Was all that relentless work, those long days and nights, going to waste? Caden took a drag of his cigarette, the smoke burning his throat as determination hardened his gaze.

Hank spoke. "Mr. Ward, if Dorian's using Corey and Marlon against us, why can't we fight fire with fire?"

Avoiding dirty tactics seemed impossible. Staying a clean businessman was a luxury Caden could no longer afford. He stood, cigarette in hand, lost in thought. Seeing Caden needed time, Hank quietly said, "I'll get back to work."

That night, Caden didn't return to his reserved room. Alicia also had a restless night, though for a different reason. Overjoyed, she spent hours playing with her engagement ring. The mere thought of him sent her heart racing. Caden's whisper from the previous night echoed in her mind: "Why don't we celebrate our engagement on your birthday?" His gentle voice made her blush even now, as if her heart belonged to him alone.

Finally, she snapped back to reality, checked out of her hotel, and headed home. Finding Caden busy at work, she decided against calling. On her living room table, she noticed a property deed. It was for the castle, and only Alicia's name was on it. She traced the paper, a soft smile playing on her lips as she envisioned their future: herself and Caden, surrounded by children, spending a lifetime in that castle.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her abdomen, as if she'd been punched. She placed a hand on her lower abdomen, a wave of unease washing over her. In the bathroom, she noticed an unusually small amount of menstrual blood. Aside from the slight pink spotting from the night before, there was nothing. This wasn't normal. Something felt wrong.

Alicia immediately scheduled an appointment with a specialist at the hospital. She decided not to call Caden, unwilling to add to his stress. After a blood test, she knew she would have to wait until the afternoon for the results.