After their kiss, Candice found herself breathless.Reluctantly, Elio withdrew from her tender lips, their foreheads meeting as they exchanged heavy, tangled breaths.The atmosphere in the room grew charged, infused with an undeniable sense of desire.Feeling shy and overwhelmed, Candice lowered her eyes, unable to muster the courage to meet Elio's intense gaze."I should go now," Elio broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper."Okay," Candice replied softly."Perhaps if you find the time, you should come and see me more often," Elio murmured gently.Candice felt a pang of confusion. Why was it up to her to initiate their dates?"Can't you be the one to come visit me?" Candice whispered.Elio suppressed a smile, his lips curling slightly. "I could. It's just that your family is always around, and your office is quite busy."Candice now understood his implication. He preferred meeting in private, either in his office or at home.In a gentle tone, she replied, "Sure.

As Josie vanished from sight, Candice retrieved her phone, promptly settling the bill for the two coffees before departing herself.On her way back to the office, she couldn't resist glancing at her phone to check the date.With the wedding arranged by the Hoffis family for Josie and Elio just over 20 days away, the pressure on Josie must have been mounting.Despite this, Candice's inner resolve rang clear. "As long as Elio remains unattached and still wishes to marry me, I'll hold firm in my carefree, love-struck state, regardless of others' opinions."However, there was one thing she couldn't tolerate—betrayal.…As the evening approached and the workday persisted, Candice's phone buzzed with a message from Jasper."Candice, I've received orders from Uncle Elio. Starting today, I won't be able to give you rides home. He'll be handling that instead."Candice swiftly replied, "But we travel the same route, unlike him."Jasper responded, "That's true, but he's the one calling t

Josie couldn't grasp Candice's rationale. "But why?" she countered.Candice remained composed as she explained, "Firstly, those items were gifted to you, so they rightfully belong to you."Secondly, aside from their monetary value, those possessions don't have a practical use. They need to be preserved and passed down to the next generation. Ultimately, they're not something I can rightfully claim."Thirdly, Elio has already given me plenty of jewelry during our engagement, which I can pass down to future generations."Josie took a deep breath, feeling as though she were on the brink of losing her sanity.It all felt completely absurd.She was left dumbfounded, utterly bewildered by Candice's innocent and straightforward outlook on life.Still, Josie's intrigue regarding Elio's feelings toward Candice persisted, especially given Candice's perceived naivety.Despite Josie's best efforts to manipulate Candice, she found herself increasingly frustrated by her inability to sway her

At 10:00 pm, Candice was waiting in the airport lounge. She stood at the exit holding a bouquet of flowers.Not far away, Mervyn was stylishly dressed in athletic wear. He pulled a suitcase as he walked out briskly.From a distance, Candice saw him and then waved at him.Mervyn excitedly dragged his suitcase and hurried toward her. He opened his arms as he intended to embrace her.However, Candice pushed the flowers into his arms to block his hug.Mervyn frowned. He looked down at the flowers in her hands and said, "Thanks, but I'd rather have your hug than these flowers."Candice sighed resignedly and smiled. Then, she put down her hands.Mervyn came closer to hug her. As he patted her back, he muttered, "I missed you so much, Candice.""Why did you come back all of a sudden?""I got my PhD and received my certificate. The first thing I wanted to do was come back to see you because I missed you so much."Candice slowly pushed him away. She smiled as she replied, "Stop joking

Elio asked, "Candice doesn't drink. Did you purposely get her drunk?"Mervyn sneered, "She won't drink with you, but she will with me. Besides, she's happy that I'm back."Elio clenched his fist.Mervyn continued, "Candice is the innocent type. I don't know what tactics you used to get her, but they must have been underhanded."I was already suspicious when you took her abroad last time. Elio, a twisted man like you, doesn't deserve her. I won't let her fall into your trap."Ignoring him, Elio pushed him aside and walked past him. Then, he continue his way in further into the house.Mervyn caught up to grab Elio's arm, but Elio turned and threw him off.Elio grabbed his collar and pinned him against the wall.With a chilling aura and a gaze full of menace, Elio warned, "Listen carefully. Candice is my fiancée now, so whatever relationship you had with her is in the past. From now on, keep your distance because she's mine."Mervyn said through gritted teeth, "I will tear off th