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Chapter 16 A Final Flicker in the Dying Marriage
Candice finished eating and curled up on the sofa.
She opened the chat window with Jim, typing and deleting several times, only to give up in the end.
What did Charlie mean, anyway?
He gave her the suit measurements, but now it seemed like he didn’t even want the suit? Was he just messing with her?
She couldn’t figure out what was going through this big shot’s mind–nor did she want to. Apart from this unsettled
matter with the suit, there would likely be no further contact between them.
Footsteps came from outside the living room.
Candice quickly exited the chat screen and lowered her curled–up legs.
“Where did your clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry go?” Kyle asked the moment he entered, like a storm.
Candice’s heart skipped a beat.
Had he found out?
Seriously, what was wrong with this jerk today? Coming home unannounced for dinner and even going upstairs to inspect the walk–in closet?
“They’re at the cleaners, and the bags and jewelry are out for maintenance,” she said, outwardly calm, though inside
was panicking.
of it?” he pressed.
“Yeah, is that not allowed? I’ve been bored at home, so I decided to clean the house. I couldn’t even remember which
clothes and shoes I’ve worn or not, so I figured I’d just send them all out for dry cleaning. Same with the bags and jewelry–after being used for so long, the diamonds have dulled, the leather is scuffed–so I took them all for repair and
maintenance.”
She sounded reasonable and composed, with no need to lie.
Kyle still felt something was off, but after hearing her explanation, he chose to believe her. After all, she really had been staying home lately, and thinking back, she had been running up and down the house organizing things every time he
came home.
“No need to rush. It’s not like you’re only home for a few more days–you can clean up slowly,”
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“Well, I’m going on a trip in a few days. Before I leave, I just want the house tidy.”
Nothing seemed wrong with her explanation, but Kyle still felt uncomfortable.
He glanced at a deep–blue shopping bag on the sofa and bent down to pick it up. “Is this for me-”
“No-”
Candice reacted instantly, leaning forward to stop him.
Neither of them finished their sentences, but both froze.
Kyle’s face turned cold and frightening.
Candice quickly added, “It’s for my dad.”
” ?”
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The disappointment in Kyle’s face was evident. “You bought one for your dad, but didn’t think to get your husband one
too?”
Candice shot back, “Do you lack suits?”
Ha. He probably had more suits in Mia Jones‘ bedroom than in their own home.
Kyle was speechless.
Candice ignored him, grabbed the suit from the sofa, slipped into her slippers, and ran upstairs.
She hid in her study and, moments later, heard a car driving away.
nly then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The next day was Sunday, and the weather was perfect.
She visited the high school where she and Kyle had studied together.
It wasn’t a school day, but she still passed a few students in uniform on her way in.
She strolled slowly through the campus, revisiting memories–classrooms they’d shared, tree–lined paths they’d walked, the sports field they’d run across together…
Eventually, she came to the bamboo grove by the man–made lake and unearthed a small box from a hidden spot.
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They had buried it before the college entrance exam, one night after evening study. Kyle had insisted they do it. It was pitch dark all around, and they used their phones as flashlights, scribbling notes on paper balanced on their knees.
He’d said, “We’ll dig this up together in twenty years.‘
The dim light had reflected in his eyes, brighter than the stars.
Candice smiled, finally at peace, and took out her capsule from the box.
Goodbye, Kyle.
Meanwhile, Kyle was in the project manager’s office.
The blinds were drawn, and the door was shut.
Everyone in the department was holding their breath.
Kyle scowled as he flipped through the project proposal Mia Jones had prepared.
Mia didn’t seem to care about his mood–she leaned against his shoulder, her hand wandering provocatively.
She wasn’t as beautiful as Candice, but she was wild, daring, and knew how to play hard. She had chased after him
aggressively, seduced him relentlessly, and few men could resist that level of persistence.
For a man, heart and body could be entirely separate.
“Brother Kyle,” she purred, her hand slipping lower, “don’t you want to try it here…”
“Cut it out!”
Kyle had no patience for this. He slapped her hand away and slammed the project proposal onto the desk. “This is what you came up with after pulling eight all–nighters?”
He had known she couldn’t compare to Candice, but he hadn’t expected her to be *this* incompetent.
The proposal was utter garbage.
Frustrated, Kyle rubbed his temples, unable to stop thinking about how unstoppable he had felt with Candice running the project department.
Mia pouted in grievance.
Just then, Kyle’s phone rang. He glanced at it and stepped to the window to take the call. “Speak.”
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“Miss Hale went out again today. She visited a high school and wandered there for a while. After that, she went to a
residential complex called Emerald Garden. It’s high–end, with tight security. Outsiders can’t get in unless they’re
residents.”
The person tailing Candice reported the details.
Kyle’s expression darkened with every word.
A high school? A private community?
“Did you say outsiders can’t enter?”
“Unless they know a resident and the resident has informed security–then yes, they can.”
“Send me the address. Keep following her.”
“Understood.”
“”
Kyle hung up, irritated. His mistress’s project was a disaster, and his wife was acting weird.
He turned around–only to find Mia Jones had followed him.
She threw her arms around his waist and clung on, “Why do you even care about her? You don’t love her anymore.‘
Suppressing his disgust, Kyle pried her off like an octopus and grabbed her shoulders hard. “Redo the proposal. Take it
seriously. If you don’t understand something, ask the team leads.”
Then he walked off, face cold.
Fuming, Mia trashed the office.
Ask? *Ask?* Did he just tell her to *ask* those lowlifes for help?
Those project team leaders were all once Candice’s people. So was he saying she should learn from *them*?
Furious, she picked up the phone and summoned all three team leads.
Then she cursed them out like dogs. One of them couldn’t help but say a word in defense and got slapped.
The other two didn’t dare say a thing.
This wasn’t a young lady. This was a rabid dog.
Candice placed the time capsule on a shelf in her new home.
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No need to throw it away or burn it.
After all, it wasn’t just about Kyle. Her life wasn’t only about him.
Her phone rang.
Kyle?
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Was he somehow sensing that their marriage was breathing its last and now trying to make one final grand gesture?
She neither picked up nor declined.
The call eventually stopped, and a message came in.
She rolled her eyes and opened it, only to see–it wasn’t from Kyle.
It was from Jim.
Had his young master finally given new instructions?
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