Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
“Were you already seeing her when you asked for my assistance?”
“That’s right.”
Dorian slammed the cup onto the table with all his might. “If that’s the case, why did you agree to have Yolanda come to Warrington?”
Caden glanced at the broken pieces of the cup on the floor. Dorian was the first person to ever shatter a cup in his office.
Even so, Caden accepted the outburst. Dorian had every right to be angry. The situation was his fault. Back then, he never expected his relationship with Alicia to evolve. This was a miscalculation on his part.
“Mr. Moss, you can punish me in any way you see fit. I won’t object,” Caden stated. His voice then sharpened. “But when it comes to matters of the heart, I won’t compromise. I don’t love Yolanda, and I won’t let her waste her life on me.”
Dorian scoffed. “You’re not afraid of offending me, are you, Caden?”
With a calm smile, Caden replied, “I’m well aware it’s not ideal to offend you, but I won’t force myself to do anything that goes against my feelings.”
Dorian shot him a stern gaze. Their exchange felt like an intense standoff, with neither willing to back down, and mutual destruction seemed the inevitable outcome.
After a heavy silence, Caden dialed the internal line to summon the janitor to clean up the mess.
“Out of respect for Mrs. Ward, I’ll let this slide for now,” Dorian said, his tone darkening. “But if Yolanda isn’t cured by the end of the year, you’ll learn what I’m truly capable of.”
The relationship between the two families ran deeper than appearances.
Dorian had always held power and prestige, but today, he had to suppress his frustration when facing Caden.
As he prepared to leave, Caden stood up, ready to escort him to the door.
“Don’t bother. I can find my own way out. Seeing you just makes me angrier,” Dorian said without looking back.
Caden stopped in his tracks and gave Hank a subtle signal. Hank grasped Caden’s silent cue and quickly followed Dorian out. As they reached the elevator, Hank dutifully pressed the button and waited for him.
After Dorian left, Alicia stepped out of the lounge, gathering her belongings as she moved toward the door. “I’m heading to the gallery,” she announced. “If I don’t leave now, I’ll be stuck working late tonight.”
Caden nodded in response.
A few moments ago, he had been burning with desire. However, after seeing Dorian, the mood was ruined. And because of that, he no longer felt like continuing where they left off.
“Did you drive here by yourself?” Caden asked.
Alicia nodded. “There’s no need to give me a ride. I can leave on my own.”
Caden stood up from his chair and walked over to the desk. Then, he picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Did you get any updates about the doctor I asked you to schedule?” he asked.
The voice on the phone sounded regretful. “Mr. Ward, he’s too busy to leave town. If you want to skip the queue, you’ll need to bring the patient in person.”
Caden’s expression darkened as he looked over his schedule, scanning the upcoming meetings.
“Keep me updated the moment you hear anything new,” Caden said.
Alicia walked toward the CEO’s private elevator, as she always did.
When the elevator arrived, she was startled to find Dorian inside.
Their eyes locked for a moment, and the atmosphere turned heavy with tension.
This was the first time Alicia saw him in person.
He was once a prominent figure, and his authority was still evident, even though he had maintained a lower profile in recent years.
Alicia stepped back, knowing it was her place as a junior to let him go first.
Dorian frowned.
When he reached the ground floor, he realized he had left his phone at Caden’s office and decided to return. As he stepped out of the elevator, he glanced at Alicia again.
Alicia noticed him staring at her and smiled. “Mr. Moss, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Dorian didn’t expect her to be so composed.
He inquired, “Ms. Bennett, I recall that you don’t work here. What brings you to this place?”
Alicia responded, “I’ve worked with Caden in the past. I stopped by to look at some new items.”
She presented him with her business card and asked, “Do you have an interest in art, Mr. Moss?”
Their conversation soon shifted to business. Dorian took the card, trying to be polite. “I’ll swing by when I can.”
Alicia nodded and stepped into the elevator.
After she left, Dorian glanced at the card in his hand. Caden had mentioned that he felt it wasn’t the right time to reveal his relationship with Alicia. This indicated that he wasn’t ready to take on any responsibility.
Dorian found himself pondering the situation. Caden didn’t wish to be with Yolanda, but he still supported her. However, what would happen to Alicia?
Alicia had no parents. If Caden turned his back on her, who would stand by her side?
