《A Mistake… A Baby!》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°Father, where are we going?¡± Alessandra, who was just ten years old at the time, asked her father Benjamin.


    The man cast a nce in the direction of his daughter before returning his attention to the road.


    Before responding to his daughter, he inhaled deeply and paused for a moment. ¡°Sandy, we are going to the city. A long journey from this vige.¡± He uttered his words in a feeble and halting manner.


    Benjamin was unable to hold back the tears that were welling up in his eyes.


    ¡°But, daddy, why are you crying?¡± There was a concern in her tone.


    Benjamin Robbins did not respond and instead continued to drive his car without stopping. However, just a few minutester, he can¡¯t help but start crying.


    ¡°Alessandra, I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me your father,¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Benjamin reached for his daughter¡¯s little hands and grabbed them. ¡°Because from now on, you won¡¯t have aplete family anymore. Your mother left us and went to live with another man. I don¡¯t want to lie to you in any way, honey. But your mother ended up living with a rich man. And there is no way she will return,¡± His voice trembled


    Even though Alessandra did not have apleteprehension of what was happening, it appeared as though her tears had a mind of their own and were able to fall freely from her eyes.


    ¡°W-What? Did mother leave us? But she loves us¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sandy, but I can¡¯t answer that question. But the only thing I can confirm is that going forward, it will just be the two of us. We are going to live quite far away from this town. We will put this unfortunate event in the past, and from this day forward, you can count on me as both your mother and your father. Forgive me, Sandy. I can¡¯t give you aplete family anymore,¡±


    Alessandra curled her bottom lip and gave her father a tight hug. ¡°I¡­ I understand, dad. I¡¯ll always be with you. I¡¯m not going to leave you, dad. Never,¡±


    ¡°I love you, Sandy. You are my little princess, my baby. You are the only person I have in my life, and the thought of losing you would be too much for me to take. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make your life better and provide you with a promising future,¡± The expression of anxiety and worry could be seen on Benjamin¡¯s face.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen, dad. I will never leave you like what mom did. I love you too, daddy.¡± Sandy said with a smile, but it quickly vanished as she saw something in the road.


    ¡°Sandy? Why? Is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°What do you think of my academics, dad? My friends?¡± Alessandra sighed.


    ¡°Once we go to the city, Sandy, you will find it easy to meet new people and form new friendships. And you are going to transfer to a new school. There are more kids like your age. You will expand your circle of acquaintances.¡± The way he is speaking to her is reassuring.


    Benjamin revived the car¡¯s engine. They had put in a lot of miles by the time they spotted something not too distant from them.


    ¡°What¡¯s that dad?¡± Alessandra pointed in the direction of something that was a few meters away from them.


    Benjamin did not respond and simply continued driving without stopping. When they arrived at the exact spot, there was a car there, and it appeared like there was some kind of ruckus going on.


    ¡°Sandy, I need you to stay here regardless of what will happen. Give me just a second to look into it,¡±


    ¡°But dad¡­ don¡¯t leave me.¡± The tone of her voice reveals apprehension.


    ¡°No, Sandy, I won¡¯t leave you, honey. Stay right where you are, I¡¯m going to go check out what¡¯s going on.¡± After parking, he got out of the vehicle.


    Sandy was there when her father defended an old man from a family who was harassing him while they were in a limousine. The old man is selling strawberries on the side of the busy road.


    After a few minutes, the owner of the limousine got out and drove away.


    Alessandra had the impression that she needed to go down and ask about what was taking ce to satisfy her curiosity about what was happening. She got out of her father¡¯s car.


    ¡°You have a very nice heart, sir, and I want to thank you for saving me. I appreciate it.¡± The elderly man is showing respect for her father by bowing to him. The elderly man was not neat looking and appeared disheveled.


    Young Alessandra can say that the elderly man has a hard and poor life. His skin is dry and appears to have a rough texture, and his clothes are unclean. He was holding the hands of her father.


    Alessandra can notice that her father did not show any sign of being disgusted by contacting their skin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bring it up. I¡¯ve only done what I consider to be the right thing. Soon it will get dark here. Do you want me to buy all of your strawberries so that you can go back to your home? If you¡¯d like, I can drive you to your ce,¡± Her father offered a suggestion.


    On the other hand, the elderly man shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother anymore, I can¡¯t thank you enough for all that you¡¯ve done for me.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Benjamin shrugged his shoulders in response. ¡°All right. I won¡¯t force you. But it looks like you haven¡¯t eaten yet, and there are still a lot of strawberries left. I hope that this will already be enough to help you,¡± She saw as her father gave the elderly man ten bucks.


    ¡°My daughter and I need to go right away. The night is drawing in,¡± After saying his goodbyes, he walked back to his car.


    Her father saw her.


    The elderly man gave a small nod. ¡°Before you go, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you,¡±

 Chapter 2

    The old man turned his head to look at Alessandra, who was standing off to the side. He moved closer to her while maintaining an intense concentration on her. The young girl became frightened because of the intensity of his gaze. And before she could get out of the way, he already had a firm grip on her little hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, young girl. I promise not to harm you in any way.¡± The elderly man calmly said.


    The stranger temporarily closed his eyes and just focused on Alessandra¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait long, little girl, to find the one who is meant to be yours. You¡¯ll meet him soon. And before you go, I want you to know that you will be given two signs to let you know that he is your soulmate. I want you to know this before you leave. You¡¯ll find a spade tattoo on him, and he¡¯ll be your white stallion,¡±


    ¡°Knight in dazzling armor?¡±


    The elderly man shed a grin. ¡°This means that he will save you, but I can¡¯t tell you from what kind of situation. You have toe to terms with the fact that this someone will genuinely love you more than anyone else, and if you choose to let him go, you might have to endure pain for the rest of your life.¡±


    Alessandra was going to ask something, but at that moment, his father dragged her arms back to the car.


    ¡°Sandy, it¡¯s going dark soon. Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Benjamin let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Whew, thank heavens we finished it.¡± He removed the sweat off his forehead with a tissue. They have recentlypleted renovating their apartment unit.


    Since they are unable to move their belongings back to their house, her father ced an order for new appliances and furniture. Aside from that, her father may want to forget things that are associated with her mother¡¯s recollections.


    Alessandra took a tour of the new apartment they had moved into. While they were enjoying a meal at a well-known fast-food chain, not far from their current location, they lucked out and came across an affordable t.


    Eric ims that the veryst person that lived in their t has just moved out, thus it is currently unupied.


    She is confident in stating that the location of their new house is ideal. It is situated within the country¡¯s most important urban center. Both the establishments and the schools are conveniently located nearby. Even while it is not asrge as their property in the countryside, it nevertheless manages to maintain afortable and homey atmosphere. And perhaps most importantly, her father won¡¯t be miserable any longer.


    He won¡¯t have to see her mother and her love anymore. Benjamin, her father, will be able to live a quiet life because of this.


    ¡°Get some rest, Sandy. I¡¯ll take care of getting something to eat,¡± Her father said.


    She shrugged her shoulders but proceeded to clean the dust off the ceiling in silence.


    ¡°Oh, before I forget. Tomorrow, we have to get up early. I talked to Eric, and there¡¯s a school just a few blocks away from our apartment. I¡¯ll enroll you. I don¡¯t want you to bete for registration.¡±


    Another time, Alessandra shook her head and asked, ¡°After your enrollment, are youfortable going home alone yourself? If not, I¡¯ll ask Eric if he can walk you to our apartment.¡±


    It was alright with her because she had already met their neighbor Eric, and he seemed like a decent old man. She turned around and asked her father, ¡°Sure, dad. But why aren¡¯t you going toe with me?¡±


    Her father took a few long breaths before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m going to hunt for a job, Sandy. If I don¡¯t look, our funds will run out. You know that I¡¯m not a rich guy. You know that we bought furniture and appliances, and it cost almost half of our savings,¡± he stated.


    Alessandra is just a young girl, but she grasps the meaning of what her father is attempting to convey despite her age. Her father is only forty years old at this point. He¡¯s an architect.


    ¡°Oh, dad, I will pray that you will be epted,¡± She said to her father.


    He smiled, but she was aware that it didn¡¯t extend to his eyes. ¡°Whew, I hope so, honey. I can¡¯t afford not to work. I want to give you a wonderful future,¡± he said.


    Alessandra harbored a deep-seated resentment toward her mother, believing that if her mother hadn¡¯t abruptly gone with a wealthy man and abandoned them, Alessandra¡¯s father wouldn¡¯t have been forced to struggle so hard to provide for their needs.


    They could have had afortable life if her mother hadn¡¯t just left them. Her mother is not content with her father. Although her mother is not rich either, she has a nice profession. She is a sous chef in a popr hotel in their town. And she is just an only child. Not to mention that they weren¡¯t renting their house back then. They could have had afortable life if her mother hadn¡¯t just left them.


    Alessandra used to ponder the question of why some people aren¡¯t sincere aboutmitments.


    ***


    The following day, her father followed through on what he had said yesterday. And he registered her in a private school that was located only a few blocks from where they lived.


    But Alessandra didn¡¯t agree to go home by herself because she didn¡¯t know very much about the ce yet. She was afraid of being alone. Later on, Alessandra¡¯s father agreed to bring her along with him when he went for his job interview, and she just waited for him in the lobby.


    ¡°Dad, what happened?¡± She questioned her father as soon as he emerged from the interview room.


    His facial expression is unremarkable as he speaks, ¡°They told me that they are going to email me about my job interview and that they will let me know via email whether or not I was epted,¡±


    As they were walking towards public transportation, Alessandra¡¯s father proposed that they should just go out and buy fast food because he was too exhausted to cook at home, and Alessandra agreed with his suggestion.


    They are currently waiting in the shed for the bus since her father has decided to cease driving their car because doing so would result in an additional expense and he is also considering selling it online. So now, they will be riding the public bus instead.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sandy. Our life has suddenly changed. We need to adjust to our new lifestyle. Besides, taking a bus is not that horrible. And it¡¯s not expensive either,¡± he winked at her. The bus arrived, and a lot of passengers got on board.

 Chapter 3

    Alessandra let out a chuckle. After that, she thought about the pals she had after school every day. They get a free lift from his father all the way back to their house.


    When the bus conductor had collected the fare, he turned to his father and asked, ¡°Where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°Santa ra Vige.¡±


    The young girl with braids who was standing next to them eximed in shock and asked, ¡°Hello, sir. Do you both live in Santa ra Vige?¡±


    To Alessandra¡¯s calctions, she is approximately the same age as the young girl.


    Her father gave the fare to the conductor and then looked at the girl and said. ¡°Oh, hi darling. Yes. My daughter and I are staying in Santa ra Vige. We haven¡¯t been here in a week. Is there any problem?¡± Her father then stared at the girl.


    ¡°Oh, I see, sir. Because it¡¯s only my first time seeing you both. I also live in Santa ra Vige. It¡¯s only a little vige, sir, so everyone knows one another,¡± she said.


    Her father acknowledged what she was saying by nodding and asking, ¡°Is that so? I see¡­¡±


    ¡°May I ask, sir, what block do you live in?¡±


    ¡°We are renting a t in an apartment building, and our address is Block 7,¡±


    The young girl said, ¡°Oh my goodness! Sir, really?! We¡¯re neighbors. I am living in Block 7 too. Are you both living in a four-story apartment with a metal gate?¡± Her eyes shone with excitement. ¡°We¡¯re neighbors. I lived in Block 7 too.¡±


    Her father indicated with a nod that he agreed.


    The tiny girl exims with a beaming smile, ¡°Oh my god! Anyway, mister, my name is Cathryn!¡±


    And Alessandra was aware that Cathryn had already won her father¡¯s vote; she knew her father already liked Cathryn. She looks like a positive girl. ¡°Just call me Uncle Benjamin. And here¡¯s my daughter Sandy,¡± Alessandra¡¯s father introduced them.


    The young girl gave her a friendly grin and said, ¡°Hi, Sandy!¡±


    It was strange that they had only been talking for a short period, but she seemed to be at ease with her now. She expressed her wish that they may be friends.


    ¡°Hi, Cathryn. Sure. I also want to make friends since my father told me that we will live in the city for good,¡± She greeted back.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Cathryn giggled. ¡°Oh my gosh, then good!¡±


    She noticed a man standing next to her. Alessandra can determine that the man is in his early to mid-twenties. ¡°Is he your family member, Cathryn?¡±


    The young girl nodded. ¡°Yes. He is my nanny¡¯s son, and his name is Justin. Consequently, I now think of him as my brother as well.¡±


    Justin responded with a smile when Alessandra bobbed at him.


    ording to her observations, the people who live in their vige are friendly neighbors, so it appears as though she won¡¯t have any trouble adjusting to her new environment.


    The conductor¡¯s announcement that they had arrived in Santa ra Vige was the only thing that managed to pull them away from their conversation.


    After alighting from the bus, they carried on their conversation as they made their way through the vige.


    They arrived in Block 7 just a few minutester.


    ¡°This is our home,¡± Cathryn said, pointing to therge house that was located just in front of the apartment where they lived.


    Cathryn is correct; they are merely neighbors! Justin has already gone inside. She let out a gasp.


    His father gave the young girl a look and said, ¡°Cathryn, if you¡¯re not busy, you can join us for snacks. I bought some burger and fries here,¡±


    ¡°Wow, you know what, Uncle Benjamin? I can never say no to food!¡±


    What Cathryn said made them allugh out loud.


    Her father gave her a grin. ¡°It seems you have a very strong appetite, Cathryn. Sandy, keep Cathryn entertained while I prepare the snacks.¡±


    Cathryn had a look around as her father went to the kitchen.


    ¡°Your ce is wonderful. It looks sofortable. Do you have a room?¡±


    It¡¯s funny to think that they had just met, but she was already showing off her room to him.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, it¡¯s amazing how well we can get along. The color pink is one of my favorites as well. ¡± Cathryn screamed.


    ¡°But, Sandy. May I know in which school you are currently enrolled?¡±


    ¡°I am currently in the sixth grade at Santa ra University, Cathryn,¡± She answered.


    Cathryn surprised her greatly by screaming at the top of her lungs and even hitting her in the arms.


    She rolled her eyes and asked Cathryn in a humorous tone, ¡°Can you kindly lower your voice? You¡¯re in my room, haler?¡±


    Cathryn¡¯s bottom lips were being nibbled on as she spoke. ¡°Oops. Sorry! I can¡¯t help it! Seriously, you¡¯re also enrolled at SCU? I¡¯m also studying there. Maybe we¡¯ll be ssmates, Sandy! I¡¯m also in 6th grade,¡± Cathryn said with a smile stered across her face.


    Alessandra is already like Cathryn now. And secretly harbors the dream that they will be ssmates soon.


    A couple of weeks passed.


    Benjamin instructed his daughter to wait for their package outdoors and the delivery man. Her father ced an order for something on the inte. Alessandra got outside, and she saw a group of young people hanging out in front of Cathryn¡¯s house.


    ¡°Sandy, has the delivery boy arrived already?¡± Her father¡¯s voice could be heard yelling from inside the house.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t arrived yet, dad!¡± Alessandra eximed. She yelled back at him. She doesn¡¯t want anyone to see her she¡¯s stalking or eavesdropping on him. That would be the end of her!


    She was able to spot a man emerging from Cathryn¡¯s home even from a considerable distance. He has thick, wavy, and dark hair. Her eyes seemed to be riveted on the man, and even though she couldn¡¯t look at him closely, she knew that he was a handsome man. It is obvious. He has a domineering aura.

 Chapter 4

    Who exactly is this guy?


    Following in his footsteps is a young man beside him who, in her estimation, is not too far from her age. Whenpared to the first man, the new guy¡¯s appearance is theplete antithesis of that of the first man.


    Alessandra covered herself by hiding behind their enormous trash can. She was at a loss to exin why suddenly, she was feeling so exhausted. Her heart was pounding at such a rapid rate! The only thing that she could hear was her heartbeat, and it clouded her ability to think clearly.


    What exactly is going on with her? She made another attempt to observe the man from a far distance, which she found very simple to aplish.


    She heard him chuckling, and all of a sudden, her entire body wentpletely still. She had no idea how long she had been sneakily observing the man until her father emerged out of nowhere and screamed at her.


