Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 66

One hour ago… 
“There is a cave here?” Neil asked one of the residents living near the beach resort.
“There is. You can see it at the very end of the resort,” the old woman answered. 
Slowly, Neil and Hansel looked at each other. Since this morning, they have been searching for a way to get Adira and Chadwick together. By an accident, they found out about the famous cave in this town. 
“What if it is dangerous there?” Hansel worried. 
Hearing her worries, the old woman rebuked. “No, young lady. That cave is safe. Many people came to visit there because it says that the cave has power.” 
“What kind of power?” the curious Neil inquired. 
“Long time ago, they said a married couple who couldn’t have a kid, went in the cave for the first time and spent a night in their place. Then after that, when they got home, the wife got pregnant.”
“Woah!” Neil gasped. “Then it is really the perfect place for…Ack!” 
He was elbowed by Hansel before he continued. While Neil was wincing in pain, Hansel turned the old woman and asked. 
“Then, when is the perfect time to visit the cave?” 
“You can visit it any time of the day. But a couple who believes the myth visit the place at 5pm. Then they will come back at 10pm.”
“10 pm? Why 10pm?” 
“Because of high tide. Usually at 6pm, the water rises, and it will be hard to come back. They need to wait a couple of hours before they can get out. But there are lights installed at the place, since the area is a tourist spot.” 
Long hours inside the cave, Neil thought it would be the chance Chadwick need. 
However, Hansel does not want to go with this idea. 
“Oh come on,” Neil said, following Hansel as he’s trying to convince her.  “Can’t we just bring them there?” 
Hansel stopped walking and turned around to face the stubborn man. “I told you already. It’s dangerous.” 
“But the old woman said it’s not. Many couple already went there and spent couple of hours in that cave before going out.” 
“Mr. Neil,” she said in a serious voice. “The two persons that we are talking about are the CEO of both large companies. As their secretaries, we cannot put them in a s…” 
“I am doing this not as secretary,” Neil said that halted her words. 
“Huh?”
“I am doing this because I am concerned about Chadwick. This is just to help him and their relationship.” 
When Adira found out that Hansel’s husband was cheating, she beat Daniel not as Hansel’s boss but someone who is worried about her. So, she’s thinking if agreeing to Neil’s offer is also as helping Adira to have a good relationship with her husband. 
“Now, are you in?” Neil asked when he saw the sudden shifting of Hansel’s expression. 
“I…” Hansel murmured. “I will think about this.” Then she walked away from him.
“Hey! It’s almost time!” 
Hansel only said that she would think about this. However, after her conversation with Adira, she decided to go Neil suggestion and put the two at the magical. 
What will be the result of this? 
Neil and Hansel will put their hopes at luck. 
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Adira’s POV 
Hansel complained that her stomach was aching, so I sent her back and continued searching for the cave. 
I was trying to relax before but going into an adventure for once isn’t that bad. 
‘Or maybe I was blinded by the rumored gold in the cave.’ 
I kept on walking and walking until I found a large hole at the corner of the mountain and under the edgy rocks. I stepped at the wet sand and looked at my feet which were getting wet by the water flowing back to the sea. 
My eyes traced where the water came from. Maybe there’s a waterway from the river towards the sea. Ignoring that, I walked towards the rumored place. 
Once I stepped in, I could say that inside the cave, there was nothing. No life, no strange divinity, no eldritch powers lurking about. It was but a simple cave, formed by water and the years, just like the other millions upon earth. 
Drip. 
Drip. 
Drip. 
Inside the dark place, only the sound of the drip of the water came from the stalactites. The air is thick with humidity, and it is difficult to breathe as I stepped more. 
The darkness is so thick that it is impossible to see more than a few feet in front of me. And so, I stopped walking for a moment and grabbed my phone from my pocket. Then, I opened the flashlight and looked around. 
There are large rocks in different formations, most of them have sharp edges. My fingers grappled the jagging rocks. They are wet and slippery. With that, I decided to be more careful as I observed around.
