The Wrong Woman

Mila sighed. "It's probably best to move on sooner if Candice doesn't have feelings for you. But you shouldn't settle for marrying someone you don't love. Josie isn't the right match for you."

"Her aunt is shady," Elio responded with a relaxed drawl.

Surprised, Mila asked, "You knew about that?"

Elio hummed in acknowledgment.

Mila got to her feet and said, "Alright, I should head back. You should get some sleep. Meet me at Sudvilla at noon tomorrow."

Sudvilla, a villa granted to Nathan by the government, was located directly opposite Hudson Manor, where Josie lived.

"Why should I go there?" Elio looked at her, puzzled.

With a gentle smile, Mila said, "Come early and lend me a hand."

Then, she left Elio's room, quietly closing the door behind her. Elio's gaze lingered on the door, looking desolate.

...

Candice arrived in a floral dress complemented by a lace-trimmed sun hat. She carried a wicker

and walked toward the garden with

over the soil in the middle of the garden, dressed in

caught in her throat, and her eyes widened

questioning if he had misheard. As he turned and saw Candice rushing toward him, he was rooted to the

locked, and

them momentarily stunned. Feeling the weight of Elio's stare, Candice

Chubs. I-I came to

to fetch some water,"

had insisted he come help in the garden instead of

glove. After taking a few steps toward Candice, he extended

him the basket and edged closer, carefully pointing out the different seedlings. "These are

at her rather than the seedlings in the basket. Their eyes met, and he quickly diverted his gaze to