Chapter 0456
Chapter 0456
Not long after ending the conversation with Kayla, Nadia came over and said that a client of Burning Star in Stugan City wanted to treat them to a meal and asked Candice to go with her.
Candice remembered the first time she met Hanley in Stugan City, he was conducting an exhibition. She had been lucky that day.
However, her luck wasn’t great today. As she exited the hotel, she ran into Henry.
Henry saw Candice, and his expression sank. It was very interesting. His mouth moved, as if he wanted to say something. But after glancing outside, he left hurriedly.
Since Henry didn’t speak to Candice, she naturally did not want to create trouble for herself, so she pretended not to see him. However, from the corner of her eye, she saw Henry get into a car parked at the entrance of the hotel. When the door opened, she could vaguely see the figure of a woman, probably Ava.
The place where they were meeting the client for dinner was a famous private restaurant in Stugan City. They were all acquaintances, so the atmosphere during dinner was very lively.
Hanley sat next to Candice and blocked those who tried to pour her wine. He said lightly, "She can't drink."
The client was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Mr. Baldwin, why don't I remember Burning Star ever having this lady? When did you add her? Since I've known you, Burning Star has never increased its staff."
He had a knowing look, his meaningful gaze shifting between Candice and Hanley.
Candice was surprised. She whispered to Hanley, "Does Burning Star not recruit externally?"
She had always thought that Burning Star, like Aether, would regularly recruit interns, but now that she thought about it, she had not heard of any such plans throughout her time in Burning Star.
Hanley had been drinking with the client, and although he did not drink much, there was a faint smell of alcohol on him.
He had initially kept his distance from Candice, but when he heard her question, he moved closer and whispered, "We do recruit."
Candice was puzzled. "Then when do you recruit? Do you also go for campus recruitment?"
Hanley looked at her with deep eyes. "No, Burning Star has its own requirements."
"What are the requirements?"
"They have to appeal to me."
Candice felt like his answer was no different from not saying anything, but the client found their conversation amusing, so the atmosphere at the table became lively again.
After spending time with them for a while, Candice felt a bit stifled and found an excuse to go outside for some fresh air.
The design of the private restaurant was very characteristic of the local area, with corridors that twisted and turned in all directions. Candice walked around for a while and, unexpectedly, when she turned around the last corner, she bumped into a group of people.
Ava, Nina, and Alex.
Candice could not help but feel it was quite a coincidence.
However, the unique layout of the restaurant made the corridors narrow, with various flowers decorating the sides, allowing only two people to pass at most.
Candice happened to meet Alex’s gaze, looking at him calmly.
Alex's emotions stirred slightly in his eyes. His hair was very black, his fringe resting on his eyebrows, making his black eyes look even deeper and more serene.
He stood behind Nina. When Nina and Ava saw Candice, they both halted, but Nina seemed more provocatively pleased, while Ava seemed more scrutinizing.
Nina smiled and spoke first. "Candice, don't you think we have a lot of fate? It seems like we can meet anywhere."
Candice replied casually. "The main city area of Stugan City just isn’t that big."
"Then it's perfect. Since we've run into each other, why don't we have a meal together? It just so happens that Alex is here today too. You used to be his secretary. Maybe you can catch up." Nina emphasized the word "secretary" heavily, and when she mentioned catching up, her eyes inadvertently looked at Candice's belly.
For some reason, Candice always felt resistant to Nina. She slightly turned aside, avoiding Nina's gaze.
However, Nina didn’t let her off. Although her tone was simple, there was always a sense of pressing oppression. "How many months pregnant are you?” she asked. “Haven't you found the biological father of the child yet? I heard that your child came quite suddenly..." Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
She deliberately stopped her sentence there, leaving the rest to the imagination.
Candice saw the gloating look in Nina’s eyes and remained unfazed. "Miss Burgess, have you ever heard a saying? Tom's grandmother lived to be a hundred because she never meddled in other people's business."
"You!" Nina's expression turned a little cold and was about to speak, but was stopped by Ava next to her.
"That's enough!"
Nina glared at Candice in dissatisfaction, then moved forward and bumped into Candice, pushing her aside. Ava's face remained expressionless, but she gave Candice a meaningful look and then followed Nina out.
The already narrow corridor meant Candice had to step aside when Nina bumped into her. A shadow loomed over her. She raised her eyes and saw Alex standing in front of her.
The weather in Stugan City was warm, and he was only wearing a shirt.
Alex looked very good in black, fully showcasing his noble and proud demeanor. Standing in front of Candice, he exuded a strong sense of oppression. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Candice looked up, her expression slowly exuding coldness. "You seem to be minding a little too much as well."
Alex's expression was cold, and the darkness in his eyes deepened. "When are you going back to Dorrington?"
His question seemed natural, but Candice's attitude immediately turned cold and hard. She looked at Alex indifferently and said, "Alex, do I need to remind you again? I have nothing to do with you now. My affairs are none of your business."
She was about to move away from Alex, but a food trolley came by. She tried to push Alex aside, but instead of moving away, he drew closer, firmly holding her in his arms to make way for the trolley.
At the same time, she heard his low voice in her ear. "I'm just reminding you. Henry is also in Stugan City. If you don't want to be entangled with him again, it's best to go back to Dorrington."
Candice was stunned, then frowned hard.
After the trolley passed, she pushed Alex away, looking displeased. "I already knew about Henry being in Stugan City. I don't need you to remind me." She glanced in the direction where Nina had just left, a hint of mockery playing on her lips. She spoke in an indifferent voice. "If you don't leave, your fiancée, Miss Burgess will probably come over."
Nina was standing not far away, looking in their direction.
Alex just glanced up. "She's not my fiancée."
Candice said, "Whether she is or not, you don't need to tell me."
She didn’t care about it. As long as Nina didn’t come over and show off in front of her, what did it matter if she and Alex got married tomorrow?
Candice didn’t say anything more to Alex and walked away.
Then she heard a voice filled with anger. "Candice!"