Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 287

“He... and Reginald, they want us to get divorced. They want you to marry Nicole,” Alicia said, her voice tinged with disappointment.

“No...” Tyrone coughed, clearing his throat. “He doesn’t want me to marry Nicole anymore.”

“Huh? He changed his mind?” Alicia stared at Tyrone in surprise.

Tyrone gave a helpless nod. “Yeah. Now he wants to marry her himself.”

Alicia blinked, momentarily stunned. Clayton wanted to marry Nicole?

For some reason, Alicia felt Nicole wasn’t good enough for Clayton.

“In any case, you need to stay away from that Clayton,” Tyrone warned, his tone edged with jealousy.

Clayton was just too handsome for his own good, and Tyrone didn’t trust him around Alicia.

“Did you hear me?” When Alicia didn’t answer right away, Tyrone leaned over and bit her lightly in a fit of jealousy.

Alicia laughed and nodded. “Alright.”

Clayton only had eyes for his precious Nicole—why would he bother with her? Tyrone was overthinking things.

***

That night, Alicia slept soundly, but Tyrone lay awake.

He texted Clayton, warning him to keep his mouth shut for now—not to spread any rumors. Too much attention could bring serious trouble to Alicia.

Clayton didn’t bother replying.

Frustrated, Tyrone spent the night out on the balcony, smoking cigarette after cigarette.

This Ms. White persona... He couldn’t decide if it was a blessing or a curse for Alicia.

She’d spent so many years as an orphan, bullied and trampled on, only to discover she was the sole heir to the White family. That kind of whiplash would shake anyone, and Tyrone wondered if it was a good thing or not.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it—Alicia’s birth parents’ deaths were still shrouded in mystery. Everyone suspected Brandon had a hand in it, but Brandon was too cunning, too careful. How could naive Alicia ever stand against Brandon and Jade?

Throwing her into the White family’s tangled mess of secrets and sins… it was suffocating just to think about.

***

The next morning.

Clayton didn’t even seem aware of how attractive he was. He never put much effort into his appearance, yet always managed to steal the spotlight. Today, though, he’d clearly dressed up—the tailored suit hugged his frame perfectly, his features even more striking than usual. He looked like something straight out of a Renaissance painting.

Alicia instinctively took a step back and offered a polite, awkward smile. “Thank you, Mr. Holloway.”

Clayton smiled in return. “Miss Alicia, I know Nicole’s offended you in the past, and yesterday... well, I was only passing on a message from the old man. If I was out of line, I apologize. I was wondering... do you have time after class today? Maybe we could grab a meal together.”

Alicia hesitated, about to refuse.

“I know it’s sudden and probably a bit much,” Clayton said, his expression falling before she could answer. “It’s totally fine if you say no...”

Alicia opened her mouth, but how was she supposed to turn that down? “Um... sure, okay.”

Clayton’s lips curled into a small smile. “I’ll pick you up after class, then.”

With that, he walked away.

Winnie watched Clayton’s retreating figure with suspicion. “Alicia, he’s acting weird today. Kinda like...”

She paused, searching for the right words, then slapped her thigh. “Like a peacock trying to show off its feathers!”