Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Previously at the company dinner, Candice escaped the drinks a few times but she didn’t manage to this time. Thus, she was now a little giddy because she had chugged two pints of iced beer and her wound was getting inflamed.

Being the gentleman he was, Percy gave Candice a ride home after delivering her cell phone to her.

While he was passing by New Century Bar on the way, Byron coincidentally saw him.

Immediately afterwards, Candice received a short text message that consisted of only four words.

[Stay away from him.]

Confused by the random text out of the blue, Candice pondered for a moment before replying with a string of question marks.

Byron soon replied: [You’re really something.]

It was rare of him to contact her first but unfortunately, he was too cold and harsh with her. It was as if she owed him a living.

Previously at the company dinner, Candice escaped the drinks a few times but she didn’t manage to this time. Thus, she was now a little giddy because she had chugged two pints of iced beer and her wound was getting inflamed.

Being the gentleman he was, Percy gave Candice a ride home after delivering her cell phone to her.

While he was passing by New Century Bar on the way, Byron coincidentally saw him.

Immediately afterwards, Candice received a short text message that consisted of only four words.

[Stay away from him.]

Confused by the random text out of the blue, Candice pondered for a moment before replying with a string of question marks.

Byron soon replied: [You’re really something.]

It was rare of him to contact her first but unfortunately, he was too cold and harsh with her. It was as if she owed him a living.

Candice didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy. Instead, she was disgruntled.

She didn’t reply to it.

Two minutes later, he texted again.

[Whose care are you in?”

Candice’s heart skipped a beat and began pounding vigorously. She looked out of the window and glanced around but Byron’s Jaguar was nowhere to be found.

While driving, Percy could sense that she seemed a little. distracted.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She sat up straight again and said, “It’s nothing, I just mistook someone else for my colleague.”

“Your colleague, Monica?”

“What did she say to you?” Candice asked, staring at him.

“She said that you’re a kindhearted woman but life has been unfortunate for you,” Percy said smilingly.

“That’s Monica for you…”

After a second of silence, Percy said, “She said that your husband has never gotten intimate with you.”

Actually, Monica told him that Rufus chose not to sleep with Candice because he was bewitched by a vixen and was planning to divorce Candice. Thus, he was afraid that she might secretly get pregnant and prevent him from getting divorced.

However, Percy was a well–mannered man and chose not to make things sound too explicit.

“Ignore her,” Candice said while blushing.

Percy’s Adam’s apple rolled a little but he didn’t say anything.

The journey took a long while and Percy didn’t even have time to drink a sip of water.

Feeling bad about it, Candice asked Percy after he pulled over, “Mr. Percy, do you want to come upstairs for some water?”

“Is it convenient for you?” he asked as he switched off the engine.

It meant that he had accepted the invitation and all Candice had to do was to show him the way.

“There’s no one at home,” she said casually.

Percy gripped the steering wheel with one hand and looked away from her.

“Is that so?” he said, chuckling.

She immediately tried to give herself an out.

“Well, I do have a tank of goldfish that are pretty humane. Does that count?”

His laughter intensified and he said, “I don’t think so.”

After a moment of awkwardness, Candice pushed the door open to get out of the car while Percy unbuckled his seat belt and got out too.

The sound–controlled lights in the hallway broke down yesterday and had yet to be fixed. It was so quiet when they went upstairs that their breathing could be heard.

An ambiguous tension arose rapidly in the air.

Neither of them had those intentions.

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However, nightfall often seemed ambiguous for a man and a woman who were alone with each other.

Percy stood exceptionally close to her, with his hand on the railing of the stairs, seemingly protecting her from falling. From time to time, he would touch her unintentionally, the sounds of his flesh grazing against the fabric of clothes echoing in the stairway.

Candice couldn’t help but tense up and ask softly, “Mr. Percy, you didn’t get the wrong idea, did you?”

“I didn’t misunderstand, don’t worry,” Percy said in a calm and deep voice.

He was quite an amazing man.

Candice was put at ease easily with his words.

