Chapter 136:


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    That evening, Joshua apanied Lilliana back to the Green family residence.


    He yed the role of the ideal fiancé, apologizing to Cedric Green, Lilliana''s father. “My father has been ill for quite some time, and there are still several matters at thepany that require my attention. I have already received a few calls asking me toe back. Please take care of Lilliana for now. “I wille back to pick her up tonight.”


    Lilliana grabbed onto his arm, reluctant to let go. “Come back soon.”


    “I will,” Joshua replied, gently running his hand through his hair, his eyes softening. “I’ll be back by ten at thetest.”


    "OK."


    Meanwhile, Cedric stood nearby, watching them silently.


    When Joshua had left, Cedric said, “He''s gone now. Why are you still looking for him? Do you really like him that much?”


    Lilliana pouted at him. “Dad, you’re kidding me again.”


    No father would be happy to see his daughter like this, especially when Joshua was not Cedric''s idea of ??a perfect son-inw. His reputation for being unfaithful was no secret; everyone knew it.


    “Don''t lose yourself in this rtionship, Lilliana,” Cedric warned her.


    Lillianaughed and shook her head. “Don''t worry, Dad. Joshua adores me. “He’s never let me down.”


    "If he really loved you, would he have gotten you pregnant before getting married? Would he have cheated on his ex-wife with you?"


    "He had no choice then, but he has been trying to fix it ever since," Lilliana countered.


    Cedric let out a heavy sigh. What could he do with a daughter so blinded by love?


    "I think he''s just pretending."


    Lilliana clung to her arm as they headed inside. “If he can pretend all his life, that''s fine with me. “As long as I’m happy.”


    Meanwhile, Joshua returned to the Yates mansion. Shelia greeted him quietly: “Alicia is still locked up. “She hasn’t made a sound, but Jerald is livid.” They both knew why.


    Joshua''s privatepany was about to go public, and his wedding to Lilliana was fast approaching. Alicia''s presence had be an annoying distraction at such a critical time.


    Shelia repeated her usual warning. “There are plenty of women out there. But if you lose your career, everything you''ve worked for will go down the drain.”


    Joshua kept a neutral expression and said nothing. He walked into the master bedroom and saw Alicia sitting silently in the chair. Her face was devoid of any emotion.


    Joshua could easily force himself on her if he wanted to. But despite his desire, his body refused to respond. He didn''t understand why.


    He sat down beside her, lit a cigarette, and the room filled with silent tension. Neither of them spoke.


    Alice understood him all too well. His calm attitude probably meant that he had already resigned himself to the situation.


    Alice felt relieved and finally broke the silence. “You know it''s illegal to hold someone against their will. When are you going to let me go?”


    Joshua stubbed out his cigarette and spoke in a satisfied tone. “As soon as things calm down, I''lle get you.”


    Alice couldn''t help but find it absurd. Joshua, your fate is already sealed, she thought.


    At that moment Shelia came in with the phone in her hand. “It''s ringing,” she said, showing it to Joshua. “Should I answer?”


    Both Joshua and Alicia looked at the screen.


    It was Caden.


    Alicia''s fingers tightened as she remembered her promise to have dinner with Caden tonight. It was alreadyte, and he was probably calling to find out where she was.


    Joshua gave her a menacing smile as he waved the phone in front of her. “So it seems Caden is really interested in you.” The ringtone continued to echo in the room, and its tone became even more ominous. “How far have things gone between you two?”


    Alicia pressed her lips together and remained silent. She didn''t move an inch. She knew there was no way to outwit Joshua, so staying quiet was her safest option.


    Just before the call ended, Joshua picked up. With an eerie cheer, he said, “Caden.” There was a brief silence on the other end.


    Caden chuckled and replied evenly, “Is that you, Joshua?”


    Joshua asked casually, “What''s wrong, Caden? Is there something important or do you just need to talk to Alicia at this hour?”


    Caden replied in a level tone, “Am I interrupting something?”


    “Not really. It’s not thatte, and we’re still awake,” Joshua said, moving to sit next to Alicia. She tried to pull away, but he held her firmly, refusing to let her go. His eyes were intense, although his voice remained soft.


    "Alice, do you want to answer the call?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Only then did Alice realize that her palms were sweating. She looked at the phone and saw that the call was still connected. She couldn''t understand why Caden hadn''t ended the call. Surely, he knew what was going on, right? Pushing aside her frantic thoughts, Alice gritted her teeth and said, “No.”


    Joshua insisted. “Why not? What if Caden has something important to discuss with you?”


    Alicia couldn''t take it any longer and grabbed the phone. However, Joshua quickly took it from her. In the struggle that followed, the call ended abruptly.


    Joshua''s calm demeanor cracked. “How far have you and Caden eaten?”


    Alice''s gaze turned icy. "Exactly as far as you imagine."


    Joshua''s anger boiled as he grabbed her by the neck.


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