Chapter: 498

Her thoughts blanked for a second.

She forgot to turn away.

Caden observed her for a few moments before asking in a cool tone, "What do you want?"

Alicia quickly gathered her wits.

She tensed her fingers, striving to stabilize her emotions. “I'm here to collect something."

“What exactly?" Caden loosened his hold on the door, showing no sign of welcoming her in.

He seemed distant.

Alicia felt uneasy and looked down. “It's my mother's painting."

Caden stayed quiet.

His intense gaze bore into her, heightening the tension.

Receiving no reply, Alicia added, “I don't need to come in. You could bring it out to me."

Caden broke his gaze.

He turned and entered the apartment, calling back, “Fetch it yourself.”

A tightness gripped Alicia's heart.

She had just steadied her nerves, and the last thing she wanted was to share a space with Caden.

Yet, she was determined not to leave without the painting.

After hesitating briefly, she stepped inside.

Changing her shoes, she reminisced about her first visit. Led astray by Caden, she had embarrassingly bought condoms and blushed right at this doorstep.

Months had flown by since then.

Their relationship had cooled to the point where even conversation seemed superfluous.

Swallowing her sadness, she resolved to be quick and headed for the painting.

Caden had placed it high up. She needed a stool to reach it.

Caden lounged on the sofa, his legs crossed, watching her openly.

She looked thinner than he remembered.

Annoyance flared within him, and he reached for a lighter, intending to light a scented candle.

Then he remembered she had made the scented candles and put the lighter down.

Alicia carefully removed the painting. The frame was heavy, and as she descended, she lost her balance.

In that fleeting moment of instability, she clung to the painting, terrified of damaging it. Her knee slammed into the stool.

The solid wood stool made a loud thump upon impact.

Caden's attention was drawn upward by the noise.