Miranda went back to the countryside during the day to pay respects at the graveyard and stay at her old house for a few days.

Standing outside her apartment, Candice fumbled about for her keys but the door was suddenly pulled open from inside.

Upon making eye contact, she asked in shock, “Mom, your haven’t left?”

“I didn’t manage to catch the bus. The driver…”

She suddenly looked up to see that there was a man in the corridor.

Not only was he well groomed, but he also had a decent demeanor.

“This is…”

Percy bent forward slightly and said, “Ma’am, I’m Candice’s friend.”

Miranda was stunned too and her eyes lit up immediately.

“Did you guys just get to know each other?” she asked.

Percy glanced at Candice and smiled without saying anything.

“I had a fever, so Mr. Percy gave me a ride home,” Candice explained as she walked into the apartment.

Failing to pay attention to the shoe rack in the foyer as she walked, Candice tripped and Percy quickly held onto her

waist, thinking that she was having a dizzy spell.

“Be careful,” he cautioned.

Overjoyed, Miranda turned to the side and said, “Please help her to her room. I can’t carry her.”

“I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Percy said with a stiffened expression.

“I’ve cooked some supper. Stay and eat,” Miranda said as she stood up and went into the kitchen to light the gas stove.

Percy helped Candice to the bedroom door and handed her a bottle of fever medicine before saying, “I shall not disturb you from your rest tonight.”

Candice was caught by surprise by the impromptu situation

too.

“Mr. Percy, please go ahead and get going if you’re busy,” she said.

Hearing the sounds of the door being closed, Miranda wanted to stop Percy from leaving but he was already gone.

“Don’t you like Doctor Byron?” Candice asked.

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“Percy’s not too bad either.”

“Not too bad? Well, he doesn’t like me,” Candice said, caught between laughter and tears.

Her instincts told her that regardless of whether Percy and Byron were related or not, he was a very extraordinary man.

Men like him tend to be players but when it comes to marriage, they would definitely pick a partner who was compatible with them in terms of background and status.

However, Candice was getting more and more curious. While lying on the bed, she replied to Byron’s text.

[How is Percy related to you?]

This time, Byron’s phone wasn’t with him but in Vicky’s hands.

There were nine text messages in total. He was just too lazy to delete them but Vicky perceived in a different manner.

Among the texts, the most irksome to her was the one from three days ago. [Professor Wilson, are things over between us again?]

Clearly, they had really been together before and were in an

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Chapter 19 Intense

on–again, off–again relationship.

Vicky thought that Candice was far more skilled than she imagined.

To gradually conquer a man without revealing one’s tactics is what one would call high–level.

Byron came out of the study to go into the master bedroom, only to find that the door was locked.

“Are you showering?” he asked.

“In a minute,” Vicky said.

She noted down Candice’s cell phone number and deleted all text messages sent by her.

When Byron arrived at the department the next day, Harry was stunned.

“Did you say that Doctor Roger personally asked you to return to your job?” he asked.

Byron changed into his work attire and said, “Do I look like. the type to give in first?”

“You don’t but Candice does,” Harry said emotionally.

“What does it have to do with her?” he asked, his hand stiffening as he was buttoning his shirt.

“Candice pleaded Doctor Roger and clarified things on your behalf, which gave him just the right reason to ask you to come back. Otherwise, Doctor Roger wouldn’t have been able to withstand the pressure from the hospital. As for Rufus, Candice threatened him with death, so he stopped kicking up a fuss.”

Byron and Vicky had been going hard against each other lately, so much that he had almost forgotten about the blackmailing.

“Rufus never showed up again?” he asked.

“Candice went to his office and exposed all his dirty deeds with Rita in the midst of a meeting. Of course he’s scared now.”

Byron really couldn’t imagine that the weak and obedient Candice would pull such a shocking move.

“Doctor Byron, I’m very sure she has feelings for you,” Harry said while patting him on his shoulder.

Byron wasn’t concerned about her feelings for him. After searching through his contacts, he realized that Candice’s number was gone.

“Give me her number.”

“Your sweetheart is bothered by Candice, huh?” said Harry who instantly figured out what happened,

Byron remained silent.

