Where's Your Wife?
Aidan drove around aimlessly for a while before pulling into a restaurant.
"Mr. Winston, why are you here alone? Where's your wife?" He'd barely sat down when his body went rigid.
He looked up at the waiter approaching him with a somewhat cold expression.
This restaurant used to be Lucia's favorite, but now he dreaded it whenever anyone mentioned her.
"Just bring the dishes I've ordered before," Aidan ordered, ignoring the waiter.
Seeing his grim expression, the waiter nodded.
Aidan picked up the coffee the waiter had brewed and took a light sip.
The food arrived quickly.
Aidan ate leisurely, in no hurry.
Alison was racing home in her car.
It was rush hour, and the roads were teeming with traffic.
She hadn't replied to Emily yet and didn't know what to say.
Aidan refused to let Emily take Tyler, which gave her a huge headache.
How could Aidan possibly take care of a child?
Alison's throat had been sore all afternoon.
Her nose was stuffy; she couldn't stop sneezing.
She must have gotten a cold.
During the traffic jam, Alison called Jack.
"Damn it!" She tried calling three times but couldn't get through.
She slammed her phone down.
Suddenly, she caught Caden's business cards in her car.
While waiting for the light to turn green, Alison dialed Caden's number.
He picked up quickly. "Hello?"
"You promised to take Tyler to see that old lady, didn't you?" she reminded him. "You've got to keep your word."
"Of course I do. What's up? Do you mean we should go right now, honey? I'm stuck in traffic. Would it be too late if we got there later? It wouldn't be good to show up during her dinnertime." Caden teased her.
"Who's your honey? Stop calling me that," Alison said helplessly.
"It's for when we meet the old lady," Caden explained. "We've got to get our story straight first, or she'll see right through us."
Alison was silent for a moment, then said, "Aidan is going to take Tyler away. If he does, we won't be able to take Tyler to see Grandma. I'm driving right now. Can we set a time to discuss this?"
"Sure, let's do it right now. You pick the place," Caden readily agreed.
"Where are you?" Alison asked.
"Near XX Tower," Caden said, a barely perceptible glint of mischief flashing in his eyes.
"Okay, let's meet near XX Tower at the food court on the fifth floor. We can talk over a meal," she suggested.
"All right, see you in a bit, Ms. Fairchild."
The car weaved through traffic and finally arrived half an hour later.
Alison called the nanny to say that she'd be back late and wouldn't be home for dinner.
In the underground parking garage, Alison called Caden as she walked toward the elevator.
He answered quickly, "Fifth floor, the restaurant is at the very back—just come right in."
Five minutes later, Alison walked into the restaurant and saw that Caden was already seated.
The food was laid out on the table and looked tempting.
Alison frowned. "Who told you to order first?"
"What? Aren't you hungry?" Caden narrowed his eyes and looked at her calmly.
"I can't eat anything too salty. Tyler isn't even a month old yet, and it's not good for him," Alison explained.
"I know that. I specifically asked them to go easy on the salt. You can eat without worry," Caden said.
Alison gave him a grateful look. "Thanks."
After a few bites, she asked, "Caden, can you help me figure out a way to stop Aidan from taking Tyler away?"
Caden gave a faint smile. "Finish your meal first. Once you're done, I'll tell you what to do."
He ate with great refinement.
It was dinnertime, and the restaurant was crowded.
The servers' calls and the diners' whispers mingled.
Alison was enjoying her meal when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
Before she could turn her head, a juicy piece of chicken landed in her bowl.
"Hey, I don't like chicken."
Caden replied, "It's not for you—it's for kids."
Alison frowned at the chicken in her bowl.
"I'll just have some other kind of meat instead."
"Just have one piece, and I won't let you have a second one," Caden insisted.
Just then, a girl's clear voice rang out from a few tables away. "Jack, order a steak and a fruit salad. You can order whatever else you want. I want something light."
Jack?!
Alison turned her head anyway.
It was Gwendolyn, the last woman she wanted to see.
Alison's gaze drifted further and eventually landed on Jack.
He should have been at the office or already on his way home by now.
She'd called him several times, but his phone was turned off. As it turned out, he'd come to meet Gwendolyn.
And there they were, dining together so openly in this public place.
The food in her mouth instantly lost all flavor.
She hadn't realized she had put a piece of chicken in her mouth until she had chewed it twice.
Suddenly feeling nauseous, she covered her mouth, shook her head at Caden, and hurried off to the restroom.