Compared to the nervous Yana, Candice appeared much calmer. She sat expressionless on the sofa as she replied to client messages on her phone.
Yana asked, "Candy, aren't you worried about Alex finding out?"
Candice paused in her typing and answered, "Going back now would make him more suspicious."
She understood Alex well. He had a suspicious nature, and he could see through things even if he didn't show it. Candice had just realized this.
If they rushed back with Ellis now, it would likely raise more suspicion. Candice felt a bit flustered when she unexpectedly saw Alex earlier.
"Didn't you tell Sieg earlier that Baby Mulberry was your illegitimate child? What are you afraid of? Sieg probably thought she was your child," Nadia reminded.
Yana, slapping her forehead, also realized that. "Right, there's that idiot, Sieg, with him."
Yana wasn't bothered by the sudden role of being a mom. Ellis was so adorable, so she was happy to be her mom without having to endure the pain of giving birth. Candice had no objections; she didn't want Alex to discover Ellis, so they had to handle things carefully.
Candice glanced apologetically at Yana, who waved her hand. "If you feel bad, just make sure Baby Mulberry calls me 'Godmother' a few more times when she’s older. When I'm old, she can take care of me in the nursing home."
Candice smiled and met Hanley's eyes. Suddenly, she felt a bit awkward. In the midst of her emotions, she hadn't noticed that her hand which Hanley had held earlier seemed to be scorching hot.
Feeling oddly uneasy, she took her phone and stood up. "I'm going outside to make a call to a client."
"Tsk." Yana clicked her tongue as Candice left, looking disdainfully at Hanley. "Just staring won't help. You won’t get the girl by staring at her."
Hanley had been looking at Candice with a fiery gaze. Even Yana couldn't stand it, so of course Candice had to leave the room.
As Yana went upstairs, she turned around to say, "This is a perfect opportunity. If you still can't seize it, I'll really start to suspect if something's wrong with you. I wasn't kidding about Zack earlier. He's rich, handsome, and family-oriented. He’s a triple threat. If he starts pursuing Candy, you won’t stand a chance!"
Candice actually had no plans to contact any clients. She stood outside the villa, looking at the snowy mountains in the distance. The view was clear as the weather was good.
Hanley's gaze had been aggressive earlier. In other words, he seemed different since they first met at the airport. As an adult, she knew what his gaze meant.
Hanley had always been a gentle and somewhat aloof person, in her opinion. When such a person looked at her with that almost fiery gaze, she could feel her heart racing. It felt like the deep sea, surging solely for her...
A sound broke Candice from her thoughts as several people came out from the neighboring yard. Quite coincidentally, Sieg was leading the group.
Seeing Candice, Sieg greeted her unexpectedly. "What a coincidence."
Candice glanced at him and walked straight back into the villa.
In the evening for New Year's Eve, Yana and Nadia were busy arranging and decorating, while Ellis sat on the sofa playing with her own shoes.
The doorbell rang, and Candice thought the things Yana had just ordered had arrived, so she went to open the door. When she saw the people standing there, her smile vanished. It was Alex and Sieg.
Candice wasn't enthusiastic about such activities. She stayed in the living room, trying to put Ellis to sleep.
The doors between the living room and the courtyard were open, so even though there was air conditioning inside, it was still cold. Once Ellis was asleep, Candice worried about her catching a cold and covered her with her own coat.
She was sitting by the windy spot, blocking the wind for Ellis, when she felt the warmth of a coat placed on her, sheltering her from the cold.
Truth be told, Candice was quite sensitive to the cold. She glanced up and spotted Hanley standing nearby. Because he had given her his coat, he was left with only a black turtleneck sweater, exuding a somewhat youthful vibe.
His voice, deep and warm, reached her. "Don't catch a cold."
Candice felt the warmth from his clothes and caught a subtle hint of a lemon-mint fragrance. She let out a soft cough and replied, "Yeah, thanks."
Hanley looked at her uneasy expression, and a hint of a smile crossed his eyes.
When Alex came downstairs, this was what he saw: The living room door was wide open; outside, a group of people was having a lively time, but inside, it was quiet.
Candice's clothes were on Ellis on the sofa, and she was wearing another man's coat, smiling as she looked down.
The scene was harmonious and warm, resembling a happy and peaceful family.
However, the scene stung Alex’s eyes as he stood on the stairs and stared at them expressionlessly.
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