The Wrong Woman

"Are you not interested in him?" Josie asked.

"We're not in the kind of relationship you're imagining," Candice explained.

Josie simply smiled and remained silent.

After entering the villa, she handed the basket of strawberries to the maid before settling on the couch with Candice. While Candice sat upright with formal poise, Josie lounged with ease as if she owned the place.

"My dad and Mr. Morrison have been close friends for years. I practically grew up here, running around as a kid," Josie said casually.

Candice looked puzzled. "With Uncle Nathan and Aunt Chubs so often away, how did you manage to visit?"

"Leo brought me here," Josie explained with a hint of pride. "He always tried to escape his parents' strict rules. He'd stay here for a few days whenever he felt suffocated at home."

She pointed at one of the rooms on the upper floor and added, "See that room up there? That's our secret hideout."

immediately grasp the implication of a room being called a secret

smile through her conflicting feelings of envy and discomfort. "So, you and Leo have been

moment, she said, "Isn't it similar to you and Mervyn? Your fathers were both comrades and colleagues. You practically

Candice nodded in agreement.

has feelings for you,

aback. She mulled over Josie's words, puzzled. Why had Josie suddenly mentioned that? And

darkening. He lingered silently for a moment before turning to ascend the stairs. All he wanted

echoed up the staircase, Candice turned to find him already returned. Just then, the maid arrived with a plate of freshly washed strawberries. She set

urged, offering her a large

a faint smile, Candice said,

a bite, Josie rose and remarked, "Feel free

still nibbling on the strawberry. Her gaze followed Josie as she headed upstairs toward the room she dubbed

Candice's mouth turned inexplicably bitter. She lost her appetite and sank back into the couch,

wave more intense than the last. The agony grew unbearable