Chapter 166

Hank's jaw dropped. Had Caden really said that? I never imagined Caden could be so blunt. Alice was equally surprised. She stared for a few seconds before stammering, "Well..."

At that point, Caden lost patience and walked away. Alicia ran after him. "We have rooms! All kinds of rooms," she called, her voice low to avoid disturbing the crowd, staying close to Caden, nearly colliding with him.

Once outside the airport, Caden slowed, and Alicia almost bumped into him. She frowned at a billboard. "Keep that thing away from me," she said.

Alice sighed at her irritability. "I just made it. It's new."

"New doesn't always mean clean," he replied, leaving her speechless.

Noticing her eye roll, he said, "What are you stalling for? You wanted me to book a room, so guide me."

"Don't you recognize me?" Alice asked, confusion evident in her eyes.

"No, I don't know who you are," Caden replied, leaving Alice stupefied.

"Who the hell are you kidding, Caden?" she muttered to herself. She knew that if he didn't really know her, he wouldn't be committed to her. But she didn't want to pretend anymore; the cold was biting, and she just wanted to go home. She removed her mask and exhaled deeply. "It's me, Alicia. Let's get in the car and talk."

Caden raised an eyebrow. "The inn is only a ten-minute walk away. Why do we need a car?"

Once again, Alice fell silent. He rubbed his frozen hands together, shoving them into his pockets and frowning at the biting cold.

Caden noticed her discomfort. She turned to Hank, who stood nearby, eager to hear everything. "Take the car," Caden ordered.

Hank hesitated, reluctant to miss anything. "I thought we were walking," he said.

Caden narrowed his eyes. "If you prefer, I'll drive, and you can walk back on your own."

Realizing he was tempting fate, Hank fell silent and went to find the car.

Caden tried to offer Alicia his coat, but before he could, she hurried away. When she returned, she carried a bouquet of fresh, light green flowers—vibrant and beautiful. She approached Caden in a quiet corner and handed them to him with a smile. "Welcome back," she said.

He was surprised by the gesture and instinctively accepted the flowers, remaining silent for a few moments. "Are these for me?" he asked.

Alicia looked around; several people were already watching Caden. His striking appearance attracted attention wherever he went. Worried about being recognized, Alice quickly replaced her mask. "Let's continue this conversation in the car," she suggested.

Once inside, Caden set the flowers aside and turned to her, staring. Alice rubbed her hands vigorously against the cold, but the redness of her nose betrayed the persistent chill. "So, do you feel warm and comfortable now?" she asked.

Caden sensed something was wrong. He already had an idea of what was going on, but he clung to a shred of hope. "Is this the surprise you prepared for me?" he asked.

Alice looked completely innocent. "Yes, I came to pick you up," she replied, pointing at the bouquet. "Don't you like them?"

Caden didn't know what to say. He pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated.

Seeing his reaction, Alice said, "I dressed like that to avoid being recognized."

Caden tried to hide his anger. "You call picking me up a surprise?"

Alice stared at him, blinking in confusion. "You have everything but love. After working hard for days, wouldn't you want someone to welcome you home?" she asked.

Again, he was speechless. He pursed his lips. "I've been dealing with family issues, but that doesn't mean I'm lonely or desperate for affection."

Alice didn't know what to answer. Caden realized she might not understand his perspective. He softened his tone. "There's still time to plan a real surprise."

However, Alice didn't see it that way. He pointed at the flowers. "I've already spent the money."

Caden looked at them. "Hank, these flowers are yours."

Alice couldn't believe it. Her jaw dropped. "Caden is so infuriating!" she thought.

He turned to look out the window, muttering, "Fine, forget about surprises."

Caden saw her out of the corner of his eye. From his position, he could see part of her face; she looked indifferent. However, her aloof attitude didn't bother him; instead, he found her braided pigtails intriguing. He knew she didn't do them for him, but they were nice to look at.

Throughout the journey, Alice kept her hands in her pockets and remained silent. Caden didn't try to talk to her; he immersed himself in his work. He listened intently, his eyes fixed on the laptop screen. Suddenly, his expression darkened. He closed the laptop and set it aside.

Lost in thought, he accidentally bumped into Alice. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, her face showing clear impatience. Caden fell silent, staring sternly. Then he closed his eyes and told Hank, "Tomorrow morning, fire the new project managers. Replace them."

Hank agreed. "Understood, Mr. Ward."

Alice looked away. He had listened to everything on the laptop. He realized the new product lacked innovation and would likely fail in the domestic market. He also knew Caden was unhappy with the employees' revised plans, which explained his bad mood.

"Domestic and international tastes aren't the same. Here, people respond more to emotional appeal. You should skip traditional methods and focus on attracting the younger generation," Alicia said.

Caden replied, "And how much money do young people have?"

"They may not be rich, but if you lower your prices and accept smaller profits, you can still succeed," she argued. "It's called small profits, but quick returns. Have you forgotten how things work here after spending so many years abroad?"

Caden stared at her, his expression unreadable. Profits no longer mattered to him. Leaning towards her, he said, "Are you trying to start an argument? With that attitude, you're just asking for trouble."