?Chapter 217:


    Caden felt a tightness in his chest, a weight of regret pressing down on him.


    He knew Alicia had feelings for him and could only imagine the high hopes she had when preparing the gift.


    Yet he had dismissed her sincere gesture as mere trash.


    His expression soured as he handed the scarf to Hank.


    “Here, take this,” he said, his voice cold.


    Hank picked up the scarf awkwardly, feeling its weight like a hot potato.


    “But sir, Miss Moss bought this specifically for you.


    ”


    “I don’t want it,” Caden snapped.


    “If it’s no use to you, throw it away or use it to clean yourself.


    ”


    Frustration welled up inside him as he considered that Alice''s unusual behaviorst night might have been rooted in those misunderstandings.


    She was usually very clever, and yet she had chosen to remain silent at crucial moments.


    If she felt jealous or hurt, why couldn''t she say so? Instead, she had opposed him at every turn.


    Determined not to indulge her any longer, Caden decided to put the matter behind him.


    Following Caden''s instructions, Hank made a reservation at a trendy new restaurant.


    As they drove, Caden nced at the map and directed Hank to take a detour.


    Curious, Hank asked, “Are we stopping to pick up anything, sir?”Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Caden replied indifferently, “No, there is hardly any traffic on this route.


    ”


    Hank nced at the navigation screen.


    “But the rmended route isn’t congested either, and taking the route you suggested adds about twenty minutes.


    ”


    Caden gave him a sharp look.


    “Do I have to repeat myself for you to understand?”


    Shocked, Hank decided to let it be.


    After all, Caden was the boss.


    Halfway there, Caden motioned for Hank to stop.


    Stepping outside, he entered a high-end men''s boutique.


    Hank stayed in the car as ordered, but he couldn’t help but notice the signature handkerchief on disy in the window.


    He blinked in surprise.


    Was he seeing things? What was Caden up to?


    A few minutester, Caden emerged from the store wearing an identical scarf.


    As he settled into the car, Hank stared at him in disbelief.


    “What’s that look about?” Caden replied, his gaze icy.


    “Do you want one too?”


    Hank shook his head, confused.


    “Miss Bet bought you one, which you threw away.


    Miss Moss bought you another, which you gave to me.


    Now you’ve bought yourself one.


    Mr.


    Ward, what’s going on?”


    Caden replied tly, “I don’t feel well.


    ”


    Hank was momentarily speechless.


    Caden had a gift for brutal honesty.


    Meanwhile, Alice was deeply engrossed in her work at the gallery.


    In the early stages of preparation, she had been incredibly busy and highly motivated.


    Her previous sesses in the industry had attracted numerous clients and everything was going better than she had anticipated.


    She attributed it to good luck – until that night.


    Alice had already drunk five sses of wine in a row when a customer refilled her ss without hesitation.


    As he filled it to the brim, his hand casually moved to her thigh.


    Alice instinctively moved away.


    Noticing her reaction, the man frowned and said, “Mrs.


    Bet, drinking too much is not good for your health.


    I heard that you are somewhat allergic to alcohol, and even with medication, it is risky.


    Why go to such lengths?”


    Although Alice had never encountered such a situation before, she knew how to handle lecherous men like him.


    Maintaining herposure, she replied with a calm smile.


    “Mr.


    Tingey, I wouldn’t want to spoil the mood, and I’m well aware of the unspoken rules.


    ”


    She raised her ss in both hands and looked him in the eye.


    “Cheers, Mr.


    Tingey.


    ”


    She closed her eyes and drank the whole ss in one gulp.


    She preferred to hold back the wine rather than participate in herscivious games.


    Mr.


    Tingey watched her, a look of disappointment on his face.


    He opened the contract and picked up the pen, a smug smile on his lips.


    “I’ve been one of your biggest investors since you opened the gallery, Miss Bet.


    Is drinking the only way you can show me your gratitude?”


    He put the pen to the paper and wrote his name.


    Alice knew that if she yed along, her entire firm would follow suit, unlocking tens—possibly hundreds—of millions of dors in investments.


    He could free her from the endless cycle of socializing and chasing business.


    But as he looked at her chubby face, a wave of nausea churned her stomach.


    She knew the deal was off.


    Putting down her ss, Alice turned to her assistant.


    “Please show Mr.


    Tingey to his carriage.


    I’ll be right out.


    ”


    She turned to leave, but Mr.


    Tingey was not about to let her go.


    “Mrs.


    Bet,” he called, his voiceced with arrogance.


    “At this point, is it really necessary to continue this hypocritical act?”


    Alice stopped and turned slowly towards him.


    Her expression was cold.


    “Do you want me to vomit in your face?” she replied.


    Mr.


    Tingey''s eyes shot open and he jumped back, startled.


    Alicia gave him a mocking smile before walking away to the bathroom.


    Once inside, the reality of the night hit her.


    She had downed one drink after another and her body felt sick.


    She leaned over the sink and vomited until her face turned pale and the acid burned her throat.


    By the time she was done, she was so intoxicated that her vision was blurry.


    After washing her hands, she left the bathroom, holding onto the wall for support as she slowly walked toward the exit.


    The hallway was getting more and more crowded.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Alicia saw a familiar figure.


    She stopped and looked to see Caden approaching, with Ynda at his side.


    Together, they looked like the perfect couple.


    He looked at her, but his gaze was cold and indifferent.


    Acutely aware of her disheveled state, Alicia tried to stand upright, but the effort made her head spin.


    She felt like she could copse at any moment, so she stayed still, leaning subtly on the wall for support.


    As they walked past her, engaged in quiet conversation, Ynda looked back and whispered, “Caden, shouldn’t you be helping Miss Bet?”


    Caden didn''t hesitate.


    "Ignore her," he said tly, his tone cutting.


    Alice felt her heart sink as she lowered her head.


    She might have held on to a glimmer of hope at first, but it was now extinguished, reced by a wave of disappointment and bitterness that threatened to consume her.


    Caden and Ynda left the restaurant and headed toward the parking lot.


    Meanwhile, Alice''s assistant had just dismissed Mr.


    Tingey, maintaining the calm, polite demeanor Alice had taught her.


    However, Mr.


    Tingey was not willing to let him go.


    "Alice is pretty, but not very clever," hemented, in a tone that dripped with condescension.


    Caden heard thement and looked in her direction.


    Oblivious to Caden’s presence, Mr.


    Tingey continued his arrogant tirade towards Alicia’s assistant.


    “But that coldness of hers – that’s what makes her attractive.


    Let her know that if she changes her mind, she’s always wee toe to me.


    ”