Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Caden felt a pang of despair. It was as though he could envision Alicia’s cunning smile right in front of him.
“Didn’t you just say you forgave me?” he asked, his voice tinged with frustration.
Alicia played dumb. “Did I say that? Where’s your proof?”
Caden was taken aback. “You…”
Seeing his unhappy expression, Alicia felt a surge of satisfaction.
“How does it feel, Mr. Ward, to have your own tactics turned against you?” Alicia said with a smirk.
She tried to walk away, but Caden gripped her waist firmly, his voice low and steady. “Then you should realize that playing games with me never ends well.”
Alicia responded coldly, “I’ve just uploaded a ten-minute segment of the video to my email cloud.”
Caden’s eyes narrowed as he finally understood her reasoning for recording. Alicia grinned at his reaction. “Mr. Ward, you wouldn’t want everyone to see you in this state, would you?”
Caden clenched his teeth. “I thought we agreed to keep this private, not to broadcast it.”
Alicia scoffed. “Didn’t you always tell me that as a weak woman, I wouldn’t make it in the business world?” She draped her arms around Caden’s neck, her breath warm against him. “I have no intention of sharing this video unless it’s absolutely necessary. But should I ever find myself desperate for money, I might consider selling it for a good sum. You have quite the fan base. Those wealthy admirers of yours would probably leap at the chance to buy it, wouldn’t they?”
Caden’s expression darkened, his mind racing at the thought of her circulating such a video. The idea of those women fantasizing about him was unbearable. He wanted to argue, to fight back, but Alicia had already distanced herself, preparing to retreat beyond his reach.
Alicia was fully aware of his controlling nature.
Once she settled into bed, she gave him a warning. “If you try anything rash, I’ll instruct my assistant to deal with the video immediately.”
Caden lifted the bedcovers and climbed in next to her, making no further moves.
He exhaled deeply. “I’m utterly exhausted. Even if I wanted to touch you, I’d need to muster some energy first.”
Alicia’s ears turned pink, and she covered her face with the blanket.
Suddenly, she found herself enveloped in a warm hug. Caden cradled her like a ragdoll, pulling her tightly against his chest.
Soon, his breathing evened out, signaling that he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Alicia paused, surprised. She turned to observe him and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. A wave of tenderness washed over her, and she slowly reached out to turn off the light.
But as she moved, Caden frowned. “Alicia, don’t move.”
Alicia exhaled, slightly frustrated. “I want to turn off the light.”
“No need,” he murmured, pulling her closer.
“But I can’t sleep with the light on,” she insisted.
Without a word, Caden turned her back to face his chest. Alicia fell silent, unsure of how to respond.
Why didn’t he just turn off the light himself?
Caden hadn’t enjoyed such a deep sleep in a while. His internal clock was off, and not even an alarm could rouse him.
When he finally woke, it was already eleven in the morning. Alicia was no longer in his embrace; only a pillow wrapped in her coat remained.
Realizing what had happened, Caden smiled to himself.
A fresh suit was laid out next to the bed. After dressing, he felt refreshed and proceeded to wash up.
He was fortunate to wake up just in time to catch the same flight as Alicia. As she settled into her first-class seat, Caden confidently entered the cabin.
She immediately sat up straight.
Caden chuckled. “Are you that scared of me?”
Alicia didn’t respond, but she shifted from the edge of the seat to sit up properly, trying to act unfazed.
Caden sat down next to her, his demeanor calm.
“Don’t worry. I’m not some lovesick puppy, always obsessed with you.”
Alicia responded, her expression unreadable, “Do you actually believe what you just said?”
Caden raised an eyebrow. “You have my weakness in your hands. So why are you still afraid of me?” Alicia remained silent.
Caden handed her a bag. “I’m just returning your clothes.”
Alicia accepted it without a word.
“Alright, you can go now.”
Caden teased, “Why did you leave a suit for me?”
