Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Candice went downstairs in the morning, only to stumble over a small leg that was sticking out of the wall.

That man reeked of an unbearable stench. She thought that he was a scavenger at first but his pants, shoes, and socks were pretty clean and more importantly, they were from a designer label. They were also in the same color as the designer apparel she had bought for Rufus last year.

She approached carefully and just as she expected, he was squatting there.

There were dozens of cigarette butts scattered all over the ground, along with four or five empty beer bottles. His face. was covered in a messy beard and he looked incredibly disheveled.

Candice stood still and stared at him warily.

Rufus was still sober but he seemed to have a lisp and his words were slurred.

“Are you satisfied now, you bitch?”

She couldn’t understand what he was saying but she could

tell that he was lashing out at her.

“What nonsense are you getting up to!?!”

“Haven’t you harmed me enough? Why are you still feigning ignorance!?!”

He lived in a fancy apartment and drove an Audi A8. Who was he to say that she had harmed him?

Candice picked up the bottle of wine and splashed the remaining wine at his face. “Get lost!”

After wiping his face, he said, “I’ve lost my job as the deputy director! It’s over for me.”

“That’s great to hear,” Candice said sneeringly.

“Byron was the culprit,” Rufus said.

She had clarified things on his behalf, helped him get reinstated at his job, and took revenge for him.

In return, he got back at Rufus for Candice so that they would be even.

“100 grand! I paid a hundred grand! Now I’m ridden with. debts!”

She entered the elevator while Rufus chased after her.

“You seduced Byron to force me to death, huh? Candice, you actually resorted to such dirty tricks with me!”

Since it wasn’t safe being alone with Rufus, she walked out and took the stairs instead.

“Stop making false accusations,” she said.

“There’s no feud between him and I. If you didn’t instigate him, why would he have come to create trouble for me? You slut!”

Candice pushed him and said, ““Did Byron make you embezzle public funds to support Rita? You had it coming! You deserve to be in trouble.”

“I’ll make up for it! I’ve already contacted the property agent to get my house sold. I just need a few more days!”

“You’re selling the house?”

Rufus was flustered and panic–stricken as he explained, “I… I’ll buy it again when things get better in the future…”

“Half of the house belongs to me! I paid 30 grand for the down payment. You have no right to sell it!” Candice

t

hollered.

Angered by her words again, Rufus waved his hand and flung her to the ground.

Candice got up in and barked, “I’ll sue you to court if you dare to sell the house!”

“Go ahead. Do you have any evidence? The house is in my name so there’s no way you’d win the case.”

Rufus kicked the wine bottles and left arrogantly.

Candice was reminded of Percy almost immediately.

With connections to top lawyers, she would definitely have a high chance of winning in a situation that was

disadvantageous to her. Even though she didn’t know Percy well, her intuition told her that he could help her.

After looking through her call history in the car, she finally realized that she didn’t save his number.

Percy didn’t give her his number and she had forgotten to ask him for it too.

As for the equally capable Byron, it was clear that he was the type to choose quick battles. After destroying Rufus‘

career, his actions would stop at that.

Candice wasn’t sure if Percy would help her because they were at most, acquaintances. However, she didn’t want to get Byron involved.

If she were to approach Percy, it would be considered a normal favor that she would return in the future.

If she were to ask Byron, the lines would be blurred because they had slept with each other after all.

However, Candice didn’t expect him to help her this time.

According to Harry, Vicky seemed to be out of job and was no longer acting in plays. She chose to become an actress with the agenda to get to know a wealthy man to sponge off of. Now that Byron was madly in love with her, he would definitely provide for her, which meant that there were no secrets between them.

She might easily create trouble if she were to call him right

now.

The best thing to do is to send a message to thank him.

Soon after she sent it, Byron called her.

“Come over,” he said.

Candice immediately got up after sitting down and peeked towards the office door.

“Where?” she asked.

“My place,” he said, feeling a little depressed.

Candice heaved a sigh of relief before sitting down again.

