Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
At dawn, Alicia rose groggily to get ready. Passing by the study, she saw Caden emerging, his face cold and unreadable.
Their eyes met, and the air was tense.
After a sleepless night, their unresolved anger resurfaced, amplifying their resentment.
Alicia broke the gaze, heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Caden was clueless in the kitchen. Even if he tried, the result would be barely edible.
Usually, Alicia just had coffee, but today she decided to make a proper breakfast.
She wanted to make Caden envious.
She prepared an elaborate sandwich, cut it in half, ate one half, and left the other on the table.
As Caden went to the fridge for milk, Alicia took a satisfying bite of her sandwich.
The warm egg, ham, and special seasonings filled the kitchen with an irresistible aroma.
Caden pursed his lips, took a cold bottle of milk, and drank it straight, without caring about its temperature. Alicia glanced over, watching him drink the milk with concern.
It would surely upset his stomach. Frustrated yet worried, Alicia turned to her sandwich, chewing furiously, then left to finish packing.
Caden was ready to leave when she returned, but the sandwich on the table was gone.
Alicia’s voice was cold. “Where’s my breakfast?”
Caden didn’t look any friendlier, yet didn’t flinch. “I thought it was mine.”
“It wasn’t yours. That was for Cade,” she snapped.
Caden was at a loss for words.
Without further comment, he left without eating.
Alicia shook her head, put out food and milk for Cade, then took the sandwich with her as she left.
In the underground garage, she spotted Caden getting into his car.
Clearing her throat, she walked over and handed him the sandwich. “Cade didn’t want it, so you can have it.”
Caden’s gaze was steely. “Beg me.”
“What?” Alicia froze.
She hesitated, then shrugged. “Fine, I’ll just give it to Mr. Langstaff.”
Caden’s expression hardened.
Just as Alicia reached for her car door, Caden pinned her to the vehicle and swiftly took the sandwich from her bag.
In three bites, he finished it right in front of her.
Alicia stood in stunned silence.
Caden lowered his gaze, expression impassive. “As if he deserves my leftovers. Maybe if he reincarnates as a dog, I’ll toss him a scrap or two.”
Speechless once more, Alicia let him go, shaking her head at his audacity.
It was no wonder he didn’t have many friends.
After they parted ways, Alicia went to buy a new phone. At the office, she immediately convened a meeting about Blake’s situation.
No one dared to challenge her decision.
Alicia’s voice was firm. “That’s final. Let’s not bring this up again.”
A senior board member spoke as she prepared to leave. “Ms. Bennett, it’s not that we’re ignoring your direction, but Mr. Ward gave us strict orders. We’re in a tough position.”
Alicia’s gaze sharpened. “Caden doesn’t sign your paychecks. Why fear him?”
“That’s true, but you’re aware of his reputation…” Several others exchanged nervous looks.
Caden had a volatile reputation in Warrington, acquiring businesses on a whim and behaving erratically.
Upon his return, Caden swiftly acquired several prominent companies, treating business ventures and stock purchases like mere amusements, driven by a recklessness that defied reason.
Everyone knew about his relationship with Alicia, so it seemed clear that Caden was targeting Blake out of jealousy, determined to eliminate his competition. They knew better than to meddle in personal matters-anyone who tried would risk disaster.
Knowing Caden’s nature well, Alicia didn’t want to add pressure on those caught in the crossfire, so she left, frustrated.
Her assistant caught up to her and spoke in a low voice. “Ms. Bennett, you’ll likely need to discuss this directly with Mr. Ward. If you resist, he’ll only escalate things.”
Alicia clenched her jaw, irritation bubbling up.
It wasn’t about shielding Blake.
It was Caden acting like a child.
How could someone his age still be pulling stunts like this?
With that energy, why not focus on more critical issues, like dealing with Yolanda?
Her anger mounted the more she thought about the whole situation. “Discuss? I’m not discussing anything with him!”
The assistant sighed.
Why were they both acting like kids?
Meanwhile, Caden hadn’t returned to his office, avoiding his work for fear his frustration would impact his decisions.
Corey’s issue still simmered, so he met Mayson Herrera, a client who had purchased his Q Robot, to investigate the problem.
Mayson, a retired official, had bought the robot out of curiosity but was disappointed by its malfunctions.
“It’s not just mine; the other robots have similar issues. It looks like a total failure. Let’s see if Corey can fix this mess,” Mayson said.
Caden discovered that the root of the problem lay in the very section Alicia had revised.
She had made substantial improvements, optimizing the robot’s functionality and enhancing the original design. However, after Corey took over, he added his own modifications, creating unforeseen issues and eventually leading to the project’s rejection in a short period. Corey’s skills should have been enough to resolve the problems.
The simplest fix would be to revert to Caden’s original version, removing Alicia’s enhancements.
So, why had no one suggested that yet?
The problem had come to light days ago, and stakeholders were losing patience. Negative reviews were piling up online, and still, Corey was nowhere to be found.
Was he finding a solution?
Caden shot a glance at Mayson, who stood next to him. “Has Corey not reached out to you individually?”
Mayson scoffed. “He’s so busy he can’t even pick up the phone.”
Caden changed the subject slightly. “What’s your favorite feature of the Q Robot?”
Mayson’s expression softened. “I got it for my grandson. It’s safer than hiring a housekeeper and does so much more-especially the educational stuff and bedtime routines. My grandson loves it.”
Caden thought of Alicia’s soft, soothing voice.
He’d only heard it a couple of times, but it had left a lasting impression.
That voice was meant to calm him, but now it was used to soothe other people’s grandchildren, thanks to Corey’s meddling.
For a moment, he felt a flicker of irritation. Then he shook it off, annoyed with himself for thinking of her at all.
Ridiculous.
After finishing the conversation, Caden returned to the company.
He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, as he flipped through the documents in his hand.
Hank asked, “So, Mr. Ward, do you want us to make a move?”
Caden looked up, a faint smirk on his face. He clearly understood Corey’s weaknesses, and now seemed like the perfect moment to strike.
“No need to act,” he replied calmly. “Corey’s issues are already unraveling on their own.”
Hank looked puzzled. “What do you mean, Mr. Ward?”
Caden leaned back, his expression cool. “My chip design is traditional-Corey knows it inside and out, so he felt comfortable selling it off without hesitation. But Alicia’s improvements? They require live input, something Corey didn’t anticipate. To fix the current issues, he’d need to scrap his changes and have Alicia re-record her work from scratch.”
Hank’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Then he’s in real trouble. Ms. Bennett would never agree to help him.”
A smirk tugged at Caden’s lips. “Alicia’s added features go beyond just soothing; she painstakingly developed unique aspects that kids love. Corey’s keeping a low profile because he can’t bear to abandon the current version, and he certainly can’t convince Alicia to resolve it for him.”
Hank thought for a moment, then asked, “Why doesn’t Corey just find someone with a similar voice to Alicia’s? Or use AI to replicate it?”
Caden shook his head. “Alicia’s voice and talent are unique; they can’t be replicated. No one else could bring her exact touch.”
Hank nodded, muttering, “True, it’s hard to imitate… maybe that’s why she has such an effect on you.”
Caden shot him a look. “What was that?”