Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
“Anything I can help with?” Alicia asked as she smoothed the crease between his brows.
“It’s just a minor issue,” Caden replied. “Nothing to worry about.”
Before long, Alicia was dozing off again.
Caden pulled her tighter against his chest, not letting go even as he dove into work.
Alicia took a short nap, and when she woke up, she was met with Caden’s troubled face. “Still not done?” she asked, her concern growing.
Caden glanced down at her. “Go back to bed.”
Seeing him like this, Alicia found herself wondering about the early days, before he became successful. If he still had to work this hard after becoming a famous businessman, how had he managed in his early twenties, before he made a name for himself?
A thought occurred to her. “Caden, you don’t smoke, gamble, or drink heavily. What do you do when you’re stressed?”
Caden gently stroked the smooth, supple length of her thigh. “I’ve never touched a cigarette in my life, but right now, I could really use a couple,” he said, his voice rough with exhaustion.
“I’ll go buy some for you,” Alicia offered.
“No need,” he replied, his eyes gleaming with meaning. “I don’t need nicotine to cope. I’ve had my fill of you tonight, so my mouth can rest for now.”
Alicia was surprised. “It took you that many times to feel satisfied? I thought you’d be worn out by now!”
Caden chuckled softly. He always found it amusing when Alicia spoke so candidly about their sexual encounters. He took her hand and pressed it against his crotch. “Well, does it feel like I’m worn out?”
Alicia quickly snatched her hand away and swatted his arm. “Stop it! You’re trying to take advantage of me again.” Despite her words, Alicia made no move to pull away. On the contrary, she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. “Let’s go to sleep, okay?” she said softly. She wasn’t always so gentle and pliant with him, so Caden savored the moment.
“All right.” He braced himself and hoisted her up, then carried her back to the bedroom.
But Alicia’s docility was short-lived. “I mean, if you suddenly dropped dead from exhaustion, what would I use for pleasure?”
Caden clicked his tongue and squeezed her hip, causing Alicia to giggle as she burrowed deeper into his arms.
“I know I always joke about finding someone else when you’re gone, but I’ve grown so used to you that I don’t think I could even look at anyone else.”
Once again, Caden felt a tender warmth in his chest. His desires stirred as well, but he did his best to suppress them. “What time is it now?”
Alicia vaguely remembered glancing at the clock on his monitor just a moment ago. “It’s well past three, I think.” Three in the morning was far too late for anything strenuous.
Caden set her down on the bed with a deep sigh. “Let’s just sleep, or we might not wake up on time tomorrow.”
“So, you have trouble waking up sometimes too, huh? I thought you operated like a robot with your strict schedules. Sometimes, I imagine I’d just have to feed you some oil, and you’d go for three days straight.”
Caden smirked. “If I could run for three days straight, do you think you’d survive?”
Alicia shuddered at the thought. Then something dawned on her. “Do you have important business to attend to tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’m leaving on a flight at six.”
“So early?” Alicia gasped. “Then why on earth did you stay up so late?” She pulled him to the bed and covered his eyes with her hand, as though that would make him fall asleep instantly.
Caden wasn’t one for childish behavior, but he didn’t mind Alicia’s action. In fact, he placed his hand over hers. “Aren’t you going to ask where I’m going?”
“Oh, right. Where are you going?”
“Terriland,” he answered without hesitation.
Normally, he wouldn’t have told Alicia such details, especially since he was going there to investigate Corey’s background. Tomorrow’s itinerary was supposed to remain a secret to avoid alerting his enemy’s spies. But Alicia had asked, so Caden naturally answered.
“The situation in Terriland is pretty volatile at the moment,” Alicia said, her voice tinged with worry. “Are you going there by yourself?”
“I have people stationed there. If you’re concerned about my safety, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about.”
His words did little to comfort her. “Guns are legal over there. Are you really going to be okay?”
“I’m going there for business, not for confrontation or a fight,” Caden explained patiently. “No one would have any reason to target me.”
Alicia hummed thoughtfully and mulled it over for a moment before letting out an awkward chuckle. “I suppose you’re right.”
Caden wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Don’t worry. I’ll make arrangements so that if I actually die out there, they’ll send my remains back to you, fully intact.”
Alicia smacked him on the shoulder, clearly not amused by the morbid idea.
“And if they can’t send my whole body back,” Caden continued playfully, “I’ll make sure they at least preserve my lower half. That way, you can still make a mold of my… well, you know. You can use it whenever you miss me.”
