Chapter 16
1399 Words
Madison quickly sat properly on the couch.
She had thought Nathan left the house this morning. She didn't know he was still around.
And did he hear her conversation with her brother?
Nahh.... The phone wasn't on speaker, so he only heard her part of the conversation, right?
"The cat got your tongue?" Nathan asked as he walked towards the couch and slumping beside Madison.
"No one, just my brother," Madison replied, hoping her voice came out natural.
"He wants money that badly that he told you to ask me for it?" Nathan raised an eyebrow, and Madison stomach churned.
Shît! He heard and understood.
"It's nothing serious, forget you heard that," Madison chuckled awkwardly, but Nathan doesn't look like he was going to let it go.
"I couldn't quite hear what he was saying, but by your body language, it sounded like he was threatening you," Nathan reasoned.
"Eavesdropping on people's conversation isn't gentlemanly!" Madison snapped. She didn't want anyone preying on her life.
She definitely didn't want anyone knowing she had an abûsive àss for an older brother.
"You're in my house Madison, it's hard not to hear anything," Nathan frowned.
"Yeah... I almost forgot I am leaving under your roof. Thanks for the reminder," Madison rolled her eyes and left the bedroom.
Nathan's frown deepened. He brought out his phone and called someone.
"Madison has a brother, I want everything you can get about him," he spoke calmly before hanging up.
_
{CADEN'S HOUSE~10AM}
Emily collected the already made breakfast from Luis and walked upstairs to Caden's room.
She didn't even bother knocking. She just pushed the door open and walked inside.
He wasn't on the bed.
Where the hell did he go to?
"Caden?" She called, and then she heard the shower running. "Ohh, bathroom," she muttered.
She used the opportunity to look around the room.
It is definitely bigger and better than hers. The room was perfectly decorated in white and black.
Though it was weird, it's beautiful.
Emily's eyes landed on the biggest shocker of her life.
A bookshelf.
A freaking bookshelf.
Caden reads?
"Definitely doesn't look like the type," Emily muttered.
"Why are you in my room?" Emily heard Caden's voice, and she turned.
He just came out of the bathroom, and his was wet with a towel tied around his waist. His upper body was bare.
Holy shît!
Emily couldn't stop herself from staring.
He doesn't just have a handsome face. He also had a perfectly toned body.
Broad shoulders, defined arms, and an athletic build of someone who trains consistently.
"It's pretty hard not to get a turn on with the way you're staring at me," Caden said, and Emily blinked.
"I wasn't staring! Did you bathe with cold or hot water? you're having a fever, you should be specific on the water temperature. " Emily changed the topic.
"My fever died down during the night, I'm perfectly fine now," Caden replied.
"You should still be careful, I brought breakfast. You shouldn't skip meals if you're going to overwork yourself," Emily ordered.
"I love how much you care about me, wife." Caden smiled as he walked up to her, but Emily moved away.
"I care about not being a widow," Emily retorted, and Caden laughed.
Emily rolled her eyes and headed for the small table by the window where she dropped the tray of breakfast.
"You should eat. Food makes you strong," Emily said, changing the topic, and Caden hummed, following her.
"Are you planning to feed me too?" Caden teased.
"In your dreams." Emily rolled her eyes.
"Every night, sweetheart." Caden replied, and Emily glared at him, but the heat on her cheeks betrayed her.
"Just eat, Caden." She sighed.
He finally sat, pulling the tray closer. She watched him quietly as he took the first bite.
His shoulders relaxed a little, the tension in his jaw softening.
Clearly, he had been feeling worse than he admitted.
After a moment, he looked up, expression unreadable.
"Why are you really in my room, Emily?" Caden asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I.... I brought breakfast." Emily stuttered.
"You could’ve left it at the door." Caden retorted, and Emily swallowed.
She didn’t want to say she was worried or that the half-naked view of him had scrambled her brain.
"It doesn’t matter," she muttered. "Just keep eating." Emily added, and Caden smiled like he could see through her.
"You know… most wives check on their husbands because they care. You? You act like it's a crime." Caden complained.
"Because you make everything weird!" Emily snapped.
"Or maybe," he said, leaning back lazily, "you’re scared of how you feel about me." He shrugged, and Emily’s breath hitched.
"Keep dreaming." Emily replied.
But before he could answer, Caden’s phone buzzed on the nightstand. He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and sighed heavily.
Emily noticed instantly. "What’s wrong?"
Caden stood abruptly, grabbing a shirt. "I have to go."
"You’re sick—"
"I’m fine," he cut her off, already buttoning up. "I'm not sick anymore," Caden added, and Emily remained quiet in defeat.
_
{KINGSTON ENTERPRISES}
The elevator doors open, and Caden Caden met George standing in front of him.
"What is that old man doing again?" Caden asked as he walked out of the elevator with George trailing behind him.
"I have no idea. It's really suspicious to just call a meeting so abruptly," George replied.
"Did you contact him?" Caden asked.
"Yes, he's not in New York at the moment, but he will be arriving tomorrow, so I scheduled the meeting for tomorrow," George answered.
"Okay. How's your father?" Caden asked, and George paused.
"We would talk about that later, first with need to deal with your own daddy issues," George responded.
They walked into the conference room and took a seat.
Every important person in the Kingston enterprises is sitting at this table, meaning his father wants to make a big announcement.
Caden's jaw tightened. He had a really bad feeling about this meeting.
"Rude of you to keep everyone waiting, son," Anthony fired.
"That's the problem with calling abrupt meetings like this. There's always a late comer. Get on with it, father," Caden retorted with a calm gaze, and Anthony's jaw tick
Anthony took a deep breath before starting.
"It's with great displeasure that I call for a reelection of a new COO (Chief operating officer) of this company." Anthony dropped, and everyone became silent with shock.
Caden squeezed his hands into a fist in anger, but his facial expression remains neutral.
After a while of silence, the murmurs began.
Of course you everyone was shocked. Why would Kingston Anthony want to replace his own son.
"This is absurd," George voiced out.
"It's not. He made us waste time, money, and effort in an oil refinery that ended up a big failure," Anthony defended.
Caden gaze was spitting fire, so this was what this man was planning all along.
Damn Anthony Kingston.
"Would Caden be joining the reelection?" The chief marketing officer, Adam asked.
"If he wishes to," Anthony replied, and the murmurs increased.
Caden was quiet throughout. He didn't see a need to argue. After all, Anthony is the CEO of Kingston enterprises.
"I can't believe that old man," George complained as they walked into Caden's office.
"He is plotting something. The fact that he agreed I join the reelection proves that he has other plans," Caden reasoned.
"Oh c'mon, we already have the oil refinery to deal with, now this?" George groaned.
"We would decide what to do when the participants list for the election is out," Caden informed, and George nodded.
_
{LIA'S PENTHOUSE}
Lia was on her phone, staring at Caden's recent photos and admiring them. She was giggling like a little girl who was given a pony.
She heard footsteps, and she looked up.
Caden again?" The woman asked as she saw Lia's phone.
"Seriously? Is that how to say hello to your daughter you haven't seen in years!!!" Lia exclaimed and stood up to huge her mother. "You sound like you aren't happy to see me, mom," Lia complained.
"I told you to quit your obsession with Caden," the woman reprimanded, and Lia rolled her eyes.
"Why? Because he is your husband's son?" Lia scoffed. "He isn't your son, though, so we aren't related, I can love him all I want," Lia added.
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