“Professor Wilson, you must be mistaken,” she said.

Byron hung up immediately.

She didn’t get to say the words “I’ve decided not to court you anymore.”

After hesitating for a while, Candice still wanted to get some closure so she typed out a long text to explain her behavior.

She included the fact that she had an agenda for approaching him but was sincere about courting him, and that even though she didn’t love him, she had a good feeling about him. She also mentioned that she had decided to give up and wished him and Vicky a blissful relationship.

Soon, Byron replied without any regard to Candice’s

explanation.

—[Bring a box of painkillers with you.]

Candice was stunned and she immediately called him, only to find that his cell phone had been switched off.

He was usually calm and civilized but when he was aggressive, he would be absurdly overbearing and tyrannical.

He wasn’t understanding at all.

She texted Harry to ask him if he was free to make a trip to Byron’s house together with her.

In the end, she received a text from his female assistant: [Doctor Harry is in the midst of a surgery.]

There were plenty of men who had fertility issues.

It was no wonder that Nancy would say that men like Byron were rare to come by and not to be missed.

Candice didn’t have Enos’s number so she had no choice but

to knock on the desk next to hers.

“Help me take the day off.”

“Do you have something on?” Monica asked as she raised her head.

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“I need to go to the hospital to get my dressing changed.”

“Ah… Are you dating that man now?” Monica asked, turning her chair to stop her.

“Which man?” Candice asked, not realizing who she was referring to.

“The gentleman who sent you home last night.”

“Oh, he’s just a friend. There’s nothing between us.”

“He’s such a good catch and you don’t even like him? He’s handsome and tall while you’re divorced!” Monica said, clucking her tongue.

“You’re overestimating me. He just won’t like me,” Candice said as she walked past her.

“A highly elite man is actually willing to hold up his work for a woman. At least, he doesn’t hate you or reject you. The progress you can reach with him depends on how you two feel on your next meeting but for men like him, their feelings are usually fleeting. They also rate women according to a points system. They might rate you a 7 today and kick you out the next day if they suddenly get the ick because of

something about you.‘

Candice took out her phone and said perfunctorily, “Well, you’re the expert at this.”

Extremely smug, Monica said, “I’ve had six elite men consider me as their potential partner before.”

“What happened afterwards?”

With a look of displeasure, she said, “I got kicked out. Otherwise, I would be a rich man’s wife instead of working here now.”

Shaking her head, Candice said, “Elite men won’t marry a poor woman, Monica.”

She left the office, went to the pharmacy to get painkillers and some regular cold medicine, then drove straight to Byron’s house.

She remembered he lived in Unit 1101 of Block C but the door wasn’t locked this time.

“Professor Wilson?” she called out.

There was no response.

Candice pushed the door wider. There was a huge mess starting from the entryway, all the way to the living room. It looked like a war had just taken place,

On the other hand, Byron was sitting on the couch with blood dripping from his arm.

Candice searched several rooms but couldn’t find Vicky,

“Where is she?”

Byron didn’t answer.

She recalled Harry saying that Vicky would dump Byron once she meets a richer and sillier man.

It actually happened so soon.

“Did you get into a fight with her man?”

Byron’s eyes were filled with extreme hostility.

She had guessed right.

While packing up, Candice thought to herself that if there was a man who was so madly in love with her, she’d definitely devote herself to him.

In particular, affection and devotion from a heartless man like Byron would be especially poignant.

“Where’s the first aid box?”

“In the TV cabinet,” he said with his eyes closed.

Candice cut the gauze and dipped it in alcohol to sterilize it.

“Let’s try to stop the bleeding for now. You can go to the doctor’s office on your own later,” she said.

“Do you want to get it on?”

He suddenly said.

Candice’s hand shook a little and she tied a dead knot.

It was broad daylight.

“I’m asking you a question,” Byron continued.

“Professor Wilson, you’re bleeding,” she said as she closed the first aid box.

She turned to the side while Byron yanked and pulled her into his arms.

