Jennifer shifted her attention to Michael and spoke without lowering her voice. "So when are you planning to make things official with Kaelyn?"

Her eyes hardened as she continued, "Kaelyn's reputation is spotless. You should deal with any loose ends before you marry her."

Her pointed glance flicked toward Alicia.

With Kaelyn held firmly against him, Michael's expression softened with indulgence. "You don't need to worry, Jennifer. I'll marry Kaelyn no matter what. No one is going to stop that."

The three of them carried on as though Alicia did not exist at all.

Pain burst through Alicia's chest, and her hands curled into tight fists as she fought to breathe through it.

They had no shame. How could they say such things right in front of her?

Was it because they think she was blind?

Anger surged hot and uncontrollable. Alicia tightened her grip on her cane and swung it forward. The impact landed hard, leaving red marks across both Kaelyn's and Michael's faces.

"Ah! My face!" Kaelyn cried out as pain flared across her cheek. Rage twisted her expression as she charged forward. "Alicia, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit me?"

A sharp knot formed in Alicia's chest, but before she could react, strong arms wrapped around her from behind.

"I'm sorry I got here so late, baby," a man's voice said softly at her ear.

At the same moment, Kaelyn lost her balance and fell hard onto the floor.

"Kaelyn!" Jennifer rushed to her side, panic written all over her face. Only after confirming she was not injured did she turn on Alicia, fury blazing in her eyes. "You horrible woman. How could you lay a hand on Kaelyn?"

Alicia tilted her head slightly, her voice steady. "I can't see anything. What happened to Kaelyn?"

"Don't be scared, sweetheart. You only brushed aside a couple of idiots by accident." Jared tightened his hold around her and reassured her, his tone sharp with restrained anger, and his narrowed eyes swept over them with open contempt.

"You useless piece of trash," Kaelyn hissed, her glare filled with hatred as she stared at Jared.

Without raising his voice, Jared spoke again, calm and detached. "I wonder how many people would be interested to know what the two of you were doing in our home."

Shock locked Kaelyn's features in place.

Rather than respond, Jared looked away and drew Alicia closer to his chest. "This place is too loud. Let's go home."

With one arm wrapped securely around Alicia, Jared guided her away from the scene.

Kaelyn shook with fury as she clutched Michael's arm, her voice breaking under the strain. "I can't take this anymore. How long are you going to keep lying to Alicia?"

Jennifer let out a harsh laugh, contempt clear in every word. "I never should have taken that woman in. Because of her, Kaelyn is carrying your child without even a proper marriage. Say something already."

Michael stayed silent, and both women fixed their eyes on him, waiting.

His gaze lingered on the figures growing smaller in the distance, tension creasing his brow. Only when Kaelyn tugged at him impatiently did he snap back. After a pause, he spoke at last. "Please don't be mad, Jennifer. I care about Kaelyn too much to leave her without a marriage by my side."

Every word carried over to Alicia.

Tears gathered before she could stop them, spilling down despite her effort to hold them back.

In that instant, clarity struck her hard. Family or love, none of it had ever truly belonged to her. It had all been something she imagined on her own.

Worried she might make a sound, Alicia clamped down on her lower lip until pain flared. Her nails dug sharply into her palm.

Jared noticed the blood at once, and a dangerous chill settled in his eyes.

Without giving her room to resist, he tightened his grip and led her back toward his hospital room, steady and unyielding.

"Does your hand hurt?" Jared asked quietly, his gaze dropping to her palm stained with blood.

Alicia gathered her courage, reached out, and caught hold of his sleeve before lifting her face toward him. "Jared."

A sharp glint flashed through his narrowed eyes as his voice dropped. "You can see again?"

"That's right." Alicia's palms slicked with sweat as she sank her teeth into her lower lip. "Jared, I know Michael hired you to pose as him."

A subtle curve tugged at Jared's mouth while his steady eyes lingered on her face. "And when did you put that together?"

