Chapter 324:

The photograph in Caden's hand depicted him asleep. Alicia struggled to recall the exact morning it was taken. The weather had been glorious, the gentle sunlight illuminating Caden's face, making him appear irresistibly attractive. She'd snapped the picture on a whim, her feelings for him already burgeoning, though unconfessed. She secretly developed the photo and tucked it away in her wallet. Recently, amidst their arguments, she'd relegated it to a locked drawer, hoping to put it out of mind.

"My drawer was locked," she countered, trying to maintain her composure. "You said you found it by accident?"

Caden shrugged casually. "I happened to discover your password by chance."

Alicia remained silent. Caden, wanting to goad her, smirked. "Both your computer and drawer passwords are my birthday."

Alicia's grip tightened on the chair's edge, her frustration evident. "I'll change them then."

Caden remained unfazed, gently brushing his fingers against her hand. "Now, about that photo. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Alicia took a deep breath. "I took it impulsively and forgot to delete it."

Caden met her gaze, enunciating each word. "You violated my privacy."

Alicia was speechless. What a shameless man! she thought. Finally, she replied, "I didn't share it with anyone."

Caden's gaze remained steady. "You didn't do anything else with it? If I had a picture of you, I would've used it at least three times in two days." His tone was calm, despite the audacity of his words.

Alicia frowned. "What do you mean?"

Alicia realized his implication and quickly exclaimed, "I never did anything like that!"

Caden replied, "Who would know?"

She was speechless. His comments, though clearly provocative, felt absurd. She gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to slap him. "We were together every day. I barely had time to think, let alone use your photo for that."

Caden repeated himself, "Who would know?"

Her mouth fell open. Finally losing her patience, she called him sick. After venting her frustration, she sighed. "Just tell me what you want. Stop wasting time."

Without hesitation, Caden replied, "I want a kiss. Then we can settle this."