Chapter 144:

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When Caden grabbed Alicia's foot again, she felt a wave of unease. She tried to pull her foot away, but Caden immediately tightened his grip.

She couldn't pull away.

In a hushed voice, she asked, “Caden, what are you doing?”

Caden clumsily applied some herbal oil to the bruise and began to massage it. His voice was stiff as he demanded, “Tell me exactly why you were at the Yates mansion.”

Alice tensed, her body instinctively recoiling. In a soft tone, she insisted, “First, apologize to me.”

Caden's expression turned stern. Did she expect an apology from him?

Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, did he really need to apologize for something so trivial?

He replied coldly, “I’ve never been good at apologizing.”

"Then we have nothing more to discuss," Alice said, trying to withdraw her foot.

But Caden held her firmly, pressing against her delicate bones. “I may not excel at apologizing, but I am familiar with using a bit of force. “Shall we proceed?”

Hearing his warning, she increased the pressure. Alice flinched, feeling sharp pain and numbness in her joint. “Caden, let me go!” she screamed.

Caden loosened his grip slightly, but his tone remained insistent. “Explain yourself. “Now.”

Alicia cursed him internally, her mind clouded with frustration. She took a deep breath and then explained briefly, “Joshua tricked me by saying that Rachel wanted to meet up. When I got to the Yates mansion, he dragged me into the bedroom and locked me in.”

Caden, unsatisfied with the explanation, pressed further. “Why did he lock you up?”

knew about us,"

Joshua had merely suspected something, but

eyes then shifted to her neck, where faint marks were visible. His gaze grew more intense as he asked, “Did he

lips together, still tormented by the fear of

manage to escape through the window while

that sums it up in

the oil was absorbed, he gently

an uncharacteristic gesture, almost like an apology, but she wasn't ready to accept it

her purse and pulled

the money. “What's this

"It's your tip."

into her necklace, as if tipping a male escort. “Your skills as a masseuse are rough and

Caden was speechless.

service, even for applying the oil, pushing its limits even further. Maybe he

and handed the money back. “We should put this morning's incident behind us and look forward. Once

to have forgotten your harsh words from this morning.

had explained yourself,

themselves while you were

did ask you. Why are

at him sternly. “Then why didn't you apologize when I asked you to?

the sting of

patience snapped. “You insist on

held her head high. "Forks. And don't thank me. I’m just

so, this isn’t over by a

negotiating. Now that she had broken

Caden misjudged her determination. Alicia had already accepted her fate. Things had reached a point where, at worst, her

sofa in a determined voice. “I'll pay for it. Take

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