The unwanted wife’s unexpected comeback

Chapter 22:

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As soon as Caden finished speaking, Gerry's eyes snapped open. It took him a few seconds to process that Caden was standing next to him.

Eyes wide, Gerry removed his headphones and asked, confused, “When did you get here?”

"Right now, actually."

Caden had arrived late, so Alicia had already finished recording the song. There was no way she was going to perform it again just because he had walked in. Not that it mattered, Caden wasn't particularly interested in music. He was there to have fun, nothing more.

But Gerry's reaction was something else entirely. "It's exactly what I imagined; in fact, more than I expected. No wonder he can compete with you for the top spot. He's very talented, Caden."

Caden studied him, intrigued. Gerry, a man rarely impressed, especially when he came to other artists, seemed unusually enthusiastic.

“Oh, yeah?” Caden replied, his tone deliberately nonchalant. “I guess I’m going to lose our bet.”

“You better get that groundwork ready for the handover,” Gerry joked with a smirk as he handed the lyric sheet to Caden. “Don't feel too bad about missing the recording session. Here, check out his lyrics instead. Maybe you can learn a thing or two from his lyrics.”

Caden picked up the piece of paper and scanned the page silently. He let out a sigh, raising an eyebrow. “I thought your movie was about Transformers fighting zombies. Why are the lyrics so… heartfelt?”

“What?” Gerry's mood changed instantly. His bright eyes narrowed, irritation creeping into his tone. “Zombies”? Really? It's a heartwarming sci-fi movie. Didn't I send you a copy? Haven’t you seen it?”

“Oh, I don't watch cartoons,” Caden replied nonchalantly.

“Cartoons?” Gerry snapped indignantly. “It's 3D animation! It's not a cartoon. “I spent a fortune.”

At that moment, the door creaked and Alice came out.

Caden looked up and stared. The warm light from the recording booth spilled into the room, casting a soft glow over his face. He looked like an angel.

Alicia discreetly massaged the pain in her back, her voice calm but tired. “Mr. Hopkins, let's wrap things up for today. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to get in touch, okay?”

Hearing this, Gerry looked at his watch.

"In fact, I've booked a spot at an exclusive rooftop restaurant downtown. Would you like to join us for dinner, Alicia?"

She hesitated, a flicker of discomfort crossing her features. But declining the invitation would not sit well with her business relationship with Gerry, so she agreed, albeit reluctantly.

The restaurant, located in the city center, was a thirty-minute drive away. Gerry settled into the passenger seat, while Alicia and Caden shared the backseat. Without saying anything to each other, they gravitated toward their respective windows, the space between them just wide enough to park a car.

Gerry, ever the optimist, was already flipping through the listings for the best properties. He was looking for photos of expensive and hard-to-find properties. Smiling brightly, he even showed a few to Caden. “What do you think of this one?”

Caden looked at the photos with disdain, his tone cold. “Why don't you go get the White House while you're at it?”

“If you can get it, I'll take it,” Gerry joked without missing a beat. More photos followed.

“Pick one of these,” Gerry said, completely at ease.

Caden's lips twisted into a slight smirk. “Careful. You don’t want to count your chickens before they hatch.”

Alicia shifted slightly beside him, and the subtle movement caught Caden's attention. He turned his head, his gaze sharp. She quickly stiffened, pretending to be absorbed in the scenery outside. Her long, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, partially obscuring her face. But Caden noticed that her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

He didn't say anything, but his gaze lingered for a moment before returning to the conversation.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Caden and Gerry quickly left. Alicia, however, remained in her seat. “Mr. Hopkins,” she called with an apologetic smile, “come in. “I need to touch up my makeup.”

Gerry, who knew how much women cared about their appearance, simply agreed. “There's no hurry. When you're ready, tell the concierge to bring you up. Use my name.”

"Thank you."

Caden gave him a quick glance before heading to the entrance. Beside him, Gerry strolled casually, recounting the latest showbiz gossip as if nothing were happening.

Out of nowhere, Caden stopped dead in his tracks.

"Wait, I think I left my phone in the car. Go ahead. I'll catch up with you."

Gerry raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, and cast a suspicious glance at the sleek vehicle parked behind them. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"What are you up to, plotting behind my back?"

Caden barely gave her a second glance, too indifferent to bother to respond.

Inside the car, Alice was in a panic. She frankly rubbed the blood stain on her trousers with a wad of tissues. Her period had appeared out of nowhere, completely disconcerting her.

Between her erratic schedule and endless stress, she had fallen behind, and hadn't thought much about it… until now.

Now the red stain was spreading across his trousers. Worse still, it had soaked into Gerry's spotless leather seats, which were worth more than the money he had in the bank.

Each swipe of the handkerchief felt like a check on her dwindling savings. How much was it going to cost her?

She had been careful, saving little by little over the past two years, but this? This was a disaster.

Just as he was busy cleaning up the stain, the car door opened with a click.

Alicia's heart sank and she froze. Looking up, her eyes met Caden's.

.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

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