Once Alicia finished her work, she texted Gerry to see if he wanted to join her for dinner.
They had become friends, and it was normal for them to eat together. However, the choice of a particularly upscale restaurant made Gerry a bit wary.
He called her and asked, “Is it just going to be the two of us?”
Alicia responded, “Yes, Mr. Hopkins. If that doesn’t work for you, I can come to get you.”
Gerry replied, “Not a chance. I haven’t had enough fun with my new car yet. I’ll come pick you up instead.”
“That sounds good,” Alicia replied. “Do you have any particular cravings? I can ask the restaurant to prepare it ahead of time.”
Then, something dawned on Gerry. Alicia must have a question for him. Even though she was with Caden, she hadn’t reached out to him for help, which suggested the situation might be more complicated than it seemed.
Gerry felt a sense of unease.
He decided to bring Cliff along, even though Cliff was tied up at the moment.
Cliff’s face naturally bore a serious expression, and his muscular build resembled that of a retired soldier. His thick, sharp eyebrows added to his intimidating presence, which could easily quiet a room. He stood in stark contrast to Gerry, who sat beside him, carefree and playful.
Alicia felt a bit taken aback by the arrival of a new acquaintance and found herself becoming more reserved. The questions swirling in her mind remained unspoken, no matter how much she wanted to voice them.
Finally, Gerry broke the silence. “Alicia, is there something you’d like to ask me?”
Alicia felt a touch of shyness. “You grew up with Caden. I’m hoping to know more about his childhood.”
Gerry looked surprised. “Are you asking how many girlfriends he’s had?”
“No,” Alicia replied with a smile. “I want to learn about his life before he turned seven.”
Gerry appeared confused. Before Caden was seven? That was ages ago. Back then, Shelia hadn’t shown up with her illegitimate child, and Jerald had managed to play the role of a good father and husband quite well. At that time, the family of three had enjoyed a harmonious and loving existence. It was the happiest time in Caden’s life.
“I don’t recall much,” Gerry admitted. He hesitated, feeling that this time was painful for the Caden of today. He was reluctant to share those memories with Alicia.
Alicia spoke candidly. “You know about Lina, right? She needs some optimization. I’ve discovered that her main flaw is the lack of emotions. If I can understand how she used to love Caden, I believe I can address this issue.”
Cliff chimed in, “Is Caden aware of this?”
Alicia cleared her throat and took a sip of water. “No, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention it to him.”
Gerry teased her, “Are you planning a surprise?”
Alicia replied, “Not exactly. He has helped me so much, so it’s only fair that I return the favor.”
Gerry thought this might be some kind of public display of affection.
Ever the insensitive one, Cliff didn’t dwell on it for long. He simply offered his advice to Alicia. “Before Caden turned seven, most of his joyful moments occurred in Averibon, his mother’s hometown. All of Caden’s fondest memories are tied to that place. If you truly want to help him, you should visit there and discover the truth for yourself.”
Alicia found herself with some free time lately, so she decided to plan a trip to Averibon. She expected the trip would take at least a week. To keep her plans from Caden, she invented an excuse, telling him she needed to go on a business trip for a couple of weeks.
Caden remained silent on the phone.
Alicia tapped her phone and asked, “Hello?”
As Caden heard her voice, he pictured her tilting her head in confusion. This thought made him smile. Alicia called out a couple more times, but when there was no response, she repeated “hello” over and over. She sounded like a child just starting to learn how to speak.
Caden chuckled aloud at her persistence.
Alicia huffed and said, “You can hear me? Then why aren’t you responding?”
Caden’s voice came out husky as he replied, “I heard everything you said.”
“Then at least make a sound,” she grunted.
Caden rubbed his temples as he sighed. “I’m just exhausted, Alicia. I really want to see you.”
Alicia felt a bitter taste in her mouth. She smiled despite herself, and a question lingered in her mind-whether he missed her at all. However, she had never voiced such feelings before, so the words caught in her throat.
Instead, she asked, “Have you had a chance to eat?”
“No. Your cooking is all I crave for,” he replied.
Alicia’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. She had always thought sweet talk was cheesy and lacked sincerity. However, after hearing Caden say those words, his sultry voice warmed her heart and captivated her.
She sighed softly.
Alicia knew she could never escape the depths of her love for him.