Chapter 80

Alice's heart pounded. Fortunately, Hank intervened, "It's just the flu. Nothing unusual." He added, "I've had a stuffy nose lately, too."

Gerry's suspicion eased. "For a second, I thought Caden and Alicia had kissed. It scared me." Alicia remained speechless. So what if they had?

Gerry chuckled. "Randolph really hit the jackpot with Rachel. If I were her, I'd have left him after today's fiasco."

Alice's attention sharpened. "How does Randolph treat Rachel when they're alone?"

Gerry didn't know all the details, but he'd heard enough. "Randolph is quite the ladies' man. He flirts with old lovers and tries to seduce attractive women. Honestly, I thought he had that intention with you."

Alice clenched her fists. No wonder she felt so uncomfortable around him.

He asked, "Does Rachel have no idea?"

"How could she not? Even I do," Gerry replied with a smirk. "People in love can be maddening. She knows, but pretends not to. Her family isn't well-off, and she depends on Randolph, so she feels inferior."

Gerry looked uncertain and turned to Caden. "Isn't that right, Caden?"

Caden replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, fools in love never learn, do they?"

Alice's jaw tightened. Caden's implication stung. While she hadn't been overly submissive to Joshua, she had made sacrifices to repay his kindness. To others, she probably seemed infatuated.

"Last year, there was a big stir at Randolph's bank," Caden said. "Heard about it?"

Alice focused. Gerry intervened, "You mean that thing about Joshua?"

"Exactly."

"I heard a little, but it didn't end well, and they buried the news quickly. What really happened?"

"Yes, I know," Caden replied.

His slow tone unsettled Alice. Gerry leaned in, intrigued. "So, what's the real story?"

Alicia turned to Caden. He casually scrolled through documents on his phone, a confidential watermark visible. Alice leaned in, but Caden closed the screen.

She stared at him in disbelief. His words stung even more. "It's a business matter. Better to keep it private with outsiders here."

Alice was speechless. Remembering Alice's past, Gerry cleared his throat. "Fair enough."

Alice forced a smile. "Go ahead. I can pretend I didn't hear anything."

Gerry asked, "Are you interested in the bank?"

Caden scoffed, "As far as I know, she's still hung up on Joshua."

Alice countered, "That's not true."

Her denial didn't convince anyone. Gerry sighed, a hint of pity in his voice. "Alice, don't be like Mrs. Gray. Fools in love never end well."

Alice was speechless. She shot a sharp look at Caden. His words were increasingly frustrating.

After dropping Gerry off, Hank asked, "Miss Bennett, where to?"

Alice checked the time. It was early. She'd used the excuse of a salon appointment; the Yates family wouldn't look for her. She had plenty of time. Eager to learn Caden's secret, she said, "Leave Mr. Ward first. Don't worry about me."

Hank checked the rearview mirror. Caden was serene, yet his expression hinted at satisfaction.

"Mr. Ward, where to?" Hank asked.

Caden shifted. "Take me back to the apartment."

Hank understood and drove. Alicia checked her satnav; it was a twenty-minute drive.

After a pause, she asked, "At the party, you said others couldn't help me, but you could. What did you mean?"

Caden replied nonchalantly, "I didn't mean anything."

Alice was speechless. His smug expression ended the conversation. She focused on the passing landscape. Silence stretched.

Finally, Caden broke it. "What's wrong? Lost your voice?"

Alice turned. "Why?"

Caden leaned back. "Don't you have any more questions?"

She replied sarcastically, "What's the point? You already said you didn't mean anything."

"And you believed it?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yeah."

"You must be incredibly naive."

Why was he insulting her? Did he think it would benefit him? Alicia glanced at her phone, unease growing. "What really happened between Joshua and Randolph?"

Realizing he'd been baited, Caden smiled. "Miss Bennett, that's not how you ask for a favor. Have you never tried sweet-talking a man?"