Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Ray, still so young, was swayed easily by what others said. The loss of his brother’s right hand had left him devastated and confused. In his youthful misunderstanding, he blamed Alicia.
Alicia’s heart broke seeing his distress. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She said gently to Jasmine, “He’s too upset right now. We need to get him to a hospital.”
She then attended to Caden’s injury, pressing down on the wound to control the bleeding. The cut was shallow, yet severe enough to tear the skin and risk damaging the tendons beneath. Blood kept seeping out.
The pain weighed so heavily on Alicia that she found it hard to catch her breath, and it was a struggle to stop the flow of blood.
Caden, bearing the pain stoically, kept his gaze fixed on her, his eyes a mixture of concern and aloofness.
Alicia avoided his stare.
“It’s been days, Caden. Have you made your decision?” Would he proceed?
Caden responded with quiet resolve, “Alicia, there’s no turning back for me now.”
After bandaging his wound, Alicia sat in silence, pondering their uncertain future.
Caden’s voice was cold as he said, “In this world, many despise the wealthy. The greater my success, the more envy it stirs. People have always longed to see me fail, to watch me lose everything. I’m used to their ill will. But Alicia, I never thought you’d join their ranks.”
Alicia, caught off guard, looked into his eyes, which mocked her. She managed a weak smile and replied, “Do you really believe I want to see you destroyed? Caden, all I desire is for us to have a good life.”
Caden moved closer, his touch tender on her face.
“True comfort is only for those who hold power.”
Not wanting to delve into a deeper argument, and having reached a quieter understanding recently, he said more softly, “Let’s make sure everything is perfect for our engagement party, shall we?”
Alicia responded with a vacant look.
“Engagement parties are supposed to be joyful. Are we still capable of feeling that joy?”
Caden held Alicia’s gaze, his voice calm but probing.
“Are you really this afraid just because of Blake?”
Alicia let out a bitter laugh.
“Isn’t that serious enough? Do you have to wait until someone dies for this battle?”
Caden’s expression hardened, a subtle but chilling smile forming on his face. He chose not to argue further.
His phone buzzed repeatedly before he reluctantly glanced at it. Recognizing the unlisted number, he said, “It’s Yolanda.”
Alicia’s eyes darkened with worry.
“What are you going to do about her?”
He gave her a steady look.
“If I told you, you’d only worry more.”
The last thing Caden wanted was for Alicia to get tangled up in this. She had a way of stirring emotions he usually kept locked away. One misstep, and everything he had built could come crashing down.
Without another word, he stood up and moved away to take the call.
Alicia watched him walk off, a sense of dread gnawing at her, tightening her chest. Tears blurred her vision as she fought the rising fear she couldn’t fully understand.
Caden paused at the door, glancing back at her for a long, silent moment, something unreadable in his eyes. Then, with a quick breath, he turned and left the room.
Yolanda had called to inform him that Annis had been located. Now, Caden sat alone in his office, a cloud of smoke hanging around him as he reviewed Annis’ file. Messages from Yolanda continued to flood his phone, each one urging him to meet her. When he still didn’t respond, she sent one last message.
“Meet me soon, and I’ll take you to Annis.”
Irritated, Caden flipped his phone face down on the desk. He quickly typed a message, forwarding Annis’ details to his informant for verification.
Hank, who had been watching quietly, finally spoke up, his discomfort apparent.
“Mr. Ward, do we really need Yolanda’s help to find Annis? We could track him ourselves. Working with her might be giving her too much power.”
Caden pulled the cigarette from his lips, staring blankly into the distance, saying nothing. The cigarette smoldered down, nearly burning his fingers before he lit a fresh one.
Unable to watch any longer, Hank said, “Mr. Ward, that’s enough. You’re not even a smoker, and the more you smoke, the more it’s bothering you.”
Caden didn’t respond. It was true – he didn’t have a habit. The nicotine did nothing to calm him; if anything, it heightened his agitation. Alicia’s tear-streaked face kept flashing in his mind, breaking through his defenses and softening the walls he’d built around himself.
After a long silence, Caden crushed the last cigarette in the ashtray and looked at Hank.
