Chapter 15: Chapter 15

It continued to rain throughout the night. The morning air of the following day still carried the aroma of sea salt verbena bath gel.

Candice though she had had an intense and vivid dream.

She propped herself up on the pillow, lifted her shoulders a little, and looked down at the man next to her.

“Professor Wilson, are you still asleep?”

The next second, Byron opened his eyes and rubbed his forehead without looking at her.

He had a straight nose bridge and deep–set eyes, with well- defined facial features.

Byron’s skin wasn’t fair but it was clear and free of any blemishes. His facial bone structure was rather good- looking.

He exuded a sense of mystery and maturity that came from within his bones.

Candice leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Professor

Wilson, you’ve been getting text messages on your phone.”

Byron reached over to the nightstand to unlock his phone, only to see that there were seven or eight consecutive text messages on his screen. They were sent one after another at half–hour intervals from 3 a.m. until dawn.

It came from the same contact, “V“.

His sleepiness vanished almost instantly, and he was wide awake and calm to the core.

“Have you read them?” he asked.

“No, I didn’t touch it,” Candice answered, shaking her head.

Byron got up, lit up a cigarette, and went through the text messages one by one.

Holding his cigarette, he remained silent while the smoke. engulfed his face, making him look incredibly sullen.

She was close enough to catch a glimpse of some of the messages.

—[Do you miss me?]

–[He might be ill.]

—[I regret it now.]

Byron was clutching his phone so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

Candice had a hunch that “V” must be Vicky.

Despite being married with children, she still had her ex- boyfriend bewitched and wrapped around her finger, much that he couldn’t forget her at all.

It was no wonder Harry had persuaded her to give up. With such impeccable tricks, Vicky was far superior and Candice was no match for her at all.

However, to Candice’s surprise, Byron deleted the messages without replying.

It was just like psychological warfare, where whoever can’t resist surrendering first loses.

He stood up to get dressed and it was the familiar scenario again, except this time it was more emotional than the last. She was much more invested, though Byron was largely the same. Just like before, he restrained himself from climaxing.

Candice stared at his back, feeling an urge to say something but clearly, his mind was elsewhere and he was distracted by

the text messages.

He walked to the couch and sat down at the spot where the sunlight was strongest. Calm and unfazed, he would glance at Candice every now and then.

The bright light shone on his white shirt and white pants, so pristine that it was blindingly clean.

After smoking a cigarette, Byron said in a deep voice, “Since you have a man now, we should avoid contacting each other from now on.”

Hearing his words, Candice knew that he was hinting to her that she should date someone properly since things wouldn’t work out between her and him.

“Marion and I aren’t in a relationship.”

Byron lit up another cigarette and asked, “Haven’t you already made it public?”

“I restricted my Whatsapp Moments to only a few people.”

Glancing at her indifferently, he asked, “Harry?”

Candice remained silent.

“Who were you trying to lure?”

“You,” she admitted straightforwardly.

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‘What a superficial and simple yet interesting trick.‘ He thought.

The fact that she had graciously admitted it sat well with him.

Instead of being irked by her behavior, Byron was impressed by her.

He dusted off his cigarette and remained rather patient, which was rare of him.

“No man would reject a woman who has thrown herself at him but that’s all it is,” he said.

Candice sat on the bed with her knees in her arms, truly speechless.

A while later, Byron picked up another phone call from his department, which reminded him that he had two male. vasectomies to perform this morning.

After he finished fixing his belt buckle, he paused and looked at her.

Candice finally came back to her senses and cleared her throat before asking, “Are you going to the hospital?”

He assented without moving.

He stared at her reservedly.

Candice instantly came to a sudden realization and asked, “Where are the pills?”

“In the second drawer compartment,” Byron said.

She popped a pill into her mouth and swallowed it dry without any water or hesitation.

Byron prefers smart women, and the smarter they are around him, the greater the chances of them becoming lovers.

Some men tend to be attracted to women who are similar to the ex–lover they can’t forget.

Byron was an exception.

Candice actually didn’t really understand him but she was very certain that things would backfire if she were to try to imitate Vicky in front of him.

The unrequited feelings of love and hatred were forbidden and subtle. Outsiders will never be able to understand the cause of the breakdown of their relationship.

By imitating Vicky’s charm, she might be able to quickly intensify Byron’s desire for her but likewise, it would also invoke his resentment.

Candice didn’t know how to handle such a contradicting and extreme man whose emotions were incredibly intense.

Hence, even though it was a tiring task to get Byron hooked, she decided to give up the risky gamble and just be herself.

Candice put her hands behind her back and fastened her bra but failed to do so after trying for a long time. Byron got up and walked to the bed to help her with it.

The roughness of his palm caused her to shiver.

In response, Byron leaned over and kissed her narrow spine.

Candice curled up even more. “Professor Wilson?”

