Entering the neighborhood, Candice encountered two kids setting off firecrackers at the entrance.
Candice's expression turned somewhat absent-minded as she recalled her past. Upon returning home, she fetched a chair and, at a leisurely pace, hung the enormous artwork in the living room. The beautiful piece added a lively touch to the otherwise desolate space.
In the evening, she went to a nearby mall to buy some ingredients needed for the next day. However, upon returning, she noticed Alex's car parked in the same spot as yesterday.
Ignoring it, she continued walking, but Alex caught up to her and tersely stated, "I came to pick up the report."
Candice glanced at him, saying, "You could have just emailed me."
The end of the year wasn't exactly relaxing for Aether Corporation; while employees could take a break, the same couldn't be said for the boss, Alex. When Candice was still with Aether Corporation, the period around New Year's was the busiest. She had to attend various events with him—business meetings, family banquets, you name it.
She was always firm, making sure to return home every New Year's Eve to celebrate with Joe.
Alex responded indifferently, "I was passing by; email might delay things."
Candice didn't argue and headed home to send him the report. As he stood in the living room, his gaze fell on the large artwork. With a subtle glint in his eyes, he lowered his gaze toward Candice and asked, "Did you hang it up yourself?"
"Yeah," replied Candice, not lifting her head. "The electronic version of the report is in your email. You will have to wait until after the New Year for the hard copy because it needs to be stamped."
Alex's eyes remained on the artwork. It seemed like he had something more to say, but before he could, his phone rang.
He was very busy; he had to leave after receiving three consecutive calls.
In total, he spent no more than ten minutes at Candice's place. As he left, the already cramped room felt even emptier.
Candice sat in the living room for a while, then turned on the TV, made herself spaghetti, and slowly tidied up the place. By the time she finished the entire routine, it was only 8:00 PM.
With nothing else to do, time seemed to pass unusually slowly. Candice picked up her phone and realized Yana and Nadia had messaged her on WhatsApp. Yana had reached Bay Island, and Nadia had just returned home. Candice scrolled through the chat records and was about to reply when Sawyer's call interrupted her.
Before she could react, she had answered the call. Sawyer's end was somewhat noisy, and it took a while before he spoke, "Candice, are you at home right now?"
Candice's eyebrows twitched slightly as she asked, "What's the matter?"
"We're at the entrance of your neighborhood. If it's convenient for you, could you come out? There are two organizers from Redshade Corporation that I’m meeting with tonight, and we have some documents. You can take them home and have a look."
Candice stayed silent for a moment, then got up, put on a coat, and headed to the entrance.
The black Maybach looked quite luxurious. Alex was standing there when she got to the entrance. His tall figure seemed like a sword melding into the night. Snowflakes fell on his shoulders, and the warm yellow streetlight dispersed the chill around him.
Candice's steps slowed down. Alex raised his eyelids; his complexion was not looking great, making his dark eyes appear even more profound.
Candice paused and said, "I thought I was supposed to collect some materials."
"Yeah." Alex nodded. "They're with Sawyer."
Candice pursed her lips. "Where's Sawyer?"
"He'll be here in a moment."
With that answer, Candice didn't say anything more and just quietly stood by. She had randomly grabbed a fluffy coat before coming outside. The white fluff made her face look even more delicate.
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