“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
“Mr. Lawrence.”Candice slowed her speech as she repeated the words.Charlie furrowed his brow. “He came to see you?”Candice didn’t want him to know about her mother’s possible past relationship with Mr. Lawrence. After a moment of hesitation, she answered, “He’s an old acquaintance of my parents.”An "old acquaintance" could mean friends or classmates.It could be anything....Although, given James’s status and his social circle, it was hard to imagine that her teacher parents had ever been close to him. They had no real connections.Charlie could sense her evasiveness but didn’t press further.“Alright, I understand.”Candice sighed in relief.She hung up the phone and politely invited James into the house.As James entered, he smiled at Margaret. “That was your boyfriend calling?”“No, no.” Margaret waved her hand dismissively.“Wasn’t that call for Charlie?”“…Ah, yes, but—”Candice, overhearing their conversation, felt a chill run down her spine.She quickly interjected, “Mr. La
Charlie was stunned by her enthusiasm.He held the soft body in his arms tightly, letting her do whatever she wanted.Outside the car, the wind was picking up.Leaves rustled violently, and the willow branches swayed madly, as if they were about to snap under the pressure.Inside the tightly shut car, darkness engulfed everything. The windows fogged up. A pair of pale hands slid down the misty glass, leaving chaotic streaks like they were fading from life itself.The next second, a large hand pressed over hers.Their fingers intertwined.The fog melted into fragrant dew...Midnight had long passed.Candice leaned against his chest, unmoving."How long has it been past that half hour?"A voice came from above.She replied lazily, "Twenty minutes. We still have ten left."Charlie helped straighten her clothes. "Why don’t we use those ten minutes to go home and sleep?"Candice shook her head. "No, I like it here."In this tiny, dark space swallowed by night, this was her best moon. She w
Candice’s humming suddenly hit a sour note.She had drunk too much at lunch, and the entire afternoon had been a hazy blur. He had made her rest in his office, and just before the end of the workday, he told her she could leave.She had thought... they wouldn’t see each other again today.She picked up the shopping bags on the passenger seat, stepped out of the car, and walked over.“Mr. Clemens, what are you doing here at this hour?”She stood before him, her tone casual and indifferent.As if she had just run into her boss on the street—friendly on the surface, but 90% of it was forced.The light under the tree was dim, but thankfully a nearby streetlamp offered enough of a glow to make out each other’s expressions.Candice had crescent-moon eyes from smiling.Charlie’s deep, unreadable gaze moved from her face to her hands. “Sobered up?”“Mm, I have,” she nodded. “Actually, I handle alcohol pretty well—get drunk fast, but recover just as quickly.”“I noticed. You sobered up fast.”
Denny was in the study.Beatrice was enjoying the cool air in the garden on the third floor.When she saw her son, she stood up happily. "Why are you here today? Did your father tell you that we’re bringing Jessica back? Are you happy about it?"Charlie remained expressionless.Although he wasn’t angry, his emotionless, dark gaze was still quite intimidating."Charlie, why are you looking at me like that?"Beatrice touched her face nervously.Charlie waved his hand politely. "Please, sit down."Beatrice sat down.Charlie followed and sat as well."Have you eaten dinner? Do you want some melon?"She picked a slice of melon from the fruit plate and passed it to him."Mom, I have someone I like now. You should already know about it, right?" Charlie suddenly said.Beatrice froze, her hand suspended in mid-air.Mother and son stared at each other.After a few seconds of silence, Beatrice nodded, smiling. "Your father told me. He said you and Candice are in a relationship. I asked him not t
Candice’s car had already driven off.Jerry silently increased the speed.As the car was halfway down the road, Charlie suddenly provided an address. Jerry checked it and realized it was Candice’s parents’ house.What did he want to do at her parents' house? Soon, he saw Candice talking to a refined and handsome man outside. They seemed to be enjoying their conversation. The more she smiled, the more unpleasant the atmosphere around the man seemed to grow.The two cars drove in parallel through the neighborhood. At first, Candice didn’t notice anything. It wasn’t until they stopped at a longer red light that she noticed the car behind them. How did he end up behind her?They were on their way to the office; this route wasn’t one they’d normally take.So, he had come here on purpose.Then, it occurred to her—had he seen her talking to Alex?A fleeting wave of anxiety surfaced in her mind, but she quickly remembered that his mother had already brought Jessica into the picture to tear th
Candice froze.Her thoughts jolted violently, as if her soul had been torn from her body.After a long pause, she finally replied with just two words: "Welcome back."Jessica had gone out of her way to add her, and even informed her she’d be returning next Wednesday—the meaning behind it couldn’t be more obvious.She vaguely recalled what Charlie’s sister had said earlier that morning, something about their mother calling a certain “so-and-so” and warning her brother to be careful.Could that “so-and-so”… be Jessica?Her heart began to sink.A moment later, she let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh.Lost in her thoughts, her phone slipped from her hands into the water, instantly disappearing beneath a sea of flower petals and foam. She hurried to fish it out, but the screen was already black—completely unresponsive. It had met its end.She blinked slowly.