Chapter 34

• ~Candice’s POV~
• It’s been four good years and Dante won’t even spare me a glance. I was stranded 2 years ago when things with Jiang didn’t work out, even after I broke it off with the two of them. I was trying to see which of the two men would chase after me, but no one did. I stayed six months without the two of them, and I ran out of cash. The first person I went to was Jiang, but he chased me away without hesitation. Then Dante took me in because he believed Lola might call me. We live in the same house, yet I hardly ever see him. I cook for myself while he dines like a king on his side of the villa. He has not given up searching for Lola, even though all of these years have passed. I’m not sure what kind of relationship they had, but it seems to have been very strong. It is more powerful than what he and I shared. I have been trying to at least get closer to him, even if it’s just to have lunch with him, but he will never look at me that way. At first, he couldn’t even talk to me. This time around, he just greeted and passed. He made it clear from the start that he wanted nothing to do with me, and if I ever crossed the line, he would send me packing. I left my room and headed to the main villa because I saw Lev there and I knew Dante wouldn’t embarrass me in front of him. I entered the dining room and sat with Lev. I greeted Lev, and he just looked at me and nodded. He has always been a man of few words. Dante came down the stairs, and I could tell how disgusted he was to see me at his dining table. I know I am not welcome, but Lola isn’t here, and it’s been four years already. I have been staying here for over a year, going on for 2 years. I am always making excuses when he tells me to move out. I want to fight for him, but it is hard, especially when he knows all the men I dated. The last time he called me a gold digger. Well, who wants to date a broke man? It is confirmed that there is a reason why Dante is keeping me here, but love is not part of it, or even fucking. The last time I went to a club and pretended to be drunk and I asked the bartender to call Dante, I have never been so embarrassed in my life. He told the man he wasn’t a driver. I should request an Uber. That’s how I knew this man had no feelings for me, not even sympathy. One of the maids brought food to the table. The woman greeted Lev and Dante but didn’t even bother greeting me. He hired new maids, a chef, and cleaners. He probably told them I wasn’t the madam of the house. It’s no surprise they didn’t even greet me. I swallowed hard and cleared my throat.
• “Good morning, Dante.” Greeting him seemed to have triggered something in him, for he told Lev right afterward that they would eat at work. As he got up and took his suit jacket off, something fell from the jacket. I picked up the piece of paper, wanting to give it to him, but what I saw there was enough to send me to an early grave. I looked at him and I noticed he didn’t see that something had fallen off his jacket. Then my gaze was drawn to Lev. He wasn’t preoccupied with completing his coffee. I watched the two men leave, and I rushed to my bedroom to sob.