Chapter 25
Mollie rolled her eyes. “Mind your own business.”
Joseph said, “As someone who’s been on the receiving end, I’m giving you fair warning–Wilson is even more dangerous than Justin. Don’t think you can get close to him easily.”
“As long as he’s not blind like Justin, I’m fine,” Mollie retorted, glancing at Candice from a distance, her irritation bubbling up again.
“I still can’t figure out what Justin’s thinking,” Mollie muttered. “My friend, Lynn Campbell, is so much better than this girl, but he wouldn’t even consider her.
“Lynn?” Joseph frowned. “Oh, come on. At that party, she was throwing shade at Candice the whole time. I don’t like her.”
“Shut up!” Mollie shot back. “She likes Justin. Of course, she’d feel jealous seeing another woman by his side. You guys just don’t get it!”
Joseph shrugged and went quiet. Fine, maybe he did not get it. But at least his moral compass worked–he knew good from bad.
After his talk with Arthur, Justin grew unusually quiet. He did not bother checking on Candice, who was sitting silently in the corner.
Instead, he focused on drinking, one glass after another. By the time the gathering ended, Justin was visibly drunk
Candice approached him, gently holding his wrist. “Justin, you have chronic gastritis. You should stop drinking.”
He paused, turning to glance at her. His gaze lingered for a moment before he looked away.
“Alright,” he muttered, Only after finishing the drink in his hand did he stand up. “That’s it for tonight. Let’s call
He walked toward the door but staggered after only a few steps. Candice immediately steadied him, saying, ” Watch your steps.”
Still holding a bottle, Joseph leaned toward Arthur and whispered, “What’s going on? Justin doesn’t seem in a great mood tonight.”
Arthur did not answer right away. His gaze fixed on Candice’s back, and after a moment, he asked, “Joseph, have you ever thought that, in some ways, Candice looks a little like Serena?”
Josephi frowned. “No way. Candice is way prettier.”
Arthur shook his head slightly. “I mean Serena back when she first started college.”
Joseph blinked, the realization dawning on him. Back then, Serena was fresh–faced, with sleek, straight black hair
like Candice’s. She used to sit quietly, exuding an air of innocence and simplicity.
Joseph finally replied, “You know… now that you mention, she kind of does.”
He grinned as if putting pieces together. “So after all this back and forth, Justin’s just got a type, huh?”
Arthur did not reply. He simply picked up his blazer, stood and left.
+25 BONUS
Chanter 25
The night was hazy, and the neon lights along the street cast a colorful glow. Candice put her arm around Justin’s waist, helping him toward the curb where the driver had just pulled up with the car. Then, she carefully guided him into the backseat of the Maybach.
As Justin settled into the seat, he suddenly grabbed her hand and muttered, “Don’t go.”
Candice’s cheeks flushed. “I’m right here.”
“Serena…” Justin murmured, his voice thick and slurred. “Don’t go.”
Candice froze, her entire body stiffening as her expression turned cold. Her gaze shifted to Justin’s partially unbuttoned shirt, her eyes glinting with an unreadable darkness. Just as she was about to climb into the car, a forceful hand yanked her backward.
“Step aside!” Mollie demanded, glaring at her suspiciously
“I’m taking Justin home,” Candice replied, her tone calm but firm.
“There’s no need. I’ll take him home,” Mollie snapped. “You can get yourself a ride back to wherever you stay.
There was no way Mollie would leave Justin in Candice’s care. She could not risk Candice taking advantage of Justin in his drunken state. If anything happened–if Candice got pregnant with a Farrow heir–her mother would lose her mind..
+25 BONUS
Chapter 26
