Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Instead of hiring male escorts, however, they ate, drank, and danced to their hearts’ content – all by themselves. Once Monica had enough fun for the night, Alicia drove her home. Then, she stopped by an ATM to withdraw some cash.
Parked by the roadside, with the night breeze blowing through her open window, Alicia took out her phone and sent Caden a message. “Are you off work yet?” It took him ten minutes to reply. “Miss me already?” By then, Alicia was already out of the car.
She entered the Holt Group carrying a bag of snacks and went straight to the CEO’s office on the top floor.
Alicia knocked on the door. It had been left slightly ajar, and through the gap, she saw that Caden was alone inside.
“Come in,” he called out in his usual cool demeanor.
Alicia pushed through the door. “Good evening, Mr. Ward.” Caden looked up from his desk. His eyes darkened at the sight of Alicia, and his lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. “Are you done playing outside?”
Alicia sighed and acted like she was exhausted after having fun, although her neat clothes indicated she hadn’t been intimate with other men. “Yes, yes. It was nothing special, though. None of those boy toys could match your skills, Mr. Ward.”
She set the snacks on his desk and walked around to plop herself on Caden’s lap.
It was rare for her to be so forward, but it was certainly effective. Caden’s fatigue from a hard day’s work vanished in an instant, replaced by a sudden spike of excitement.
He even forgot what he had been doing before she arrived.
Caden buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. “How many boys did you play around with tonight?”
He had shaved this morning, but a bit of stubble was already growing back.
It was still too short to trim again, but it tickled Alicia’s delicate skin, making her squirm in his embrace.
“I didn’t play with anyone,” she muttered. “That’s why I came here – so I can play with you.”
Caden chuckled under his breath. “Can’t keep a secret at all, can you?”
Alicia didn’t retort. She wasn’t planning on deceiving him for long, anyway.
If anything, she was only here to deliver some snacks and enjoy a bit of banter. But his touch, his voice, his scent… Her mind was reeling from his presence.
For a moment, she couldn’t tell who was the one with the hidden ailment.
The next thing she knew, Caden had removed her clothes with practiced ease.
Alicia cupped his face in her hands as she straddled him, admiring his handsome features. He looked even more debonair without his glasses.
“Caden,” she sighed. “You should really consider becoming a movie star. Then, I’d become the world’s richest woman without lifting a finger to work.”
Caden was well aware of his looks. He gazed at her with a smile in his eyes. “If I did become an actor, would you hire me for the night?”
Alicia wrapped her arms around his neck and cocked her head to the side. “It depends. Are you expensive?”
“Over ten thousand.”
Alicia frowned. “That cheap? Are your services any good?”
“Over ten thousand per minute,” Caden reiterated.
Alicia clicked her tongue. “Are you made of gold down there, Mr. Ward? That would make 600 thousand for a single hour.”
Caden raised an eyebrow. “Oh, but you know just how long I last.”
As a matter of fact, Alicia didn’t know. Or rather, she couldn’t.
All she really knew for certain was that he was like a tireless beast in bed. She was always worn out long before he was satisfied.
Alicia thought about his hourly rate, and her mind began to wander. Before long, she was daydreaming of becoming an obscenely rich woman.
“Why don’t I be your manager, and you can bring in all the money for both of us?” Alicia suggested with sparkling eyes. “Imagine how much you’ll earn if you work eight hours a day. I’ll get a thirty percent cut from your earnings, and the rest is yours. What do you think?”
Caden laughed and shook his head. “But would you hire my services?”
Although he was essentially poking fun at himself, his words were still tempting.
Thankfully, Alicia had come prepared. She pulled out several bills from her purse and tucked them into his belt.
“Of course,” she crooned. “But since we’re close and all, do you think you can give me a discount, Mr. Ward?”
Caden glanced briefly at the cash strapped to his waist. “Eighty dollars? It doesn’t matter how close we are, I can’t give you too much of a discount. It goes too far.”
Alicia burst out laughing.
Caden basked in the joyous sound, even as he pushed her back onto the desk. He was about to pounce on her when his phone vibrated. It cut their little play short.
Curious, Alicia picked it up and saw that there was an ongoing call with Gerry.
She gasped, her eyes darting frantically to Caden. Only then did Caden remember what he had been doing before Alicia came.