"Yesterday." Her brows knit tightly, unease sharpening her voice. "Then who are you really, and what do you want from me?"

At her question, Jared let out a low, amused laugh.

Casually, he shifted his weight and leaned back against the wall, an indolent smile hovering at the corners of his lips. "Me? I'm just a nobody scraping by."

Fixing him with an unblinking stare, Alicia retorted, "That's a lie."

Everything about him—the way he carried himself, the quiet pressure in his presence—screamed authority far beyond anything her investigation had uncovered.

Yet with Jared refusing to reveal a single truth, she found herself backed into a corner, with no move left to play.

Drawing in a steady breath, Alicia buried the odd flutter in her chest and pushed a proposal forward. "I don't know why you stepped in for me back there, but whatever Michael offered you, I'll pay twice as much. All I need is for you to just keep acting like my husband and do what I say."

A sharp glint crossed his eyes as Jared advanced without warning.

With his height casting her into shadow, his predatory stare pinned her in place, sending a jolt of unease racing through her pulse.

Instinctively, Alicia lifted a hand between them, trying to carve out space.

But Jared caught her wrist, his fingertips grazing her skin in a way that felt far too deliberate to be accidental.

"Alright, I'll play along." A low, magnetic laugh rolled from his chest as he tilted his head. "So what am I today—your husband, or your employee?"

Relief finally slipped from Alicia's chest in a quiet breath.

Yanking her hand free, she fixed him with a cool, distant look. "Keep this in mind! Except when we're putting on a show for others, we keep our distance."

A wry glint flickered across Jared's face as his brow arched, his careless smile carrying the air of someone humoring a sharp-clawed kitten that posed no real danger.

Somewhere along the way, it became painfully clear that she truly no longer remembered him.

By the following day, a routine examination cleared Jared to leave, and the doctor signed off on his discharge.

Once they returned home, Alicia gestured toward the bare floor, her expression unyielding as she laid down her rule. "From now on, that's where you're sleeping."

Casually slipping his hands into his pockets, Jared remained loose and unbothered as he looked at her. "And if Michael shows up without warning?"

A faint curve tugged at his lips as he pressed the point. "Wouldn't it look strange if he realized we weren't sharing a bed?"

Heat flared behind her eyes as Alicia shot him a fierce look, then sliced an invisible boundary straight down the mattress with her hand. "You take that side," she warned coldly. "And don't cross this line."

Before Jared could answer, a sudden ringtone cut through the room.

Noticing her good friend's name on the screen, Alicia knit her eyebrows. She stepped away from Jared and accepted the call.

"Hey, Alicia—did something happen? Why are those investment firms cutting ties with Gill Group out of nowhere?" Renee Mills' anxious voice crackled through the phone, thick with concern.

Alicia replied coolly, her tone steady over the phone, "It's complicated. Let's get a drink tonight—you choose the place."

"Serendipity, then. I'll swing by and pick you up."

Once the call ended, Alicia pivoted toward the walk-in closet.

Before she could take a step, a steady, heated grip closed around her wrist.

She hadn't noticed Jared trailing her, his tall frame leaning in, his proximity instantly oppressive.

One brow arched as a playful curve touched his mouth. "Do you want me to come with you, sweetie?"

That single word brushed her ears like a feather, playful and deliberately provocative.

"You don't have to." Frowning, Alicia yanked her hand free, her face turning glacial. "Don't forget—I'm just your employer, nothing beyond that."

After that, she seized her cane and walked off without another glance.

Amusement flashed briefly through Jared's eyes as his phone buzzed insistently in his palm.

After he checked the caller ID, his expression darkened, and he answered. "What do you want?"

A teasing laugh drifted through the line. "Is that how you speak to your aunt now, you little menace? I've booked a room at Serendipity tonight—get over here."

