My Mirror Image by Maybe Not (Candice And Alex’s)

Chapter 0478

Yana's ex-classmate was called Zack Yancey.

As they entered the banquet hall, he immediately distanced himself from Candice. "Just contact me when you leave. Yana ordered me to make sure you get back safely."

Candice chuckled. "Does she think there are dinosaurs here?"

Zack shrugged. "Maybe."

Just as he finished speaking, Candice spotted a figure that made her more uncomfortable than if she had seen a dinosaur. In such gatherings, she knew she might encounter Alex. Back in South City, she used to carefully go through the guest list at every event. This time in Solaris, the invitation came directly from Darius, and she had no chance to refuse.

Zack noticed her gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I’m just thinking that this heavy rain had better not mess up my flight tomorrow morning."

She smiled, shifting her gaze away from Alex. Almost a year had passed, and any connection between her and Alex had long faded. There was no need to waste time and energy on irrelevant people.

After saying goodbye to Zack, Candice grabbed a glass of champagne and headed toward a group of people not far away. Some bosses from South City were chatting, and Catherine was among them.

Even though Darius hadn't mentioned anything about this party, Candice could guess his intentions. At the beginning, she and Darius had agreed that she would work for him in South City. Regardless of Darius's initial motivations, he had undeniably saved Ellis.

After a moment of contemplation, Candice raised her lashes and walked over with a cheerful smile, effortlessly blending into the conversation.

The discussion halted with the sudden, low voice of Alex. Holding a glass, he looked at Catherine. "Ms. Richardson, it’s been a while."

Catherine's eyes flashed, and she laughed. "Mr. Elysian, you’re funny. I'm fortunate to have collaborated with Aether Corporation, thanks to Mr. Simmons’ connections."

She picked up a glass of juice and said, "Apologies, Mr. Elysian. I haven't been feeling well lately and can't have alcohol. Let's toast to a Merry Christmas."

Candice, with an unchanged expression, stood nearby. She had heard much about Catherine's journey. Starting from scratch in South City, she had earned the title of ‘Ms. Richardson’ instead of Mrs. Simmons, a testament to her independent success.

Candice glanced at Catherine again. Apparently noticing her gaze, Catherine playfully remarked, "Have you been busy lately, Ms. Renault? I heard Mrs. Collins say there's a trend of matchmaking for you."

Actually, the way she put it was probably to avoid dwelling on business topics. Before Alex arrived, someone had brought up the Simmons and Rising Sun Group, and she had to casually steer the conversation away.

Candice was happy to contribute to the diversion, continuing, "Quite a few people recommended some people to me."

"But they might be disappointed," Catherine said. “I think I saw you with Zack from Mutemaw just now. You’re so young, beautiful, and capable; I’m sure you have many pursuers."

Catherine seemed to have misunderstood the relationship between Candice and Zack, but Candice didn't know how to explain. Explaining her love life in front of others felt strange, especially in front of several male bosses.

However, she knew Catherine didn't mean any harm, so she just smiled and planned to explain to Zack later. Yet, before she could respond, she felt a gaze. Without looking back, she knew exactly who it was.

Candice exchanged pleasantries with the executives present, and although she did not achieve the desired effect, she didn't want to stay there any longer. She turned and walked to another part of the room.

In a corner, she saw Darius entering with a woman. The woman was elegant and slender, but very pale. Candice recognized her as Bella.

Darius headed straight for Alex after arriving, while Bella glanced around before walking toward Candice.

Her voice was genuinely pleasant, even in a low tone. "Hello, can I sit here?"

Lacking enthusiasm, she sat down and began to daydream.

Candice and Bella had no common topics. Minding her own business, Candice took out her phone and noticed a message from the mysterious ‘1’.

It was sent eight minutes ago.

‘Are you in a relationship?’ Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Candice found the question odd. What business was it of his whether she was dating someone or not? The tone of this question from a stranger she hadn't even met in person was weird.

In Yana's words, it was quite off-putting.

But considering he was introduced by someone, she hesitated to block him outright. Maintaining social courtesy, she decided to delete their conversation. Out of sight, out of mind.

Candice had initially planned to sit here until the end of the party and then head back. Unexpectedly, an incident occurred.

Bella sat absentmindedly next to her, and two girls, not much older, approached. They started ridiculing Bella, implying she wasn't the real Ms. Quimby but a mistaken fake heiress, just kept around by Darius for show to attend high-end events.

Their words were harsh, but Bella remained silent. Candice frowned but didn't want to intervene until one of the girls splashed a glass of juice on Bella's face. Candice stood up, reprimanding, "What are you doing?"

She handed a tissue to Bella, saying, "Wipe it off; I'll accompany you to the restroom."

Seeing that Bella didn't take it, Candice noticed tears silently streaming down her face along with the fruit juice.

For a moment, Candice didn't know what to do. The commotion quickly attracted the attention of others, including Darius, who came over swiftly. He stared at Bella's face, and his eyes, which were eerily similar to Candice's, were filled with coldness.

"Which one of you did this?" he asked the two girls.

Candice's heart fell, and she feel like something was off. Just as she was about to speak, a cold breath came next to her, followed by her wrist being gripped.

Alex led her out of the crowd, his voice icy as he reminded her, "Darius is losing it. Don't get involved."

Candice hadn't said anything when she heard a tense voice.

"Candice, are you okay?" Zack came from the other side, looking worried. "I heard the commotion and came over. Are you in trouble?"

Without thinking, Candice stepped toward him and said, "I'm fine."

"That's good," Zack replied. "It's about time. Let me take you back to the hotel."

Candice nodded and followed him, while Alex stood behind, his hand still in the position. It was as if, instead of grabbing Candice's hand, he had only caught a handful of air.