Alicia shot him a sarcastic grin. “What do you think?” This morning, she had tasks to attend to, but his firm grip had made it impossible to escape. Eventually, she had no choice but to leave her coat with him.
“You’re quite the performer,” Alicia said, her voice tinged with amusement. “If I weren’t so seasoned, your ‘can’t live without me’ routine might have actually made me cry.”
Caden clicked his tongue. “Must you always be so sarcastic?”
Alicia shrugged, “Isn’t that what draws you to me?”
Caden couldn’t disagree with that. His attraction to her wasn’t based on her compliance. It was her sharpness and wit that drew him in.
Just then, Blake approached with a flight attendant.
The attendant was there to take their meal orders, and Blake had come to check on Alicia.
When Blake saw Caden, his expression darkened. “Mr. Ward, why do you have so much free time?”
Caden responded casually, “What else is there to do on a plane, knit you a sweater?” Blake was left speechless.
Alicia, sensing the tension, asked, “What’s going on between you two?”
Blake, always direct, answered, “Yesterday, I bought you a coat, and Caden said he’d deliver it to you. But this morning, I found it discarded in the trash.”
Alicia was silent, unsure how to respond.
Caden was unapologetic, his tone calm. “That coat doesn’t suit Alicia’s style. Throwing it away was actually a polite gesture.”
His comment was a clear insult to Blake.
Blake’s face reddened. “That was from the top brand in the local store. At least I got Alicia something. What did you contribute?”
Caden flashed a sly smile and turned to Alicia with a meaningful look. “Ms. Bennett, what did I bring you last night?”
Alicia locked eyes with Caden’s mischievous stare. “A nightmare, and a performance that nearly brought me another nightmare.”
Caden was momentarily at a loss for words.
After their argument, the flight attendant hesitantly approached. “Excuse me, sir, madam, would you like a drink?” The argument paused as both men settled down. Given the short flight, Alicia simply requested a glass of warm water.
Having missed breakfast, Caden ordered a hearty meal, packed with carbs and protein.
Alicia glanced over at him. “Is that enough?”
Caden raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“You slept for more than ten hours without much happening last night. Do you really think eating some meat will help with your weakness?”
Alicia then turned to the flight attendant and asked, “Could you bring some vitamins for Mr. Ward?”
The flight attendant appeared puzzled. “I’m sorry, ma’am, we don’t provide vitamins.”
Blake couldn’t help but laugh, realizing the joke. The flight attendant blushed, a little embarrassed. “Shall I bring another drink instead?”
Caden, keeping a straight face, answered, “No need. There will be plenty of vitamins once we land.”
The flight attendant fell silent, unsure how to respond.
Blake decided not to press further. He stood up, saying, “I’ll see if I have any vitamins in my bag.”
Of course, he didn’t. His real aim was to trouble Caden.
“If I don’t find any vitamins, would you like some multivitamins? They’re great for boosting vitality.”
Caden was left speechless.
After Blake left, Caden’s voice came in an eerie whisper. “Am I really that weak in your eyes?”
Alicia took a calm sip of her water, considering his question before replying, “How could you sleep that long if you weren’t weak?”
“I’ve been to five cities this month, attended eight events, and handled endless issues with projects. I count myself lucky I didn’t drop dead from the lack of sleep last night,” Caden retorted.
“Okay,” Alicia replied, her tone laced with teasing.
She was well aware of whether Caden was weak or not, but her aim was simply to provoke him a little in front of Blake. What bothered Caden most wasn’t Alicia’s teasing, but Blake’s presence and Alicia’s tendency to be so open about everything.
Hadn’t she been so composed just a month ago? Now, it seemed even their private jokes were on display.
Caden casually picked up a magazine and began flipping through it. Trying to appear indifferent, he asked, “Has Blake expressed his feelings to you?”
Alicia nearly choked on her water at the sudden question. “Why would he do that to me?”