Mysterious Mrs. Pansy

Patrick fell into silence. He opened the bedside table drawer, picked a cigar, and ignited it with a lighter. He sat there, enveloped in a cloud of smoke, his expression a mixture of cold detachment and a touch of sadness that creased his brow. Patrick smoked the cigar until it had burned down to the end.

“Candy… She was with me when I was kidnapped as a child.”

Kidnapped? Jane furrowed her brow, recalling that Patrick had mentioned his kidnapping multiple times before.

“Jane, have you ever been kidnapped?”

She remembered thinking those questions were odd and impolite back then. Now, she wondered if Patrick saw her as Candy or a substitute for her.

Patrick’s expression darkened as he delved into his painful past.

“The kidnappers targeted me, and Candy was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were both locked up in a cabin somewhere, spending several days in the darkness.”

“How did you manage to escape?” Jane inquired, her voice thick with emotion. She wanted to understand what Patrick and Candy had endured.

Patrick’s handsome face contorted as he recounted, “Candy fell off a cliff to save me.”

He didn’t want to dwell on the past; the memories were too painful. He had been powerless to save Candy, only watching helplessly as she disappeared into the abyss. Candy had never been heard from again, but Patrick hadn’t given up hope. He’d been searching for her ever since but had found nothing.

Jane fell silent, the realization of the tragic nature of Patrick’s past with Candy settling in.

Candy had risked her life to save him. She might even be dead. Patrick’s inability to forget her now made sense.

“Do I resemble Candy?” Jane suddenly asked.

Patrick was taken aback. Candy was just a child when these events occurred, and his memories of her appearance were vague. What he remembered most about Candy was the warmth she had radiated, an unforgettable sensation. When he was alone with Jane, it felt like she was Candy, not due to physical resemblance but because Jane exuded a similar faint fragrance and gave him that same warmth.

“You share some similarities,” Patrick admitted.

Jane couldn’t shake an uncomfortable feeling. She now understood why Patrick had been so protective of her in the past, willing to put himself between her and danger, or go to great lengths to help her when she was falsely accused by Monica.

He had asked, “Don’t you think we should work on our relationship?” because he saw her as a replacement for Candy.

Jane took a deep breath, realizing her situation. She looked at Patrick and spoke firmly, “Patrick, listen to me. I am Jane, a unique individual. There’s only one of me in this world. I won’t be anyone’s substitute. My future husband must love me unconditionally. I won’t marry someone who sees me as a replacement. So, it’s impossible for us to be together.”

With her resolute tone, Jane got up, grabbed a blanket from the bed, and went to the sofa to lie down.

The firmness in her voice reverberated in Patrick’s ears as he watched her.

It was late at night, and both Jane and Patrick had a sleepless night. Jane lay on the sofa, pondering the past month with Patrick. He truly was an exceptional man, just as her grandfather had promised. He was talented, handsome, capable, and highly regarded in the city. However, his heart belonged to his childhood love, Candy.

Jane was always a perfectionist, especially when it came to love. She would never be a substitute for someone else, no matter how exceptional the man was. Patrick’s heart belonged to Candy, and that was a fact Jane couldn’t change.

In the morning, Jane and Patrick both looked exhausted as they left the room. Mike, who was in a cheerful mood, noticed their tired expressions when he opened the door for them.

“None of the dishes went to waste,” Mike muttered, giving them an ambiguous smile. “You two need to control yourselves.”

Jane was left speechless. She couldn’t comprehend what was on Mike’s mind. As she arrived at the office, she couldn’t stop thinking about the story of Patrick and Candy. If Candy was the woman Patrick loved, Jane was determined to help him find her. She sent a message to Anthony.

“Please help me investigate someone.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Anthony responded promptly, “Who?”

“A girl who was kidnapped with Patrick ten years ago. Her nickname is Candy.”

“Ten years ago? Do you have any other information, anything else?”

Jane replied, “That’s all I know. Please get back to me as soon as possible.”

Anthony, however, seemed helpless. “Okay.”

Jane was confident in Anthony’s abilities. In the past, he had always been quick to complete any task she assigned. However, this time, Anthony didn’t respond for a long time.

Jane waited until it was late at night before calling him. “How is the investigation going?”

“I couldn’t find anything.”

Jane was taken aback. How was it possible that Anthony, who was known for his exceptional skills, couldn’t find any information?

Anthony sounded guilty and filled with self-doubt. “I’m sorry, Ada. I tried my best, but… I really couldn’t find anything.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m not skilled enough. Ada, maybe you should try…”

“Okay, I understand,” Jane replied and hung up the phone. Frowning, she wondered what kind of girl Candy was and what had happened that day. Most importantly, why couldn’t Anthony find any information about her?