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

Chapter 0512

Erica rested her chin on her hand. "You used to work at Aether Corporation, right? I know Alex. I remember you brought something to me once."

Candice pursed her lips. "I'm not with Aether Corporation any more."

"I know," Erica said innocently, pointing to the documents in Candice's hand. "You're with Burning Star Studio now. Switching jobs isn't a big deal. It's been a while since I came back home, and I just wanted to chat, seeing as we’ve met before. Don't worry. It’s my treat."

Still, Candice declined. "I have things to attend to at home, so I can’t."

She didn't think she could get along well with Erica. After all, the keycard she had once delivered to Alex was meant for him and Erica.

Even if she tried to prioritize work, she couldn't be too friendly with Erica. Besides, seeing Erica reminded her of Alex.

Erica didn't insist and just regretfully arranged another meeting with Candice. She left her contact information before departing.

As soon as Candice returned home, Hanley called. "What are you doing?"

"I just finished meeting with a client, and I’m heading home," Candice replied.

"You sound tired."

"A little," Candice said without elaborating, unsure if it was the meeting with Erica and recalling some past events that were making her feel weary.

Hanley paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "What should I do now? I guess I shouldn't disturb your rest."

Candice hadn't grasped the meaning behind his words until she saw a tall figure standing at her doorstep.

She froze, then smiled. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Hanley turned around, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "I wanted to surprise you. It seems like I failed."

"I'm very surprised."

Hanley's sudden visit dispersed Candice's initial bad mood. Ellis was ecstatic, circling Hanley.

Candice asked, "Didn't you say you'd come later? Why the sudden visit?"

Due to his mother's situation, Hanley had to travel abroad at any moment. He had mentioned visiting when Candice left Dorrington, but that was supposed to be later.

Hanley explained, "Some unexpected circumstances came up, so I came earlier after handling them."

He would probably stay for about a week.

Initially, Candice wanted to take Hanley out for dinner to welcome him. Seeing her exhausted face, Hanley knew she had to juggle work with Darius and the studio, making her life difficult.

So, he suggested buying ingredients from the nearby supermarket and cooking at home.

Candice agreed. She sent the nanny away and headed out with Ellis and Hanley.

In the supermarket, Ellis sat in the cart, waving her hands excitedly and demanding everything she saw.

When Candice wasn't paying attention, Hanley picked up a box of chocolates, which Ellis gleefully grabbed. When Candice turned around, she frowned and took the chocolates away before scolding her sternly, “You can’t have chocolate.”

Ellis, who couldn’t understand her, stared at her blankly. When she saw that Candice really didn’t want her to have the chocolate, she looked at her with a reproachful gaze and mumbled in a cute voice, "Mommy, eat."

Candice, worn down by Ellis lately, turned to Hanley. "Don't let her have these."

Hanley touched his nose awkwardly. "Alright, no chocolate."

The scene resembled a typical family scenario—a doting dad secretly giving snacks to his daughter, only to be scolded by the mom in the end.

Erica happened to be filming her daily vlog and was about to post it on her Instagram after editing. She had just found the scene interesting and recorded it, only to realize now that the person was Candice.

After putting her phone away, she said, "What a coincidence, Ms. Renault."

Candice looked at her, her brows slightly furrowed. "Ms. Wilkerson," she greeted with a soft voice.

"Just call me Erica," she said cheerfully.

Erica glanced at Hanley again, jesting, "No wonder I can't get you to have dinner with me; you've got such a handsome husband waiting at home. If I were you, I'd rush back too."

Erica assumed Candice and Hanley were a married couple.

Feeling a bit uneasy around Erica, Candice decided to divert attention away from herself and Hanley.

"This is the boss of Burning Star Studio," she said, nudging Hanley forward. "If you need anything, Ms. Wilkerson, you can talk to him."

Observing them shopping for groceries, Erica leaned in and asked, “Can I crash your dinner? My agent isn't here these days, and I'm lonely eating alone. Besides, I can't cook at all…”

Given the circumstances, and considering Erica was a client of the studio, Candice didn't object. Erica happily followed them.

What was supposed to be a quiet dinner became lively with Erica's presence.

Erica was sociable and didn't feel awkward. After dinner, she asked Candice as she watched Hanley clean up, "Where did you find such a great guy? I'm jealous."

Candice was not very close to her, so she didn't want to say much. "We're just friends."

"Friends in the ambiguous stage, huh? I get it," Erica said with a knowing look.

Candice remained silent.

Erica changed the subject and said, "But speaking of which, I thought you and Alex might have had something going on. I always heard he had a stunning secretary, and I thought it was you."

Candice paused, her tone turning cold. "Ms. Wilkerson, I'm just an employee of Burning Star Studio. I'm not obligated to answer such personal questions. As for what you want to know about Mr.

Elysian, you shouldn't ask me. I've been out of the picture for a long time, and..." She paused, then continued, "Your relationship with Alex is definitely closer than what I had with him."

Erica paused, realizing Candice's displeasure.

With a hint of apology, she glanced at Candice, hesitant to speak.

Finally, as Erica was leaving, she couldn't help but say, "I don't know why you think I'm close to Mr. Elysian, but I have to explain. We're not close at all. We had some contact before when I wanted to shoot a promotional video for Aether Corporation."

Candice looked at Erica, her lips tightly pressed together.

She remembered that when Erica appeared by Alex's side, Aether Corporation needed to shoot a promotional video, and Erica was one of the seven or eight models hired at the time. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Alex had treated her with special care, which eventually led to their romantic involvement.

Seeing Candice, Erica opened her mouth to say something but couldn't find the right words, and she just stood there awkwardly.

Candice's emotions calmed down, and she looked at Erica, pausing. "I'm sorry, Ms. Wilkerson. I'm not in a good mood."

Erica hesitated. "It's okay." She left with a conflicted expression.

Candice turned around and sat in her seat, pinching her brow.

What had she done?