My Mirror Image by Maybe Not (Candice And Alex’s)

Chapter 304

Old Mr. Elysian spoke with a tone of command.

Alex's eyes darkened somewhat at that. He took a moment to collect himself before saying, "I've got a lot on my plate and I’d rather not waste time."

Alex’s grandfather’s expression quickly became sour, a tinge of dissatisfaction across his wrinkled face. "Is having breakfast really such a waste of time?" he asked, annoyed.

Candice leisurely sat down at the dining table after washing her hands. She quietly assisted Bruno in setting the utensils while avoiding eye contact. She didn't feel it was her place to comment on Shawn and Alex's conflict, nor did it appear right to do so.

The weariness on Alex's face appeared real, his eyes reflecting a deep, contemplative look. After a brief period of silence, he took his seat at the table.

Shawn's expression softened slightly, and he positioned himself at the head of the table, with Alex and Candice facing each other.

A glass of beetroot juice was placed before Candice.

"It's beneficial for women, good for beauty and wellness," old Mr. Elysian remarked.

Candice acknowledged it with a nod. Shawn's concern warmed her.

Alex was somewhat sidelined by his grandfather. He stayed quiet, simply concentrating on his meal.

The breakfast was quiet, with Shawn trying to initiate conversation a few times, but Alex and

Candice quietly closed down any attempts at prolonged dialogue.

The rain that had started the previous evening persisted. It had briefly subsided at midnight but now appeared to be ramping up again.

Alex seemed in a rush to leave. His sense of urgency was obvious. Candice was ready to head out too.

Observing the dreary weather, Shawn remarked, "The sky's still cloudy. Wait until it clears a bit more." Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Candice was on the verge of declining when old Mr. Elysian’s sigh stopped her.

"Candy, I hope you don't find me troublesome,” he said. “I'm getting on in years, and I don't know how much time I have left. Lex worries me the most. He's headstrong, overthinks things, and doesn't take advice well."

Candice remained silent, her eyes downcast. It had been clear to her that old Mr. Elysian had been trying to mend her relationship with Alex over the past few days. With due respect for her elder, she couldn't be too harsh with him.

"Alex is now the head of a corporation,” she said. “He knows what he’s doing. You shouldn't stress over him and focus on your health instead."

Shawn seemed to contemplate saying more but sighed heavily instead, indicating he was letting the matter go.

Candice lingered until the rain eased around seven. She said farewell to old Mr. Elysian and was ready to depart.

Something crossed Shawn's mind, he called out to her. "My birthday is next Friday. Don't forget to come."

Hesitating, Candice knew the old man’s birthday would mean a gathering of the Elysians—a prospect she wasn't thrilled about. However, as she met Shawn's adoring look, she couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang with a call from Alex.

Candice debated internally whether she should answer. Since becoming involved with Sonia, Alex has reduced his interactions with her. He even advised Candice to direct all essential communications to his work number, presumably to avoid upsetting Sonia.

With a frown, she took the call.

Neither spoke. There was no immediate response from Alex's side.

Candice suspected he dialed her number by accident. Right before she hung up, he asked in a deep voice, "Are you still at Grandfather's?"

"I was just leaving," she responded quietly, under the impression that Alex had called to remind her to leave old Mr. Elysian’s place earlier.

Then, after a brief pause, he requested, "I need a document delivered to my office."

Candice immediately declined. "I've got plans."

"The document is important. It's in my room. Bring it directly to my office." His tone was unwavering, despite her rejection.

His demand made Candice frown. "I don't work for you anymore,” she snapped. “It's not my job to run errands for you."

Alex responded icily. "Perhaps Grandfather should bring it then. The content is too important to be delivered by an outsider. I don’t trust anyone else with it." He added, his tone even colder, "I'm headed to a meeting and can't return for it."

Reluctantly, Candice located the document as per Alex's instructions. Bruno was helping old Mr. Elysian with his medication as she headed downstairs.

Shawn noticed that Candice was holding a file and queried, "For Alex?"

"He forgot it. I'm on my way to deliver it."

With the rain persisting, the idea of the old man making the delivery was out of the question, so Candice had undertaken the task. Old Mr. Elysian’s home was notably simple, with the only other residents being Bruno, a housekeeper, and a cook.

Candice stepped outside to hail a cab, holding her umbrella.

-

The rain started to ease when she arrived at Aether Corporation. Candice went directly upstairs to locate Alex.

Candice scowled slightly as she took the elevator. It was not uncommon for staff to work late, but today there appeared to be an abnormally large number of them around.

As she exited the elevator, she bumped into a former intern now full-time employee, who appeared taken aback by her presence. Determined, Candice went directly to Alex's office, planning to leave as soon as the document was delivered.

However, when she knocked and entered, she discovered Alex was not in his office. It was empty. She placed the document on Alex's desk, swiftly messaging him before leaving.

Almost instantly, Alex's reply arrived, redirecting her. "Small meeting room."

With a slight reluctance, Candice retrieved the document and proceeded to the indicated room.

She was surprised by how packed it was. As she walked in, Sawyer, Julie, and several company executives turned their attention to her.

After a brief hesitation, Candice walked up to Alex without expression and set the document before him, stating icily, "Your document."

Alex looked up with a stern gaze. As he worked, an air of inaccessibility hung around him. He commanded curtly, "Put it down, then get out."

Candice frowned slightly at his dismissive tone. She echoed his tone and responded, "Don't ask me to deliver again."

His dismissive manner irked Candice. Braving the rain to deliver something to him, she did not even receive a word of gratitude, only to be met with his superior attitude, which naturally led to her cool response.

At her words, Alex briefly halted his examination of the document, his chilly stare fixing on Candice. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

-

By afternoon, the tale of Candice's document delivery to the office had spread throughout the company's internal chat.

Sonia learned of it while out shopping with Xavier. The constant flood of messages in the chat made her mood worse.

Candice had delivered documents to Alex? Her mind raced with possibilities about why Alex might leave documents with her. The more Sonia dwelled on it, the tighter she clamped her lips.

Xavier approached with a glass of juice. He presented it to Sonia. "Why do you look upset all of a sudden? Not feeling well?"

His voice was full of concern, which pulled Sonia back to reality.

She glanced at Xavier's charming face, and the images of Candice and Alex kept flashing through her mind.

Her eyes gradually filled with deep resentment over time. Alex had, once again, gotten involved with that slut.