“Get things ready. I need to see Dorian.”
As Christmas approached, the Moss residence glowed with bright decorations and festive lights. Caden’s unexpected arrival caught Yolanda by surprise.
“Caden!” she exclaimed, rushing over with a wide smile, ready to embrace him. But he stepped back, brushing her off and walking straight into the living room. Unfazed, Yolanda ran off to freshen up and change.
Inside, Dorian sat slouched on the couch, extinguishing his cigarette with a look of weary discontent. Caden scanned the room and noticed Regina wasn’t there. The look on Dorian’s face told him all he needed to know.
“Well, well,” Dorian muttered, his lips twisting into a bitter smile as he looked up.
“What brings you here, Caden? Come to take me down single-handedly?”
Caden’s expression was ice-cold.
“A bit dramatic, aren’t we, Dorian? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“Where’s Regina? Why won’t she see me?” he demanded.
“Is this your doing?”
Caden smirked, tilting his head slightly.
“She’s been by your side for years, Dorian. Do you really think I could convince her to turn on you?”
“Then tell me – where did she go?” Dorian’s anxiety was clear; he searched Caden’s face, desperate for answers.
“Caden, you must know where she is.”
Caden leaned back casually in his chair, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
“I don’t know where she is. I just know that your ‘perfect’ marriage is over.”
Dorian’s eyes reddened, his control slipping. In a flash, he was on his feet, grabbing Caden by the collar, his words sharp and demanding.
“What do you mean by that? What did Regina tell you?”
Caden met his gaze with a calm, unwavering look.
“Dorian, look at yourself and think about what you’ve done. Even if you find her, she’ll only despise you more.”
The words hit Dorian hard. He released Caden, his shoulders sagging as he fell back onto the sofa, momentarily defeated. Caden smoothed out the creases in his shirt, his expression unruffled.
“Isn’t this what you wanted, Dorian?” Caden continued, his tone almost mocking.
“Now that Regina’s out of the picture, you can spoil your daughter to your heart’s content. She’ll be Warrington’s only jewel, admired by everyone. Isn’t that a delightful thought? You’re powerful, influential, and talented. What woman couldn’t you have? Marry someone younger, prettier – you could build another ‘perfect’ family.”
Dorian’s eyes narrowed as he looked up, locking onto Caden with steely determination.
“Caden, if you fail to protect Alicia, that’s on you. But if I find out Regina’s leaving had anything to do with you… I’ll make you pay for it.”
Caden’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Don’t waste your energy, Dorian.” He reached into his jacket and tossed a document onto the table.
“Isn’t my overseas headquarters something you’ve had your eye on?” Caden said, his tone light.
“Well, it’s all yours.”
Dorian was taken aback. He had been certain that Caden would never give up their headquarters and had spent lavishly on bribing Caden’s key staff, all to trap him in a difficult position. His entire scheme was aimed at forcing Caden into a desperate situation. Once Caden married Yolanda, he would join forces with him, fulfilling two objectives simultaneously. Yet, Caden’s willingness to compromise now represented a significant setback for Dorian.
“You’re abandoning years of hard work for Alicia?” Dorian couldn’t believe what he heard.
“Caden, what is going through your mind?”
It was a common ambition to ascend the success ladder. That was simply the nature of society. How could Caden make such an irrational choice?
Caden, unfazed by the challenge, found it almost amusing.
“Dorian, given our history of conflict, do you really think you’re in a position to scold me as if you were a mentor?”
Dorian stopped short. He sensed he was losing grasp of something crucial, something he desperately needed to control but was eluding him.
Yolanda, her makeup just done, came downstairs, surprised to see Caden heading for the door.
“You’ve only just gotten here. Are you leaving already?”
Caden paused to look at her indifferently, then walked out without responding. Yolanda hurried after him, dangling an enticing offer, saying, “I’ve kept Andy in line. I can go with you to Terriland whenever you want to see her.”
Caden appeared not to hear her, entering his car and driving off.
Yolanda, feeling ignored, bit her lip in frustration. She walked back into the living room and confronted Dorian.
“Dad, what did you say to Caden? He seemed really upset.”