Candice arrived at the Jackson family estate around 11:40 AM.
The butler was quite surprised to see her.
He had known another guest was expected, but he hadn’t realized it was the young madam. Considering the fact that Young Master Kyle and Miss Jones were currently in the living room, he instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
The only people who knew that Kyle and Candice were married, aside from both families’ parents, were close staff members like Terry and the Jackson family butler.
“This way, please,” the butler said, bracing himself to carry out the madam’s orders as he led her in.
Before they even reached the living room, a crisp, bell-like voice rang out from inside, coquettishly saying, “I won again. Kyle, were you letting me win?”
Candice halted in her tracks.
Her mind went momentarily blank, but she quickly pieced it all together.
“Heh.”
A cold chuckle escaped her lips as she resumed walking.
Since she had planned to move some books today, she hadn’t put on any makeup. She wore a simple outfit: a loose white shirt and jeans. Her long, waterfall-like hair was loosely tied back with a ribbon.
Even so, her skin was flawless and fair, her eyes bright and her lips red. A few loose strands of hair framed her face, lending a softer, more alluring innocence to her natural beauty.
Kyle looked up from the sofa and was visibly shocked when he saw Candice. “Why are you—”
“Your mother called me here,” she said calmly, her gaze laced with quiet sarcasm. “Huh? Weren’t you supposed to be in Hong Kong? When did you learn to teleport?”
“…”
A flash of guilt crossed Kyle’s eyes.
Mia Jones got up from the sofa and approached Candice, extending a hand in a taunting manner. “Hi, I’m Mia Jones.”
Candice didn’t even glance at her, treating her like air.
At that moment, Caroline Jenkins entered from outside.
She gave Candice a fleeting glance before warmly taking Mia Jones’s hand. “Mia, did you have fun today? Make yourself at home, alright?”
Then, she turned to introduce Candice. “This is Miss Hale, a manager from our company. I have something I need to discuss with her.”
Everyone knew Candice was Kyle’s wife. Yet Caroline deliberately introduced her as a company employee, making it obvious she didn’t welcome Candice. It also sent a clear message to Mia Jones: Candice was a nobody, and nothing stood in the way of a union between the Jackson and Jones families.
Mia Jones lifted her chin proudly. “So you’re just a company employee.”
Candice didn’t look at Mia or Caroline—she only looked at Kyle, silently watching his expression.
She wanted to see how he would react.
But his face remained cold and expressionless. He didn’t even attempt to clarify her identity.
Did he not realize what was happening? No. He knew. He just didn’t care if she was being humiliated.
“Mrs. Jenkins, didn’t you want to speak with me? Why not do it right here?” Candice turned to her mother-in-law.
“Another time. Since you’re here, stay for lunch.”
“No thanks. I have things to do,” Candice said, turning to leave.
Caroline Jenkins barked after her, “When an elder asks you to stay for a meal, what kind of attitude is that? Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?”
Candice turned back slowly, her gaze clear and cool. “Fine. I’ll stay for lunch. Just don’t regret it.”
She was the first to head over and sit down—choosing a single-seat armchair.
Mia walked right over to sit beside Kyle, clinging to his arm. “Kyle, let’s keep playing chess.”
Kyle pulled his arm away and looked toward Candice.
“Miss Hale, do you know how to play?” Mia asked, glancing at Candice.
Candice looked at the top-tier jade chess set on the coffee table. But rather than playing Go, they were clearly playing the far simpler Five-in-a-Row. And Kyle had actually lost earlier…
It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to coax someone. He just didn’t know how to coax her anymore.
She looked up at Kyle, lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. “Yes, I know how. Would you like to play, Miss Jones?”
Kyle’s eyes darkened with irritation, a warning glint shining in them.
Mia confidently reset the board. “Miss Hale, would you like white or green?”
Candice picked up the green pieces. “Green. Suits me.”
Kyle: “…”
Mia and Caroline had almost started laughing—who insults themselves like that? But a moment later, they realized Candice wasn’t insulting herself—she was insulting them.
Mia gritted her teeth and hurried to make the first move.
They went back and forth, placing dozens of pieces. Caroline watched Mia make precise, calculated moves while Candice scattered hers with seemingly no logic. Caroline, already biased, shot Kyle a look as if to say: See what a real socialite looks like?
Kyle didn’t react at all.
As more pieces fell into place, Mia’s mood shifted between excitement and irritation—she kept thinking she had a winning move, only for Candice to block her. Still, neither of them had won yet. At worst, it would be a draw.
“Hmph. Even a draw with her is beneath me,” Mia muttered.
“It’s your move,” Candice said evenly.
Mia had been building toward a sneaky win in a corner—three green pieces already in place. If she got one more, it was over.
Trying to appear calm, she placed her fourth and looked at Candice, holding her breath, hoping she wouldn’t catch it.
Sure enough, Candice placed her piece somewhere else.
Mia instantly lit up and cried out, “I won!”
Caroline immediately clapped to celebrate.
But the next second, they both froze.
Candice’s slender, porcelain-like fingers had already started collecting the pieces from the board.
Only then did they notice: Candice’s seemingly random pieces had formed a perfect line of five.
Both their faces turned pale instantly.
