Chapter 94

Joshua’s train of thought shifted when the question was directed at him. I chuckled. “You married me shortly after graduation, yet you’ve barely interacted with the elite. Rachel is a socialite. Do you think you can navigate her circle?”

Alice replied calmly, “It’s rather strange. Despite my apparent simplicity, she reached out to befriend me.”

Joshua’s face darkened. He mused, “Why is Alice defying my wishes?” He then commented, “She’s just being polite. To her, you’re insignificant. Trying to connect with her makes me look foolish.”

Alice, puzzled, asked, “How could that embarrass you? We are divorced, and no one knows about our current relationship.”

With obvious irritation, Joshua snapped, “Just follow my instructions!”

Alicia hid a smile and remained silent. The atmosphere grew tense, and Joshua lost interest. I left the room. Alicia donned her coat and followed him. It was too late for Joshua to stay; he needed to return to Lilliana. Alice bid him goodbye.

I then filled a glass with water and discreetly added a pill. Its taste and appearance were undetectable. Handing her the glass, I whispered, “Be careful not to drink too much.” In his irritable state, Joshua drank without hesitation.

A fleeting look of triumph crossed Alice’s face as her plan unfolded. She remained silent. Joshua, burdened with chores, left quickly. Alicia returned to her bedroom and carefully examined the document Caden had provided—Joshua’s transaction log for the past three years, perfectly intact. A smile of relief spread across her face. She was amazed that after so many difficult years, Caden had finally helped. However, she wondered why he possessed such documents.

As she contemplated this, her phone rang. It was Rachel.

Alicia’s heart skipped a beat at the late-night call. She answered. “Mrs. Gray,” she greeted warmly.

Rachel replied softly, “Are you free in the next few days? I’d love to have you over for tea.”

Alice asked, “Is it for a special occasion?”

“Not really,” Rachel explained. “I often have friends over. I look forward to introducing you as a talented new friend.”

Alice paused, then reluctantly replied, “I’m sorry, I may have other plans.”

Rachel replied, “You earlier refused Randolph’s offer, and now you’re refusing mine. Have we offended you, Mrs. Bennett?”

“Not at all,” Alice quickly assured her. “I already have commitments.”

“My influence seems limited then. I suppose I’ll need Randolph to extend the invitation personally,” Rachel observed, a lingering smile on her face.

Anxiety washed over Alice. She felt threatened. Rachel’s insistence made her suspicious. Her intuition screamed that attending would bring problems. However, avoiding the meeting might anger Randolph, a situation she wished to avoid. Diplomacy seemed wiser. Facing adversity might be inevitable, but preventing a crisis was preferable.

“Okay, Mrs. Gray,” Alice agreed with a forced smile. “Let me know the time, and I’ll be there.”

Rachel expressed relief. “Great. I won’t keep you any longer.”

After the call ended, Rachel turned to Randolph, worry etched on her face. “You insist on this. What are you planning?”

Randolph scoffed. “I need to make things clear. I won’t be manipulated. Do you think I’m a coward?”

Rachel tried to calm him. “It doesn’t bother you that much, does it? Why not let it go?”

“Do you think those people are stupid? Everyone is watching me,” Randolph replied.

Rachel was silent. He thought, If you had been more restrained with your ex, none of this would have happened.

Randolph’s tone turned cold. “If it were anyone else, I’d take it easy. But this is Alicia, Joshua’s ex-wife. She betrayed me, and I’ll get my revenge through her.”

Rachel, seeing his true anger, decided against further argument.

Alice felt a pang of discomfort. She considered her next steps and decided to call Caden.

“Do you still have time to talk?” Caden asked playfully.

“Why not?” Alice replied. I remained silent.

She plunged in. “I have a question about the document you gave me. Does Randolph know about it?”

Caden hesitated. “Is this a good time to discuss this?”

“Why not?”

“Where is Joshua?”

Alicia paused, realizing Caden misunderstood. “I didn’t sleep with him,” she quickly corrected. After clarifying, she felt a wave of guilt and covered her mouth. Why had she justified herself?

Caden chuckled softly. “Okay.”

Alice’s anxiety increased. She composed herself and pressed, “Now, please answer my question.”

Caden replied indifferently, “He doesn’t know anything.”

“So why did Rachel invite me to her house so suddenly?” Alice expressed her fears. “I feel like it’s a trap.”