Chapter 306
Chapter 306
Ivor's face bore a malevolent expression as he glared at Candice, his eyes brimming with disdain.
He snarled, revealing his stained teeth. "Withdraw your accusations against me, and in return, I'll hand over proof,” he demanded. “That witch has been manipulating your foolish mother, not just once but repeatedly." Ivor intentionally lowered his voice to convey a sense of urgency. "Well? What did you say? Do you consider it a fair exchange?"
Candice regarded him silently and attentively. It was logical for Ivor to be well-versed in Yvonne's predicament. Candice had avoided contacting him from the outset, owing to her belief that Ivor was crafty and might lie to her.
Ivor was unfazed by Candice's stare, he remained calm as he said, "Anyway, the offer stands. I have the evidence, and the decision is yours to make."
She maintained her composed expression as she departed from the jail.
"What's your stance on Ivor's proposition?" Jackson asked.
"Accepting it is out of the question," Candice declared firmly.
Ivor was the real culprit behind her grandfather’s death. Candice was not going to let him off in return for any proof against Sonia, especially if Ivor's reliability was questionable.
After giving a silent nod, Jackson moved on from the subject.
As they made their way to the parking area, he casually mentioned, "Old Mr. Elysian’s returned. I've heard the Elysians are organizing a birthday celebration for him next week. Are you planning to attend?"
Given the intertwined relationships of their social groups and the close bond between the Elysians and Shyans, it was widely recognized that old Mr. Elysian held Candice in high regard.
"Yes,” Candice replied. “He extended an invitation to me. I intend to be there."
"Is it true that Hanley proposed a learning opportunity to you, but you declined?" Jackson probed deeper.
Looking back toward the prison entrance, Candice replied, "I have certain matters to address before I can consider moving forward."
"If it's about Yvonne and Ivor, I'm here to monitor things on your behalf," Jackson offered after a brief hesitation. "If you're giving your future serious thought and if you're committed to staying in this profession, you can't afford to delay,” he added encouragingly. “Candy, you should be thinking more about your own future."
She recognized the wisdom in Jackson's argument, but she was still reeling from the loss of her grandfather. She was unable to detach herself from the issues surrounding Yvonne and Sonia.
She stopped near a shopping area, intending to pick out a birthday present for old Mr. Elysian. She didn't want to turn up empty-handed to his birthday party after being invited.
The arrival of a WhatsApp notification diverted Candice's attention after finalizing the purchase and processing the payment. It was a message from Kayla.
"There's been a spat between Sonia and Mr. Elysian. It seems serious. A lot of people blame it on you."
Candice frowned as she typed back. "How is this related to me?"
"Weren't you at their office recently, handing over documents to Mr. Elysian? Rumors have been circulating around the office ever since. There's talk about you and him reigniting the old flame.
"Sonia has been visibly upset about it for a while now. It was bearable at first, she simply glared at Mr. Elysian like a scorned woman throughout the meeting. However, today, they ended up having a confrontation right in the office."
A series of messages from Kayla followed, filled with office gossip and conjectures.
Candice skimmed through them, then quietly stowed her phone away. She was uninterested in understanding why Sonia and Alex were arguing.
-
A subtle sandalwood scent filled Alex's office. Tears marred Sonia's face as she gazed at Alex with a look of deep grievance.
Alex was clad in a dark formal suit and exuded an aura of cool detachment. His strong jawline provided a definite edge to his demeanor. He quietly perused the papers in front of him, furrowing his brow slightly. He did not spare Sonia a glance.
Sonia was unable to contain herself any longer, letting her emotions spill over in her words. "How could you betray me like this? How could you entertain another woman? I'm your girlfriend, you know?"
Alex momentarily halted his perusal of the documents. His voice remained steady as he declared, "I already told you before. You're reading too much into it."
"Everyone in the office saw her giving you those documents! If nothing happened that night, why did she end up with your papers? Was she trying to charm you? She's always coming up with work-
related reasons to be near you, I'm convinced she's not over you!" Sonia's voice was strained as she awaited his explanation.
Alex placed the documents aside and raised his eyes to meet hers, his face devoid of emotion. "So you believe she's trying to woo me with work as an excuse?"
"Isn't that the case?" Sonia's jealousy rose as she remembered the conversations she had overheard from others. They were all so certain that Candice was meant to be by Alex’s side.
What qualifications did Candice have, anyway? That slut's attractiveness and pretense were the only things drawing men to her. She even leveraged her body in exchange for business benefits.
Sonia felt a strong sense of revulsion when she recalled Xavier's opinion of Candice.
She glanced toward Alex, her jaw clenched tight. "Don't let her deceive you! She's downright despicable. Her success comes from exploiting her body for business gains!"
Alex abruptly stopped what he was doing. His eyebrows were slightly raised, his deep, emotionless gaze fixed on her. He stared at Sonia. his throat visibly swallowing, before he nonchalantly asked, "So, her achievements are all because she slept her way to them?" Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.
Sonia assumed Alex was unaware of this. She nodded enthusiastically. "I recently spoke with the person in charge of Horizon Holdings. He said…he said Candice once tried to seduce him…"
She appeared uncomfortable voicing such thoughts, her lips lightly pressed together. Even as she spoke harshly, her face bore a look of sorrow, her eyes brimming with feelings of being wronged and degraded, as though Alex had harmed her greatly.
Sonia's tears streamed freely as she boldly faced Alex's grave expression. Her expression was one of fierce defiance. "She's still entangled with Hanley, and then there's Jackson. Have you ever questioned why those men are so eager to assist her, if not for her manipulative ways?"
Alex's face darkened slightly. Sonia's cries and sobs echoed loudly through the office, audible to nearly everyone in the Secretary's Office.
When her piercing cries momentarily ceased, Alex, with a stoic demeanor, questioned, "What exactly are you suggesting?"
"I—" Sonia tried to respond but found herself speechless under Alex's icy stare.
"If there isn't anything else, please leave. Send Sawyer in."
Sonia stared at Alex, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief, murmuring, "Lex…"
"We still have the Quinton matter to attend to. I can't afford to be distracted by personal issues right now," said Alex, his tone detached.
The blood drained from Sonia’s face. Because of her, Alex had to pass up the chance to attend a meeting with Quinton Holding.
Yet, Sonia couldn't shake off the thought that if Candice hadn't chosen to entertain Alex’s grandfather that day, she wouldn't have pestered Alex to be by her side.