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“You think I can’t do it just because I’m injured?”

Candice was enraged.

“I’m not here to play with you,” she snapped.

“Why are you here then?” he asked sullenly and indifferently.

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“I should be thanking you in person for making Rufus lose his job. Secondly, I’d save even dying strays that I see on the streets.”

Her explanation was clear and logical but Byron didn’t need it.

He just had to calm his raging hormones, his anger, and his burning desires.

After a few brief kisses, Byron tugged on her skirt.

Even the detailed flirting was omitted, and it was obvious that he was purely venting his emotions on her.

Candice wasn’t pretentious about it at all. Since they were adults, it was only normal for men and women to each have their own needs. She had been abstaining from sex for all

three years of her marriage to Rufus, so she wasn’t repulsed by it now.

Besides, Byron was incredibly handsome and great in bed. As long as the atmosphere was right, she could give in.

She was very attracted to good–looking man.

However, she couldn’t accept it this time because he wasn’t considering her feelings at all and was just using her.

Candice removed the bandage on her wound and revealed the ghastly wound, which made Byron pause in his actions.

After scrutinizing it for a long time, he didn’t take it seriously and said, “It won’t matter with the lights off.”

She reckoned that he was just teasing her. A man who has been with countless beautiful women would probably be turned off by a disfigured one.

At least, when Candice squatted down to bandage it, he didn’t touch her again.

He couldn’t even be bothered to look at her.

After dressing her wound, Candice put the box back while Byron asked from behind her, “Do you have a piercing

Candice turned her head, only to find that his shirt was unbuttoned and his pants were hanging loose.

He said languidly, “Go get it pierced.”

“Get what pierced?”

“Are you really that innocent or are you just pretending?” Byron said, staring at her indifferently.

Candice did not say anything and went to the counter to pour some water again.

The next thing she knew, a hot breath came up against her from behind, and Byron’s body heat was like a hot stove, making her shiver.

He pressed his palm against Candice’s chest and slid it down again, skimming her waist with full force.

“I forgot how pure you are.”

She avoided him but he nibbled on her ear and said, “You can be less pure.”

Candice was less experienced, but with Nancy’s guidance,

she knew quite a bit about this so she obviously understood what he meant. After he touched her, she understood it even

more.

She cocked her head to the side and asked, “Does Vicky have a piercing there?”

Apart from being provoked by Vicky, Candice couldn’t really think of anyone else he could be mad at.

However, she was really wild and out of line.

Ordinary men wouldn’t be able to handle a player of Rita’s level, let alone one as crazy as Vicky.

Byron snapped impatiently, “Can you not mention her?”

“No.” Candice pushed him away and said, “I’ve given you your medicine. Now, I have to go back to work.”

When she got to the elevator, she still felt worried and turned back to ask, “Do you know how to order takeout?”

Byron ignored her, opened a beer with one hand, and returned to his cold and aloof appearance.

It wasn’t her business if he was hungry since they weren’t lovers.

Candice walked out of the building, circled twice, and finally gave in by ordering a steak and a soup for him.

She didn’t even notice that Byron was standing in front of the window on the 11th floor, watching her.

He wasn’t the type to force others against their wishes. If they tried and things didn’t work out, he wouldn’t force it.

There was no point in forcing.

Byron had broken his rules twice in his life, once with Vicky, whom he had given up his dignity to chase, and once with Candice, who was in a relationship at that time.

It didn’t end well with Vicky, and with Candice, he had no intention of developing real feelings for her.

Shortly after Candice left, Enos’s flashy red sports car pulled up downstairs, and when he entered, he first glanced at the bedroom bed before asking, “Where’s the girl?”

Massaging his temples, Byron said in low spirits, “She left.”

Enos smacked his lips and said, “She rejected you? What a unique character. A lot of women are jumping at the chance to be with you, yet she turned it down.”

It was the first time that Byron had ever been rejected by a woman. Moreover, Candice had once been hot in her pursuit for him but her enthusiasm had died down.