    ¡°Holy crap, Sandy! What, you can¡¯t even hear me? I¡¯ve been calling you throughout the past few minutes. What are you doing behind that dirty trash bin, and why are you acting like that? Come inside, the delivery man has already called me to tell me he¡¯ll be running behind schedule.¡±


    Alessandra had the impression that she was a balloon that was about to pop at any second.


    Her irises became more open.


    ¡°What are you doing, Alessandra, huh? Get inside,¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She had no other option but to follow her father. However, just as she was about to enter their apartment, she looked around and noticed the first man who came out of Cathryn¡¯s house looking at her with a grin on his lips. This happened just before she finally entered their apartment.


    Damn! Did he notice that she was staring at him at that moment?


    What an embarrassment!


    ***


    ¡°Sandy, let¡¯s get moving and finish writing up our research paper. I don¡¯t want to drag it out any longer,¡± Cathryn said as she dragged her to her house. ¡°I don¡¯t want to prolong it any longer.¡±


    Since Alessandra and her father have been residing in that ce for the past few months, she is confident that she has grown ustomed to her new life. The fact that she and Cathryn were in the same ss was a stroke of luck for her because it allowed her to quickly make friends with the other students in the room.


    She gave a slight nod in response. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do our project here at home?¡± Instead, she asked about her.


    ¡°Sandy, please don¡¯t misunderstand what I¡¯m saying. You are aware that you do not have a connection to the inte. We need to have WiFi so that we can look things up on the inte. In the course of our research, we require that.¡± Cathryn challenged her by raising her eyebrows and pointing out that they had lightning-fast inte ess in their home.


    In a rtively short amount of time, Alessandra and Cathryn were able to feel at ease with one another. They already had be the best of friends.


    ¡°Eh-¡± Cathryn was already ahead of her, walking in the direction of their house, and she was about to reason with her.


    ¡°Sandy, there are times when I just don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying. It appears as though our home is an infernal ce that will cause you to catch fire the moment you set foot in it,¡± She said with a smirk on her face.


    Cathryn sessfully dragged Alessandra inside because she had no other choice. It was not the first time she had visited their house. However, she takes extra precautions to ensure the person she avoids is absent.


    She didn¡¯t waste any time and went straight to the garage to see if there was a motorcycle there. What she did was not hidden from Cathryn¡¯s view at any point.


    ¡°Sandy, look. If your concern is directed toward my brother Cade, allow me to put your mind at ease. He is not here today. Don¡¯t be concerned. He is currently with his pals. Tonight, he will not be sleeping here. Therefore, you can put your worries to rest; your worst enemy will not be present,¡±


    This is not a fresh idea. During the time that she has spent in Santa ra, it would appear that the entiremunity is aware of the fact that her older brother, Cade, is her worst foe! The most haughty, conceited, and proud man she had ever encountered in her life.


    Cade McKnight went to their apartment the next day after he caught her looking at him covertly from behind the garbage can. He told his father that he was Cathryn¡¯s older brother when he introduced himself. Cade has shared with her father her desire to develop a friendship with her. And naturally, her father had faith in what he said.


    And this is his father, who put his faith in Cade¡¯s charming manner and believed that what this guy was saying was true. But what her father didn¡¯t know was that whenever it was just the two of them, Cade couldn¡¯t help but tease her whenever they were alone.


    He is always making fun of her, saying that she had a crush on him in the past and that she shouldn¡¯t deny it. Another incident involves him spreading the rumor throughout Santa ra Vige that she has feelings for him. Because almost all of their neighbors are happy making fun of her in front of Cade, she detests being forced to go out in public by herself at their apartment.


    That scoundrel!


    Alessandra can recall what he said to her a couple of weeks ago even to this day. ¡°Alessandra, I am aware of the amount of affection you have for me. So, from now on, I won¡¯t make fun of you anymore. However, this is only a temporary situation. I may be charged with child abuse. Alessandra, you¡¯re not even a teenager yet! When you turned eighteen¡­¡± he gave her a knowing wink and told her, ¡°I¡¯ll continue to tease you again.¡±

 Chapter 5

    That is one aspect of him that she despises the most. He is the only other person who has ever referred to her by her full name. Alessandra. Nobody ever refers to her in such a manner. Even her best friend Cathryn or her father is not calling her like that.


    Her eyebrows met. ¡°What? Cade, you have such a thick face. Even in your worst nightmare, nothing like that could ever take ce!¡± She uttered the phrase with clenched teeth. She couldn¡¯t believe how fast her heart was beating when Cade saw her for the first time. It made her feel sick to her stomach. She does not want to experience this sensation any longer!


    He put his arms around her shoulders and looked out the window at the people who lived nearby. ¡°Guys, did you hear what Alessandra said? She is having dreams about me!¡±


    The neighbors were loitering around, cheering for them. ¡°Your romantic pairing is going to be exciting for us to watch! I have a feeling that one of your babies in the future will be named Cassandra,¡±


    ¡°Why did you pick Cassandra?¡± The other neighbor was the one who asked.


    ¡°Stupid! It¡¯s abination of Cade and Alessandra¡¯s names!¡±


    ¡°Wow! I would have never imagined that! Yeah. Perhaps one of your babies in the future will be named Cassandra!¡±


    Because of this, she views him as an adversary, which is the reason why she feels this way. Since that event, they haven¡¯t met each other again without him making fun of her in some way. He is the very definition of evil. That was the reason why she felt such a sense of relief when Cade was not here today. Cathryn is now someone she can confidently work on her project with.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s probably for the best that your bothersome brother isn¡¯t here.¡± She said while making a face. After entering the house, she wasted no time in finding afortable spot on the plush sofa. Cathrynes from a wealthy family. Both of her parents are sessful businessmen.


    ¡°Hmm, I just want to ask you, Sandy. Why do you despise my older brother Cade to such an extreme degree? You¡¯re the only girl I can think of who finds him to be annoying, you know?¡± Cathryn asked.


    Alessandra stood up and made additional gestures to exin why. ¡°What? You want to know why I find him so annoying, don¡¯t you? Simply because he is an exceptionally pleasant human being.¡± She said in a sarcastic tone to Cathryn, ¡°He¡¯s so nice, Cathryn.¡±


    Cathryn indicated her assent by nodding her head. ¡°You are right. My older brother Cade is a good human being. Then why are you mad at him?¡±


    ¡°He is not very kind to me. On the other hand, he is not like that to other women.¡± She added that she was shivering. Cathrynughed softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay any attention to him, Sandy. He is simply trying to get your attention.¡±


    She cast an inquisitive nce at her friend. ¡°Cade wants my attention? Perhaps you¡¯re making aplete fool of yourself! It¡¯s ruining my day if we keep talking about your older brother, so let¡¯s not do that.¡±


    It gave her a jolt. ¡°You have a low tolerance for frustration. That¡¯s why he gets such a kick out of making fun of you,¡± She was about to hit her on the arm when the other person ducked out of the way and gave up. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll stop. Let¡¯s do our school project,¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we get started on this project,¡± she burst outughing.


    Alessandra perceived a tap on the shoulder from an unknown person. As a result of her shock, she reached out to shake his hand and nearly fell onto the bed. ¡°Goodness, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you,¡± Caleb screams out in surprise as he looks at her.


    As soon as she could make out a clear image of the man in front of her, she quickly forced her saliva back down her throat. Both Cathryn and Caleb have a rtive named Caleb who is their half-brother. Cathryn revealed to her that their father had an affair in the past and that their brother Caleb is the product of that affair.


    She chewed on the bottom of her lips. ¡°C-Caleb. I am truly sorry. I waspletely unaware that I had dozed off.¡± She admitted that she was ufortable with the way she looked and tucked some of her hair behind her ears. Gosh! How long did she sleep after she went to bed?


    Because of the gentle way in which heughed, she couldn¡¯t help but look at him. Caleb has a very dashing appearance. He has light skin, blonde hair, and towering stature. He is already an attractive young man despite only being twelve years old. To the best of her knowledge, he is a schr at the same university that she and Cathryn go to. His actions are nothing like those of his older brother Cade.


    Because of this, she already had a crush on Caleb the day he defended her against the bullies at their university. Why shouldn¡¯t she? He ended up being her savior. Her stalwart defender in gleaming armor. He is not pretentious. He is kind and has a passion for studying. They were identical in certain aspects to both of them. Because of this, she has a sneaking suspicion that he will develop a crush on her at some point in the future. She has high hopes that their feelings will soon be reciprocated by each other.


    And she did not attempt to conceal that feeling from Cathryn. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it appears that both you and Cathryn have grown weary of the project that you worked on,¡± he said.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    She nodded shyly. ¡°The deadline is in a week, so we really ought to finish,¡±


    Caleb ruffled her hair and nodded. ¡°I apologize if I woke you up; mother has already arrived. You are expected to eat dinner tonight,¡± he said. Although he is a son of the affair, Cathryn¡¯s mother epted him fully.


    She couldn¡¯t help but be excited about the fact that he was the one to wake her up. Oh my goodness, could he be any more thoughtful?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and eat together for dinner,¡±


    ¡°Okay, Caleb, you go first. I¡¯ll be in the dining room in a little while,¡±


    He gave her a warm smile before turning his back on her and saying, ¡°Okay, before the food gets cold.¡±

 Chapter 6

    When she lost sight of him, she was rendered speechless by the suppressed thrill she had been feeling. She hid her face and shut her eyes. That is the very first time she saw him smile at her! Knowing Caleb, it¡¯s difficult to buy his smile/


    Alessandra¡¯s level of joy was so high that she even jumped and punched the air.


    When she heard ppinging from behind her, she immediately stopped what she was doing. She swiftly turned to see who it was, and there he was standing in front of her: Cade. He was grinning goofily as he propped himself up against the wall and focused intently on her.


    Her surprise was palpable. ¡°Have you been there for a few seconds already?¡± She asked with trepidation. Why is he present at this time? Cathryn said that Cade wouldn¡¯t be able toe home today.


    ¡°Enough to make you feel like you¡¯re going to pass out from the amount of excitement you¡¯re feeling.¡± He regarded her with a curious brow raised.


    ¡°To rify, I am not excited at all. Why should I feel such tion?¡± Her response waspletely malicious.


    Cade grinned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? If so, why did you drool after Caleb left?¡± When she heard what it was, her eyes became very wide. Shame!


    After hearing what he said, Alessandra¡¯s natural reaction was to wipe the area around her lips.


    To her utter astonishment, heughed so heartily that it reverberated throughout the expansive living room. ¡°You thought that you were drooling, didn¡¯t you? I know that you have feelings for my half-brother, right?¡± He reached down and put his hand in the pocket of his pants.


    What the heck? As soon as she heard what he said, her heart rate shot up to her head.


    ¡°Cade, your life is so chaotic that you can¡¯t possibly make any rational decisions. You enjoy making fun of me. Please excuse me, but I don¡¯t like your half brother,¡± She was adamant in her refusal.


    The corner of his mouth smiled slightly. ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you like him, Alessandra. I can say with absolute certainty that,¡± That cannot be considered a question.


    Her cheeks were flushed on both the left and right sides. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Cade. I ask that you move on from this subject.¡± She was on the verge of pleading.


    She was about to leave, but he stood in her way and prevented her from doing so. ¡°But you do like Caleb.¡± He is adamant


    Alessandra turned her head in embarrassment. ¡°Cade, can you please shed some light on this situation? What do you hope to aplish by listening to my response?¡± She asked while disying her annoyance.


    ¡°I¡¯m very easy to get along with. I could tell Caleb that you have a crush on him, or I could just keep it to myself,¡± When she heard what he had to say, she let out an audible sigh.


    ¡°Cade, you won¡¯t even consider doing that! I¡¯m warning you!¡±


    His voice was raspy as he asked, ¡°Then answer me.¡±


    Alessandra took a few deep breaths. Cade is the kind of person who won¡¯t give up until he achieves the goals he sets for himself. After all, what will happen if he discovers that he has a crush on his brother Cade? That¡¯s a relief, but what if her feelings for Caleb are reciprocated by him?


    She bravely confronted him head-on. ¡°I have a thing for him. Are you content at this moment?¡± She responded with sarcasm and was about to leave when he quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her.


    He did nothing more than stare at her for a few moments. ¡°Let me go, okay?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    It would appear that he regained hisposure and released her from his grasp. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly like my brother, Alessandra.¡± That was new to her. This level of solemnity has never previously been heard from him.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± She questioned while putting her arms behind her back.


    However, he appears to be very serious now. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to be my brother, and the two of you don¡¯t get along with each other,¡± he told her. It appeared as though a grenade had been detonated in her ears.


    ***


    Even though it¡¯s been a few weeks since Cade said that, Alessandra can still hear every word he said very clearly in her head. She is aware of the fact that they dislike being in each other¡¯spany. It is not a secret to her. But she never would have guessed that he disliked her to such an extreme degree! If this is the case, then the feelings are shared. She doesn¡¯t like him either. Even if he had started a war between them, she would not retreat from the conflict. How pretentious can he be! He is known to be cruel to everyone, in contrast to his older brother Caleb.


    Because of this, Alessandra made a point of staying away from Cade for the next few days.


    In the past, whenever the man was not around, she would visit the McKnights at their home. Once, when he came home earlier than usual and found her in the living room, she pretended to be sleeping when he asked her about it.


    When Cathryn picked her up to take her to school one day, she noticed that Cade was also in the car, and she quickly excused herself, iming that she had an unexpected stomachache.


    She let out a sigh. She struggled mightily to get along with Cade.


    Even if the first incidents only involve him trying to make her cry and many other instances of him including her in his ns, she is still able to forgive him.


    To make her appear as though she doesn¡¯t fit in with his brother Caleb, as if she has a contagious disease, is something else entirely!


    Cade and their neighbors will tease her mercilessly, but that¡¯s not the same thing! He is not only her adversary but also a daring adventurer and the antagonist in her love story!

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Oh my God, Sandy. What I¡¯m about to say will blow your mind, and you won¡¯t believe it. I have already gotten to know the man whom I believe will one day be my husband!¡± Cathryn let out a high-pitched squeal of delight. Both of Cathryn¡¯s parents are currently sleeping.


    Cathryn ims that Cade left early because he was busy since he was receiving his training in apany. While Caleb runs an organization for sporting event meetings.


    ¡°And who exactly is this gentleman, Cathryn? Don¡¯t be concerned about it, Cath. We are still in our early years. You don¡¯t need to think about this right now,¡± She said.


    Cathryn curved her lips into a pout. ¡°Sandy, you have absolutely no understanding of how I am feeling. Oh my goodness, he¡¯s just too adorable! I believe that if he thinks that I am beautiful, I will be the happiest girl in the world! He has such a strong following on campus,¡±


    At her expense, sheughed. ¡°Did he talk to you?¡±


    Cathryn nodded proudly. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°And what did he say?¡±


    ¡°He asked me if I could give some paper,¡± She could not hold back the giggles.


    ¡°What, that¡¯s it? I had the impression that it was something very unique. You¡¯ve already decided that he¡¯s the man of your dreams despite the fact that he just asked you to give him some paper? Oh, get a move on, Cath!¡± She showed a knowing smirk.


    She snorted and hit her on the arm before continuing. ¡°Your eyes are like you¡¯re murdering me. Sandy, you are more strict than my own parents do.¡±


    It made herugh. She joked with her and threatened her by saying, ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t stop talking about boys, I might tell this to your parents.¡±


    It tormented her in every way. ¡°Gosh! You had the impression that I was the only one who had a crush on some boys. Do I remember correctly that you had a thing for my brother Caleb?¡±


    Suddenly, she felt sad. ¡°You¡¯re right, I do have a thing for him. However, I am not sure if he is the man who should be with me.¡±


    Cathryn frowned. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s crazy because we were just talking about crushes, and now you¡¯re talking about the right guy.¡± She poked fun at me this time by saying that ¡°We haven¡¯t even started college yet, I can tell that marriage is already on my mind.¡± This was the blow that she received.


    ¡°I did not mean that in any way. It¡¯s difficult to exin, but an old man who gave me a prophecy said there are telltale signs that can indicate whether or not he¡¯s the right man for me. Therefore, despite the fact that I have a crush on Caleb, I will not select him as my partner if he does not exhibit the signs.¡±


    Her irises became more open. ¡°Oh my God, Sandy. I find it hard to believe that you still have faith in fortune tellers. It¡¯s the 21st century, for crying out loud! Don¡¯t put too much faith in fortune tellers. You can¡¯t put your faith in that to determine your future. It is not the reading of the palm or the prognostication of a man that determines a person¡¯s fate; rather, humans create their own destinies.¡± Cathryn appears to be very focused at this moment.