Alicia let out an exasperated sigh. “Really, Caden. Do you have to be so melodramatic?”
Despite her annoyance, she couldn’t shake the unease that crept into her heart. “I’ll set an alarm and make you breakfast before you leave.”
The next morning, when Alicia opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky.
She bolted upright in bed. The space beside her was already empty.
Alicia quickly dressed and sent Caden a message: “Are you on the plane?”
“I’ve already landed,” came his reply.
“Really? That’s good, then. Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I shook the bed so hard it almost broke, but you didn’t even stir.”
Alicia rolled her eyes at his reply. “Liar!”
Later, when Alicia went out to start her day, she found Hank waiting for her by the car.
“You didn’t accompany Caden to Terriland?” she asked in surprise.
Hank opened the car door for her. “Mr. Ward asked me to stay in Warrington and drive you between work and home.”
Alicia was pleased by Caden’s thoughtfulness but still said, “This seems like overkill, don’t you think? Warrington is perfectly safe. I think you’re better off assisting him in Terriland.”
“Mr. Ward has taken a special security team with him,” Hank said. “I am here on his behalf, and my task is to handle any trouble you might face in his absence.” Only then did Alicia remember that Yolanda and Corey were still in Warrington. With Caden gone, there was no telling what those two might do next.
“Ms. Bennett,” Hank continued, his tone more serious now. “Mr. Ward specifically instructed me that if anyone bothers you, no matter who they are, you are free to use his name to stand your ground and fight back. He told me to assure you that you don’t have to worry about the consequences.”
It meant that Caden would handle any fallout once he returned.
Alicia nodded. “I understand.”
A week went by without any news from Caden.
Alicia knew that Terriland was a dangerous place, and communication could be difficult. Not wanting to distract him from whatever purpose he had there, she refrained from reaching out.
The entertainment headlines were filled with staged airport photos that Caden had arranged beforehand, tricking Corey and the public into thinking he was attending an event in another city, when in reality, he had left the country.
Throughout that week, Alicia was busy running between the two companies. By the time she retired for the day, she was drained and exhausted.
One day, she left the gallery with a stiff neck and a parched throat. She walked to a nearby vending machine and bought a bottle of water.
It was then that a newly opened shop caught her attention – a 24-hour adult store.
Frowning, Alicia decided to go in and see what it was about. She had barely glanced through the products when her eyes were drawn to a mannequin that looked strangely familiar.
Her breath caught in her throat, and a wave of anger surged in her chest.
The mannequin had the face of Caden’s mother!
Alicia quickly moved to shut down the power in the store, bringing all activity to a halt.
The mannequin, a crude and hastily made replica, was a version of Corey’s new Q Robot. If Corey wasn’t behind this, who could be?
An adult store had suddenly appeared right at the entrance of her gallery, a clear warning.
After addressing the issue with the store, Alicia immediately drove to Caden’s company. She conducted a thorough search but found no evidence pointing to Corey.
Corey wouldn’t dare to openly provoke Caden.
Feeling somewhat relieved, Alicia contacted her trusted sources to find out how many of these mannequins Corey had distributed to physical stores. She didn’t neglect the online side of things either.
It was a relief that Caden was in Terriland. If he were in the country, he would have been made aware of the situation by now. The thought of his beloved mother being disgraced like this would surely push even a composed Caden to his limits.
Driving Caden to madness was exactly what Corey intended.
A sleepless night left Alicia irritable the next day, and she spent the entire day cooped up in her office. Suddenly, Blake burst in.
Their eyes locked, and Alicia quickly masked her feelings.
“What’s happening, Mr. Langstaff?”
Blake was already well-informed. It was clear that Corey was targeting Caden’s mother, even paying to make it a trending topic online, which exposed all the images.
Blake asked, “Alicia, why didn’t you tell me about such a serious issue?”
Alicia let out a deep breath, sidestepping the question. “How widespread is it now?”
Blake reassured her, “I’ve already handled it by hiring a PR firm to suppress the trending topic. Even though I have reservations about some of Caden’s actions, his mother is family to me. I can’t just stand by.”
Alicia was surprised. She had kept it from Blake, fearing he might use the opportunity to mock Caden. Now, she realized she had misjudged him.
“I’m sorry,” Alicia said, managing a weak smile. “Thank you for all your efforts.”
The controversial topic was swiftly taken down, but influential figures had already engaged with it. The products for sale weren’t limited to adult items. They also included robots modeled after Caden’s mother, marketed as bed companions.