Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Regina placed a gentle hand on his chest, trying to soothe him. “Don’t do this to yourself,” she coaxed. “You know Caden isn’t heartless. Let nature take its course. We shouldn’t meddle too much.”
Dorian’s eyes hardened. “Yolanda is my only daughter-my only child. How can I not stand by her? What if I decide to push for what’s right for her?”
Regina gave him a helpless look. Dorian was a man of many strengths, but his devotion to Yolanda often clouded his judgment. He wouldn’t rest until Caden and Yolanda were together, even if it meant that the Ward and Moss families would go to war with each other. Besides, if push came to shove, Dorian was convinced that Caden would be the one to surrender.
Yolanda, with her ear pressed against the door, smiled to herself as she eavesdropped on their conversation. As much as she resented her parents, she couldn’t deny that her father’s blind affection for her was a powerful weapon.
With a smirk, she sauntered back to her bed, casting a dismissive glance at the pills on her bedside table. Without a second thought, she swept them into the trash.
Meanwhile, Alicia was just arriving at Caden’s office.
Alicia couldn’t wrap her head around Caden’s erratic behavior lately. Not long ago, he had been adamant about keeping her in the dark, but today, he had personally asked her to meet Lina. She had only agreed after confirming that Yolanda wouldn’t be anywhere near the company.
The moment she laid eyes on Lina, Alicia’s breath hitched. The sight of her was unsettling.
Lina was flawless-so human-like, it was eerie.
“You made this?” Alicia asked, her voice tight as she stared at Lina, a chill snaking down her spine. “Is it… real skin?”
Caden, noticing her unease, smirked and responded coolly, “If I could use real skin in business, I’d have conquered the world by now.”
Alicia swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “But it looks so real.”
Without warning, Caden commanded, “Shake her hand.”
As Lina stepped forward, her hand outstretched, Alicia’s nerves got the better of her. She let out a startled cry and darted across the room, her eyes wide with fear.
In an instant, Caden caught her by the arm and calmly led her back to where she had been standing. Lina, still smiling, extended her hand again.
“Hello,” she said, her voice eerily close to human, though tinged with a mechanical hum.
Alicia forced herself to meet Lina’s gaze, her pulse still racing, but then something in her shifted. She froze.
Lina’s face…
The more Alicia studied her, the more familiar Lina became, as if she had known her all along. Pieces of memories rushed back, flashing in her mind.
Somehow, Lina’s face was in those fragments.
In that instant, her fear melted away. Alicia stepped forward and cautiously took Lina’s outstretched hand.
Unexpectedly, Lina’s fingers were ice-cold.
Caden raised an eyebrow, amused. “What happened to being terrified? Weren’t you just convinced she’d eat you alive?”
Alicia withdrew her hand, turning her gaze toward him. “Caden, you’re so determined to perfect her because she means something, doesn’t she?”
His smile was faint but filled with meaning. “Of course. She’s beautiful.”
“You care about her, don’t you?”
“I love her,” Caden corrected, his gaze softening as he stared dotingly at Lina. “More than anything or anyone else in this world.”
Alicia felt a tightness in her chest as tears welled up in her eyes.
She leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know who she is.”
Caden’s hand froze mid-motion.
His voice turned darker. “You do?”
She nodded, her words laced with quiet certainty. “The first time I visited your bedroom, I saw the photo on your nightstand. You put it away later, but I never forgot her face.”
Because Lina was modeled after Caden’s mother. The resemblance was subtle-almost unnoticeable, unless you knew the woman behind the face.
Alicia’s heart ached with realization. “Caden, did you come back for her? For your mother?”
After Alicia asked the question, she realized her voice shook more than she intended. She had always known how much Caden loved his mother. The tragedies he faced during his youth had left wounds that ran deep.
But even after knowing all of that, Caden never allowed himself to show any weakness when they were together. He remained silent, his lips tightening as if he were holding back words he didn’t want to say. Alicia couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She quickly brushed them away, pretending nothing had happened.
The silence hung between them until Caden finally spoke. “Why are you crying?” he asked.
His question caught Alicia off guard, and she felt humiliated by how intense her reaction had been. She hadn’t expected her emotions to get the best of her, and it made her feel exposed.