“It’s real, there are ghosts here.”Charlie said this seriously, adding weight to his words, his eyes mysterious and dark. “Maybe we’ll encounter many supernatural phenomena soon.”“……”Oh, shut up!Candice’s face was expressionless.Charlie rubbed her small face playfully, “Believe it or not, we’ll have a ghost knock on our door soon.”“...I believe you’re—”“Knock knock.”Before she could finish her sentence or even strike him, the door was suddenly knocked on.A woman’s voice came from outside.“Mr. Clemens~~~”The voice was trembling.Candice froze, her hand stopping mid-air as she was about to slap him. Her scalp tingled as she instinctively threw herself into his arms, clutching his waist tightly.What was going on?Was there really... a ghost?Her face pressed against his chest, and she held her breath, staring at the door. Her hands gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly.His heartbeat was steady, but hers was racing.“Mr. Clemens~~~ Save me~~~”The voice from outside now had
“It’s a buttercream cake.”“This looks good.”“Thank God, finally something edible!”The guests were nearly in tears.Since they arrived on the island, no one had eaten anything, and by now, everyone was getting quite hungry. Furthermore, if they didn’t eat now, they would have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to leave, and who knew if the breakfast and dinner tomorrow would also feature dark cuisine. But tonight, they were certainly going to be hungry.Now, they understood the value of this dessert!The servants brought out individual servings of buttercream sponge cake to each guest.The transparent crystal glass bowls were layered with fresh fruit, cream, sponge cake, and jam. Just the sight of it was a delight, and the aroma was even more tempting— the scent of milk mixed with fruit, making everyone’s fingers itch to dig in.Candice particularly loved these little cakes.The other guests also began tasting the dessert.She picked up her spoon, took a small bite, then hesitated. Wh
“I’m Belinda. I apologize for keeping you all waiting,” the woman introduced herself as she walked to the center of the banquet hall.The guests quickly gathered around.The closer they got, the stronger the unsettling feeling became.Her features were strikingly sharp, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, an aristocratic nose, and full lips—skin so flawless that it seemed unreal, perfect... like a mannequin.Her skin was unnaturally pale, devoid of even the faintest hint of pores, and when she smiled, her lips seemed unnaturally stiff, as if botox had been overdone.This, combined with her stunning face, gave off a deeply eerie aura.And it wasn’t just Charlie and Candice who felt this unease—other guests also sensed the same thing.The castle itself already had an eerie, mysterious aura, and now, with this strange woman as the castle’s owner...Some guests furrowed their brows, some looked suspicious, some had fearful expressions, but most remained calm as if they didn’t feel anything st
Candice stood quietly, waiting for him to approach.She wasn’t afraid of his cold expression—who was he trying to intimidate?Jerry: Oh, God...Rex, excited, rushed forward as if he had just found his long-lost father. “Master Clemens, I’m here!”Charlie, with a stern face, looked as though he was ready to hit him.“What did I tell you?”Rex, unbothered, shrugged and spread out his black suit like a rebellious teenager. “If you’re angry, just hit me. I’m here anyway—go ahead, hit me.”Charlie furrowed his brows deeply, unable to do anything to this tough, thick-skinned brat.He looked away, his gaze filled with murderous intent, passing right over Candice and landing on Jerry, who was trying to hide behind her. “Get over here.”Jerry wanted to cry.I knew it! I knew this would happen!!He dared not approach. Instead, he tried to explain to Charlie from a distance, through Candice and Rex. “...I really tried to stop him! I couldn’t control him!”“Come here. I won’t hit you.”“...”Yeah
“No, really—you look amazing.”Vance walked up to Charlie, openly admiring his beauty. From his handsome face to his tall, upright figure—even his hair and hands didn’t escape his gaze.He looked like God’s masterpiece.Radiating a kind of irresistible allure, Vance couldn’t help but want to…He leaned in closer.Charlie raised a hand to block him, his expression stern. “Enough, Vance. We agreed to respect each other. Don’t cross the line.”“Sorry, I can’t help it sometimes.”“Try harder.”“I am trying.”“…If you push it, I will knock you out.” He flexed his wrist as he spoke.“…”Vance gave a sheepish smile and took a step back.Charlie walked over and sat down on the sofa.In his youth, he’d been clueless. By the time he realized his close friend was gay, he’d gone through a period of confusion and distance. But after they talked it out, he understood Vance had always been this way and wasn’t trying to force anything. They agreed to mutual respect.Friends remained friends.Though o
In a small alley cafe, the three of them sat waiting after placing their coffee orders.Last night, they had "forced" Evelyn to reveal the true nature of the so-called networking event. After hearing the details, their determination to attend was more solidified. Well, okay, Jerry didn’t agree, but one arm couldn’t overpower two.Especially Rex's arm, which could probably strangle him with just half of it.From Evelyn's explanation, the event was organized by a business association.FG Society.An association mainly composed of top-tier businessmen.Although it's called a business association, its members were quite diverse—some with power, some with wealth, some with fame, and others with special talents. For example, various geniuses in different fields, like hackers, and even criminals—some borderline high-IQ dangerous individuals were also recruited.The association had a strict hierarchy, and the various levels of members created a kind of ecosystem.Exchanging interests, schemin