Chapter 178:


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    Gerry chuckled. “You know, Alicia came to see me yesterday. She wanted to go to the art show but she didn''t have an invitation. She asked if I could help her. It wasn’t too much trouble, so I said yes.”


    Caden picked up his wine ss and downed it in one gulp. “Did I ask for yourment? You’re a chatterbox,” he replied.


    With a helpless shrug, Gerry replied, “Alice shows more grace than you do. What was a small favor to me meant a lot to her. “She even stayed up all nightposing a theme song for my next movie to thank me.”


    Caden''s demeanor changed slightly.


    I remembered the night before when I had passed the studio. Alicia was there, surrounded by sheets of handwritten paper, her eyes red and tired. He had assumed she was preparing lessons, but she was actually writing a song for Gerry.


    Gerry sighed: “When I saw her today, her eyes were bloodshot. “She must have spent the night awake.”


    Caden swirled his ss thoughtfully. “When did she meet you?” I have asked.


    “We had lunch together around noon,” Gerry replied. “He even introduced me to his friend Monica.”


    Caden pressed his lips together. Earlier, when his call with Alicia had abruptly ended, he had heard faint background noises and suspected she was with another man. Seeing Gerry now, a fleeting doubt crossed his mind, but he was quickly dismissed. He was certain that nothing romantic would happen between Gerry and Alicia.


    “Honestly, you should stop doing things difficult for her,” Gerry said, nudging Caden. “I''m actually thinking about hiring her. “I don’t want her to get into trouble with me because of your attitude.”


    Caden replied coldly, “I’ve never made things difficult for him.”


    “Stop denying it,” Gerry replied, his eyes narrowing. “The tension between you two before was so thick you could cut it with a knife. “You looked like you wanted to kill each other.”


    Caden was silent for a moment before quickly changing the subject. “So, when is your movieing out?”


    “After Christmas,” Gerry replied. “Thest one did well, but…”


    The profits were not great after all the expenses.


    “I’ll finance half of the new movie,” Caden offered nonchntly, swirling his drink.


    Gerry, surprised by the offer, looked at him suspiciously. “Why? What are you up to?”


    "What could he possibly want with you?" Caden replied sharply.


    “You tell me. “We’ve been friends for years,” Gerry said, taking a step back, half joking. “There''s no such thing as a free lunch. What''s wrong with you? Are you in love with me or something?”


    “I have a crush on your mother,” Caden replied sarcastically.


    “Damn!” Gerry eximed,ughing despite himself. “So that’s your real agenda?” Caden rolled his eyes and put down his ss. “Forget it. The offer’s not on the table.”


    Gerry quickly changed his tone. “Wait, there''s no need to rush. “I wouldn’t turn down something for free.”


    Since entering the industry, Gerry had quickly risen to fame,rgely thanks to the support of his family. Their help had been invaluable in the early days, but it always weighed on him. Caden knew that Gerry had always wanted to achieve something important on his own, to provide himself beyond the help of his family.


    "When it''s a sess, we''ll share the profits," Gerry suggested with a smile.


    “I know a lost cause when I see one,” Cadenmented dryly.


    After a moment''s pause, Gerry returned to the pressing question. "Why are you suddenly so eager to support me?"


    Caden shrugged nonchntly. “I have more money than I know what to do with.”


    Gerry stared at him, mouth agape and speechless.


    Meanwhile, Alice was captivated by a famous painting in the art gallery. The grandeur of the work made her feel insignificant; everything around her seemed surreal. She had inherited her mother''s artistic talent, but had rarely explored it.


    Her father had forbidden her to pursue art, which led to frequent arguments between her parents. Despite her exceptional talent, evident from a very young age, her mother feared she would encounter difficulties and encouraged her to hide it.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Over the years, her mother had protected her in every way possible.


    As Alice gazed at the vibrant disy of flowers in bloom, she couldn''t resist reaching out to touch them, and her eyes filled with tears.


    The stunning beauty of the flowers was ephemeral, like their mother.


    Lost in her thoughts, a tear escaped her.


    At that moment, I felt a presence.


    She wiped her tears away and turned to look at the person. “Hello, Mrs. Bet?” The person smiled warmly. “What a nice surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Alicia felt a flush of ttery as she greeted the man.


    "Hello."


    He gave her a business card and introduced himself.


    Noticing that it was rted to art, his eyes lit up.


    “I had the pleasure of seeing you at the premiere of Mr. Hopkins’ film. You really stood out,” he said, his tone conveying genuine admiration. “You seem especially interested in art. If you ever need anything, please don''t hesitate to contact me.”


    “Thank you,” Alice replied humbly, carefully putting the business card into her purse.


    After a moment''s hesitation, he asked: "You must have seen a lot of harshments about me on the Inte. Why did you contact me?"


    The man seemed puzzled by his doubts. “Keyboard warriors are losers behind a screen. What about you? You have talent, and true sess takes time and effort. “I can see it in you.” A bittersweet feeling washed over him, and he smiled gently.


    Decided to add him on WhatsApp.


    The manmented: “It is rare to find someone as sessful as you at twenty-four and still remain so humble.”


    Alice joked, "How should it be, then?"


    He made a subtle gesture towards Caden, who was standing not far away.


    Despite his prestigious status and the many people vying for his attention, Caden wore a perpetually cold expression.


    Gerry remarked, disgusted, "So what if he acts like a big shot? At twenty-five, he''s already CEO of Blizzard Group. He''s earned the right to a little arrogance."


    Alice was momentarily speechless.


    Shortly after, she noticed Caden staring at her. Turning to the man, she said goodbye and lowered her head to write down his name on WhatsApp. Just as she finished, a shadow loomed over her screen.


    “Pretty busy, aren''t you? Do you like older men?” she asked in a mocking tone.


    Alicia looked up and saw Caden before her, who had approached unnoticed.


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