Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Caden smirked, easily reading the undercurrent of her question.
“Are you begging me to deal with her?”
Alicia’s lips twitched in irritation.
“I refuse to beg. Besides, I know you won’t help me anyway.”
“At least you’re self-aware,” he drawled, his voice dripping with smugness.
His arrogance grated on her nerves, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Instead, she pressed the iodine-soaked cotton ball against his wound with just a little more force than necessary, her own brand of petty revenge.
But Caden didn’t even flinch. His expression remained maddeningly calm.
“Go on, press harder if you want. Just make sure the virus is completely eradicated.”
What?
Couldn’t he feel any pain?
With a sigh, Alicia peeled off a band-aid, her patience running thin.
“So,” she asked again, more insistent this time. “Are you keeping Lilliana or not?”
Caden’s lips curved into a sly smile, his eyes glinting with amusement.
“If you don’t want me to, just beg me, and I shall oblige.”
Alicia couldn’t help but laugh, the absurdity of it all bringing a smirk to her own lips.
She met his gaze with a raised brow, her tone edged with sarcasm.
“Why? She’s incredibly popular, sings beautifully, and if she endorses your products, she’d make you a fortune.”
Caden narrowed his eyes slightly, picking up on her little schemes, but he was curious enough to play along.
“You think so? I do, too.”
Alicia stood up, dusting off her hands as if the conversation just now had no bearing on her.
“All done. Now, hand over my ring.”
This time, Caden didn’t hesitate.
He obediently placed the ring in her outstretched palm. However, just as she was about to withdraw her hand, he suddenly seized her wrist and pulled her sharply toward him.
The movement was so sudden that she barely had time to gasp before he leaned in close, his breath warm against her neck.
Then came the sharp sting. Alicia’s body tensed as a shocked gasp escaped her lips.
“Ugh!”
But the pain wasn’t the worst part-it was the teasing way his lips and teeth grazed her skin that sent a shiver down her spine, leaving her breathless and disoriented. This jerk!
Caden finally released her with a satisfied smirk, the light bite nothing more than a wicked reminder of who was in control. For now.
Alicia pressed her hand against the bite mark, her cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Her eyes shot daggers at him, but her fury only seemed to amuse him.
“What’s with the violent reaction? Don’t tell me Joshua never bit you like that.”
Alicia ground her teeth in frustration, but she knew better than to engage.
When it came to shameless provocations, Caden would always have the upper hand. So, instead of taking the bait, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave in one swift motion.
Behind her, Caden reached for the phone, casually dialing the intercom. Moments later, Hank entered the room, his brow furrowed in confusion.
“Mr. Ward, you called?” Hank asked, unsure.
Without even looking up, Caden responded coolly,
“Get me a rabies vaccine.”
Hank blinked in disbelief.
“Uh… what?”
Alicia, already at the door, couldn’t help but laugh under her breath. She glanced at Hank and said, with a mischievous glint in her eyes,
“Make it two while you’re at it.”
Two could play this game.
Hank hesitated, staring between them before backing out of the room, clearly bewildered.
Of course, no real rabies vaccine would be fetched. Hank returned with something far less dramatic-just a vial of glucose.
Alicia discarded the used syringe with a graceful flick of her wrist, then looked back at Caden, her expression calm but cutting.
“Take care, Ms. Bennett,” Caden said tauntingly. “And when you finally succeed in dragging Joshua back into your mess of a life, do let me know-I’ll be sure to stop by and offer my congratulations.”
Alicia, unfazed, met his gaze nonchalantly.
“You know, Mr. Ward, instead of meddling in my life, maybe you could use the time to improve your… elementary bedroom skills. Truly, it’s embarrassing.”
At this, Caden’s expression hardened. The playful glint in his eye faded into darkness, replaced by something far more dangerous.
Elementary skills?
Embarrassing?
Alicia chose to turn a blind eye to Caden’s animosity.
She opened the door and left without another word.
No sooner had she stepped out than Hank appeared.
“Mr. Ward, should I drive Ms. Bennett home?”
Caden’s expression was colder than usual.
“That won’t be necessary. She might as well use her mouth to find her way home.”
Hank blinked, unsure of how to respond to that.
Alicia didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she headed downstairs to buy some desserts and a cup of coffee. Then she went and knocked on the door of Hank’s office.
“Ms. Bennett,” Hank exclaimed in surprise. “May I help you with anything?”
Alicia placed the sweets and coffee on his desk with a gentle smile.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Ford. Please pass these on to Mr. Ward.”
Hank was visibly taken aback.
What blatant ruthlessness!
What could she have possibly put in the coffee? Drugs?
Bleach? Battery acid? Rat poison?
Or maybe a few bugs?
Hank didn’t dare to take the coffee.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Bennett,” he said politely, “but Mr. Ward only drinks coffee brewed from the freshly ground beans stocked in the company pantry.”
Alicia lowered her eyes.
“That’s fine. If it’s too much trouble, then let’s just forget about it. I just wanted to apologize to Caden, is all.”
As she withdrew her hand and straightened up, she accidentally knocked over the coffee cup, spilling its contents all over Hank’s desk.
Startled, Alicia quickly grabbed the laptop and tried to pat it dry with her handkerchief.
Unlike her, Hank remained calm.
“It’s quite all right, Ms. Bennett. My laptop is waterproof. Here, let me take care of that.”
But Alicia continued to wipe it down, going so far as to check every cranny to make sure that it was all dry.
Hank wiped the rest of the coffee off his desk. When he turned to Alicia, he found her still handling his laptop.
“You don’t really have to worry about it, Ms. Bennett. It’s all good.”
She heaved a long sigh.
“Well, that’s a relief. I’m really sorry, though. Why don’t I go and buy a fresh new cup?”
“I assure you, Ms. Bennett, there is no need for that at all.”