My Mirror Image by Maybe Not (Candice And Alex’s) novel Chapter 515

Candice watched as her colleagues busied themselves, then fell silent for a moment before handing Ellis over to Alex. "Thanks."

Right after she spoke, Alex grabbed her hand and lifted her out of the car.

He set her down, his voice resonating with each word. "It's safer this way."

Candice's expression soured. "Let go. Who said you could do that?"

Alex’s hand was still resting on her waist. Though Candice was holding Ellis in her arms, the gesture felt oddly intimate.

Alex's eyes darkened slightly as he released her hand. Ignoring his presence, Candice stepped away.

She felt agitated as Alex's sudden action had unsettled her.

Ellis, who had gained a few pounds, squirmed in her arms, full of energy. Candice struggled to hold her.

Lauren saw them approaching and glanced meaningfully at Alex. "If you two had been any later, I would've suspected you were up to something behind our backs."

Candice's face darkened. She handed Ellis over to another colleague and went to help set up the tents.

Lauren followed her. "Why are you so upset?"

"Nothing."

Lauren touched her nose and then looked at Alex, who stood alone. "Alex..."

Candice threw what she was carrying on the ground, and Lauren fell silent.

Candice washed things by the river, growing increasingly frustrated. She couldn't shake off the memory of Alex holding her, his cold, distant cedar scent lingering in her mind.

It brought back memories, none of them pleasant.

After finishing washing, she returned to find everyone chatting happily. Then, in the crowd, she spotted a familiar figure—Erica.

Erica sat next to Alex, waving at Candice cheerfully. "Are you done with your chores? What a coincidence. I came with some friends to hang out, and when I saw Alex, I just had to come over. I didn't expect to see you here too."

She sat close to Alex, and after chatting with Candice, she leaned toward him, as if sharing a secret.

Watching their intimacy, Candice pursed her lips and looked away.

Erica was lively and quickly made friends with everyone. Candice stayed back, playing with Ellis.

Only when a colleague came to invite her to join a game did she reluctantly join them.

Erica remained seated next to Alex. When Alex saw Candice approaching, he stood up without a word, pulled out a chair for her, and sat down beside her.

Candice glanced at him, her eyes flickering, and then she decisively chose another seat.

As soon as she sat down, Alex changed seats, moving to sit next to her. He held out a paper fan as he said, "There are a lot of mosquitoes here, and the baby's skin is delicate. Don't let her get bitten."

Candice said nothing, but Alex's actions spoke volumes. Erica was the first to comment.

"Wow, Mr. Elysian, I didn't know you were such a caring ex-employer. Or perhaps you have ulterior motives toward Ms. Renault?" she asked with raised eyebrows and a meaningful gaze.

Though Erica's tone was gossipy, to Candice, it sounded like she was jealous that she and Alex were too close.

Before she could respond, Lauren chimed in, curious. "Oh? Do you two know each other?"

All eyes were on Alex, especially those of the female colleagues who had been eyeing him since morning. They had noticed his apparent interest in Candice but were too shy to ask.

Alex paused. "No."

Before the foreign girl could rejoice, he added, "I've made her mad, and she doesn't want me anymore. So, I'm trying to figure out how to make amends."

"What a shame."

Alex glanced at Candice, who had turned her face away, her whole body tense.

The game continued for a while longer, but Candice lost interest. Ellis was sleepy, so she went back to the tent.

After spending some time inside, Candice came out again as she felt stifled.

To her dismay, she saw Alex and Erica walking toward her. Instinctively, she hurried in the opposite direction.

She walked briskly, as if intentionally avoiding something.

It wasn't until she accidentally tripped over a vine and fell that she snapped out of it, realizing she had wandered into a small forest by the lake.

As the pain in her ankle slowly registered, Candice felt annoyed with herself. She took out her phone to call Lauren, only to find there was no signal.

Candice's frustration grew. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had acted foolishly, running away at the sight of Alex.

She tried to stand up and use the nearby tree trunk for support, but she felt a twinge of pain in her ankle. She could only limp along.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. Candice turned around and saw Alex walking toward her with a stern expression.