Chapter 148:


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    Alice fell asleep on the bed in the dimly lit living room.


    Caden, on the other hand, was still fully awake, despite the passion they had just felt.


    Her body vibrated with a feeling of fullness, satisfaction running through her veins.


    He pulled out the sh drive Randolph had passed him earlier, and until now Caden hadn''t bothered to look at his contents.


    He had intended to watch it with Alicia, but she had grown tired of it faster than expected.


    A wry smile yed across his lips. In fact, he had made sure of it. Exhausting her had been part of his n: a clever way to keep hercent, perhaps even to convince her to cook for him.


    Caden plugged in the USB and clicked on the audio file, and the next second a humming sound came out of the speakers.


    The crackling sound came unmistakably from a secret recording, untouched and raw.


    Caden''s nonchnt demeanor changed as the recorded conversation filled the room. At first, it seemed like just another piece of incriminating evidence, something banal in its criminality. But as the recording continued, a deep crease formed between his brows.


    His gaze shifted to the closed door of the living room, where Alice was sleeping peacefully.


    He grabbed the volume, turned it down to barely a whisper, and read in to catch every word. The recording wasn''t long - less than five minutes - but every second was packed with damning detail.


    He went back three years, to the tragic ne crash.


    There were no survivors, the headlines said, and everyone believed it had been a terrible ident. Except it wasn''t.


    Joshua''s name appeared on the recording; he had been one of the orchestrators behind it all.


    Caden clenched his jaw, the weight of the revtion hitting him hard. Although he had long since distanced himself from the Yates family, their dirty deeds had never truly been beyond his reach.


    They reaped what they sowed, and he had no intention of being dragged into theirs again.


    And more importantly, Alicia''s parents had died in that ident three years ago.


    His thoughts raced as he quickly checked off the details.


    Although there was no direct evidence linking Joshua to the deaths of Alicia''s parents, the pieces were starting to fit together all too well.


    Caden pressed his lips into a thin, tight line, his face shadowed by the harsh overhead light.


    The stark light was oppressive, creating stark contrasts in his expression and amplifying the mounting tension beneath his cold exterior.


    Without thinking twice, I picked up the phone and dialed an anonymous number.


    "Do it for me. I want answers within a day."


    When the call ended, Caden put the sh drive in the safe and locked it.


    Two hourster, Alice woke up, her mouth dry and her body aching in familiar ces.


    Every sexual encounter with Caden left her groin and legs throbbing with pain, a difort she had unfortunately grown ustomed to. Wincing slightly, she slid out of the bed, her steps slow and cautious.


    The sky was already dark.


    In the dim office, only two wallmps remained lit, their soft glow casting long, indistinct shadows that danced across the room.


    By the window, Caden sat in silent contemtion, a half-finished ss of wine in his hand.


    Alice felt her eyes fix on him, studying the stray locks of hair that had fallen over his forehead. His shirt, now slightly wrinkled, had several buttons undone, revealing the hard ns of his chest.


    Faint red scratches and bite marks marred her skin, evidence of their former passion.


    The deeper the marks, the deeper Caden had prated inside her.


    She leaned against the wall, biting her lip as memories from a few hours ago flooded her mind.


    The same ufortable wave of shame washed over her.


    How could she remain so inexperienced, so hopelessly sensitive to his touch? No matter how many times it happened, she never seemed to harden.


    Seeming to sense her presence, Caden turned his head toward her, his dark eyes meeting hers with the same unreadable intensity.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    “You''re awake,” he murmured softly.


    Alice swallowed her difort, trying to hide the awkwardness by pretending it hadn''t happened. "So... where''s what you were going to give me?" she asked stiffly.


    “The sh drive?” Caden replied indifferently. “It''s damaged. “I’ll bring it to you the day after tomorrow.”


    He sent a quick message on his phone before getting up from his seat.


    His sudden movement made her pulse quicken involuntarily, a sh of fear flickering through her as he moved closer. “Don''t tell me you don''t n on giving it to me,” she stammered, more nervous than defiant.


    “With your attitude, do you think I would lie to you?” Caden, ever calm, filled his ss with warm water and handed it over. “idents happen. How about this? If you don''t have it by the day after tomorrow, feel free to burn mypany to the ground.”


    She frowned, speechless.


    He was not a ruthless monster capable of such destruction.


    Reluctantly, he epted the ss, as he was thirsty.


    He took a long drink, almost emptying the ss in one gulp. “How did you know I was thirsty?” he asked, his voice softer now.


    Caden smiled slightly, leaning closer as his words slipped smoothly from his lips. “Don''t you remember how wet you were earlier?”


    Heat rushed to her cheeks, her face flushing. She closed her mouth, too embarrassed to make a sound.


    As the warm water settled on her stomach, it caused a small rumble, making her realize how hungry she was.


    Caden barely blinked. “Food will be here soon,” he announced tly.


    Alice put down her ss with a sharp clink. “You can eat alone. Just looking at you has taken away my appetite.”


    He smiled slyly. “Really? That''s a shame. “I was just about to tell you something about Joshua’spany.”


    At this, his cold demeanor instantly cracked, and he couldn''t help but ask, "Why, what happened?"


    “There is a problem,” he replied, letting a deliberate pause hang in the air. “You have run out of liquidity.”


    Alice''s lips curved into a slow, almost wicked smile. Karma hadn''t been wasted any time.


    "How are you taking it?" he asked, in an amused tone.


    Caden sank casually into his chair, crossing his legs as if he had all the time in the world.


    "I''m starving," he saidzily, "and I''m too tired to talk. Let''s eat first and then we''ll talk."


    Alice stared at him, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.


    Did he really want to y like that?


    Sighing, she dropped into the chair across from him.


    “Do I suddenly seem appealing to you now?” Caden joked, arching an eyebrow.


    She was silent for a moment and then said, "Sure, whatever you say."


    The arrival of the food broke the tension. The elegant, tightly sealed containers still gave off tempting aromas that filled the room. Despite herself, Alice involuntarily swallowed and picked up her cutlery.


    She sank her teeth into it, and without even taking a bite, Caden leaned forward slightly and told her everything she wanted to hear.


    Alicia’s eyes sparkled with interest and the corners of her lips lifted slightly. “So, if Joshua wants to keep his little empire from crumbling, he''s going to have to swallow his pride and ask for help… wherever he can find it. Right?”


    Caden nodded, watching her closely.


    Something in his changing moods sparked in him a sh of unexpected sympathy.


    "Do you feel better now?"


    Alice, unable to hide the sparkle in her eyes, was clearly no longer in a bad mood.


    She picked up a piece of chicken, struggling to hide her growing smile. “I guess.”


    He leaned towards her with a knowing smile. “Do you want to feel even better?”


    She blinked, piqued by curiosity. “You''re nning to make your move now, aren''t you?”


    Caden hesitated, thoughtful.


    It was tempting, very tempting. A couple of well-ced moves and Joshua would be cornered. But ending things now would also cut short their little agreement.


    At this, his cold demeanor instantly cracked, and he couldn''t help but ask, "Why, what happened?"


    "There is a problem," he replied, leaving a deliberate pause in the air. "You have run out of liquidity."


    Alice''s lips curved into a slow, almost wicked smile. Karma hadn''t been wasted any time.


    "How are you taking it?" he asked, in an amused tone.


    Caden sank casually into his chair, crossing his legs as if he had all the time in the world.


    "I''m starving," he saidzily, "and I''m too tired to talk. Let''s eat first and then we''ll talk."


    Alice stared at him, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.


    Did he really want to y like that?


    Sighing, she dropped into the chair across from him.