Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
“Yeah, I’m worn out,” he admitted, barely opening his eyes. “Good night.”
Touched by his fatigue, Alicia slipped off her slippers and curled up beside him on the couch.
Caden frowned. “I haven’t showered.”
Dressed in a soft, white gown, Alicia was clean and fresh; he didn’t want to disrupt that.
Embarrassed to admit she simply wanted his company, she whispered, “Just sleep. You’re talking too much.” Understanding, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.
Soon, his steady breathing filled the room, and Alicia found herself finally at peace, drifting into a deep sleep. However, Caden was gone when she woke up at dawn.
She assumed he’d left for work until she heard a faint clatter from the kitchen. Curious, she went to check and found him making breakfast.
Seeing him at the counter, memories of his past mishaps in the kitchen surfaced, and she moved over quickly. “What are you up to now?”
Refreshed and in high spirits, Caden was expertly toasting bread, his hands deft and sure.
Alicia stared, impressed by the warm, fragrant toast. “Since when did you get this good?”
He grinned. “I had a pastry chef show me a few things in Terriland.”
Alicia washed her hands and joined him.
She picked up a knife to slice the bread and found it to be practically rock-solid.
Alicia paused suddenly. “What’s the matter?” Caden asked.
She wiggled the knife with an unreadable expression. “It’s… harder than I expected.”
Hearing this, Caden glanced at his lower abdomen and smirked. “What’s hard?”
Testing the loaf, Alicia realized it was as hard as a brick. She gave it a playful thump against the counter to make her point.
The loud bang echoed through the kitchen.
Alicia was left shocked.
Caden frowned in confusion. “Who’s knocking at the door?”
Alicia almost burst out laughing from sheer exasperation. “You’re so good at playing dumb, aren’t you, Mr. Ward?” Realizing that there was no point in keeping up the pretense, Caden picked up the bread and inspected it.
It felt light, but it was definitely hard.
How was that even possible?
He tried to take a bite, but his teeth barely made a dent in the surface.
“Something must be wrong with the oven,” Caden declared righteously. “I’ll buy a new one later today.”
Alicia waved her hand dismissively. “Give it a rest, genius. You’re simply not meant to be in the kitchen.”
She leaned against the countertop and stroked her chin, continuing, “But I bet you could make it in the construction industry. You’re a natural at making bricks.”
Caden narrowed his eyes and made a face at her.
Alicia laughed again and grabbed the rock-hard bread from him. She tossed it into the trash and clapped her hands. “Well, then. Shall we go eat outside?”
Caden went upstairs for a quick change, and then they left the house.
They were in the middle of breakfast at a quaint restaurant when Caden received a message from one of his subordinates. It informed him that the matter with Yolanda had been resolved.
She had been detained overnight, and her behavior remained atrocious. Not to mention, the evidence against her was overwhelming. Dorian pulled every string he could and called every connection he had, but it still took him until the break of dawn to finally get Yolanda released.
By then, Yolanda was utterly humiliated, having been stripped to her undergarments by the men at some point. To make matters worse, a snake had suddenly appeared in the cell, terrifying her to the brink of insanity.
Yolanda was unconscious and feverish when Dorian took her away.
Alicia’s jaw fell open in shock when she heard the entire story. “You do realize that you’ve crossed the line with Dorian, right?”
“If I didn’t do what I did,” Caden replied calmly, “he would have devoured me. As for Yolanda, I’ve shown her more mercy than she deserves by not letting her get assaulted by those thugs.”
Alicia thought of the vile video from Yolanda. Caden did have a point there. Yolanda’s actions were way beyond the pale, especially when she sent the video to Ciara.
Thankfully, nothing happened to dear old lady. Otherwise, Caden might have resorted to pure violence.
“It’s all my fault,” Alicia said guiltily. “If I hadn’t gone and beaten Corey up, they wouldn’t have had reason to retaliate.”
Caden peered at her. “Did you actually hit him? With your own hands?”
Alicia nodded. “Of course. At the time, I had no idea who the real culprit was. And even when I found out later that it was Yolanda, I figured Corey still played a part in the whole thing, so I taught him a lesson.”
Caden smirked. “Did you break any bones?”
“I’m not sure. I think I hit a few ribs and his shoulders. I restrained myself, mind you. I knew I would have to compensate for any major damages.”
