Chapter: 634
It was all perfectly in order, and no one noticed anything odd with her behavior.
Apart from her short trips home to feed Cade, Alicia practically lived in the gallery in the days that followed.
Caden didn't want to come home to a cold and empty apartment, so he began going to the mansion to dine with Ciara.
But things weren't going as he expected. In the past, Ciara would call and nag at him for not coming by more often. Now that he willingly spent more time with her, she kept complaining, short of actually kicking him out.
"Why do you keep hanging around, eh? You should share your meals with Alicia."
Caden suppressed his inner turmoil and calmly took another bite of his dinner. “I especially came here to eat with you, and you're complaining?"
The old lady's eyes narrowed. She was perceptive as ever, and immediately saw through him. "So you haven't groveled at her feet and asked for her forgiveness, have you?"
“Why would I do such a thing?" Caden scoffed. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"Alicia is not an unreasonable girl. I'm sure she has a perfectly good reason to be upset with you. Am I wrong?"
Caden's brows drew together. "Stay out of this."
It wasn't until Yolanda had completely moved out of Joy Mansion that Caden finally agreed to stay there.
After his shower one night, he wandered around the halls and noticed several new paintings hanging on the wall.
He learned soon enough that Ciara had bought them from Alicia's gallery.
"Since when did you start collecting paintings? Do you even like art?"
Caden frowned as he asked, though his questions were mostly rhetorical. "You sought her out on purpose, didn't you?"
Ciara lifted her chin Like a petulant child. “So what if I did? I was just supporting her business as your grandmother. She will be entitled to our family's wealth once you're married, anyway. What's wrong with giving her a bit of it now?"
Caden peered at the paintings, realizing that they were pretty valuable pieces. They must have fetched a hefty price each.
No wonder Alicia was so confident during the bidding. She hadn't even blinked when she bid 200 million dollars for a single necklace.
It turned out that someone had recently lined her pockets, and generously at that.
Caden's face turned glum. "You just keep making things difficult for me," he muttered at his grandmother before turning away.
Ciara watched his retreating figure in utter bewilderment. "You brat! Can't you see that I'm helping you win her back? Why are you blaming me, huh? Are you having a quarter-life crisis?"
Caden kept walking down the hall without acknowledging her.
Ciara huffed. Brushing Caden's tantrum off, she put on her reading glasses and opened the painting catalog that she had been holding.
Ciara waved Jasmine over and said, "Come here and help me choose."
She was already in high spirits, as if her encounter with Caden just now never happened. “I'll buy a few more of the expensive ones and hang them all in that rascal's bedroom!"
The next day, Caden received an unexpected call from Alicia.
“Do you have time in the coming days?" she asked gently.
Caden glanced at his desk calendar. His schedule was packed.
"Yes," he Lied through his teeth.
“Great. I'm going on a business trip in the next couple of days, and I need someone to feed Cade. I've already written down instructions on what and when to feed him. You just have to follow them."