LOGINA poisonous glint hid beneath her smile.
In just a few seconds, she pieced together the truth — drawn from the things James had been secretly doing behind her back, and the guilty flicker in his eyes at this very moment.
He’d hired a private detective to spy on Candice.
He’d done a paternity test.
And today, that old man had even personally brought Candice to the birthday banquet.
Wasn’t the answer obvious?
But it looked like t
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
Everything happens for a reason.Even if it were the Third Uncle’s family, why would these old rivals—who had maintained a truce for over a decade—suddenly start trouble now? There had to be a motive.A flicker of unease crossed Mary’s face. She shifted her weight, stammering, "Well... the conflict has always been there. It’s true that because our family’s life has improved over the last few years, the friction decreased a lot. At most, we’d just exchange a few sarcastic remarks. Usually..."Candice was still preoccupied with Charlie’s situation and had no patience for her grandmother’s evasions. She didn't want to play word games. She gripped the older woman's hand. "Just tell me straight. What happened?""..."Knowing she couldn't fool her brilliant granddaughter, Mary confessed guiltily, "It was just last week. Third Uncle’s youngest daughter, who works out of town, came back. Her mothe
Sophia briskly pulled breakfast out of the bags. "We happened to be eating with Candice yesterday when we heard you were hurt, so we all came along."Bianca helped crank up the hospital bed. "Auntie, we were already planning to visit the fishing village together anyway."Rex sprawled on the sofa. "The buns here are actually pretty good."Margaret was amused by Rex. "Auntie knows how to make them, too. When we go home this afternoon, I’ll make some for you.""Did the doctor say you can be discharged today?" Candice asked."It’s not like it’s a major wound. It just looked scary at the time. It’s been disinfected, and I’ve had a tetanus shot—what else could go wrong?""I should still ask the doctor myself. Mom, which intersection in the village did you step on the nails? The one leading to the beach? Dad said on the phone you were going to call Uncle for dinner. That road to the shore usually has quite a bit
Candice entered the room light-footedly. Seeing her mother’s feet wrapped in thick gauze, her heart ached with pity."Candice!"Robert, who had been dozing off nearby, woke up. Seeing his daughter, he stood up joyfully. He started to speak, but realizing that his wife—who had been in pain half the night—had finally fallen asleep, he made a shushing gesture and pointed outside.Father and daughter tiptoed out together.Sophia and the others were standing in the hallway. Since the other patients were still sleeping at this hour, no one dared to make much noise. When they saw Candice and Robert emerge, they simply nodded in greeting."Charlie didn't come?" Robert asked."I told you before that he was going on a business trip this week, so he'll be here next week. You forgot," Candice said in a hushed voice."Oh, right, right," Robert tapped his head. "Look at me, I'm so worried I've lost my mind."He let out a si
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
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
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 picke
A storm had raged through much of the night before finally ceasing. At 1:50 AM, Candice awoke from a semi-conscious haze, her fingers too weary to bend. Her features wore a satisfied languor. The clamminess clung to her body as if coated with glue—every stir threatened to lift the sheets. She crave







