Candice sat in the treatment room getting her wound dressed.
The door suddenly burst open. A tall, commanding man stormed in as if he were about to kill someone, startling the doctor.
Candice glanced over. “It’s okay, he’s my husb—boss.”
The word husband almost slipped out, but she changed it at the last second.
Kyle’s throat seemed clogged. He stepped forward and asked the doctor, “Is it serious?”
“Just a surface wound, nothing major,” the doctor replied disinterestedly, not curious about their relationship. He finished dressing Candice’s injury and handed over a prescription for topical medication.
Candice gave a brief thanks and left the room.
Kyle followed closely behind. He tried to pay for her, grabbed the medication before she could, acting the part of a responsible husband.
Candice couldn’t even be bothered to comment.
Outside the hospital, she looked down to order a rideshare, but Kyle snatched her phone, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and dragged her to the parking lot. He opened the passenger side door and shoved her inside. Then he walked around to the driver’s side and got in himself.
The door slammed shut with force, sealing them off from the outside world.
The air turned heavy.
“Blocked my number? Are you trying to punish me by getting yourself killed?” he turned to her, his face twisted with frustration and irritation.
Candice: “…”
She stared at him, stunned. Then a laugh slipped out.
Her heart had been heavy just moments ago, but this absurd line actually made her laugh.
He wronged her, and now she was punishing him by dying?
How could someone be so narcissistic?
“Relax. You won’t have to worry about that. Now give me my phone,” Candice said, reaching for the phone in his hand.
Kyle dodged. “Fine, I admit I lied today. But you humiliated someone without thinking of the consequences—don’t you think you went too far? She’s just a pampered girl who speaks without thinking. Was it really worth getting mad at her?”
Candice listened to his excuses. Listened to how he described that girl. Listened to the casual affection laced in his tone…
Kyle, do you even hear yourself when you talk? Do you see how much you've changed?
After a long silence, she finally spoke. Her voice was drained and cold. “From now on, I won’t bully her, and I won’t care what happens between you two. But do me a favor—keep her away from me.”
“My feelings for her are like that of a brother to a sister. You’ve misunderstood,” Kyle frowned.
“Right. A sister,” Candice said, fighting the urge to throw all the evidence she had in his face. “Fine. I overreacted. I misunderstood. Congratulations on your new little sister.”
“…”
“Just drive,” she said, feeling a chill deep in her bones. She pulled the tailored jacket around her tightly, her nose brushing against the collar and catching a whiff of that warm sandalwood scent.
Kyle finally noticed the fine gray men’s jacket draped over her shoulders—clearly bespoke. “Whose jacket is that?”
Candice turned her face to the window. To throw his “little sister” line back at him, she said mockingly, “My brother’s. A new one.”
Kyle: “…”
His expression turned dark. He yanked the jacket off her and tossed it out the window.
Candice, both shocked and furious, jumped out to retrieve it. She had intended to return it cleaned.
Kyle, seeing she dared to go after it, pulled her back and leaned over to kiss her hard.
Candice kept her mouth tightly shut.
But he forced her lips open, prying her mouth apart with his hand. The kiss was aggressive, unreasonable, punishing.
When he finally pulled away, his heavy breath brushed against her cheek. “Don’t provoke me like this. You need to think about other people’s lives too.”
“…”
Candice was speechless.
In the end, she couldn’t get the jacket back.
She’d promised to return it clean. What now?
After everything that had happened over the weekend, Candice came down with a cold and a fever that night.
Kyle stayed home. He cooked porridge and fed her himself, giving her the illusion that perhaps he still cared.
At midnight, her fever still hadn’t broken. She was groggy and miserable.
Bzzz— Bzzz—
Kyle’s phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Candice propped herself up, and both she and Kyle turned to look at the screen. The time was 12:35 a.m.
The name flashing on the screen: Candy Girl.
What a sweet and intimate contact name…
In the stillness of the night, the vibration was especially jarring. It felt like it wasn’t just shaking the nightstand, but their nerves too.