Drip. 
Drip. 
Drip. 
The rigid waters ebbed and smashed mercilessly on my back. 
“There’s nothing to find here. I should go back,” I sighed then was ready to retreat. However, I saw a small pathway at the corner of the cavern. 
A pathway to where? 
I really wanted to go and explore the place but looking at the time, I think it’s time for me to go. 
And so, I ignored what I discovered and was about to go out. Out of the blue, I heard a snarling groan. 
‘What was that?’ 
Chills shattered down on my spine instantaneously and every strand of my hair on my body rose. The groan reminded me of monster, or maybe humans but cannibals. I was lost for a moment. 
To my horror, which I did not expect since I am self-proclaimed horror resistance, footsteps echoed from not afar. 
I peered into the inner part of the cave where the echoes came from. 
Then shadow lurked. 
I saw a shadow on the rocky wall. It is in human form. 
“Hey!” 
To my surprise, the groan, and steps which I thought came from the inner part of the cave, are actually from the person standing at the entrance of the crevice. 
I turned my head to him and saw my husband. 
‘I felt sorry for thinking that the sounds of groans I heard before is from a monster.’ 
“What are you doing here alone?!” Chadwick shouted. 
I put my flashlight down and walked towards him. He’s catching his breath, as if he came from a long run. 
I wanted to answer him right away but then again, his sudden appearance made me quite confused. 
“Who told you that I am here?” 
“Your secretary told me that you came here! Are you crazy?! Going alone in a scary place. You sure 
have many lives, aren’t you?” 
I sighed and rolled my eyes. 
Why is he overreacting? 
Before, he complained about my bikinis. And now, he’s going overboard about my safety. 
As an answer, I pointed to the post light leading towards the cave.
Chadwick looked at the lights and blinked his eyes. 
“Did you see the lights?” I asked. “That means that this area is still safe. They wouldn’t put lights here if visitors can’t go and explore.” 
After checking the lights, he looked at me as someone who was dumbfounded by the situation. He stood straight, scratched his nape, and forged a cough. 
“I… didn’t notice those,” he murmured in low tone. 
“Well, I’ll be going back so we should walk together.” 
I walked towards the entrance, planning on going out before the dawn comes but… 
“Oh?” 
I was stunned to see the water level rising outside the cave. The ankle level water before turned into a knee level.
Quickly, I looked at Chadwick, who came here despite the gushing water outside. His knees are dripping wet and the hemline of his shorts too. 
‘Did he cross the river just to come here and fetch me?’ 
“The water keeps on rising,” he said with a sigh. 
“Yeah. That’s why I am wondering how the hell did you come here despite of that.” 
“Didn’t you see how I breathed before?” 
As if tired, Chadwick sat on the large rock and turned his head towards the gushing water. 
“The pressure of the water is increasing too. I think we should wait until it subsides again,” he offered. 
It must be high tide during this hour. But soon, the water will sink. That means we had to stay together inside the cave for long hours while waiting. 
‘What an adventure. I should have stayed on my chair and drink juice.’ 
My eyes looked at my tired husband before I went to the corner and sat on the rock too. 
‘I guess this is better than being alone.’ 
For a couple of minutes, we stayed at the place while staring at the water that keeps on increasing and increasing. 
Sun set down. 
The dark place soon filled with lights as they opened the light post around the cave. Finally, the dark looking place turned bright. Sitting on the rock while watching the sea at night felt a bit relaxing. 
“What if…” I said. 
I felt him turn his gaze towards mine using my peripheral vision.
“What if the water keeps increasing and we’ll get drown?” I teased. 
“H-Hey. Don’t joke about something like that,” he replied in quivering voice. 
Hearing his fear, I remembered when we went to the horror house to find the mystery about the haunted place. Then, he asked me something about bravery. 
[“Being brave, will someone really get the prize if he is brave enough?”] This is what he asked me before. 
