Chapter: 34

The receptionist, a stickler for protocols, smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Ward is very busy. You'll need an appointment. Please fill out this form first."

Alicia's polite smile faltered somewhat, but she obliged and filled up the form.

Then, the waiting began. Half an hour crawled by. Then an hour.

Growing restless, Alicia returned to the receptionist, only to hear the same dismissive response-that Caden was still too busy to see her, and she should wait just a bit longer.

Alicia's instincts prickled with suspicion. Something wasn't right.

She decided not to press the issue further and turned on her heel to leave.

“Ms. Bennett, aren't you going to see Mr. Ward?" The receptionist's confused voice trailed after her.

Without breaking her stride, Alicia glanced over her shoulder. "I'LL wait for him somewhere else."

The receptionist, perplexed, quickly passed the message along to Hank.

Moments later, the news made its way to Caden.

"She said she'd wait somewhere else?" Caden's brow lifted in mild surprise as he leaned back in his chair, taking his time.

Hank, sensing the unspoken command, slipped away to investigate.

When he returned, his expression was a bit flustered.

Caden eyed him suspiciously, his tone sharpening. "Well? Where did she go?"

Hank hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice somewhat awkward. "She's... She's at the cafe across the street."

"And?" Not understanding what was so out of the ordinary about that, Caden snapped impatiently, “What's with the face? Did she blow up the cafe or something?"

“No, mot exactly, but let's just say... she's made herself comfortable." After a slight pause, he confessed, “Mr. Ward, Ms. Bennett's playing cards in the cafe."

Alicia had been playing cards for two hours and was starting to get bored.

She decided to switch to a different card game, hoping for a change of pace.

Her luck improved right away. She won the first two rounds without any trouble.

During the third round, a tall figure appeared behind her. The presence was strong and impossible to miss.

Alicia didn't even need to look for her to know that it was Caden behind her.

Caden walked past her and sat down, replacing the player across from her.

Alicia picked up her cards and gave him a light smile. "Mr. Ward, are you finally done with your busy schedule?"

Once Caden was settled on the seat, he picked up each card with grace.

He had an air of refinement about him. Still, he fit into the casual environment without seeming out of place.

“I wasn't busy. I just didn't feel like seeing you," he replied calmly.

Alicia's lips twitched in response.

Neither of them brought up the theme song right away.