Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
“No need.” Her reply was firm. “I can drive myself.”
His hand froze mid-air.
He turned his head, taking in her side profile.
“Alicia,” he started, his voice quieter, “when you told me you were on a business trip, it wasn’t Averibon. Was it really just a coincidence we ran into each other that day?”
Her back stiffened, just enough for him to notice.
As she cradled Cade closer, the weight of what she had done for him-things he would probably never appreciate-suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
Why did she even bother? He didn’t need anything.
Without turning to face him, she stroked Cade’s soft head and replied softly, “I had business in Averibon. I was just resting there that night. Don’t worry-I’ve got better things to do than stalk you.”
Caden pursed his lips into a thin line.
Stalking? That wasn’t what he had thought at all. He just found it all too coincidental, and his gut told him that Yolanda had something to do with it.
But Alicia didn’t linger on the topic. She walked out the door without another word.
After dropping Cade off at the groomer’s, she gave the staff an address.
“Please drop Cade off at this address afterward. Thanks.”
By mid-afternoon, Caden had returned to Joy Mansion.
He wasn’t one to delay when things got serious, and Dorian needed to hear about Yolanda’s condition directly from him.
Handing over a sleek, white business card, Caden’s voice was steady.
“This is the contact for a top doctor in Averibon. He’s highly skilled. I’ve gone over the treatment plan, and if Yolanda follows through, she has a solid seventy percent chance of recovery.”
Dorian had already seen his daughter earlier that day.
There had been faint traces of her allergy, but there was something else-she seemed quieter, more withdrawn than usual, as if she was hiding something.
Now, hearing Caden bring this up so abruptly, suspicion gnawed at him.
“What exactly happened between you and Yolanda?”
Caden’s reply was cool, almost indifferent.
“If you want the full story, I suggest you ask her yourself. After all, you’re her father; communication should come naturally.”
Dorian furrowed his brow, sensing something deeper.
“Does this have anything to do with Alicia?”
At the mention of Alicia’s name, Caden’s gaze sharpened, a dark edge flashing in his eyes.
“Tell me, Dorian-are you worried about Yolanda, or are you more interested in Alicia?”
Dorian’s eyebrows shot up, taken aback by the sudden shift in Caden’s attitude.
The icy look Caden was giving him was unnerving, but what bothered him most was Caden’s implication.
Him? Interested in Alicia? Absurd!
He shook his head in exasperation, sighing. “I’m old enough to be her father! I’m just asking because you three are a tangled mess of drama!”
Caden’s jaw tightened, but of course, he never actually thought for a second that Dorian was interested in Alicia. His concerns lay in what Dorian would do for his daughter.
“I’ll deal with it,” Caden said, his voice firm. “What you need to focus on is calming Yolanda down. And move out of Joy Mansion-soon.”
Dorian blinked, momentarily stunned by the cold finality of Caden’s words. The ruthlessness wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it still shook him.
Word of the conversation reached Ciara not long after, and she couldn’t help but be intrigued.
“Oh? Making big moves all of a sudden? Does this mean you’re finally planning to settle down with Alicia?”
Caden raised an eyebrow.
“And when exactly did you figure out it was her?”
Ciara rarely left her home, yet for some reason, she seemed to be more informed than anyone else.
With a righteous tone, Ciara declared, “You two are head over heels, aren’t you? How long did you think you could hide it from me? You brat! Everyone knows except for me. What’s the big idea?”
Caden responded calmly, “I didn’t want to disappoint you, so I figured it was better not to let you get your hopes up.”
Ciara snorted in disbelief. “And how can you be so sure you two won’t last?”
Her excitement grew as she added, “I even went to a fortune teller once. She said you’re a perfect match and that you’ll have at least three kids together!”
Caden felt the veins in his forehead pulse.
Just imagining that scenario gave him a headache. He had never intended to have children at any point in his life.
“You actually believe in fortune-telling? They’d probably say even a dog and I are a perfect match,” Caden said dryly.
Ciara didn’t back down. “I don’t care what you say. I think Alicia’s a good girl. I really like her. She’s such a joy to be around.”
“Everyone else finds her delightful. I guess she only gets cranky when she’s with me,” he muttered. Frustrated, he reached for a cigarette.
Ciara shot him a sharp look of disapproval.
Sighing, he put the cigarette away and instead grabbed a piece of fruit to eat.
Ciara pressed further. “What’s going on with you two lately? Another fight?”
Caden thought back to this morning when he had seen Alicia.
“She seemed like she was possessed,” he replied.
Ciara clicked her tongue. “That’s ridiculous!”
“You don’t understand her. The quieter she gets, the more I know something’s wrong,” Caden explained.
Ciara laughed at him and said, “Oh, you care about her so much. I knew it! She’s had you wrapped around her finger for a while now.”
Caden didn’t bother denying it.
He had always been upfront about his feelings when it came to women.
To say she had complete control over him?
That was a bit of a stretch.
He was here to enjoy his life, not to be tied down by love. After spending a while with Ciara, he realized it was time to go.
Ciara sighed. “You’re leaving already? Will you be coming back for dinner?”
“No. I have company tonight,” Caden replied before turning to Jasmine. “Let me know if anything important comes up.”
Jasmine nodded in acknowledgment.
Ciara, however, still looked uneasy.
“Caden, sending Yolanda away is the right move. She’s more complicated than she seems. If you don’t handle her, she’ll end up being a burden and pulling you down,” she stated.
Caden didn’t offer much in return.
“I know what I’m doing.”
He worked until six and left the office right on time.
In hindsight, the whole situation seemed unimportant. Alicia was maturing, and it made sense that she had become more forgiving.
Wanting to enjoy a nice dinner, Caden went out of his way to pick up a fine bottle of wine.
As fate would have it, Gerry, who had recently invested in a vineyard, bumped into him. With a wide grin, Gerry said, “This wine’s on me. Let’s share a drink.”
Caden declined politely. “Someone’s waiting for me at home. I don’t have time to drink with you tonight.”
Gerry knew exactly who he was talking about. It was Alicia.
“Weren’t you two just fighting? Does that mean you’ve made up already?” Gerry asked.
Caden remained unfazed. “Fight? When did that ever happen? Would she really dare to challenge me?”
Gerry clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“Come on, you’re kidding yourself. Others may back down, but Alicia has the guts to stand up to you. What about the call you made to me the other day? Did she block your number?”
He glanced at the wine with a playful smirk. “With a bottle like this, you two might end up having a romantic evening.”
Caden countered, “I don’t discuss such matters with a virgin.”
Gerry was left speechless.
That sudden jab felt completely uncalled for.