The Wrong Woman

Candice wanted to speak with Mila, but her attention was drawn to Elio. She was captivated as he tilted his head back to drink water; his Adam's apple was unexpectedly alluring. His simple act sent a surge of heat through Candice, leaving her flustered. She swiftly averted her eyes and turned to Mila.

"Aunt Chubs, is there anything I can help with?" she asked anxiously.

Mila pulled out her phone, her expression turning into a frown as she landed her gaze on it. "I just got some urgent experimental results from work that I need to handle immediately." Confusion clouded Candice's mind.

Pointing toward the seedlings in the basket, Mila instructed, "Candice, can you and Elio help me in planting these seedlings? I need to deal with this issue first."

"I..." Candice panicked, wanting to make Mila stay. "Aunt Chubs, I—"

With a warm smile, Mila began walking away as she said, "I'm swamped right now. Thank you so much, Candice."

Candice couldn't bring herself to reject Mila's request. She said, "Don't mention it, Aunt Chubs. Go ahead with your work."

quick and

always gave off a cool, distant air. In their childhood,

conversation was met with silence.

years, Candice had come to view him as a person who was distant and unapproachable, notoriously reserved, and hard to engage

other guys, her heart would race and flutter whenever she saw

more awkward and embarrassed now that they had slept together. She struggled to

the silence and asked softly, "Do

Candice nodded in response.

the corner to retrieve a pair of new gardening gloves. As he returned to Candice, she reached out to take them. Elio pulled back

surprised at first but then held out her hands. Elio carefully slipped the gloves onto her hands, his actions deliberate yet marked by noticeable tension. "Your

her hands. She had never considered them small, but they seemed tiny next to