Chapter 0469
Candice''s flight was set for ten in the morning. At first, Yana offered to drive her to the airport, but
Candice declined.
She booked a ride using a ride-hailing app, and the car was already waiting outside their vi.
Hanley helped her with her suitcase while Yana grumbled unhappily, "You''re off to Sris for who
knows how long, and Nadia''s heading off to study. I''ll be stuck here in Dorrington all alone."
Candice suggested, "You coulde visit me in Sris."
Yana shot her a resentful look but decided against saying more. Instead, she sighed, "Forget it! I
don''t like Sris. The people there are toopetitive. It''s tiring."
Hanley approached after loading the luggage into the trunk. His tall, graceful figure stood silently
beside Candice.
This trip to Sris was for Candice to oversee the entire project with Redshade Corporation, a task
expected tost two to three months.
Despite being pregnant, Candice hadn''t gained any weight. If anything, she seemed even more
slender.
After a moment, Hanley handed her a small talisman.
"Until you return," he said softly.
Candice was surprised. Hanley had also given her a talisman during the New Year.
"I got it from Stugan. They say it''s very effective," Hanley exined briefly.
Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.
His gaze, usually clear andposed, now held a rare emotion as he encouraged, "Take it, Candy."
His voice was low, soothing, and had a maic quality, almost as if he were coaxing her.
Candice''s heart skipped a beat as she instinctively took the talisman.
Shortly after, Candice hopped into the car to head to the airport.
As they turned the corner, Candice happened to catch sight of a white car in the rearview mirror.
She noticed it tailing them when they left, but she didn''t pay much attention to it at first.
However, as they approached the elevated road, she realized the car was still behind them, keeping
the same distance and showing no signs of overtaking or changingnes.
"Driver, could you speed up a bit?" she asked, her voice tinged with hesitation.
"Why? Are you in a rush?" the driver questioned.
"I..." Before she could finish, a loud honking sound came from behind, followed by the driver
swearing and suddenly making a sharp turn—
They were just about 200 meters away from the entrance to the elevated road with a turning
intersection to the right and a green belt to the left.
However, the honking continued!
_
Meanwhile, over at the Aether Corporation branch, Alex was seated at his desk, a documentid
out in front of him.
Sawyer spoke cautiously, "We''ve gathered all the information we could find. It appears that 30% of
the Aether Corporation shares have indeed been transferred to Oscar by the Chairman."
ncing over the document, Alex''s expression remained serious and unreadable.
Sawyer paused, uncertain about what to say next.
Given that Oscar Sanburg had been personally brought to headquarters by the chairman, it was
evident to many that Daniel intended to groom Oscar.
Alex, despite being the chairman''s biological son, had been exiled and had difficulty returning to
headquarters, while Oscar...
Despite the situation, Sawyer continued, "Recently, there was a board meeting at the headquarters
led by Mr. Chandler and a few other major shareholders. They seem to be at odds with the Sui
family and are likely to side with Oscar. The Sui family may approach you soon. Just be prepared..."
Before he could finish, Alex''s personal phone suddenly rang.
The next moment, Sawyer witnessed a sudden change in Alex''s expression as he picked up the
phone.
Alex then rushed straight to the hospital.
Locating the hospital ward was a breeze, but he paused at the entrance.
His eyes constricted, and his lips tightened. Even his hand on the doorknob trembled slightly.
"Hey, look who''s here! It''s Alex," a voice called out from behind.
Turning around, he saw Yana and Hanley approaching.
Yana''s tired and worried look vanished upon seeing Alex, reced by a mocking sneer.
She taunted, "What brings you here? Is your precious Ms. Burgess or your noble mother sick? Did
you get lost and end up in the wrong ward?"
Alex looked at her quietly.
Yana took a deep breath and gestured toward the exit.
She snapped, "Go away! What are you doing here?! You''re not wanted! We don''t want to see you!
Hanley, get him out of here. If it weren''t for him, Candy wouldn''t be in this situation!"
Her voice began to tremble with emotion as she stepped forward to push Alex.
He allowed her to push him without budging an inch, but his focus remained on the closed door of
the ward.
Hanley restrained Yana and spoke coldly, "I suggest you leave now. The troubles brought by the
Elysians are more than enough."
Both he and Alex stood firm, refusing to back down.
Alex''s gaze turned frosty as he locked eyes with Hanley, his hostility evident as he challenged, "And
what authority do you have?"
In response, Hanley''s gaze grew equally cold and fierce.
As the two remained locked in their standoff, the door to the ward suddenly swung open.
The nurse, who had just administered Candice''s injection, emerged, leaving the door ajar.
Alex''s gaze immediately snapped to the bed. He was shocked beyond words by the sight. His body
trembled involuntarily.
Candice was half-leaning on the hospital bed. Herplexion was pale, and she was draped in a
loose hospital gown that entuated her frailty. Bandages were wrapped around her forehead and
neck, stained with faint pink spots.
Overall, she was in poor shape.
She seemed to sense the disturbance at the door and turned to nce in their direction.
Her once-vibrant eyes now mirrored emptiness and destion, void of their former sparkle. They
resembled a barren desert, devoid of life and unable to ignite a spark.
Just one nce and Alex was rooted to the spot.
His fingers clenched involuntarily. He wanted to speak, but his throat felt constricted, rendering him
speechless.
To his surprise, Candice spoke first.
Her voice was raspy, barely audible. She addressed Alex, "You came so quickly. What do you
want? Curious to see if the child has finally left?"
Her pale, bloodless face betrayed no other emotion. Her words were deliberate, each one cutting
into Alex''s heart like a knife.
"Congrattions! Your wish has finally been granted."
Alex''s intense gaze bore into Candice. Herplexion, pallid and frail, seemed on the verge of
vanishing into thin air.
His throat was constricted, rendering him incapable of saying anything.
In silence, they locked eyes.
At some point, a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.
Soon, it was followed by more tears that streamed down her cheeks.
Her eyes on Alex filled with an indescribable emotion, where it held an inexplicable mix of sorrow
and self-destruction, tinged with unmistakable despair.
Her voice grew even hoarser as she continued, "Alex, your child is gone."