"Not sure. Maybe later."

"Okay."

Aiden slowly put his phone down.

A faint spark of hope flickered in his chest.

If she wouldn’t allow him to meet her boyfriend, then their relationship couldn’t be that serious.

And if it wasn’t serious...

Then there was still a chance for him.

"When can you come visit me at the studio?" Aiden asked.

"I’m free soon. Let me know when works for you."

"How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow works."

Third Person POV

Lilian had just returned home from the studio when she saw the status update.

In an instant, her expression changed.

At first glance, others might not have noticed anything unusual.

But she knew.

She recognized him immediately.

The man in the photo was unmistakably Alexander.

A sharp wave of rage surged through her.

Her grip tightened around her phone.

That bitch... Alicia.

Her eyes darkened as she stared at the screen, fury building beneath her calm exterior.

She knew Alicia was definitely taunting her. Alicia must have seen the Status Update Lilian posted that night, and now she was retaliating in this way.

This Status Update was supposed to be visible only to her, right?

Lilian paused for a moment, then decided to call Alexander.

The phone rang a few times before he answered.

"Hello, Lilian."

Lilian parted her lips. "Alexander, did you see Alicia’s Status Update?"

"Yeah."

Lilian froze. Wasn’t the Status Update only visible to her?

"So... is that person in the photo you?"

"Yeah."

Lilian was about to ask more, but Alexander cut her off.

"Don’t overthink it. There’s someone at work pursuing her. She told him she has a boyfriend, but he didn’t believe her, so she had to post something to prove it."

In truth, Alexander knew a colleague at work had been relentlessly chasing Alicia. The man refused to leave her alone, and in the end, Alexander had personally stepped in and transferred him elsewhere. But he didn’t mention any of that to Lilian, even Alicia didn’t know about that.

Lilian’s words caught in her throat, unable to form a sound as Alexander spoke on Alicia’s behalf. Her frustration nearly boiled over.

Alicia was truly playing a deep game.

Not only had she gotten Alexander to willingly take intimate photos with her, but she had also allowed them to be posted on her Status Update. And now, Alexander was even defending her.

That bitch.

If Alicia’s intention was to disgust her, then she had succeeded.

Lilian was indeed disgusted.

Lilian ended the call with trembling fingers, her face pale with anger.

She stared at the screen for a long moment, Alicia’s smiling face and Alexander’s familiar silhouette burning into her eyes like a brand. The more she looked at it, the more humiliated she felt.

Alexander had never once taken a photo like that with her. Not even during the years they had been together. He always said he disliked pictures, disliked showing his private life to others. Yet for Alicia, he had broken every rule without hesitation.

How ridiculous.

Lilian clenched her jaw so hard it hurt.

Alicia’s POV

The next day was Saturday. I had already made plans with Aiden to visit him at the studio where they were filming their interactive show.

At ten in the morning, I arrived outside the studio and called him. Aiden came out to meet me personally before leading me inside. It was my first time visiting a place like this.

As we walked through the lot, I asked, "Is there anything I need to do for this visit?"

"No, it’s just a casual visit," Aiden replied. "I’ll have some free time during lunch, and we can grab a bite nearby."

"Sounds good."

Aiden first brought me over to greet Director Holland. After exchanging a few polite words, I turned back to him.

"When does the show start?" I asked.

"Very soon. We’re almost ready," Aiden answered. "You can watch from the side."

He led me to a spot with a perfect view, where I could clearly see everything happening on set. After that, he went off to prepare for his segment.

Before long, it was Aiden’s turn.

He was charming and confident on camera, as though he had become a completely different person. It was obvious Director Holland was pleased with his performance.

After watching for a while, I stood up and headed to the restroom.

The moment I stepped inside, I bumped into someone coming out.

"Alicia?" Lilian stared at me, her brows furrowing as disdain flashed in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I’m just here for a visit," I replied casually.

"A visit for who?" she scoffed.

"Of course, I’m here to visit you," I said with a bright smile. "I wanted to check on you after making you so angry yesterday." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Lilian sneered. "I knew it. Your status update yesterday was aimed at me."

She stepped closer, her voice dripping with mockery.

"So tell me... did you see my status update that night? How does it feel knowing Alexander secretly came to see me.I smiled, keeping my expression calm.

"Stop fooling yourself. Do you really think you can fool me? Do you know why Alexander keeps things from me? If you were truly that confident, why would you bother posting things just to provoke me?"

Lilian’s expression shifted slightly.

"Alicia, would you dare make a bet with me?" she challenged.

I stayed silent, and her lips curled into a smug smile.

"What’s wrong? Nothing to say? Afraid? Deep down, you already know you’d lose if you bet against me."

"I’m doing just fine, so why would I bet with you?" I replied lazily. "By the way, I just got back yesterday from a vacation with Alexander. We spent the night soaking in the pool of his private suite. And you wouldn’t know but... he’s a little persistent in that area, always taking his time."

I paused deliberately before adding the final blow.

"Oh, and he also mentioned that when the two of you were dating, he never actually touched you. Isn’t that right?"

I couldn’t resist returning a jab of my own. After all, she had been trying to provoke me too.

"Alicia Sinclair!" Lilian hissed through clenched teeth.

"Here I am." I smirked. "What is it? Don’t tell me he still hasn’t touched you?"

"That’s because Alexander respects me!" Lilian snapped. "Unlike you, who would do anything—hooking up with someone without a second thought, using your body to climb your way up. What’s the difference between you and a prostitute?"

"The key difference is that we’re married," I shot back without hesitation. "You’ll forever be the mistress."

Lilian’s face darkened, but she refused to stop there.

"So what if you’re married? You don’t believe me? I could call Alexander right now, and he’d come visit me on set."

She dialed his number in front of me and deliberately turned on speakerphone, her eyes fixed on mine as if daring me to react.

"Hello, Alexander," she said sweetly, almost taunting.

"Lilian?"

"You still haven’t come to visit me since I joined the set. You’re not too busy today, are you? Why don’t you come by? We can have lunch afterward."

There was a brief silence on the line.

I held my breath, hoping he would refuse.

Then Alexander finally spoke.

"Alright."

A heavy weight settled in my chest, the air around me suddenly thick and suffocating. Why wasn’t he worried about the media seeing them together?

"Great. I’ll be waiting for you," Lilian said brightly before ending the call.

Her eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction.

"Alicia, I think you understand now. Alexander has always been at my beck and call. He doesn’t like you."

She stepped closer, lowering her voice.

"I’m telling you now—in just a few days, on September twenty-fifth, I’ll make one call, and he’ll come to me. Don’t believe it? Then just wait and see."

I stood frozen for a moment, her words slicing through me like a cold, bitter wind.

My wedding anniversary fell on my rival’s birthday. It was a thorn buried deep in my heart—one I could never remove, no matter how hard I tried.

If Alexander really chose to spend that day with Lilian... I didn’t know how much more disappointment I could bear.

"Just wait," I muttered, my voice colder than I intended.

Lilian glanced back at me, the smug smile on her face widening before she finally walked away.

I stayed where I was for several seconds, forcing myself to breathe before returning to the set to watch Aiden .

I didn’t know how much time had passed when a sudden uproar broke out from outside.

Footsteps hurried across the studio floor. A staff member rushed in, breathless, and went straight to Director Holland.

"Director Holland—CEO Blackwood is here..."

My fingers tightened instinctively at my sides.

The staff member swallowed hard before finishing,

"To visit Miss Lilian."