Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Lilliana stood up, grabbed the glass of boiling water, and threw it at Gina.
Gina didn’t flinch, as if the pain didn’t affect her. She simply stood her ground.
Joshua noticed the redness on Gina’s hand and turned to Lilliana. “That’s enough. You’ve already made your point.” He then told Gina to leave.
Gina stepped forward, picked up the glass without hesitation, and said, “I’m sorry. I’ll bring you another glass of warm water. This time, it won’t be boiling hot.”
Lilliana scoffed at her. “Relax. I hired her to take the hits. This is nothing,” she told Joshua.
Joshua offered a piece of advice. “Even so, be careful. Don’t let this come back to haunt you. You don’t want her using this against you, right?”
“You really think she’d do that?” Lilliana scoffed again. “She only gets paid because she works for me. If something happens to me, she’ll be the first to suffer. Anyone might try to take me down, but not her.”
Outside, Gina tightened her grip on the glass and stared at it blankly. She filled it halfway with hot water, mixed it with tap water, and set it aside.
Ignoring the burns on her hand, she pulled out her phone and ordered a portable recorder.
It was time to help Alicia-and herself.
That evening, Joshua escorted Lilliana back to the Green family’s residence.
He played the role of the ideal fianc?, apologizing to Cedric Green, Lilliana’s father. “My father has been sick for quite some time, and there are still several issues at the company that need my attention. I’ve already received some calls asking me to return. Please look after Lilliana for now. I’ll come back to get her later tonight.”
Lilliana held onto his arm, unwilling to let him go. “Come back soon.”
“I will,” Joshua replied, gently running his hand through her hair, his eyes softening. “I’ll be back by ten at the latest.”
“Okay.”
Meanwhile, Cedric stood nearby, watching them in silence.
Once Joshua had left, Cedric said, “He’s gone now. Why are you still looking? Do you really like him that much?”
Lilliana pouted at him. “Dad, you’re teasing me again.”
No father would be happy seeing his daughter in this way, especially when Joshua wasn’t Cedric’s idea of the perfect son-in-law. His reputation for being unfaithful was no secret; everyone knew about it.
“Don’t lose yourself in this relationship, Lilliana,” Cedric warned her.
Lilliana laughed and shook her head. “Don’t worry, Dad. Joshua adores me. He’s never let me down.”
“If he truly loved you, would he have gotten you pregnant before marriage? Would he have cheated on his ex-wife with you?”
“He had no choice back then, but he’s been trying to make it right ever since,” Lilliana countered.
Cedric let out a heavy sigh. What could he do with a daughter so blinded by love?
“I think he’s just putting on an act.”
Lilliana clung to his arm as they headed inside. “If he can pretend for a lifetime, that’s fine by me. As long as I’m happy.”
Meanwhile, Joshua returned to the Yates Mansion. Shelia greeted him quietly, “Alicia’s still locked up. She hasn’t made a sound, but Jerald is livid.” They both knew why.
Joshua’s private company was nearing its public offering, and his wedding with Lilliana was fast approaching. Alicia’s presence had become a troublesome distraction at such a critical time.
Shelia repeated her usual warning. “There are plenty of women out there. But if you lose your career, everything you’ve worked for will be wasted.”
Joshua kept his expression neutral and said nothing. He walked into the master bedroom and saw Alicia sitting silently in the chair. His face was devoid of emotion.
Joshua could easily force himself on her if he wanted to. But despite his desire, his body refused to respond. He couldn’t figure out why.
He sat down next to her, lit a cigarette, and the room was filled with quiet tension. Neither of them spoke.
Alicia understood him all too well. His quiet demeanor likely meant he had already resigned himself to the situation.
Alicia felt a sense of relief and finally broke the silence. “You know it’s illegal to hold someone against their will. When are you going to let me go?”
Joshua stubbed out his cigarette and spoke with a self-satisfied tone. “Once things settle down, I’m coming for you.”
Alicia couldn’t help but find it absurd. Joshua, your fate is already sealed, she thought.
Just then, Shelia walked in, holding Alicia’s phone. “It’s ringing,” she said, showing it to Joshua. “Should I answer?”
Both Joshua and Alicia looked at the screen.
It was Caden calling.
Alicia’s fingers tightened as she remembered her promise to have dinner with Caden tonight. It was already late, and he was likely calling to find out where she was.
Joshua gave her a threatening smile as he waved the phone in front of her. “So, it seems like Caden is really interested in you.” The ringtone continued to echo through the room, and his tone became even more unsettling. “How far have things gone between you two?”
