Chapter 107

Later, Rachel, her eyes swollen and red, applied makeup and fetched a finer wine to appease Caden. “Mr. Ward,” she began, “I propose a toast in your honor. Otherwise, Randolph will have my head.”

Caden maintained a stoic expression, taking a sip of the considerably stronger wine. A slight smile played on his lips as he swallowed. Rachel poured a glass for Alicia. “Miss Bennett…” she began, her voice as weak and pitiful as before. Fighting back tears, she pleaded, “I am most to blame for today. I am truly sorry; please forgive me.” To Alicia, the plea sounded like moral blackmail.

Having already been slapped, Rachel's humble approach was a calculated move. If Alicia remained resentful, it would only portray her as unreasonable.

After a tense silence, Alicia raised her glass. Caden subtly nudged it under the table, silently warning her not to drink. “Why did you kick me?” Alicia asked bluntly.

Caden was momentarily speechless. Alicia replaced her wine with water. “I can’t have wine,” she explained to Rachel. Rachel's expression tightened, though it was difficult to discern due to her swollen cheek. “I really appreciate that, Mrs. Bennett,” she murmured.

Rachel closed her eyes and drank the wine, her face flushing immediately. Alicia took a small sip of water, feeling uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the room. Embarrassed by the attention, Rachel sought refuge by leaning against Randolph.

Alice sat down. “Looks like Randolph managed to calm her down. Did she decide to overlook the slap so easily?”

Caden replied nonchalantly, “Neither of you is obligated to do anything against your will. It’s your business. Don’t make it yours.”

Alicia, intrigued, rested her chin on her hand. “Caden, given your unique temperament, if you were to get married, would you hit your wife when stressed?”

Caden maintained a straight face. “I would hit him even when I wasn’t stressed.”

Alice was shocked. “You’re an idiot.”

“I never specified where I would hit,” Caden replied meaningfully.

“What kind of twisted reasoning is that?” Alice retorted. “Domestic violence is illegal, no matter where it occurs.”

“You might want to check with the police to see if playful spanking in bed is illegal,” Caden countered.

Alicia was speechless. Noticing her shock, Caden smiled. “And also…” he began, but Alice quickly covered her mouth. “That’s enough,” she said seriously.

Caden playfully brushed her hand away. “Do you have any idea what I was about to say?”

Alice's ears reddened as she struggled to maintain composure. “I know it wasn’t going to be appropriate.”

“Just standard sex ed,” Caden replied seriously.

Alice, unconvinced, lowered her voice. “My biology teacher never mentioned anything about spanking in the context of sex.”

Caden chuckled softly. “I teach advanced classes,” he said.

Alice looked at her hand, easily imagining his playful spankings. “No, thank you,” she replied, clearly annoyed.

As the meal concluded, Alicia lost her appetite and went to the bathroom. Caden went to rinse his mouth and wash his hands. He felt a sense of being watched. After drying his hands, he turned to find a small crowd gathered. However, his attention was quickly drawn to a servant of the Gray household.

The maid hesitated before stepping forward. “Mr. Ward, would you like to rest for a bit?”

Caden barely acknowledged her. “Where could I go?” he asked casually.

“Mr. Gray, noting your drinking, suggested some rest. I have prepared a room for you,” the maid replied.

Wary of potential disappointment, Caden responded, “That won’t be necessary. Have Randolph meet me in the parlor. I need to talk to him.”

The maid hesitated, clearly struggling to press further due to Caden's response. She hurried off to find Randolph.

Randolph's expression darkened upon learning Caden hadn't gone to rest, but he showed no anger, simply dismissing the maid. Later, Caden joined him in the living room. Randolph gestured for someone to bring soup to help Caden sober up.

Caden refused. “Mr. Gray, if you’re concerned about my intoxication, why did you have Mrs. Gray serve such potent wine?”

Noticing Caden’s cold demeanor, Randolph pressed on. “Mr. Ward, are you still upset by Rachel’s treatment of Miss Bennett?” He’d already questioned Rachel about the incident, and even though it involved only a few women, Caden had intervened, transparently defending Alicia. Concerned about a potential interest between Caden and Alicia, Randolph felt compelled to question him.

Caden, understanding Randolph’s motives, replied enigmatically, “She was my brother’s ex-wife. Now that she’s facing difficulties, what reason would I have not to help her?”