    Alessandra was aware of this, even though she did not put any faith in what the elderly man had to say to her or in any predictions. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to tell me that, Cathryn. I am aware of this. I will not base my future ns on it. But who can say for sure? There is no problem at all if I am thinking of that. Will anything be taken away from me? No, Cathryn,¡±


    Then she shrugged. ¡°The choice is yours. Do you know him personally?¡±


    She gave a slight nod in response. ¡°No, that¡¯s an elderly gentleman who my father assisted, and that¡¯s what my father foretold would happen to me. He told me that one of the signs is that the right guy wille along and save me. That man boasted to me that he was a brave man in shining armor,¡± The things that she said made herugh nervously. She didn¡¯t go into detail about the signs that the elderly man had given her.


    Cathryn appeared to be just so excited. ¡°Oh, I like that, Sandy. Now, I want someone to tell me what the future holds for me too!¡± Both of them shared augh.


    They were just taken aback when the door opened unexpectedly. It was clear to her from a quick look who was responsible, and it was none other than Cade.


    When he looked at them, particrly her, a crease appeared in the middle of his forehead. ¡°Brother, why are you acting so crazy? I thought you weren¡¯t going to being home?¡±


    Cade red at his sister and hissed at her. ¡°I¡¯ll go home whenever I want, Cathryn. This ce is also my home. And what exactly is this nonsense thing that the two of you are talking about?¡±


    ¡°Brother! We are talking about Sandy¡¯s future husband, the man who has been chosen for her. She was anticipated all along.¡± Cathryn said.


    Alessandra was taken aback by Cade¡¯s expression because she had anticipated him to make fun of her andugh at her.


    His brows are almost drawn together in a line, and his face has a very icy appearance.


    ¡°Alessandra, don¡¯t you dare tell me that you put any stock in what the fortune teller had to say to you! God! It is impossible for someone as naive as you to believe that. Alessandra, you shouldn¡¯t put too much faith in what the fortune teller told you,¡±


    She retorted nonchntly, ¡°Whether or not I believe it, the decision is mine.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake, older brother! She¡¯s right. What difference does it make if Sandy has faith in the old man? That¡¯s her life,¡± she said.


    She, too, was waiting for an answer from Cade, just like she was.


    ¡°Because the predictions made by those palm readers nevere true. If what they say is urate, then no one is poor and everyone is rich now. Cathryn, your friend who has been dreaming, I just want to wake her up. Alessandra, you need to stop watching those fairy tales.¡± They were shaken by his words.


    ¡°You two girls arepletely insane!¡± Before leaving, he made one final statement. Because of this, she was in a state of extreme annoyance because she was unable to respond to him.

 Chapter 8

    15 yearster


    ¡°Hey, Sandy! If you look at him too intently for too long, he¡¯ll start to melt.¡± Cathryn made fun of her. She let out a sigh. This was something that did not go unnoticed by her friend; in fact, Cathryn was the only person besides his father who knew her too well. They have known each other for such a long time that they are well aware of each other¡¯s character.


    Cathryn massaged her temples. ¡°You¡¯ve reached your breaking point, have you? Are you going to change your mind at this point?¡±


    She gave a little shake of her head and took a sip of the alcoholic beverage that was in front of them. She did not keep track of how many shots she had consumed; all she was aware of was that she needed to put the n into action as quickly as possible. ¡°No, I¡¯m not backing out; I¡¯m already here. Why should I even consider backing out?¡± It was her response.


    ¡°Sandy, are you sure that this is the case? That¡¯s possible, right? Take some time to reflect. It must be difficult for you to do this to him. You are the only person who can determine if you are able to handle the repercussions.¡± Cathryn was very persistent in her nagging.


    She took a look all around at the jubnt party, which was theplete antithesis of how she was feeling. Because it was Caleb and his fianc¨¦e¡¯s engagement party, there was a lot of cause for celebration. She was prepared for a response from his father, but they are supported by him now. And there¡¯s no way this could be. Because of how well theyplement one another, he was unable to maintain his marriage.


    As she looked at Caleb¡¯s fiance¡¯s family, her mouth dropped open in shock. It is fortunate that the woman is not present because her modeling manager had an unexpected need for her, which means that she will be able to carry out her n tonight without any interruptions. And there was nobody who could stop her.


    She turned her gaze to her friend. ¡°You know what I¡¯m starting to think if I¡¯m really your best friend. On whose side are you going to fight? Do you have a favorable opinion of Caleb¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± She let out a growl.


    The corner of Cathryn¡¯s mouth quirked up. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m on your side. Sandy, what kind of a question is that? But because¡­ I really do believe that big brother Caleb and his fiance are the perfect matches for one another. You two do notplement each other, and there is no chemistry between you. I believe that you would be better suited with-¡± She appeared to be ring at me. The next thing she would say was thest thing she wanted to hear.


    ¡°Whatever it is that you want to say, Cathryn. I have no doubt that Caleb and I were destined to spend our lives together. I don¡¯t know how many times I have to tell you that I want him, I really do.¡± She brushed her hand lightly across her shoulder.


    ¡°Sandy, your love is different. Perhaps it¡¯s just an infatuation you have with my older brother Caleb. Because he defended you before. You saw a hero in him. I don¡¯t understand why you continue to pursue him when he clearly doesn¡¯t care about you and doesn¡¯t even recognize you as a woman. Are you blind? He only thinks of you as a younger sister. You are stunning, seductive, intelligent, and most importantly, you have a sessful career. You can also attract a lot of men, so why do you still keep pushing him?¡± She eximed in surprise.


    Her friend is right. A lot of people said she is beautiful. She is 5 feet and 4 inches tall, which she considers to be the ideal height for her frame. Herplexion is very fair, and her skin is very smooth. Because of the care that she took, there was not the slightest trace of a scar. Her waves were glossy, and they extended just a little bit past her shoulders. She had her mother¡¯s oval face and her mother¡¯s hazel eyes, her mother¡¯s perfectly proportioned nose, and her mother¡¯s naturally pink lips. She is able to say that her vital statistics, which are 34, 25, and 38, will also give off something. Together with Cathryn, shepleted a course in business, and now the two of them run a sessful pet store that also features a grooming center. Therefore, she is at a loss toprehend what else could possibly ount for Caleb¡¯sck of interest in her.


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in your brother Caleb, Cathryn. I really, really want him. I am hoping that you will be supportive of me,¡± She uttered those words with tears in her eyes.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Cathryn took a deep breath. ¡°What else can I do? You are of the appropriate age. I will stand by you even though I am fully aware that Caleb will despise you for the rest of his life if he discovers what it is that you n to do to him. You are the closest friend I have. I don¡¯t want to see you sad. I am standing right next to you right now.¡± She made an effort to smile. Cathryn cried and hugged her.


    She counted herself extremely fortunate to have a friend such as her. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, Cath. You are such a blessing in my life, and I can¡¯t thank you enough. You are my best friend. I can¡¯t afford to lose you. Even though we have other friends, no one can rece you!¡± She said emotionally.


    ¡°Sandy, I feel the same way about you. You are aware of that. Anyway, I have faith in your ability to carry out your n. Let us p and cheer for your sess!¡± She raised the ss of alcoholic beverage. Both of them are giggling hysterically right now.

 Chapter 9

    A short while ago, Sandy told her that she will go to her apartment, and she told her that she could not witness what she was about to do with her brother Caleb. Cathryn told her that she could not allow her to witness what she was about to do. Cathryn has a boyfriend now.


    In the meantime, Cathryn¡¯s two brothers are still living in their home in the family residence. However, Cathryn had revealed to her earlier that Caleb had recently purchased a home in the countryside and that he was considering moving there with his fiancee after they had tied the knot. In light of this information, she was pushed to carry on with what she had been doing tonight: she should be the woman he brought home to live with him in his house! Not even his fiance!


    She attempted to open her eyes wider and focus her attention intently on the doors leading into the various rooms, but her vision was blurry. The second level of the house contains a number of rooms. Despite the fact that she is embarrassed by Cathryn¡¯s parents, she is a woman who is hopelessly in love with Caleb and will do anything in her power to win him over.


    She looked around the room with a focused gaze. Why did she drink more than what she ought to drink? Her sole objective was to instill some bravery within herself, but she and Cathryn ended up having a good time instead. She simply shook her head and went to a room that she knew was for Caleb; despite the fact that she was drunk and dizzy, she hadn¡¯tpletely lost her mind just yet. Because the slightest misstep could derail her entire strategy, she was certain that she was entering the correct room.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    She turned the door handle and opened the door quietly despite the fact that she was experiencing anxiety. She did not activate the light switch. She undressed carefully, taking her time until there was nothing left on her body.


    She was able to almost make out the rhythm of her heart beating in her chest because it was such a strong beat. She approached the bed in a leisurely manner and lifted thempshade. When she saw that Caleb was lying down and sound asleep, it made her grin. She climbed back into bed quietly while he slept and turned off the light before he could wake up.


    And she was sessful. She wrapped her thickforter around herself and cuddled up against Caleb¡¯s body as she did so. He probably sensed that, so instead of just hugging her, he pressed himself even further against her and groped her. When Alessandra saw that he was naked as well, she couldn¡¯t help but crack a grin. She has good luck on her side.


    Caleb¡¯s body emits a pleasant scent, and he is warm to the touch. He clung to her and held her body in his grip, She examined his chest and his upper body. The actions that she took made him groan. When Caleb finally reached his breaking point, he grabbed her face and gave her a kiss that would shatter her very being. Caleb is her first kiss, which she does not feel bad about giving him. She was unable to contain her excitement any longer and made a beeline for him. She felt butterflies in her stomach. She shows signs of excitement. This is the end! There is no way to go back now!


    Alessandra is aware that Caleb takes care of his body and keeps it in good shape. However, she had never imagined that the man could be so handsome. In the darkness, she is unable to see his body, but just by touching him, she was able to tell that he was already a masterpiece that had been sculpted by an aplished sculptor. She feels the life between his thighs as it pokers her legs now. She let out a violent gasp.


    She had amassed every ounce of restraint that her body could muster. She kissed him passionately on the lips again, and this time she closed her eyes and didn¡¯t wait for him to initiate the action; instead, she invited him to do it and did it herself.


    A piercing screech brought Alessandra startlingly out of her sleep. That was immediately followed by a loud bang, whichpelled her to open her eyes because it appeared as though a battle was taking ce all around her. The man next to her woke up in a sh, most likely also from a deep sleep, and he was at a loss for what to do when he did so.


    ¡°What the heck is going on? Why can I hear the sound of tanks?¡± Alessandra was at a loss for words, unsure whether or not she shouldugh at Cade¡¯s response.


    But wait. It took her a few seconds before she could fully take in what she was seeing. What the fuck?! Why is Cade even here? She exhaled deeply before rolling over on her own ord and getting out of bed. She hastily wrapped herself in a thickforter and covered her face with it.


    ¡°Honey, what is that noise?¡± She looked over at Cathryn¡¯s father and said, ¡°It¡¯s very morning, but you¡¯re screaming.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, Leo! Take a good look at what your son has done!¡± The elderly man gave them his attention.


    Leo McKnight¡¯s expression was taken aback by what he saw. ¡°Cade? What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing? You even bed Alessandra?!¡± She can make out the fury in the elderly man¡¯s eyes.


    She did this multiple times, swallowing her saliva each time. If you know anything about Leo McKnight, you know that he always keeps his word. Everything that he says sounds like it should be aw. Cade stared at her in astonishment. He didn¡¯t have to ask her just to know the circumstance they are presently facing.

 Chapter 10

    Cade scratched his head and looked at her without any understanding on his face. ¡°Alessandra, what are you doing in my room? Why are you here?¡± He asked her.


    Alessandra wants to rip out his eyes because she is so angry and frustrated with him. How dare he even consider asking her that question! Annoying!


    ¡°Cade, you¡¯re a man, but I know that when ites to women, you¡¯re a yboy at heart. However, your mother and I let you, because we recognize that you are an adult now. But now you¡¯ve even bedded Alessandra! Cade, this is apletely different story. It¡¯s impossible to mistake her for any other woman because she is Alessandra! Even if you are my son, I will not forgive you for what you did to her, and I will not let you go. She¡¯s almost a family!¡± Leo spoke with an authoritative tone.


    Cade didn¡¯t move. She was unsure whether it was because he was still sleepy or whether he simply wasn¡¯t paying attention to what his parents were saying. ¡°There won¡¯t be a problem between the two of us if you two get along. But I¡¯m hoping that you didn¡¯t keep it a secret from us. What you did won¡¯t be called into question by us. You are both of legal age. However, it is a shame that you brought this upon yourselves; therefore, you should straighten yourselves out ande down.¡± Leo finally said.


    Cade didn¡¯t even open his mouth.


    Cora, his wife, remained in front of them while they witnessed the scene, and she expressed a great deal of shock. ¡°Cora, let¡¯s go down. Let those two fix themselves first,¡±


    His wife had no choice but to go along with her husband.


    And at this point, the room only contains the two of them by themselves. Cade got up out of bed and dressed up in front of her. He¡¯s not even embarrassed.


    She averted her gaze away from him in protest. ¡°You! Why did you forget to lock the door to the room?!¡± She barked at him angrily.


    He examined her with an interested expression on his face. ¡°I apologize. I really have no idea. It is not necessary for you to let me know if something happened between us. I can tell,¡± he sighed.


    It is entirely due to her actions. She is the reason why they are in this predicament right now. She had a strong desire for his parents to catch up with them, but she did not want them to catch up with Cade. Caleb is going to be her partner in this endeavor. That¡¯s her n.


    She yanked her hair out of her head. Why is she being such an idiot? Why Cade, out of all the men? He¡¯s the man whom she hates! Her enemy! And to make matters even worse, she even gave herself to him! Alessandra sees the world through the lens of a nightmare. She pped herself in the face, only to realize that she was dreaming the whole time.


    She cast her gaze all over the room. She¡¯s sure it¡¯s Caleb¡¯s room! It turns out that she was right all along. The question that needs to be answered is: why is Cade here?


    ¡°Caleb¡¯s room is right here, but I¡¯m confused as to why you¡¯re in here.¡± It was toote to take back what she said.


    His irises contracted, and he crossed his arms over his chest. He gazed at her with rapt attention. ¡°Oh, I see what you mean now. You carried out each of these actions on purpose. You had the intention of making my brother¡¯s life miserable, even though you knew that he was about to marry his fiancee. I can¡¯t help but feel sorry for my brother because he had no idea that someone was following him around pretending to be his friend. You¡¯re a snake,¡± He mocked her.


    When she heard what he said, her blood began to rush to her head. ¡°How dare you, Cade! I¡¯m not a snake!¡±


    ¡°So, what exactly is the point of all of this, huh?¡±


    Alessandra was at a loss for words and was unable to respond. ¡°I¡­ I just love him. And that is it. I want to im him as my own. Is it a sin to be in love?¡± She asked in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Loving someone is not a bad thing; the problem is that you can¡¯t learn how to ept defeat.¡± He appeared to be confused. ¡°Wake up, Alessandra. Caleb doesn¡¯t like you. He has a deep and abiding love for his fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Alessandra has been aware of this fact for quite some time. However, it hurts more to hear this from another person than it does for her to acknowledge it to herself. Especially considering that Cade, her greatest adversary, told her that himself.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I may be pathetic, but I just can¡¯t help loving him.¡± It was her insistence.


    She was unable to interpret the feelings that were disyed on his face. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re a fool.¡±


    Her teeth were gritted together. ¡°Go ahead and make fun of me. Call me names. But I feel sorry for you, Cade. Simply because you will never know what I am going through. What do you understand about love? You can¡¯t have an understanding of love. Because you can¡¯t love Cade. You are incapable of having romantic feelings for another person,¡±


    The expression on his face was expressionless. ¡°Wow. I am blown away by how urately you judge me, Alessandra,¡±


    ¡°Cade, I¡¯m just telling the truth!¡±


    ¡°It is a sign of foolishness if your idea of love consists of waiting for Caleb to notice you and acting immaturely for the sole purpose of having him, and doing these things just to have him.¡±


    She made a fist and gripped it tightly. ¡°How dare you!¡± She pounced on him and struck him across the face with a p. She forgot to remember that she was not wearing anything, Cade was able to see her body as well as the evidence that she had lost her virginity, the bloodstain on the bedsheet is the proof.


