Chapter 618

"Alicia!" Caden exclaimed, catching his breath. She giggled, darted out of the car before he could grab her, and a few minutes later, they were inside a jewelry store. Alicia was stunned by the dazzling array of diamond rings. She stared, then turned to Caden. "This is what you want to buy for me?" He smirked. "You have plenty of jewelry at home, but you never wear anything on your fingers. Pick a few pieces to wear daily."

Alicia laughed, exasperated. "These are engagement rings," she whispered. "They're for people who plan to get married. Are you messing with me?"

"If you're open to marrying me," Caden said slowly, "we can get a matching pair right here, right now."

Alicia was speechless. She rolled her eyes slightly, but her gaze lingered on the sparkling diamonds. Like anyone, she longed for a love as timeless and precious. Even though Caden was joking, her heart raced at the thought.

Caden noticed her lingering gaze. "See something you like?" She shook her head, snapping back to reality. "No, not really into these. Let's look somewhere else." She reached for his hand; he took hers instead, admiring her slender, bare fingers. "Do you like any of them, or none at all, huh?" he teased, gently rubbing her hand.

Alicia felt nervous and couldn't meet his gaze. He didn't seem to be joking anymore. He was serious. Her palm began to sweat.

"If you're not into any of these," Caden said, a touch impatiently, "let's just check out another store."

"No, I do like them," Alicia quickly replied, "but I just don't think buying them is right."

Caden looked at the display case. "Alright, let's just buy them all. It's not a big deal."

Alicia stared, speechless. "Not that much? Each piece here costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Buying them all would max out your credit card."