“In that case, you should aim for his head next time.”
“Make your trip there worthwhile.”
Alicia chuckled at his nonchalance. “You’re really not afraid of trouble, are you?”
Caden shrugged. “My enemies don’t seem to fear death, so why should I be afraid of a little trouble?”
They were interrupted again by the ringing of his phone.
This time, it was Dorian calling.
Caden leisurely reached for his phone and answered the call. “Caden!” Dorian’s voice was hoarse and thick with fury. “Are you the one who put the snake there?”
“What snake?”
“Stop pretending! You know Yolanda has been terrified of snakes ever since we were kids. It was all your doing, wasn’t it? Even those criminals in the cell. You wanted to scare her to death!”
Caden chuckled softly and said nothing.
“If you have the guts,” Dorian spat, “then come directly at me!”
“Oh? Then, if Yolanda is planning something again, be sure to do it for her. I guarantee that I will come for your head without wasting a moment.”
Dorian sputtered in outrage. “Mark my words, Caden-if the doctors find any traces that prove Yolanda was violated, I will make you pay with your life.”
“Ah, I’m afraid I can’t guarantee anything in that regard,” Caden said with a sardonic smile. “You see, those men haven’t touched a woman in a long time.”
Dorian hung up in anger.
Caden was still smirking as he put his phone down. He thought he had handled the situation rather well. The Moss family would have no choice but to lay low for a while. As for Corey, Caden had used the information he gathered in Terriland to suppress the bastard.
By all rights, Caden was like a formidable wall that his enemies could neither scale nor topple.
Yet, despite his unwavering confidence, Alicia still had some misgivings. Would things always be this smooth and successful? Making enemies out of Corey and the Moss family meant that Caden would have to tread carefully in the future. A single misstep could lead to a disastrous fall.
Meanwhile, Benedict woke up after a restless night. He squinted his bleary eyes and grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed.
What stuck with him, though, was the fact that Caden was supposed to bring Alicia over today. Knowing this, and with Ciara’s unfortunate condition, Jasmine had no choice but to approach him.
“Mr. Ward, what should we prepare for lunch?”
“What do you mean?” Benedict snapped at her. “Look, my head is still pounding. If that brat wants to bring his woman home for lunch, let them fend for themselves!”
Jasmine didn’t even bat an eye. “With all due respect, Mr. Ward, but if Master Caden brings Miss Bennett home to meet the family, only to find the house empty, it would be a disgrace to the Ward family name.”
A wave of indignation washed over Benedict.
Although he wasn’t fond of Alicia, Benedict knew all too well how stubborn Caden was. If he insisted on bringing the girl home, it would indeed be disgraceful for Benedict, as an elder, to sulk like a child.
He also had his mother to consider. He needed to keep Ciara at ease while she recuperated. And so, Benedict decided to call in a team of professional chefs to prepare lunch.
He had a reputation to uphold, after all. Benedict made sure only the finest ingredients were used to create the best dishes the city had to offer.
By the time lunch rolled around, everything was ready. Benedict surveyed the spread laid out on the table and nodded in satisfaction, his features softening slightly. That was, until Jasmine walked into the dining room with a somber expression.
“Mr. Ward, I’m afraid I have some bad news. Would you like to hear it?”
Benedict was no stranger to setbacks, and he was fairly certain that whatever Jasmine had to say would not faze him. “Go ahead,” he said, his voice steady.
Jasmine took a deep breath before delivering the news. “Master Caden just called to say that they won’t be coming for lunch.”
Benedict fell silent.
“But don’t worry,” Jasmine quickly added, sensing his frustration. “Apparently, he won’t be back for the next few days.”
Benedict opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. He couldn’t quite find the right way to express how he felt.
Caden knew he couldn’t bring Alicia back to Joy Mansion. Benedict had always disapproved of her, and bringing her back would only stir up trouble.
Moreover, why would he make Alicia endure such an awkward situation? If she didn’t feel comfortable with someone, or if the timing wasn’t right, Caden wasn’t about to force her into it.
Over the phone, Jasmine had mentioned that Benedict had gone all out, painstakingly preparing a full spread of dishes for dinner, only to be noticeably upset when he heard that Caden wasn’t coming home.
Caden chuckled. “Ignore him.”
After all, who told the old man to throw his weight around like a king the moment he returned from overseas?