Lahat ng Kabanata ng Too Late to Regret: Kabanata 181 - Kabanata 190

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’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.”

“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’s expression was filled with confusion.He knew it was unlikely, but he asked anyway, hoping to hear the real reason behind James's actions. The scene made sense and was natural, leaving no excuses for the other party.“You must have already guessed,” James smiled.As they walked toward the elevator, James explained his thoughts, “Candice's grandmother was once one of my family’s servants. Her mother lived with us for a few years when she was young. I happened to run into her mother at the supermarket a few days ago, and that’s when I learned all this.”“Did you have a past with Candice's mother?” Charlie asked bluntly.“No, no,” James waved his hand, “We lived in the same house, but our interactions weren’t that much.”“Then why did you come all the way here?” Charlie asked.“Well… how should I put this…”James didn't know how to answer as they rode the elevator up. Even though he wanted to say more, he realized his thoughts sounded irrational and crazy. He feared he would be

Candice’s blood ran cold.It felt as though a wave of cold air had swept in, dispersing all the lingering sweetness and warmth from the kiss. She stared ahead at Jessica, sitting with a cold, aloof posture. The chill slowly crept into her heart, and she let out a deep sigh... One more night of indulgence in fantasy was no longer possible.She wanted to see the kitten.She wanted to live in the warmth of a sweet dream once again.But she wasn’t greedy; she wouldn’t force it.However, it was clear that the patience of the chairman’s wife had reached its limit.“You...”Jessica’s gaze fixed on the hands that Charlie and Candice were holding. She struggled to maintain her composure, a sense of sadness lurking beneath the surface, as if she was on the verge of tears.Candice immediately pulled her hand away.But before she could even move, her hand was gripped tightly again by Charlie’s warm and steady hand.She glanced at him: Why do this?Although she thought this in her heart, she could