Chapter 137:


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    As Alicia''s face began to turn purple blue, Joshua released her and pushed her away. Breathing heavily, he looked at her in disgust. “Do you really think Caden cares about you? He''s even more ruthless with women than I am. You’ll soon regret your decisions.”


    Alicia''s vision blurred as she gasped desperately for air. By the time she managed to breathe again, Joshua had already left, mming the door behind her. She struggled to her feet and tried to open the door. Unfortunately, it was locked again.


    Leaning weakly against the wall, she heard amotion outside, followed by the sound of a car driving away. She walked over to the window and saw Joshua''s car disappear from view.


    When she realized that no one came to open the door, she realized that they had every intention of keeping her confined.


    Her hopes dashed, Alice was no longer afraid of Joshua. She opened the window, closed her eyes, and jumped out.


    Meanwhile, Caden sat in his office at Blizzard Group headquarters. He put his phone down, paused briefly, and returned to his work.


    After a moment, he said to Hank, “Schedule a meeting for thirty minutester.”


    Hank, looking confused, replied, "Mr. Ward, didn''t you say that you had ns today and that you told everyone to leave early?"


    Without looking up, Caden replied tly, “Go away. Don’t bother showing up for work tomorrow.”


    Hank flinched at the coldness in his voice. He didn''t understand why the boss was so irritable all of a sudden.


    Afterwards, Hank went out to prepare for the next meeting.


    The meeting dragged on until 9 p.m., with executives leaving one by one. Caden returned to his office, concentrating on organizing key projects.


    Momentster, Hank came in with takeout. “You must be hungry, Mr. Ward. “I brought you something to eat.”


    Caden didn''t take his eyes off the screen. "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me."


    Hank had seen this behavior before, but something didn''t add up. He opened the container and gently brought it closer to Caden.


    "Mr. Ward, what are you worried about?"


    Caden paused for a moment, struggling to locate the source of his frustration. I thought back to the phone call earlier. Joshua had mocked him and Alicia had refused to talk.


    Was that what was bothering you?


    Augh bitter almost escaped her. Why would he care, no matter what the situation between them was?


    “Nothing,” he muttered, his stomach growing, increasing his irritation. He frowned and said, “Take the food with you. Eat somewhere else.”


    Realizing that Caden was serious, Hank quickly picked up the takeout. He knew that Caden hadn''t eaten well all day. With the amount of work piling up, Hank was worried that Caden might break down if he didn''t take care of himself.


    Hank stuck a drumstick in his mouth and called Gerry for backup.


    Around ten o''clock, Gerry drove up. As he got in, he was curious to see how Caden handled his anger. As soon as he arrived, he found Caden calm and collected.


    “Hank said you were in a bad mood. Why do you seem so calm?” Gerry asked. “I thought I’d catch you venting.”


    Since the day they became friends, Caden had always kept hisposure. Whether it was big or small problems, nothing seemed to unnerve him.


    Caden picked up his coat and said tly, “If you’re that disappointed, I can always use you as a punching bag.”


    Gerry was speechless.


    Caden hadn''t eaten all day and his empty stomach was beginning to cramp. Still, he had no appetite.


    Gerry handed Caden a ss of wine, not realizing he hadn''t eaten anything. Caden drank it without a second thought.


    Their years of friendship had taught Gerry to realize that something was wrong.


    “Are you under a lot of pressure?” I have asked.


    Caden put down the empty ss and Gerry immediately refilled it.


    “Is it because Jerald favors Joshua? Or are you thinking about your mother? But isn’t the anniversary of her death still far away?”


    Gerry threw out several questions, but Caden didn''t answer any of them.


    Changing focus, Gerry asked, “Did the girl you like reject you?”


    Caden gave him a pointed look. “Would it kill you to stop being nosy?”


    Gerry couldn''t hide his excitement. "There it is! A reaction. Have I hit the mark?"


    I have tried tofort Caden. “Come on, she''s just a woman. What''s the problem? If you’re so torn up about it, I’ll find you someone better!”


    With a quick signal, I called the manager over. The manager immediately noticed and brought a group of young, attractive women to his table.


    Caden took one look at the makeup they were wearing and immediately lost interest in the drink.


    Gerry motioned for them toe closer. “Come and serve Mr. Ward. Whoever gets him to smile will earn a $50,000 tip.”


    The women immediately lunged at Caden.


    Caden frowned as his thoughts drifted. One of them took the opportunity to grab onto his arm and began feeding him.


    Caden remembered Alicia''s words. She had pointed out that their agreement did not oblige them to be loyal to each other.


    He was not wrong.


    He wanted to give in and ept what was being offered, but he couldn''t bring himself to do so. It was as if his body refused to cooperate.


    His old habit had resurfaced.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Frowning, he pushed the woman away and ran to the bathroom to vomit up the drink he had just consumed. Gerry, sensing that something was seriously wrong, followed him.


    By the time Gerry reached the bathroom, Caden had already rinsed his mouth. Aside from his slightly distant look, he still looked asposed and elegant as ever.


    “Are you okay?” Gerry asked, concern evident in his voice.


    Caden wiped thest drop of water from his mouth and, after a brief pause, replied, “I’m fine. But stop fixing me up. “It makes me sick.”


    Gerry felt a wave of relief, although he was still confused.


    "What kind of strange business is this?" he asked himself silently.


    Caden stayed out with Gerry until almost dawn, before finally heading home.


    When he opened the door, the bright light from inside made him squint and frown. But then his gaze fell on Alice, who was lying on the couch.


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