Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Caden hadn’t started stirring the pot yet, but when they reached the car door, he smiled. “Mr. Hampton, should I open the door myself?”
Corey was on a call but turned sharply at Caden’s comment, his gaze like a dagger aimed at Caden’s neck. He ended the call, put the phone down and asked, “What?”
Caden, hands in his pockets, pretended to be in charge. “How am I supposed to get in the car?”
Corey got the message loud and clear, his jaw tightening as his veins pulsed. “Either get in or take a walk. Your choice.”
Caden didn’t seem bothered at all. He just grinned and said to Alicia, “All right, honey, let’s go home. I guess Mr. Hampton isn’t in much of a hurry. “
Alicia laughed at his comment. She found Caden’s playful attitude hilarious, especially paired with Corey’s clearly fraying temper. At this point, why not just go along with it?
Corey stood his ground, his face cold and unyielding, clearly refusing to budge.
Alicia turned to follow Caden, waving cheerfully at Corey. “See you next time, Mr. Hampton!”
Corey said nothing, his eyes fixed on them as they walked away.
When they were almost out of sight, something finally snapped in Corey and he reluctantly called out, “Alright!” Corey swung open the car door, his face like stone. “Get!
For someone as stiff as Corey, that was a big step, but Caden wasn’t done yet.
Caden stopped by the car, smirking. “Sorry, the wind was pretty loud just now. What did you say? I didn’t quite catch it.”
Corey’s glare could’ve frozen fire. “Are you getting in or what?”
Caden’s smirk turned colder. “Have you really thought this through? Is this the right way to ask for help?” Corey’s grip on the door handle tightened so much it looked like he might bend the thing in half.
“Caden, don’t push it!” Corey hissed through clenched teeth.
Caden shot back, “You kidnapped my wife and almost took her heart. And you think I’m the one pushing it?”
Corey’s jaw tightened. “Didn’t I stop?”
Caden’s smile turned even sharper. “Should I go ahead and have someone kidnap your sister for fun now?” The words hit Corey like a punch to the gut. He thought about Gemma and the pain she’d already been through. If he backed down, maybe she would be spared some of that pain. Swallowing his pride, Corey forced out the words, his tone low and biting. “Mr. Ward, get in the car.”
Alicia glanced between the two of them before quietly getting in first.
Seeing his wife take the lead, Caden let it slide and climbed into the back seat after her.
Caden hadn’t even gotten comfortable when Corey slammed the door so hard it echoed in his ears. Caden watched Corey stomp off and then squeezed Alicia’s hand. “Look at him, acting all tough. Do you still care about him?”
Alicia’s lips twitched. “When did I ever care about him?” She might’ve felt a twinge of sympathy, but it wasn’t enough to actually care. Besides, this whole thing was just their way of testing Corey’s real intentions. If Corey had gone through with kidnapping Alicia and taking her heart, it would’ve been clear he was beyond saving, and Caden wouldn’t have hesitated to finish him off. But Corey backed off when the anesthesia didn’t work, and that moment of hesitation ended up sparing his life. Alicia looked at Caden, poking his palm with her finger. “Caden, you get why I’m playing these games with Corey.”
Caden locked eyes with her, sensing the sincerity in her gaze. After all these years together, all those intimate nights, how could he not know what she was planning?
“Yeah, I get it,” he said, nodding.
Caden understood it all. The loss of their child wasn’t entirely on him. Corey had a hand in the mess too. Even with Gemma keeping Corey in check now, his actions in Terriland were still beyond what most could accept.
Corey had killed, broken laws, and still strutted around at home like he was untouchable. It was because he was his own strongest shield. If it ever came to a full-blown clash, Caden would lose more than he could afford.
Alicia didn’t want that. She didn’t want Caden to be hurt or to make any reckless moves. That was why she chose to make peace with Corey.
Feeling uneasy, Alicia leaned into Caden, her voice tinged with unease. “This is my fault.” If her blood type wasn’t so rare, none of this would’ve happened.
Caden pulled her closer, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Funny, when you were fighting me for first place, you weren’t this sweet.”
Alicia’s cheeks turned pink. Even she found her earlier behavior a bit odd. She still couldn’t believe how easily she’d let her guard down, acting like a timid little rabbit and giving him the chance to tease her.
Trying to regain her footing, she shot back, “Why should I be sweet? I have the skills to take you down.”
Corey headed to the restaurant first to secure a private room before stepping out to meet Alicia and Caden.
Trailing behind Corey, his secretary couldn’t hold back his discontent. “Do you really need to pick them up yourself?”
Corey shot him a glance and replied coolly, “Do you think you could get them here instead?”
The secretary pressed on, grumbling, “Earlier, you opened the car door for them, and now you’re fetching them. What do they think you are?”
Corey halted briefly, his tone turning frosty. “And why didn’t you have the guts to confront Caden earlier?” Caught off guard, the secretary awkwardly lowered his head and coughed to cover his discomfort.
Learning from past encounters, Corey decided it was best to endure for now, hoping to resolve the situation sooner rather than later.
As Corey stepped out of the restaurant, he noticed Caden’s car pulling up.
The driver exited, reaching to open the door for Caden but then hesitated, awkwardly withdrawing his hand and standing aside.
Puzzled, Corey walked over and asked, “Where are Caden and Alicia?”
The driver, avoiding Corey’s gaze, replied uneasily, “They’re in the car, Mr. Hampton.”
