?<strong>Chapter 1017:</strong>


    Puzzled, Corey walked over and asked, “Where are Caden and Alicia?”


    The driver, avoiding Corey’s gaze, replied uneasily, “They’re in the car, Mr. Hampton.”


    “Ask them toe out,” Corey instructed as he moved closer to the car to peer inside.


    Corey’s expression immediately darkened. Caden’s lips had just moved away from Alicia’s.


    Although Corey hadn’t caught them in an outright intimate act, the charged atmosphere inside the car was undeniable. It was clear that if not for the public setting, Caden seemed ready to take things much further right there.


    Unbothered by the stares of onlookers, Caden stepped out of the car with his usual air of confidence and helped Alicia out as well. He ran his tongue over his lips in a suggestive manner, casting a sly look at Corey. “Shall we?”


    Corey’s lips curled into a faint, sarcastic smile. “If you’re in such a rush, maybe you should skip the meal. I can arrange a room for you to cool off.”


    Caden didn’t miss a beat. “I can sleep whenever I want. The question is, how long can your sister wait?”


    For once, Corey found himself momentarily speechless. The trio soon settled into a private room Corey had prepared.


    Corey spared no expense, ensuring the best food and drink were served, leaving no room for Caden to criticize. Taking the lead, Corey raised his ss for a toast. “So, what’s your treatment n?”


    Caden, tired of the pretense, cut straight to the point. “I have a team researching artificial hearts. We’ve already had a sessful trial. But, like bypass surgery, mechanical hearts require regr recements.”


    Corey leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing with a hint of skepticism. “Isn’t that a little too convenient?” After all, his sister’s heart condition had only recentlye to light, and yet Caden’s team already imed a sessful solution.


    Caden smirked, the confidence in his expression unshaken. “Do you think I’m lying to you?”


    Corey tilted his ss and downed the remaining wine, the dark glint in his eyes concealed behind a calm facade. “Of course not.”


    For a moment, doubt gnawed at Corey. But then, he recalled Caden’s relentless acquisition of technological resources in recent years, amassing wealth and influence. If not for advancing research like this, what else could Caden have been pouring his efforts into? Even childbirth no longer required human intervention, let alone an artificial heart.


    With a measured tone, Corey finally said, “You handle the research and take responsibility for everything. I’ll provide the funding.”


    Caden replied, “What else?” Making peace with a rival and still having to pay—what did Corey take him for? Aplete pushover?


    Corey set his ss down, still somewhat uneasy, and nced at Alicia. Corey didn’t say a word, but Alicia seemed to understand his unspoken thoughts. “Don’t worry. He won’t deceive you,” she blurted out unexpectedly.


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