Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Absence makes the heart grow fonder-a truth Aylin understood well. Her smile deepened knowingly. “He’s in the living room having a drink. I’ll go buy groceries now so I won’t disturb you two.”
Once Aylin left, Alicia quickly contacted her connections, asking them to keep an eye out for any lost birds. She then gazed at the empty cage, her mind racing with possibilities. Only one solution came to her.
Gritting her teeth, Alicia steeled herself and headed toward the living room.
When she entered, she saw Caden’s tall figure and couldn’t help but smile brightly. “Caden, you’re finally back!”
Caden nearly dropped his glass of water when he heard his name being called in an overly sweet tone.
He turned around, raising an eyebrow.
Alicia stood with her hands clasped in front of her, her rosy lips curled into a wide smile. It was obviously forced, but still charming all the same.
Caden slowly set his glass down. “Are you possessed or something?”
Alicia ignored his quip and stepped closer. “Are you tired from all the business trips you’ve been taking lately?” She asked, reaching out to take his coat.
Caden narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her for a few seconds.
“What have you done, Alicia?”
She blinked up at him innocently. “Nothing at all.”
He didn’t believe her, of course. Her expression gave it all away.
Caden pulled back and swept a glance over the living room. “Is your lover hiding somewhere in the house?”
Alicia’s lips twitched. “Please. If I were to hide someone, it certainly wouldn’t be in Joy Mansion.”
“So, he’s at your apartment then?”
Alicia paused and frowned at him. “I’m not hiding anyone!”
Of course not. Caden also knew that she would never dare take a lover. He hummed and eyed her up and down. “Then what did you do wrong this time?”
Alicia clutched his coat and took a deep breath. “Nothing, really. I just haven’t seen you in a while, and… I missed you a little, is all.”
Hearing that last sentence, Caden became all the more sure that she had committed some big blunder. “Did someone pick on you?” he asked calmly.
“No.”
“Is there a problem with the project? Did you lose a million dollars?”
Alicia shook her head. “Not at all. In fact, we’ve actually made a lot of profit in the last few days.”
“Then… have you committed a murder?”
Alicia’s jaw dropped as she gaped at him in disbelief.
“Ah, looks like I hit the nail on the head,” Caden joked and nodded nonchalantly. “So, you need me to help you dispose of the body, is that it?”
Alicia gave him a wry look. “You’re thinking too highly of me, you know.”
“What the hell is wrong, then?” Caden asked in exasperation.
Alicia heaved a long sigh. “Do you think you can take a beating?”
Caden’s eyes flashed. “Are you interested in trying something exciting?”
“No, no, not with me,” Alicia sighed again. “I meant, can you handle taking a beating from your grandma?”
Caden glanced toward the back garden, a vague idea already forming in his mind.
Alicia quickly grabbed his hand. “That’s right, the birds flew away. But it wasn’t on purpose, I swear! I was just so excited when I heard you arrive that I accidentally released them. I had no idea they were so eager to escape the cage…”
Caden could feel the telltale signs of an impending headache. “You do realize that those two birds are Grandma’s babies, and she hangs them by her bed every night, right? And you let them fly away?”
Alicia was already getting desperate, and Caden’s words only added another layer of dread to her anxiety. “Come on, you’re her grandson. She wouldn’t punish you. Me, on the other hand… She might kill me. I’ll owe you one, okay? Just take this hit for me, please?”
Caden didn’t mean anything by his comment, not really. He just liked teasing her.
Seeing her pleading expression now, he couldn’t resist pushing further. “Look, Grandma may claim that she dotes on me, but she never holds back when it comes to punishments. You’re not expecting me to take the blame for you for free, are you?”
Alicia stared into his eyes. She could see the hint of mischief there, but she didn’t really have much of a choice. Heart racing, she leaned into his ready embrace.
Caden wrapped his arms around her waist and reveled in the feel of her soft, warm body pressed against his.
“Then…” Alicia murmured softly. “What if I indulge you in a request? Nothing too excessive, mind you.”
