Chapter: 219

It was just like before.

Joshua's gaze lingered on her, his voice softening. “Sunset Road is over forty minutes away. Did you take a cab?"

Alicia offered a vague nod. "Yes," she said, not wanting to linger on the details. She had no desire to dwell on their strained dynamic longer than necessary.

Unexpectedly, Joshua stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Thank you. You still care about me so much. After our divorce, I even began to doubt if you ever truly loved me. Looks like I was just overthinking."

Alicia remained silent, biting back the urge to roll her eyes.

She thought bitterly, “Overthinking? No. I just needed you close enough to drug your food."

The feeling of his body pressed against hers made her skin crawl, and she instinctively tried to push him away.

But Joshua only tightened his grip, refusing to let go.

Memories of their two years of marriage flitted through her mind like unwelcome ghosts. He'd been endlessly busy, always under pressure, and his demands-especially in the bedroom-had been relentless.

At first, he'd constantly tried to seduce her, but her shyness and discomfort had only fueled his frustration.

Eventually, he gave up, leaving her untouched.

And then came Lilliana, who was bold, daring, and more than eager to satisfy his needs.

Lilliana had been everything Alicia wasn't-exciting, confident, and skilled in the art of seduction.

But even the sexiest of women would lose her appeal after enough time. Now that Lilliana was pregnant, she'd grown insufferably arrogant and unpredictable, adding more stress than excitement to his life.

Now, he craved the very same Alicia who once repelled him.

Men like him always grew tired of their own choices, endlessly chasing the next fleeting thrill.

Alicia's stomach churned at Joshua's familiar, sickening scent, so she subtly held her breath. "I can't cook like this," she muttered.

Joshua, ignoring her protest, buried his face in the curve of her neck, inhaling deeply.

"There's no rush to eat," he whispered.

Just then, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs made them both pause.

Shelia appeared in the doorway, her eyes narrowing at the scene before her. “What are you doing?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

Joshua reluctantly released Alicia, an annoyed frown creasing his brow.

Shelia's gaze flicked between them, settling on Alicia with a sneer.

“Are you really that horny?" she scoffed. “Can't you at least wait until you're out of the kitchen?"

Alicia knitted her brows.

Joshua was accustomed to Shelia's sharp tongue and knew she disapproved of Alicia. Not wanting to upset Shelia, he pretended not to hear and walked out of the kitchen.

The more Shelia thought about it, the more her frustration grew.

Pointing a finger at Alicia, she shouted, “ALL you do is spend money! You contribute nothing to this family and have no manners. Can't you see that Joshua is exhausted? Jesus, he can barely catch his breath!"

Alicia had heard enough and turned to look at Shelia.

She glanced at Joshua, who quietly ate his food, acting like none of this concerned him.