Chapter 601:

When Alicia met his gaze again, his eyes burned with desire. She felt a momentary fear that he would consume her entirely. "You finished it, right?" Caden teased, grinning. "Be careful not to wet the sheets again, darling."

Alicia could bear it no longer. "Shut up!" she snapped, the anger unconvincing. Caden chuckled, clicking his tongue. "Oh, right, I forgot how wet you get. The sheets are bound to be ruined one way or another."

To avoid further crude remarks, Alicia kissed him, but had to break away breathless. "Why are you embarrassed?" Caden asked, his teasing unabated. "It's proof of your love for me. Aren't we a perfect balance? One strong and powerful, the other soft and gentle…"

The bed creaked as the headboard banged against the wall for hours. The room fell silent only as dawn approached. Caden slept lightly for a few more hours, waking completely refreshed. There was no further word from the hospital.

Meanwhile, Dorian hadn't slept all night. Regina had returned after hearing the news. When Yolanda woke and saw her mother at the hospital bed, she sneered. "Why didn't you wait until I was dead before you came back?"

"Don't say that, Yolanda," Dorian scolded, his voice hoarse. He gestured to Regina and pulled her outside. Regina immediately withdrew her hand, her expression icy. She was deeply disappointed in her daughter, but Yolanda's words stung.

"How is she?" Regina asked.

"She's fine," Dorian replied. He hadn't seen Regina in a long time and missed her very much. But recent events left him unable to hug her. They sat silently on the corridor benches.

"Dorian, Yolanda isn't the only reason I came back," Regina began. "I heard you sent someone abroad." She couldn't bring herself to utter the offensive words, her face etched with worry and sorrow as she broached the sensitive topic.

Dorian didn't hide the truth. "If this continues, Yolanda's life is in real danger. I had no choice."

Regina suppressed her anger. "What are you going to do? Are you going to let him die?"

Dorian's voice was filled with hatred. "He forced my hand. Yolanda is our daughter. It's only natural that I want to protect her."