Michaela suppressed her anger and stressed each word carefully. "Wanda, you've been away working in the frontier for so long that you might not realize how disturbing Elio's behavior is. He's Candice's uncle. They're related! Yet he's had an unhealthy fixation on Candice since her childhood."He collected her hair ties, cups, stuffed toys, and other random items. He hoarded her discarded pencil cases and even a used pen. Whenever he visited Morrison Residence, he secretly took things that belonged to Candice and stashed them away."What kind of man obsessively writes diary entries about a young woman? He stole her things, spied on her, stalked her, and filled his entire sketchbook with drawings of her. He…"I was desperate and had to pressure him into finding a girlfriend. But then he and Josie deceived me. I had no option but to make him move abroad. I truly—"Mila cut her off, her voice sharp with fury. "Mom, why did you read Elio's diary?""I did it for his own good," Michaela

Mila sighed. "It's probably best to move on sooner if Candice doesn't have feelings for you. But you shouldn't settle for marrying someone you don't love. Josie isn't the right match for you.""Her aunt is shady," Elio responded with a relaxed drawl.Surprised, Mila asked, "You knew about that?"Elio hummed in acknowledgment.Mila got to her feet and said, "Alright, I should head back. You should get some sleep. Meet me at Sudvilla at noon tomorrow."Sudvilla, a villa granted to Nathan by the government, was located directly opposite Hudson Manor, where Josie lived."Why should I go there?" Elio looked at her, puzzled.With a gentle smile, Mila said, "Come early and lend me a hand."Then, she left Elio's room, quietly closing the door behind her. Elio's gaze lingered on the door, looking desolate.…At noon the following day, Candice arrived in a floral dress complemented by a lace-trimmed sun hat. She carried a wicker basket full of plant seedlings. She stepped out of her

Candice was captivated by Elio's smile, a sight she realized she had never witnessed before. His smile was faint yet seemed to cast a magical spell.Elio was typically reserved and aloof. It made Candice hope he would smile more often. As she pulled from her thoughts, she met his piercing gaze. She quickly lowered her head and crouched down to pick up some seedlings."Let's begin. Where do you think we should plant these?" Candice asked.Elio approached her and said, "I'll follow your lead."His simple words warmed Candice, sending a flutter straight to her heart. Even so, she tried to keep her composure and focused on planning the garden's layout.Elio listened carefully as she explained her ideas.…Mila stood on the second-floor balcony, secretly watching the garden with a growing smile. Nathan quietly approached and gently wrapped his arms around her from behind. He whispered in her ear, "What are you looking at?"Leaning back against Nathan's chest, Mila sighed softly. "

Josie was certain that Candice didn't stand a chance of stealing Elio away.Elio caused a commotion as he rushed down the stairs, prompting Mila and Nathan to emerge from their room, where they unexpectedly met Josie."Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison," Josie greeted them with a polite nod."Josie?" Furrowing her brow, Mila asked, "What brings you here?""My dad sent me to bring you some strawberries," Josie replied."Thank you," Mila responded politely, then turned to look downstairs. She noticed Elio trudging back to the living room. He flopped down on the couch, shut his eyes, and sank back. He looked drained, but it was apparent that his weariness wasn't merely physical."Where's Candice?" Mila asked."Candice had to leave for something," Josie answered.Mila fell silent as she pieced things together. She knew Candice too well. Candice would have at least said goodbye if she had left under normal circumstances. She would never leave without a word."Make yourself at home."

Candice felt her hands sweating from nervousness as soon as the question was asked. She clenched her fists and lowered her head. She couldn't meet Elio's gaze, yet her ears remained sharply attuned to his voice.After stealing a glance at Candice, Elio thought for a moment before saying, "Josie isn't my girlfriend.""What?" Everyone fell into stunned silence.Candice looked up, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at Elio in disbelief. Her reaction was so over the top that Elio almost laughed. He found her astonishment adorable and struggled to keep a straight face.With a frown, Daniel asked, "What's the matter?"Elio turned to Daniel and explained with a polite tone, "My mom was pressuring me to find a girlfriend back then. Out of desperation, I convinced my best friend to pose as one. We kept up the act for so long that everyone believed we were actually together.""Why did you stop pretending?""My mom found out.""That explains it."Candice was dumbfounded, her mouth sl