    His expression shifted while he spoke. He became more serious as time went on. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    She clenched her teeth and proimed, ¡°We don¡¯t have to.¡±


    He was not paying attention to what she had to say. He then looked at her while he was getting dressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to have a decent conversation. And take that as amand!¡± He eventually stopped blinking altogether as he carelessly shut the door.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°Alessandra, I need to have a conversation with your father. Because your dad and I are such good friends, it makes me sick to think of what my eldest son has done to you.¡± Leo McKnight said. ¡°It¡¯s better so that your father and I can talk about your marriage,¡± once they entered the living room after going into the kitchen. Leo called for the presence of all of his children, and they are all now here.


    Her eyes dted. ¡°W-What?! A marriage?!¡±


    Cora gave a slight nod in response. ¡°Oh, yes, dear. Alessandra, it seems that Cade should be the one to answer this. You two have had a rtionship for a long time. You wouldn¡¯t have admitted your rtionship if we hadn¡¯t been able to catch you first.¡±


    Caleb can¡¯t help but step in and intervene. ¡°Sandy, our parents are absolutely right. Cade ought to have enough maturity to take responsibility for this situation. Hey, we think of you as part of our family. You¡¯re not simply Cathryn¡¯s best friend; you¡¯re a family to everyone. You should get married to Cade,¡±


    What he said brought Alessandra to the brink of tears. She felt like yelling out to everyone that the only person she ever wanted to marry was Caleb.


    Leo nodded. ¡°You are absolutely right, son. I am unable to tell you what took ce with your older brother. But, I find it hard to think that he would have even bothered to pull Alessandra to his women¡¯s collection. Benjamin is going to feel terrible about it! How could I possibly confront him at this point?¡± The elderly man appears to be annoyed.


    Cade¡¯s expression changed to one of annoyance, and he stood up. Growling, he eximed, ¡°Wow, hearing these remarks from my family feels like I¡¯m the most terrible guy here.¡±


    Cora made a valiant effort to stare at her son. ¡°If you do not want to hear these words from any one of us, then you should marry Alessandra. I didn¡¯t raise a careless son,¡±


    The elderlydy faced her directly. smiling. ¡°Your wedding should be arranged through us. I hope that the two of you will tie the knot the following month.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Sandy, you need not be concerned. We will see to it that nothing goes wrong. Simply rx. Cade won¡¯t disappoint you in any way.¡± Caleb reassured her and even touched her palms to show his concern.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll consider marrying Alessandra, Cade. Be a man. You can¡¯t just ignore the responsibilities you have to her. Do you understand me?¡± His father¡¯s questions were fit for a king.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t read Cade¡¯s expression. ¡°Sure, dad.¡±


    The pair sat together and drank tea. ¡°Good. Now, since that is decided, I will give Benjamin a call right away and let him know about this fantastic news.¡±


    Alessandra hid her gaze by closing her eyes. What is this, a miracle? If it was Caleb that she was going to marry, then maybe, and yes. But no, it turned out to be Cade! She has decided that she would rather lose her virginity than marry an egotistical jerk.


    Cade red at her with disapproval after the other couple and Caleb had left the room. ¡°Alessandra, I¡¯m sorry to say that we won¡¯t be able to discuss this topic right now. I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I have an urgent meeting in the office,¡± he said.


    Her tonees out as irritating. Then, proceed. ¡°Why do you have to tell me these things?¡± She said in a scornful tone, ¡°Well, I would prefer it if you didn¡¯t go back here.¡±


    His lips began to part. His features became more sallow. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this when I get back,¡± he said.


    After a moment, Cade was no longer in her sight. Cathryn tapped her on the arm, and she felt it. It was almost as if she forgot that her friend was standing right next to her.


    ¡°Sandy! You¡¯re not being very nice to my older brother, are you?¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She did nothing more than roll her eyes. Cathryn¡¯s face was saddened.


    ¡°I have some concerns about you. What do you feel?¡±


    She was unable to control the tears that began to form in her eyes and began to flow freely down her cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that, Cath! I¡¯m so foolish! Why didn¡¯t I check to see if it was Caleb before lying next to the bed? My strategy has been aplete flop. You are aware of how much I despise Cade, right?¡±


    Her friend held her tightly. ¡°Sandy, I have no idea what you should do in this situation. I don¡¯t want to cast the me on you, but this was entirely your choice and your consequence. Now see where that got you!¡± she chortled with amusement.


    She gave her friend a dagger look. Cathryn let out a sigh and raised both of her hands in the air. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t get so worked up. What other options do we have? You were devirginized by my older brother Cade, and hence he is responsible for you.¡±


    That was a reality that she refused to acknowledge in any way. The jackass is undoubtedly making fun of her stupidity right now.


    She gave a slight nod in response. ¡°Cath, I don¡¯t want to marry your brother Cade,¡± she told her best friend. She said that with a solemn expression.


    Cathryn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?! Sandy, you are such an idiot! Cade steals your purity, and it is imperative that you hold him responsible. What if you get pregnant?¡± She was ovee by an unexined state of anxiousness.


    ¡°Sandy, you know quite well that won¡¯t take ce. Don¡¯t exaggerate the situation like that. We only have one sexual encounter. Aside from that, I get a distinct impression that I will have my period today,¡± That is an utter fabrication.


    Cathryn moved her arms in a tapping motion. ¡°Anyway! Heid im to your virginity. Anyway, you¡¯re lucky with my brother. He is attractive and has a sessful business career on the horizon. What other kinds of things are you looking for?¡± Her utterance was one of shock and astonishment.


    She cast a furious nce in her direction. ¡°Hah. Cath, there are moments when I just don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re talking to me as if you don¡¯t already know the answers to your questions. It¡¯s because I have a personal dislike for him. I love Caleb.¡± She let out a sigh.


    ¡°Is it true that you won¡¯t ever like my older brother Cade? Even if it¡¯s just a little bit? You won¡¯t find him attractive, do you? Cade has a more alluring appearance than Caleb. I¡¯m not even trying to embellish the facts,¡±


    It turned out that what Cathryn had said was urate. It is not a secret to her that Cade has more sex appeal and is more handsome than Caleb, and this is something she is aware of. A great number ofdies wept uncontrobly for Cade. But her true affection lies with Paul. Caleb is the ideal man for her.


    She gave a shrug of her shoulders in response. ¡°I can honestly say that I don¡¯t feel anything toward him. I love Caleb. I don¡¯t want to get married to Cade,¡± she said.


    Cathryn did nothing but nce at her with pitying eyes. ¡°Even if it were possible for me to help you, Sandy, there is nothing that I can do. The choice has already been made by Dad. You are aware that his remarks carry the weight of thew. You need toply,¡±

 Chapter 12

    Alessandra was making her way into the center of hamlet when she became aware of the sound of the police car and what appeared to be a disturbance. She has recently returned from the pet shop to her home. She came face to face with a neighbor she knew who appeared to be in great fear.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I ask what¡¯s the matter? What exactly is going on?¡± Because of the other sounds going on around them, she had to raise her voice.


    ¡°Sandy! You need to make sure everything is well at your apartment! The neighborhood was being patrolled by the police because someone had broken into the house and was attempting to steal goods. I overheard someone on your block saying it,¡±


    She exhaled loudly. Despite her anxiety, she was unable to reach her father on the mobile phone. She was ovee by her anxious feelings. She was aware that her father had arrived home by this point during these events. And it¡¯s possible he¡¯ll have a restful night. What if the robber managed to infiltrate their apartment unit?


    She was advised not to enter their neighborhood by the other neighbors in the vige, but she insisted on going in anyhow. She hurried her steps as she made her way to their unit. But all she could see werew enforcement officials attempting to secure the area. From what she has overheard, an outsider has made his way into the vige and is currently attempting to steal money as well as any other important items that he can get his hands on.


    ¡°Dad! Where are you!¡± She made an effort to yell out her father¡¯s name as loudly as possible to the crowded people. The officers are really preupied with their investigations and checks at the moment.


    The officers are attempting to detain her, even though all she wanted to do was enter their t. But, their abode has some limitations.


    ¡°Dad!¡± She is so upset that she can¡¯t stop crying because she is concerned for her father. It appears to her that there is blood on the streets. What if her father engaged inbat and is now in a life-threatening situation as a result?


    ¡°Have you seen my dad?¡± She questioned Eric, who was also searching for information from the crowd.


    The elderly man seemed to be in the gloom. ¡°I am so sorry to hear that, Sandy. But, I didn¡¯t see your father,¡±


    She was in a mncholy state and cried. She ispletely unconcerned about how she looks at the moment. Alessandra was left with no choice but to enter their home to determine whether or not her father was still there and whether or not he required her assistance. Alessandra dashed through the gate and inside their apartment as quickly as she could. When the locals saw what she had done, they all yelled her name, and a police officer tried to stop her, but she was able to get away from him swiftly.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    She observed that the apartment was in a state ofplete disarray. It appears that her first instinct was correct. The thief must loot one of these apartment units.


    ¡°Dad! What are you?¡± The door wasn¡¯t locked, she had a sneaking suspicion that her father was already inside.


    Oh God, what if her father is inside, and they get into a struggle, and he ends up getting killed by the robber?


    She made an effort to swallow. Alessandra has one hell of a racing heart. She can observe that her palms are bing paler.


    She went ahead and opened the door. She noticed that there was blood on the tiles. Her pupils dted, and she seemed to be experiencing the beginning stages of vertigo. She has a morbid phobia of blood.


    ¡°Sandy! What exactly are you doing here? Get away from this ce!¡± She was certain that it was Caleb¡¯s voice. There is no way that she is mistaken.


    To prove this, she turned around and spotted him.


    Nevertheless, before she could give him an answer, darkness envelops her.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± It sounded like a man was screaming.


    ***


    Alessandra opened her eyes and noticed that the ceiling is white. She was instantly aware that she was being treated at a medical facility. She still feels woozy. She made a motion with her hand.


    She said the word ¡°Dad¡± in a feeble voice.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, Sandy!¡± Cathryn, her best friend is sobbing loudly and hugging her very tightly. ¡°How are you doing right now? Are you okay?¡± She seemed to be really anxious.


    ¡°I believe that I am doing well. But I feel dizzy. Cath¡­ my dad. Where is he¡­?¡± She shed a tear, which fell from her eye.


    ¡°Sandy, everyone is worried about you! Why did you run when you knew that the officers were there to secure the area? Your dad won¡¯t need any help. But here you are, in the hospital, while he is safe and sound. You have a lot of impulsive behavior,¡±


    She experienced relief from the tightness that had been in her chest. ¡°Thank goodness,¡± She turned her gaze towards her.


    ¡°Cath, how could I possibly have doubted that my father was not in the house? No one saw him. And the door to our unit is unlocked. I noticed that there was blood on the tiles. Now tell me that he is safe,¡±


    ¡°I was not present at the time that the robbery took ce. Your father stated that he was sound asleep in his room when he became aware of a peculiar sound. Suddenly he noticed a stranger brandishing a weapon. He was conscious of the fact that he was a thief. Nevertheless, before it happened, Cade had previously witnessed an unknown person enter the apartment. Because he didn¡¯t trust him, he decided to follow him. And he saw the thief and your father fighting one another. So big brother beat him up. And that¡¯s why there¡¯s blood. It¡¯s not from your dad.¡± She has a grin that goes all the way up to her ears.


    What Alessandra heard left her speechless and speechless. ¡°What?! Cade saved my dad?!¡± She yelled out in disbelief.


    Cathryn nodded proudly. ¡°You are absolutely correct, Sandy. My older brother, Cade, came to the rescue and helped. Not only that but the entirety of the building. He really is a hero,¡± What she had to say took herpletely by surprise. She wouldn¡¯t believe that Cade was the one who rescued her dad.


    ¡°Listen, next time, try not to be quite so rash, okay? I¡¯ll be upset with you if you did this again! You caused me a great deal of anxiety. I¡¯m so thankful that Caleb was able to see you and¨C¡± Alessandra couldn¡¯t help but smile all the way up to her ears while Cathryn was talking, even before Cathryn had finished her sentence.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right, Cath! I¡¯m very grateful that he came to my rescue. I owe him a lot, Cath. He is my knight in shining armor,¡± When she recalled how Caleb had yelled her name, and how she had seen concern in his eyes, her eyes lit up with excitement.


    ¡°See? I told you that he also possesses some admirable characteristics,¡± Cathryn grinned.


    She gazed at her with an inquisitive expression on her face. ¡°Huh? When did I ever say that he doesn¡¯t have any admirable traits? I am well aware that he has a lot of reasons to boast about,¡±


    Cathryn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? Thank God, and you¡¯ve seen the nice traits that he possesses! What are you going to do then?¡±


    Once more, she cut her words off before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Of course. Cathryn, what kind of a question is that? I genuinely am going to love him in every way possible,¡±


    Simply recalling how Caleb had rescued her caused her cheeks to flush. At longst, it appears as though Cathryn has already acknowledged the love she feels for her half-brother Cade. Good.


    Cathryn exudes a look of pure joy. ¡°Sandy, I couldn¡¯t be happier for you!¡±


    ¡°I am happy as well, Cath. This is it. Do you recall the times when we were both young? The old man predicted me? Carh, it appears that his prediction is true. He added that when I was young, around the age of ten, he told me that I was about to meet the man who was supposed to be my husband. On the same day, we moved into Santa ra Vige, and it was here that I saw Caleb. The fortune teller showed me signs that indicated he would be my savior in the end. It¡¯s right here, Cath! He saved my dad!¡± She eximed in a joyful tone.


    The smile that had been on Cathryn¡¯s lips vanished almost instantly. ¡°What? I had the impression that you had put an end to that foolishness a long time ago, Sandy¡­¡±


    She curved her lips into a pout. ¡°Before it actually urred, I didn¡¯t really take that seriously, but now that it happened, I do. The wise old man¡¯s words look true anyway,¡±


    Cathryn gave a slight nod of her head. Her expression clearly showed that she was disappointed. Someone else entered the conversation at this point, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence. ¡°But Sandy, you have to be aware that-¡±


    It was Cade who called out ¡°Cathryn.¡±


    The man solemnly looked at her. Even now, she has no words to adequately exin his feelings. ¡°Alessandra. How are you doing today? Do you still feel dizzy? I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re afraid of blood,¡±


    Cathryn seemed to be nervous. ¡°But, big brother!¡±


    Cade looked at his sister with a warning in his eyes. He appeared to be confused. Cathryn was helpless to do anything other than nod. She regarded the two of them with an uneasy expression. ¡°What exactly is that?¡±


    Cade did not respond to her question. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± Why did the man seem so angry with her, despite the fact that it was clear that he was worried?


    ¡°I still feel woozy somehow. But I¡¯m fine. Thanks. Anyway, where is dad?¡±


    He straightened up some stray hairs that had been covering his face. ¡°Don¡¯t be concerned. Uncle is doing very well. You caused him to be somewhat concerned about you. It won¡¯t be long before he shows up,¡±


    She took a deep breath. She can be condescending to Cade, but she owes it to him to express gratitude in this instance.


    ¡°Cade, I am forever grateful to you for rescuing my father.¡± She had to swallow her pride to thank him, even though it was embarrassing. Cade merely nodded.


    ¡°No worries. You need to get more sleep, Alessandra,¡± After that, he got up and left the room. It would appear that Cade is dealing with a big problem in his life.


    Cathryn rolled her eyes. ¡°Ugh! I can¡¯t stand the way things are going! Alessandra, you are so-!¡± She was unable toplete what she had been going to say.


    Her brows furrowed in response. ¡°Huh? Did I do something wrong?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even do anything! Sleep more. Your snarky attitude is going to make my head burst any second now. Ugh!¡± Cathryn fixed her with an intense gaze.

 Chapter 13

    Alessandra was discharged from the hospital the day after she arrived there. She spotted her father running towards her, and the look in his eyes indicated that he was exhausted. As he saw her, he immediately gave her a bear hug. ¡°Thank God, and I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay, sweetheart. You have no idea how concerned I am!¡±


    Alessandra returned her father¡¯s embrace and hugged him.


    ¡°Are you really okay?¡± He questioned her and checked her body.