Gerry had called to talk about his movie, and Caden had let him ramble on while he continued checking the documents piled up on his desk.
He had forgotten all about it the moment he saw Alicia’s face.
He grabbed the phone and checked the call’s duration. It had been over ten minutes already.
Had Gerry heard their scandalous conversation?
Caden immediately ended the call, feeling a bit sheepish.
At first, Alicia was angry and embarrassed. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that, between the two of them, Caden was at a greater disadvantage. After all, he was notorious for being aloof and celibate, the epitome of a cold and domineering CEO.
Who would have thought that he was capable of saying such obscene things?
Soon, Alicia’s negative feelings turned into amusement. “Oh, no. Considering what a blabbermouth Gerry is, everyone will be talking about your plans to be a gigolo by tomorrow morning.”
Caden was seething. He couldn’t even bring himself to say anything.
With his lust doused so unceremoniously, he sat back with a huff and held her. Still not saying anything, he took out one of the snacks she brought and started to eat. Alicia hadn’t made them, but they tasted delicious, and they enjoyed the food while wrapped in each other’s arms. It was a warm and cozy moment between lovers.
And then Caden’s phone buzzed again.
An entertainment news alert popped up on the screen. Alicia reached for it first. “Wow, did Gerry really spread rumors about you?” she teased.
She tapped on the notification, and a photo popped up on the screen.
Alicia’s smile froze, and all the color drained from her face.
Caden noticed her unusual behavior and instinctively reached for his phone.
The headline blazed across the screen: “Breaking Sensation from Hampton Group: Code Q Humanoid Robot – Personally Endorsed by Mr. Hampton as a True Human Substitute.”
An image accompanying the article displayed a robot dressed in lifelike clothing, with a mask, flowing hair, and a delicate, almost human face. It was unsettlingly realistic.
However, it didn’t resemble Caden’s mother.
The office fell silent as he and Alicia exchanged looks, the unspoken understanding clear in their gazes.
“The chip you handed to the Moss family ended up with Corey. He’s claimed it as his own and put your unreleased model on the market under his name,” Alicia said, her voice measured, though a tremor of frustration crept in. “It might not have your mother’s face, but everything else screams your design. It’s a bold copycat move. And to think I once believed Corey was trustworthy!”
Caden squeezed her hand, studying the image intently.
“Corey could never have designed something so close to our prototype in such a short time. The likeness might fool some, but those pupils don’t lie. He definitely got his hands on the chip.”
With the important chip now in his grasp, building a humanoid model would be a simple task.
Success was only a matter of time.
After venting her frustration, Alicia sensed a deeper meaning in Caden’s earlier words. “What are you getting at?”
Caden kept his cool. “If he has the chip, why not perfect it before going public? The wealthy demand top-notch quality, but he seems oddly unconcerned. That kind of behavior points to something deeper.”
This wasn’t just about launching a new product. It was a veiled warning aimed squarely at Caden, a clear attempt to get under his skin.
Corey’s abrupt hostility had Caden questioning his real agenda.
They had no personal grudges or business conflicts. Could it really be because a few clients chose to terminate their contracts with him?
Who would buy that excuse?
Caden stayed level-headed, refusing to jump to conclusions.
Noticing his calm resolve, Alicia tried to reassure him. “Just because he has the chip doesn’t mean he’ll reap any rewards. He knows nothing about what he’s taken and will likely run into more than a few problems.” But honestly, how likely were they to be that lucky?
After all, Corey was also established in the tech world, surrounded by talent and resources. Any problem he faced could be handled swiftly.
Caden closed off the topic with a shrug. “That’s business. If Corey isn’t worried about criticism, let him profit.”
Alicia looked at him in surprise. “You’re not going to do anything about it?”
“I can’t. I handed it over. If Dorian decided to pass it along to Corey, it means he has the skills.”
Alicia let out a soft gasp.
She understood his logic, but it still seemed unfair to Caden.
After all, he had put in years of hard work, only to see the benefits go to someone else.
Once the robot was completed, it would be easy to sell to wealthy buyers in big cities, even as a novelty. Corey would profit handsomely, having invested very little himself.
Seeing Alicia’s frustration, Caden felt even more determined to keep her out of this corporate battle.