My Mirror Image

Chapter 217

A silent understanding passed between Candice and Hanley as they looked at each other.

Roy appeared to be torn as he studied the information Candice had handed him.

“Francis used to work with Aether Corporation,” he groaned heavily, his brows furrowed. “He gets along

well with several of their junior leaders. This collaboration with Dream Search was also discussed with

them. In essence, it is not fair.”

Candice had not expected to see the situation from this angle.

Francis’s ties with Aether Corporation added a layer of complexity to the situation. Given Aether

Corporation’s prominence in Dorrington’s finance sector, Dream Search and Webrews Group made an

easy decision because of their strong backing. It would be stupid to go to less influential

partners.

However, Roy had not fully dismissed their suggestion.

Candice could see he was interested. She talked with him a little longer before departing with

Hanley.

“It does appear challenging,” Candice observed, recalling how deals involving Aether Corporation

never seemed to go smoothly for her.

Hanley’s expression was hard to read. He simply suggested, “Take it easy. Let’s look into other

possibilities.”

They had other potential companies to work with, therefore, Candice didn’t say much more.

Knowing there were other potential collaborators, Candice didn’t press the issue any further.

To her surprise, she received an unexpected call from Lisa.

Initially, Candice was disappointed that Lisa was now working for Francis. There had been no contact

between them since Lisa’s indirect approach last time.

Candice’s brows twitched as she looked at her phone screen.

“What’s up?” she asked, stepping aside.

Lisa’s voice was calm amidst the background noise, “Mr. Moreno would like to meet. Can you

make it?”

“Francis? What does he want with me?”

Lisa hesitated. “I’m not sure. Maybe something related to work.”

Candice was skeptical but then heard Lisa add in a hushed tone, “He has something he wants to

show you.”

A sense of foreboding filled Candice.

Hanley noticed her furrowed brows after she ended the call. He asked, “Is everything alright?”

Candice was still reluctant to tell Hanley the truth. So, she responded to Hanley vaguely, “Lisa

wants to meet, possibly for work.”

Following that, they met with two more potential collaborators. The first went off without a hitch.

but the second had ties to Francis and, by extension, Aether Corporation.

Candice found the situation tricky.

Hanley remained stoic throughout.

She speculated on the way back, “Francis seems to be seizing this opportunity to fortify his

position within Webrews Group.”

Candice contemplated quietly, eyeing the towering billboards.

“If the remaining companies we approach are also linked with Francis and Aether Corporation.

we’re facing a tough challenge.”

Unspoken was the fact that Aether Corporation had the backing of the influential Elysian Group.

Upon returning to the villa, the team, noting the grave expressions on both Hanley’s and Candice’s

faces, could guess the difficulties they had faced and decided not to press the issue.

Candice’s stay at the villa was brief. She had already planned to meet Lisa for dinner.

She left after notifying Hanley about it.

The chosen restaurant was in the bustling city center.

Arriving there. Candice found Lisa waiting at the entrance.

Lisa looked visibly distressed, yet she tried to maintain a composed appearance as she grasped

Candice’s hand and whispered a caution, “Be careful not to eat anything.”

Candice cast a glance at her and noticed Lisa’s expression had returned to normal.

“Mr. Moreno is waiting for you,” Lisa replied, motioning for Candice to come in.

Francis had a bad reputation within Aether Corporation even after he was fired.

+15 BONOS

A few female employees did come forward with complaints against him, yet these allegations seemed

to have little impact on his overall image. Francis was very good at maintaining his persona back then.

Candice’s phone suddenly rang with a notification. She picked it up and saw a spam message. which

she swiftly erased before heading confidently to the private room.

The phrase “wolf in sheep’s clothing” was a fitting description for Francis. He wore glasses that gave

him an air of sophistication.

“I see you’re open to revisiting old times with me,” he replied, looking at Candice with interest.

Candice responded with a cold demeanor, “We have no past to revisit. You mentioned having

something to show me. What is it?”

Instead of answering her query, Francis shifted the conversation. He probed, “Struggling to find a

suitable job after leaving Aether Corporation? Why not consider Webrews Group?”

Francis adjusted his glasses, enhancing his deceptive disguise. He revealed, “We’ll offer you an

excellent package.”

Candice remained silent. Her brows furrowed slightly, then she questioned, “Do you have the authority

to make such an offer?”

Francis revealed, “The president asked me to extend this invitation.”

Candice immediately understood the broader picture.

She had been keeping an eye on Webrews Group. They were obviously watching her as well.

Considering her notable position at Aether Corporation, it was no surprise that others were keen

to recruit her.

Following her exit from Aether Corporation, numerous offers had come her way, all of which she had

declined due to her contract.

Misreading her silence as interest, Francis reached out to grasp her hand, seeing a personal gain

in this task.

Despite being seemingly cast aside by Alex, she remained a stunning woman, and her aloof demeanor

heightened Francis’s interest.

Candice deftly evaded his attempt. Her tone was icy, and she said, “If that’s all you have to say. we

have nothing further to discuss.”

Francis was amused. He pushed a folder toward her and said, “Perhaps you’d be interested in this?”

+15 BONOS

Candice did not reach for the folder. Instead, she gazed at Francis, who appeared to be confident

in his victory.

“Interesting. Let’s see.”

The folder was thin and included only two images.

Candice’s face grew chilly as she saw the images. Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

Upon opening the folder, Candice’s face grew cold at the sight of the photos. They depicted a man. and

woman in a close embrace, shrouded in dim lighting. The man’s face was obscured, but the woman

was clearly Candice, her expression adding to the suggestive nature of the image.

Candice felt a storm of emotions as she glanced at them.

Francis insinuated, “I don’t recall when this was taken, but imagine if it were seen by others…”

Understanding his veiled threat, Candice recalled that the photo’s background resembled Aether

Corporation’s office. She had never been in such an intimate situation with Francis during his

time there.

Looking up, her eyes were frosty as she confronted Francis, “Spreading false rumors with

Photoshopped images is illegal.”

Francis admires her defiance. He loosened his tie, his gaze fixed on her.

“You can have it checked,” he challenged. “But keep in mind that it is not my reputation that is at

stake.”