Chapter 33:
Alicia woke up as she was unceremoniously deposited into the car.
She instinctively huddled into herself, her wide, wary eyes scanning the interior of the vehicle.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
Hank turned to look at her and smiled reassuringly. “It’s all right, Miss Bennett. It’s just me and Mr. Ward. You’re allergic to alcohol, so we’re taking you to the hospital right now.”
The mention of a hospital immediately set Alicia on edge. “No! Please, can we not go?”
Hank paused, glancing over at Caden for guidance.
Caden, himself uncomfortable with hospitals, hesitated for a moment. Then, his expression remained unreadable as he spoke. “Just stop by a pharmacy, get her some antihistamines, then take her home.”
Hank agreed, starting the car.
The car moved slowly down the road, though sharp turns couldn’t be avoided. With every swerve, Alicia’s head seemed to spin even faster.
When they finally pulled over in front of her apartment, Alicia struggled to keep her eyes open, forcing herself out of the car. The moment her feet touched the ground, her knees buckled, and she almost collapsed.
“Mr. Ward,” Hank said, unable to watch her in such a state. “Shouldn’t we help her upstairs?”
Caden watched Alicia with narrowed eyes as she staggered, swaying with every step.
“She can still walk, can’t she?” Caden said dryly.
“I know Miss Bennett has a stubborn streak, Mr. Ward,” Hank said, “but she’s actually a very nice person.”
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“If you’re so concerned about her, why don’t you help her then?”
Hank felt a twinge of unease at Caden’s words. His grip tightened on the steering wheel, but he made no move to leave the car.
Alicia continued to struggle, finally reaching the lawn.
At that point, Hank spoke up again. “Are we really just going to leave her here, Mr. Ward?”
Caden’s face remained blank, though a muscle ticked in his jaw. What a stubborn little thing. She was practically crawling in and out of consciousness, yet still refused to ask for help.
Taking a deep breath, Caden got out of the car. “Hand over the antihistamines.”
Hank quickly complied, passing the medicine over. As he did, he noticed the cut on Caden’s hand. “Mr. Ward, did you get scratched by a stray cat again?”
Caden huffed in irritation, walking away from the car without responding.
Alicia was surprisingly docile in her drunken state, and she answered Caden’s questions without hesitation. It didn’t take long for him to get her unit number.
He helped her up to her floor and opened the door to her apartment.
Caden continued to support Alicia with one arm while fumbling for the light switch with his free hand. A clicking sound rang out, but the lights remained off.
Caden froze for a moment, looking down at his feet. At first, he didn’t feel anything, but the dim light from the hallway revealed that he had stepped on a mousetrap.
The pain began to set in, gradually intensifying. Caden gritted his teeth and kicked his foot free with a frustrated grunt.
He glanced at Alicia, still unconscious, a string of curses at the ready. But he held them back.
It would be better to scold her when she was awake and sober.
Finally, Caden found the light switch and turned it on. The apartment wasn’t large—just one bedroom—but it was neat and tidy.
Caden gingerly set Alicia down on the sofa.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she squinted her eyes open. Thanks to the alcohol, her usual hostility toward Caden was nowhere to be found. If anything, she looked dazed and confused.
Caden placed the medicine on the coffee table. “These are antihistamines. Be sure to take them.”
He started to leave, but Alicia’s hand suddenly shot out, grabbing his sleeve.
Caden looked back at her with a slight frown.
Alicia opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, her vision went dark.
She froze for a couple of seconds, then her hand moved from Caden’s sleeve to his forearm, clutching it tightly.
Caden pursed his lips and glanced out the window. All the lights in the complex were out.
It must be a power outage.
Afraid that he would leave, Alicia scooted closer to Caden. He tried to pull his hand free, but Alicia reacted quickly, pouncing on him and wrapping her arms around him in a desperate embrace.
Caden couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her act so vulnerable. “Aren’t you supposed to be tough and brave?” he scoffed. “What, are you actually afraid of the dark?”
He felt Alicia stiffen, but she said nothing. In truth, she was absolutely terrified. She didn’t even care if Caden mocked her for it.
Caden still had her phone, so he switched on the flashlight to light up the room. Coincidentally, a message popped up on the screen—it was from the apartment complex group chat, informing the tenants that the power would be restored in about half an hour.
He relayed the message to Alicia before reaching for the medicines and taking out a pill. “Open your mouth.”
Alicia turned her head to face him and obediently opened her mouth. Though her mind was still foggy, she was aware of her actions. Without much thought, she flicked her tongue against Caden’s finger as he placed the pill in her mouth.
Caden swallowed audibly at the warm, wet sensation against his skin. “Still the temptress, even when it’s something as mundane as taking medicine.”
Alicia blinked at him, her eyes still glassy. Without any water to swallow the pill with, it quickly dissolved in her mouth. She nuzzled Caden’s neck and muttered, “It tastes awful.” He could hear the whine in her voice.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked coldly.
Alicia didn’t respond.
Suddenly, Caden felt a wetness against his throat. Warm tears were trickling down his collar and disappearing into his shirt.
He found himself holding Alicia flush against his chest. This was the second time she cried today. How unusual.
Alicia continued to weep silently for a few minutes before slowly lifting her head. Caden had placed her phone on the coffee table, and the light coming from it cast a large shadow over his handsome face.
Alicia cupped his face with both hands and stared up at him in a daze. Her wide, watery eyes were like twin pools, beckoning him closer.
“Why?” she rasped. “What did I ever do to you? Why do you treat me like this?”
Caden remained calm. “Alicia, take a good look at me. I am Caden, not Joshua.”
Alicia leaned against him with a broken sigh. Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks as she rested her forehead against his.
Caden frowned. He had never liked getting involved with women, especially when they were emotional, but something in Alicia’s eyes kept him rooted in place.
“Two years ago,” Alicia began, her voice achingly soft. “Why did you cheat? The first place was supposed to be mine. Everybody knew it.”
Caden’s breath caught in his throat.
Alicia hadn’t mistaken him.
Caden’s gaze bore into her face. “Who told you I cheated? It was Joshua, wasn’t it?”
Alicia’s lips curled into a self-derisive smile. She had performed exceptionally well in that competition two years ago. She had been slated to win first place, but at the last second, the judges changed their decision, awarding the prize to Caden instead.
Joshua had told her all about it. He had investigated the matter and discovered that Caden had orchestrated the whole thing.
If Caden hadn’t stolen the first-place award from her, her parents would have returned home early that day. Maybe they wouldn’t have died.
Her silence confirmed everything. Caden sneered. “Of course, it’s him. Whatever Joshua says is the truth, right? You believe everything that comes out of his mouth.”