    She nodded. ¡°Sandy, I have to tell you the truth. We have more problems. The thief took our precious possessions. Our savings and our jewelry. Now, I don¡¯t have any money. I don¡¯t even know where to begin,¡± he said with such helplessness.


    She let out a sigh. Well, she has some money. But, she is unsure as to whether or not her savings and money will be sufficient to cover their monthly rent as well as all of their expenditures for the next months.


    ¡°Dad, I have some savings. That wraps up my thoughts for the month. But I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to keep this up for the next several months after that. You know that I have an installment car payment and a townhouse,¡± she stated.


    ¡°I understand, Sandy. Don¡¯t be concerned. I have a guilty feeling. I wasn¡¯t able to fight the robber for our money,¡±


    She was unable to respond to her father when she saw Leo and Cora McKnight.


    ¡°Benjamin! Alessandra!¡±


    Leo and Benjamin exchanged a friendly tap on the shoulder. ¡°Leo, I just wanted to extend my gratitude to your son, Cade. To him, we owe a great deal,¡±


    Leo made a waving motion with his hand in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Benjamin. You are not just friends, you are a family now. It would be best if we all worked together. We are friends regardless of the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°In any case, what are your ns about the items that the robber stole from you?¡± Leo asked.


    Her father gave a slight shake of the head. ¡°Leo, I am at a loss for what action to take now. There is still a great deal for us to attend to. There are a lot of things that need to be prioritized. It¡¯s a blessing that your home has such strong security. It would appear that the apartment units are no longer secure. There should be trouble for the thieves getting inside,¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thank God nobody broke into our house. Thank Lord. Yet we felt bad for you. If you feel that the safety of your apartment is no longer safe, you are wee to stay with us at our mansion. We still have lots of extra guest rooms,¡± Cora remarked with a grin.


    Benjamin¡¯s eyes grew noticeablyrger. ¡°What? We¡¯re sorry, but we can¡¯t ept your help. That is too much, Cora. I¡¯m going to be embarrassed about it,¡±


    ¡°Oh, Benjamin. You don¡¯t have to be shy. Especially because our children are going to begin their families. They will be married anyway,¡± Leo chuckled out loud.


    The eyes of her father expanded in response. Alessandra felt her heart start to race all of a sudden. She saw Cade approaching them at that moment.


    Alessandra made several attempts to get Cade¡¯s attention so that she could warn him to stop his parents, but the cretin was avoiding her look the whole time!


    The furrows between her father¡¯s eyebrows deepened. ¡°Married? What exactly are you trying to say, Leo?¡±


    She licked her lips nervously. ¡°Dad. I¡¯m-¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    They were greeted with a friendly smile from Cora. ¡°Well, good thing Cade is here,¡± the old woman said. ¡°Cade, could you please exin everything to your Uncle Benjamin, I would really appreciate that.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened in response to hisck of eye contact, but he did not nce at her. Cade greets her father by shaking his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m here standing in front of you, Uncle Benjamin, and I want to tell you that I want to ask your daughter for her hand in marriage,¡±


    A decent person is what Alessandra sees when she looks at him. But she was well aware that this was not the case. Cade is simply pretending.


    Cade took a moment to clear his throat before continuing. ¡°Uncle Benjamin, I must apologize for something that transpired between me and your daughter. I need you to understand that I will not run away from what happened to us and the responsibility that falls on my shoulders. I¡¯d like to make sure I have your blessing before I ask for her hand. I want to marry your daughter,¡±


    Oh, heavenly being! Alessandra begs God to make his father furious enough to turn him down. However, much to her astonishment, he shed a charming smile.


    ¡°Really? If so, that¡¯s good news. You are free to propose to my daughter and ask for her hand in marriage. Make a solemn oath not to harm her and to take good care of my princess. I trust you, Cade.¡± Benjamin winked at him and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re the only one who can put up with her brat behavior.¡±


    ¡°You can count on me, dad,¡± Cade said.


    What he said caused Alessandra toe close to choking. Cade had a very resolute expression on his face. The statements made by Cade left both Cora and Alessandra in utter amazement.


    ¡°Benjamin, at longst, it looks like we¡¯re going to be a real family now. What do you believe to be a lovely name that we could give to our grandchild? Let¡¯s give that some thought,¡± Leo McKnight suggested with a grin on his face.


    Her father is very encouraging and uplifting. ¡°There is a wide selection of lovely names from which to pick, Leo. We can conduct a search on the inte for whatever it is,¡±


    Alessandra can¡¯t help but roll her eyes at this point.


    The gesture came from Cade¡¯s dad, who tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d like to offer my sincere congrattions to both of you!¡± He said, ¡°I never anticipated you¡¯d marry sooner than my son Caleb and his fiance. I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.¡±


    Speaking of which, if she and Cade do end up getting married, there will be a clear postponement of Caleb¡¯s wedding for sure. Alessandra broke into a grin at the thought. In the end, this is not such a terrible idea.


    Upon her release from the facility, the McKnights insisted that she and her father reside in their home for the duration of the inquiry being conducted by the police authorities. Her father left early and didn¡¯t say a word about where he went. She doesn¡¯t know where he goes.


    She was provided with a guest room at the McKnight that had its own private bathroom. After she had just stepped out of the shower, Cade appeared in the bedroom.


    Her pupils dted, and she strained to wrap the robe around her wet body while doing so. ¡°Cade, what the hell are you doing inside my room?!!¡± She shrieks in terror.


    Cade did not provide an answer to her question but rather nced at her instead. His mouth was twisted into a sinister grin the entire time.


    ¡°Wow. I had no idea I have such a sexy fiance,¡±


    Her cheeks became reddened. ¡°Fiance! Cade, in your dream! Leave this room now, you beast! Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m almost not wearing anything?¡± She clenched her jaw in annoyance and clenched her teeth.


    The only thing he did was raise his eyebrows. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not blind, Alessandra. And so what? I¡¯ve already seen it and touched it anyway,¡±


    She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. ¡°Cade, I am well aware that this is your home. But, this does not give you the right to walk into anyone else¡¯s space without first knocking on the door or getting my permission to do so. Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡± She asked, showing annoyance.


    He gave the impression that he was unconcerned by shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Well, no. I don¡¯t know how to knock,¡±


    Alessandra yelled his name in anger.


    ¡°Oh, I like that. We¡¯re not up yet doing anything, but here you are screaming my name. I didn¡¯t know you were wild, Alessandra,¡±


    The brute is definitely teasing her!

 Chapter 14

    Alessandra had the sensation that her entire face was flushed. ¡°Pervert! Rude! Oh, my goodness, auntie¡­!¡± She screamed for help and was embarrassed by calling his mother.


    However, Cade just startedughing out loud.


    She clenched her jaw in annoyance and clenched her teeth. ¡°You are such a bastard, Cade! I despise you with all my being! Are you going to lock me up in this room, or am I going to give you a good p?¡± She is making a threat to him.


    The room waspletely upied by Cade¡¯s infectiousughter. And what is it about hisugh that makes it sound so¡­ seductive? Is shepletely deranged at this point?Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. ¡°Cade, you are aware that I have an appointment at the pet store today. A member of my team is currently taking a day off for rest,¡± she informed him.


    ¡°Oh, Alessandra, don¡¯t you worry about a thing. I have already given my sister a call and informed her that you are unable to visit the pet store today. We are going to have a conversation about what has been going on with us.¡± His expression changed abruptly to one of seriousness.


    She made an effort to swallow hard. ¡°Is there anything more that you would like to discuss with me?¡±


    ¡°I want you to know that I will hold ountable for what transpired between us and that I will marry you. I want you to know that I will marry you.¡±


    Oh, dear God, now she is fully aware that they will be having a serious discussion from this point on.


    He gazed intently into her eyes. It wasn¡¯t until just now that she understood how lovely they were. Cade¡¯s eyes are a rich brown color, and his eyshes are lengthy. He didn¡¯t nce at her eyes.


    ¡°W-We don¡¯t have to talk about it, Cade,¡± She finally managed to say.


    Alessandra was unable to decipher the expression that he was wearing on his face. ¡°We are going to talk about it, Alessandra, and we are going to be married regardless of whether or not you like the idea.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because of what your mother and father told you? Come on, Cade. Don¡¯t act like such a conservative guy! The 21st century has long since arrived. I just so happened to give it to you, but there are other ways in which women will lose their virginity. But you should know that I really am giving it to your half-brother!¡± She did not intend to explode, but when ites to Cade, she is losing all of her patience. She did not want to explode.


    It does not appear that he is moved in any way by the things that she has just stated. ¡°Listen, Alessandra, I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯m not sorry for anything that happened between us. It was predestined to happen. We were. And what type of woman do you think you are that the fact that my parents made me responsible to you is the sole reason why I only wanted to marry you and not another woman? I¡¯ve reached the age when I don¡¯t need anyone else to tell me what to do because I can make decisions for myself. Do not ever think that way about me since I can defy their directives if I so choose.¡± He stated it dispassionately.


    Because he was standing too close to her, she had the impression that she couldn¡¯t breathe, so she pushed him gently. She was aware of the rapid hammering of her heart. He grasped her shoulder.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be married, Cade. What urred between us ispletely nonsense. Let¡¯s just forget about it.¡± She stated it in a manner thatcked passion.


    The expression on his face changed, and he released his grip on her shoulders. ¡°Okay. Just so you know, I¡¯m going to let my parents know that all of this is just your n. that you have evil intentions for my brother. You¡¯ll experience joy in that way.¡± Cade reacted by turning his back on her.


    She exhaled loudly. Then, she reached out and grasped his arm. ¡°What? Are you crazy? Don¡¯t tell them, would you?¡± She pleaded with a shaking voice.


    He did not respond to her but instead looked directly at her face. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want them to be furious at me, Cade. Please don¡¯t make them mad. Because there¡¯s no way I can change the way Caleb thinks about me or else he¡¯ll get angry with me. He will avoiding into contact with me. It is not something I want. It would be easier for me to ept that he won¡¯t love me than it would be to concede that we would nevermunicate again. And I am certain that his fiancee will make fun of me,¡± The veryst word that she uttered was highlighted in some way.


    ¡°You really would go to any lengths for my brother, huh?¡± Alessandra was baffled by Cade¡¯s use of tone, and she was unable to identify it.


    ¡°I¡­ I will do anything for him,¡± she responded. ¡°I will go as far as to marry you.¡± She had amanding voice.


    Will she give up on Caleb now that this has happened? But he came to her rescue. Didn¡¯t the wise old man warn her that if she didn¡¯t meet her ¡°destined man,¡± she¡¯d be doomed to a life of torment?


    She looked into the pair of gray eyes he had. ¡°Cade, I am going to marry you. But, it will only be in effect for a year. After that, we will proceed with the filing of an annulment so that we may put an end to this matter. After that, we might tell them lies,¡± she said, her tone more adamant than before.


    Even now, Cade maintained his poker face look. ¡°What exactly are we going to say to everyone when a year has passed, huh?¡±


    She appeared to be shrugging her shoulders. She does not yet know. ¡°You¡¯ll have no trouble with it this time, Cade. Let¡¯s just suppose that both you and I formed a snap judgment about something. That we can¡¯t work together because our personalities are too different. I may be able to win Caleb over after we are married. After all, we aren¡¯t able to hold a joint wedding with the two of them,¡±


    Cade is merely sitting there and listening to her. She carried on further. ¡°Cade, you haveplete autonomy to decide how you want to spend the rest of your life. So am I. There is no obligation for us to worry for one another. We won¡¯t be married, it is just on paper. That sums it up nicely. Deal?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take him more than a few seconds to respond to her question. ¡°Deal,¡±

 Chapter 15

    They only have a modest wedding party for family and close friends. Alessandra was adamant that she only wanted a straightforward ceremony. In defiance of the expectations of Cade¡¯s mother and her mother¡¯s father. They want a huge and beautiful church wedding. Even though she and Cade decided to get married in the church, the ceremony itself took ce in a more intimate chapel. Due to the fact that the McKnight family had numerous connections that could help her and Cade with the process of getting married, the wedding waspleted in a rtively short amount of time.


    ¡°Dad, Aunty Cora¡­ I believe it is time for me to leave now. My fiance contacted me and informed me that she has an emergency.¡± After the liturgy, as they were parting ways, Caleb stated, ¡°I need to be there for her.¡±


    Leo indicated hisprehension with a nod. ¡°Okay, no problem. But before you do that, you need to get permission from your older brother and his wife,¡± The old man said.


    Caleb shifted his focus to look at his older brother. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cade, but I won¡¯t be able to make it to the reception with you guys. My fianc¨¦e needs my presence. I really hope that you can get it,¡±


    She is unable to interpret the look that Cade is giving her. ¡°Sure. Take care of yourself, Caleb,¡±


    ¡°I was going to mention something earlier, but Ipletely forgot, so¡­ congrats! I had no idea you were going to marry Sandy. You just sit around and wait for your luck, aren¡¯t you?¡± Following the embrace, the young man shifted his attention to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead, Sandy. I hope that you and my older brother have a wonderful marriage together. My present is at home. I do not doubt that dad will hand it over to both of you. I wish you the best of luck in your married life. Be positive at all times,¡± She was able to see that Caleb was genuinely delighted for them both.


    Alessandra had a distinct impression that she was about to cry. She had not been in the mood for quite some time, and the knowledge that he was going to leave made her lose her appetite even more.


    ¡°I see. Okay, take care of yourself, Caleb.¡± The tone of her voice was soft and quiet.


    ¡°Saaandddy¡­!¡± She was able to pick up Cathryn¡¯s high-pitched voice.


    Cathryn was the first person she noticed when she turned around. She looked absolutely stunning in the maid of honor attire she wore. The gown is a wonderful choice for her. Cathryn gave her a peck on the cheek.


    ¡°You should both be quite proud of yourselves. Oh, Lord, please bless these two people with a child!¡± Cathryn has gone as far as to close her eyes, demonstrating that she is the intent of her having a baby.


    Her words caused her eyes to widen, and she was about to respond when Cade¡¯s father spoke up. ¡°Alessandra, Catryn is absolutely correct. There is no reason for either of you to be anxious about anything now that you are married to my son. You could have a baby straight away if you wanted to. Nheless, I would love to have grandchildren. Already, I¡¯m getting pumped up.¡±


    She eximed in surprise. Her cheeks became reddened.


    When she sensed that Cade was approaching, he grabbed her around the waist and drew her in closer.


    ¡°Dad, please stop being so scary to my wife. Don¡¯t put any pressure on her,¡± Cade said as he came to her rescue.


    The response of his parents was simply a shrug of the shoulders. ¡°Well, I¡¯m hungry now. Let¡¯s head on over to the reception right away,¡±


    Cade attempted to bring her closer to him but she resisted his efforts. ¡°Should we proceed to the reception at this time?¡± He spoke softly to her in her ear.


    But, she is no longer in the mood to travel to that ce. Especially because Caleb is nowhere to be found. She is aware that she is acting haughtily. But what can she do? She had no way of fooling anyone into believing that she approves of the current events.


    ¡°Cade, I¡¯m not hungry at all. If you would want to go to the reception and have something to eat, I will not object to that. But I really doubt that I¡¯ll be able to make it. I have a headache all of a sudden,¡± she gave as her reason for leaving.


    What was the purpose of her getting there if Caleb wasn¡¯t going to be there?


    The expression on Cade¡¯s face changed, and he realized what it was that she was talking about. Yet he did not act violently against her in any way.


    ¡°Dad, mom¡­ It looks like my wife won¡¯t be able to make it to the reception,¡±


    The McKnights gave her a worried look, which caused her to feel as though she had done something wrong. ¡°Alessandra, how are you doing? Everything okay?¡±


    She made an effort to put on a smile. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m suffering from a terrible migraine¡­ I am very sorry,¡±


    The nods ofprehension came from Cade¡¯s parents. ¡°Okay. We understand. Cade, please take pity on your exhausted wife and offer her a rest; she has been standing for a very long time.¡±


    The only response they got from Alessandra was a smile. Cathryn seemed to be aware of the reason behind her sudden reluctance to attend the celebration.


    Cade hauled her out of the church and into the parking lot, where he waited for her in his vehicle. He stepped aside and opened the door for her, and she went in without raising an eyebrow.


