Chapter 35: You’re Candy
Upon hearing the voice, Melissa turned abruptly and locked eyes with Jane, who had appeared in the doorway. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively felt the tension.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
Jane frowned, her voice edged with curiosity, “Melissa, what are you doing?”
Unable to maintain eye contact, Melissa replied, “Patrick is drunk, so I was wiping his mouth.”
Jane responded with a hint of mockery, “Wiping it with your own mouth, huh?”
She then shifted her gaze down to Patrick. His eyes were closed, and his breathing remained steady. Given his level of inebriation, he seemed oblivious to Melissa’s actions. Jane briefly entertained the notion of a clandestine relationship between them, but she quickly discarded the idea.
After all, Patrick had recently referred to her as “Candy,” a name distinct from Melissa’s. Additionally, considering Patrick’s prominent social status, it was highly improbable that he would fall in love with his cousin.
It was more likely that Melissa’s actions were a product of her own wishful thinking. Jane cautioned, “I’m warning you, don’t spread any rumors.”
An anxious warning crept into Melissa’s eyes, and she retorted, “Don’t you dare talk nonsense!”
With a sudden burst of anger, Melissa lunged forward, her hand raised to strike Jane. However, Jane intercepted her, gripping her arm and shoving her back. Melissa staggered, landing on the floor.
“Jane, how dare you push me?” she seethed, her body aching and her face flushed with anger.
Without glancing back, Jane departed from the room, offering only a smug sneer in response.
Upon returning to her own room, Jane deliberated for a moment before picking up her phone and sending a message to Anthony: “Help me investigate the relationship between Melissa Pansy and Patrick Pansy.”
Anthony and Ada, two of the world’s most renowned hackers, were well-known for their exceptional skills, and they had earned a reputation for their exploits. While Ada was a more enigmatic figure, rumor had it she was Anthony’s mentor.
However, in reality, Ada was Jane herself, not Anthony’s teacher. Jane had encountered Anthony when he attempted to compromise her business, Star Entertainment. Jane thwarted the attack and ultimately forged a close friendship with him.
“Ada, it’s late. Can I get some sleep?” Anthony’s response to Jane’s request was laden with mild irritation.
Jane, with her characteristic sass, retorted, “Quit your whining and just do it.”
Ten minutes later, Anthony provided Jane with detailed information about Melissa. Jane scrutinized the data and discovered that Melissa had been adopted from an orphanage by Patrick’s aunt. This meant that Melissa had no biological relation to Patrick.
Jane narrowed her eyes, absorbing the information. It was now apparent why Melissa had harbored feelings for Patrick and why she’d constantly targeted Jane, who was Patrick’s fiancée. Jane began to question her decision to acquiesce to her grandfather’s three-month arrangement.
At this point, all she could do was hope that these three months would swiftly elapse so she could dissolve her engagement with Patrick and return to a life of her own.
Finally, the most unpleasant weekend in history reached its conclusion. On the following workday, Jane arrived at the Pansy Group early in the morning. Seated at her desk, she delved into the materials related to the Lady Fashion project.
However, her concentration was soon disrupted by a sudden commotion. Monica, her supervisor, forcefully deposited a pile of documents onto her desk, causing it to tremble.
Annoyed, Jane gazed up at Monica and inquired, “What are you doing?”
Monica, her voice terse, ordered, “Input this data and have it completed by noon.”
Jane cast a skeptical glance at the imposing pile of documents and shook her head. “By noon? Are you joking? I am handling the Lady Fashion project, and these documents have no relevance to it. Please assign this task to someone else.”
Monica’s countenance darkened, and she retorted with frustration, “I told you to input the data. Can’t you see that everyone else is occupied?”
Jane’s eyes rolled dramatically. “I apologize. According to Mr. Pansy, my sole responsibility is the Lady Fashion project. I am not tasked with any other duties.”
Monica’s expression soured even further, but she couldn’t articulate her anger. Fuming with jealousy, she watched Jane as she proceeded to push the documents back toward Monica.
Jane requested politely, “Excuse me, if you don’t mind, please have someone else handle it.”
“Jane North!” Monica seethed, her jealousy brimming. She clamped her teeth together, exasperated by her inability to respond adequately.
Determined to rectify the situation, Monica vowed silently to herself that Jane wouldn’t enjoy her success and contentment for long.
Meanwhile, Jane made her way to the pantry to procure a latte and promptly delivered it to the CEO’s office. Standing before the door, she contemplated Patrick’s handsome countenance, which had the disconcerting ability to quicken her pulse.
With a deep breath to compose herself, she knocked on the door and received an icy response from Patrick, “Come in.”
Jane entered and placed the coffee on his desk, offering a courteous, “Your coffee.”
Patrick’s narrowed eyes fixated on Jane. His intoxicated stupor from the previous night had led him to mistake Melissa for someone else, someone from his past. Waking up, he found Melissa at his bedside, insisting she had been the one to help him to his room. But Melissa was not the person he had mistaken her for. The dream, so vivid and real, was still lingering in his mind.
Without waiting for further conversation, Jane made her way toward the exit. She sought to depart without making eye contact with Patrick, her discomfort evident.
However, before she could leave, a thought struck her. Retrieving the diamond button she had found, she handed it to Patrick, stating, “By the way, this belongs to you. Here.”
Patrick, lowering his gaze to her hand, detected the same fragrance as the night before. He acted swiftly, seizing her hand with intensity as if holding a precious gem. His voice was low and husky as he declared, “Candy… You are Candy.”