Chapter: 170

"I must admit, this is quite impressive. Thank you, Ms. Bennett. How much was the jewelry set?" Rachel's tone had become much more relaxed around Alicia. “I'll pay you back."

But Alicia shook her head with a soft smile.

"A new restaurant just opened downtown," she continued. "Next time, let me treat you to a meal, Mrs. Gray. I'm new to the area and would love to get to know you better."

Rachel, however, had a different idea. “Why wait for next time? Randolph's here; why don't you join us tonight?"

Alicia blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the spontaneous invitation.

She hesitated. "Mr. Gray is meeting a client, though. Wouldn't it be improper for me to tag along?"

Rachel waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, it's not really that formal. Mr. Ward has a big deal with the bank, and Randolph thought it would be good to connect with him, so it's more of a casual gathering."

The informal nature of the event eased Alicia's worries, but it was the name that Rachel mentioned that truly piqued her interest.

"'Mr, Ward'?" she asked, her brow arching in curiosity.

"Yes, Caden Ward," Rachel clarified. "He just returned from overseas.You've heard of him, right?"

Alicia's heart skipped a beat.

What on earth was going on? The universe seemed hell-bent on sending Caden her way when she least expected him.

Rachel caught Alicia's brief hesitation and, in an effort to further ease her discomfort, added, "Oh! I almost forgot. You've written songs for Gerry before, haven't you? I remember hearing about that. He's going to be there tonight, too. You two would have plenty to chat about."

Alicia felt her tension ease.

Gerry was a familiar face, and the thought of seeing him again made the idea of joining the dinner much more appealing.

Meanwhile, Gerry found himself in the middle of the cocktail party, lazily swirling a glass of wine in his hand.

He enjoyed a good vintage, but his current company was proving less than entertaining.

Glancing at Caden, who was absorbed in his laptop despite the social setting, Gerry couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You're still getting over that cold. Why don't you give yourself a break and relax?"

Caden leaned back in his chair, seemingly unfazed. "It's nothing," he replied with his usual calm, brushing off the concern.

He'd always been in good health, so a cold hadn't worried him at first, but his hectic schedule and lack of sleep had caught up with him, leaving him looking paler than usual.

This, coupled with his reluctance to socialize, made him seem even more aloof.

Gerry sighed dramatically. "With you brooding over there, no women are going to come over and chat with me."

Irritated by Gerry's whining, Caden shifted away slightly, hoping for a bit of peace.

His attempt to escape worked almost too well, as a striking woman soon approached their table.

Gerry, spotting her first, flashed a confident grin and started to pull out his phone, but to his dismay, the woman completely ignored him.

Her gaze locked on Caden instead, and with a sweet smile, she asked, “Mr. Ward, may I add you on WhatsApp?"

When Alicia entered the room with Rachel, she noticed a scene unfolding.

A beautiful woman, shyly showing Caden something on her phone, was ignored by him as he kept his head down, appearing utterly uninterested and distant.

It was enough to make anyone feel frustrated.

Gerry, visibly annoyed, addressed the woman, "You've got the wrong target. Mr. Ward isn't into women."