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Chapter 22

Author: Arlo Drake
Serena used to bring Justin a small cake from Indigo every week. She even learned how to bake, trying to create something special just for him.

As the thought crossed his mind, Justin's eyes instinctively drifted to the small cake on his desk. He froze.

"Is this from Indigo?" he asked sharply.

Candice blinked. "Yeah, I thought you liked it..."

"I don't like it. Don't buy it again," Justin said, leaning back in his chair, his mood souring for reasons he didn't want to admit.

His gaze settled on Candice. "Why are you wearing a hat?"

"I-It's nothing," Candice muttered, fidgeting and pulling the hat down further.

Justin's eyes narrowed. "Take it off."

Her hesitation only fueled his suspicion. "I said, take it off. Now."

Candice reluctantly walked over, her steps dragging. Justin stood, reached out, and pulled the hat off her head. His expression darkened the moment he saw the sticky smear of frosting in her hair.

"What happened?"

Candice bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes.
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    Candice's smile fell. "Why not?"Justin pressed his cigarette into the ashtray, his brows furrowed. After a while, he replied, "This bakery isn't well-known, and the cakes aren't great. Pick a larger chain. You could franchise something better—I'll fund it, and it'll be much more profitable.""But I want this one," Candice insisted, her nails digging into her palm as she forced a smile. "Didn't you say I could make my own choices?""Pick another one," Justin stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.Candice lowered her head slightly, hiding the bitterness and resentment in her eyes beneath her docile expression.Just then, a knock sounded at the office door, and a client stepped in. Justin stood, gently moving Candice off his lap. "You should head home. I've got work to do."With that, Candice left quietly. ...After a long day of meetings and a client dinner, Justin finally wrapped up his work. By the time he finished, the sky had already turned dark. Suddenly,

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    Arthur flashed Candice a polite smile. "Don't take it to heart. Mollie's always been like this.""It's fine," Candice responded softly, her demeanor obedient and composed.Arthur turned to Justin with a calm grin and added, "Mind if I borrow him for a minute?""Go ahead," Candice said, moving to sit quietly on a couch nearby.Mollie ignored her, and Joseph was too preoccupied with singing, leaving Candice scrolling through her phone alone.Justin loosened his tie and sat down next to Arthur. "What do you want to say?"Arthur poured him a glass of Burgundy. "Are you really done with Serena?"Justin's expression hardened. "You can't break up if you were never together. Serena and I were never a thing.""Then why keep her hanging on for so long?" Arthur asked.Justin's irritation flared. "That was her choice. She stayed because she wanted to."Arthur sipped his wine thoughtfully. "We've known each other forever, so I'll be straight with you. 19 years—she's spent nearly a quarter

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    Mollie rolled her eyes. "Mind your own business."Joseph said, "As someone who's been on the receiving end, I'm giving you fair warning—Wilson is even more dangerous than Justin. Don't think you can get close to him easily.""As long as he's not blind like Justin, I'm fine," Mollie retorted, glancing at Candice from a distance, her irritation bubbling up again."I still can't figure out what Justin's thinking," Mollie muttered. "My friend, Lynn Campbell, is so much better than this girl, but he wouldn't even consider her.""Lynn?" Joseph frowned. "Oh, come on. At that party, she was throwing shade at Candice the whole time. I don't like her.""Shut up!" Mollie shot back. "She likes Justin. Of course, she'd feel jealous seeing another woman by his side. You guys just don't get it!"Joseph shrugged and went quiet. Fine, maybe he did not get it. But at least his moral compass worked—he knew good from bad. ...After his talk with Arthur, Justin grew unusually quiet. He did not bot

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    Mollie slammed the car door shut, and the Maybach sped off into the night. Meanwhile, Candice stood by the curb, frozen in place for a long while.Not far away, Joseph had watched the scene unfold, and a flicker of pity crossed his face. "Mollie's temper can be a bit much. Candice looks pretty pitiful—I should give her a ride home."Arthur stepped in front of him, stopping him with a firm hand. He said flatly, "Don't get involved.""What's the deal? You're usually all about being a gentleman," Joseph asked, puzzled.Arthur's expression darkened slightly. "Candice doesn't need your help. She's no innocent little bunny.""And how would you know that?" Joseph challenged.Arthur smirked. "Because I'm good at reading people. For example, I knew right away you're an idiot. Nailed it, didn't I?"Joseph was rendered speechless, wondering what he did to deserve that....Mollie dropped Justin off at his villa and made sure the housekeeper, Wendy Moore, was ready to take care of him. Wh

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    The next morning, Serena woke up early to prepare breakfast. Her fridge was stocked with fresh vegetables and some meat, so she decided to make a pot of hearty mushroom soup. Once everything was carefully packed into a thermalware food jar, she headed to the office.As she approached the crosswalk near her building, a Range Rover suddenly sped out of nowhere, grazing past her. Serena instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding harm, but her bag was not so lucky. It hit the car, sending the food jar flying, and the soup spilled across the pavement.The Range Rover screeched to a halt, and the driver rolled down the window to toss out a wad of cash onto the ground. The driver barked, "We're in a rush. Mr. Jenkins says this is your compensation!" Serena slowly walked over, picked up the money, and approached the vehicle. Just as the driver prepared to step on the gas, Serena raised her hand and slammed the cash right into his face.She said firmly, "I've already taken a picture of

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    Just as Serena was about to leave, Wilson pushed the door open and walked in. He was dressed in a custom-tailored black suit without a tie, and the perfectly fitted trousers accentuated his long legs. His demeanor was cool and composed, yet there was a hint of casual indifference in his stride."Mr. Quade," Serena greeted him with a warm smile. "I brought you your breakfast."Wilson approached the desk and glanced at the neatly packaged mushroom soup on it. He clicked his tongue. He remarked dryly, "Ms. Judd, your soup looks so exquisite—exactly like the one from the breakfast shop downstairs. Funny, the packaging even has the same logo."Serena froze for a moment before explaining, "I did make soup for you, but there was an accident this morning, and it spilled everywhere. I had no choice but to buy some. Don't worry—I'll make it for you tomorrow."Wilson's gaze softened slightly. "Are you okay?""Huh?" Serena blinked. Then, it hit her that he was asking about her. "I'm fine. The

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