Chapter 582

Alicia handed Corey the chip. "The functionality is unchanged, but I've re-recorded the human dialogue and optimized it. Your clients wouldn't be satisfied without these enhancements."

Corey raised a surprised eyebrow. He hadn't anticipated such thorough work. As they descended the stairs, he playfully asked, "You're so considerate. Are you keeping me as a backup plan, in case Caden tires of you?"

Alicia shook her head, glancing at him. "Are you living in a dream world?"

Before Corey could reply, the elevator reached the ground floor. The doors opened to a throng of reporters, cameras flashing, blocking their exit. The questions came rapid-fire: "Mr. Hampton! We heard the Q Robot is repaired! Can we see the results?" "Ms. Bennett, were you the one who worked on it?" "Ms. Bennett, you're dating Mr. Ward! Why are you here with his rival, Mr. Hampton?"

Chaos erupted. Several onlookers livestreamed the scene. Caden, observing remotely, was caught off guard. Alicia, surrounded by reporters, looked overwhelmed. Corey, appearing surprised, quickly summoned security, protectively placing his arms around Alicia. Caden's eyes narrowed, but his expression softened slightly when Alicia gently pushed Corey away, creating distance between them.

Moments later, Caden's phone buzzed. It was his uncle, Benedict. "Did you see the livestream?"

"Yes," Caden replied. "You're not going to suggest there's something between her and Corey again, are you?"

"I'm serious," Benedict inquired, his skepticism evident. "Are the reporters' claims true? Did Alicia really repair the Q Robot's chip?"

A slight smile touched Caden's lips. "Yes. Corey kidnapped Blake and forced Alicia to do it."