Chapter: 600

Alicia forced herself to meet Lina's gaze, her pulse still racing, but then something in her shifted.

She froze.

Lina's face...

The more Alicia studied her, the more familiar Lina became, as if she'd known her all along.

Pieces of memories rushed back, flashing in her mind.

Somehow, Lina's face was in those fragments.

In that instant, her fear melted away. Alicia stepped forward and cautiously took Lina's outstretched hand.

Unexpectedly, Lina's fingers were ice-cold.

Caden raised an eyebrow, amused. "What happened to being terrified? Weren't you just convinced she'd eat you alive?"

Alicia withdrew her hand, turning her gaze toward him. "Caden, you're so determined to perfect her because she means something, doesn't she?"

His smile was faint but filled with meaning. "Of course. She's beautiful."

"You care about her, don't you?"

"I love her," Caden corrected, his gaze softening as he stared dotingly at Lina. "More than anything or anyone else in this world."

Alicia felt a tightness in her chest as tears welled up in her eyes.

She leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know who she is."

Caden's hand froze mid-motion.

His voice turned darker. "You do?"

She nodded, her words laced with quiet certainty. “The first time I visited your bedroom, I saw the photo on your nightstand. You put it away later, but I never forgot her face."

Because Lina was modeled after Caden's mother.

The resemblance was subtle-almost unnoticeable, unless you knew the woman behind the face.

Alicia's heart ached with realization. "Caden, did you come back for her? For your mother?"

After Alicia asked the question, she realized her voice shook more than she intended.

She always knew how much Caden loved his mother. The tragedies he faced during his youth had left wounds that ran deep.

But even after knowing all of that, Caden never allowed himself to show any weakness when they were together.

He remained silent, and his Lips tightened as if he was holding back words that he didn't want to speak.

Alicia couldn't hold back the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

She quickly brushed them away, pretending as though nothing happened.

The silence hung between them until Caden finally spoke.

“Why are you crying?" he asked.

His question caught Alicia off guard, and she felt humiliated by how intense her reaction had been. She didn't expect her emotions to get the best of her, and it made her feel exposed.