    He opened the hood of the automobile. He heaved a sigh. ¡°Alessandra, I beg you, please change your behavior today. This day is very beautiful. Don¡¯t make a big deal out of the fact that my brother is no longer in the picture,¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was unable to identify the feeling conveyed by his tone.


    Alessandra gave him an angry look as she gazed at him. ¡°Can you please not disturb me, Cade?¡± while clenching her teeth. ¡°Please.¡±


    He cocked his head to the side. She is aware that he is disappointed as seen by the look in his eyes. ¡°There is one aspect of you that I simply cannot fathom. You have always considered that I am an annoyance to you,¡±


    When Alessandra struggles to find the right words, Cade gets behind the wheel.


    When a few moments passed, she finally became aware that Cade had stopped at an unfamiliar location. This was the moment that brought her back to the present.


    ¡°Why are we here?  Cade, I am telling you the truth. I¡¯m experiencing a migraine right now. I just need some time to rx. Please, I need us to go back to our house,¡±


    They detained themselves in an opulent residence with two levels. It¡¯s located within an executive vige, actually.


    He nodded. ¡°You are quite correct in that regard, Alessandra. I will take you home. This is my house, sweetheart,¡± His voice was really bedroom-like.


    Even though Alessandra didn¡¯t want to, she and Cade were legally required to live together under the same roof once they got married. Because she doesn¡¯t want his parents to judge or detect that there¡¯s something wrong with their marriage, she will put up with Cade¡¯s presence even though it irritates her even though she doesn¡¯t want them to discover there¡¯s a problem. After all, she is the one that gets him involved in this chaos, to begin with.


    ¡°Alright. This is your ce,¡± She responded with a disappointed tone before opening the car door.


    He let out a chuckle. ¡°Wow. It looks from the way you are speaking and the expressions on your face that you are a sessful businesswoman who has recently dered bankruptcy. Do you have any idea how fortunate you are to be Mrs. Cade McKnight?¡± He smirked at her.


    She gave him the side eye and rolled her eyes. ¡°Tsk. I¡¯m afraid not! I¡¯m very sure I have the worst luck on the entire to be your wife!¡±

 Chapter 16

    When Cade continued to talk to her while she was standing there, Alessandra was finally pulled back to the present.


    ¡°I am well aware that the appearance of my home is not yet up to par. When ites to selecting homes, I¡¯m not sure what your preferences are. As I show you the bedrooms, all you have to do is let me know if there is anything you would like to alter, and we will make the necessary adjustments as soon as we can,¡± Cade added.


    She let him know that she preferred for them to sleep in separate rooms. Cade concurred, which was a good thing.


    Once Alessandra saw that Cade does not clean his house and that he maintains an untidy home, she believed that she was going to have a weapon with which to battle against him. Yet, she was incorrect. And he can even outdo her when ites to keeping the house clean. It appears that ady rather than a guy resides in the residence at this time. And now he¡¯s going to show her where she¡¯ll be sleeping. His home contains four separate bedrooms for guests.


    Alessandra was already thrilled by the living room and dining room of his house; hence, the anticipation she had when she saw the room was heightened even further when she saw that room. The bedroom is decorated in light pink and white pastels. There is a separate closet for her and a desk for her to use when she is working. She was almost ovee with astonishment by the beauty of the entire space, which had girly d¨¦cor and charming paintings hanging on the wall.


    ¡°Do you like your room, Alessandra?¡± Cade asked inquisitively while standing next to her. Her jaw immediately reverted to its natural position when she was rudely jolted back to reality.


    She made an effort to appear cool. She showed a slight bow before nodding her head. ¡°Oh, I suppose we can make do with this space. I am here anyway. I¡¯m just going to use this space temporarily. Since I don¡¯t have a choice, I can¡¯t reallyin about it,¡± She attempted to conceal the truth. She is fervently hoping that her wordse across as convincing.


    But all Cade did wasugh at it. ¡°All right, then¡­ suit yourself here,¡± There was not even the slightest hint of displeasure in his demeanor. It was one of the things that astonished her because no matter how many times she showed him how harsh and cranky she could be, he never once became really furious with her. This was one of the things that startled her. Or maybe, Cade is just keeping his cool? Because he doesn¡¯t want to end up as a loser? Maybe. She ispletely clueless about this.


    Almost soon, she began to organize her belongings and store them in the closet. Because she would not be staying at Cade¡¯s ce permanently, she only brought the items that were absolutely necessary to her. She flopped down on the bed, exhausted from her day. Alessandra had anticipated that she would have trouble falling or staying asleep, but she quickly adapted to the rxed atmosphere of Cade¡¯s home¡­


    Alessandra was awake when the sunlight streaming in through the window struck her directly in the face. She nced at the clock on the wall and lightly tapped her temple at what was most likely nine o¡¯clock in the morning. She failed to remember to eat her dinner. Gosh.


    She got up and went to the restroom without any difficulty. It¡¯s going to be embarrassing for Cathryn and the rest of the staff at their pet shop if she arrives therete in the morning. Her movements were performed hurriedly. She wore a floral dress and brought her denim jacket with her. She changed into sneakers and grabbed her handbag before continuing.


    After she had closed the door to her room, she could see Cade¡¯s room, which was direct across from her own. She is debating whether or not she should wake him up at this point. Yet, she was certain that he was still sleeping, or perhaps he was upied. Alessandra made the decision not to wake him up because she didn¡¯t see the point in even saying goodbye to him. It is possible that he would be irritated with her for telling him that she will go to the pet shop. It¡¯s possible that she¡¯s keeping him up at night.


    Alessandra was looking straight ahead and carrying on with her walk when she was taken aback when someone unexpectedly spoke to her out of the blue. ¡°Good morning, honey, where are you going today?¡± Cade asked her as his gaze traveled from her head to her toes, ¡°You are dressed quite nicely.¡± He is currently lounging on the couch while watching football.


    She was so startled that she almost leaped. ¡°Goodness, Cade! Do you intend to kill me in shock?¡± Her brows knitted together in frustration.


    He turned his attention away from the television and toward her. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry, Alessandra,¡±


    She didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it, but she rolled her eyes. ¡°I was surprised to see that you are awake. Because-¡±


    He smirked at her. ¡°Because you believe that I am still sleeping at this ungodly hour? I am not in my room because I am currently in the living room.¡±


    Alessandra felt humiliated. Because Cade had the ability to read her thoughts exactly as she had them in her head.


    She let out a sigh. When he spoke to her, she was going to take another step forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m still chatting with you. Where do you n on going?¡± He said nonchntly once more, ¡°Why are you dressed up?¡±


    This time, Alessandra has an inquisitive attitude. Why is it necessary for him to ask questions that are obvious? Shouldn¡¯t that bepletely obvious?


    ¡°And where exactly do you believe I¡¯ll go, Cade?¡± She responded, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m heading to the pet shop.¡±


    Cade wore a frown. ¡°Where are you going? Are you nning to visit the pet store? This time, you should entrust the management of the pet shop to my sister and your employees. They should be able to aplish it. You are obligated to put faith in them. Alessandra, you need to step it up. Use your brain. What will the opinions of other people be? We just got married. The typical length of a honeymoon is between one and two weeks.¡± His tone conveys a sense of displeasure to some extent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be concerned about that; they won¡¯t think that. I didn¡¯t state that I tied the knot,¡±


    Cade¡¯s demeanor changed to one of seriousness as he refocused his attention on the screen. ¡°Okay. But at the very least, you ought to eat your meal,¡± he remarked emotionlessly.


    She took a nce at the watch on her wrist. ¡°Cade, I¡¯ll need to get in the store. I have to get going,¡± She took another step toward the front.


    ¡°Alessandra, I¡¯ve prepared breakfast. It¡¯s a shame to turn down food,¡± he said with a t tone.


    Alessandra was confused about why she was following his words in the first ce. When entering the dining room, she saw the arrangement of the food on the table. She noticed cold milk and sandwiches with bacon and cheese. ¡°The meals are good for you. You eat it. It¡¯s beneficial to your health to do so.¡±


    Because she is in such a rush, she just bit off a very small portion. Yet after only a few bites, she didn¡¯t realize that she had already consumed all of the food until it was toote.


    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re being honest, the bacon sandwich is very tasty. Cade, can you tell me where you got this?¡± She asked him.


    He then smiled devilishly at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it. Alessandra, I¡¯m sorry to say that I¡¯m not much of a fan of fast food. I was the one who made that sandwich with bacon.¡± He gave her a knowing wink and exined that the sandwich was one of his specialties.


    As soon as she heard that, she started coughing and stopped drinking her milk. ¡°What? You¡¯re making this up, aren¡¯t you?¡± She said it with a smile, indicating that she is not taking him seriously.


    But he didn¡¯t evenugh. ¡°That is one of the things that bothers me about you, Alessandra. You always focus on the negative side of my personality. You should realize that I also have some good qualities.¡±


    What could be causing the look of pain on his face? Does he feel bad? But Cade has no capability to feel pain!


    ¡°There is just no way in the world that I will believe you, Cade! You¡¯re fooling me!¡±


    He made a shrugging motion with his shoulders. ¡°Suit yourself. I don¡¯t need to demonstrate my worth to anyone, Alessandra. I have good sides too. You just can¡¯t see it because you¡¯re too blind,¡±


    She was unsure of how to respond to his question, so she chose not to answer him.


    She has already swallowed all of her breakfast. She got up from the chair and walked away. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you there,¡± He offered.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    She gave him an annoyed look as she gazed at him. ¡°Cade, are you kidding me? What sort of a joke is this? Do you have a lot of time on your hands? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m busy,¡±


    He didn¡¯t appear to be bothered in the least by her rage. ¡°I¡¯m your husband, and I¡¯m going to drive you to the pet store, regardless of whether or not you like it,¡± he said. After saying that to her, he walked by. Alessandra was left in a state of utter bewilderment.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Oh my goodness, Ms. Alessandra! Who exactly is that hottie? He is quite good-looking! Could you please introduce us to him?¡± While she was reorganizing the shelves with the dog food, one of her employees eximed.


    Cathryn was going to say anything, but she sent her a stern look before she did.


    In a worried tone, she responded, ¡°Ahmm¡­ he¡¯s just my neighbor.¡±


    Everyone in the pet shop let out an audible gasp. Cathryn too.


    ¡°Are you serious, Ma¡¯am? You don¡¯t have a romantic connection with that hottie, do you?¡± One of her employees has an inquisitive nature.


    She shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°There is no connection between us,¡± She could see by the look in Cathryn¡¯s eyes that she did not agree with what she had said. She is aware that her pal was nning to say something.


    ¡°So ma¡¯am, why is he hanging out with you? If he isn¡¯t your boyfriend, then what is he?¡±


    She was at aplete loss for words. ¡°He¡¯s just nice, that¡¯s all. Please stop asking any more questions and get back to work.¡± She said, snobbish.


    The staff has no choice but to go back to their work. Cathryn interrogated her with a serious expression on her face when the staff disappeared.


    ¡°Sandy, I don¡¯t agree with what you just said. Why did you tell them that you do not know my brother and you do not have any connection with him?¡± Her tone of voice is usatory.


    As she nced at her, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. ¡°Cathryn, your brother and I do not have the kind of rtionship that you might think we do. I¡¯m not even trying to embellish the facts!¡±


    ¡°But, you¡¯re going to get married!¡± She took several full breaths.


    ¡°Cathryn, your brother and I have talked it over, and we¡¯ve decided that after a year we will also part ways.¡± She confided in her friend, ¡°The only reason I consented to marry him was so that everyone wouldn¡¯t find out the truth.¡±


    ¡°What?! And even though it was your decision, my brother still went along with it? This is an extremely dumb decision.¡± She tilted her head. It would appear that she is losing her mind, as though the things that she has been saying arepletely absurd.


    ¡°Gosh! I never in a million years would have guessed that my brother would do this for you¡­¡± She gave a slight nod in response.


    Her brows furrowed. ¡°What do you mean, Cathryn?¡±


    Cathryn gave the impression by shaking her head that she is really pitiful.


    ¡°You know what, Sandy?  If we weren¡¯t just friends, I¡¯d pull out all of your hair and shave your head! You¡¯re so dumb!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She said, appearing perplexed.


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m not sure if I can still make sense of what you¡¯re saying. I really hope that my brother will talk some sense into you and clear your head!¡±


    Sheughed.


    A few hourster, it was time for lunch. When all of a sudden, the door to the pet shop opened, Alessandra and Cathryn were in the process of getting ready to go eat lunch.


    ¡°Good day, sir! Pooch is pleased to have you-¡± When she spotted Jack, she paused for a moment. Jack had been a suitor for her in the past.


    The man gave her a friendly smile before gesturing with his hand. ¡°Hello, Sandy. Oh, it¡¯s been so long! It is already time to eat lunch,¡± His question is posed cordially.


    Even though he has been pursuing her for a considerable amount of time, she does not have any strong feelings for him. She is unable to feel anything for him, even though he is attractive and has a secure career. Even though she has been forthright with him on multiple asions, Jack continues to pursue her. Now, she is keeping her fingers crossed that Jack will stop chasing after her.


    Because Alessandra did not want toe out as impolite to him, she simply nodded. ¡°Yeah, Cathryn and I are going to eat lunch together,¡±


    He wore a broad smile. ¡°That¡¯s great. I arrived just in the nick of time. Why don¡¯t we eat together? My treat,¡±


    Cathryn suddenly spoke out as Alessandra was pondering how to respond to the question. ¡°Lunch? I¡¯m in! Sandy, we¡¯re going to eat with Jack,¡±


    Alessandra does not have an option but to apany them because he extended the invitation in a friendly manner and Cathryn epted it.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    They were near their pet store when Jack brought them to an Italian restaurant. They were greeted with mouthwatering meals when they sat down to eat.


    Jack talks to her. ¡°How did you feel about the meal?¡±


    Alessandra gave a sly smile. Ites as a surprise as she has always enjoyed eating pasta, but it appears that she has lost her desire for things like these at the moment. But, she is starving. She is aware that she is hungry.


    Yet, because she did not wish for Jack to be embarrassed, she made an effort to conceal the truth. ¡°Sure, the cuisine is to my liking.¡±


    During their meal, Cathryn and Jack were the only ones that engaged in conversation with each other. This is not typical of her. But, she was not in the mood for conversation at this time. She had the feeling that someone was digging into her gut, and she felt ufortable. When she looked at her palm, she noticed that it was pale.


    And then, just a few minutester, she was engulfed in pitch ckness.


    ***


    Alessandra was awake after hearing amotion in the ce where she was sleeping. It is so loud, and it seems as though she is in a crowded marketce where people are constantly talking over each other.


    ¡°Oh, Princess Aurora has already woken up!¡± Cathryn yelled at everyone. They did not speak as they looked at her in silence. But she did note that there was something odd about them. They are delighted, as seen by the broad smile on their faces.


    She also became aware that she is currently in a medical facility.


    ¡°Why do I have to be here? Why am I being treated here at the hospital?¡± She asked in terror. Is she suffering from some kind of illness?


    She recognized a familiar voice. ¡°Sandy, you lost consciousness,¡± It was Caleb all along.


    As she saw him, her breath caught in her throat. She hadn¡¯t seen him since their wedding, which was thest time she saw him.


    ¡°Why did I lose consciousness? Well, can I leave here and go back home now? Being in the hospital is not something I look forward to at all¡­¡±


    Everyone in the McKnight family is present.


    Alessandra saw Auntie Cora. The elderlydy gave her a friendly grin. ¡°There is absolutely nothing for you to be concerned about¡­¡±


    Cathryn appears to be quite impatient. ¡°Isn¡¯t there going to be somebody who tells her?¡±


    Everyone shared augh. She gives Cade who was seated on the left side of her hospital bed, a nce before returning her focus to her own condition.


    The man was looking at her and appeared happy as well.


    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t understand?¡± She has no idea what is happening.


    Leo McKnight was teasing his son this time. ¡°Come on, Cade. Tell your wife,¡±


    Both Caleb and Cathryn erupted into fits ofughter. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re pressuring Cade!¡±


    She gave a slight nod in response. ¡°It would appear that we have some very good news. Everyone, kindly tell me what happened. I¡¯m curious,¡± She said casually.


    Because of Cade¡¯s intervention, everyone became quite silent. Before continuing, he took a moment to clear his throat.


    ¡°Alessandra¡­ I want you to know that¡­¡±


    ¡°That?¡± She is really interested in hearing what he has to say next.


