Chapter 81

Alice paused for a second, then chuckled. “Mr. Hawthorne, do you even know how the rental market works?” The apartment Edward owned? In the entire Capital, it was basically priceless. Even if it were up for rent, the monthly price would definitely be five figures, at least. “I don’t really care. I’m not short on cash.” Alice, speechless: “…” Well then. Clearly, she was overthinking it. Honestly, comparing people really could make you question life. She gave a polite smile. “Thanks for the offer, but I can’t take what I didn’t earn. I’m fine here.” Edward wasn’t surprised by her flat-out rejection. That’s just who she was—someone with strong boundaries and self-respect. Totally different from those girls who cling to men for every little thing. Left with no better option, he figured he’d respect her choice for now. Maybe once things got less tense between them, he’d try again to get her to relocate. By the time he'd finished his tea, Alice had already yawned three times in a row—obvious