Inside a secluded private room at Serendipity, Renee exploded the moment Alicia finished speaking. "Those people are unbelievable. How could they treat you like that? Still, at least you finally see Michael for what he really is."

Dislike for Michael had always been there, but Renee had kept quiet out of respect for Alicia's feelings.

"A few years ago, when the economy nearly collapsed, their company would have gone under if you hadn't stepped in and secured those investments. Without you, Michael would never have climbed into a manager's position. Thank God they have no idea you're Aurora. If they did, who knows how much more they would have drained from you," Renee muttered, her voice sharp with anger.

Alicia hid the pain in her chest and forced herself to sound composed. "That means I don't owe the Gill family anything anymore. I'm done holding onto resentment. I'll just treat everything they gave me as payment for raising me."

Renee was seething, but when she noticed how exhausted Alicia looked, she bit back her fury and settled for a dry, crooked smile.

If the Gill family ever found out that the globally respected venture capitalist Aurora was the adopted daughter they always looked down on, the shock alone would be worth watching.

After a brief pause, Renee leaned forward. "What about Michael then? Are you really going to let him walk away untouched?"

Alicia lifted her glass and took a slow sip, her eyes sharpening with resolve. "Not a chance. I'll make him return every single thing he stole from me. By the way, did you hear that Frank Powell's estranged grandson just came back to the country?"

Renee gave a small nod, curiosity creeping into her expression. "I've heard about him, but why bring him up now?"

"Word is that Frank's health has been getting worse, and the Powell family is already tearing itself apart over the inheritance. Michael is an illegitimate son, but you know he won't miss a chance to grab his share."

Confusion crossed Renee's face. "Why would Frank's estranged grandson suddenly come back?"

"Most likely because of the Powells. There's also gossip going around that his mother's death wasn't as simple as it seemed."

"So you're thinking about tracking him down and teaming up with him?"

Alicia answered with a quiet nod.

Doubt immediately surfaced on her face as Renee shook her head. "That feels risky. None of us know him. What if he's all talk and no substance? If he ends up pulling you under, the loss would be enormous."

Alicia's gaze darkened as she spoke. "The Gill family only got this far because I worked behind the scenes. Now that Michael is tied to them, dealing with him won't be simple. I need someone stronger backing me up, and he fits perfectly. Besides, if he lacked ability, he wouldn't dare set his sights on becoming the head of the Powell family."

Faced with Alicia's unwavering expression, Renee sighed and gave in. "Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"Dig into everything about him."

"Leave it to me." Renee straightened at once, confidence returning as she tapped her chest. She lifted her glass with a grin. "To your vision returning and to finally breaking free from all this mess. Cheers."

Alicia returned the smile and gently clinked her glass against Renee's.

After a brief pause, she rose from her seat. "I need to use the restroom."

The moment she stepped into the hallway outside the private room, a woman's voice drifted from the next room, clearly calling out a familiar name.

Alicia stopped short.

Jared?

Her heart skipped before reason caught up.

There was no way it could be him. He had no reason to be here. Plenty of people shared the same name.

With that thought, she prepared to walk away. Before she could take another step, the door beside her swung open.

Lifting her head, Alicia froze when Jared appeared in front of her. Her eyes flicked past him into the room, disbelief written all over her face. "Do you work here on the side or something?"

"Wait. That's not what you think," Jared responded, trying to speak up.

Before he could say more, the woman from inside the room stepped closer and casually hooked her arm around his neck. "Jared, who's this?"

Alicia slowly sized the woman up from head to toe.

She was not young, but everything about her appearance was carefully kept, and her charm was impossible to miss.

Catching Alicia's sharp stare, Jared stiffened and immediately shrugged the woman's arm off. "Sweetheart, please. Let me explain this properly."

"There's nothing to explain," Alicia replied coolly as she reached out and pulled him behind her.

Planting herself firmly in front of him, she fixed her gaze on the woman. "Whatever you paid him, I'll give you twice that amount. Just stay away from my husband from now on."