The unwanted wife’s unexpected comeback
Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Alicia's only concern now was leaving Joshua, so she ignored his question and asked flatly: Are the divorce papers ready?< /p>

That word again: divorce. Irritation flashed in Joshua's eyes.

Why such a rush, he snapped in a cold, sharp voice. My father is finalizing his will, and if word gets out about my divorce, it will ruin my position. Now, gather your things, we will have dinner at the Yates mansion this afternoon.

With Caden's return, the family was organizing a welcome dinner for him.

They also hoped that by doing so , would lift the spirits of Jerald Yates, Joshua's father.

However, keeping up the charade of a happy marriage was the last thing on Alicia's mind.

I'm not going to go , he announced dryly. Just finalize the divorce and stop wasting my time.

Joshua laughed, a sound that contained no warmth.

Oh, come on, Alicia. Stop pretending. You hid the ring because you don't really want to leave me, right. You can't stand the thought of being without me.

He leaned toward me, smiling, and added, You've worked hard these last two years. Even if we get divorced, I will continue to take care of you, as long as you make me happy.

Alicia's eyes widened, and disbelief turned to anger.

She hid the ring

She couldn't stand being without him

His arrogant words sounded like nails on a blackboard to Alicia's ears. With a sharp grimace, she replied,

Oh, Mr. Yates, how I could make you happy. Don't worry, I'll give you the ring back; You wouldn't want this simple Jane to bother you, would you? Once she has it, we'll finalize the divorce immediately.

But Joshua was unfazed by her venom.

He thought he knew her too well. , convinced that it was nothing more than another ploy to get his attention.

Without thinking too much, he threw a bag at her.

Today we have guests. Dress appropriately and don't make me look bad.

Alicia looked down at the bag and remembered the countless times she had visited the mansion dressed in modest and discreet clothing, doing everything possible to go unnoticed, to please him. him and his family.

But now, with divorce on the horizon, Alicia no longer cared about playing the role of obedient wife. After putting on the suit, she carefully applied just enough makeup to enhance the glow of her already flawless complexion.

The subtle touch-ups accentuated the softness of her skin and the delicacy of her features, giving her a certain glow.

When Joshua saw her descend the stairs, he froze for a moment.

Perhaps it was the way the dress hugged her elegant curves. Alicia, doing it seem more seductive than usual. Or maybe the color of his cheeks, as if he had just experienced the most passionate sex of his life.

Passion Sex

Joshua's heart tightened in his chest.< /p>

Alicia was still his wife. Who else could have slept with her? He must have overthought it.

At the entrance to the Yates mansion, the two fell into their usual roles, disguising the tension between them with ease.

Alicia put her arm through Joshua's, their movements synchronized as they walked towards the courtyard.

Although Jerald was too ill to receive anyone, the great hall bustled with life, relatives filling the room. space of chatter.

The noise hummed around her, but for some reason, as soon as Alicia crossed the threshold, a strong chill pricked her skin.

She looked up instinctively, and her His gaze immediately went to the figure resting nonchalantly at the other end of the room. With his legs crossed and his dark shirt unbuttoned to reveal a patch of collarbone, the man exuded arrogance and his presence was imposing.

When Alicia's eyes finally met his, a look familiar and authoritative nailed it in place. Her mind was agitated and her emotions surged uncontrollably.

Joshua noticed the change in her attitude and, knitting his eyebrows, asked: What's wrong with you?

Alicia was cut off. breathing. A word escaped his lips, barely audible. Caden

The mere mention of his name sent a shiver down his spine. For her, Caden was the embodiment of her nightmares.

Due to the friendship of their families, their paths had crossed for the first time when they were both barely ten years old.

Caden, who had taken a gap year, transferred to her school and, from that moment, Alicia's perfect world began to fall apart.

She could no longer claim first place. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he stayed up late studying, Caden was always one step ahead. He beat her by the slightest difference - one point, maybe two -, leaving her perpetually stranded in second place.

Anyone else would have accepted defeat, settling into the role of runner-up.

But not Alicia.

Born into the once prestigious Bennett family, she grew up under the suffocating weight of living up to her last name. Excellence was not just a goal, it was the currency with which he could earn his parents' affection. Failure was not an option, and yet Caden had the audacity to take away everything she had worked for with what seemed like effortless ease.

It was as if he had noticed her from the beginning. beginning, and Alicia, stubborn to the core, refused to back down.

Their rivalry lasted more than a decade, an all-out battle fought both openly and in the shadows. Their final confrontation took place in college, just before graduating, in the national competition.

Alicia devoted herself body and soul to that moment, with her sights set on perfection. And he did it, getting a perfect grade. But Caden, ever the snake, had bribed the judges, twisting the results in his favor. Alicia was forced, once again, to come in second place.

The sting of injustice was deep, but the hardest blow came from her father, Phil Bennett. On the phone, his voice dripped with disappointment at his ranking. Alicia, accustomed to his tirades, said nothing. He waited for his anger to pass and asked him in a low voice: I will graduate soon. You'll be back His mother, Donna, had always been his gentlest comfort. That day he consoled Alicia, promising her that they would be there for her graduation.

But life had other plans. Phil and Donna, rushing back from Itrubisite to attend graduation, perished in a tragic plane crash.

Overnight, Alicia's world fell apart, leaving her an orphan in this world. cruel.

Since that day, he had not challenged Caden again. Caden then left Warrington to build his career abroad.

He's back for the inheritance, Joshua murmured, his voice barely audible.

Alicia gave him a sideways glance as she He continued: With a family empire as large as ours, an eldest son like him would not give up so easily.

His brow furrowed slightly.

It was true: the Yates empire was enormous, a legacy that most would kill for. But Caden had amassed his own fortune, surpassing even the family's vast wealth.

He really cared about the inheritance

Then again, this was Caden. Competing was in his blood. Even if he didn't care about the fortune itself, he would fight tooth and nail just to win, to play with everyone else. The man had a knack for causing chaos just for his own amusement.

Alicia had been his rival for as long as he could remember, and even now, the idea of ​​even giving her a glance seemed like a waste of energy. She turned to walk away.

But Joshua grabbed her wrist, firm and tense.

I know you don't get along, he said. But he's still my older brother. We have to keep up appearances.

His body stiffened at the contact and he immediately tried to free his hand, his skin crawling under her grip.

Joshua frowned.< /p>

Alicia, behave, he hissed.

Irritation flared in his chest.

I don't refuse to come in. Let me go first. I don't want your dirty hands to touch me.

A flash of something dark passed over Joshua's face and, instead of letting go, he intertwined their fingers, squeezing them tightly.

Alicia he bit his tongue, fuming silently.

As they approached, Caden's gaze slowly rose, his eyes narrowed in a lazy, almost bored assessment of them.

< p>Caden, Joshua greeted, his tone tense, meeting his brother's gaze with forced cordiality.

Caden's eyes drifted to their clasped hands, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Your girlfriend, he asked indifferently, as if he didn't recognize Alicia.

.

.

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