Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
With a pause, Corey opted to keep the specifics vague.
“In Greenland.”
Alicia nodded and said, “We should travel in March. It should be warmer then.”
At that time, Greenland was experiencing heavy snowfall, which Alicia had preferred to avoid. During a quiet moment, Corey gazed at her composed profile and asked, “If you encountered Caden again, would you consider reuniting with him?”
Alicia answered promptly, “No.”
A wave of relief washed over Corey. Alicia’s enhanced abilities made it unlikely that Caden could forcefully take her away. For now, Corey found it hard to release Alicia. Machines could be updated or replaced every few years, but Alicia’s body was a continuous source of new blood. Maintaining her close was his surest safeguard.
Soon, three months passed. The winter in Warrington persisted into March, and though the snowfall had ceased, the cold lingered. Traveling to Greenland, Alicia and Corey were together on the flight.
Alicia broached a financial issue, saying, “Finance reported an unaccounted expenditure of two hundred million last week. You didn’t inform me about it.”
“What was the purpose?”
Corey, after taking a sip of water, asked, “Why are you auditing me now?”
“It’s two hundred million, not just two hundred,” Alicia replied. She typically overlooked smaller sums but demanded explanations for larger expenditures.
“What was the money used for?”
Her questioning was sharp and to the point.
With an air of nonchalance, Corey responded, “It was a conciliatory gesture to Caden. To get him to step down from the competition, I had to show some sincerity.”
Alicia smirked with a hint of irony.
“Is two hundred million really sufficient for him?”
At that moment, a flight attendant arrived with two glasses of water. After exchanging a glance with the flight attendant, Corey handed Alicia a glass.
“Now that he knows you’re the main force behind the Hampton Group, he’s been taking it easy on me. Maybe he wants to prevent you from having to spend.”
After quenching her thirst with half a glass of water, Alicia set it down. She dismissed Corey’s earlier comments and demanded, “Where’s the contract with the medical company? I need to see it.”
Corey fell silent. There wasn’t actually a contract yet. But it would be ready once Alicia was in Warrington.
“I’ll find it now,” Corey replied, opening her laptop and beginning to search.
Shortly thereafter, the drug started to take effect. Dizziness overwhelmed her, and her eyelids became heavy. Sensing that something was off, she looked suspiciously at her glass of water and then at Corey, confused.
“Why…” Corey’s voice was soothing.
“Just take a moment to relax.”
Alicia tried to take deep breaths and wanted to question his actions, but the drug’s strength overwhelmed her, and she lost consciousness.
She was unaware of how long she had been out.
When Alicia suddenly woke up, she was on a hotel bed, still fully dressed and feeling no aftereffects. She hurried to the window and gazed down.
Below was the distinct silhouette of Warrington’s Blizzard Building. Its advertising screen shone brightly, dominated by Caden’s stern and striking image. The display made his features almost seem to gleam, emphasizing his elite status.
Alicia’s heart thumped uncontrollably at the sight of his image.
Turning away from the window, she reached for her phone to question Corey, only to discover a message from him.
“Caden has requested that you sign the contract. Ms. Bennett, my apologies for any inconvenience.”
Included in the message was the location for the signing, on the third floor of the hotel she was in. Caden had been waiting for her in that private room.
Alicia had never imagined that Caden would team up with Corey just to set her up. Was it really all about that machine? Or had Caden been behind this from the start?
Doubt flashed in Alicia’s eyes, but she quickly dismissed the latter thought. It had been two years, after all. The Caden she once knew was long gone. He had had his share of wild times and met tons of gorgeous, impressive women since then. There was no way he’d still remember her. If he felt anything for her now, it was probably just pure resentment. He had to hate her for tricking him into going to City Hall to wait for a whole day, only for her to stand him up.
Caden was the king of holding grudges. So, tonight’s negotiation was probably just a setup with no escape.
Alicia decided to call Corey first. As soon as the call connected, Corey jumped in.
“So, how’d it go? Did you get the machine?”
Alicia’s voice turned icy.
“Corey, have you really sunk so low to betray me and set me up? What about your sister? Have you thought about what’ll happen to her if something happens to me today?”
