Chapter 0538


    On their way back from the hospital, they swung by a shopping center to restock Ellis''s nearly


    finished form. Both Candice and Alex browsed the aisles with Ellis in tow.


    "Any cravings for tonight?" Alex inquired, taking charge of their mealstely besides the regr


    cleaning done by a maid service.


    Though not a seasoned chef, Alex relied on recipes and online tutorials. Despite Candice''s


    reluctance to admit it, she couldn''t ignore how contentedly Ellis devoured his meals.


    "What cuisine are you in the mood for?" Alex asked, to which Candice responded with indifference,


    "Anything''s fine."


    Then, turning to Ellis, Alex queried, "What do you think Mommy wants to eat?"


    Ellis blinked and pointed at the roasted chicken on disy, saying, "Want, want."


    Raising an eyebrow, Alex declined firmly, "That''s not happening."


    Ellis had taken a liking to roasted or fried foods, particrly after tasting Alex''s roasted chicken


    once. Since then, she''d been pestering him for it during their shopping trips.


    Initially, Alex had caved in, but after learning about safe dietary practices for children, he became


    stricter and refused to indulge her.


    Seeing Ellis''s pitiful expression, she clung to Alex''s neck, acting adorable.


    Candice observed from the side, and her emotions wereplicated.


    Ellis had been spending a lot of time with Alex while Candice was preupied with work. He was


    the one ying with her, teaching her to walk, and introducing her to variousnguages.


    Candice noticed Ellis not only gettingfortable with Alex but also growing increasingly attached


    to him.


    This situation concerned Candice, who pressed her lips together, pondering whether she should


    limit their interactions.


    On their way back, they passed by Ellis''s favoritewn, and she insisted on ying there.


    Since the weather was pleasant, Candice didn''t object.


    As summer approached, Ellis grew taller and seemed even more energetic and yful.


    As they neared Candice''s house, she mentioned she needed to retrieve her camera, which she


    used to document Ellis''s growth. They had left it behind during their sudden move, and it remained


    unimed.


    "Want me toe with you?" Alex offered.


    "No, it''s close by. Just watch her," Candice instructed.


    Ellis looked thrilled, clearly not wanting to leave.


    "We''ll wait here for you," Alex assured.


    Candice hadn''t been home for days. From the yard gate, she spotted the red paint marks on the


    window. Even though they had been cleaned, they still stood out.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Her heart sank as she noticed the disturbance below the window, almost as if someone had walked


    over it.


    Hurrying inside, everything appeared normal and unchanged.


    She swiftly retrieved the camera and returned.


    Unaware, a figure lurked around the corner of the house after she departed.


    Upon Candice''s return, she found Ellis and Alex crouched together on the ground, deeply


    engrossed in something.


    Despite it being midday, the sunlight wasn''t harsh, casting a gentle glow over them, creating a


    peaceful and serene ambiance.


    Candice raised her camera and snapped a photo of the moment.


    Startled by the noise, Alex turned around, his eyes alert and cautious. Upon recognizing Candice,


    his expression softened.


    Candice joined them and asked, "What are you two looking at?"


    Ellis lifted her head, signaling for silence with a "shh", then pointed at a tiny bug on thewn, saying,


    "Broken..."


    "She''s watching the bug sleep," Alex exined softly. "I made sure she didn''t touch it."


    Kids are naturally curious at this age, so Candice nodded in understanding and snapped several


    more pictures of Ellis.


    Later that evening, Candice reviewed the photos she had taken of Ellis throughout the day. She


    paused on one particr photo of her and Alex, a small andrge figure together.


    Ellis was snoozing beside her, holding onto a small rabbit plush that Alex had gotten for her.


    In the end, Candice couldn''t bring herself to delete the photo; she decided to save it instead.


    Meanwhile, in a hotel in the same city, Oscar stared at a photo on his phone of Alex holding Ellis


    and ying with Candice on thewn. The sunlight was soft, casting a peaceful glow over


    everything.


    Oscar gazed at the photo, his face briefly clouded with coldness and jealousy.


    Why? Why could Alex live so carefreely and untroubled while he had to spend his life hiding in the


    shadows, feeling envious? Especially when they shared the same blood.


    Oscar recalled visiting Daniel''s house as a child with his mother. He felt a mix of envy and


    hope as he beheld the grand, luxurious home.


    He watched Alex, dressed in fine clothes,e and go effortlessly, while he and his mother had to


    lurk nearby, fearing being spotted.


    Oscar didn''t grow up poor; Daniel provided Jovita with a significant amount of money, and they lived


    in a luxurious apartment in the city center. But it wasn''t the same. He and Alex,


    along with their mothers, Jovita and Helen, were not equals.


    His eyes started to gleam with madness as he stared at the photo.


    If Alex hadn''t had those privileges either, he might have considered it fair. But why did Alex now


    abandon him, leaving him to wander like a stray dog while Alex lived sofortably?


    The seed of dissatisfaction took root in his heart, eventually growing into twisted emotions and


    blossoming into a gnarled tree.


    After taking a brief break from her work, Candice began to prepare to move back home.


    After all, there had been no more incidents involving the stalker in their neighborhood.


    As she packed her bags, Alex noticed, and his expression hardened. The happiness in his eyes


    dimmed as he asked, "Are you going on a business trip?"


    Candice replied, "There haven''t been any problemstely. I''ve arranged for professionals to fix up


    the house, and I''ll be moving back soon."


    Alex stood up, realizing that Candice would eventually leave. The days they spent together felt like


    a dream he had woven for himself, and now, that dream was ending.


    He struggled with his emotions, wanting to ask her to stay but not knowing how to express it.


    After a while, he finally said, "Let''s have dinner before you leave. I''ve made your favorite foods."


    In truth, Alex always tried to prepare something Candice liked, but he found himself at a loss for


    words in her presence, desperately searching for any reason to make her stay. Fortunately, Candice


    didn''t refuse.