Candice stayed quiet. The room was still.Elio switched off the lamp and drew her closer, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. His nerves wouldn't ease until they exchanged vows and became husband and wife.…The next day, Mila boarded a military helicopter bound for Phoenicia. She rushed to the hospital to visit Michaela, who had been injured.Unexpectedly, Michaela greeted Mila with a hint of dissatisfaction. "It's just a minor injury. You didn't have to rush back from work," she scolded.Deeply concerned, Mila gazed at Michaela, who was now paralyzed from her waist down. It pained her to see Michaela brush off her condition so casually. Nevertheless, Mila stayed by her side at the hospital for hours.At dinner time, Fenna arrived at the hospital carrying homemade dishes. It irked her to see Mila again. "Wanda?" she blurted out, surprised.Mila offered a faint smile, rising politely. "It's been some time, Ms. Hudson."Fenna forced a strained smile, her irritation growing as

Elio was startled awake by a phone ringtone early in the morning. He opened his eyes to find Candice still soundly asleep in his arms. He swiftly reached over to silence the phone, his face souring as he glimpsed Mervyn's name on the caller ID.He disconnected the call and placed the phone down. Then, he softly kissed Candice on the forehead and pulled her closer, hoping to drift back to sleep.Moments later, the phone rang once more, thoroughly irritating him. Carefully shifting Candice aside, he grabbed the phone and headed to the balcony to answer it.Mervyn's voice was gentle as it came through the phone. "Good morning, Candice! Today—"Elio cut him off, his tone icy. "Candice is still asleep. What do you need?"There was a moment of silence before Mervyn's tone became distinctly different. He asked with a deep sense of annoyance, "Why are you answering her phone?""I didn't want to answer initially, so I ended the call. But you kept ringing back, so I figured it must be ur

Fenna returned to Elio and Philip, offering each of them a glass of wine. It was customary for the men to socialize over drinks at the banquet.By the banquet's end, Sean noticed Elio still hadn't shown up. Worried, he went inside to search for Elio, but there was no trace of him anywhere. Unable to reach Elio by phone, Sean grew frantic and immediately called Jasper.…Half an hour later, Josie received a call. She hurried outside and spotted Fenna's car parked by the roadside. Climbing in, she was shocked to find Elio unconscious in the back seat."Aunt Fenna, what's happening?" Josie asked.As Fenna drove away, she said, "I brought him here for you. The rest is up to you."Confused, Josie replied, "I don't understand, Aunt Fenna."Fenna glared at Josie. "You fool! I'm taking you both to a hotel. Your responsibility is to watch over him. If he shows any reaction, be prepared to spend the night with him."Tomorrow morning, I'll arrange a police raid targeting illegal activitie

Jasper's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he eagerly nodded. "Sure, Mom. What's your plan?""First, you should start dating," Mila suggested with a faint smile.Jasper was baffled. After a pause, he responded indifferently, "Mom, it seems you're just nudging me to get a girlfriend. Don't use helping Uncle Elio and Candice as an excuse."Mila sounded mildly dismayed. "At 26, isn't it normal to be curious about romance? Why aren't you interested? Haven't you met anyone who interests you?""There are attractive women out there, but none captivated me. They all seem rather dull," Jasper sighed wearily. "That's why I'm not eager to get to know them.""That sounds like an excuse," Mila snorted."Whatever," Jasper muttered, clearly exasperated.Half an hour later, they pulled up to Hillside Villa. As the car pulled into the driveway, Candice heard the noise and rushed out, surprised to see Mila and Jasper stepping out."Aunt Chubs, Jasper, what brings you here?" Candice asked.Jaspe

Candice woke up early in the morning, her body aching all over. She had hardly slept a wink last night, unable to recall how many times Elio had been passionately intimate with her. All she knew was that his desire had been fervent and relentless.Seeing Elio peacefully asleep beside her, Candice closed her eyes with relief, hoping to steal a bit more rest. Mila's words consumed her thoughts. Candice wondered if she would never marry without Michaela's approval.Due to Elio's extraordinary nature, even a simple outing could expose him to dangers like being drugged. Candice felt their relationship hanging by a thread. She wondered if registering their marriage first might be wise. This way, it could deter other women who still harbored fantasies about Elio.With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Candice drifted back into slumber. In her dream, she saw Elio holding hands with a bride, running through a picturesque meadow. Her heart raced with anticipation, assuming she was the brid