No Wife, No Life Chapter 57

Emily stood there, stunned, looking at Alex with a mix of hurt and sorrow.

"Alex!"

Alex frowned deeply and reluctantly dialed Harper's number again.

As before, Harper answered immediately.

"Emily was in a car accident. Was it you?"

Harper questioned. "Alex, we've been together for five years. Do you really think I'd do something like that?"

He stayed silent.

Harper didn't get the answer she wanted. Her tone turned icy, reverting to her previous calm demeanor. "Alex, if this is about work, just tell me what you need. If it's about your girlfriend, I have nothing to say. I'm busy, please don't waste my time."

The call ended abruptly.

Alex stood in silence, a complex emotion stirring within him.

It seemed he had hurt her again.

"Alex, are you okay?"

Emily sensed the tension and didn't dare to whimper anymore.

"I'm fine. Take care of yourself."

Alex's voice was cold as he turned and left the hospital room.

After hanging up, Harper leaned back in her office chair, thinking for a moment before dialing another number.

Unexpectedly, the phone rang outside her door. Moments later, Caden walked in.

He waved his phone with a smile. "Miss me, Ms. Orsini?"

Harper pressed her lips together, her eyes fixed on him.

"Was it you?"

Caden lazily sat down in front of her, feigning ignorance. "What are you talking about?"

Harper averted her gaze, her tone indifferent. "Just don't get caught."

Emily's accident was undoubtedly his doing. Only he and Travis knew that Emily hurt her yesterday.

Travis was too cautious to do something so reckless.

So it had to be him.

Caden's lips curled into a knowing smile.

She was sharp, figuring it out so quickly.

He tapped his long fingers on the desk, as if playing a piano.

"Harper, I think we're alike."

Alike? She didn't understand what he meant.

She looked at him, pondering.

"You see, we're both the same. Our mothers passed away when we were young. You have a half-sister, and I have a half-brother. We're both survivors in a tough world."

He explained in detail.

It made sense when she thought about it.

"You and I are a perfect match. You'd make a great wife for me. Why not consider it?"

Harper twirled the pen in her hand, smiling lightly.

"You need a capable woman to help you, and I happen to be that woman, right?"

Suddenly, Caden sat up, resting his chin on his hands, his eyes gazing at her with a mischievous glint.

"Mostly because you're beautiful, and I like beautiful women."

Just then, the phone on the desk rang.

Harper glanced at the caller ID. It was Peyton.

She picked up the phone and answered.

"What is it?"

Peyton's deep voice came through.

"Harper, the financial report for last quarter is out. Do you want to take a look?"

"How's the profit?"

"Up ten percent from the last quarter."

Harper acknowledged with a hum. "Got it. Send it to my phone."

She hung up the call.

At that moment, she noticed Caden's intrigued gaze.

He clicked his tongue and blinked. "HoloSphere Technologies' Peyton?"

The phone chimed, indicating a new message.

Harper ignored him, opening the file and quickly scanning through it.

"Even Peyton listens to you, Harper. I'm getting more and more interested in you."

HoloSphere Technologies had risen rapidly in Majestic City in recent years, quickly becoming a top-tier company alongside the Lavien Group and the Elikin Group.

Harper put down her phone, looking at him with interest. "So? You said we're alike."

"So we really are connected. We're both leaders in our fields."

He looked at her with sincere eyes.

"What are you afraid of, Harper? I'm not Alex. You can't reject everyone because of him."

Harper rubbed her aching temples, saying nothing.

Even though he insisted he wasn't Alex, that they were different, she couldn't open her heart again.

She didn't want to get hurt anymore.

For six years, she had given her all, but the outcome was still the same.

She understood that as long as she didn't give her heart, she wouldn't get hurt.

Caden wasn't wrong. She was.

They had met at the wrong time.

"Mr. Elikin, if you have nothing else, please leave. I have a lot of work to do."

Her voice was cold, not wanting to explain further.

His eyes flickered, and after a moment, he smiled again.

"Can I check the wound on your left arm? After all, I bandaged it, and it cost me a tie."

His gaze fell on her bandaged left arm.

Instinctively, Harper lowered her arm from the desk. "No need."

Suddenly, Caden grabbed her hand, pulling it in front of him.

Her hand trembled.

"Caden, let go of me."

He smiled and released her hand.

"Sorry, I was just curious. Do you really hate me?"

She didn't hate him.

He had said they were alike.

His mother had been betrayed by his father, and their family situations were similar.

Growing up in such an environment, he couldn't be like his father, leaving a trail of broken hearts.

Caden's smile faded, his expression becoming serious.

"Harper, are you interested in automotive AI?"

He opened his phone, pulled up a file, and pushed it towards her.

"This is our company's latest AI car. It features upgraded autonomous driving, cruise control, and enhanced user experience. If successful, it will lead us into a new era of AI 5.0, possibly even achieving autonomous flight."

Harper looked down, flipping through the pages.

She knew the potential of AI cars. The Lavien Group had been researching this area for years, but progress was slow. She hadn't expected the Elikin Group to be so advanced.

"If you're interested, why don't we work together?"

After a while, Harper looked up and said firmly, "I think it's feasible. I'll contact Peyton to allocate funds to your researchers each quarter as our partnership fee. If you have any issues, you can reach out to me anytime."

"Great, here's to a successful collaboration."

Caden smiled.

Knowing Harper had work to do, he didn't stay long and left.