The Wrong Woman

The conversation dwindled into another round of silence. To bridge the emotional gap, Elio tried to change the subject.

"Are you facing any challenges at work?" he asked.

Suddenly reminded of the layoffs, Candice turned to face him, her voice tinged with anxiety. "Is the company planning to lay anyone off?"

A gentle smile finally crossed Elio's face the moment she met his gaze. "You don't have to worry. You're not on the list."

"What about my friend, Vanessa Yates? Can you make sure she's safe, too?"

"Vanessa Yates?" Elio echoed.

Candice nodded in response.

"Okay, I'll make a note of it."

Overwhelmed by his intense gaze, she shifted her gaze to the

what happened

was cut off by Jasper approaching them.

whispered, "Let's not

afraid that Jasper might overhear their conversation. Yet, her words came across as cold and detached to Elio. To him, she seemed like a woman merely curious about sex, impulsively exploring without any emotional

with Uncle Elio,

offered a faint

as the movie played on. His attention wasn't on

stood up to escort Jasper and Candice to the door.

word. Expressionless, he watched until the car vanished from his sight. His heart felt empty,

she was never alone. They arranged for someone to accompany her everywhere, and she was always picked up and dropped off

for Elio to find any opportunity to get close to her. He entered his

surveyed his bright and spacious home. The silence was so profound that he could hear his own