“Ask them to come out,” Corey instructed as he moved closer to the car to peer inside.
Corey’s expression immediately darkened. Caden’s lips had just moved away from Alicia’s.
Although Corey hadn’t caught them in an outright intimate act, the charged atmosphere inside the car was undeniable. It was clear that if not for the public setting, Caden seemed ready to take things much further right there.
Unbothered by the stares of onlookers, Caden stepped out of the car with his usual air of confidence and helped Alicia out as well. He ran his tongue over his lips in a suggestive manner, casting a sly look at Corey. “Shall we?”
Corey’s lips curled into a faint, sarcastic smile. “If you’re in such a rush, maybe you should skip the meal. I can arrange a room for you to cool off.”
Caden didn’t miss a beat. “I can sleep whenever I want. The question is, how long can your sister wait?”
For once, Corey found himself momentarily speechless. The trio soon settled into a private room Corey had prepared.
Corey spared no expense, ensuring the best food and drink were served, leaving no room for Caden to criticize. Taking the lead, Corey raised his glass for a toast. “So, what’s your treatment plan?”
Caden, tired of the pretense, cut straight to the point. “I have a team researching artificial hearts. We’ve already had a successful trial. But, like bypass surgery, mechanical hearts require regular replacements.”
Corey leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing with a hint of skepticism. “Isn’t that a little too convenient?” After all, his sister’s heart condition had only recently come to light, and yet Caden’s team already claimed a successful solution.
Caden smirked, the confidence in his expression unshaken. “Do you think I’m lying to you?”
Corey tilted his glass and downed the remaining wine, the dark glint in his eyes concealed behind a calm facade. “Of course not.”
For a moment, doubt gnawed at Corey. But then, he recalled Caden’s relentless acquisition of technological resources in recent years, amassing wealth and influence. If not for advancing research like this, what else could Caden have been pouring his efforts into? Even childbirth no longer required human intervention, let alone an artificial heart.
With a measured tone, Corey finally said, “You handle the research and take responsibility for everything. I’ll provide the funding.”
Caden replied, “What else?” Making peace with a rival and still having to pay-what did Corey take him for? A complete pushover?
Corey set his glass down, still somewhat uneasy, and glanced at Alicia. Corey didn’t say a word, but Alicia seemed to understand his unspoken thoughts. “Don’t worry. He won’t deceive you,” she blurted out unexpectedly.
Alicia’s sudden response made Caden pause, his gaze shifting between Corey and her.
It dawned on Alicia that Corey hadn’t actually asked anything, yet she had rushed to answer. It felt off.
Rolling her eyes, Alicia prepared to explain herself, but Caden cut her off. “Let’s eat.”
Alicia cleared her throat and leaned lightly on Caden’s shoulder, whispering, “Corey and I…”
Before she could finish, Caden picked up a piece of her favorite dish and fed it to her, effectively silencing her mid-sentence.
“It’s no big deal,” Caden said calmly. “Let’s eat first.”
Alicia was left speechless. Something felt off about Caden, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Was everything truly okay?
As Alicia chewed her food, her gaze kept darting toward Caden.
Caden caught her staring and smiled. “Want a kiss?”
Alicia sat back properly and scoffed. “You’re overthinking. Let’s just eat.”
Caden smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Corey watched their exchange, a cold chuckle escaping his lips.
Throughout the meal, Corey was plied with a considerable amount of alcohol, while Caden barely sipped his drink.
By the time they left, Corey managed to maintain an air of composure, though his steps betrayed him, wavering unsteadily.
Corey’s bloodshot eyes fixed on Caden as he seized the moment to ask, “When will you replace Gemma’s heart?”
Caden’s reply was indifferent, almost dismissive. “Whenever you want.”
Instinctively, Corey suggested, “How about tonight?” But as the thought settled, Corey quickly added, “No, that’s not possible. She just had bypass surgery today. We can’t rush it, or her body won’t be able to handle it. Once she’s stable, we’ll arrange it.”
During the meal, Corey had already bombarded Caden with detailed questions about the artificial heart. Absurd as it all sounded, there didn’t seem to be another choice.
“If your experiment succeeded, why haven’t you made it public?” Corey asked, his voice slurred and his steps faltering. “Do you even realize what you could achieve if you introduced it to the medical world?”
Caden scoffed. “Have you drunk yourself into a stupor? If I introduce artificial hearts to the medical community, do you have any idea how many livelihoods I’d jeopardize? Why would I willingly invite that many enemies upon myself?”
Corey mulled over Caden’s words and begrudgingly nodded in agreement.
Feeling the effects of the alcohol weighing heavily on him, Corey paused to steady himself. Once composed, he turned to Alicia and asked, “Do you have any hangover remedies?”
Alicia sensed Corey’s manipulative intent and brushed it off. “No, I don’t.”
Ever since Caden’s surgery, he rarely drank, and Alicia, being allergic to alcohol, never bothered with hangover medicine.
Corey frowned, pretending to be serious. “How can you not have any? Didn’t you always keep hangover medicine for me when we traveled for business?” The room fell silent at his words.
Alicia saw through his act and smiled faintly. “Corey, if you’re trying to drive a wedge between Caden and me, you’ll need a better excuse. This is just embarrassing.” Clicking his tongue, Corey countered, “I’m not stirring trouble. All I want is some hangover pills.”