There was a pause, and he noticed her ear had turned red. “Something in bed.”
Caden felt all the blood in his body rush downward. He swallowed audibly. “How does wearing an outfit I choose sound?”
Alicia’s cheeks were burning. Caden had mentioned this kind of thing before, but she had backed out after seeing the pictures of these so-called outfits. She had sworn up and down that she would never wear them. Now, however… Well, he had her cornered.
“Fine, but nothing too revealing.”
Caden’s eyes darkened. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “The bunny outfit, plus white stockings.” Alicia shivered. She swallowed her pride and nodded meekly.
Without wasting another second, Caden picked her up and carried her to their bedroom.
Thankfully, they were done by the time Ciara came home. Seeing Caden made her so happy that she forgot all about her birds.
At dinner, Alicia quietly ate her food, glancing pointedly at Caden every so often.
He peeled a shrimp and placed it on her plate before speaking. “There’s something I need to tell you, Grandma.”
Alicia’s heart caught in her throat. Was he going to put it out there, just like that? She felt so guilty that she couldn’t even bring herself to look at Ciara.
“Why aren’t you eating anything?” Ciara chided Alicia. “You need to eat some meat and vegetables.” She put two spoonfuls of side dishes on Alicia’s plate before acknowledging Caden. “What is it?”
“I’ve been smuggling firearms into the city by the truckload,” Caden declared without batting an eye. “The higher-ups were furious when they got wind of it.”
Alicia, startled, almost stabbed her fork into her throat. She turned to Caden, her eyes wide, her face flushed with heat.
Ciara let out a small gasp. “When did this all happen?”
“I started doing it earlier this year. I began earning a lot from the transaction. I didn’t expect it to be so tricky.”
Ciara’s expression turned severe. “How bad did things get? Can the situation be fixed?”
Not wanting to scare her too much, Caden grinned and said, “I was just kidding, Grandma.”
Ciara was at a loss for words.
Before she could scold him, Caden seized the moment and pressed on. “It’s actually something else.”
Ciara clutched her chest and sighed wearily. “Can it get any worse than illegal dealings with firearms?”
“Your pet birds are gone.”
Ciara’s fork dropped onto the table with a clink. She had tried to brace herself, but clearly, it wasn’t enough.
After a few seconds, she let out a shaky breath. “Wait… What do you mean gone? Like, dead?”
Caden hesitated. “Not exactly.”
Ciara groaned. “Come on, just spit it out already!”
Caden scrambled for an answer, quickly making something up to take the blame.
When she finally found out they had just flown away, Ciara let out a big sigh of relief. “At least they only flew away. Quick, send someone to look for them. Maybe we can still find them.”
Alicia opened her mouth to say something, but Caden popped a piece of meat into her mouth to stop her. “I’ve got it covered. Now it’s just up to luck.”
Ciara looked seriously worried. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she got, and she ended up scolding Caden for quite a while.
But he just shrugged it off like it was a talk show.
Alicia felt a bit guilty, thinking Caden shouldn’t have to take all the blame. She was also worried about those two little birds out there.
If anything happened to them, Ciara would be heartbroken.
But it turned out she was just overthinking things.
In the time it took to eat a meal, Caden had cheered Ciara up with some little jokes, making her happy again. Alicia started to relax too.
After comforting Ciara, Caden shot a meaningful look at Alicia.
She froze for a second, her cheeks turning red as she hurried to find something else to do.
Caden then said, “Grandma, Alicia and I are going to head back now. It’s been a long day, and I’m feeling a bit tired.”
Ciara, clearly not wanting them to go, said, “If you’re tired, why drive? Just stay the night.”
Caden shrugged. “We’ve got a dog at home that needs feeding.”
Ciara shot back, “Just ask the housekeeper to take care of it.”
Without skipping a beat, Caden replied, making up a lie, “No, it’s picky and only eats what I give it.”
Just as Ciara was about to argue, she noticed Caden holding Alicia’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.