Alicia pressed her lips together and remained silent. She didn’t move an inch. She knew there was no way to outwit Joshua, so staying quiet was her safest option.
Just before the call ended, Joshua picked up. With unsettling cheerfulness, he said, “Caden.” There was a brief silence on the other end.
Caden chuckled and responded evenly, “Is that you, Joshua?”
Joshua asked casually, “What’s going on, Caden? Is there something important, or do you just need to speak to Alicia this late?”
Caden responded in a flat tone, “Am I interrupting something?”
“Not really. It’s not that late, and we’re still awake,” Joshua said, moving to sit next to Alicia. She tried to move away, but he held her firmly, refusing to let her go. His eyes were intense, though his voice remained gentle.
“Alicia, do you want to answer the call?”
Only then did Alicia realize her palms had grown sweaty. She glanced at the phone and saw the call was still connected. She couldn’t understand why Caden hadn’t ended the call. Surely, he knew what was happening, didn’t he? Pushing aside her frantic thoughts, Alicia gritted her teeth and said, “No.”
Joshua pressed further. “Why not? What if Caden has something important to discuss with you?”
Alicia couldn’t take it anymore and reached for the phone. However, Joshua quickly pulled it away. In the struggle that followed, the call ended abruptly.
Joshua’s calm demeanor cracked. “How far have you and Caden gone?”
Alicia’s gaze turned icy. “Exactly as far as you’re imagining.”
Joshua’s anger boiled over as he seized her by the neck.
As Alicia’s face began to turn purplish-blue, Joshua released her and shoved her away. Breathing heavily, he glared at her with disgust. “Do you really think Caden cares about you? He’s even more ruthless with women than I am. You’ll regret your choices soon enough.”
Alicia’s vision blurred as she desperately gasped for air. By the time she managed to breathe again, Joshua had already stormed out, slamming the door behind him. She struggled to her feet and tried to open the door. Unfortunately, it was locked again.
Weakly leaning against the wall, she heard a commotion outside, followed by the sound of a car pulling away. She made her way to the window and saw Joshua’s car disappearing from sight.
Realizing no one was coming to unlock the door, she understood they had every intention of keeping her confined.
Her hopes shattered, Alicia no longer feared Joshua. She opened the window, shut her eyes, and jumped.
Meanwhile, Caden sat in his office at Blizzard Group headquarters. He placed his phone down on the desk, briefly pausing before refocusing on his work.
After a moment, he instructed Hank, “Schedule a meeting for thirty minutes from now.”
Hank, looking confused, replied, “Mr. Ward, didn’t you say you had plans today and told everyone to leave early?”
Without glancing up, Caden responded flatly, “Leave. Don’t bother showing up for work tomorrow.”
Hank shivered at the coldness in his voice. He couldn’t understand why the boss was suddenly so irritable.
Afterward, Hank went out to prepare for the upcoming meeting.
The meeting stretched until nine in the evening, and the executives trickled out one by one. Caden returned to his office, focusing on organizing key projects.
Moments later, Hank came in with some takeout. “You must be hungry, Mr. Ward. I brought you something to eat.”
Caden didn’t take his eyes off the screen. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
Hank had seen this behavior before, but something didn’t feel right. He opened the container and gently nudged it closer to Caden.
“Mr. Ward, what’s bothering you?”
Caden paused for a moment, struggling to pinpoint the source of his frustration. He thought back to the phone call earlier. Joshua had taunted him, and Alicia had refused to speak.
Was that what was bothering him?
A bitter laugh almost escaped him. Why should it matter to him, whatever the situation was between them?
“Nothing,” he muttered, as his stomach growled, adding to his irritation. He scowled and said, “Take the food away. Eat somewhere else.”
Realizing Caden meant it, Hank quickly packed up the takeout. He knew Caden hadn’t eaten properly all day. With the amount of work piling up, Hank worried that Caden might collapse if he didn’t take care of himself.
Hank shoved a drumstick into his mouth and called Gerry for backup.
Around ten, Gerry drove over. When he went upstairs, he was curious to see how Caden was handling his anger. The moment he arrived, he found Caden, calm and composed.
“Hank said you were in a bad mood. Why do you look so calm?” Gerry asked. “I thought I’d catch you blowing off some steam.”
Since the day they became friends, Caden had always kept his composure. Whether dealing with big issues or small ones, nothing ever seemed to rattle him.
Caden picked up his coat and said in a flat tone, “If you’re that disappointed, I could always use you as my punching bag.”
Gerry was at a loss for words.
Caden hadn’t eaten all day, and his empty stomach was starting to cramp. Still, he had no appetite.