Chapter 102

Mrs. Reyes shrieked. Ignoring her smudged makeup, she rushed to her son, Ted, sprawled on the grass. Kneeling, she felt for injuries. "Are you okay?"

The grass cushioned Ted's fall, but his flushed face betrayed his fury. His cheeks puffed as he glared at Alicia. "It's all your fault, you stupid girl!"

Alicia's eyes widened at the outburst. Ted, though only eight, delivered his words with stinging sharpness.

Mrs. Reyes, having helped Ted to his feet, turned to Alicia with a harsh expression. "Alicia, if anything happens to Ted today, I won't let you go so easily," she warned.

Alicia met the boy's gaze with a slight, knowing smile, understanding the potential for escalation. Instead of fueling the conflict, she turned to Rachel, the hostess.

"Mrs. Gray," Alicia began calmly, "have I done anything wrong?"

Rachel sighed gently, her expression one of mild reproach. "Miss Bennett," she said, her voice soft, "why argue with a little girl?"

Alicia's smile hardened as Rachel walked past, smoothing Ted's hair with motherly tenderness. "I was just messing with you," Rachel continued lightly. "Why didn't you play along? Do you really think a child could hurt you?"

Disappointment clouded Alicia's face as she saw Rachel's lack of understanding. Rachel knelt and invited Ted to rejoin the other children. Before leaving, Ted grinned mischievously at Alicia, a silent promise in his eyes.

Rachel, acting as peacemaker, patted Alicia's hand. "Miss Bennett, don't let this dampen your spirits. The girl didn't mean anything by it."

Alicia gently withdrew her hand. "If you say so, Mrs. Gray."

Alicia once felt pity for Rachel, but now saw her entangled in superficial pleasantries. Sensing Alicia's detachment, Rachel's face tightened. Alicia's aloofness, in Rachel's eyes, was arrogance. They were from different worlds; Alicia was beneath her. Even after Alicia's humiliation of Randolph, Rachel had dismissed it, yet Alicia still seemed to look down on her.

Rachel's mediation eased the tension. However, Mrs. Reyes's makeup streamed down her face. Rachel, ever gracious, escorted her inside to fix it.

Furious, Mrs. Reyes gritted her teeth. "No wonder no man wants her. With that attitude, she deserves everything that comes her way."

Rachel hummed softly, working on Mrs. Reyes's face. "Do you want to teach her a lesson?"

A gleam lit Mrs. Reyes's eyes. "Do you have any clever ideas?"

Rachel smiled subtly. "Oh, yes. But unlike her, we won't stoop to crude antics. We have class."

Later, Rachel arranged card games. She subtly encouraged Alicia to join Mrs. Reyes and the others, as if the earlier incident never occurred. "Mrs. Bennett, do you play cards?" she asked warmly.

Alicia sensed the trap. Now seated, she couldn't leave discreetly. "No," she replied coldly.

Rachel's eyes sparkled. "Perfect! Mrs. Reyes can teach you. It's just a friendly game."

Alice sighed inwardly. She understood why older men complained about being forced into unwanted situations. She felt trapped, powerless.

The minutes ticked by, nearing ten o'clock. She checked her watch. Would Caden arrive?

Sensing Alicia's discomfort, Mrs. Reyes leaned back, a predatory smile on her face. "What's wrong, Mrs. Bennett? Afraid to play with me?"

Alicia met the challenge. "Mrs. Reyes, how much do you want to play?"

Mrs. Reyes smiled with satisfaction. "Not much. Just three thousand dollars."

Alicia's lips twitched. Three thousand dollars? She should have known. She recognized the high stakes and the women's skill in exploiting weaknesses.

Mrs. Reyes's laughter held cruelty as Alicia fell silent. "What's wrong, Mrs. Bennett? Is it too much for you? I thought Mr. Yates would have left you plenty of money after the divorce. Surely you have some left over for some entertainment.”

Alicia's expression remained cold. "Then you must teach me how to play, Mrs. Reyes."

Mrs. Reyes smiled mockingly. "Oh, no problem. I'll be happy to teach you again."

As the cards were shuffled, Alicia discreetly texted Caden: "Where are you? You better get your ass here right now! I'm in trouble!"

Meanwhile, Caden was still at the airport. He'd planned to be at the Gray estate by nine, but a call from his butler disrupted his plans. Ciara had arrived unexpectedly in Warrington and insisted on a personal pickup. It was his first time in the city, and despite the inconvenience, he couldn't refuse.

Looking at Alicia's message, he frowned. He asked Hank, "How late is the flight?"

"About half an hour," Hank replied.

"You still don't know when it will arrive?"

Hank checked the flight status. "Mr. Ward, the flight never took off due to weather problems. Mrs. Ward's plane is still grounded, and they don't know when it will depart."

Caden sighed in frustration. "I thought they said it was about to land."

Hank shrugged. "Mrs. Ward isn't always… precise."

Caden couldn't stay angry at Ciara. He stood, his voice firm. "Take the car. We're leaving."

At that moment, his phone rang. It was Alicia. Her message was curt: "Forget it. I know now what kind of person you really are, Mr. Ward. I swear we will never cooperate again."

Caden stared at the message, lost for words.