“That’s a good woman. She’s not frivolous and doesn’t get involved.” Enos twiddled his fingers. “It’s time to pay the price for losing the bet.”

Byron stood up and said, “The card is in the drawer. It’s not locked.”

Enos bent down and took out a bank card before scrutinizing it carefully. “Is there enough money in here?”

Byron buttoned his shirt and said in a flat tone of voice, “Do I look like I’m short of money?”

“I’m just happy. How many times have I made a bet against you? You’ve finally lost for once.”

Enos leaned against the wall and continued, “You acted too realistically. You even cut yourself with a knife.”

“It was a real fight,” Byron said as he glanced at his wound.

Enos stood up at once and asked, “Did Vicky’s man come to catch her in the act?”

Candice’s skills were pretty bad. The gauze loosened right after he touched it, so Byron had to tie it again.

“He didn’t get the upper hand.‘

“That old man is pretty good,” Enos said in disbelief.

“It was the other one,” he said calmly.

It seemed that Vicky had deceived both the old man and him.

Enos felt that it was fortunate that Vicky hadn’t pestered Byron to the point of no return, otherwise she would have ruined his life and something would have happened sooner or later.

“You are such a stable person. Is it worth it to fight for Vicky?”

There is no value in feelings, only whether you fall too hard

or not.

Half an hour later, the takeout ordered by Candice arrived at the door.

“Whose takeout is it?” Enos asked.

The person on the other side said, “This is for a weak ex- boyfriend.”

Enos was stunned, took the bag, and left it on the dining room table.

“Byron, are you impotent?”

Byron didn’t hear what the delivery man said and had just changed into his suit pants and was ready to go to the hospital.

“What do you mean?”

Enos pouted, and the takeout order was facing him.

Byron flicked his index finger without making a sound.

“Vicky’s so intense. You were together for about six months. and it’s been over a year since you split up, but your manhood hasn’t recovered yet.”

Byron would never eat a poor–quality steak or greasy soup.

He pushed the food to Enos and said, “Throw it away.”

He then turned around to take off his shirt.

“Want to make another bet?” Enos followed him, “The bet is on the Veyron in my garage.”

Enos owned an orange Bugatti Veyron, which was one of only 20 worldwide, and he was the only one in NY who owned it.

Byron looked at him in the mirror and said, “Bet on what?”

Get Candice in a month and the car is yours.” Enos grinned and continued, “Dare you bet? She’s a tough nut to crack, and spending money won’t work. I don’t think she’ll take the bait if you resort to tricks either.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Half a month, and the car keys are mine,” Byron said as he dumped the wrinkled shirt in the washing machine.

Enos squeezed his shoulder and said, “You have to get out in one piece. If you fall in love, you don’t get the car.”

“You’re thinking too much,” Byron said, moving his hand away calmly.

Girls like Candice would be fine for killing loneliness and boredom, but when it comes to love, she would be too bland and unchallenging.

Enos split up with Byron and went for a drive in the

countryside. He revealed the bet to Harry, who was quite surprised.

Enos and the guys were playful and often went too far. Although Byron was part of their circle, he had always kept a strict bottom line and would never participate in anything he wasn’t supposed to be involved in.

It was not like him to make a bet on this.

Harry suddenly figured it out and said, “Vicky is very jealous of Candice.”

“So?” asked Enos who didn’t catch it.

Harry didn’t say much, and simply felt that Candice was quite unlucky.

He didn’t intend to get involved at first but because of Enos, he was embroiled in the messy relationship between the players.

Candice returned to the office just after the meeting and was making coffee at the water cooler when she received a text message from Harry.

[Beware of sugar–coated bombs.]

She was dumbfounded and asked: [From who?]

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While she was waiting for his reply, Instagram alerted her to a message request, and Candice clicked on the profile. She zoomed in on the profile picture, only to find that it was blank and the username was ‘Z‘.

The message was: [Are you free?]