The world around Candice and Elio faded as they surrendered to their passion in bed. On the first day of living together, they took the day off from work. They made love in the morning, and again after lunch in the study.Exhausted, they cuddled and drifted off into a nap. As dusk fell, Candice had just stepped out of the shower when Elio drew her back to the bed. Their passionate encounter stretched late into the night. Much like any couple enraptured by love, their moments together were wild, unrestrained, and brimming with passion. They experienced an unparalleled sense of release both physically and emotionally.Perhaps due to oversleeping, Candice awoke in the middle of the night. She reached for her phone, only to find it turned off. This explained why she hadn't received any calls all day. She had assumed her family simply wasn't worried about her.Upon powering the phone back on, she was greeted by dozens of missed calls—all from Mervyn—and a slew of messages. Among them w

Candice was utterly speechless. She leaned back in her seat, turned her gaze out of the car window, and ceased her questions about their destination.An hour later, the car turned into the driveway of an upscale neighborhood and halted in front of a luxurious high-rise apartment building. Mervyn stepped out first and led Candice through the community grounds, eventually ascending to a higher floor using an elevator.Candice's curiosity grew throughout the journey.Mervyn brought her into a lavishly decorated apartment. Her heart sank as soon as she saw the owner of the house. Mervyn had introduced her to Josie's aunt, Fenna.Fenna greeted them politely with a warm smile and invited them to sit. Shortly after, she signaled to a maid to bring over some refreshments.Candice mustered a strained smile, struggling to maintain politeness while harboring a desire to throttle Mervyn. Meeting Fenna was something she had never anticipated.After exchanging some pleasantries, Fenna cut to

Candice was in love with Elio?Just moments ago, Fenna had attempted to reveal Elio's true character to Candice. She portrayed him as intimidating and creepy, hoping it would convince Candice to leave him. Ironically, her efforts seemed to have the opposite effect.Fenna looked at Mervyn and thought he was an absolute fool. He had actually told her that Candice didn't have feelings for Elio and was merely being deceived by him.Mervyn slapped his forehead and gave a bitter smile. He slumped back onto the couch, too defeated to continue the argument.Candice turned to Fenna. "Ms. Hudson, is Josie aware of what kind of person Elio really is?"Fenna gave an awkward smile. "Of course, she knows. But she's smart enough not to get involved with someone as creepy as him.""That's reassuring," Candice replied. "A man as creepy as Elio shouldn't be around other women. He should stay with me."Mervyn couldn't contain himself any longer. "Candice!" he exclaimed.Candice jumped, her eyes w

Candice replied impassively, "Yes, but he's not as important as you are.""Did he tell you to leave me?" Elio asked.Candice fell silent.Elio's face turned sour. He tightened his embrace, closed his eyes, and whispered into her ear, "Candice, ignore what anyone else might say. Don't even think about leaving me. Now that you're in my life, I'll never let you go."Candice's heart ached with sympathy, sensing the deep, unspoken love Elio harbored for her. Though she harbored feelings for him, too, her love was different—much purer. She cherished him deeply but had restrained herself, never acting on her feelings or crossing any boundaries.She wrapped her arms around Elio's neck, pulled herself up on her tiptoes, and whispered into his ear, "Let me tell you a secret."Curiosity piqued, Elio tilted his head down, his ear brushing close to her lips, ready to catch every word."I have been in love with a man for ten years," Candice murmured.Instantly, Elio's body tensed, and his ex

Elio's expression hardened abruptly. "No way," he said firmly.Jasper and Candice were taken aback. They stared at Elio's concerned face."Why?" Candice asked."You won't be able to change their minds. Staying with them will only bring you more suffering and harm. I disagree," Elio replied."That's not true. They've always treated me kindly," Candice argued."Candice, things are different now. You're not in the same position as you were before.""I want to try, Elio. Please, can you just let me try? I believe I can convince them to accept me."Jasper supported her, adding, "I'm with you on this, Candice."Elio shot Jasper a cold glare. "Don't you have anything better to do today?"Jasper shrugged. "Not really. Even though my mom's far away, she's really concerned about Candice's marriage. She insisted I keep an eye on her.""This isn't open for discussion," Elio stated firmly.Jasper threw a meaningful glance at Candice. She caught on quickly and moved to sit beside Elio,