Chapter: 20

Lilliana, carefully composed, began speaking in a soft, practiced tone as she explained her case.

But Caden barely seemed to register her words. His attention was on Joshua, a cold smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Double, hmm? Quite the generous offer. What exactly is your relationship with her to make you so charitable?"

“She's my girlfriend," Joshua replied without missing a beat.

Caden's smirk deepened, his dangerous gaze flicking from Joshua in front of him to Alicia under his desk.

"Your woman, huh? That explains a lot." He leaned back, the mockery in his smile as sharp as a knife. "But tell me, Joshua. Before you make such a generous offer, shouldn't you run it by your wife?"

"Alicia never meddles in these affairs, nor does she have any right to," Joshua said flatly.

At this, Caden cast a lazy glance down at Alicia, who was curled up beneath the desk, trying to make herself invisible.

Alicia hugged her knees to her chest, her face devoid of color.

The poor thing looked so fragile.

Caden tossed aside the blood-stained tissue with a casual flick, his voice icy as he addressed Joshua. "That's enough. Your money means nothing to me."

Joshua had expected this.

He remained calm and quickly proposed a counter-offer. “Then I'LL triple it, if that's what you want."

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of Caden's lips. “You must really treasure your precious lover, huh?"

His devilish charm and undeniable good looks made even Lilliana blush.

Joshua's expression hardened. He pulled Lilliana behind him, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. “If you've got a problem, take it up with me. Leave her out of this."

Caden's gaze never wavered. “You're not important enough for me to bother with."

A flash of frustration crossed Joshua's face, but he knew better than to argue.

Caden had always towered over him, casting a shadow that Joshua could never seem to escape. Pushing further would only open more opportunities for Caden to humiliate him.

Lilliana, sensing the tension, smiled softly, attempting to smooth things over. "Mr. Ward, I apologize. We were out of line. Since the deal is already set, it wouldn't be fair to ask you to step back. Sorry for the disturbance. We'll be on our way."

It was a graceful exit, sparing Joshua from further disgrace.

But as they turned to leave the office, Joshua's gaze snagged on something-a familiar bag sitting on the coffee table. It was Alicia's.

Joshua halted mid-stride, his heart dropping as he recalled Caden's disheveled appearance just now, as well as the cold, threatening way Caden looked at him.

An uneasy feeling gnawed at his gut.. Once the thought took root, it spread like wildfire, burning through his mind.

Could the woman Caden was talking about be Alicia?

Once the thought took root, it spread like wildfire, burning through his mind.

As they left the CEO's office, Lilliana clung to Joshua's arm, pulling him toward the elevator.

"Joshua," Lilliana said softly, her voice laced with unease, "I never imagined Caden could rise so quickly, becoming CEO of Blizzard Group. And did you see the way he looked at you? Obviously, he hasn't let go of his grudge. Oh, my God, I'm shaking! He's so scary! I wouldn't dream of crossing him! We might as well give up on pestering him with the acquisition for now. Who knows? Maybe working under him could open up bigger opportunities for us..."

Joshua's frown deepened, her words barely registering as his mind wandered.

He gave a few half-hearted nods in acknowledgement before restlessly reached for his phone. "Sorry, Lilliana. Something came up. I'L catch up with you later."

As he spoke, he dialed Alicia's number.