Guavo, Hospital.
Candice lay on the hospital bed, feeling restless. It had been several days since she had seen Patrick. Since the day Florence came to the hospital and Patrick left with her, he hadn’t returned.
Soon after, news spread that Florence had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists.
Candice made many calls to Patrick, but no one answered. She pondered for a moment, then called Morton.
Morton was in a meeting when he suddenly received Candice’s call.
Thinking about Patrick’s instructions, Morton answered the call, “Miss Dillon.”
“Morton, where is Patrick? Why can’t I reach him? Is he at the company?” Candice inquired.
Morton replied solemnly, “The president has gone to Y City for disaster relief.”
“What? He went to Y City?” Candice exclaimed.
Her first thought was that Jane was also in Y City.
“Yes,” Morton nodded, “Miss Dillon, there was a major earthquake in Y City. Our company is committed to charity, and the president personally went for disaster relief to enhance the company’s image.”
“Okay, I understand. Thank you, Morton,” Candice said disappointedly as she hung up the phone.
She hadn’t expected Patrick to go to Y City. Her heart sank. What worried her more was whether Patrick’s trip to Y City was genuinely for disaster relief, or was it for Jane?
At the thought of Jane, Candice couldn’t contain the jealousy in her eyes.
Just then, Candice received a text message. Her expression turned colder.
Candice changed out of her hospital gown, put on a dress, grabbed her purse, and left the ward.
“Miss Dillon, where are you…” the nurse looked at Candice in surprise.
Candice curved her lips, “It’s too stuffy lying around all day. I’m going out for a walk.”
The nurse expressed concern, “I see, but Miss Dillon, please be careful. Your body is still very weak at the moment. Don’t walk for too long.”
“I will,” Candice replied half-heartedly.
Upon leaving the hospital gates, a black car was perfectly parked in front of Candice.
The door opened, and a bodyguard in black attire said to Candice, “Get in, Miss Dillon.”
Candice looked around but found nothing unusual, so she got into the car.
The car drove all the way to the suburbs and stopped in front of a villa nestled among mountains and waters.
“We’ve arrived, Miss Dillon,” the driver opened the car door.
“Thank you!” Candice got out of the car and walked into the villa.
In the villa’s living room, a tall man in a grey suit sat on the sofa, his expression cold and stern, waiting for Candice.
It was Antony.
“You’re here?” Antony raised his eyes as Candice entered.
Candice cautiously spoke, “Brother.”
“Did anyone see you coming here?” Antony asked coldly.
Candice shook her head, “No, I was very careful.”
“Why haven’t you completed the task I gave you until now?” Antony suddenly stood up, looking down at Candice with a chilling expression.
An overwhelming aura enveloped Candice, and her body couldn’t help but tremble. “Brother, I’ll do my best,” she said.
“I don’t want your best; I want success!” Antony exuded an icy demeanor.
He picked up a thick rattan cane and approached Candice step by step. “For so many years, I’ve put in so much effort to mold you into Candy. I sent you to get close to Patrick, to gain his trust, to make him fall in love with you. But what have you done? All this time has passed, and there has been no progress!”
“No, there has been progress!” Terrified, Candice, looking at the cane in Antony’s hand, pleaded, “I faked late-stage stomach cancer, and I’ve already softened Patrick’s heart. He has broken up with Jane. Now, Patrick loves me. Brother, believe me! I will succeed soon!”
“Is that so? And where is Patrick now?” Antony sneered.
“He’s in Y City for disaster relief, it has nothing to do with Jane,” Candice stepped back.
“It’s better be that way!” Antony snorted, a glint of coldness in his eyes. “Ying, you know, the consequences of an unfinished mission, don’t you?”
Candice knelt down, her voice trembling, “Brother, give me more time, I will definitely complete the task!”
“Fine, I will give you one last chance! If you disappoint me again, it will be like this teacup!” As Antony’s voice fell, he swung the cane towards the teacup on the table.
With a bang, the teacup fell to the ground and shattered.
Candice gasped in a breath. This man was a devil from hell!
“Go back and don’t raise any suspicions,” Antony resumed his seat on the sofa.
“Yes, brother, I’m leaving.”
Exiting the villa’s gate, Candice breathed a sigh of relief.
In her mind, the image of Patrick’s tall and straight figure emerged, and Candice pursed her lips. She knew she was just a pawn to Antony.
Her foster father had taken her in only to turn her into Candy, to get close to Patrick, and to extract confidential information from Pansy Group.
Antony, her foster father’s son and her nominal brother, always treated her poorly. If she didn’t meet his expectations, he would beat her.
Why had her life turned into this? Controlled by others?
Candice’s thoughts drifted. She remembered the first time she met Patrick when she was ten years old.
It was in the slums, where she had lived since she could remember. Her family was impoverished, and they often went hungry. Her father was a gambler, and when he lost, he would vent his anger on her and her mother, often leaving them bruised. One day, she woke up and her mother was gone.
At the age of five, she wept for her mother and received another round of abuse from her father. From then on, she learned to read people’s expressions and tried her best to please her new stepmother, enduring beatings and abuse.
When she was ten, her father claimed he had a big deal in the works that would make him rich. They went to a small cabin in the mountains, where three menacing men were discussing kidnapping someone.