Chapter 44:


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    Alice then put the business card in her purse.


    “Lilliana has a powerful team behind her, with the Green family and Joshua supporting her. I need to gather enough evidence before I ask Jeffery for help,” Alicia said. “How much does he charge?”


    Gerry thought for a moment and replied, “At least a million.”


    Alice shudders at the figure.


    He had recently received some money from Joshua, and Gerry had paid him for the song heposed.


    However, there was still a lot of spending to be done.


    Could he really afford to spend that much money?


    Gerry noticed her hesitation and suggested, “Why don''t you sign with me? “You could write and sing for me, and I’ll make sure you’re wellpensated.”


    Alice shook her head.


    She appreciated Gerry''s offer, but epting it would tie her work to the entertainment industry, a path she wasn''t sure she wanted to follow.


    With her ongoing feud with Lilliana, entering show business would be a disaster for Alice. It would only drag her down and, what was worse, it could affect Gerry as well.


    Alicia was not willing to take that risk, and Gerry did not pressure her.


    The car soon stopped at Alice''s house.


    When she left, Gerry''s gaze sharpened.


    He looked straight at Caden. “You''ve been acting weird, man.”


    Caden raised an eyebrow, surprised by how quickly Gerry had caught on. “What gave him away?”


    “Really? It’s so obvious!” Gerry replied.


    Caden smirked. “So you were pretending to be drunk in the booth, huh?”


    Gerry paused for a moment before asking, “Who said I was faking it?”


    Caden nced at him. They didn''t seem to agree. “What exactly is it about me that you find strange?”


    “Obviously, that’s how you’re handling this situation,” Gerry began to break down the situation. “Lilliana made the first move by spreading lies and framing Alicia. You have the perfect opportunity to hit Joshua, but you''re just sitting back. “That’s not your style.”


    Aside from Alicia, Gerry had the best insight into the bitter rivalry between Caden and Joshua.


    He knew exactly why Caden had returned to the country. He knew it all too well.


    Caden looked at him, disappointment clear in his eyes. “I actually thought you were getting sharper.”


    Apparently confused, Gerry said: “Are you drunk or am I? “What you''re saying doesn''t make sense.”


    Caden stopped ying.


    "I''m not going for Lilliana because she means nothing to Joshua," he said.


    Gerry raised an eyebrow, mockingly cing a hand on Caden''s forehead. “You sure you''re okay, man?”


    Caden pulled his hand away. “Jesus, get away from me.”


    Gerry persisted. “Joshua went all out for Lilliana, and now you''re saying she doesn''t matter?”


    A shadow passed over Caden''s expression.


    "Alicia is much more important to Joshua."


    Gerry was silent for a moment before saying, “Joshua nearly pushed Alicia to her breaking point, and you''re telling me she''s the one who matters?”


    Caden replied indifferently. “Go to sleep and stop talking.”


    Gerry let out a sigh.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    As absurd as Caden''s words sounded, he had a knack for handling things efficiently.


    There was always a reason behind his actions.


    “Isn’t this the perfect opportunity?” Gerry asked. “If you work with Alicia, you''ll get twice as much results with half the effort.”


    Keeping his tone casual, Caden replied, “Alicia won''t be working with me.”


    "She''s vulnerable right now, and with all your persuasive skills, you still can''t convince her?"


    “That’s not persuasion, that’s maniption,” Caden said tly.


    Gerry looked surprised again.


    "Come on, you''re not exactly a saint. Why are you suddenly acting so chivalrous?"


    Caden didn''t respond.


    Sensing Caden''s mood shift, Gerry cleared his throat. “Okay, forget what I said. I know you and Alicia don''t get along. There’s no way you’d ally yourself with her.”


    Suddenly, something clicked in Gerry''s mind. He started rummaging through the car. "Did I forget the present Alicia bought me?"


    Caden asked. “If you admire talent so much, why don''t you help her when she''s in trouble?”


    When Gerry found the bag, he smiled. “She wanted to, but she probably doesn''t need my help. “She has plenty of ways to handle the Green family this time.”


    Caden tilted his head slightly, a faint smile on his lips.


    For once, Caden agreed with that thought, and even felt a slight anticipation.


    Gerry took the scented candles out of the bag and smelled them.


    “I really like this scent,” Gerry said as he admired the candles. “Who would have thought you could make scented candles? What other surprises do you have in store?”


    Caden just smiled, choosing not to answer. He knew she had many talents, but she was equally wed in many ways.


    Her way of kissing left a lot to be desired, she didn''t tolerate pain well and she becamezy as soon as she was on top when they were intimate.


    Her body was sensitive, but shecked stamina.


    He could neverst long enough. Caden couldn''t help but wonder how he would manage to keep up with him in the future.


    As her thoughts wandered, Gerry handed her a box of scented candles. “Here, take a box for yourself.”


    Caden raised his hand and epted it.


    As soon as Caden picked up the box, Gerry took it away. “On second thought, it doesn''t matter. There aren''t many left. If you want one, go ask Alicia yourself.”


    Caden lowered his hand without saying a word.


    "These trinkets only excite you," he said tly.


    Gerry smiled sarcastically. “Oh, right, you don''t go for that kind of thing. You prefer other kinds of ‘enhancers.’”


    Caden had no answer to that.


    Gerryughed again.


    “That girl from tonight… do you n to see her again?” I have asked.


    Caden lit a cigarette and rolled it between his fingers. “She''lle see me when she''s ready.”


    Gerry rolled his eyes. “Do you really think you have to wait? “He’ll probably call you first thing in the morning.”


    Caden smiled slightly.


    "It''s not that easy to fool him."


    Gerry was caught off guard, surprised by Caden''sment. What kind of woman could make Caden act like that?


    Once Caden got out of the car, Gerry was curious. He secretly called the club owner to find out who Caden had been with earlier.


    The owner looked puzzled. “Mr. Ward didn''t order from anyone. “I just ordered drinks.”


    Gerry frowned. “Are you sure about that?”


    “Absolutely. If I had asked for a woman, everyone here would have known. “Not a word has been said.”


    Gerry''s confusion only increased. So who was with Caden before?


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