Chapter 867
Wade put away his phone, frowning slightly at Alicia’s question.
Still, he felt that Janice’s jealousy and suspicion were entirely uncalled for. She couldn’t possibly expect him to explain every little thing, especially when her doubts made no sense at all.
“It’s alright,” Wade replied.
Alicia didn’t press further. She disliked talking to Wade about other women anyway.
Wade wasn’t planning to stay. He turned around and said, “You should rest early. I’m heading back to the base.”
Alicia stiffened. “You’re going there now? You’re not staying here tonight?”
Wade often felt Janice was unreasonable when she complained. Still, he knew he had to keep a proper distance from Alicia. He couldn’t just stay there in Alicia’s presence and feign nonchalance.
“There are a few things I need to take care of,” he said, withholding the details so she wouldn’t feel uneasy.
Alicia, who had grown up craving security, was sensitive by nature. Wade didn’t want her burdened with unnecessary worries.
She fell silent for a moment before speaking softly.
“I’ve been coughing a lot today. I think I might have caught a cold again.” She gave a wry smile. “Anyway, it’s not that bad. You should go and finish your work first.”
Wade’s brows knitted together. He turned to her. “Wait here. I’ll get you some medicine.”
Sensing his guard drop, Alicia sat obediently on the couch. “Alright. Thanks, Wade.”
Wade stepped out, tightening his grip on his phone as he stood by the door.
Should he explain this to Janice? Perhaps she had seen Alicia earlier and misunderstood again. But the nearest pharmacy would close in 30 minutes. He couldn’t waste time.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket. He could explain later. Janice was usually cool–headed and optimistic. Even if she threw a tantrum, it would pass.
Janice woke the next morning with her head splitting. She had caught a cold, perhaps from failing to layer up against the sudden cold or another cause. Compounding her misery, her period had started, making the pain and discomfort she was experiencing twice as severe.
Her lower abdomen throbbed, her nose was stuffy, and her throat was sore. Only her sturdy constitution kept her from fainting.
Instead of returning to her parents‘ house, she had stayed at her apartment the night before.
After washing up, Janice sprawled on the couch, scrolling through her phone. Group chats from Eldoria’s high society were buzzing with new messages.
She clicked one open and froze at a photo taken outside an apartment building late at night.
“Don’t they look a little too close?”
“I heard the news yesterday. Did Alicia and Wade truly believe it was appropriate to be living together? Alicia isn’t even his real sister. Is it possible that all that close proximity led them to develop feelings for one another?”
“I suppose all men are like that. Look at how attentive Wade is to her–there’s no way nothing’s going on.”
“What the hell is Alicia thinking anyway? Doesn’t she know that Wade is about to get married? Isn’t this crossing the line?”
“Does Jan know? I knew Alicia was bad news from the start. She has zero concept of personal boundaries. She really ought to feel some shame!”
Harsh, derisive comments filled the chat.
Janice sat dumbfounded. How had news of Alicia being at Wade’s place leaked? And photos too?
As she struggled to process it, the doorbell rang.
Clutching her stomach, Janice shuffled to the door. To her surprise, Wade stood outside, his expression frigid.
Meeting her gaze, he asked coldly, “Was it your doing?”
Janice blinked, confused. “What?”
Her sluggish reaction came from how unwell she felt.
Wade pursed his lips. “It’s the stuff in the group chats. There are so many people slagging off Allie, accusing her of trying to break us up.”
It quickly dawned on Janice that he was here to find out if she was the one behind the rumors.
She had thought he remembered her cycle and came to check on her, like he sometimes did before.
Janice looked Wade directly in the eye. Beneath the surface of her terrible heartache, she felt a strong urge to release a cynical laugh.
“You wouldn’t have to worry about unsavory rumors if you hadn’t done anything wrong to begin with,” she stated flatly. “Now you’re suddenly worried about what people think of you two?”