    ¡°That we¡¯re going to have a baby! We are two weeks pregnant!¡± He seems to be in great spirits.


    They received apuse from everyone present. ¡°I am happy for both of you! Congrats!¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s lips parted. ¡°I-I¡¯m pregnant?!¡± She screamed out in sheer dread.

 Chapter 18

    Cade looks so happy. He nodded and nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Yes, darling. Soon, we will be parents and we are going to have one big happy family.¡±


    The McKnights were thrilled with them. A lot of things came into Alessandra¡¯s mind.


    She doesn¡¯t want to admit it, but somehow she¡¯s happy that everyone epted her baby. But at the same time, she¡¯s disappointed. She couldn¡¯t have thought that her one-night stand with Cade would result in this. It should be Caleb, not Cade!


    Now, everything seems to be more messed up than before.


    ording to the forteller, it was Caleb who will be her destined man. But why is she married to Cade now and they are expecting a baby soon?


    Cade was not yet satisfied with the kiss and he went down to kiss her on the lips. He kissed her so passionately that he almost took her breath away. ¡°I¡¯m so happy. Thank you, Alessandra. Thank you for bringing joy into my life,¡±


    She was surprised by his words. But she knows this is also just an act. He¡¯s just pretending he¡¯s happy since his family is here.


    Alessandra swallowed her saliva hard. She can¡¯t really believe that this is happening! She treated Cade as her greatest enemy and yet, they are married and expecting a child soon!


    ***


    As it was revealed to everyone that Alessandra was pregnant, Cade decided to stop allowing her toe to the pet shop. Cade told her that she is no longer expected to put in the effort to work because he is able to provide for both of them financially. He went on to say that she didn¡¯t even need to leave the house to be a queen; she could spend the entire day lounging about the house.


    Cade was preparing breakfast when she went downstairs. He was wearing tight-fitting shorts and an apron. It wasn¡¯t until now that she understood that Cade was actually a very gorgeous man. His abdominal muscles are toned, and he doesn¡¯t have belly fat. He also has a big bum, which she has a strong desire to pinch. Goodness! Is that what she actually said? Oh, for Pete¡¯s sake! When exactly did shepliment this bastard Cade, though?Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Okay, fine. Throughout the brief period of time that she spent with the man, she made a few important discoveries. Cade has some experience in the kitchen. He has a wide range of culinary expertise. And they are all so delicious. He also handles the dishes and theundry. He is capable of repairing broken pieces of furniture and home appliances. There are times when she feels embarrassed by him, mostly due to the fact that she is unable to help him in any way. To be fair, she is capable of cooking, although Cade is a much better cook than she is.


    Because her father was the one who did theundry for both of them, she never learned how to wash clothing either. And she despises doing chores.


    ¡°Good morning my beautiful wife. It won¡¯t be long before lunchtime now. But I didn¡¯t wake you up because I could see that you were having a sound sleep.¡± Cade gave her a friendly smile as he told her, ¡°I¡¯m making our lunch right now.¡± What he said brought an end to the train of thinking that she had been having.


    ¡°Good morning, and thank you for asking, is there anything that I can help you with there?¡± She did it despite her embarrassment.


    Cade gave a slight nod in response. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to help me at all. You can do something as simple as watching television. You might also watch a movie. You could watch Alice in Bordend while you wait for the food if you want,¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes became much more open. How could he have possibly known that she was following that series? It was as if Cade could read her thinking. He seems startled. ¡°I¡­ I came to your apartmentst year and I saw you watching Alice in Bordend on your television. And Cathryn mentioned to me that you are a fan of that series.¡± And with that, he let out a frightenedugh.


    Her cheeks became reddened. ¡°Cathryn is absolutely correct.¡± She turned on the television and opened Netflix while saying, ¡°Yes, I really enjoy watching that series.¡±


    She had already begun to watch when the thought of a question suddenly urred to her. ¡°Well, Cade, I want to know something. What do you do for a living?¡± It wasughable to think that despite the fact that they were married and she was already pregnant, she had no idea what her husband did for a living.


    ¡°I run a firm that employs writers. There are many categories of clients that we serve. I employ content writers, ghostwriters, and virtually every other type of writer.¡± The tone of his voice was subdued.


    She exhaled loudly. After she heard it, her mouth was on the verge of falling open. It is very important to her to run her ownpany and employ a team of authors. He must be very aplished in this area, and he must have previous experience managing a business. She is certain that establishing a firm requires a significant financial investment.


    ¡°Wow, I had no idea that you were in the business world. Congrattions.¡± She said in a casual manner.


    ¡°Thank you, Alessandra. The fact of the matter is that running a firm is not an easy task. Yet, I take great pleasure in my work.¡± He expressed it in a modest tone, ¡°I have several other businesses, but this is the business I¡¯m most proud of.¡±


    Nheless, she is aware that he exerted a lot of effort in order to establish his firm. He owns not only arge but also an extravagant home. Cade obviously doesn¡¯t have any financial concerns. He paid everything for the wedding, while she did not contribute even a single dor.


    ¡°Because, in my opinion, there is no way that we could ever bepatible. You have already demonstrated a great deal of sess in themercial world.¡± She continued to giggle as she exined that her business was only a pet store. She is only engaging in light conversation.


    ¡°Alessandra, you need to stop talking down to yourself. It makes no difference if you are just beginning out in the professional world. I am aware of how hard you work just to run your pet shop. And it¡¯s not just a store that sells pet stuff! It is one of the shops and grooming centers in the city that receives the highest number of rmendations. Also, your store was the first one tobine a grooming center with pastries and a coffee shop, making it a one-stop shopping destination. Pet owners wouldn¡¯t have to be bored as they waited for their pets. I am aware that you and my sister put a lot of effort into achieving it. You needn¡¯t hold yourself up toparison with me at all. What is important is that you never step on other people just to have what you are now. That¡¯s all that should be mattered,¡±


    She was at aplete loss for words. It was as if the words he had spoken were a huge p in the face for her. Once more, what he said is absolutely correct. Why did Cade¡¯s positive characteristics only be apparent once she waspletely certain that her future oue was urate? Why should she feel like she¡¯s lost? She knew that Caleb was the one for her, and she couldn¡¯t deny it!


    ¡°Everything is ready. Let¡¯s eat,¡± he urged, jolting her out of her daydream and into the present.

 Chapter 19

    The next day.


    Cade refused to let her go to the pet shop regardless of how many times she reminded him that she needed to go there. Nevertheless, all of that changed after she got a phone call from Cathryn. Her friend had informed her that they needed her help in this matter. Cade had no choice but to let Alessandra say goodbye to him since he had no other option.


    Cathryn says that there were a lot of customers there. She set a breaking record for how quickly she went to the pet shop. They were in such a hurry that they failed to notice that it was time for lunch.


    As Alessandra¡¯s mobile phone rang, she was abruptly brought back to the present. She answered the phone without first checking to see who was calling.


    ¡°Hello?¡± On a different line, she asked.


    ¡°Have you had lunch yet?¡± The voice belonged to a male. Her brows furrowed, and she checked her phone twice to see if it was a missed call or an important one. The number of the stranger was not stored in her mobile phone¡¯s contacts.


    ¡°Hello, may I ask who this is?¡± She asked one more time.


    ¡°Alessandra, it¡¯s me. Your husband,¡± the man said. Hisvoice is reminiscent of a bedroom and is much too masculine.


    When she realized it was Cade, she let out a startled gasp. ¡°Oh, Cade! Why did you call? Is there anemergency? And where did you get my contact number?¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, what kind of question is that? You are married to me. I ought to know my wife¡¯s phone number.¡±In a seductive manner, he responded.


    She is at a loss for words right now.


    ¡°Well, have you had lunch yet?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about lunch in a moment. There are really quite a lot of customers here today.¡± It was her response.


    Alessandra hears Cade cussing on the other end of the phone. ¡°Alessandra, you shouldn¡¯t allow yourself to get to the point where you¡¯re hungry. I am sorry that I did not buy you lunch. It¡¯s my fault-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, Cade. Really. Right now, we are going to eat,¡± She is unable to contain herughter at his antics.


    But Cade is unstoppable. It would appear that he is the one who is pregnant and not her. ¡°Even so, you don¡¯t have to starve yourself.¡± He warned her in a grave voice, ¡°It¡¯s not good for any of you, especially the baby.¡±


    And in some way, it strikes a chord within her. Having to know that Cade genuinely cares about their baby.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed, Cade; this is the first instance of something like this happening. I¡¯m going to take to ensure that I don¡¯t starve to death,¡±


    ¡°Hah. You better make sure, Alessandra. That is something that will never happen again. Anyway, how many are you there?¡± He asked.


    Her interest was piqued. ¡°What do you mean by that? Should I really count each and every person, even the clients here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I mean, how many of you are there? Those on board. No clients,¡±


    She made a tally of how many people are now on duty. ¡°That would be Cathryn and me. Five groomers and one front-desk clerk,¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s eight people. You take care, Alessandra. I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± After then, he ends the call by hanging up.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Cath! Are you finished? I¡¯m hungry!¡± She let out a piercing scream as she was in the break room.


    ¡°Ten more minutes, Sandy!¡± Cathryn shouted back. ¡°I have to finish this first,¡±


    The moment she woke up, she felt exhausted. Now that she was pregnant, she understood how quickly exhausted pregnant women might be. It appears that her shoulders and calves are beginning to hurt.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they finished what they were doing and were getting ready to go when the delivery men entered the pet shop


    ¡°Good afternoon. Who is Alessandra McKnight? There¡¯s a food delivery from Mr. Cade McKnight for her,¡±


    She is aware that their crew has a lot of questions running through their heads at the moment. She bit the bottom of her lips. Why does the guy who brings the delivery have to call out her full name?


    Cathryn squeezed her elbows together. She does not have a choice but to provide a response. She spoke in a hushed voice and added, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    The delivery men began to set it out on the table as soon as it was brought in. She noticed that there was a lot of tasty food. Her appetite is starting to growl.


    Cathryn¡¯s eyes are ying with her, and she can see them doing it.


    Alessandra is unable to prevent herself from mumbling to herself. ¡°Cade¡­ what is the point of you doing this¡­?¡±


    ***


    The following day.


    Alessandra and Cade were in the middle of watching a movie when the telephone rang. Cade was going to get up to answer the phone but she offered to do it since she was the one closest to the phone. He nodded.


    ¡°Hello? May I know who thisis?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Wow. Sandy, is this you?¡± As she recognized Caleb¡¯s voice, she let out a startled gasp.


    Her expression changed in an instant. ¡°Caleb, yes. It¡¯s me. Why did you call? Do you need anything at this time?¡± Her eagerness caused her to stutter a few times.


    ¡°You are right. I need something. Well, how are you doing?¡±


    Alessandra found herself missing Caleb all of a sudden. It was impossible for her not to crack a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Caleb. Thanks. Where are you? How have you been? It has been quite some time since thest time we spoke.¡± She made an effort to appear unconcerned.


    Even though his eyes were fixed on the screen, she was well aware that Cade was asionally ncing in her direction and listening to their conversation.


    On the other end of the telephone, Calebughed. ¡°I¡¯m pleased you¡¯re fine. Sandy, you needn¡¯t be concerned about me at all. Everything is going great for me. What about my brother? How¡¯s the life of your marriage?¡±


    Alessandra was at a loss for words in response to his question. ¡°Oh¡­ everything is good¡­¡±


    ¡°It makes me very happy to hear this, Sandy. Anyway, I phoned because I wanted to ask about a member of Cade¡¯s team who is capable of writing for our website and application, and I wanted to ask Cade about that. As we want to move to another country once we are married, my fiance and I nned that the best way to finance our move would be to start our own online business. I am aware that he has a talented group of writers working for him.¡± Caleb continued, ¡°I wanted to ask him how much it will set us back in total.¡±


    Suddenly, she was having trouble breathing and her chest felt tight. ¡°Y-You¡¯re nning to relocate to another country?¡± Her tone of voice is very wistful.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Sandy. We have a home of our own to call our own there already. Even if the house isn¡¯t as big as Cade¡¯s house, it¡¯s enough for beginning a family,¡± he proudly answered.


    Alessandra felt weak. When she heard that, it made her angry.


    ¡°O-Okay. You talk to yourbig brother.. I¡¯m going to hand the phone on to him,¡± Cade received the phone from her hand. She is unable to interpret the look that he is giving her. He did not think twice before answering the phone.


    The movie was entertaining, but it seemed as though she had lost interest in watching it. Her mood has been very down suddenly.


    She went to her room and shut down thedoor. She can¡¯t control her tears as shey on the bed. She had no idea why she was crying or why she was experiencing these emotions in the first ce. She crouched down while staring at the ceiling of the bedroom.


    After a time, she became startled when someone pounded on the door repeatedly and loudly.


    ¡°Alessandra! Open your door. Let¡¯s talk.¡± His tone carried an undercurrent of menace.

 Chapter 20

    Alessandra is adamant that she does not feel like engaging in a debate with him at this time. ¡°Cade, what¡¯s the matter with you? I need to get some sleep, can you?¡±


    ¡°No, Alessandra. You don¡¯t have to rest. Quit acting like that! Unlock this door and let¡¯s talk.¡± He is adamant.


    Cade had a hard time opening the door. She is aware of the efforts he is making to open the door. The sound of the knocking was soon silenced. She believed that he had given up. On the other hand, she was taken aback when the door opened and her husband walked in. He said in a somber voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t like the way you¡¯re acting right now, Alessandra,¡±


    She pushed herself up and got off the mattress. ¡°Cade, just because it¡¯s your home doesn¡¯t give you the right to intrude on the privacy of others! You can¡¯t possibly do that!¡± She yelled in his direction to get his attention.


    ¡°I am aware of how to protect your privacy, Alessandra. Because if I didn¡¯t, I would crawl on your bed exactly like what you did to me at the party,¡± He says with a sly grin on his lips now.


    Because of what he said, she got a red flush on her cheeks. ¡°Go away, Cade! Right now, all I want to do is be by myself!¡± She pushed him away.


    Yet, he did not move at all. Cade didn¡¯t do much more than sit on the edge of her bed. ¡°Alessandra, I need to know how much longer you n to continue to make a fool of yourself because of my brother. Wake up! Caleb doesn¡¯t like you. Caleb and his fianc¨¦e are destined to be together. Why can¡¯t you be happy for his happiness?¡± His brows knitted together in frustration.


    Alessandra had no idea that hisments could have such a profound effect on her until she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°How can I possibly be happy if I¡¯m not the reason for him to be happy? Cade, you arepletely clueless about everything! Because you don¡¯t know the meaning of ¡°love.¡± When you love someone, only then will you grasp what I¡¯m saying.¡± Her words were acerbic.


    He trembled as he spoke. ¡°Alessandra¡­ If only you know¡­¡± It appears that he is annoyed.


    His words are not very understandable. ¡°Are you saying something?¡±


    He gave a shake of the head and then stood up. ¡°Well,e on, don¡¯t act so dramatically just because you found out that they¡¯re going to relocate to another country. We ought to get out there and see the sights,¡±


    She did a drowsy head shake as she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to do. Don¡¯t you have a job?¡±


    ¡°I havepleted the tasks that were given to me. Even if I am not there, my staff is well-prepared for anything thates their way. Thus, I have a lot of spare time at the moment. Alessandra was unsure of what made her agree with him, but she did so anyway, and he rewarded her agreement with a seductive and menacing smile. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll treat you outside.¡±


    A prominent baby store was where Alessandra and Cade discovered themselves to be at the moment. They saw a popr baby store. She couldn¡¯t help but rub her t stomach which protruded out more than usual.


    ¡°The items for babies that are sold here appear to be of extremely high quality¡­¡± Shemented.


    Cade grinned. ¡°Yeah. And now we are going to go shopping for stuff for our baby,¡±


    Her pupils became more open. ¡°What? Are you serious? We¡¯re going to go shopping right now?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But, Cade, we¡¯re not ready for this just yet. There is no list of items for the baby that we have. And to make matters worse, we have no idea what gender our child will be. I don¡¯t want us to be the type of people that make hasty decisions,¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Alessandra, you shouldn¡¯t be concerned about that at all. If I can¡¯t provide a wonderful life for you and our potential child, then what is the point of me working so hard?¡±


    Alessandra felt her heart being caressed. Why is Cade like this to her? He pulled her to the children¡¯s corner. They are checking the baby¡¯s clothes, shoes, towels, and crib too. Cade bought a lot of things. And other items that won¡¯t fit in the car will be delivered to their home. Cade decided to pick unisex colors, so if either their baby is a boy or a girl, it won¡¯t have any problem.


