Chapter: 570

Her expression was contorted with shock. “How is this possible? Alicia, that woman, how could Caden care for her after Joshua left her?"

She wouldn't have pushed Joshua to confront Alicia if not for the rumors involving Yolanda and Caden.

Their schemes ultimately recoiled upon themselves.

Lilliana covered her face, overwhelmed. “Joshua was her husband for two years and barely looked her way. How did she suddenly become so valuable to Caden? I can't accept it. It just doesn't make sense..."

Their loss was hard enough, but Alicia's unexpected importance to Caden struck Lilliana like a hammer blow.

She crumpled completely, collapsing in a heap on the floor.

The shock was too much, triggering a sharp pain in her abdomen.

The frigid days of winter kept coming. As Christmas was approaching, the streets turned bright and lively with festive music and colors.

Alicia was unperturbed by the predicament that the Green family and the Yates family were in.

She knew Caden had everything under control, so chose to focus all her energy on her gallery. She worked tirelessly, and managed day-to -day operations with the utmost dedication.

Despite being the boss, she was open and approachable to her employees. It was her way of ensuring that every task went smoothly.

Alicia would often be the first to arrive during the mornings, and the last to go in the evenings. She was nothing short of the epitome of a responsible business owner.

Soon enough, someone from the media was drawn in by her reputation, and came to conduct an interview with her.

Alicia prepared everything in advance. She was poised and graceful throughout the interview, and her answers were intelligent and concise.

The session ended on a pleasant note for both parties.

Alicia had even arranged for a meal to treat the reporter and his team afterward. All in all, she was flawless as could be.

Alicia had dinner with her employees that same night. By the time they were finished eating, she was so exhausted, she could barely stand.

But first, she called for a car service to safely take her employees home.

Her assistant poked her head out of the car window and called out to Alicia. "You should head home and rest, too, Miss Bennett. You're pushing yourself too hard. Why don't you just take the day off tomorrow?"

Alicia smiled, "I'm fine. Be sure to call me when you get home."

Her assistant sighed helplessly, her face wrought with concern. “ALl right, good night, Miss Bennett."

Alicia waved her hand and watched the vehicle leave.

“Miss Bennett works too hard," the assistant lamented inside the car as they merged into the highway. "If she keeps this up, I'm afraid her body won't be able to handle it."

"I guess that's just how things are when you're the boss," one of her colleagues chimed in. “Starting your own business is always an uphill battle. If Miss Bennet was more flexible with her business practices, perhaps she wouldn't have to work so hard.”

Alicia's assistant understood the other woman's meaning perfectly.

Since the gallery's opening, a good number of wealthy proprietors tried to cozy up to Alicia under the guise of seeking a business partnership.

Alicia had turned them all down.

“If she was going to sell out to others, anyway, then why bother starting her own business?" the assistant chided her colleague. "In the future, you'd better keep such thoughts to yourself. If you say something like this out loud again, I'm going to give you a piece of my mind."

The female employee was visibly startled by the assistant's reaction.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I just think Miss Bennet is unnecessarily tiring herself out. If she meets the right guy, they can work together, and he can ease some of her burden. It would be a win-win situation for her."