The unwanted wife’s unexpected comeback
Chapter 81

Chapter 81:

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Alicia bit back her frustration. “If I was any good at sweet-talking men, do you think Joshua would have left me?”

Suddenly, Caden let out a chuckle. “You're right.”

To keep him interested, he added, “When Joshua was building his business, he needed serious financial backing, so he worked closely with banks. “A lot of his business went through Randolph.”

Alice asked, "Did Randolph take his cut and cover things up for her?"

“Yes,” Caden replied.

Her heart sank, confirming what she had feared. Randolph had been involved in shady dealings. Approaching him and Rachel had been the right decision after all. She read over to Caden and asked, “Can deleted transaction records be recovered?”

He gave her a knowing smile. Alice's heart skipped a beat under his gaze.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, feeling a little puzzled.

“I wasn't sure why you were trying to get close to Randolph, but I understand now,” Caden replied.

Alice was speechless once again. Damn, he's tricked me into showing my true intentions, she thought.

His face tightened. “You said you could help me. That means you know something, right?”

"I considered it, but at first I thought you were only interested in Randolph."

Alice instinctively replied, "Why should I settle for anything less? I've been with better men."

Caden kept his composure, almost humbly. “I appreciate the compliment.”

Once again Alice was speechless. She blushed, turned away, and thought, “I really should stop talking.”

Later, Caden sent her something to her email. Alicia quickly checked her inbox. “What is this?”

"I sent you information about Randolph."

His eyes lit up. “You're just going to give it to me?”

Caden spoke in a scathing tone. “What do you think?”

Alicia gripped her phone tightly, feeling uncomfortable.

I have tried to sound hopeful. “You've already given it to me. Isn’t it too late to put conditions on it now?”

“I’ve only handed over a third,” she replied, her frustration mounting. She hadn't expected him to hold back any information, and she shot him a sharp look.

Caden remained calm. “Do you want to know the rest, Miss Bennett?”

Alice narrowed her eyes, biting her lip as she stared at him. Of course, she wanted the rest of the information.

His 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 from Alicia.

Caden wasn't a good person either. It was clear that he had his own agenda. But for the most part, he was always honest in his dealings. Compared to Rachel, he was the better choice.

Alicia wasn't naive. She understood exactly what Caden wanted. She twisted her fingers silently for a moment before slowly answering, “Yes.”

“Prove it,” he replied.

His words left Alice momentarily speechless. Then, in a lower voice, he replied, “Okay.”

Caden smiled with satisfaction at how quickly he had adapted. “Do you know what I'm asking you to do?”

Alicia's eyes shifted to Hank, who was still driving. She felt awkward, struggling to replace her voice. “Shouldn’t we discuss this somewhere more private?”

Caden chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction.

Once they arrived at the apartment building, Hank left, but Caden didn't seem to be in any hurry to take Alicia upstairs.

“Did we forget to buy something?” Alice asked, feeling a wave of nervousness despite it being broad daylight.

“What is it?” Caden didn't answer directly. Instead, he let out a light cough.

Alice's eyes were drawn to the movement of his Adam's apple, her thoughts drifting to places she hadn't anticipated. She rubbed her forehead quickly, avoiding eye contact. After a pause, she said, “I'll go get whatever it is. You get on up.”

“Where exactly are you planning to buy them?” Caden asked.

Alice paused before answering, “At the supermarket?”

Caden raised an eyebrow.

"That's a bit far. There's a pharmacy nearby." Then he gave her his apartment number and left.

Alice then headed to the nearby pharmacy. Despite her previous encounters, she could not shake off the nervousness that was gnawing at her.

What was about to happen to Caden was like opening Pandora's box.

I knew it was dangerous, but the temptation was too strong to ignore.

I wanted to open it and claim whatever was inside.

The shop assistant greeted her with a warm smile. “How may I help you, ma’am?”

Alicia didn't hesitate. She grabbed the most expensive box of condoms, more focused on protection than experience.

When she arrived at Caden's apartment, the door was open, so she walked in.

It was his first time here, and the huge floor-to-ceiling window immediately caught his eye, reflecting the bright sky like a giant mirror.

Nearby was a desk under a tall bookshelf that extended upward, filled with books and scattered machine parts.

The apartment's design reflected Caden's personality: elegant, minimalist, luxurious and impressive.

But for some reason, he also felt distant and cold.

There was hardly any sign of anyone living there. Alicia assumed that Caden probably didn't spend much time in this space.

Maybe I just stayed here from time to time. Had he ever brought women here? I had no idea.

Alice opened the shoe rack looking for a pair of slippers, but it was completely empty.

She decided to walk barefoot. The dark tiles on the floor made her toes stand out even more. Caden stood nearby, silently observing the contrast of her skin against the dark floor.

"If there are no slippers, you don't have to take off your shoes," he said.

She hadn't realized how close she had gotten.

"Aren't you worried about the dirt my shoes would leave?" she asked.

Caden didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation. "Did you get them?"

Alice's uneasiness returned, and she gripped the bag tighter. The soft creak of the plastic was the only sound that filled the silence.

“Yes,” she said, her voice tense but her words bold. “I bought the extra large ones.”

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