Chapter 569

He was about to speak when Alicia stood and led the dog to the grill. Caden could only watch, his mouth agape. Could she not afford him a little grace, at least in front of others? Frustrated, he swallowed his irritation and followed.

Alicia was searing meat for Cade. As Caden approached, the barbecue vendor asked, "What would you like, sir?"

Caden glanced at the cooler. "Ten skewers of oysters, ten skewers of lamb kidneys, and a few sea cucumbers and abalone."

The vendor was visibly startled. He knew these were aphrodisiacs. Alicia nearly rolled her eyes. All this energy-boosting food—what was he planning? To conquer her completely tonight?

Noticing her expression, Caden asked the vendor, "How long will this take?"

Caught off guard, the vendor stammered, "Uh, sir, are you in a hurry?"

"Not me," Caden replied smoothly, "but my girlfriend is."

The vendor blinked in confusion. Caden nodded toward Alicia. "That's my girlfriend," he added, pointing to "the pretty one holding the dog." Alicia's forced smile barely concealed her annoyance. She'd expected an apology, not this.

After settling Cade, she faced them. The rattled vendor focused intently on the grill while Caden met her gaze unflinchingly. Handing him a piece of meat, she smirked. "Judging by your order, Mr. Ward, your deficiency is more serious than we thought. Need more than just food?" Her eyes darted to his pants. "If it's that bad, this won't help. I suggest something drastic—a full reset."

The vendor stifled a snicker, blaming the smoke. Caden glared. "You find this funny?"

The vendor straightened. "No, sir. Just... some smoke."

Caden raised an eyebrow, glancing pointedly at the smoke-free grill.