    Sometimes, fate is really interesting. The man she hates and considered an enemy is now the father of her baby. Very cliche.


    They eat in a restaurant before going home. Alessandra didn¡¯t know, but she felt safe and secure with Cade. Cade also bought her personal belongings despite her refusal. Her husband bought her shoes, bags, lingerie, and maternity dresses.


    Cade didn¡¯t even buy anything for himself. She also noticed that Cade was wearing their wedding ring, to her great surprise. She¡¯s not expecting it to be honest.


    ¡°Cade, I¡¯m totally surprised that you are wearing our wedding ring,¡± She asked him while he was driving. They are heading home.


    Cade didn¡¯t look at her and kept his eyes on the road. ¡°Because I¡¯m respecting our marriage. Even if you say it will onlyst one year, I still believe in the sanctity of our marriage.¡±


    Suddenly, Alessandra felt embarrassed by his answer.


    He looked at her hands. It¡¯s toote to hide them.  ¡°How about you? Why you¡¯re not wearing our wedding ring?¡±


    She could feel the obstruction in her throat. She can¡¯t find words to say. ¡°Ahm¡­¡± Damn, how the hell did she forget to wear their wedding ring?!


    Cade shook his head. She can see the sadness in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer, Alessandra. Yeah, you don¡¯t have to answer me,¡±


    She felt relieved. But, the sadness in his eyes, is it real? But why would he be sad?


    Suddenly, Alessandra felt like she owed him an exnation. She took a deep breath. ¡°Cade, it¡¯s not that.¡±


    She bit her lower lips when he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He turned off the car¡¯s engine and unbuckled his seatbelt.


    Since the day he found out she was pregnant, he became overprotective of her. Not once did he make her do housework, and if Cathryn needed her in their pet shop, he would fetch her up as much as possible.


    Most of the time, his office work is also done at home. And Cade just leaves to check his firm from time to time. But he won¡¯t be out for too long. He spends more time at home than at work. She never went hungry and it was strange that Cade always served her with her favorite foods, even though she didn¡¯t remember mentioning her favorite food to him.


    They got out of the car and Cade never let her touch any of the shopping bags. He took all of them in his two bare hands.


    But an olddy neighbor saw them. ¡°Cade! Wow. I assumed that she was your wife. Am I right? She¡¯s a very lovely woman,¡±


    ¡°Good day, Mrs. L. You are right, she¡¯s my wife and she¡¯s pregnant,¡± He said in a proud tone.


    Alessandra greeted the old woman with a smile. They talked for minutes and they decided to get inside the house.


    ¡°Cade, you seem to know the neighbors living here,¡± Shemented.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s hard when you live in a ce and you don¡¯t know any of your neighbors,¡± He said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Cade is surprisingly friendly, especially with the elders. Does he know other neighbors too? She can say Cade and Caleb have really different personalities. It seems Caleb is very reserved.


    Wait, is she lowkeyplimenting her husband?


    Cade opened the main door and put the paper bags on the couch. ¡°How long have you been living in this ce?¡± She asked.


    Cade turned on the television. ¡°I have had this house for five years, Alessandra,¡±


    That shook her. ¡°You have had this house for five years? Then, if you have a house of your own, then why are you still living in the Santa ra Vige?¡± She¡¯s curious.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He looks startled. He seems like a child who was caught. ¡°O-Oh-¡±


    She crossed her arms in her chest and gave him a stern look. ¡°Tell me, Cade. Tell me why you¡¯re still living in the Santa ra Vige for the past five years,¡±

 Chapter 21

    Alessandra¡¯s brow furrowed with intense curiosity. She wondered why Cade had been living with his parents in recent years despite having a stable job and his own house. She couldn¡¯t find any logical reason for it, so she asked him directly.


    ¡°Why, Cade?¡± she repeated the question.


    Her husband scratched the back of his neck and avoided eye contact. ¡°W-Well¡­ there¡¯s a lot of young beautiful women in our vige almost the same age as me. But here, it¡¯s all old people. No beautiful view,¡± he said, causing Alessandra to frown in disappointment.


    She wanted to hear something more meaningful from him, and her husband seemed to have sensed it. He lifted her chin and caught her eye, teasingly asking, ¡°Why? What do you expect me to answer you, huh, my little wife?¡± Despite his yful tone, his expression was serious.


    Feeling the electricity between them, Alessandra stuttered, ¡°Y-You¡¯re crazy, Cade! I¡¯m not expecting anything!¡±


    Cade pressed her against the wall and brought her face closer to his, making her body tense. ¡°Tell me what I¡¯m doing to you, Alessandra,¡± he whispered, attempting to seduce her.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Alessandra tried to hide her feelings by gritting her teeth and asking, ¡°Are you seducing me, Cade?¡±


    He smelled her hair and smiled mischievously, ¡°Why? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re being seduced now?¡±


    Alessandraughed nervously, but deep down, she couldn¡¯t deny the attraction she felt towards him. ¡°Keep on dreaming, Cade! You can never seduce me. I know you just love making fun of me. Even if you¡¯re the only man left in the world, I won¡¯t choose you,¡± she said, trying to convince herself.


    Cade winked at her and said, ¡°Yeah right. But you already chose me.¡±


    Alessandra gritted her teeth, ¡°It¡¯s because I had no choice! I married you to conceal the real reason behind this nightmare! Don¡¯t let me remember you that-¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Cade let her go, his face turning serious. ¡°You don¡¯t need to remind me of that, Alessandra. I know your selfish love for my half-brother,¡± he said, clearly angry.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t understand why he was angry, but she could see the frustration in his voice. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve epted for a long time that we won¡¯t get along. But do you hate me so much? Why don¡¯t you want me for Caleb? I¡¯m beautiful and smart,¡± she said, trying to defend herself.


    Cade let out a dangerous sigh, and his jaw clenched. ¡°Why don¡¯t I like you for my brother Caleb? Because you¡¯re too selfish, Alessandra. Why don¡¯t you just ept that Caleb doesn¡¯t like you? Caleb already has a fianc¨¦e! Are you really going to stoop that low just to prove your selfish love?¡±


    He continued, ¡°And what kind of brain do you have, Alessandra? Thinking of yourself with another man while you are married to the father of your baby?¡± Alessandra realized that her words had offended Cade.


    Alessandra took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°We already talked about that, right?¡±


    Cadeughed out loud. ¡°Yes, of course. I forgot that everything was just a show. I forgot that you were just using me. I¡¯m sorry, I thought for a moment you could just be my real wife.¡±


    She looked at her husband with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that I¡¯m using you? But you agreed with me, right? Don¡¯t put the me on me when, in the first ce, you agreed.¡±


    He shook his head, as if he wanted to say something more, but didn¡¯t. He seemed annoyed with her, and it appeared that she and Cade would never really get along with each other. Unconsciously, she touched her belly, and it was too bad that they would have a baby soon. She sighed. She doesn¡¯t really want to bring her baby in their messy situation, but too bad, she got pregnant. And she knew it was her fault.


    ***


    Despite Cade¡¯s repeated warnings not to go, Alessandra went to the pet shop. She couldn¡¯t just stay at his house; it made her feel awkward. When Cathryn saw her, she looked shocked.


    ¡°Goodness, Sandy! Why did youe here? Now, I¡¯m doomed with big brother Cade!¡± Cathryn looked scared.


    Alessandra frowned. ¡°Huh? What do you mean, Cathryn?¡±


    Her face looked guilty in what she said. ¡°Sandy, my big brother doesn¡¯t want you to get so tired. He wants you and your baby in safe condition. Just follow him because that¡¯s for your own good as well.¡±


    Alessandra snorted. ¡°Gosh! He¡¯s just trying to look good, but the truth is, he¡¯s not even worried about me. He¡¯s just worried that I¡¯m neglecting our baby.¡±


    Cathryn looked at her like she was crazy. ¡°You know what, Sandy? Sometimes, you can be aedian. My big brother is worried about you more than what you can think. You really think bad of my brother!¡± She rolled her eyes.


    Before she could answer her best friend, the ss door of the pet shop opened.


    ¡°Hello, is Mrs. Alessandra McKnight there?¡± A delivery man asked everyone.


    The staff of the pet shop looked shocked. For sure, everyone was surprised that she was a married woman now.


    She cleared her throat before speaking. ¡°Uhm¡­ it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. McKnight, you have a special delivery from your husband, Mr. Cade McKnight.¡± The delivery man smiled at her and gave her arge sunflower bouquet.


    ¡°Wow! My big brother knows how to woo women now. I feel proud! He¡¯s crazy, he must love you this much!¡± Cathryn said, giggling.


    One of their staff members smelled the sunflowers. ¡°Ma¡¯am Sandy, you¡¯re very unfair to us! You didn¡¯t tell us you were already married. Now, our instincts were right. The man who came herest time was your husband. He¡¯s so handsome, ma¡¯am! You¡¯re so lucky!¡±


    ¡°Correct. And I hope my husband is as sweet as he is,¡± another staff member chimed in.


    She gritted her teeth in annoyance. ¡°Let¡¯s all get back to work!¡±


    ¡°Cade¡­ why are you being like this?¡± She whispered to herself.

 Chapter 22

    Alessandra looked at her best friend and gave her a warning look. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re teasing me to your brother?¡±


    Cathryn justughed. ¡°You¡¯re being in denial, Sandy. Just admit it, you don¡¯t want other people to know you Cade is your husband so they won¡¯t steal from you!¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Argh! Cathryn! You¡¯re being ridiculous! I didn¡¯t tell anyone I¡¯m married just because I don¡¯t want other people to steal from me! It¡¯s deeper than that.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you didn¡¯t tell that to anyone because you just want him for yourself?¡± Her yful smirk was written on her lips.


    She looked at her with irritation. ¡°I don¡¯t care if another woman steals him from me. Okay? I don¡¯t care if they steal your big brother from me,¡±


    ¡°Ouch, is what I¡¯m hearing true? You¡¯re just giving away your handsome husband?¡± She heard a familiar voice behind them.


    Alessandra almost passed out in shock when she heard her husband¡¯s voice. Her husband was behind her and smiling at her. As if they didn¡¯t argue earlier. ¡°Oh my goodness, Cade! Are you intending to kill me in shock!¡± She said in gritting teeth.


    ¡°Oh, no, sweetheart. I will never gonna kill you for that purpose. But who knows, another death,¡± He grinned.


    Their staffs in the pet shop burst outughing. Then, Alessandra finally understood his malicious joke.


    ¡°You silly!¡± She tapped him in his shoulders.


    Heughed and came closer to her. She could barely hear what her staffs were saying because all she could hear was the strong beating of her heart. She didn¡¯t expect what he would do next. He knelt in front and took her hand.


    ¡°Cade McKnight! What the heck are you doing?¡± She eximed.


    But he just looked into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, wife. I know we¡¯re not okay earlier. You can p me and beat me up. Call me anything. Dumbass, asshole, anything you like. Just ept my apology. I don¡¯t want us to be like this. I don¡¯t want us fighting with each other. I¡¯m sorry, forgive me for what I said,¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened at what he said. Why does she feel that he¡¯s genuine? That they¡¯re not fine these past few days? And why is that? Isn¡¯t she the one to me because she forced herself to Caleb.


    Cade kissed her palm and she almost pulled it back because she didn¡¯t like the sensation her body felt. It¡¯s very annoying how just a simple kiss can make her this crazy.


    ¡°Cade, you go home now,¡± She¡¯s almost pleading.


    But he shook his head and seemed to be begging her. ¡°No I won¡¯t leave in your shop, wife. I will stay here until you forgive me,¡±


    ¡°Sandy! I¡¯m going to pull your hair! You¡¯re giving my brother a hard time! Argggh!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am Sandy, forgive your hot handsome husband!¡±


    She looked at the flowers he bought for her. ¡°And what are these flowers for, huh?¡± She pretends to be mad.


    Cade swallowed his saliva hard. ¡°Well, I know you like sunflowers, Alessandra. Didn¡¯t you like it?¡± That¡¯s true.


    ¡°No,¡± she teased him.


    Alessandra nced at her best friend and gave her a warning look. ¡°Are you teasing me to your brother?¡±


    Cathryn chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re in denial, Sandy. Just admit it, you don¡¯t want other people to know Cade is your husband so they won¡¯t steal him from you!¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Cathryn, that¡¯s ridiculous! I haven¡¯t told anyone about my marriage because it¡¯s personal.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s because you want him all to yourself?¡± Cathryn smirked yfully.


    Alessandra shook her head, feeling annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t care if other women steal him from me, Cathryn. And I don¡¯t care if they steal your big brother from me either.¡±


    Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice behind her. ¡°Ouch, is that true? You¡¯re just giving away your handsome husband?¡±


    Alessandra felt her heart skip a beat as she turned around to see Cade standing behind her, smiling. ¡°Oh my goodness, Cade! You scared me!¡± she said, still catching her breath.


    Cadeughed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart. I couldn¡¯t resist.¡±


    Their staff in the pet shop burst outughing, and Alessandra finally realized that Cade had been joking. ¡°You silly!¡± she said, yfully tapping him on the shoulder.


    Cade approached her and knelt down in front of her, taking her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, wife. I know we weren¡¯t okay earlier. You can p me and call me whatever you want. I just want us to be okay. I don¡¯t want us fighting like this.¡±


    Alessandra was surprised by Cade¡¯s sincerity. She felt guilty for forcing herself into the marriage and causing tension between them. Cade kissed her palm, and she felt a strange sensation in her body that made her ufortable.


    ¡°Cade, you should go home now,¡± Alessandra said, trying to hide her emotions.


    Cade shook his head, looking determined. ¡°No, I won¡¯t leave until you forgive me.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s staffs pleaded with her to forgive her ¡°hot, handsome husband,¡± and she looked at the sunflowers he had brought her. ¡°And what are these flowers for?¡± she asked, pretending to be mad.


    Cade swallowed hard. ¡°Well, I know you like sunflowers, Alessandra. Didn¡¯t you like them?¡±


    Alessandra teased him. ¡°No, I hated them,¡± she said.


    ¡°Please forgive me. How can I make it up to you?¡± His face paled as he spoke.


    Cathryn rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t torture my big brother, Sandy! Ugh, I hate you!¡±


    Alessandra sighed, realizing that she wasn¡¯t really angry with him, but rather enjoyed teasing him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re fine now,¡± she said, giving in.


    Without a word, he picked her up and kissed her passionately, causing her to gasp at his boldness. The kisssted for a minute, but it was sweet and tender.


    ¡°What the hell, Cade? Put me down. I¡¯m at work. There are customers outside; we¡¯re attracting attention,¡± she protested, although there were no clients around.


    Cadeughed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to youter at lunch. I¡¯ll pick you upter. Take care.¡± This time, he kissed her forehead before disappearing from her sight.


    ***


    After Alessandra and Cade resolved their issues, he insisted that she take a break from work, especially since she was pregnant. He cooked and did household chores before starting his own work for the day.


    After Cade left for work, Alessandra went to the kitchen to see what was avable to eat. She noticed the food that was already prepared on the table and said to herself, ¡°Take care.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile, seeing how organized and skilled Cade was at home. He was not only a sessful businessman but also an excellent homemaker.


    At times, she felt like a burden to him and wanted to help out more. She took a deep breath and found a mop. She decided to clean the house that day.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Alessandra tied her hair back and started mopping the tiles, vacuuming the floor, cleaning the windows, organizing shelves, and even the refrigerator. She was determined to show Cade that she was not useless at all.


    However, she couldn¡¯t understand why she felt the need to impress him. She denied that she wanted to be seen aszy and useless. She simply wanted to help out.


    Since they had never shared a room since getting married, Alessandra decided to enter Cade¡¯s room, hoping it was not locked. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t, and she felt relieved.


    As she turned on the light, she was immediately greeted by Cade¡¯s masculine scent. She loved it, and it made her smile. His room was bigger than hers, with arge wardrobe and a study table. Everything was neat and tidy, and she admired it.


    On the bedside table, she noticed a picture of Cade, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile.


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