That hit Corey hard, and his tone instantly softened.
“Come on, you know how much you mean to me. I’d never put you in danger. Relax, this hotel is under my name, and my people are around to make sure you’re safe.”
Before Alicia could get mad, Corey quickly cut in.
“Look, if it wasn’t for Caden being so stubborn, I wouldn’t have taken such a risky move. Alicia, that machine helps both of us. I know you can pull this off.”
Alicia pressed her lips together and let out a slow breath. Corey’s actions were pretty low, but he had a point. They needed that machine, and they had to make some tough calls to get it.
Alicia took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
“Did Caden mention any conditions?”
Corey shrugged.
“He already took the two hundred million. He’s just waiting for you to sign the transfer contract with him.”
After a pause, Corey noticed her hesitation.
“Hey, what’s up? Afraid he’ll try to sleep with you?”
Alicia didn’t feel like arguing, so she stayed quiet.
Corey chuckled mischievously.
“If he wants to sleep with you, just go for it. He’s probably good in bed, and you might even enjoy it.”
Annoyed, Alicia hung up the phone. Her eyes wandered to the skyscraper outside the window, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. Caden was already waiting in the private room. Dinner time was over, and the food on the table had started to get cold.
A server walked in and asked, “Mr. Ward, would you like us to prepare fresh food to serve when your guest arrives?” Caden’s expression didn’t change.
“Yes,” he said flatly.
Just then, his phone rang.
The number was unfamiliar, but for some reason, it made his heart skip. He picked up, and a familiar voice spoke.
“Mr. Ward, my secretary has arrived. He’ll sign the contract on my behalf.”
The words were sharp and professional, completely emotionless. It felt like a cold hand had wrapped around his throat, choking the air from him.
He paused for a moment, his voice rough.
“Ms. Bennett, you’re sending a secretary to brush me off for a deal like this?”
Alicia wasn’t surprised by his response. She answered calmly, “Is a total of over two hundred million a big deal for you, Mr. Ward?”
Maybe her words were a little too cold, because Caden’s heartbeat started to steady. He narrowed his eyes, leaning back.
“Blizzard Group treats every project the same, no matter how big or small.”
Alicia responded, “Then I’m sorry, but I’m really not available right now.”
Caden went quiet all of a sudden. Alicia couldn’t see his face or tell what he was thinking, but she guessed he was probably running out of patience.
After a while, Caden spoke in a low voice.
“Alright, Ms. Bennett, since you’re really unavailable, I won’t push. Have your secretary come to me.” Then, he hung up first.
Alicia stood there for a second, realizing only after the call ended that her palm was sweaty. Alicia didn’t leave.
She stayed in her hotel room, delving into the changes in Warrington over the past couple of years. She had to admit, she was pretty scared about it. In all that time, she had never once searched for anything about Caden.
While Corey battled with him both openly and behind the scenes, Alicia kept her distance, working quietly in the background. She only heard about Caden’s impressive achievements and saw his name everywhere. But she never had the nerve to face him, unsure if he’d moved on or perhaps even started a new relationship.
The screen displayed a detailed profile of Caden, Warrington’s top entrepreneur and most prominent figure. His biggest achievement was establishing two major hospitals last year, using technology to make a real impact on people’s lives.
Alicia frowned and clicked on the hospital info to dig deeper, but just as she did, her phone suddenly rang. Her heart skipped a beat, thinking it was her secretary calling to confirm the contract.
Instead, her secretary’s voice trembled on the phone.
“Ms. Bennett, please help me!”
Alicia tensed up.
“What’s going on?”
She heard some rustling on the other end, followed by the sound of her secretary’s sobs fading out, replaced by an unfamiliar voice.
“Ms. Bennett, your secretary made a mistake and upset some people. Will you come get him, or should we take care of it ourselves?”
Alicia arrived at the designated private room ten minutes later. Two men dressed in sharp suits stood by the door-Caden’s bodyguards, no doubt. As soon as they recognized Alicia, they opened the door with a respectful gesture.
“Ms. Bennett, welcome. We are glad you could make it. Please, come in.”