My Mirror Image by Maybe Not (Candice And Alex’s)

Chapter 302

Xavier's words were full of sincerity.

Sonia gazed at him. Her expression filled with panic, and she stuttered, "I...I'm not sure what you mean. Weren't you the one who said you see me as a sister?"

Xavier's smile was tinged with bitterness as he looked at Sonia lovingly. "If that's what you wish." He then gently touched Sonia's face, his voice carrying both care and a hint of sadness, "I got carried away before. Just ignore what I said, okay?"

Sonia nervously bit her lip, casting her eyes downward as she softly agreed. Despite this, she didn't move Xavier's hand away from her face.

With her gaze lowered, she failed to notice the cunning and resolve in Xavier's gaze.

-

Candice had spent more than an hour waiting in the mall. The rain hadn't let up at all, in fact, it seemed to intensify.

Her attempts to get a cab with an app had proved futile for the last thirty minutes. Stores began to shut down, and café workers had twice notified customers about closing time.

Checking her phone, Candice saw it was nearly eleven—the mall was about to shut down. With no other options, she borrowed an umbrella from the café and headed out through the main entrance. This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

She intended to use the navigation on her phone to find a hotel close by, but the severity of the torrent was more than she anticipated. The rain came down hard on her as she stepped out of the mall and opened her umbrella. It assaulted the umbrella with such force that it felt like it would tear through. Managing the umbrella proved difficult.

She feared that the intensity of the rain would sweep her away. The puddles on the ground were unexpectedly deep. After accidentally stepping in one, Candice grimaced and swiftly withdrew her foot, the water coming up to her ankles.

The downpour drowned out a car horn's blare, making the arrival of a black car in front of her appear almost silent.

Candice instinctively stepped back as the window lowered.

Alex's grim side profile was revealed. His voice was somewhat muffled by the rain as he instructed, "Get in."

"Why did you return?" Candice asked, umbrella in hand.

"Grandfather isn’t feeling well. The doctor's with him, and he's worried about you."

Alex's face was partially shrouded by shadow, making it impossible for Candice to make out his feelings; only the somber tone in his voice was obvious.

She hesitated briefly. "Why did he suddenly fall ill?"

Alex directed his glance at her. His brow knitted fiercely. His voice was unintentionally authoritative as he repeated, "Get in."

Remembering how Shawn had been coughing over the phone earlier that evening, Candice grew worried. Silently, she closed her umbrella, opened the car door, and climbed inside.

With the door closed, the sound of the rain outside was muffled. Candice's voice grew clearer, and she asked, "I thought your grandfather was all right before?"

"The family doctor is already there. Since you're so invested in playing the sensible one in front of him, you might as well drop by and show some care, right?" Alex spoke, his voice bearing a tinge of indifference and an emotion difficult to discern.

Candice wasn't in the mood to debate old Mr. Elysian’s situation with Alex.

Looking through the rain-streaked windshield, she questioned, "Why are you back here? I thought you had other things to deal with."

Alex drove cautiously in the rain. He scoffed, possibly finding Candice's question amusing. "Grandfather kept asking for you,” he said nonchalantly. “What? Did you think I'd take an extra trip without a good reason? It seems like your pretense to play the good girl for him really works, huh?" Alex glanced briefly at Candice, smirking. "Maybe I should feel lucky that Hanley didn't come to pick you up. It saved me from making a needless journey."

Pretending not to hear a word, Candice paid no attention to Alex.