I looked at him who’s staring at the yellow lights with lips pursed. 
I didn’t know the reason why he asked that, but I don’t think a people without fear would not exist. I’ve been nonchalant about everything in my life. But that doesn’t mean I am not scared too. 
‘In fact, right now, I am scared to spend all of my night in this place without eating dinner. Sucks it~’
“Why do you badly want to get pregnant?” 
Suddenly, Chadwick’s voice resonated around the cave. I tended my head towards him who looks like a pole of battery with the same pole as mind; how his gaze just can’t quite meet up my eyes and slide rapidly away if he glanced back. 
I could tell that he’s feeling awkward being along with me in the same space. So, I praised him for trying to hold a conversation. 
“Isn’t being a mom the essence of being a woman?” I answered. 
Chadwick did not reply and gave me a silence treatment, as if saying that he’s not in the mood to entertain a joke. Yet, I was not joking at all. In my life, that’s the only thing that I wished for. To be a mom and a good parent. 
“I once had a loving mom,” I said. This time, it was me who turned my eyes away from him as I could feel his gaze towards me. “She was a sweet mom who never failed to show me that she loves me. But she died because of my stubbornness.”
All of the people around me said the same thing. 
“Don’t blame yourself.”
“It’s not your fault.” 
“Your mom did not die because of you.” 
In fact, I knew that. I already know that if mom won’t like it if I blame myself over her death. However, whenever I remember how my dad looked when he turned to me, the disgust and the regrets, I couldn’t help but feel the thing I shouldn’t feel. 
“That’s why as a punishment, I wanted to be a mom just like her. A mom who will love her child more than anyone can do. Because a child…” 
‘like me…’
 
“...needs love.” 
“Were you thinking that you grew up without love.” 
Surprised at how Chadwick read my thoughts, I tilted my head and met his gaze.
 
“Perhaps, that is the reason why you don’t want to involve yourself to another person. Because you are scared to get rejected.” 
Right at this moment, Chadwick looks like a mirror that I always avoided. 
And what the mirror says is entirely right. I always isolate myself from everyone, building a huge wall where no one can reach me. All because I do believe that someone like me, who longed for affection, turned empty. No one shall fill the emotions that became dull. Yet, there is still a child inside my heart. The confused child who is still wondering in nowhere, thinking whether it will be alright to open, to have someone to lean on and to stop blaming herself over the past. 
It’s me. The scared person who’s purposely drying her emotions until I squeezed them all out. 
“There are people who find it hard to be brave all the time,” he added after a long silence. 
“Sometimes, they acted opposite of what they heart tell them to do, all because they are also scared at the consequences. However, all that takes them to be courageous is to have someone ask them what they truly feel.”
“...” 
“If a person who is willing to listen and understand came, then they will open their hearts,” he added before his solemn eyes reflecting the lights. 
A person who is willing to listen and understand. That is… not me. 
“Did you ask?” he murmured. 
“What?” I replied. 
“Did you ever ask if that person doesn’t really love you?” 
His words strangled in my throat and my eyes misted over. 
Then, I felt a wave of sadness and it brought a pang to my heart. 
I am not sure if Chadwick is indeed talking about my father, but in my mind, it felt like that. 
Now, I collected my thoughts and wondered about his question. 
‘Did I ever ask my father if he hates me?’ 
No. All I did was to base it on how he treated me so far. Because just like what other people says, action speaks louder than words. But… What if I was wrong? 
What if all I had to do was to be a person who is willing to listen and understand? 
“Will it really be better if I become someone like that? An open-minded person who will try to feel empathy with other’s emotions.” 
“Yes,” he did not hesitate and answered right away. “It will be much better. Especially for me.” 
After that, he gave me a bright smile that gave light even at the darkest corner of the cave. 
While I was staring at the sweet beam on his lip, I wondered if I was already trying to reflect what he said that I should do. Because weirdly after hearing his answer, I felt this loud throbbing inside my chest which I cannot call a simple ‘empathy.’