Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Caden’s gaze softened. “I wasn’t expecting you to ask such a question, Ms. Bennett. Aren’t you supposed to be tough and independent? You refute anyone who remotely refers to you as a commodity. What right do I have to make such a decision on your behalf?”
Alicia blinked, then noticed the glint of amusement in his eyes. He was clearly entertained by the situation.
She let out a sigh of relief, only to grumble, “Have you lost your mind, Caden? How can you tease me at a time like this?”
She kicked him hard in the shin, which earned her a sharp hiss.
“Always so feisty. Handing you over to Corey might not be such a bad idea, after all. I’ll just find someone more gentle and obedient.”
Alicia grabbed a stack of papers from the table and threw them at his face.
The papers fluttered through the air, briefly hiding the mischievous smile playing on Caden’s lips.
It was a shocking sight to the onlookers-a woman had actually dared to throw something at Caden’s face. They were tempted to stay and watch the drama unfold but were also terrified of being caught in the scene.
Corey was the only one who continued to stare intently, as if afraid he might miss something.
The door to another office opened, and Hank sauntered into the hall. Noticing Corey, who was transfixed, he turned in the same direction and glanced over at the conference room.
Inside, Alicia’s face was flushed with obvious anger. She looked like she was about to start a huge fight with Caden at any moment. At least, that was how it appeared to most people. Only Hank knew the truth-the pesky couple was having their usual banter.
Hank wasn’t sure how they could afford to flirt right in front of Corey, but he knew he couldn’t let the man linger too long.
He fetched a cup of water from the nearby pantry and walked up to Corey. “Mr. Hampton.”
Corey turned just as Hank, pretending to be distracted, slipped and spilled his cup of water onto Corey’s trousers.
Corey froze, staring in shock.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Hampton!” Hank said, feigning surprise and panic. “I meant to offer you some water, but I fumbled at the last minute.” He reached out to dab at the wet spot on Corey’s pants.
Corey’s expression darkened as he shifted away from Hank’s hand. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll handle it myself.”
But how was he supposed to do that? His gray trousers were soaked, and the wet spot was too close to an embarrassing area.
Corey was furious. He cared deeply about his image, and this was unacceptable. He wanted nothing more than to leave immediately.
But before he could, he glanced toward the conference room.
Alicia was standing, her wrist caught in Caden’s grip. She was glaring at him, then suddenly slapped him with her free hand.
A collective gasp echoed down the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Hank asked innocently, feigning confusion. “Why are those two fighting?”
Although the scene was straightforward, Corey was still skeptical. “What is the relationship between Mr. Ward and Ms. Bennett?”
Hank continued to play dumb. “I’m not sure. I never pry into Mr. Ward’s personal affairs.”
Given how cunning and ruthless Corey could be, Hank knew it was best not to reveal too much.
So, he added a little more. “But those two never got along, even as children. Later on, Mr. Ward detested Ms. Bennett even more because of Mr. Joshua Ward. As for why they’re together now… Perhaps for the thrill of it? It’s how the rich live, isn’t it?”
Corey eyed Hank carefully, then turned and walked away without another word.
Once he disappeared into the elevator, the lights in the conference room dimmed. The anti-peeping mode had been activated.
The few bold enough to stay groaned in disappointment.
“What a shame. I wanted to see how Ms. Bennett would handle Mr. Ward.”
“Who’s handling who? This is Mr. Ward’s company. There’s no way he’s going to let her off easily.”
“But they’re dating, right? Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. A lover’s quarrel.”
“Even if they’re having a disagreement, it’s not enough to resort to violence. Doesn’t Ms. Bennett understand how much men value their egos? Especially a man like Mr. Ward!”
“Damn, why is it so quiet? I want to see who won their argument.”
Their whispered discussions were interrupted by a loud slap coming from the conference room. The sound was unmistakable, and everyone flinched in unison.
Who got hit?
“Mr. Ward must have slapped Ms. Bennett,” a male employee insisted. “Only a man could deliver a slap with that much force.”
A female co-worker blanched. “That sounded pretty bad. Ms. Bennett is probably in some serious trouble.” Meanwhile, in the conference room, Alicia’s pants pooled at her feet as she bent over the table. The soft skin of her buttocks was marked by a bright red handprint.
“You’re dead, Caden!” she screamed in pain.
Caden had already cut the power to the conference room and locked the door.
The dim lighting in the room obscured his expression, but there was his desire in his voice. “When? While I’m fucking you senseless?”
Corey had only seen what Caden wanted him to see.
