My Mirror Image

Chapter 0238
Joe was not aware of Yvonne’s visit. His spirits weren’t as high as they used to be, and his eyesight had deteriorated.
Candice spent some time in his hospital ward, but he didn’t notice her emotions.
Candice thought about Peach as she departed. She realized that her sister’s condition was far worse than when she last saw her
in Noxville.
She quickly dispelled the thought. She reminded herself that she was not responsible for Peach’s
well–being.
Candice called for a designated driver to take her home. Once she arrived, she followed Yana’s instructions to call her.
Yana had returned home and sounded somewhat down over the phone..
“What’s wrong?” Candice asked.
“It’s not a big deal. My dad is pressuring me to get married again. It’s so annoying. He acts as if I can’t find a husband myself,”
Yana complained..
She often vented about her family’s attempts to push her into arranged meetings.
Candice listened without offering any comments, but Yana eventually remembered to ask about
the hospital situation.
Their talk was brief, and they quickly ended the call.
Candice wasn’t able to go out much because of her injury. When Hanley came to visit, he encouraged her to stay at home and
not worry about work.
“I can’t be of much help right now, it’s true,” Candice admitted, lowering her gaze wearily.
“Your main priority is getting healthier,” Hanley reassured her.
“Hanley, I don’t think I have much to offer the studio.” Candice said casually.

Candice was filled with a mix of emotions. When she had first informed Hanley that she wanted to work in the industry, she was
full of confidence. However, she had been unable to make a
meaningful impact, and now she felt like more of a burden than an asset.
Her heart thumped before she looked up at Hanley and spoke Slow
“I can’t keep taking up
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Burning Star Studio’s resources.”
Hanley remained silent. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Candice without saying anything. After a moment, he swiftly
composed himself and spoke in a low voice, “Are you considering leaving the company?”
“I don’t think I’m fit to work right now,” Candice replied, pursing her lips.
She had been considering this decision for some days. Hanley and the others had been kind to
her, and she doubted anyone would mind if she kept quiet.
However, Candice was aware that her contributions to Burning Star Studio had been minimal, especially with Yvonne and Ivor
now in Dorrington. The recent incident involving Yvonne at Aether
Corporation was still fresh in her mind, and Candice had to be cautious about her mother
approaching Hanley.

“I disagree.” Hanley said, rejecting her proposal. After a lengthy silence, Hanley finally spoke.” When I first met you, you were
always brimming with confidence.” A complex emotion clouded Hanley’s eyes. “If you’ve made up your mind, I’ll respect your
decision, but I hope you’ll reconsider.
After Hanley left, Candice sat in the living room for quite some time, her head throbbing with
conflicting thoughts.
The following evening. Nadia sent Candice a lengthy voice message.
“Candice, I know it might not be the best time to disturb you, but I have no other alternative. We have coordination troubles with
Blue Artifact. Your ex–company appears to be purposely stalling the progress. They haven’t provided any feedback on the
contract we submitted.”
Candice, Nadia, and Ryan handled the majority of the project’s business negotiations. Since Candice had been on leave due to
her injuries, the other two had taken on the majority of the
workload.
Hanley hadn’t informed her of any of this during his visit, and judging by Nadia’s tone, he had probably told the others to keep it
from her.
Candice wouldn’t have known about the problem if it hadn’t been for Nadia’s urgency.
She informed Nadia that she would visit the next day. While her shoulder couldn’t move much, she
could do so with caution.

When Hanley laid eyes on her the next day, he frowned. “What brings you here?”
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Candice didn’t beat around the bush. “Why didn’t you inform me about Aether Corporation withholding the contract?” Her
previous visit to Aether Corporation had been smooth with Kayla’s
assistance.
Nadia chimed in, “The person in charge at Aether Corporation suddenly changed to Sonia. She’s been nitpicking to find flaws
with us.”
Candice nodded, then headed to the study to call Kayla.
“I’m not sure why the person in charge changed to her, but Sonia has been closely monitoring your team. It seems like she wants
to scrutinize each of you in detail. But don’t worry, even if she causes trouble, we’ll eventually sign the contract. The worst–case
scenario is that it will be delayed,” Kayla reassured her.
After ending the call, Candice couldn’t hide her displeasure. She knew the project would ultimately succeed, but any delays were
unwelcome in this type of project.
After lunch, Candice proceeded to Aether Corporation as planned. She had made prior arrangements with Kayla.
However, Sonia arrived in the conference room with Kayla.
“If you’re here to discuss the Burning Star Studio contract, why didn’t you contact me directly?” Sonia asked with a smile. “Didn’t
Kayla tell you that I’m in charge of this project now?”
Candice detected a hint of satisfaction in Sonia’s tone, but she remained composed. “What’s the reason behind Aether
Corporation’s delay in signing the contract?”
“Is that why you’re here?” Sonia tapped her pen on the table and continued to speak with a smile. ” Well, there are several
unreasonable aspects in the contract that need to be addressed before we
can proceed.”

Candice’s eyes briefly lingered on the limited–edition Marque4810 pen in Sonia’s hand, which she had gifted to Alex on his
birthday last year.
Sonia seemed to notice her gaze. She paused briefly before holding up the pen and asking. “Do you find this pen beautiful? It’s
Mr. Elysian’s.”
Candice’s eyes remained devoid of emotion. She lightly tapped the tabletop with her finger and replied, “Ms. Summers, I have no
interest in the origin of your pen. Right now, I just want to know how we can resolve the issues.”
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Sonia’s smile waned slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and said, “We can discuss work later. I heard you got
injured. Is that true?” She glanced at Candice’s shoulder subtly.
Candice asked, “Where did you hear that from?”
“From your mother. Apparently, she’s worried about you.”
The atmosphere in the room grew tense.
“What’s going on?” Sonia asked, pretending innocence. Her outward expression remained calm, but deep down, she couldn’t
help but be overcome with a sense of triumph, as if she had scored a
point.
However, her momentary victory was cut short as the conference room door was pushed open.
Sawyer entered, followed by Alex and two middle–aged men.
Everyone was momentarily stunned.
Sawyer was the first to respond, asking, “Are you discussing the contract?”
Sonia nodded. She was going to speak when Candice stood up.
Candice gazed at Alex and began, “Mr. Elysian...”
Alex interrupted her with a cold tone and directed, “Wait for me in my office.”