He had given Vicky the privilege of doing whatever she wanted, including squandering his money on frivolous vanity.

He was most afraid of her doubting him.

After she returned, she still suspected him of being in at relationship with another woman.

Byron typed Candice’s number and was about to dial it when Vicky leaned against the door and knocked twice.

“Doctor Byron, I’m here to pick you up from work,” she said.

“Are you coaxing her behind my back?” she asked, glancing at his phone screen.

“Did you delete her number?” Byron asked as he paused in his actions.

“I deleted it because I found it an eyesore.”

After hearing her words, Harry put down his work at hand and wiped the lens of his glasses. He then scrutinized Vicky in detail.

Candice was considered pretty but Vicky was much hotter and feistier than her.

She was a bona fide bombshell. With her impeccable and intimidating aura as well as her deep and sexy voice, she could easily charm any man.

She was a classic case of a dangerous beauty who liked wreaking havoc because she was used to male attention.

Byron’s face became even more sullen as he walked out of the door and went to the rooftop.

“Come here,” he said.

Vicky laughed fearlessly and followed him to the rooftop where he flung her hard and pressed her against the railing.

“Will it kill you not to seduce men?”

Leaning against the wall, Vicky lit up a cigarette and took a drag, looking incredibly gorgeous.

“Who did I seduce?” she asked.

She didn’t take the initiative to seduce men but they would gawk at her everywhere she went. For example, several men in the hospital had already done double takes at her while they walked, which was very much to Byron’s annoyance.

“I don’t like my woman being a flirt out there. You should know my rules.”

Vicky shoved the remaining half of the cigarette to Byron. Her lipstick had left a seductive mark on the butt.

He glanced at it without opening his mouth.

“I flirt around to prove that I’m charming and that you own the most charming woman. You could accept the fact that I almost got married. What’s wrong with letting those men stare at me?” Vicky said, tiptoeing as she tried to feed the cigarette into his mouth with her mouth.

On the other hand, Candice was in the emergency room on the first floor. Half an hour earlier, there was a chain collision between numerous cars on Queensboro Bridge of downtown. Thus, the emergency room was full of people and she had no choice but to look for Harry at the urology department.

The clinic was closed in the afternoon, and on Monday,

Rooms 1 and 2 were only open for half a day. Harry was in Room 2.

There was a description of Byron’s profile on the wall in Room 1.

He was rather photogenic, with distinct and chiseled features.

Candice, on the other hand, wasn’t photogenic as she looked rather wretched in her wedding photo with Rufus.

Since he wasn’t at the clinic, she reckoned that he wasn’t in the hospital. Apart from Vicky, there was no one who could stop him.

If Byron was around, Candice would rather skip treatment than meet him.

However, she wasn’t feeling guilty because Vicky hadn’t returned when she was courting him. Hence, she didn’t steal Byron from Vicky. Moreover, she didn’t even succeed in winning Byron’s heart.

She just felt awkward, shy, and embarrassed.

Candice asked the counter about it and the nurse informed her that Harry was still writing some material in the office.

She immediately made a turn and blocked the door.

“Doctor Harry, you’re pretty free, huh?” she remarked.

Harry was watching Netflix and the half–written materials were on Byron’s desk.

He held up the frame of his glasses and said, “Doctor Byron has gone back to work at the clinic.”

Candice nodded and said, “I know. I got a queue ticket to see him.”

“You deserve great credit for helping the urology department retain a talented doctor.”

“It’s not because of that.”

“Still can’t get over him, huh?” asked Harry, who was just waiting for her to pour her heart out to him.

Candice ignored him.

“It’s not embarrassing at all. There are lots of women who adore Doctor Byron and at the very least, you’re living well. You’re not threatening to jump off a building or slit your wrists, nor do you throw any tantrums, unlike them.”

Candice tugged at the bandage on her head and changed the subject. “I think it’s inflamed.”

Pinching her chin, Harry checked her wound under the white light and asked, “Did you get water on it?”

