Chapter 56:


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    Alice pointed to arge vase nearby. “I’ve been here for a while, hiding behind that.”


    Caden, amused,mented, “You''re quite the expert at hiding. “You could probably join the CIA.”


    As he was splitting the mangosteen in half, he was interrupted by Alice, who picked up one half and asked, “You didn''t share our chat logs with Joshua, did you?” Given Joshua''s nature, he would surely have mentioned it already.


    “Are you worried he’ll find out?” Caden asked.


    Alice savored the mangosteen, enjoying its sweetness, and yfully reached for the piece closest to Caden''s mouth.


    Caden was momentarily speechless.


    Alice, eating confidently, said, “You heard Joshua. My rtionship with him has evolved, and I don''t want any misunderstandings.”


    Cadenughed softly. “You really agreed to be his lover?”


    Alice grimaced slightly at the question, but agreed.


    Caden watched her intently, his expression unreadable. I remembered how Alicia had collected when Joshua had touched her hand earlier in the yard.


    However, Caden chose to remain silent, not revealing his true reasons for visiting the Yates mansion.


    Alice, looking at the remaining fruit,mented, “Why are these mangosteens so good? Aren’t you going to eat someone?”


    “If you need me to peel them, just ask,” Caden replied.


    "What''s wrong with peeling a few more for me? You still owe me from before," Alice countered.


    Caden picked up another mangosteen, carefully peeled it, and offered it to her.


    As Alice brought it to her mouth, Caden reminded her, “So the food you promised me is still standing.”Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    This almost made Alicia choke, but Caden quickly covered her mouth, gently making sure she swallowed.


    After enjoying the juicy fruit, Alicemented, “It''s funny how you and Joshua are always thinking about food.”


    “Do you cook for him often?” Caden asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "There must be something fishy about him. He once offered to pay me arge sum just to cook for him on a monthly basis," Alice replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.


    Caden''s sarcasm increased. “You seem to be speaking rather harshly about your sugar daddy.”


    Taken by surprise, Alice quickly popped a grape into her mouth, disguising her slip with a yful lie. “It''s all in good fun.”


    Caden scoffed, “Do you talk to her like that in bed too? “You were always so quiet with me, you barely made any noise.” With a knowing smile, he added, “Oh, that''s right. “You two were married for two years and you never slept together.”


    Alice''s cheeks flushed with anger, knowing that arguing with him would be useless.


    Changing the subject, Cadenmented, “Don''t worry about cooking for me. If it’s something Joshua likes, it probably won’t be very good.”


    Alice sneered softly.


    She hadn''t even agreed to cook for him, and yet he was already criticizing.


    He left the side room just as the guests began to arrive.


    A maid approached with a tray of cakes and drinks.


    "Mr. Ward, please tell us your preferences as you have just returned and we are not familiar with your tastes."


    ncing at a cup, Caden thought of Alicia and asked, “Make some coffee, please.”


    Jerald, feeling unwell, had retreated to his room after lunch. Once the guests had left, Shelia found a quiet corner to confront Joshua.


    "Didn''t you and Alice get divorced? Why is she here today?"


    Joshua, lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply, replied curtly: "Mom, stay out of this. It''s my business."


    Understanding the subtext, Shelia, who had also been a lover, quickly grasped the implications. “Do you intend to keep Alicia by your side?”


    Joshua was honest. “She''ll most likely stay at the Yates mansion. It gives her a reason to stay under the pretext of taking care of Dad, and even if Lilliana finds out, we have a reasonable exnation.”


    I have rified that his stay would not be permanent. "I will only see Alicia asionally when shees to visit dad."


    Shelia vehemently disagreed. “You and Lilliana have just stabilized your rtionship. Keeping Alicia is like holding a bomb. Don’t risk everything you’ve worked for.”


    Joshua''s gaze was deep and inscrutable. "Health is essential, and I''ve needed some relieftely," he admitted.


    “Finding a temporary partner is easy. You can have as many as you want without any problems, if you are careful. But Alice is different, isn''t she?” Shelia knew instinctively that Alice could be troublesome. “She is not naive. If she turns against you, it will be troublesome.”


    "I''ve known her since childhood. We were married for two years. I understand her well," Joshua replied, visibly upset.


    Alicia had be increasingly vulnerable after her parents'' ident. When pressed, sheplied without resistance.


    Joshua had nned to work hard to soften the memories of his strained marriage. He had developed ways to ensure a woman''splete loyalty.


    Shelia noticed his frustration and chose to rx. “Please think about it carefully. “I will make sure the rtives keep quiet about this so that it doesn’t reach the Green family.”


    “Okay,” Joshua agreed curtly.


    Then he put out his cigarette and dered, "I''m staying here tonight."


    Shelia looked at him thoughtfully, wondering what it was about Alicia that still captivated him after all these years.


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