Jared stood behind Alicia, his eyes lighting up in joy.
Before the woman could open her mouth, he flicked her a sharp look, then pressed his palms together briefly, silently begging her to cover for him.
Rolling her eyes in exaggerated annoyance, the woman shifted gears, flashed Alicia a polite smile, and remarked with casual ease, "He owes me $5 million."
Alicia didn't hesitate for even a second as she pulled out her phone. "Send me your account number. I'll transfer it right now."
The second those words came out of her mouth, realization hit her, and a faint flush crept up her cheeks. "Ah—my account's temporarily frozen. Give me the number anyway. I'll wire it to you tomorrow."
With a lifted brow and a knowing look, the woman recited her account details without protest.
Once the phone was tucked away, Alicia seized Jared by the sleeve, tugging him decisively down the corridor.
Only after their figures vanished around the corner did the woman let out a steadying breath. Her gaze hardened with quiet resolve as she typed out a message to Jared. "I know I can't dissuade you from seeking justice for your mother. What happened back then was tangled and painful, but as your aunt, I will always stand behind you. Before she passed, your mother left something for you—it's stored in a bank safe-deposit box. The password is 8564."
…
Afterward, Alicia sent Renee a brief message, explaining that she was going home.
Moments later, she flagged down a passing cab at the curb.
Jared trailed behind her in silence, shoulders tense, clearly holding his tongue.
It wasn't until the car doors shut and the city lights began sliding past the windows that he finally spoke, his voice low and restrained. "I was buried in debt back then," he admitted quietly. "She helped me clear all of it."
"So you've been sleeping with her?" The question slipped out sharp and bitter, a spike of irritation driving into Alicia at the image of Jared leaving another woman's bed only to show up in front of her.
"I didn't touch her," Jared insisted, urgency creeping into his voice as he hurried to explain.
Her expression barely shifted as Alicia responded, "That doesn't matter anymore."
If there had been another way out, who would ever choose to sell themselves?
The moment those words fell from her lips, a shadow crept across Jared's features, his jaw tightening as something dark flickered in his eyes.
"But since I cleared your debts," Alicia continued with icy composure, fixing him with an unyielding stare, "you belong to me for now. At least until this partnership ends, I don't want you tangled up with any other women. Are we clear?"
The sheer dominance in her tone left Jared frozen in place, stunned into silence.
Moments later, he dipped his head in quiet compliance, yielding without another word.
That meek response clashed so sharply with the confidence usually etched into his features that Alicia felt her pulse stutter.
Inside the mildly chilled car, whether from the lingering alcohol or something else entirely, warmth crept up her neck and flooded her cheeks.
Once they reached home, she went straight for the bathroom without a word.
The plan had been to rinse away the chaos in her head, yet the rising steam and residual buzz only made her breaths turn shallow and uneven.
Unwilling to linger, she wrapped herself in a robe and slipped back out.
Jared had been focused on his phone, thumbs moving fast, but the instant he looked up and saw her, his hands went perfectly still.
The loose white robe had slid off her shoulders, baring smooth skin, and the emptiness that usually clouded her gaze had softened into a hazy, unfocused warmth.
His attention locked onto her as she moved closer, throat tightening before he forced himself to look away.
"Why are you dodging me?" Without warning, Alicia settled onto his lap, her arms looping around his neck, her closeness unmistakably deliberate.
Tension snapped through his frame as Jared stiffened, one hand coming up to clamp around her shoulder. "Get off."
A lazy, tipsy smile curved her lips. "Come on. It's not like this would be the first time." Alcohol had blurred Alicia's judgment, erasing the resolve she had sworn to earlier about keeping her distance from him.
Besides, she was spending ten million on him—what did it matter if he ended up in her bed?
Leaning in, she brushed her mouth against his, sealing the thought with a deliberate kiss.
Caught off guard by her bold move, Jared froze, conflicting emotions flickering through his eyes.
It might not have been their first time, but this time he was standing there as Jared, fully himself.
When he didn't immediately respond, Alicia tilted her head and bit lightly at his lower lip, testing him. Her mouth lingered, her tongue moving forward in a tentative, coaxing motion.