Chapter 216:
Alicia was surprised by the intensity of her own reaction. Ever since she saw Yolanda, she had been deeply upset, acutely aware of her lingering feelings for Caden and the presence of another woman. She tried to console herself, to distance herself, to convince herself it didn’t matter.
Yet, when Caden touched her, her facade crumbled.
She pressed her lips together, looking away as she said, “I’m sure you don’t want the others to get the wrong idea, Mr. Ward.”
Caden sneered in response.
“What wrong idea?” he retorted coldly.
Alicia was at a loss for words, her lips still tightly pressed. She was haunted by the memory of his concern for Yolanda and how he had dismissed her gift as if it meant nothing. Standing before him now, she felt utterly humiliated.
Trying to leave, Alicia turned to get into the car, but Caden caught her wrist and pulled her back sharply.
“Are you this two-faced, Alicia?” His dark eyes, filled with disapproval, bore into hers. “You act like a stranger when we aren’t in bed,” he accused.
His grip was painful, yet her heart felt nothing.
Desiring no confrontation, she replied softly, “We’ve made our position clear. What is it that you don’t understand?”
“I understand. But do you?” he countered. “If you wanted to end things, why reach out to me afterward?”
Alicia paused, struck by the question, then realized her mistake. Avoiding his gaze, she confessed, “I wanted to apologize to you.”
Caden’s sneer deepened, his disbelief evident.
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His smile sent a chill through her.
He clearly doubted her sincerity.
Anger and confusion filled Alicia that night. So, she had reached out to apologize.
Why would he believe her sincerity? In his eyes, she was merely a source of pleasure, and any interaction between them was inevitably tied to sexual encounters. She was not Yolanda, and that difference loomed large between them. Caden considered Yolanda his equal in status and skill, calling a marriage to her “a bargaining chip” in his candid moments.
Tears welled up in Alicia’s eyes as she spoke softly. “I was wrong. Making that call was a mistake. I shouldn’t have faltered and spoken so irrationally with you for so long.”
Caden’s face remained expressionless, his emotions carefully concealed. The air between them grew heavy with tension.
She gathered her courage and faced him. “What are we going to do?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “Do you want another intimate encounter? I’ll agree this time, and you can decide what happens. But after that, we go our separate ways. Is that acceptable?”
A flash of anger flickered in Caden’s eyes, not from desire, but from rage. He released her hand abruptly, his voice cold as ice.
“Do I really scare you that much? To be free of me, you’d propose something like this?”
Alicia stood frozen, her vision blurred by tears. Ashamed of being pitied by him, she turned away, unable to stop the tears that fell, betraying her distress. Panicking, she rushed to her car.
Caden, unbothered, returned to his own vehicle and lit a cigarette. The nicotine briefly numbed his senses.
Alicia’s car roared to life and vanished into the neon-lit night ahead. A mocking smile curled on Caden’s lips as he pondered whether he was ridiculing Alicia or loathing himself.
His phone lit up with a new message. Yolanda’s text read, “Sorry, Caden, I stained your scarf. I’ve bought a replacement. May I bring it over tomorrow?”
Caden read her considerate words. Her message highlighted her compliance and thoughtfulness, a sharp contrast to the turmoil Alicia left behind.
Caden wondered why Alicia couldn’t adopt the traits that others seemed to have. Wouldn’t they be happier if Alicia were more submissive, more typical?
Just as this thought began to settle, it agitated him once again. He grimaced, started the car, and drove off.
The following day, Yolanda arrived early at the company, holding a scarf identical to the original. Caden, preoccupied with his own thoughts, didn’t meet her. Instead, Hank greeted her at the door.
“Miss Moss, it’s best you return home for the day. Mr. Ward will be occupied and cannot meet with you,” Hank said.
Yolanda, always understanding when to advance and when to retreat, smiled politely. “Please convey to him that he is welcome to dine at Joy Mansion tonight if he is available. Ciara misses him.”
Hank nodded in acknowledgment and passed on the message to Caden. Caden responded indifferently, “We’ll see.”
Hank noticed the tension in Caden’s demeanor and suspected it had something to do with Alicia. He offered a quiet observation.
“Miss Moss is quite polite and gentle,” Hank remarked, placing the scarf next to Caden. “It’s unfortunate that she’s not to your taste.”
“Do you know that for sure?” Caden replied coldly.
“Do you have feelings for Miss Moss?” Hank asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
Caden scowled in response, his mood darkening. Restlessness overcame him, and he threw aside the document he had been holding.
The scarf sat beside his hand, a stark reminder of the one he had discarded the previous night. His mind began to flood with memories—scattered images from the past resurfacing.
He suddenly recalled the day he had argued with Alicia.
“Hank.” Caden’s voice broke the silence. “Did Alicia ever give me a scarf similar to this one?”
Hank was momentarily taken aback. He examined the scarf closely, trying to recall. “I believe so—it’s been some time. That was the last day Ms. Bennett was here.”
Caden fell silent, realization washing over him. The connection became clear.
The conflict between them had escalated quickly, and they had parted ways under strained circumstances. Caden had carelessly thrown the scarf aside, unaware of where it might end up. However, Yolanda had found it and flaunted it in front of Alicia before he eventually discarded it into the bin.
If his memory served him correctly, that scarf had been the first significant gift Alicia had ever given him.
He turned to Hank and asked, “Do you remember the look on Alicia’s face when she last visited?”
Hank recalled the moment vividly. “She was ecstatic. Her eyes were shining brightly, like stars. I even joked about whether she was planning a date with you after work.”
