Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 100: AI Romance Solutions

Ben’s people couldn’t identify Ash by name, but a review of the credit card receipts was more than useful. Ash DuPaul had visited the nightclub an average of five times a week every week for the last three months.

If that didn’t qualify as a regular, I wasn’t sure what did.

Since no one knew him on sight, our best course of action was to wait and see who submitted Ash’s credit card. Based on the time stamps on the previous receipts, we could expect him to show up between nine and ten. He’d stay until closing, or close to it, which meant we had time to kill.

While Min opted to stay with Ben, Jake and Stiff agreed to return to the hospital with me. Good. We could give the others a break. Maybe we would arrive to good news like Bea had a new kidney waiting for her.

I used Stiff’s laptop on the way to modify an AI program to respond to Alec’s texts with a good imitation of a human conversation. I added a few timed texts to go out with a variety of innocuous but reassuring messages. The messages were set to go out not based on clock time but based on how long it had been since the last time Alec and I had communicated.

As an added precaution against getting caught, I put a proximity feature on the program as well. This would prevent any messages going out when I was within a hundred feet of Alec. Alec would know for sure something was up if I was lying in bed next to him when he received a message telling him I’d see him soon.

Teela: Just checking in. I’m fine. See you soon.

Teela: Thinking of you. Be good.

Teela: What are you up to?

Now, even if I forgot to acknowledge Alec’s needs, he’d be taken care of.

Sure, it was cheating, but I couldn’t fathom it as any worse than a CEO delegating the purchase of flowers or birthday gifts to an assistant.

Besides, it was a temporary fix. It wasn’t like I intended to literally phone it in forever. As soon as I discovered who paid to have Bea hurt, it would be over. I could focus on my job, Alec, and taekwondo.

The guilt I shouldn’t feel but did egged me into texting Alec.

Teela: We have a lead that we can’t follow until tonight. Headed to the hospital.

Alec’s response was immediate.

Alec: Can I come tonight?

Teela: It might be a long night.

Alec: I’m okay with that.

It might be a good idea to have another set of eyes. Plus, the stakeout could double as a quasi-date.

What was with all this guilt? A quasi-date was still better than no date. Alec should be happy I included him, so why was I feeling guilty? Had I seen so much bad stuff that I’d lost a clear view of my ethics?

Teela: Sure. We’ll be going to The Well Water.

Alec: Ben’s club, right?

Teela: That’s the one.

Alec: Will you be home early enough to have dinner first?

Teela: Can you order something simple? I can eat while I change.

Alec: come home in time to sit down for a meal, Teela. When was the last time you had a full meal?

Teela: I’ll try.

I did manage to arrive at the apartment in time for dinner, only it wasn’t takeout. Alec prepared chicken parmesan with grilled vegetables, and strawberries and cream for dessert.

I salivated before I took my first bite. If I hadn’t been in love with Alec before, I might have been after eating the meal he cooked. He had real talent in the kitchen.

"Tomorrow, you should take a break long enough to practice with me," Alec said.

"Will you cook for me again if I do? This is amazing."

"Then you should have more." Alec spooned more vegetables onto my plate.

"Yes, please."

"It’s that easy to get you to agree with me?"

"Good food buys you a lot of goodwill."

Alec pushed back his chair and walked over to the hall closet. He brought back a garment bag. "And what does this get me?"

He pulled down the zipper slowly, revealing a sapphire blue cocktail dress with a halter top and a fitted skirt. The halter was made up of dozens of delicate pleats that blurred the line between feminine and tailored.

I ran a hand across the fabric. "Hm, I don’t know. What did you have in mind?"

"Try it on for me, hun."

"I can do that."

The dress fit as if it were made for me. I took the time to put on makeup, but I stopped short when I thought of shoes. While Stiff had packed a variety of clothes, I only had athletic shoes and my combat boots to choose from.

Before I could decide which pair would be the lesser crime with such a lovely dress, Alec tapped on the door before opening it just enough to pass me a shoe box.

Inside the box were the very same style of heels King had gifted me. The same shoes that had funded my escape from the Heavenly household.

I had regretted letting go of the sparkly shoes. Now, Alec had replaced them. It was as if he knew how to win my favor instinctually.

But more than likely, the shoes were a popular selection for rich men who were looking to impress their women. Hypothetically, I might date ten wealthy men and be gifted the same shoes by more than half of them. In fact, I was willing to take it a step further and say that out of those ten men, only one would have picked the shoes out himself. The other would have delegated the job to someone else. I wondered if Alec was that one man.

I slipped the shoes on my feet and examined my appearance in the full-length mirror. The shoes were the perfect accompaniment to the dress.

I returned to the living room. The heat in Alec’s eyes told me he appreciated my appearance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond bracelet.

"You are lovely, Teela." Alec fastened the bracelet around my wrist.

His lips brushed my shoulder. "I wish this was a real date instead of a stakeout. But either way, I intended to enjoy my time with you tonight."

Alec pulled me close, his body swaying against mine. "A lot of music, a little dancing."

A lot of surveillance and a dozen eyes on us at all times, and that doesn’t include the eyes of strangers."

"I understand, but we won’t be doing anything wrong."

Alec leaned in closer slowly, giving me time to say no, to back away, but I didn’t.

"Just like we aren’t doing anything wrong when we do this." His lips brushed mine.

"Or this." His kiss deepened. I rose on my toes, my arms snaking around his neck. His tongue teased mine as I tasted the memory of strawberries on his breath. I inhaled his scent and lost myself to the moment, the beautiful moment of rekindling what was almost extinguished.

The longer the kiss lasted, the longer I wanted it to go on, and the closer I pressed my body to his until I could feel how much the kiss was affecting him.

That was my wake-up call. This wasn’t the time. We had to leave soon, and I wasn’t about to have a quickie as my first time with this man. I wanted time to explore every inch of him, to find out what he enjoyed as I discovered what I enjoyed. I deserved better than a quickie on the way out the door. So did Alec.

Alec must have felt the same. The kiss waned as he put some distance between us. Not much, but enough to provide a modicum of relief from the growing need building between us.

Alec said, "That felt like a promise of things to come."

"Thank you."

Alec smiled, "For the kiss?"

"That too, but I meant for taking a step back."

He kissed my forehead. "Go fix your makeup, Tee. We should go. Tonight is important to you."

"You’re important to me. I don’t want to rush things."

"I’m not in a hurry, Teela. I feel fortunate you come home to me. I can wait."

"Good. Me too."

My phone rang as I was reapplying my lipstick.

"Hello."

"Teela, it’s me, Jake."

"What’s up? Are the boys okay?"

I’d never forgive myself if I were making out while something terrible was happening at the hospital.

"Boys are fine. I’m already at the club. We’ve located Ash."

"I’m on my way."

This was a good thing. The sooner I had answers, the sooner I could see someone arrested and the sooner I could return to my everyday life and Alec.

Part of me was paranoid that Lettie was behind all this. She was a pro at knowing exactly where to insert the knife to hurt without killing. I could see her hiring someone to hurt the people around me.

Then there was Eugene Crest. Eugene may not have been as forgiving as he led Alec to believe. He may be warning me to stay away from his son or him.

Night Shadows had a few enemies from way back. Maybe they had caught up with me. Then there was Daniel, who was still awaiting trial, and as kind as Bea was, she could have her own enemies.

I could stand around guessing or head to the nightclub to find certainty. I chose to know the truth.