He ran his lips back and forth along her cheek without touching it, leaving only his breath.

“Why are you shivering?” he asked.

Candice turned away to pick up her short skirt from the ground as she answered, “Women can’t stand the heat.”

“But you’re overly sensitive.”

Byron slid his palm over her body and came face to face with her, brushing his hand over the skin of her spine. When he made a momentary pause at her waist, her obliques tensed

He liked her soft and delicate waist. Candice told him that she indeed used to dance when he asked her about it last night.

It was no wonder that she had a tender, gentle, and lively sultriness to her aura and figure.

Candice discovered that Byron was a scum when it comes to love and relationships. He was fickle and erratic, but when it came to sex, he would never let his partner feel any

discomfort. He knew all the right things to do and would engage in the necessary foreplay.

Only a man who has been trained well by his ex would know the appropriate way to act.

Candice was definitely attracted.

Rufus was wrecked by Rita, while Byron was controlled

perfectly by Vicky.

Her first husband and first love never took her seriously.

The moment Byron left, Candice called out to him, “Professor Wilson, are we officially dating now?”

Without turning around, he replied with his back facing Candice, “What do you think?”

“I think we are,” Candice said.

Byron pulled the door open and said with a chuckle, “You’re pretty delusional.”

Soon after he left, another person came in. Candice was washing her face in the bathroom, only to hear the door getting slammed.

She immediately rushed out to see Enos glancing around.

As he did so, he nodded at her and explained, “This is the room I’ve been chartering for a long time.”

“This is your room?” asked a stunned Candice.

“It was booked with my ID.”

:

Byron didn’t even check into a separate room, and instead brought her to a hotel room booked under Enos‘ name.

It seemed that he was pretty guarded. When Candice left her phone in the car last night and wanted to go downstairs to get it, Byron didn’t allow her to do so. If she hadn’t forgotten about her phone and brought it into the room, he would have probably confiscated it too.

Enos took off his sunglasses in a slick manner and said, “Miss Candice, you don’t have to feel disheartened. He’s not only cautious with you, he’s cautious with everyone. If you give him video calls and send him flirty messages, he won’t respond.”

“Has he had a lot of women?”

“No, not really.” Enos opened the refrigerator door, took out a bottle of champagne and shook it skillfully a few times before continuing, “To be honest, no one knows exactly what his private life is like.”

“Why do you and Harry call him a jerk then?”

Annoyed that she didn’t appreciate his kindness, he retorted, “Are you standing up for him? Have you really gotten feelings for him? What do I get out of slandering him? Almost everyone knows that he’s a jerk.”

The bubbles from the champagne splattered all over the ground.

“You’re drinking in the morning?” Candice remarked with a frown.

“It’s fun and exciting. I don’t know where else to spend my money. Water is too cheap.”

Candice knew that although Enos liked having fun, he was pretty capable and was at least, not a wastrel.

Otherwise, given Byron’s high standards, he wouldn’t be friends with Enos.

She wiped her face, finished packing up, and said goodbye to Enos.

Leaning against the lamp in the corner, he said, “Byron has more money than I do, and it would be much easier for you to get his money than his heart.”

“I’m not after his money,” Candice said as she looked up with an innocent and honest expression.

“Are you after his status then? He’s pretty powerful,” Enos said with composure.

“I’m not after him for anything. I just want him for who he is.”

“Your acting chops are pretty good,” Enos remarked after glancing at her for a while.

Candice was annoyed by the way he could see through her easily. She changed into her shoes quietly.

“Just because your acting is good doesn’t mean it works. You should have heard about him and Vicky’s past. That woman is bad, unrestrained, materialistic, vain, and never pretentious. Yet, she’s the only one who managed to get both Byron’s heart and money.”

Candice really couldn’t figure out how Byron was addicted to her.

“People like us can only charm him once.”

“Us?”

Enos laughed and said, “He, I, and the men in our circle won’t fall for women without any background. We can toy with them but these women have to be sensible enough to know to get lost when they’re supposed to. Vicky managed to be the exception and almost marry Byron but that’s a miracle that can’t be replicated.

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Chapter 15: Not After Anything

Candice said sullenly, “What are you trying to tell me?”

“I’m trying to tell you to stop thinking about getting into a romantic relationship with Byron. With your experience, Byron can easily take you for a ride.”

Enos lied down lazily and buried his face in the blanket.

“Is that your scent?” he asked while sniffing.

Candice ignored him.

“I’ll give you a tip.” He was lying in the middle of the bed in a rather flirtatious manner, looking incredibly frivolous as he continued, “Women tend to be able to trap men with babies. It’s best if you get pregnant with twins. Byron is 32 years old this year. If you get pregnant with his children, he might just settle down with you.”

Not only was it a crazy move that wasn’t in line with her agenda, Candice didn’t dare to pull it on Byron.

