Chapter 131


    Candice remained silent in the face of Sieg’s mockery.


    The interior of the car was dark. She found sce in looking out the window.


    Meanwhile, Sieg also fell silent as he reclined in his seat, engrossed in his phone, typing away, and


    asionally chuckling to himself.


    Out of the blue, he casually requested, “Lex, could you drop me at Times Square? I’ve got stuff to do.”


    Alex nced at him in the rearview mirror. He half–jokingly queried, “Am I your chauffeur now?”


    “Hardly, I’m meeting a girl,” Sieg replied, ying the voice message from the inte celebrity he was


    meeting.


    The voice on the phone cooed, “Sieg, when will you get here?”


    Everyone knew about Sieg’s flirtatious nature.


    Alex came to aplete stop at the next intersection and offered a warning, “Don’t end up in a mess


    like Bailey Dixon.”


    “Would I be that careless?” Sieg said before he got out of the car.


    The chilly wind and rain pounded Candice’s face in the brief moment the door was open. She


    recognized the person Alex was referring to.


    Bailey was a notorious yboy in their circle, known for his escapades with young models.


    One of his inte celebrity girlfriends had just be pregnant and made a big deal about marrying


    him. Because Bailey had been unwilling, the girl had attempted tomit suicide. Bailey’s family had


    beenpelled to marry the two off as a result of the controversy.


    As the car moved off again, Candice looked towards the front seat and noted that Alex’s profile


    appeared icy even in the dim light. She averted her gaze hastily.


    “Candice,” Sonia said abruptly, breaking the silence.


    Candice looked at her. She couldn’t make out Sonia’s expression in the dim light, only a blurry figure.


    Sonia hesitated, then ventured, “I want to ask you something, though I’m unsure if I should.”


    Her voice conveyed a mix of genuine concern and naivety.


    Candice paused briefly, then prompted, “Yes?”


    “Are you seeing Mr. Baldwin or Mr. Shyan? Just curious,” Sonia probed. She turned toward Candice


    and


    quickly added, “No offense intended. If you’d rather not answer, that’s fine.”


    Given Sonia’s tactful approach, Candice feltpelled to respond, unless her situation involved both


    Hanley and Jackson.


    Candice blinked and spoke quietly, “Why would asking that be offensive? My dating life


    +15 BONOS


    isn’t a matter I need to report to thepany. It’s private.”


    She spoke with a certain assertiveness.


    Sonia attempted a smile, but it seemed strained. “I was just thinking, as friends…”


    “We’re merely colleagues, nothing beyond that,” Candice rified, effectively ending the conversation.


    Sonia’s smile froze with Candice’s final sentence, she softly apologized, “Sorry.”


    Candice remained silent, redirecting her attention to the window.


    Outside, a light rain persisted, and the streets were nearly empty.


    Candice had anticipated that Alex would head straight to their neighborhood, considering the rain and


    the distance from the northern part of the city, particrly since Sonia was now officially his girlfriend.


    She was taken aback when Alex took a route to drop Sonia off at her apartment first.


    Sonia also appeared surprised. She blinked, then spoke softly to Alex. “It’s still raining, drive carefully


    on your way home.”


    Alex acknowledged her with a hum and handed her an umbre from the storagepartment,


    advising, “Go slowly on your way back, your dad’s at home and will be worried.”


    Her initial reluctance vanished upon hearing this.


    She had been slightly upset with Alex for merely dropping her off in the heavy rain instead of bringing


    her to


    his ce.


    Now she realized Alex was being considerate of her father, who was home alone.


    He had been staying with her following surgery, while her mom was away attending to other family


    Feeling grateful for his thoughtfulness, Sonia smiled, leaned in quickly, gave Alex a peck on the cheek,


    and said coyly, “Lex, how can you be so kind?”


    “Rest well at home, you’re still healing.” His voice was deep and resonant.


    Sitting in the back, Candice listened to their affectionate exchange with detachment. She nced at the


    clock.


    It was 1 a.m.


    After a few more tender moments, Sonia left reluctantly.


    The mood cooled immediately following her departure.


    With little to converse about, especially given the lengthy drive from the northern part of the city to their


    southern neighborhood, the two opted for silence.


    Candice chose to rest, closing her eyes.


    The car windows were tightly closed, muffling the outside rain.


    In the stillness, Candice distinctly heard Alex’s snort. She slightly opened her eyes, realizing the car


    had stopped at a red light at a crosswalk.


    After a brief period of consideration, she offered, “If you’re tired, I can take over driving.”


    She hadn’t consumed any alcohol, and Alex had made a lengthy trip from the party venue to the North


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    and then back South, which was surely tiring.


    “Candice,” Alex slightly opened a window, letting in the breeze. He nced at her in the mirror, his tone


    emotionless, “Sieg suggests you’re ying hard to get.”


    As the traffic light turned green, Alex smoothly elerated.


    The wind tousled Candice’s hair through the window gap.


    With the night’s chill, she instinctively tightened Jackson’s jacket around her.


    His eyes narrowed slightly in the rearview mirror, his gaze turning frostier.


    Candice questioned, “Do you think Sieg’s correct?”


    Alex’s scoff filled the car. “It seems so. Especially given your obvious pursuit of Jackson, it’s quite an


    eyesore.”


    Candice suppressed her difort at Alex’sment and decided it was pointless to argue.


    The ride home was silent, even once they got out of the car and into the building’s elevator. Candice


    stepped


    out first, eager to escape.


    Once home, she quickly changed out of her wet clothes, setting aside Jackson’s jacket for washing.


    Afterwards she discovered the living room windows had been left open, allowing the storm in. There


    was a mess near the balcony, and her bedroom had been simrly affected.


    Eventer into the night, there was a knock on her door.


    She answered it, and was faced with a member of the property management staff. He seemed


    apologetic as he exined. “There’s been a burst pipe in the apartment above. We need to check for


    any issues here.”


    Frowning, Candice refused to let him in, assuring him, “My apartment is fine.”


    The staff persisted in wanting to check.


    Before she could respond, Alex opened his door across the hallway and asked expressionlessly,


    “What’s happening here?”