My Mirror Image

Chapter 148

The awkward atmosphere didn’t linger for long. Soon, some friends came out to greet Sieg. smoothing

things over.

Candice found herself in a dilemma now. Neither leaving nor staying seemed appropriate, so she

settled back onto the sofa.

The two young men beside her noticed her low spirits and, without lingering, slipped away to the

other side.

As the room buzzed again, Yana approached with a drink, finding Candice absentmindedly staring

at her phone.

Seating herself beside Candice, Yana spoke, “They’re playing cards over there. Why don’t you join? By

the way, why hasn’t Hanley come up yet?”

The dim lighting in the room conveniently concealed Candice’s expression. Her voice was soft as she

said, “I’m fine here. You all go ahead.”

She hadn’t had dinner that night, and after holding back her frustration all afternoon, her stomach finally

began feeling uncomfortable.

Seeing her lack of enthusiasm, Yana refrained from persuading her further, choosing to entertain

herself with another girl, drink in hand. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

With the lights dimmed in the room, Candice’s vision wasn’t great in low light. Plus, she had

deliberately chosen a corner seat so she couldn’t see where Sieg and Alex were, which eased her

mind a bit.

However, being in the same space still made her somewhat uneasy.

After sitting for a while, she grabbed her bag, preparing to go to the restroom.

She walked slowly, finally reaching the door of the private room. However, before she could open

it, the door swung open, revealing Hanley holding a phone, standing right there.

He glanced at Candice with a lowered gaze. “What’s wrong?”

Before Candice could answer, someone inside who knew Hanley greeted him, “Hanley, you’re

here? I didn’t believe Yana when she said you’d returned.”

Candice lowered her eyelashes and shifted aside slightly. “I’m going to the restroom. You go

ahead.”

+15 BONOS

Hanley seemed to want to say something but was interrupted. He was about to come up earlier, but

suddenly, a call came from their collaborator mentioning a new requirement, forcing him to

stay downstairs a bit longer.

In the restroom, Candice washed her hands and then glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

Her makeup was still flawless, but the fatigue in her eyes was too evident.

She pursed her lips and sent a message to Hanley, planning to head home for some rest.

However, as she turned the corner, she spotted Alex on a call.

His face was serious, eyes lowered, meaning he was probably discussing business.

Candice hesitated, wondering whether to wait a while before passing by. But as if sensing

something, Alex lifted his gaze just as she contemplated stepping back.

If she retreated now, it would seem intentional.

Her gaze flickered, and she decided to proceed.

Just a few steps away from Alex, she overheard his cold, composed voice from the phone. “Okay,

I’ll consider it.”

He hung up, his gaze casually sweeping over Candice before retracting.

He glanced down at his phone, his tone still somewhat cold. “Have you done this before?”

There were only a few people in the corridor spaced apart. Candice understood he was asking

about the incident with the two young men who had offered her drinks earlier.

Struggling to maintain composure, she replied firmly, “No.”

“First time?” Alex’s tone slightly lifted at the end. He glanced up at Candice, seemingly assessing the

honesty behind her words.

She felt a pang of shame when he bluntly asked her such a question. She closed her eyes briefly, her

voice dry. “Does it even matter? I don’t see why I should report to you.”

With a cold scoff, he pocketed his phone. His black pupils fixed on her, seemingly containing a surging

wave.

A storm was brewing.

After a while, his voice, void of any emotion, sounded, “Give me your medical check–up report by

tomorrow.”

+15 BONOS

Candice was stunned, then widened her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Alex remained expressionless. “Your explanations don’t convince me.”

Having said that, he turned and left.

Candice stood there alone, gasping for breath.

She knew exactly what Alex meant by asking for her medical report. He suspected her of being

involved in something illicit outside and feared she might contract an unwanted illness.

Candice felt as though she had been slapped hard across the face. She had to hold onto the window

frame to steady herself and breathe.

This medical report tore apart her dignity into pieces. Alex had shown no mercy.

She didn’t remember how she descended the building, but when she reached the parking lot, she

struggled to open the car door, pulling it multiple times before it gave way.

Seated in the driver’s seat, she leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. Waves of pain hit her

stomach, but she seemed unaware, the words spoken by Alex echoing in her mind.

It wasn’t until Hanley called, asking if she had reached home, that she realized she had been

sitting in the car for an hour.

Her voice sounded hoarse as she replied, “Just arrived, planning to rest.”

Hanley sensed something off. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just had something spicy downstairs. My throat isn’t feeling great,” she hurriedly explained

before hanging up.

When she reached home, it was already late. She found a box of stomach medicine in the drawer,

swallowing some before retiring to her room.

She had a sleepless night, waking up the next day looking terrible.

She rarely wore heavy makeup, but today, she did, attempting to conceal her haggard face.

At the office, just as she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Kayla, who furrowed her brows at

Candice, “Candice, Mr. Elysian suddenly notified us of an emergency meeting this morning.”

Candice paused. “When did he send the notice?”

“Ten minutes ago. Mr. Elysian said the meeting starts as soon as he arrives at the office,” Kayla replied,

then realizing something, turned to Candice. “Didn’t he inform you?”

+15 BONOS

Candice hadn’t received any message from Alex. Instead of answering Kayla’s question, she

asked, “What kind of meeting is it?”

“It seems to be about the financialization of artworks. There’s been a lot of support for this policy lately,

as per my friend’s information,” Kayla said.

However, Candice’s brows furrowed deeply. She had heard Hanley mention this before. It was a

move to boost development in the art sector.

So, was this related to Aether Corporation? Candice couldn’t comprehend it fully, and before she could

ponder more, Alex had already pushed open the meeting room door and entered. His face

was stern, and his eyes swept coldly over Candice’s face.

Indeed, the meeting’s topic was about artwork financialization, just as Kayla had mentioned. Given

Aether Corporation’s status as the financial elite in Dorrington City, it was bound to be

affected.

Alex laid out the department’s set goals, then tapped the table, stating, “Aether Corporation’s goal

has always been a new industrial chain. This is a good opportunity.”

Sitting below, Candice’s eyes flickered slightly.

He was right as this was indeed a remarkable opportunity.