Chapter 573:

Alicia was equally surprised. Pulling her clothes back on, she muttered, "I have no idea. Maybe it came early because of all the stress you've put me through."

"No wonder I felt strange earlier when we kissed," Caden said, his mouth twitching. Accepting the situation, he carried her inside and made her some ginger tea, hoping it would help with her cramps.

Later that night, as they lay together, Caden was still curious. "What exactly did you ask Gerry for?" he asked. Caden could easily have obtained anything Gerry possessed; did she really need to go to him?

Alicia found it hard to explain, but soon afterward, Gerry sent the item. Since Caden was curious, she decided to show him. "Since you can't have fun with me right now, why don't you take this to the bathroom?"

Caden watched the item for a full thirty seconds, his expression unreadable. "Did Gerry produce this?"

Alicia nodded. "It has his signature—terrible movie style," she said, smiling, feeling both amused and sympathetic. "Just watch it."

Instead, Caden pushed her hand down onto his shirt. "Feel this."

She blinked. "Why's it so soft?"

"Because no man could be aroused after watching the adult movies he directed."

Speechless, Alicia turned off the lights. They drifted to sleep in each other's arms, but just as she relaxed, she sensed something. Startled, she murmured, "Why is it getting hard again?"

Alicia arrived at the office the next day, only to find Blake absent. Curious, she asked his assistant, "Where's Mr. Langstaff?"

The assistant shook her head. "It's strange. He's never late." Alicia had something urgent for him, but his phone went straight to voicemail. A chill ran down her spine.

Then, she received a call from Corey's assistant. "Ms. Bennett, Mr. Hampton would like to invite you for coffee at his office. Are you available?"

Her back stiffened.