Caden and Alicia had agreed beforehand to put on a show and make people think they were at odds. But Caden never gave her permission to slap him across the face on a whim.
They both knew it was a personal vendetta on Alicia’s part, and she had really played her cards right. She struggled now, her bare legs flailing in the air.
Caden pressed his hand against the small of her back and pinned her down. Then he bent over her from behind.
Alicia was startled when she realized he was deadly serious. “Are you crazy?” she whispered. “We’re inside the company. Your employees are right outside!”
Unfortunately, her words had no effect on Caden. “Did you think about that when you slapped me earlier?” he countered in a harsh voice.
As a respected CEO, he had been publicly humiliated by a woman.
He would be utterly humiliated if word got out.
Caden was furious, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. He had spoiled Alicia too much by giving her the audacity to defy him in front of others.
Caden had to vent his frustration one way or another, so he wasn’t going to let her go just yet.
He didn’t care where they were. If she wanted to save face, she’d better bite her tongue and keep quiet.
Alicia grew more desperate by the minute, switching between pleading and cursing in an attempt to dissuade him.
But the more she begged, the more determined Caden became. Her protests only led to more outrageous consequences.
Ten minutes later, Alicia stormed out of the conference room, wrapped tightly in Caden’s coat, her eyes watery, her nose red.
The more courageous staff quickly glanced in her direction, taking in every detail and checking to see if anything was amiss.
Alicia strode down the hall and soon disappeared into a corner.
A short time later, Caden strolled out of the conference room. The red mark on his face was gone, though his lips were pressed into a thin line. He looked as composed as ever.
He shot a sharp glance at the curious employees, who immediately sat up straight and returned to their work. Caden strode to the CEO’s exclusive elevator, and the moment the doors opened, Alicia stepped forward and rushed into the elevator. Caden leisurely followed her.
As soon as the doors closed, Alicia shot him a glare, though traces of lust still lingered on her face.
In the end, her attempts to appear cold and distant only made her more alluring.
Her legs buckled under her and she had to lean against the handrails for support.
Caden leaned back against the far wall and grinned at her. “Why are you so upset? It’s not like I did anything to you back there. Or are you disappointed?” Alicia’s eyes widened slightly. “One more word,” she bit out through clenched teeth, “and I’ll tear your mouth apart with my bare hands.”
“So you’re just going to rip it apart after you’ve had your fun? You really know how to burn bridges, don’t you, Ms. Bennett?” Caden crossed their distance with a few steps. He pulled her into his arms and whispered, “Have my oral skills improved?”
Alicia’s head buzzed as she felt her face heat up. It crept down her neck and chest and she knew she must be red as a tomato right now.
“You pervert!” She shoved him away, her heart racing.
Caden just shrugged. “Don’t you like me like this? I mean, if you didn’t, you’d have pushed my face away instead of grabbing my hair and pulling me closer.”
Alicia was silent, too ashamed to speak.
Earlier in the conference room, just as Caden was about to pounce on her, he had a moment of clarity. If they were actually having sex in the company, they would undoubtedly make a lot of noise and alert the busybodies. He didn’t want his employees looking at Alicia with judgment.
Alicia was overwhelmed with gratitude when she heard this, but in the next moment he turned her on her back and buried his head between her legs.
Thinking about it now, she hated herself for being so weak-willed. She had succumbed to him in a matter of minutes.
“At least no one would suspect us of doing the dirty in there,” Caden teased her.
Alicia huffed and glared at him. “I thought you’d gone crazy after you rolled down a hill and hit your head doing it to me in the hot springs. Turns out you just like to do that sort of thing.”
“Yep,” Caden said, nodding. “And there will be no reprieve for you tonight.”
Alicia’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as saucers. They emerged into the underground garage and Caden escorted Alicia to her car. “Were you afraid I was actually going to turn you over to Corey?” he joked as he opened the driver’s side door for her.
In fact, Alicia had feared the worst. It hadn’t completely left her either.
“Even if you wanted to, I would never let you,” she retorted. “You said it yourself – I’m not a commodity you can trade to your advantage.”Caden knew she was worried, but he said nothing else, just smiled.
He remembered how pale her face had been, how innocent her voice had sounded when she asked, “Did you agree to the deal?”
She was just too adorable.
Alicia, the woman who had never uttered a single romantic word, had already given herself to him. She might not know it yet, but Caden did.
Needless to say, he was in a fantastically good mood. He closed the car door, told her to drive safely, and waited for her to put on her seat belt.