Chapter 274:

Ciara sighed. "Are you leaving already? Will you be back for dinner?"

"No. I have company tonight," Caden replied, turning to Jasmine. "Let me know if anything important comes up."

Jasmine nodded, but Ciara remained uneasy. "Caden, sending Yolanda away is the right decision. She's more complicated than she seems. If you don't handle her, she'll become a burden and drag you down."

Caden offered little in response. "I know what I'm doing."

He worked until six and left the office promptly. In retrospect, the entire situation seemed insignificant. Alice was maturing, and her increased forgiveness made sense.

Eager for a pleasant dinner, Caden stopped to pick up a fine bottle of wine. As luck would have it, he ran into Gerry, who had recently invested in a vineyard. With a broad smile, Gerry offered, "This wine is on me. Let's share a glass."

Caden politely declined. "Someone's waiting for me at home. I don't have time to drink with you tonight."

Gerry knew he meant Alice. "You weren't fighting? Does that mean you've made up?"

Caden remained unfazed. "Fight? When did that happen? Would she really dare to challenge me?"

Gerry clicked his tongue. "Come on, you're kidding yourself. Others might back down, but Alice has the guts to stand up to you. What about that call you made the other day? Did she block your number?"

He looked at the wine with a playful smile. "With a bottle like this, the two of you could end up having a romantic evening."

Caden countered, "I don't discuss such things with a virgin."

Gerry was speechless. The sudden remark seemed unnecessary.

Leaving the vineyard, Caden headed to his apartment. Opening the door, he was met with a cold draft. His expression hardened as he surveyed the empty living room—the table bare, the lights off. Only Cade, running toward him, eagerly licking his hand, broke the silence.

Caden took a moment to process the emptiness. He decided to call Alice. His voice lacked warmth. "What's wrong?"

"Are you still busy?" Caden asked.