Chapter 50 Miss Hale, Aren’t You Imaginative
Candice’s cheeks turned bright red.
She fumbled to explain, “Oh, I thought you… wanted me to do some cleaning. I’m not very mobile right now, so I thought I couldn’t manage.”
Charlie didn’t respond.
He stood leaning casually against the desk, arms crossed, wearing the kind of look that saw right through her but wasn’t in any rush to expose her.
After a beat, he suddenly chuckled. His voice took on a slow, teasing lilt.
“Miss Hale… you sure think highly of yourself.”
Candice felt like her face just burst into flames.
Was he saying she’d been daydreaming about him?
Utterly mortified, she lowered her head and hurriedly opened the folder in front of her, changing the subject with forced calm, “ What do you need me to do? I’ll get started right away.”
Charlie, mercifully, didn’t press the issue.
He moved to the chair opposite her and gave a few brief work–related instructions before turning back to his own tasks.
The room settled into quiet, broken only by the rustle of turning pages.
For a full hour, Candice didn’t lift her head once, immersed in her work like she’d forgotten where she was.
Every now and then, Charlie glanced up, the corners of his mouth twitching into a faint smile.
Jim popped out from the kitchen once, puzzled by the empty living room.
Did the young master take this long just to bring someone upstairs?
He had no idea Charlie had dragged her off to finish office tasks–practically working an injured employee to the bone.
It wasn’t until dinner was fully prepared and set on the table that Jim called.
Five minutes later, Charlie wheeled a listless Candice out of the study.
She looked dazed, defeated–like she wanted to escape but didn’t have the guts.
At the dining table, Jim beamed and pulled out a chair.
Charlie rolled her over and bent down to lift her onto the chair, then paused, glancing sideways.
“If I carry you… you won’t take it the wrong way, will you?”
His tone was sincere, but the teasing was unmistakable.
Candice wanted to disappear.
Jim, blissfully oblivious to the subtext, simply thought the young master was overly considerate.
“I’m fine staying in the wheelchair,” Candice replied with a tight smile that looked like she’d just bitten into raw ginger.
Charlie straightened up. “Ah. Thought too much again, didn’t you
I did not! Candice screamed internally.
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Chapter 60 Miss Hale Aren’t You Imaginative
+25 BONUS
Dinner was lavish.
Jim’s cooking skills were on par with any top–tier chef.
Candice channelled all her embarrassinent into her appetite, tearing into the food like a wornan possessed–soup, sides, every bite devoured with gusto. She even beat Charlie to the last plece of eat.
Jim, watching her eat so heartily, felt deeply gratified.
There’s no greater joy for a cook than seeing their food appreciated. And the young master never showed this kind of. enthusiasm.
“This good? Here, have the last piece.”
Charlie gave her the final chunk of meat.
Candice finally slowed down, her eyes meeting his smiling gaze.
…Okay. Maybe she’d gotten a little too carried away.
She sheepishly eased her pace.
Jim brought her another bowl of soup.
As she thanked him, she didn’t hold back her praise.
“Jim, were you ever a chef? Your cooking’s amazing!”
Jim beamed.
They chatted about recipes, thoroughly hitting it off.
Finally, Jim said, “If you like it that much, you should come by every day.”
“Sure,” Candice blurted. Then realized something. “Wait–no, that’d be too much. I’d feel bad.”
Before she could finish backpedaling, Charlie’s cool voice drifted in,
“No need to feel bad.”
Candice looked up at him.
Jim, encouraged by the young master, sealed the deal.
“Settled then. I’ll just cook a little more each day.”
Candice was speechless.
What just happened? She was only being polite–how did it turn into her showing up for dinner daily?
And what did Charlie mean by “no need to feel bad“? Was that a dig at her eating too much earlier?
After dinner, Candice wanted to leave immediately.
But remembering she hadn’t finished the work in the study, she asked,
“President, can I take the work home to finish it?”
Charlie replied, “No need.”
What he meant was she didn’t need to finish it.
But in Candice’s ears, it sounded like, You’re not going home until it’s done.
“…Alright then.”
2/4
+25 BONUS
Charls blinked, then heldedanster tits breath.
The didn’t stop hey,
Candice stayed and completed everything he’d given tot.
By the time she was done, it was ten at night.
Maybe it was the big dinner, but she’d been fighting sleep the whole time.
Once finished, she could barely keep her eyes open.
“I’m heading bad now,” she said, stifling a yawn and turning her hair.
Put the chair tilted and bumped into the coffee table.
Her knee hit the edge, tugging at her wound and jolting her fully awake.
Charlie rushed over. Her face was scrunched in pain.
“Did it pull the wound?”
He crouched down and—without waiting–lifted her skirt to check the injury.
If it had torn open, they’d need to call a doctor.
Candice winced. “Just a little, I don’t think it’s torn.”
Charlie checked and confirmed there was no bleeding.
But as his gaze lingered, it slipped from the wound to her legs–fair, smooth, and impossibly soft–looking
A faint scent wafted to him.
His throat tightened.
His palm itched.
He quickly pulled her skirt back down, his tone steady as ever.
“I’ll take you home.”
Candice wanted to say he didn’t have to–but he was already wheeling her out.
They said nothing during the trip back.
Charlie left her at her door and turned to leave immediately, not lingering a second.
Candice stared after him, puzzled.
Did he think if he stayed too long she’d… drag him back in or something?
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Charlie was still waiting for the elevator outside.
As she checked her phone, the elevator dinged.
From below, it rose and opened–to reveal a flushed, clearly drunk Kyle, face red from alcohol, standing across from an expressionless Charlie.
Their eyes locked.
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Chapter 50 Miss Hale Aren’t You Imaginative
Both were stunned.
Charlie’s face darkened.
How did he get the elevator code for this floor?
Did Candice give it to him?
“You…!”
+25 BONUS
Kyle’s alcohol–addled brain was slow, but when he saw the elevator stop on the 13th floor and realized Candice lived there, rage surged through him.
He stumbled out and grabbed Charlie’s collar.
“What are you doing at my wife’s place? What the hell were you doing here?!”
Just the thought of Candice sleeping with another man sent him into a frenzy.
Inside, Candice heard the commotion.
Wait… was that Kyle’s voice?
She wheeled herself out, and sure enough-
Charlie had just pushed Kyle to the floor in disgust.
Brushing off his collar, he glanced up and saw her.
His eyes turned cold.
“If you’re going to let him in your home,” he said icily,
“why bother playing so many games?”