Everyone was confused.At the door, Margaret welcomed a middle-aged woman inside.Ruth Blackwood walked into the house.She immediately spotted Charlie sitting at the dining table. That man was just too eye-catching—impossible to ignore.Her smile faltered slightly.Candice already has a boyfriend?And such a stunning man, no less…Is my son going to be heartbroken again?“Ruth, I’m so sorry—some guests dropped by today and I forgot to tell you,” Margaret said awkwardly, pulling her to the sofa.They had been on the phone frequently these past few days.Ruth was a former colleague and fellow teacher of Margaret’s. They lived in the same neighborhood and their families had frequent contact.Her son was outstanding—now a doctor.After hearing on the phone that her son was asking about Candice, Margaret realized the boy had liked her daughter for years bu
Candice: “...!”Sophia!You traitor! Spy! Useless saboteur!Are you trying to kill me!?At this moment, Charlie was no different from a walking time bomb in her eyes—one that could go off in her house at any second. Even glancing at him filled her with anxiety and dread.But being the skilled actress she was, she quickly returned her widened eyes to normal.Those sly fox-like eyes of hers curved into a smile, radiating an air of "peace and harmony."“Sophia, you’re so thoughtful,” she said with a sugary tone. “Thank you so much, my dearest bestie…”I’m going to kill you!Sophia felt like she’d been turned into a pincushion by the daggers hidden in her best friend’s smile. She waved her hand sheepishly.“ah, no need to thank me~”Spare me, bestie~~But Mr. Clemens gave me so much… a Birkin 20 in white, okay~~~
Even though nearly thirty years had passed,the man before her didn’t look all that different from back then.Older, yes—with some wrinkles—but still dignified, still carrying that refined handsomeness from his youth.The eldest son of the Lawrence family…He was James.She had lived with her mother in the Lawrence household for many years, only leaving when she started university and moved to Vanclyn.Now, James was looking at Margaret up close.His gaze froze.Their expressions made both Candice and Robert feel a flicker of suspicion.“You’re Aunt Smith’s daughter… Maria?”James dug through layers of memory and pulled out the image of a young, innocent face.He was utterly shocked.Margaret’s heart pounded wildly.She’d never dreamed that after all these years, they would meet again—and in this way, no less.But
She knew he was joking.Even if he wasn’t, it still wasn’t realistic.Even if he could make it real, it would come at the cost of winning against his parents. He might be happy—but for her, it could be the start of another nightmare.She had just escaped one den of wolves; she wasn’t about to walk into a tiger’s lair.Better to enjoy the pleasure while it lasted, then quit while she was ahead. No need for any results.Charlie looked at the beautiful face before him, smiling with cool detachment. His expression darkened slightly.His eyes grew deep and unreadable for a moment, but then softened again.“Being single isn’t so bad. But if you ever change your mind, make sure I’m the first one you tell.”Candice neither agreed nor disagreed.It was a false proposition to begin with.She tugged on his tie and kissed him again.Right now, they were burning like
“I…”Candice glanced around nervously, then lowered her voice.“I’m afraid I might be pregnant. We… didn’t use protection either time. And last night, you just had to do it in the water…”Charlie was silent for a long while.She kept looking around anxiously, scared they’d run into someone they knew—or worse, that someone might recognize him and take a photo. He was way too eye-catching, and these days people were snapping photos of everything—flowers, stray cats… much less a man like him.Suddenly, her body felt weightless—he had swept her up into his arms.“Put me down!” she hissed.It was dark last night, and no one had been around. But now they were in a hospital—a princess carry? Way too over the top!Charlie ignored her protests and carried her through the most crowded corridor, looking as calm and natural as if he di
Sophia walked through the door.The sound of it made Candice nearly jump out of her soul.She instinctively reached to pull Charlie into the bedroom to hide him—like some shady affair where she’d secretly "kept" a young pretty boy and didn’t want her best friend to find out.Just as her hand caught his, he turned his palm and laced their fingers together. Calm and composed, he smiled faintly and exhaled,“Relax, Candice. It’s too late now.”Candice’s pupils trembled.She slowly, stiffly turned her head.In the living room, Sophia stood there in a crisp, sharp white suit, her almond eyes wide open, shock slowly shifting into excitement.She sauntered in casually, but her radar-sharp gaze had already locked on the pair by the dining table. Her eyes flicked from the breakfast on the table, to their interlocked hands, and her smile turned suggestive.“You two… having bre