Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Alicia raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on her features.
Was that truly the case?
It seemed far-fetched, almost too bizarre to believe.
Yet, despite her doubts, Alicia chose to prioritize Blake’s dignity and stepped outside.
Blake’s face flushed with embarrassment before paling in shock. “Alicia, it’s not what you think.”
Ignoring his weakened state, he struggled to climb out of the car. “It was Caden’s doing; my pants are soaked because of the water he spilled earlier.”
He moved too quickly and didn’t have enough strength to stabilize himself. His legs gave way, and he knelt in front of Alicia and Caden.
Alicia instinctively reached out to help him, but Caden was quicker, seizing his arm with a firm grip.
Feigning sincerity, he said, “That’s a handy excuse. Next time I’m scared stiff and lose control, I’ll be sure to say the same.”
Blake couldn’t muster a retort.
Alicia shot a glare at Caden before turning back to Blake. “Did you get hurt?”
Blake struggled to stand, shaking his head. “No.”
He repeated his explanation, frustration creeping into his voice. “It’s really just water on my pants.”
Alicia gave a small nod. “Alright. I’ll ask Aylin to get some fresh clothes ready for you. Take your time coming in, both of you.”
Blake’s expression twisted in reluctance, but he could only nod. As soon as Alicia left, Blake’s demeanor hardened. He clenched his jaw and snapped, “Caden, you are downright despicable!”
Caden raised an eyebrow, his tone unfazed. “Since you seem perfectly capable of walking on your own, I’ll get going.”
Stunned for a moment, Blake quickly retorted, “Do you think this will make me back down? Not a chance. You won’t get away with this.”
Unfazed, Caden gave a slight smirk. “Plenty of people don’t like me, Blake. But you are the first who’s all bark and no bite.”
Blake opened his mouth but found himself lost for words.
Despite his earlier bravado, Blake’s pride took a hit when he changed into dry clothes and looked at his soaked pants. The humiliation hit him hard.
Would Alicia really believe it was just water?
The sheer embarrassment of having his drenched self seen by the very woman he admired left him deflated.
Sulking, he retreated to his room and refused to come down, even when Aylin called him for dinner.
Perceptive enough to understand why Blake was hiding, Caden smirked.
He felt quite satisfied with himself. He savored his meal and later indulged in a few rounds of chess with Benedict.
But Benedict’s mind was elsewhere. “I really came back for your grandmother’s sake. Now that she’s improving, I’ll be going back soon.”
Caden nodded. “When is your flight?”
“In three days.”
Caden placed another piece thoughtfully. “Make sure to set some time aside. I’m planning a formal engagement ceremony with Alicia in two months. It’d mean a lot if you could be there.”
With a thud, Benedict accidentally dropped a chess piece onto the board, breaking the silence.
Alicia, dozing on the sofa, stirred and turned her head.
Benedict adjusted his expression and lowered his voice. “An engagement? That’s a pretty big deal – why didn’t you mention it sooner?”
Caden looked at him as if he were a fool. “Isn’t a two-month notice enough?”
Benedict found himself momentarily speechless. “But have you really thought this through, Caden? I saw Dorian’s reaction today – he’s not going to make this easy on you two. Are you sure it’s worth all that?”
Caden’s brow furrowed slightly.
Realizing that he might have gone too far, Benedict backtracked, raising a hand as if to wave off his own words. “Alright, I’ll stay out of it. This is your business – do what you think is best.”
Caden sighed and said, “After I propose, I’ll inform the rest of the family.”
The news caught Benedict off guard, filling him with a vague sense of unease that he couldn’t shake.
The next few chess games were a complete disaster.
Caden finally decided to stop playing and glanced over to find Alicia asleep on the sofa. “You can head back now.” Alicia stirred awake when she heard that.
Benedict walked them to the door, pausing as his gaze lingered on Alicia’s face.
Alicia could tell that he had something to say.
With a gentle smile, she said, “Goodbye, Benedict.”
Her warm expression caught him off guard, and a pang of guilt surfaced.
Here he was, an older man, competing against someone much younger and speaking so harshly.
Benedict let out a sigh, easing some tension. “Alright, drive safely.”
In the car, Caden’s phone buzzed with a notification of a transfer from Benedict.
He had transferred seven hundred thousand.
The message read: “A gift for Alicia, with my sincerest apologies.”
A slight smile curled on Caden’s lips.
Leaning comfortably against him, Alicia noticed his reaction and arched a brow. “What made you so happy all of a sudden?”
Before he could respond, another message appeared from Hank: “Mr. Ward, Yolanda attempted suicide at home by slashing her wrists.”
Alicia’s smile faltered.
A heavy silence settled in the car. The words “attempted suicide” seemed to hang in the air, thick with tension.
Caden’s expression turned serious as he dialed Hank’s number. “Is she dead?” he asked.
“She’s still in intensive care,” Hank replied somberly. “She caused a scene at the cemetery, refusing to kneel, then banged her head against the gravestone until she passed out. It took a while for Dorian to send someone to take her away.”
Caden felt Alicia’s grip tighten around his hand. She could feel her palms growing sweaty.
He laced his fingers through hers and gave her a reassuring look.
Then he told Hank, “Head to the hospital and report back to me as soon as there’s an update on her condition.”
“Understood, Mr. Ward,” Hank responded.
After hanging up, Caden made another call to the top-performing hospital in the city, arranging for the best surgical team to be on standby.
Alicia understood his intentions.
He had sent Hank over to personally confirm whether Yolanda had truly intended to take her life.
Contacting the top hospital was an additional precaution, just in case Yolanda actually passed away while in Warrington. After all, Caden still held the Moss family in some regard.
The situation was as complex as it got, and Alicia wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
“Will you go and see her?” she asked tentatively.
She had been too focused on venting her anger that she had completely forgotten about Yolanda’s extreme tendencies. If it was revenge the woman was after, she certainly had plenty of ways to make them suffer.
But Caden had already anticipated something like this happening.
“No,” he replied calmly. “The fact that Hank was made aware of the incident as soon as it happened only proves that it’s all a deliberate ploy to lure me there. Yolanda wouldn’t really kill herself. It’s just another one of her dramatic tricks.”
His words didn’t put Alicia at ease, though.
“I’m worried that Dorian might use this to retaliate and do something drastic.”
Caden remained unbothered. “You don’t need to worry about such things.”
If nothing else, he didn’t want her to get involved.
After they returned to the apartment, they took some time to unwind in the shower.
But even as she soaked in the warm water, Alicia’s mind was far from serene. “Why hasn’t there been any news from the hospital yet?”
Caden gazed at her for a moment, then gently smoothed the crease between her brows. “Why are you so worried? I didn’t hand the knife to Yolanda. There’s no reason for you to be anxious.”
Alicia pressed her lips into a thin line and leaned back against him.
The warm water was making her drowsy, and soon enough, she was lulled to sleep by Caden’s familiar scent.
She hadn’t nodded off for long when she was abruptly awakened by a nightmare.
In her dream, Yolanda lay in the hospital, covered in blood and lifeless. Struck by grief, Dorian lost his mind and set out to destroy everything Caden had built.
Alicia jolted upright, shaking slightly at the ominous prospect.
She looked around, realizing she was in the bedroom, but it was empty and dark, apart from the warm glow of the LED lights under the bed.