Masuk"Don't get worked up. I just wanted to... connect emotionally with you, Auntie,"
Mia's weak voice carried a subtle chill.
"After all, I'm going to marry into the Jackson family sooner or later. I'll have to start calling you 'Mom' eventually, right? Mommy~"
She said it sweetly.
But Caroline Jenkins felt a chill down her spine.
She had the terrifying sense that this girl was like a ghost clinging to them — her son, the entire Jackson family, all about t
Candice used her hand to shield her eyes.Seeing this, Charlie reached over to block the light for her. His palm was broad and thin, his fingers long and well-defined, and his palm was warm and dry, radiating a faint, clean fragrance. While shielding her eyes, he naturally pulled her closer to his side.Kyle held his breath, gritting his teeth. "..."Dante led the group to the best seats on the second floor. Shortly after they sat down, the performance had just begun when a waiter rushed over and whispered a few words in his ear.Dante Fletcher’s expression stiffened slightly. He turned to the group and said, "Apologies, there’s a small situation elsewhere that I need to handle."With that, he strode away. His face didn't look like it was just a "small situation."The guests remained silent, exchanging looks with those they knew. Their expressions were even more varied than the unicyclist performing on stage; some were secretive,
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
Bianca.It had been a while since Candice had last seen her, but she was as sweet and seductive as ever.She waved enthusiastically. “Darling, over here.”Bianca’s coquettish call caught the attention of others at the gathering, drawing their eyes toward Candice.After the whole spectacle with the
"Really?"Candice wore a half-laugh, half-cry expression. "But people say only the worst live the longest. The more evil they are, the longer they live."Charlie glanced at her. "So, do you believe them or me?"Candice replied, "I believe you."She didn't dare say she believed the others anyway.An
It wasn't that she didn’t like him — it was that she knew there would be no happy ending, so she wouldn’t allow herself to like him.Even in horror films, the main characters fight hard to survive till the end. And yet here she was, treating a romance like an apocalypse movie — with zero survival i
Candice instinctively clutched her phone to her chest.“Good morning, Miss!”“Good morning, Jerry!”She greeted cheerfully, her tone light and easy. At first glance, her smile seemed natural, but the slight stiffness at the corners of her mouth betrayed her nervousness.Her beautiful eyes fleetingl