“Some water got onto it when I was washing my face but I didn’t dare to remove the bandage and it’s been wet.”

“Do you want to be disfigured? You’ll get an infection!”

Harry looked down and blew off the dust on her wound before saying, “Are you a woman at all? Don’t you care about your face? My ex–girlfriend used to get customized skincare products.”

Byron was standing in the corridor and watching everything while Vicky was right behind him.

With a smile, she said, “Doctor Harry, are you in charge of the general department too?”

Harry turned around, not knowing who to explain to.

“I’m just replacing her dressing,” he said simply.

Byron had long noticed the bandage on Candice’s forehead. Her face was small and as fair as porcelain. Thus, the wound

was extremely obvious. Without probing further, he returned to his seat while Vicky sat straight down on his lap unashamedly.

Byron looked away and nudged her.

“We’re at work,” he reminded.

With her arms wrapped around his neck, Vicky said, “Are you still mad at me? I’ll wear sunglasses to cover my face when I go to places with plenty of men.”

He didn’t respond and simply tidied his desk.

She stood up and put her hip against the corner of the desk while saying, “Byron, are you forcing me to do this the hard way?”

Candice couldn’t help but glance at her.

Indeed, those who stoop low to beg are bound to lose the upper hand while those who are favored are usually fearless.

Vicky returned soon after.

Hugging him from behind, she said in a mellower voice, “Do you want to do it tonight?”

Byron flipped through the clinical reports, as if he wasn’t interested in that at all and was just trying not to embarrass her.

“Not necessarily,” he clipped.

Candice pretended not to hear them. After getting her wound cleaned and bandaged, she bade farewell to Harry without even acknowledging Byron when she walked past him.

She was conscious enough not to butt in while Byron was engaged in some PDA with Vicky.

However, Vicky didn’t let her off.

“Byron, is that your friend?” he asked.

Candice felt rather repulsed, unsure if it was because of Vicky or because she had been nitpicked on for nothing.

She had retreated a long time ago.

Byron went by the book and said indifferently, “How’s your injury?”

“It’s almost healed.”

“She’s about to die,” Harry interjected.

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Byron frowned.

Candice turned her head to look at Harry.

“Doctor Harry?”

“What’s wrong with her?” Byron suddenly asked.

Harry wanted to make it sound more serious at first so that Byron would be sympathetic and give in. There would be a follow up then. However, Candice answered before he could.

“I just got a tiny injury from knocking my head against the door.”

Afterwards, she strode away.

“She’s really something. She managed to win your friend’s heart,” Vicky said after looking away.

“She’s not half as capable as you,” Byron remarked with raised brows.

“She’s naturally more capable than me since she could

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snatch you away from me. If she can’t, she’s just mediocre.”

She leaned over and asked, “Can she snatch you away?”

Byron felt a surge of arousal but it was just a physical urge. On the one hand, he did miss Vicky’s liberal sensuality but on the other hand, he felt rather disgusted.

The closer she got to him, the more obvious the feeling became.

Many men had experienced her passion.

Byron leaned back without saying anything.

In the evening, Vicky was taking a shower in the bathroom while Byron walked to the balcony to call Candice.

She asked him what was going on.

Her businesslike attitude was even more detached than Byron’s.

“You went to see Doctor Roger?”

“I didn’t want to get you implicated.”

After a moment of silence, he asked, “Is that all?”

Candice asked rhetorically, “What else did you think, Professor Wilson?”

Byron hung up immediately with complicated emotions.

He rubbed his nose bridge and thought to himself that it made sense for her to be cold towards him since he had always been harsh to her.

He respected Candice for having a sense of pride and knowing when to retreat.

On the very same night, Byron and Vicky broke out in the most heated argument ever.

Vicky had a piercing in her private area, a wild interest that she had gone all out to pursue.

Byron had completely lost interest and he asked her who she had gotten that piercing for.

Lying in his arms, Vicky said casually, “I got it for fun.”

Her frivolous vibe caused Byron to be vexed and unable to vent his frustration.

He decided to sleep in the guest room and Vicky didn’t come to make peace with him.