Chapter 707:
Alicia’s emotions surged as she replied, “Caden, I miss you so much.”
“I’m tied up until late tonight,” Caden said. “I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up. After I deal with Gareth, I’ll join you.”
“Where are you?” Alicia asked.
Caden gave her the location of a hotel near the airport. Knowing Gareth was returning today, Alicia didn't dwell on it. “Is Gareth proving difficult?” she asked.
“There’s no one left I can rely on, Lucky,” Caden answered. A lump formed in Alicia’s throat. She gave him her location, and soon, Caden’s driver arrived. The driver was unfamiliar, making Alicia wonder when Caden had made the change. She reasoned no one would use his car without his permission.
Nevertheless, she cautiously used her GPS to verify the hotel location. She hesitated before calling, but then a message from Caden appeared: “Hank’s with me, so I just had a driver pick you up on the fly.” Alicia smiled. Caden’s thoroughness always anticipated her concerns.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Alicia grabbed some of Caden’s favorite late-night snacks before entering her room. She called out, “Caden?” but the room was empty.
A loud thud startled her as the door slammed shut. Realizing the danger, she dashed to the door, but it was firmly locked.
A surge of fear engulfed her. Her heart sank; she was trapped. Instead of searching the room, she focused on the door, her anxiety mounting. The hotel had state-of-the-art security, yet the door remained immovable despite her efforts.
She frantically called Caden, but only received a busy signal. Meanwhile, texts from him continued to arrive.
“Lucky, have you arrived?”
A shiver ran through Alicia as she read the message, her hands shaking. Had someone stolen his phone? But Caden was cautious; how could anyone have taken it so easily?
Then she considered the car and the location. Could all this have been orchestrated so quickly? It seemed improbable. Alicia hesitated to accept this reality, yet she was even more apprehensive about considering another possibility: Could Caden himself be behind this? Had he betrayed her?
Alicia vehemently shook her head, dismissing the thought. Another text arrived: “Lucky, why aren’t you responding?” Her pulse quickened as she fumbled to type, “Who is this?”
Caden replied instantly, “I’m your fiancé, Lucky.” This only intensified her terror. It didn’t sound like Caden at all. From the moment she'd replied, it seemed someone else was using his phone.