Chapter: 171

The woman looked surprised.

Gerry, unable to hide his jealousy, continued, "Yes, I'm in a relationship with Mr. Ward. I'm his partner."

Only at this point did Caden look up, giving Gerry a cold stare.

Meanwhile, Alicia caught Caden's eye as she walked closer.

He squinted slightly at her approach.

Nearby, Randolph, arm around Rachel, greeted them cheerfully. “Mr. Ward, Mr. Hopkins."

Alicia stuck close to Rachel.

Dressed in a loose sweater and subtle makeup, Alicia struck a balance that drew attention without being too imposing.

She noticed Caden seemed off, appearing exhausted as if he'd had a sleepless night filled with more than just restlessness.

He looked worn and disheveled, possibly from a passionate, stormy encounter the night before.

As they settled down, Gerry, finding amusement in the situation, beckoned to Alicia. "Come here, Alicia. Sit with me."

His demeanor towards Alicia was carefree and platonic.

However, Randolph interpreted it differently, casting a meaningful look at Alicia, which she wanted to avoid at all costs, especially since Randolph was close to Joshua.

The potential repercussions of Randolph's words to Joshua were best avoided.

To maintain distance and prevent any misunderstandings, Alicia excused herself to sit farther away, explaining, “Sorry, Mr. Hopkins, I've caught a cold recently. Better to keep my distance so I don't pass it on to you."

Gerry, unperturbed by the mention of her cold, asked with curiosity, “You caught a cold too?"

Alicia, taken aback, confirmed, "You caught a cold as well?"

"It's not me. It's Caden," Gerry clarified, tilting his head. "He's been sick for three days and hasn't recovered. He's been increasingly irritable, almost like he's lost something personal."

Alicia's heart raced.

When she glanced at Caden, she noticed a faint mark on his Lips.

The realization hit her-it was her fault.

She remembered how intensely they had kissed that day.

"Did I give him the cold?" she thought, panicking silently.

Feeling guilty, she rubbed her nose, pretending nothing was wrong.

Randolph, hearing about Caden's cold, showed concern. “Three days now and you're still not better? Is the medicine not helping?"

Caden gave a small cough.

With a casual tone, he replied, “It's just a cold. Thanks for the concern, Mr. Gray."

Randolph, sounding thoughtful, added, “Mr. Ward, you work so hard. You need to take care of yourself. As it happens, I have a friend here today who specializes in traditional medicine. Maybe he can check on you. What do you think?"

Caden frowned slightly at the mention of traditional remedies.

The thought of bitter herbs didn't sit well with him.