?<strong>Chapter 1134:</strong>


    “Take a guess.”


    “Cade?” he ventured, feigning innocence.


    Laughter bubbled from Alicia’s lips.


    Her soft, fragrant mouth hovered tantalizingly close, and Caden surrendered to the maic pull, leaning down to im her kiss.


    Their arrival in Cruasa brought an unexpected encounter at the hotel—Ellis, a prominent Banta businessman, and his family.


    Caden owed Ellis a favor, and their mutual respect demanded acknowledgment. Without hesitation, Caden extended a dinner invitation.


    Ellis moved through the world with a natural polish that made Caden’s careful manners seem studied, especially when interacting with children. Caden held Scarlette in his arms, while Alicia and Jaida sat nearby, exuding beauty and grace.


    Alicia’s gaze drifted to the Reed family’s second son, a small figure perched on his chair. At five years old, his delicate features already echoed his father’s distinguished profile, though youth still softened the resemnce. The vibrant child she remembered had vanished, reced by a listless boy who seemed to find no joy in his surroundings.


    “He hasn’t been himselftely—quite fragile,” Jaida confessed, her voice heavy with maternal concern.


    “The flu season has been particrly harsh,” Alicia ventured gently.


    “Is he recovering well?”


    Jaida nodded, a hint of worry in her eyes.


    Something in Jaida’s manner told Alicia the child’s ailment ran deeper than a simple illness. Perhaps the Reed family shared Caden’s hope that the meteor shower’s promised fortune might touch their ailing son. As the celestial disy neared its ten o’clock peak, their post-dinner departure ns were interrupted when Caden received an urgent project call demanding his attention.


    Alicia suggested that Caden handle it first, and she would ride with Jaida’s family.


    Caden considered briefly before agreeing, promising to rejoin them afterward.


    Their journey abruptly halted when Scarlette burst into inconsble tears. Her face streaked with anguish, she wailed with such intensity that it shattered Alicia’s heart,pelling them to redirect toward the hospital.


    Jaida, with her maternal experience, took Scarlette in her arms for a thorough examination but found no apparent cause.


    Yet, Scarlette’s distress only intensified until herplexion turned an rming shade of purple.


    Fear clutching at her throat, Alicia cradled Scarlette while attempting to soothe her. Jaida’s expression grew grave as she instructed the driver to hasten toward the city’s premier medical facility.


    Ellis, meanwhile, activated hiswork of hospital connections to ensure that medical staff and a bed would be ready upon their arrival.


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