He wasn’t the type to fall for women’s tricks.

After Candice walked out of the room, Enos dialed Byron’s number and said bluntly, “She’s not the same as those scheming women.”

Byron happened to be waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

Looking out of the window absentmindedly, he asked, “How so?”

Enos said vaguely, “She’s completely different from them. She’s pretty obedient and stupid.”

He said with a smile, “You’ve seen through her again.”

“She’s pretty protective of you.”

Byron remained cold and his tone was flat and emotionless.

“Is that so?”

“She questioned me and she was upset with the fact that I called you a jerk. She’s very stubborn.”

Byron grinned with joy and said, “Really?”

He usually replied in such a perfunctory manner when it comes to people he didn’t care about.

Since he used it in a conversation about Candice, it was clear what she meant to him.

Candice returned home, pulled out the key to unlock the door, and caught a glimpse of a man hiding in the stairway. He was blocked by the wall.

She was so frightened that her scalp tingled and she stared straight at the figure. “Who’s there!?!”

He didn’t move.

Candice took a step forward and said, “Rufus, is your illness acting up again?”

Immediately afterwards, a figure flickered and appeared under the light. It was Marion.

She breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Mr. Collins, what are you doing hiding there?”

Marion moved closer to her and stood next to her. “I was afraid it would be awkward if you didn’t come back alone.”

Candice remained silent.

“What’s your relationship with that man yesterday?”

She realized instantly that Marion was asking about Byron.

Instead of jumping into the pit, she tried to avoid it.

“My boss, Patrick. There was a misunderstanding between us and got you involved.”

Marion didn’t stop there. He continued, “What about the other one?”

“Rufus is my ex–husband. He seems to have gotten a new girlfriend and is in need of money so he was trying to look for a straw to blackmail me.”

Marion turned pale and sullen before saying, “Candice, why won’t you explain who that man in the car is? I saw you leave in his car with my own eyes and you didn’t return all night.”

“Why should I explain to you? We’re not in an exclusive relationship,” Candice said as she pushed the gate open.

“But I’m courting you.”

“That’s your business.”

“Candice, you’re just using me, aren’t you? You don’t plan to get into a new relationship at all. Well at least, not with a man you met on a blind date,” said Marion, who suddenly became austere.

She froze and said, “Mr. Collins, dating is not a guarantee of

Chapter 15: Not After Anything

100% success. It’s all about feelings.”

“Don’t you have feelings for me? You suggested that we take a photo together and I was really glad at that time. I thought you agreed to be with me.”

Feeling a little diffident and awkward, Candice was about to close the door but Miranda came out of the living room at this moment.

“Where have you been all night? You didn’t even come home to sleep,” Miranda asked.

She tilted her head and found Marion blocking the door. “You’re Marion, right?”

Marion was very well–mannered and did not show the displeasure caused by arguing with Candice.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry to be imposing on you.”

Miranda said smilingly, “Nah, please come in.”

Candice did not let him enter. She was rather cold.

Marion was tactful enough to decline.

“Ma’am, I’m afraid I don’t have time for that today. I’ve got

some work to do at the Department of Commerce. I’ll visit you another day.”

“Alright, drop by when you’re free. Candice, please walk Marion to the door,” Miranda instructed.

Candice put down her bag and followed Marion out the door. At the elevator, he stopped again and said, “I hope you’ll reconsider your choices.”

“Mr. Collins, I’m sorry,” said Candice, who was not in a good mood.

He didn’t utter a single word.

After Candice saw Marion off, Miranda asked, “Why did he come over? It doesn’t seem like he came to visit. What man would visit without a gift?”

Candice was amused and she said, “Have you forgotten that he’s a relative at the property manager? He came upstairs to say hello after visiting his relative.”

Miranda still didn’t believe her.

“Did you spend the night at his house?” she asked.

“No, I don’t have any feelings for him. I worked overtime

last night and it was too late by the time I was done so I couldn’t be bothered to travel home,” Candice said as she locked the bathroom door.

“Do I set you up for more blind dates then?” Miranda asked through the door.

“Forget it,” Candice said in a muffled voice.

She turned on the faucet and started showering.

After washing for some time, the smell of sea salt vervain still lingered.

Candice had never seen a sexually aroused man except Byron. Thus, he seemed rather enthusiastic.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to warm his icy cold heart.

On the other hand, Byron arrived at the hospital and was having a departmental meeting when a nurse went in to inform him that a patient was looking for him.

The patient was Rufus.

There were eight consultation rooms on the third floor. He was so busy that seven were closed and all the patients

gathered in the corridor to see the fun.

As soon as Byron showed up, Rufus leapt over and started mocking him while pointing fingers at him.

“The esteemed Doctor Byron of the urology department, under the guise of providing treatment, seduced my wife and wrecked my family. Doctor Byron, are you ready to settle scores?”