“The wind must have blown something into my eye,” she said, quoting a line from a movie as she hurried to wipe the tears away.
Caden, usually sharp, chose to act clueless. “What wind? We’re indoors.”
Alicia couldn’t believe what he was saying. She hit him lightly and said, “Can’t you stay quiet for once?”
Caden caught her hand and brushed away her tears. “I only came back for her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have returned to Warrington at all.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Don’t waste your tears on men. It’s never worth it.”
He then gestured for Lina to move back to her original place.
Alicia asked softly, “Are you not worth it?”
Caden replied, “A man worth crying over wouldn’t make his woman cry.”
Alicia glanced at Lina and noticed that she was far away. Still, she leaned closer to Caden and whispered, “You make me cry in bed. Does that mean you’re not worth it?”
Caden laughed at that remark. “Making you cry out of pleasure is a different story. That only makes me worth more.”
Alicia’s face turned red as she pinched his arm in protest. “Lina is still here. Don’t you have any shame?” she whispered.
The pinch only made Caden react more strongly. His body responded in a way Alicia couldn’t ignore. Without hesitation, he scooped her up and began walking toward the lounge.
Alicia kicked her legs in frustration, trying to wriggle out of his grip. “Put me down! I have so much work to do! I can’t just stop now. I’m swamped!”
Caden didn’t give her a chance to argue further. He pressed his lips against hers as he began to unzip his pants.
“You don’t need to worry about finishing any of it. Just send your work to my email, I’ll handle you first, and then I’ll take care of your tasks,” Caden said with a smirk.
Alicia’s cheeks turned red from embarrassment. “What are you talking about?”
Despite her protest, she felt her body react to his words. The tears from earlier faded, replaced by a growing desire she couldn’t control.
Caden didn’t hesitate, and before long, he had his way with her.
When he finally slowed down, he looked at her with a smirk. “You don’t resist for long, do you?”
Alicia couldn’t bear to face him, so she turned away, pressing her face into the soft pillow beneath her. She refused to let him see the embarrassment on her face.
Though his eagerness had driven him before, Caden slowed down, trailing soft kisses down her skin. His deliberate movements made her gasp.
“Again?” Alicia managed to whisper breathlessly.
Caden straightened slightly and gave her a firm order. “Take off my glasses.”
Without hesitation, Alicia leaned closer, using her lips to remove the glasses by gripping the frame with her teeth.
“What kind of things have you been watching? You’re a lot more provocative than I remember,” Caden remarked.
Embarrassed by his words, Alicia quickly placed the glasses back onto his face, trying to avoid his intense gaze.
Alicia’s actions left him speechless. He then pushed her toward the headboard.
Just as Caden was lifting her legs onto his shoulders, a sudden knock echoed through the room, breaking the moment.
“What is it?” he asked.
Hank responded from the other side of the door, “Mr. Ward, Mr. Moss is here.”
Alicia was caught off guard by the mention of the name. Caden immediately let go of her, stepping back before she could fully process the interruption.
Without missing a beat, Alicia straightened her clothes and composed herself as best as she could.
Caden’s face remained tense as he offered a brief explanation. “He’s Yolanda’s father. He’s here for something important.”
At the mention of Yolanda, Alicia’s thoughts inevitably wandered to the woman. Despite her confusion, she gave Caden a nod.
Caden paused for a moment before heading toward the door.
Dorian immediately noticed Caden’s slightly disheveled shirt. As someone with experience, he knew exactly what Caden had been up to.
“Did I interrupt something?” he asked.
Caden continued to button up his shirt and replied, “If you had, I wouldn’t be here.”
He then looked at Dorian and asked, “What brings you here, Mr. Moss?”
He was aware that for Dorian to come in person, something serious must have prompted the visit.
Dorian’s gaze briefly shifted toward the door. “Is Alicia in there?”
As Caden poured him a cup of tea, he said, “She is.”
Dorian took the cup and sipped the tea. It was still hot, but it tasted bitter.
When Dorian spoke again, his voice barely masked the anger beneath it. “Why haven’t you made your relationship public?”
Caden replied calmly, “The timing isn’t right.”