Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Once Alicia had calmed down, she picked up the phone to call Blake, inquiring if he had managed to resolve his issue.
Blake’s voice came through, sounding utterly drained. “I’m still searching for him.”
Alicia offered, “Is there anything I can assist you with?” Initially, Blake wanted to refuse her, but his anxiety got the better of him.
Believing that Alicia had connections in Warrington, he decided to ask for her help.
He later arranged to meet her at a local restaurant. However, after quite some time had passed, he still had not arrived.
As she waited, Alicia received a call from Joy Mansion, where Ray nervously extended an invitation for dinner.
Intrigued, Alicia asked, “What brings you to call me?”
Ray’s voice trembled as he uttered, “If you don’t come, he’ll kill me.”
Alicia was taken aback and replied, “Who are you talking about?”
Ray glanced quickly at Caden, who stood next to him with an impassive expression. Then he replied, “A very tall monster.”
For a brief moment, Alicia was left speechless.
In that instant, she realized he was referring to Caden.
Though she didn’t want to put Ray in a difficult situation, she had prior commitments and couldn’t attend. “I’m sorry, but I have other plans. I’ll make sure to visit you another day.”
Just after she hung up, Blake finally showed up. He appeared utterly exhausted from what had clearly been a long day.
Alicia questioned, “Did something happen?”
Blake shared the truth with her.
He looked slightly disheveled as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “It’s all my fault. He relies on me heavily, and I shouldn’t have left him alone at school. I had planned to return home in a few days, but I had no idea he would act so boldly.”
As Alicia pieced together the fragmented information, a sudden realization struck her. She asked eagerly, “Do you have a photo of your brother?”
Blake, momentarily slow to grasp the situation, quickly understood that he needed to share more if he wanted her assistance.
He pulled out a photograph of himself alongside his brother.
Alicia glanced at the photo and instantly broke into a smile.
Blake stood completely at a loss, unable to comprehend the situation unfolding before him.
“Ms. Bennett, might I ask what brings such a smile to your face?” he questioned.
Alicia held the photograph carefully, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. “It’s amazing how everything lined up like this, Mr. Langstaff.”
She took her time explaining, detailing the surprising encounter she had with Ray.
Blake’s expression shifted swiftly from shock to a delighted grin, traces of disbelief still lingering. Alicia, sensing his immense joy, softly reassured him, “You don’t need to worry. Ray is absolutely fine. He’s safe and currently staying at Joy Mansion.”
Relief washed over Blake like a wave, leaving him in an emotional state where he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
Filled with excitement, he grabbed her hand impulsively. “I can’t thank you enough, Ms. Bennett.”
Alicia, startled for a moment by his sudden gesture, froze. She instinctively tried to pull her hand away but paused. “It was really just luck that I bumped into him,” she said humbly. “You really don’t have to thank me.”
Blake’s expression shifted once again as he looked at her.
It dawned on him that she wasn’t just beautiful, but she carried herself with such ease and success, exuding a quiet allure.
Having been helped with something so significant, Blake felt an unexpected warmth spreading through him, sparking feelings he hadn’t anticipated.
After a brief pause, Blake realized he might have overstepped, prompting him to quickly release her hand. “I’m sorry,” he said, forcing an awkward smile.
“I was just so overcome with happiness that I lost control for a second,” he explained honestly.
Alicia gently shook her head, letting him know it wasn’t a problem at all.
With the major issue now behind him, Blake felt a wave of ease settle over him. As they ate together, their conversation effortlessly shifted to art and future trends, the flow of words feeling natural.
He found himself laughing out loud several times during their chat.
His laughter caught the attention of Gerry, who was seated just a few meters away. When Gerry glanced over, his eyes widened in surprise as he immediately recognized Blake. To see Blake laughing so freely with Alicia genuinely shocked him.
How could this be happening?
They barely knew each other. Was this a business deal, or was it something more?
Why were they sitting down for a meal, just the two of them?
Without a second thought, Gerry pulled out his phone and snapped a quick photo of the pair.
He swiftly texted Caden, writing, “What’s going on? Your woman is about to be swept away!”
Caden responded with confusion, “What?”
Gerry promptly forwarded the photo to him.
He had captured the moment beautifully.
In the image, Alicia was smiling brightly at Blake, the soft lighting highlighting her features and suggesting a genuine warmth between them.
As for Blake, his gaze needed no careful angle to convey his feelings.
It was clear from his expression that he admired Alicia.
From the photograph alone, it was evident that his eyes were filled with admiration for her.
Caden’s expression gradually grew colder as he stared at the photo.
He had asked Ray to extend an invitation for Alicia to join him for dinner that very evening, only to learn that she had turned Ray down. He assumed she must have had an appointment with a client.
What he hadn’t expected was for her dinner to be with Blake.
While dining together was one thing, truly enjoying the experience was an entirely different matter.
He sneered, preparing to feign indifference. After all, he was well aware of Alicia’s feelings for him.
Though she was sharing a meal with Blake, he dismissed it as merely a performance.
At most, they shared some common ground due to their similar fields of study.
However, for reasons he couldn’t quite understand, he found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the photo.
Caden desperately wanted to find evidence that would prove Alicia was merely putting on an act.
He longed to see that their interaction was nothing more than a meal, with no deeper connection.
Yet the more intently he examined the image, the angrier he grew.
It was clear that Alicia’s happiness was genuine.
In the months following their argument, every time she had encountered him, she wore a deadpan expression or made biting remarks meant to provoke him.
But with Blake, her eyes radiated joy! And their familiarity, which spanned only two short days, seemed to unlock something in her that he had never seen before.
Caden turned off his phone, and the reflection staring back at him from the screen was icy and detached, revealing a jealousy he hadn’t even realized he was harboring.
He chose not to respond.
Gerry continued to flood him with messages.
“Why aren’t you reacting?” Gerry texted.
Ten minutes later, he sent another message: “They finished their meal and walked out together.”
“It’s unsafe to be out at this time of night. Aren’t you supposed to be dealing with something?”
“Caden? What’s going on? Did you drop your phone in the toilet?”
“Caden?”
“Do you need me to help you fish it out? Caden?”
As Caden scanned through the barrage of messages, his irritation deepened.
His expression turned icy. He finally replied, “Stop sending me messages.”
Gerry was taken aback.
After a few moments, Gerry tried again.
“You’re not with Alicia anymore?”
Caden responded coldly, “Who she decides to be with is entirely up to her. I couldn’t care less.”
Gerry was once again left stunned.
He thought to himself, Well then.
Deciding he no longer wanted to get involved in their affairs, he chose to move on.