LOGINShe 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 lo
Candice couldn't help but look at Charlie. She hadn't acknowledged him the entire evening.She had been harboring a fire in her heart before she even arrived, and the very first thing she saw upon meeting him was Edith lunging onto him—a sight that added frost to the snow of her mood. She gave him the cold shoulder, and he didn't overextend himself trying to force a warm face onto her icy one.Her mood was foul, and his was equally gloomy. A troublesome younger brother was already headache enough, and then seeing his pregnant girlfriend appear in a place she never should have come to... Though he didn't smoke and had no habit of excessive drinking, even he had felt like reaching for the full "tobacco and liquor" set at the card table earlier.By now, the emotions of both parties seemed to have been digested.Charlie was already standing close to her. Seeing her look his way, he took the initiative to approach. "Are you tired? Let Rex take you to the guest
Kyle was so delighted he practically wanted to award Edith a trophy. Now he didn’t even need to play informant or stir up trouble; what could be more convincing than seeing it with one's own eyes?Charlie pulled the woman off him for the second time, his voice stern. "Miss. Lawrence, please show some self-respect in public!"His voice was extremely heavy, not leaving Edith a shred of dignity.Snapping out of her impulsive state, Edith’s face felt like it was on fire. "I... I didn't do it on purpose. I just lost my balance."Charlie didn't bother responding. He stepped toward Candice. However, Candice was one step ahead, walking toward the seats pre-reserved for them and leaving him standing there.The others cast looks of helpless sympathy toward Charlie, except for Gabrielle, who happily bounded over to him. "Charlie."Charlie glanced at Gabrielle, then looked at Sophia and the others. Rex looked eager to explain, Jerry lowered
"Cultivate..."Gabrielle’s eyes were vacant. Evidently, her cognitive capacity was insufficient to process such a complex phrase, leaving her to do nothing but stare blankly at Candice.The girl before her wore a well-behaved white princess dress; her skin was like cream, and she stood quietly, projecting a unique sense of innocence. Even her wooden hollowness translated into a sort of static beauty on a canvas."This half-sister really does look a bit like Candice. She’s quite pretty, too. Pity she’s a fool," Bianca whispered into Sophia’s ear."A fool who still knows how to try and snatch a brother-in-law from her sister.""You mean Kyle?""No, Charlie.""..."*The fool’s taste in men is quite sharp.*Candice stepped forward. Under the high-alert, "enemy-at-the-gates" gaze of the female bodyguard, she reached out and gently patted Gabrielle’s head twice. "You have to be good and get
This time, Denise was the first to cut the call.Soon after, Candice received a location—a seaside resort about a fifty-minute drive away. It was likely the intended departure point where she would board a helicopter to head to the destination.Only then did Candice let her hands drop, gripping the railing as if she were about to collapse from exhaustion. It wasn't that she lacked fear; she simply couldn't afford to fuel the enemy's arrogance. It was all a bluff, and she hoped it would work. She also hoped... that Denise still had a shred of conscience regarding her biological daughter.Candice stood silently for a few minutes, let out a soft sigh, and headed downstairs."Uncle, it’s no use letting them keep arguing like this. I’ll go out and say a few words," she said, making a move toward the door."Get back here! Don't think you're slipping away. I'll go talk to them," Albert said, stepping outside.The moment her uncle
"That doesn't matter right now; what matters is you!"Margaret was consumed with worry. She now deeply regretted her initial decision; she felt she should have been firm in making her daughter separate from Charlie. That way, they wouldn't have had to take the risk of sending her back to the Lawrence family just to overcome the hurdle of her background.Now that she was being targeted by that venomous woman, there was no telling what would happen in the future.Candice reassured her, "You don't need to worry about my affairs, and don't think of her as being all-powerful. She won't let me go? Well, I won't let her go either. Relax, your daughter can handle this."Sophia also tried to comfort Margaret. "It's fine. If she can't even handle a crisis like this, how is she going to fight her in the future? You have to remember, Candice isn't alone anymore.""Besides, things have already come to this. Being afraid only makes it more dangerous," Bianca sai
Candice’s voice was devoid of any ups and downs, carrying a sort of cold solemnity.Amy swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on Candice for a long time. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded as if it were being dragged out by a heavy weight attached to her throat. "I... I don’t know who it was... Sh-she found me... Oh, not in person, it was over the phone. She told me to come back to the fishing village... and then... no matter what method I used... to stir up some trouble... to force y-you to... rush here immediately."Everyone: "...!"Before she had spoken these words, Candice’s "coerced confession" had been based on deduction and suspicion. After all, a decade-old neighborhood grudge escalating to mutual retaliation and a high-society vendetta seemed like two different dimensions; connecting them felt somewhat far-fetched.But as Amy’s words landed, that sinister, rotten aura suddenly surged toward them, sending chills down their
Candice: "……"Sophia: "……"Rex: "……"Was he the one who called the police?Suddenly, Candice understood.His appearance here meant that Caroline had already informed him of the situation.Caroline had traced the orchard, learned that the Jones family mother and daughter had come to L City, and dedu
Her wildly pounding heart instantly calmed, as still as water.It was as if a shot of icy sedative had been injected into her—calming her body, mind, and brain.No more overthinking.This wasn’t work time. She had every right to play deaf and dumb.Charlie slowly turned his head and looked at Erica
He suddenly smiled.So in her eyes, he was the wrong path to avoid, wasn’t he?Candice didn’t dare look into his eyes.She lowered her head. “I’ve got things to do this afternoon, I’ll go eat first.”This time, she didn’t ask if she could leave—she simply turned and walked out decisively.He was gr
Candice tried to maintain her composure, but the sudden rush of memories attacking her brain caused her to momentarily lose focus... Her eyes glazed over, her cheeks flushed, and she felt like she was dying and being reborn at the same time.Damn brain, where did you go!?"Well, well... it's better







