The unwanted wife’s unexpected comeback

Chapter 6:

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Alice's face, pale from the cold, flushed crimson. The humiliation of letting her nemesis see her in such a sorry state stung more than the biting cold rain. She leaned against the car door, trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

Caden's eyes lingered on her legs.

“You have great legs,” he commented nonchalantly. “Joshua seems to like them. And I’m sure a lot of other men do too.”

He bowed his head, fingers drumming quietly on the armrest, the rhythm as maddening as his words.

"In fact, I'd wager that quite a few would find them... irresistible."

A lump formed in Alice's throat and a shiver ran down her spine.

It was pitch black outside, and with the pouring rain, common sense dictated that it was not safe for a woman to be outside alone. However, the way Caden said it made it seem like what was a mere statistical possibility was now a foregone conclusion. What a disgusting jerk!

She hesitated, but her options were limited. With a reluctant sigh, Alicia buckled her seatbelt, pressing herself against the door as if it could somehow protect her from the man sitting next to her.

The soaked dress clung to her like a second layer of skin, the discomfort eating away at her. She couldn't help but hunch her shoulders, shivering in the cold. Without a word, Caden tossed the coat onto her lap. The weight of the coat surprised her, but she quickly wrapped herself in it, grateful for the warmth.

The coat gave off Caden's unique musk, a mix of cologne and something raw, masculine. It clung to the fabric, penetrating her senses and dragging her back to that fateful night…

The familiar voice.

The familiar smell.

Alice's heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she realized. Could it really be him?

Oh, God… It couldn't be!

The ridiculousness of the idea made her shudder again, but she couldn't shake her suspicion. She turned her head stiffly to study him, hoping to find some answer on his face.

Caden, oblivious to her confusion, didn't even look up from his phone.

"Stop looking at me. I'm not interested."

Idiot!

Alice ignored the blow and cleared her throat.

"So, Caden, when did you get back?"

Only then did he look up from his phone.

He looked at her with distant amusement, as if admiring a pretty bird in a cage.

«The 14th.

Her heart dropped like a stone, her mind spinning with the weight of those words.

The 14th?

It was the day of his "incident."

With her heart pounding in her chest, she continued with her questions.

"And where were you staying that day?"

Caden leaned back, a smug smile dancing on his lips as he watched her squirm. He seemed to enjoy watching her panic.

"I don't remember. I was too busy fucking a girl."

Fucking a girl?

Alice felt her mouth go dry in an instant.

This still didn't prove anything, but anxiety was eating away at her inside.

Before she could ask him further, Caden's phone range, breaking the tension.

He replied lazily, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you looking for?"

The cinema manager's voice cracked through the line.

«A ring».

Caden looked at Alicia's delicate hands.

He hadn't heard a word the caller had said, but the look on his face was enough to make him frown. Without thinking, he clasped his hands together.

When the call ended, Caden's voice was tinged with mockery.

"Didn't Joshua spend a fortune on a bracelet for you? Why don't you wear it?"

At this Alice's expression darkened. She spoke with a coldness that hid the sting beneath.

“He bought it for his lover,” he murmured nonchalantly.

Caden let out a low, humorless laugh.

"Generous, isn't it? Spending a fortune on a dog collar."

Alice said nothing, but felt a strange satisfaction at his words.

And so the weight of her previous doubts and worries faded into the background.

It didn't matter who the man had been that night. She had used him, and that was that. She had moved on.

When they got to Monica's house, Alicia hesitated. She wondered if she should thank Caden, but in the end, she said stiffly,

"I'll wash the coat and send it to the Yates mansion."

Caden, never the gentleman to be around, gave her a mocking smile.

"If you messed it up, just give me fifty thousand in cash."

Hey?

Alice blinked in bewilderment.

Fifty thousand? For this coat?

I could probably buy something better than this rag with that amount of money.

But before, she hadn't complained while using it. Now, with no room to protest, she forced herself to obey.

After transferring the money to his account, he wiped his wet legs and feet on his coat and handed it back to her with a mocking smile.

«Next time, Mr. Ward, I suggest you invest in a better coat. This one is a bit rough.

Caden's laughter filled the car.

Hard? Huh.

That night, she had clung to him, soaking his clothes.

She hadn't complained about his rudeness then.

Recalling the scenes from that night, his throat went dry. He swallowed and lit a cigarette to drown the pain he felt.

But even nicotine couldn't calm him down...

When Caden arrived at his apartment, Hank was already waiting at the door, ready to bring him up to date on company matters.

Caden had left him specific instructions to reorganize everything from top to bottom, which Hank had taken care of.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Hank added after reporting everything. “I saw Joshua at the station earlier. “He seemed to be looking for Miss Bennett.”

Caden let out a high-pitched laugh, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he tossed Hank a bottle of water.

"The ever submissive Alice finally stood up to him, and he liked it. Imagine that."

Now that they were talking about Alicia, Hank handed Caden a ring and asked, "Should I give the ring back to Miss Bennett or tell her to pick it up herself?"

Caden looked at the ring.

It was just a small, plain silver band, with no diamonds to speak of.

It was too big, a little loose, probably slipped during the… intensity of that night.

Cheap material, even cheaper feeling.

However, Alice was desperate to get it back.

Caden's lips curved into a cynical smile. What did she have besides that seductive body? Not much.

Hank sighed, almost regretfully. “If Miss Bennett weren't your sister-in-law, Mr. Ward, perhaps your troubles…”

Hearing this, Caden's expression darkened, and Hank immediately fell silent.

“It was the drugs,” Caden hissed, his voice high as ice.

Without thinking, Hank corrected him.

"But it was Miss Bennett who was drugged, sir."

Caden's fingers curled tighter around the ring, the cold metal digging into his palm. The atmosphere dropped several hundred degrees, a chill sliding through the room.

“My apologies, Mr. Ward. I spoke out of turn,” Hank muttered, taking a step back, eyes downcast.

Caden's gaze drifted down to a part of himself that was already reacting to the thought of Alicia. Just thinking about her excited him.

With a malicious smile, he added, almost to himself: "We'll know where the problem really lies... after another round."

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