Jackson's voice came through the phone.
Candice walked to the balcony, looking at the night scenery outside while pursing her lips.
"This matter has dragged on for a long time; now there's finally some resolution." Jackson sighed.
He had been using connections to monitor Yvonne and Ivor's situation for a while. After several months of investigation, it was about time for it to conclude.
However, Candice didn't relax much; the deep emotions in her eyes remained unyielding.
Yvonne's admission was a good start, but she couldn’t fully relax until obtaining the outcome.
Not hearing Candice's response for a while, Jackson probably guessed what she was thinking and comforted her gently, "There's progress after all, and progress is a good thing."
Candice murmured in agreement. After chatting a little more, Jackson hung up to avoid disturbing her rest.
Back in her room, Candice let out a shallow breath. Jackson was right; there was progress, and significant progress at that.
The next morning, Candice called Hanley regarding Blue Artifact. Hanley promised to provide her with the materials that evening.
"When do you plan to return to Dorrington?" After discussing work matters, Hanley brought up this topic.
It seemed that Jackson had informed him about everything.
Candice replied, "They will probably contact me when the time comes."
There was no point returning now. Besides, Candice subconsciously felt that Sonia wouldn't easily admit defeat.
With everything going on, Candice felt a little worn out. Being reminded of something, she asked Hanley, "Do you have a beef with Quentin or someone in Solaris?"
She thought for a while before continuing, "Or is there someone you have conflicting interests with?"
She was reminded of this by what Alex had said last night. Quentin and the people behind him couldn't be targeting Burning Star Studio for no reason.
Candice shared her thoughts and suspicions about Quentin's public rejection and the conjectures she had with Alex.
Hanley didn't speak for a while, but he eventually replied, "I'll check. Don't contact Quentin. I'll talk to Abel about Jensen too."
After promising Hanley, Candice suddenly heard Yana's voice from Hanley's end, which surprised her. "Is Yana there too?"
"Yeah."
When Yana answered the call, her tone was cheerful, but as soon as she started speaking, it changed.
She pitifully said, "Candy, when are you coming back? Nadia and I miss you."
Candice hesitated before answering, "I think Barox can go back to Dorrington first."
Yana exclaimed, her tone turning fierce. "What's wrong? Did he mess things up for you?"
"It's not that," Candice replied carefully. She tried to come up with an excuse, but the fact was that she didn’t want to trouble Barox.
Although he had been playing the role of a boyfriend diligently these days, Candice felt something was off.
She had promised to pay Barox, but she still felt like she was using him.
After last night's incident, she felt even more uneasy.
She wasn’t overthinking either.
Yana had recommended Barox. Candice felt that if she made Barox wait for her again, like last night, it wouldn’t sit well with her, even if he didn’t mind.
Quentin put on a formulaic smile while saying courteously, "Good morning, Mr. Elysian. The summit meeting is about to conclude. You're remarkably punctual."
As one of the investors in this summit meeting, Alex responded with a lazy glance and a cold voice. "Mr. Howles, do you not want me here?”
Stunned, Quentin quickly explained, “Of course not, Mr. Elysian. I just didn’t want you to set aside important matters to be here.”
Hearing that, Alex sneered and replied with a stern voice, “Isn't Redshade Corporation shutting out Aether Corporation an important matter?"
"Lex." Sonia rose from her seat as soon as Alex finished speaking.
She furrowed her brows and looked at Alex, displeased. "Mr. Howles isn't intentionally targeting Aether Corporation. He simply wants to eliminate some unworthy studios."
When Sonia mentioned studios, her gaze flicked briefly to Candice, who remained expressionless.
Sonia, lacking in other skills, excelled in diverting attention during serious matters. Alex was clearly pressuring Quentin, but she managed to interject and shift the conversation.
It was hard to tell whether it was genuine stupidity or an attempt to assist Quentin in covering up.
As expected, Quentin followed Sonia's lead, steering the conversation toward Redshade Corporation's emphasis on security.
Candice lowered her gaze and walked away, thinking that Quentin wouldn't notice her anyway.
To be honest, Candice was in an awkward situation. Everyone knew Burning Star Studio was being boycotted. Apart from Angela and Yondu, no one dared to approach her, fearing possible repercussions.
The events from yesterday added to the discomfort. Candice felt the curious glances from others throughout the morning.
Even Sonia had been shooting her taunting looks, but Candice paid her no attention. She was waiting for updates from Dorrington.
Fortunately, the news arrived faster than she had anticipated.
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