Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Caden remained silent, his lips pressed together in a tight line, his silent agreement.
Earlier, Blake’s gaze had been undeniably bothersome to him.
The exchange between Alicia and Blake was confined to work topics and ended quickly.
Gerry approached, balancing two glasses of wine in his hands.
He played his usual card. “This is the finest wine you’ll encounter today, believe me! And there’s only this single bottle. I made sure to pour a glass for each of you.” Alicia couldn’t help but smirk slightly.
She wondered why he had chosen to serve them such fine wine.
After the so-called “rare” dessert, could there really be such a thing as “rare good wine”? She found it hard to swallow. She extended her hand to take the glass. “Mr. Hopkins, where did this exquisite wine come from? Did it come straight from the tap?”
Gerry maintained a serious demeanor. “This is truly fine wine, I promise. If I’m lying, may Caden remain single for eternity.”
Alicia stared at him in disbelief.
Not far away, Caden felt an inexplicable chill creeping down his spine.
Alicia realized that Gerry had approached to gather information for Caden.
Concerned about offending Blake, she planned to bid him farewell, but Gerry beat her to it, greeting Blake with unexpected warmth.
“You seem new around here. May I ask who you are?” Blake smiled. “I’m not from here. I just arrived a few days ago. Everyone talks about how wonderful Warrington is, so I decided to come check it out.”
“Then consider me your guide! I know this place like the back of my hand. I can show you around in a few days when I’m free.”
With that, Gerry effortlessly added Blake on WhatsApp. Blake played along seamlessly.
With their friendly banter, they quickly formed a superficial friendship.
“Mr. Langstaff, do you happen to be married?” Gerry asked, his tone light and casual. Blake replied, “I’m not currently.”
Gerry pressed on, “But you’re so charming and kind. I bet you treat your girlfriend exceptionally well.” Blake held back a smile.
“I’m flattered, Mr. Hopkins. I actually just ended a relationship last month.” He continued, “I was feeling down about it, so I decided to take a trip to clear my mind.” Gerry was cautious in his approach.
“No need to worry. Beautiful women are abundant in Warrington. Just let me show you around, and you’ll find yourself charmed by at least ten in three minutes.” Blake remained silent, but Alicia had reached her limit.
“Mr. Hopkins, why don’t you and Blake continue your conversation? I need to take a walk.”
“Leaving so soon? You haven’t even tasted the wine yet.”
Gerry feigned innocence, reaching for the glass.
Alicia gasped as red wine spilled all over her dress. Startled, she quickly grabbed a napkin, dabbing at the stain in an attempt to contain her frustration.
Unfortunately, the pristine white dress was now marred by the spill.
Gerry played his role perfectly. “Oh dear! My mistake! There’s a room upstairs with some new dresses. Allow me to escort you to change.”
Blake’s brow furrowed in disapproval.
While he wasn’t entirely sure of the nature of Gerry and Alicia’s relationship, it was clear to him that Gerry had ulterior motives.
Without hesitation, Blake removed his jacket and stepped in front of Gerry, draping it over Alicia’s shoulders.
“Here, use this to cover the stains,” he said gently, his tone softening as he met her gaze.
Alicia was momentarily taken aback but accepted the gesture without hesitation. “Thank you.”
Blake then signaled to a nearby maid.
“This lady’s dress has been stained. Please escort her upstairs to change.”
Gerry stood there, feeling sidelined and completely speechless, his plans thwarted. Frustration bubbled within him.
He had let Caden down.
Alicia followed the maid upstairs, leaving Gerry, clutching an empty glass, to shoot a cool glance at Blake. Blake met his gaze with a smile.
“Mr. Hopkins, if you have feelings for Ms. Bennett, I’m sure there are plenty of ways for you to pursue her. After all, you are wealthy and come from a distinguished family. But this? Isn’t this a bit too forward?”
Gerry’s eye twitched at Blake’s insinuation.
“Alicia and I are just good friends. That’s all. You’re reading too much into this.” He dropped the facade, his tone hardening. “She is already taken, so don’t get any ideas.”
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Caden had just wrapped up an urgent matter when Gerry approached him with a concerned look.
“I was about to finish the task you assigned me, but that Blake Langstaff guy swooped in and stole the spotlight,” Gerry reported.
Instead of directing his frustration at Gerry, Caden furrowed his brow. “Blake Langstaff?” The surname stirred something in his memory. He knew who Blake was.
It seemed Caden had missed the main issue; instead, he fixated on Blake’s identity. Gerry, confused, asked, “You’re not worried about Alicia falling for him? You’re more concerned about who he is? Are you planning to do business with him or something?”
Caden looked around but couldn’t spot Alicia. Blake was sitting by himself.
Caden then asked slowly, “If you were a woman, who would you choose? Blake or me?”
Gerry responded without hesitation, “Probably Blake. I’ve known you so long that it’s become a bit dull. Maybe a change would be refreshing.”
Caden was left speechless. He decided not to press further.
“Which room is Alicia changing in?”
Gerry, sensing what Caden might be planning, replied, “What about the favor you asked of me? Don’t you need me to handle that anymore?”
“What could you really do?” Caden said coldly.
Gerry asked, “Can I still produce the film I want?”
“That depends on my mood,” Caden replied, his tone sharp.
Gerry was left speechless.
Alicia had changed into a simple gown. The dressing room door was locked, and a maid was assisting her with her hairstyle as they conversed.
Caden quietly opened the door and entered.
The dress she had worn earlier was hung aside, near Alicia’s phone. Caden picked up her phone.
He assumed she might have updated her lock screen password, but to his surprise, it was disabled. He swiped it open easily.
The wallpaper had been reset to a default setting. Caden pursed his lips, clicked on WhatsApp, and removed himself from her blocked list.
Then, he removed his number from her blocked list as well.
Just as he finished, a new message appeared.
Blake had texted Alicia: “Ms. Bennett, are you finished changing?”
Caden narrowed his eyes slightly.
He then outright deleted Blake’s number.
He did this openly.
When Alicia finished changing and came out, she caught him tampering with her phone and frowned. “What are you doing?”
The maid, sensing the tension in the room, wisely excused herself.
Caden looked up at her, nonchalantly placing the phone down. “I mistook it for my phone. Just realized it’s yours.”
Alicia was speechless.
She reclaimed her phone and fixed him with a piercing gaze.
He didn’t confess, but she was certain of his actions. She reminded him, “Caden, you’re overstepping.”
Caden remained composed. “I was checking your WhatsApp. Some men claim they want to collaborate, but they’re actually after something else. I removed them for your safety.”
He carefully avoided mentioning that he deleted Blake. He knew that would infuriate Alicia.
Alicia’s irritation grew. “Who gave you the right to delete my contacts? My life isn’t just about work. They’re my friends.”
Caden replied coldly, “I didn’t remove any true friends. Just those with dishonest intentions.”
“Those are respectable men I chose carefully. What right do you have to delete them?”
Caden pulled out his own phone. “Looking for respectable men? I can share my WhatsApp.”
Alicia was at a loss for words again.
He was unbelievable.
Lifting the hem of her dress, she walked away with a cold expression.
Caden raised his eyebrows and was about to follow her when he noticed a men’s jacket next to the door. Without a second thought, he threw it into the trash.
Alicia remembered she had left Blake’s jacket behind and came back to retrieve it. She found it in the garbage.