fantasy.”

Alice sighed in frustration. “This all started because of that damn gigolo.” Because of him, she'd ended up in the wrong room, with the wrong man, and now had to face the consequences. A sudden thought struck her. “Hey, could the drug Lilliana gave me have any side effects?”

"Biologically and medically speaking? No," Monica replied.

Alice remained unconvinced. "I don't trust him."

Monica looked puzzled. It was then that Alice made a decision, keeping her thoughts to herself, afraid Monica's impatience might lead to something drastic, like inviting two men into her bed to "help."

Monica broke the silence. “Now that things have calmed down, shouldn't we make our move?”

Alicia stated, “I plan to contact Attorney Jeffery Benson and simultaneously gather evidence against Joshua and Lilliana for defamation.”

Monica raised an eyebrow. “Jeffery Benson? He's hard to get. I’ll see what I can do to help.”

After the call, Monica decided to call her father, Lennon. Their recent estrangement had created tension. When his phone rang, Lennon was secretly pleased to hear from his daughter. He replied coldly, “Oh, so you’ve remembered you have a father, have you?”

Monica murmured, "Dad, I'm going to eat today. I've been craving that special dish of yours."

Lennon scoffed. “You think you can just show up and I'll cook for you? I’m not cooking anything.”

At noon, when Monica arrived, the table overflowed with dishes—a veritable Christmas feast. “Wow, Dad, you've really outdone yourself!” she joked. “This could feed us until Christmas,” he added, chuckling.

Lennon proudly presented his signature dish, still steaming. Monica smiled and offered him the first bite, surprising him. His mood softened. "Look at you, all grown up. I used to be the one trying to get you to eat."

Monica hesitated, then said, “Dad, you know Jeffery Benson, right?”

Lennon paused, sensing something. “Why do you mention him?”

"I need you to arrange a meeting with him. Alicia is filing a lawsuit."

He put down his fork. “I knew you had an agenda!”

Monica playfully tossed the meat back onto his plate. “Oh come on, Dad, you're the best! Help me! I’m even offering you meat, so you have to say yes!”

Lennon raised an eyebrow. “I’m the one who cooked this!”

“Dad, I beg you!” Monica pleaded. “Please help Alicia. I owe her my life.”

Lennon looked confused. “How did a young girl like her save your life?”

“Hey… remember during exams? You always helped me cheat. If you hadn't, you would have killed me for those horrible grades. Isn’t that enough?”

Lennon stared at her, then jumped up, grabbing branches from a nearby vase. “Damn it! Better late than ever. Now I’ll give you the beating you deserve.”

Monica fled, dodging him as they chased each other around the house. Finally collapsing, Monica pleaded, her tone serious, "Dad, Alicia is my best friend. I really need you to help her."

Watching his usually stubborn daughter humbled and begging, Lennon's resolve weakened. He sighed deeply. “You always come to me with the most difficult requests. Six months ago, Jeffery signed an exclusive contract overseas. He only takes cases for that client.”

Monica raised an eyebrow. “Who the hell would hire a lawyer of his level? Who has that much influence?”

“Caden Ward,” Lennon said simply. “I'm sure you've heard of him. If you want Jeffery’s help, you’ll need Caden’s approval first.”

Monica sat stunned.

Lennon added, "I can't really do anything about it." Getting Alicia to approach Caden seemed impossible. Monica knew she needed to speak with Alicia face-to-face. They agreed to meet at a specialty restaurant.

Before they could begin, Monica's attention was drawn to the gym across the street. “My God,” she gasped. “This place sure knows how to pick a spot. Good food with muscled men. What more could you ask for?”

Alice laughed. "No wonder it's always packed. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by handsome, muscular men?"

Monica watched, then fell silent, removing her glasses for a better view. Alicia's curiosity grew as she saw the change in Monica's expression.

"Who are you looking at like that?"

Monica turned, and her smile faded.

Oh no.

It was Caden.