Chapter: 8
She could no longer claim the top spot. No matter how relentless her efforts, no matter how late she stayed up studying, Caden was always a step ahead. He would outscore her by the smallest of margins—a point, maybe two-leaving her perpetually stranded in second place.
Anyone else might have accepted defeat, settled into the role of runner-up.
But not Alicia.
Born into the once prestigious Bennett family, she was raised under the suffocating weight of living up to her family name. Excellence wasn't just a goal-it was the currency by which she could earn her parents' affection.
Failure was not an option, yet Caden had the audacity to snatch away everything she'd worked for with what seemed like effortless ease.
It was as if he'd set his sights on her from the very beginning, and Alicia, stubborn to a fault, refused to back down.
Their rivalry spanned over a decade, a relentless battle fought both openly and in the shadows, and their final showdown took place in college, just before their graduation, at the national competition.
Alicia poured her heart and soul into that moment, her focus razor- sharp as she aimed for nothing less than perfection. And she achieved it, having garnered a perfect score. But Caden, ever the serpent, had bribed the judges, twisting the results in his favor. Alicia was forced, once again, into second place.
The sting of injustice was deep, but the harshest blow came from her father, Phil Bennett. Over the phone, his voice dripped with disappointment in her ranking.
Alicia, having grown accustomed to his tirades, said nothing. She waited for his anger to ebb, then asked quietly, "I'm graduating soon. Will you come back?"
Her mother, Donna, had always been her softer solace. She comforted Alicia that day, promising they'd be there for her graduation.
But life had other plans. Phil and Donna, rushing back from Itrubisite to attend the graduation, perished in a tragic plane crash.
Overnight, Alicia's world crumbled, left an orphan in this cruel world.
Since that day, she had never challenged Caden again. Afterward, Caden left Warrington to build his career overseas.
“He's back for the inheritance," Joshua muttered, his voice barely audible. Alicia cast him a sidelong glance as he continued, “With a family empire as big as ours, an eldest son like him wouldn't give up so easily."
Her brow furrowed slightly.
It was true-the Yates empire was massive, a legacy most would kill for. But Caden had accumulated his own fortune, surpassing even the family's vast wealth.
Did he really care about the inheritance?
Then again, this was Caden. Competing was in his blood. Even if he didn't care about the fortune itself, he'd fight tooth and nail just to win, to toy with everyone else.
The man had a knack for stirring chaos purely for his own amusement.
Alicia had been his rival for as long as she could remember, and even now, the thought of giving him so much as a glance felt like a waste of energy. She turned to walk away.
But Joshua caught her wrist, his grip firm yet tense. "I know you two don't get along," he said. “But he's still my elder brother. We need to maintain appearances."
Her body stiffened at the touch, and she immediately tried to pull her hand free, her skin crawling beneath his grasp.
Joshua's frown deepened. "Alicia, behave," he hissed.
Irritation flared in her chest. “I'm not refusing to go in. Just let go of me first. I don't want your filthy hands touching me."
A flicker of something dark passed over Joshua's face, and instead of releasing her, he intertwined their fingers, squeezing them tight.
Alicia bit her tongue, silently fuming.
As they neared, Caden's gaze slowly lifted, his eyes narrowing in a lazy, almost bored assessment of them.
"Caden," Joshua greeted, his tone strained, meeting his brother's gaze with forced cordiality.
Caden's eyes flicked to their entwined hands, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.