Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
She stared at him in disbelief.
His words cut even deeper. “It’s a business matter. With outsiders here, it’s best to keep it private.”
Once again, Alicia found herself at a loss for words. Remembering who Alicia used to be, Gerry cleared his throat. “Fair enough.”
Alicia forced a smile. “Go ahead. I can pretend I didn’t hear anything.”
Gerry asked, “Are you interested in the bank?”
Caden scoffed, “From what I can tell, she’s still hung up on Joshua.”
Alicia immediately countered, “That’s not true.”
Her response didn’t seem to convince anyone. Gerry sighed, a hint of pity in his voice. “Alicia, don’t be like Mrs. Gray.
Love-struck fools never end well.”
Once more, Alicia found herself speechless.
She shot a sharp look at Caden.
His words cut through her, leaving her increasingly frustrated.
After dropping Gerry off at his place, Hank asked, “Ms. Bennett, where would you like me to take you?”
Alicia checked the time and realized it was still early. She had used the excuse of going to the beauty salon earlier, and the Yates family wouldn’t bother tracking her down.
She had plenty of time to spare.
Eager to learn the secret Caden was hiding, Alicia said, “You can drop Mr. Ward off first. Don’t worry about me right now.”
Hank glanced at the rearview mirror.
Caden was sitting still, completely composed.
However, something about his expression suggested he was oddly satisfied.
“Mr. Ward, where should I take you?” Hank asked.
Caden shifted slightly in his seat. “Take me back to the apartment.”
Hank understood what it meant and started driving. Alicia checked the navigation and saw that it was a twenty-minute trip.
After a brief pause, she asked, “At the party, you mentioned that others couldn’t help me, but you could. What did you mean by that?”
Caden responded with indifference, “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Alicia had no words to respond to that. His smug expression drained any interest she had in continuing the conversation. She shifted her focus to the passing scenery outside the window. The silence in the car stretched on for a while.
Eventually, Caden broke the silence. “What’s wrong? Have you lost your voice?”
Alicia turned to face him. “Why?”
Caden leaned back in his seat. “Don’t you have any more questions?”
She replied with a hint of sarcasm, “What’s the point in asking? You already said you didn’t mean anything by it.”
“And you actually believed that?” he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
“Yep.”
“You must be incredibly naive.”
Why was he insulting her again? Did he think throwing insults would somehow benefit him?
Alicia glanced at his phone, her unease growing. “What really happened between Joshua and Randolph?”
Noticing that she had taken the bait, Caden’s smirk returned. “Ms. Bennett, that’s not how you ask for a favor. Haven’t you ever tried sweet-talking a man before?”
Alicia bit back her frustration. “If I were good at sweet-talking men, do you think Joshua would’ve left me?”
Suddenly, Caden chuckled. “Fair point.”
To keep her interested, he added, “When Joshua was building his business, he needed serious financial backing, so he worked closely with the banks. A lot of his dealings went through Randolph.”
Alicia asked, “Did Randolph take his cut and cover things up for him?”
“Yes,” Caden replied.
Her heart sank, confirming what she had feared. Randolph had indeed been involved in shady dealings. Getting close to him and Rachel had been the right move after all. She leaned in closer to Caden and asked, “Can the deleted transaction records be recovered?”
He gave her a knowing smirk. Alicia’s heart skipped a beat under his gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, feeling a bit unnerved.
“I wasn’t sure why you were trying to get near Randolph, but now I get it,” Caden replied.
Alicia was speechless once again. Damn, he tricked me into showing my true intentions, she thought.
Her face tightened. “You said you could help me. That means you know something, right?”
“I did consider that, but at first, I thought you were just interested in Randolph.”
Alicia instinctively responded, “Why would I settle for less? I’ve been with better men.”
Caden remained composed, almost humbly. “I appreciate the compliment.”
Once again, Alicia found herself speechless. She blushed, turned away, and thought, I really should stop talking.
Later, Caden sent something to her email. Alicia quickly checked her inbox. “What’s this?”
“I sent you some info on Randolph.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re giving this to me just like that?”
Caden spoke with a pointed tone. “What do you think?”
Alicia clutched her phone tightly, feeling uneasy.
He tried to sound hopeful. “You’ve already given it to me. Isn’t it too late to set conditions now?”
“I only handed over a third,” she replied, her frustration growing. She hadn’t expected him to hold back some information, and she shot him a sharp glance.
Caden’s voice remained calm. “Do you want to know the rest, Ms. Bennett?”
Alicia narrowed her eyes, biting her lip as she stared at him. Of course, she wanted the rest of the information.
Her plan had been to go after Randolph through Rachel, but Rachel’s complete devotion to him made that impossible. Rachel wouldn’t help; in fact, she might even defend him against Alicia.
Caden wasn’t a good person either. He clearly had his own agenda. But, for the most part, he was always honest about his deals. Compared to Rachel, he was the better option.
Alicia wasn’t naive. She understood exactly what Caden wanted. She twisted her fingers in silence for a moment before slowly replying, “Yes.”
“Prove it,” he answered.
His words left Alicia momentarily speechless. Then, in a quieter voice, she replied, “Alright.”
Caden smirked, clearly pleased with how quickly she adjusted. “Do you know what I’m asking for?”
Alicia’s eyes flicked toward Hank, who was still driving. She felt uneasy, struggling to find her voice. “Shouldn’t we discuss this somewhere more private?”
Caden chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction.
Once they reached the apartment building, Hank left, but Caden didn’t seem in any hurry to take Alicia upstairs.
“Did we forget to buy something?” Alicia asked, feeling a wave of nervousness despite it being the middle of the day.
“What is it?” Caden didn’t answer directly. Instead, he let out a light cough.
Alicia’s eyes were drawn to the movement of his Adam’s apple, her thoughts drifting to places she hadn’t intended. She quickly rubbed her forehead, avoiding eye contact. After a pause, she said, “I’ll go get whatever it is. You head up.”
“Where exactly are you planning to buy them?” Caden asked.
Alicia paused for a moment before replying, “The supermarket?”
Caden raised an eyebrow.
“That’s a bit far. There’s a pharmacy close by.” He then gave her his apartment number and walked away.
Afterwards, Alicia made her way to the nearby pharmacy. Despite their previous encounters, she couldn’t shake the nervousness that gnawed at her.
What was about to unfold with Caden felt like opening Pandora’s box.
She knew it was dangerous, but the temptation was far too strong to ignore.
She wanted to open it and claim whatever was inside.
The shop assistant greeted her with a warm smile. “What can I help you with, Ma’am?”
Alicia didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the most expensive box of condoms, focused more on the protection than the experience.
When she arrived at Caden’s apartment, the door was unlocked, so she stepped inside.