Chapter: 715

Impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, he exuded an aura of quiet authority, his mere presence commanding the attention of the room.

Caden's hair was trimmed shorter than usual, making him look even more sharp and polished.

His eyes, however, were far from “clean"-they locked onto Alicia with an intensity that made her feel like prey beneath a predator's gaze.

Alicia quickly averted her gaze. "Mrs. Ward stumbled earlier, but she should be fine after a bit of rest."

Ciara jumped in with a warm smile. “I'm fine, really. Thanks to Alicia, who saved the day. She even promised to visit Joy Mansion for dinner soon."

Caden played along smoothly, though a hint of amusement flickered in his expression.

“Oh? And when is that?"

“The day after tomorrow," Ciara replied cheerfully.

He shrugged, feigning disappointment. “I'll be busy. Won't be in Warrington and might not make it back in time."

Ciara grinned, unfazed. “Perfect. Alicia can't stand the sight of you anyway."

Alicia was left momentarily speechless.

"You two are horrible at acting," she thought, inwardly rolling her eyes. "I can't even watch this mess."

She didn't even bother committing to the dinner plan. Instead, she took the opportunity to escape. "I need to check on Mrs. Hopkins. If you'll excuse me."

After setting down her gift, Alicia let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At least Caden hadn't followed her.

But before she could relax, Gerry appeared, holding a drink and a small box of desserts.

“Here, try this. The new chef whipped them up. There are only three pieces-one for my mom, one I just ate, and the last one's all yours," he said with a friendly smile.

Alicia, touched by the thoughtful gesture, picked up the dessert.

“Thank you, Gerry. That's thoughtful."

She smiled, assuming that Gerry was genuinely being considerate.

But Gerry had other intentions. He leaned in slightly, his tone turning playful. "So... did you really break things off with Caden?"

Her hand froze mid-air, and she carefully set the dessert back down.

He clicked his tongue. “Come on, don't let my nosiness ruin your treat. No need to answer if you don't want to. It won't affect our friendship."

Alicia forced a smile, feeling the weight of the conversation. "Mr. Hopkins, you're making it hard for me to enjoy this."

Gerry waved it off with a grin. "No worries, I won't bring it up again."

Reluctantly, Alicia picked up the dessert once more and took a small bite.

It was, in fact, delicious.

But Gerry wasn't finished. He scratched his head, looking a little too curious for comfort. "So, is the breakup for good? No chance of patching things up?"

Alicia felt like groaning out loud. She was speechless-again.

Gerry flashed a playful grin. "I swear, this is the last time I'LL ask."